Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Cultural Revolution.

I was telling one of my close friend the other day about how advanced and developed China is nowadays, well some part of China, compare to Malaysia. And that in some aspect, Chinese Gov is much better governing China, then Malaysian Gov governing Malaysia. In my friend's reply, he told me this, he believes that "Attitudes" of the people define if a society developed or not.

What is attitude anyway? have you ever really thought about it, why is it an ethnic group has the same attitude (almost) and this attitude can be so different from another ethnic group? -- In another word... "culture-shock"

In my humble opinion. It is all about culture.

I read a book by "Bo Yang" titled "The Ugly Chinese" -- 丑陋的中国人,柏杨 -- The book talks about how the 5000 years cultural history of China influence each and every dynasty in the history of China, and how it is still badly influencing and nurturing the new generation of Chinese. Now I am not going to talk about what the book says, but I wish to share my point of view on how culture and ethic believes and practices can shape the ethnic based attitude and eventually shaping the entire social-culture. And also acknowledging my friend's point of view.

Lets first define what is culture.

Culture -- All the knowledge and skills shared by a society.

Now, lets explore what this knowledge and skills are about. They are not your type of computer skills, or interview skills or flirting skills, nor they are your type of knowledge in Algebra or physics and economics. These are very localized knowledge and skills, which very much depends on the influence of geographical location and time specific. These are the knowledge and skills to survive in the area at a particular time. Why time? Because, there are too many entities that changes at different different time. So time (volcano eruption, earthquake, plague) too, influence a culture.

Something you do now, might be correct for now, at this moment. But it may not be entirely true in next 5 years or even 5 minutes; Something you learn now, might be correct for now, at this moment. But it may not be entirely right in the next 5 years or even 5 minutes. Like I say, there are too many things or entities that influence our way of doing things, and learning things.

Nothing is certain; nothing is permanent. What ever we learn now, is only good for now. Unless we keep on updating and learning new things, we will be left behind. And forgotten.

Then, why are we keep on fostering and protecting our "Culture"? Our culture is just a primitive skills and knowledge that kept our ancestor survive those harsh day. Culture does not fit out new modern scientific world.

If we keep on practicing what our ancestor do in history, what will become of us. Culture is a 2 ways knife, if not use carefully we may cut ourselves. There are some element in culture that are bad, like spitting. Look at China, people spitting everywhere. This is a fine example of culture translate into attitude of a person. Why? Because culture permit him to do so, and it becomes a habit, and habit shape his attitude. And you know what, attitude define a person. ----- people shape the society; the country. End of story.

There are, of course, good elements in culture. Those are the elements that we want to keep. Like courtesy, polite, patient... and etc.

Culture is a collection of habits and attitudes, rooted deep inside everyone's sub-conscious . To eradicate bad element from culture, is like getting rid of bad habit and and attitude from a person. There are equally hard and persistent.

Sometimes, I thinks that the cultural revolution started by Mao in China, was a good thing to China. Think about it, cleaning up all the bad elements in Chinese culture in 1 shot. But of course, the revolution went too wild and out of control. But how nice if it were to succeed. Only if.

Lastly, I define culture as ---
"a good way to call a collections of habits and attitude that the masses approved and refuse to change"


Singapore



Suzhou Industrial Park

Suzhou Industrial Park, my first impression -- almost like, I am in Singapore...

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Monday, July 14, 2008

Its Summer!!

Summer in China is just like any other day in Malaysia, well, with the different only in humidity. It is not that humid here in China. Yes, it is dry and hot. One can compare steam bath to sauna with Malaysia to China. But one fact remain the same, you still get sweat all over.

It has been very warm here, since summer started. Once, it reaches 38 degrees C. This is way hotter than in Malaysia. And there has been some prediction that the mercury will soar up to 40 degrees C this year. All because we had the biggest snow fall back in Jan 208, mother nature needs to bring up a few degrees C to balance back the climate. Well, I don't know if this is true, but I do hope that it is not. The weather is increasingly becoming unbearable warm, even to a Malaysian.

But the warm weather has awaken the others. It has awaken those that has sleep through the winter and the spring, and it is now time to reactivated and reproduce. Yes, unfortunately, summer is the time where insects, bugs, those small little critters comes to roam the earth. Just like the movie, "The day of the living dead" but it is the "day of the critters" instead.

A lot of movies, and MTVs that depict summer will have the familiar sound made by the cicada. And I have always thought that it was purposely amplified to portray the hot summer. Until recently, I finally heard the sound, the loud sound made by the cicada. Back in Malaysia, you do not hear such sound in the city or at home. You only hear this kind of sound in a park or jungle. But here, it is so difference, I am in a industrial park, and I am still hearing this, and amazingly very very very loud.


The cicada

This remind me of my last trip to the States, I was also in some sort of industrial area, and there were rabbits or hare in the field. Simply amazed me. But thats that, not related to today's story. :P

Little research from the Internet, can yield lots of information about a cicada. Most, actually all of the cicada species needs to spend year after year underground sipping nutrient from root of a tree to mature. A species of cicada from the states needs to go through 17 years of maturity underground, before it can become a cicada. And with all that years spend, they will only live for a week; reproduce and die. Maybe that is why they sing so loud, singing the best part of their life with their sweetest sound for that short period of time, and then died without regret.

I guess, living in a 4 seasons, living things value life much more. Maybe they know that warm weather is short, so they really grap those short time to do what ever they need. Looking back at human being, human being are famous of wasting their time and their life. And only to regrets when all is too late.

Maybe sometimes, we should learn from this insect instead, the purpose of life.

I did my best, and I have no regrets
--William Hung, American Idols
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Friday, July 11, 2008

Before and after -- CEO Suzhou

Before and after sounded very much like a cheap commercial in TV. Yet, this is the only word good enough to describe what I am going to share this time round. The before and after (renovation) of my office.


Oct 2007

Now this was in Oct 2007, basically nothing. Except the ceiling, air cons and one big open spaces. If you think renovating and decorating your house is a lot of work, wait till you need to renovate and decorate an office space. There are much to consider, starting from computer network and power cable, seatings, partitions, color to how to utilize the space and much more. Mind you, a single square foot not use, is a single square foot wasted. And a single square foot are charged into the rental and property management fees every month. Definitely not a trivia decision making.


Jan 2008

And this is the results after many many emails flying all over, non-stop phone calls and repeating cycle of pushing and monitoring and pushing and monitoring of the work and after $$$ paid. Mind you all these are done in less than 1 month. From cement flooring, to cabling to carpeting, partitioning and arrival of the furnitures and equipments. Phew!! Believe me, it is as stressful and tiring as you can imagine.

Finally, I have office to work in. Job well done!


Looking out from my office in Oct 2007



Looking out again in Jan 2008

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.
--Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)
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Thursday, July 10, 2008

7 months in China

7 months is not very long, but it is not short either. Many things can happened in just 7 months. For example, few hours of snow in China, trapped 50,000 people in a small train station, Barisan National could lose 5 states to the opposition party in just 1 day in Malaysia and just 10 minutes of earthquake in Sichuan China can killed 70,000 people. Yet, 7 months can be as short as a blink of an eye or as brief as a breeze in spring. 7 months in China passed just like that.



My new office

7 months ago, my office block has only 2 offices. 7 months later, now, there are still only 2 offices. CSSD SIP Science Hub is located at the border of SIP, Suzhou Industrial Park, and Suzhou Wei Ting Town. Basically this place is in the middle of nowhere, nothing within the radious of 5KM. And this will be my office for many months to come..... I just hope that more facilities and services will be build around the SIP Science Hub, my office.

7 months ago, white winter is something that I have always dreamed of. When I know that I will be station in Suzhou, I was so excited that I finally have the chance to work in a four seasons country. And finally I can have my white winter. But, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get, Suzhou hardly gets any snow fall big enough to accumulate on the ground. So, there goes my white winter. Thats what I been told.

Yet, thanks to global warming and climate changes, it snow heavily in Suzhou this year. To be exact, it was the biggest snow fall in 20 years. My prayer was answered, lound and clear. Ha ha!!!



Biggest snow fall in Suzhou in 20 years

It was a disaster in Suzhou. As Suzhou has not expecting such a heavy snow fall, the city was ill prepare. Suzhou city was in chaos. But, I was having fun; I was enjoying my first snow; while the rest of the people were suffering. It was fun and torture mixed together. And I finally understand, snow is only romantic in the movies.

7 months ago, life was just waking up and goes to work. 7 months later, life is still waking up and goes to work, but this time round, life is added with a twist of lemon zest. It is sweet, and yet bitter; full with fragrance and not so plain.

c'est la vie, mon ami.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

From China with Love

I have not been updating my blogs for a very very very........... long time. Alot of things has happened in my life, all good things, thank god. I must say, ever since I attended the AsiaWork workshop, I have changed alot, in terms of thinking and how I look at things, of course. And I am happy with the changes.

Anyway, some update from my side, since my MIA from 27th April 2007, as blogger.com as recorded. Well, Soon after my "official wedding" and honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia, I have moved out from my parents' place. First time in my life, I actually feel independent. And to me, it is a good thing. It gave me more room to expand my self, a new horizon to life.

I moved out from parents to the company house, as one of the first batch to accept this new benefits from the company, also as lead the initiative. I was basically incharged of renting, monitoring, purchasing and all pertaining to the company rented houses. The company rented 4 houses. I tell you, it is no fun dealing with real-estate agents.

I stayed in the company house for few months. And, the company send me to Suzhou, China, to run the Suzhou office. It was a big decision, the turning poit in my life. I am lucky and thankful that my wife supported my decision. Anyway, it is a chance of a life time to escape from Malaysia, and see the world. So here I am, ended up in Suzhou, China.


Attending the launching of SSH

For the first time, I wasted half of my passport in just 2 months, and I always complained that my passport looks empty. :P Anyway, I do realized now that frequent flying is not as fun as I thought to be. But, I have accepted it as the price I have to pay, and I am happy with it.

I am in peace; I see more clearly; I know where I am headin; I know what I am doing; I know who I am.

I will be updating my blogs more frequent now, as I have finally found time for myself.


"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets."

-- Arthur Miller
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