Congratulations to BARACK OBAMA for Winning The 2008 Presidential Election of the United States of America

Today is 04th November 2008, and on this very special Tuesday is the PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION of the United States of America (U.S.A.). This is one election that the eyes of the whole world will be focusing on.

I predict that Senator BARACK OBAMA, the DEMOCRATIC PARTY presidential nominee (who is a junior United States Senator from Illinois), will definitely win the "2008 United States Presidential Election" and would like to be among the first to congratulate him for becoming the next president of the United States of America (USA). Why? Because as most people could see, President Obama will surely be the most likely person to bring about true change to the United States of America and definitely the whole world as well. With Barack Obama elected as the president of the U.S. of America, President Obama will actually be surrounded with and in constant consultation with the best brains of the nation (and of course worldwide too) to bring about true change to the politics, administration and especially economy of the country and to completely revitalise the White House like never before.

President Barack Obama has created history by becoming the first "black" (African American) president of the United States of America. It has once again proven that only in a country like the United States of America that "everyone" truly has equal freedom and opportunity to achieve the best they could with their abilities and hard work and of course, to achieve the "American dream". President Obama has given hope to millions all over the world with his determination to overcome all obstacles and challenges in order to lead his nation with true quality smart administration and wise leadership.

President Obama, Sir, congratulations for becoming the next president of the United States of America! Show the citizens of the United States of America and the people of the world who have supported you that they have made the right choice. Prove to everyone that you will become and will always be one of the smartest and wisest presidents the United States of America ever has. CHEERS!!! :)

I would like to congratulate Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (the DEMOCRATIC PARTY vice presidential nominee who is a senior United States Senator from Delaware) too, for winning the 2008 Presidential Election of the United States of America together with Barack Obama and becoming the new Vice President of the United States of America. Congratulations, Sir! :)

As for the REPUBLICAN PARTY presidential nominee for the 2008 Presidential Election for the United States of America, Senator John Sidney McCain III (a senior United States Senator from Arizona), please don't be disheartened. You are a war hero and your country and fellow citizens will never forget the sacrifices you have made for them. You don't have to be the president of the United States of America to continue serving your country. Keep up the good work and all the best :)

At the same time, for the REPUBLICAN PARTY vice presidential nominee for the 2008 United States Presidential Election, Governor Sarah Louise Heath Palin (the governor of the state of Alaska of the United States of America), I would like to say that, Mdm, you have had your moments. Lose with dignity and learn from it. Return to Alaska being wiser and prove to the people there and the whole United States of America why you deserve even to be elected Alaska's governor in the first place. Lead the state of Alaska with renewed conviction and especially with true dignity and substance. You could have made many women of the United States of America (and probably the whole world) proud and of course many men too, but in the end, many of your "supporters" have ended up kicking themselves. You know why? It is because "ignorance" and "arrogance" are not very good combinations. Do not tempt fate. You know you have been lucky and should not have taken it for granted. Learn to be humble and to actually work hard for the people who have believed and had faith in you. Work harder, smarter and be humble. Remember: God is always fair and He is watching you ... as always. All the best, Mdm.

CONGRATULATIONS to President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden and to the people of the United States of America. All the best and keep up the good work.

cheers.

I Am Officially 40 Years Old Today

He he ... Yep, I am officially 40 years old today :)

I don't normally celebrate my birthdays but for today, I actually celebrated it with my mom and other family members and loved ones in Singapore. Just a simple and small gathering. Hehe ... a small cake, and some nice Singapore vegetarian delicacies too. :)

It was really nice to have such a simple celebration of my 40th birthday :)













Btw, I had a pleasant surprise when I was leaving Singapore. The ICA (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority) officer behind the counter (at the Singapore Customs & Immigration checkpoint at Woodlands) who checked and stamped my passport realised that it was my birthday and actually wished me a "happy birthday". Hehe ... that was sweet of him :)


cheers
hanyi

Raining Cats And Dogs In Kuching, Sarawak

Yep, it rained heavily around late afternoon today. The heavy downpour was unexpected despite the recent "semi rainy season".

You know, one thing I really like about Kuching is the rain. Yep, as someone from Johor Bahru in West Malaysia that has less rain, somehow I like the climate and weather in East Malaysia so much more. I feel that over here in Borneo, it is cooler and I like cool environments :)

JustNice.Org Blog Being Moved Over To Han-Yi.BlogSpot.Com

Yep, the JustNice.Org Blog is officially being moved over to BlogSpot.Com.

Any blog post done before 5th September 2008, are from the previous JustNice.Org blogs on the original site using WordPress.

Any blog postings after 5th September 2008, will be new posts added after the "move" to JustNiceOrg.BlogSpot.Com :)

Thank you. :)

best regards
hanyi

Hello World! Again ... For The 4th Time :)

Hehe … Welcome to the JustNice.Org Blog (AGAIN! For the 4th time!!!) This is my first post in the 4th version of my JustNice.Org blog. :)

Yep, and this time around, I am determined about moving the JustNice.Org Blog to Han-Yi.BlogSpot.Com (permanently) as I am running out of patience after 4 long years of problems with versions 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 of my JustNice.Org Blog using WordPress. I give up. It will be BlogSpot from now on :)

Frankly, I kind of like WordPress, but somehow there are too many problems that I cannot control. Hehe, since started blogging back in 2004, I have already set-up and then abandon 3 of my WordPress blogs on JustNice.Org (Ver 1.0, Ver 2.0 & Ver 3.0). The first 2 blogs were “abandoned” due to very serious comments spamming problem.

Eventually, in 2006 I finally managed to solve the comment spamming problems with new and more powerful anti-spamming features built-in the newer versions of WordPress. That’s when I set up version 3.0 of my JustNice.Org blog. Everything went well for the last 2 years … that was until recently.

Towards the end of August 2008, suddenly my WordPress informed me that my “dbase” is outdated and I am “forced” to update to the newer version. I updated my WordPress to version 2.5 and then 2.6.1. Somehow, when I updated the first time around, I lost all my categories (ALL 100+ of em). And before I could figure out what to do about it, suddenly I could not log in to my Admin area. Yep, I am now “logged out” of my blog altogether and I really don’t know what to do about it. I then upgraded to 2.6.1 hopping that as the latest version maybe the problems might have been rectified.

Well, the problems are still there. Eventually, while I still could not figure out how to “log-in” my JustNice.Org Ver 3.0 blog and “recover” my “disappeared categories”, I have to come up with a plan-B. So, I have decided to set up a new blog all over again with BlogSpot.Com instead. So, ladies and gentleman, I present you with JustNice.Org Blog Version 4.0 and keeping my fingers crossed … hehe :)

regards

hanyi
ps. *sigh* eventhough I have lost many valuable comments and blog readers over the years with the "interruptions" and "breaks" to my JustNice.Org Blog and this eventual switch to BlogSpot ... it is ok. I understand that it is part and parcel of life. Sh*ts happen and we just need to learn to cope with them and move on. Yep, I am moving on ... again hehe :)

ps. and I would like to thank WordPress for a nice free software that has allowed me to blog for the last 4 years :)

08.08.08 Is A Special Day For A Special Occassion: The 2008 Summer Olympic Games In Beijing China

Yep, today is a day with a very special date: 08.08.08 (8th of August 2008). Of course, today is also a day with a special occassion: the opening ceremony of the 2008 SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES (officially known as Games of the XXIX Olympiad) in Beijing, People’s Republic of China :)

cheers

hanyi

Technorati Tags: 08.08.08, Beijing Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Games of the XXIX Olympiad, JustNice.Org

Have Not Been Blogging For Ages

Hehe … It has been so long since I blogged. Have been really busy with work and life in general. Time sure passed very fast indeed :)

Recently, I noticed that there seems to be less cars on the road. I could be wrong, but somehow I think maybe due to the recent price hike of the petrol, people are driving less … or maybe less people drive :)

On the other hand, whilst there are less cars on the road now, there are more motorbikes. Cheaper alternative maybe and still faster than cycling :)

regards,

Hanyi

Seed Planting

Haha … I have not blogged for quite some time :)

Well, today something happened that made me realise that I need to write it down … blog about it. A “seed” I planted almost 10 years ago has finally grown into a tree, flowered and bore fruits :)

Well, it was a surprise for me and of course I am extremely delighted. So many years ago, I planted the seed and put much effort into it. Then when all things and efforts necessary have been done, I have left it all alone and almost forgotten about it. Haha, recently, suddenly it sprouted, and grown into a huge and strong tree that bore many beautiful flowers and bore lots of sweet & juicy fruits :)

Well, life is like this isn’t it? Everyday we are planting “seeds” … many many “seeds”.

Some good, some bad. Some will grow, many will just disappear without a trace. Somehow, we must consciously plan more good and positive seeds to off-set that negative seeds we might have intentionally or unintentionally planted.

Be persistent determined to plant as many good seeds as possible and give them adequate attention, watering, trimming of rotten leaves, fertilization, sun, etc.

One day, many of these “seeds” will bear fruit … eventhough we often might not be sure which ones. :)

Happy seeds planting …. remember to care for them *wink* :p

cheers

hanyi

9 Victoria Cross (VC) Valor Medals Stolen From A New Zealand Army Museum Have Been Recovered

Yep, very good news indeed :)

The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest valor award of the British army. Since its creation 200 years ago by Queen Victoria, only slightly more than 1000 VCs have been awarded to military personnels of Britain and Commonwealth countries.

TheSTAR Online - World Updates - Saturday February 16, 2008 MYT 01:46:09 PM

New Zealand Police Recover Stolen War Medals

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand police have recovered rare war medals, including nine Victoria Crosses, which had been stolen from a national museum in December, officials said on Saturday.

The stolen medals included those awarded to New Zealand’s most celebrated war hero, World War Two Captain Charles Upham, one of only three men to have won two Victoria Crosses, the highest award for bravery among Commonwealth nations.

Police said an unidentified third party helped arrange the return of all 96 medals after a British medal collector and a local businessman announced an award of NZ$300,000 ($238,095) for information on the missing medals.

“These medals are New Zealand’s national treasures, with a value beyond any monetary worth. New Zealanders will be both delighted and relieved that the VCs and other medals have been recovered,” Defence Minister Phil Goff said in a statement.

The medals were taken from the war museum on the outskirts of the small town of Waiouru, in the centre of New Zealand’s North Island.

“The reward was offered for information leading to the safe return of the medals and that has encouraged a person to come forward and facilitate the return of the medals to police,” the New Zealand Press Association quoted detective senior sergeant Chris Bensemann as saying.

Bensemann declined to say how how much of the reward was paid, but “an amount” would be transferred to a third party on Monday following several weeks of negotiations, NZPA said.

No immunity from prosecution or support for reduction in any sentence for any offender was given in return, Bensemann said, adding that the police will continue to hunt for the burglars.

A local export had valued the stolen medals to be worth around NZ$10 million. ($1=NZ$1.26)

Everyone who is involved in the recovery of the war medals have done very well indeed! Kudos! But, I really hope that henceforth, these war medals which are precious national treasures, will be well-guarded and never stolen again.

regards
hanyi

Technorati Tags: Victoria Cross, Victoria Cross Valor Medal, VC Medals, 9 Victoria Cross Valor Medals Stolen, Military Medals, New Zealand, JustNice.Org

Happy Lunar New Year of the RAT

Wishing everyone a very happy lunar new year of the earth rat :)

May your loved ones and you be blessed with abundance of happiness, good health, success and prosperity :)

* Xin Nian2 Kuai4 Le4 - Happy New Year

* Wan4 Shi4 Ru2 Yi4, Xin Xiang3 Shi4 Cheng2 - Dreams Come True

* Shen Ti3 Jian4 Kang - Good Health

* Xue2 Ye4 Jin4 Bu4 - Improvement & Progress In Studies

* Gong Xi3 Fa Cai2 - Prosperity

Smooth sailing and all the good things for a great and wonderful new year :)

cheers,

hanyi

How To Be A Successful Teacher And To Teach Effectively

Hehe, as a “Laoshi” (Teacher), many people like to ask me how I have managed to teach so well and what is my “secret of success”. Well, let me share with you a simple story and you shall see:

I believe everyone knows Confucius (Kongzi or Kung Tzu). As the greatest “laoshi” (teacher) China ever has, Confucius (Kongzi or Kung Tzu) used to have more than 3000 students with him at any one time and among them 72 favourite and top disciples that he taught much. One day, one of his 72 favourite disciples, Anthony, came to see confucius.

Anthony: Laoshi, if I want so be successful in life, what is the secret.
Confucius: Anthony, whatever you do, you must think and ponder for 3 times before you make any decision.
Anthony: Think 3 times?
Confucius: Yes, 3 times. Never make any decision hastily. Make sure you think 1 time, 2 times and finally 3 times … then only make a decision, and you will not fail.
Anthony: Oh, thank you, Laoshi. I understand now.

(Anthony left happily, having now been enlightened on the secret to success).

Btw, while Anthony was consulting Confucius on the secret to Success, Brandon was also there and he was also much enlightened.

After some time, another top disciple, Dianne, also came to see Confucius.

Dianne: Laoshi, if I want so be successful in life, what is the secret.
Confucius: Dianne dear, whatever you do, do not think too much. Just do it.
Dianne: Just do it?
Confucius: Yes, just do it. Don’t waste time thinking. Do it immediately without haste … and you will not fail.
Dianne: Okie dokey Laoshi. I know what to do now.

(Dianne left happily, having now been enlightened on the secret to success).

Btw, while Dianne was consulting Confucius on the secret to Success, AGAIN Brandon was also there and he was also much enlightened … AGAIN.

As Brandon was there BOTH times (he is damn kaypoh one) when either Anthony or Dianne was being counselled on the secret to success, he was now baffled by the opposite and conflicting advice that the laoshi has given to 2 students who asked the SAME question.

As a very wise laoshi, Confucius can feel it when one of his students is baffled by something. So, eventhough Brandon (the kaypoh) didn’t say anything, Confucius invite him for a private chat in his thatched hut office.

While sitting down over a cup of tea (presumed to be chinese tea since they don’t have ceylonese tea in china 2500 years ago) and some peanuts (menglembu), Confucius encourage Brandon to talk.

Brandon apologised to the Laoshi for eavedropping on his conversations with Anthony & Dianne. Confucius says he is forgiven.

Then Brandon mentioned his bafflement with Confucius’ opposite answers to the SAME question by BOTH Anthony and Dianne.

Confucius smile … and then let out a hearty laughter while stretching his right arm over the low table and pat Brandon’s shoulder.

Confucius then suddenly composed himself, adjust his teacher’s official garment and his headress, and then speak carefully and clearly to Brandon.

Confucius: Anthony and Dianne BOTH asked the SAME question to the SAME laoshi on the SAME subject, correct?
Brandon: Yes, laoshi.
Confucius: I repeat, same question, same subject, same laoshi.
Brandon: Yes, all same.
Confucius: Haha … no, no, no.
Brandon: ????????? Huh??????????

Why? Any idea?
Well … the conversation continues …

Confucius: Same question, right! Same subject, right! Same laoshi, right! But DIFFERENT students asking.

Brandon: Different students ….

Confucius: Yes, one is Anthony, and the other one is Dianne.

Brandon: Ohhhhhh … eerrh, Laoshi, can you kindly elaborate.

Confucius: Haha … ok. Listen carefully.

Brandon: Ok, Laoshi, I am all ears.

Confucius: Anthony is a very impatient and reckless person who always make mistakes because he never spend enough time thinking about what he should or should not do. Lack of sufficient thoughts and analysis, can result in wrong moves that can be costly. If only he could slow down a bit and think before he act, then he would definitely become accomplished in life.

Brandon: I see …. That’s why Laoshi remind him to think 3 times!!!!

Confucius: Yes, now you get it. Ok, on the other hand, Dianne is a person who thinks too much. Her hesitations and procrastinations have resulted in many missed opportunities. If only she learns to act instead of just think … then she would be very successful in life.

Brandon: I SEE!!!!!!!!!! That’s why Laoshi told her to “just do it”! Now I know already!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU laoshi :)

Confucius: Hahahaha ……. go now. :)

See?

Yes, everyone has different abilities to learn and master knowledge. As an effective teacher, one must be able to analyse what are the strengths, weaknesses, talents, abilities and general needs of each and everyone of one’s students. Teach your students according to what is best for him / her and you will never go wrong. In Mandarin Chinese we say “Yin Cai2 Shi Jiao4″ :)

Btw, as this is the first post to my blog for the year 2008, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful new year and may you be blessed with abundance of happiness, good health, prosperity and success :)

cheers
Hanyi

Technorati Tags: Teacher, Teaching, Confucius, Kongzi, Kung Fu Tzu, Teaching Effectively, Effective Teacher, Successful Teacher, JustNice.Org