Congratulations!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Stolen Body Parts
Disgusting! Horrible! Barbaric!
Imagine if you died and someone stole your body parts and sold them to a legitimate company which makes money out of your corpse. Some human being are not more valuable than animals. What a mad world!
Imagine if you died and someone stole your body parts and sold them to a legitimate company which makes money out of your corpse. Some human being are not more valuable than animals. What a mad world!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Drinking & Drunk
So, what's the special about having alcoholic drink and make yourself drunk? Do you think you're a "man" if you drink lots of beer? It is not a rocket science to know that drinking too much alcohol will harm your body and mind, make you look stupid, and you think it's fun?
I can't really understand it when I said I drink only 1/2 pint maximum once in a week and some of my colleagues were like, "What? Come on, you are man!". Well, I don't think I have to drink a lot of beer just to prove I am man enough. Eventhough having alcoholic drinks is not a sin for me, I have been told by our extended big family since I was still a kid that alcoholic drinks are harmful. So we should not be addicted to alcoholic drinks, control ourselves when drinking beer and make life more useful than just being drunk.
I can't really understand it when I said I drink only 1/2 pint maximum once in a week and some of my colleagues were like, "What? Come on, you are man!". Well, I don't think I have to drink a lot of beer just to prove I am man enough. Eventhough having alcoholic drinks is not a sin for me, I have been told by our extended big family since I was still a kid that alcoholic drinks are harmful. So we should not be addicted to alcoholic drinks, control ourselves when drinking beer and make life more useful than just being drunk.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The
As someone who has been learning English language since 1985/6, when I was still in the 5th year of my primary education, I still cannot fully figure out when to use and when not to use "the" in my writing. Sometimes I got it right, but in other time it is wrong, in the sense of it is either missing or not necessary. Most of the time when I get it wrong, the "the" is missing from my sentences.
My current supervisor, who reviews my scientific writing, often smiles at me when he is about to give me some feedbacks after reading my manuscript, because I always have a problem with "the". He always tells me that it is understandable if I do not know when to use "the" correctly because English is not my first language, and then sometimes he said, "Well Min, this proves that you're not an Australian" . :p
My current supervisor, who reviews my scientific writing, often smiles at me when he is about to give me some feedbacks after reading my manuscript, because I always have a problem with "the". He always tells me that it is understandable if I do not know when to use "the" correctly because English is not my first language, and then sometimes he said, "Well Min, this proves that you're not an Australian" . :p
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
A 24-Pass Move
Some say it was a 24-pass move, others say it was 25 passes, and some others say it was 21 passes only. Whatever the number was, that Agenrtina's second goal scored by Esteban Cambiasso against Serbia & Montenegro last night (Melbourne time), in the second game of the first round of FIFA World Cup 2006, was joy to watch.
Perhaps, the Serbian & Montenegrin defenders actually made it all too easy for the Argentine to score, but still the off-the-ball movement, ball control, understanding and unselfishness of the Argentina's players were second to none. A game like this is the reason why people like watching football, and it is also a reason why I expect Argentina to do well, although many have opinions that the Argentine players like to dive.
They have great players and a good team, and when they do actually play their football, it is of a jaw-dropping quality. I hope they always remember to play football throughout this World Cup, and play well.
Perhaps, the Serbian & Montenegrin defenders actually made it all too easy for the Argentine to score, but still the off-the-ball movement, ball control, understanding and unselfishness of the Argentina's players were second to none. A game like this is the reason why people like watching football, and it is also a reason why I expect Argentina to do well, although many have opinions that the Argentine players like to dive.
They have great players and a good team, and when they do actually play their football, it is of a jaw-dropping quality. I hope they always remember to play football throughout this World Cup, and play well.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Worked to Death in China
Worked to Death in China
Engineer's death alarms Chinese white collar workers
Xu Zhiqiang (xuzhiqiang)
Since last week, hundreds of thousands have signed in on China's netizen sites to mourn the death of Hu Xinyu, a 25-year-old engineer whose untimely death was attributable to overtime work and other continuing pressures. At the same time, more and more white-collar workers are taking a second, critical look at the longstanding overtime traditionally demanded of them.
Hu was in hospital at the end of April and died of bacterial encephalitis on May 28. Before being admitted, he had put in overtime almost every day for all of April on an R&D project and often stayed on task till the wee hours.
Hu had been employed by Huawei Technologies, headquartered in Shenzhen, adjacent to Hong Kong, for about a year after graduating from Chengdu, the capital of southwest Sichuan province. To most young graduates, it was a desirable job, because Huawei is China's top telecom company, and its staff salaries are competitive. After being recruited, Hu entered the white-collar ranks.
Hu treasured his job very much and was trained by Huawei to work with dedication. Huawei's corporate culture is the "wolf spirit," created by its founder, Ren Zhengfei, since incorporation in 1988. This culture helped Huawei expand from scratch to a 40,000-employee telecom giant, with last year's sales reaching US$8.2 billion.
An inescapable part of such rapid expansion is the enormous pressure brought to bear on each employee. The "eliminate through selection or contest" system of appraisal is strict. Hu's workday routine was to leave the office at 10 p.m. for a one-hour bus ride to his dormitory, only to get up at 7 a.m. the next day to catch the bus.
Continuing pressure weakened him gradually until he caved in to the strain of overwork on the latest R&D project, making him susceptible to infection, disease, and finally death. It's rumored that, not long ago before Hu's loss, an employee of another prominent IT company in Shenzhen had died from overwork.
"Without life, higher scores and salaries mean nothing."
"I know I should balance my work and life from now on."
"The human body is not a machine. Health is king."
Lots of netizens have been leaving their thoughts.
This time, the context is China's growing white-collar labor force that so hugely reflects Hu's death. Actually, Hu typified this expanding class of labor — well educated, hard working, pursuing a quality lifestyle but without adequate savings or adequate rest to safeguard health.
China's white-collar workers consist mainly of elite migrants from rural poverty to the cities as well as college graduates. It is flourishing as part of China's economic growth spurt, a partial result of privatization, and a major contributor to urbanization. From 1982 to 2003, the rural population decreased from 80 percent to 60 percent of the total, and 250 million people have moved to the cities. In just the last two years, the annual college graduation rate has exceeded 3 million.
In the public eye, compared with miners, who risk their lives working underground, and peasants, white-collar workers are thought of as a favored group, while the truth is more complex. They are burdened with taking care of their parents and children, while soaring housing costs and inflation vex them.
In fact, they are not yet middle class, in the western sense, but middle class wannabes. Last year, China's GDP per capita rose to $1,700, so that "middle class" has to be understood in relative terms.
A venture capitalist once told me that, according to her calculations, there are more than 480 million Chinese with a per-capita GDP exceeding $2,000 and 50 million for whom the figure is at least $7,000, and all of them yearn for a better life and material lifestyle.
To pursue this dream, they see the only way as working harder and longer, no matter what the cost to their mental and physical health. An expert says that overtime and health damage are a common trend in developing countries playing catch-up with the First World.
In any case, Hu's death is ringing alarm bells for the mass of dedicated white-collar workers. Hu was the backbone of his family, and his loss has brought the family much grief after his parents arrived in Shenzhen from their village in Sichuan.
A spokesman of Huawei told media recently that Huawei is now emphasizing two things employees must observe — no permission for overtime in labs, and overtime work must be strictly approved in advance.
2006/06/06 오후 4:25
© 2006 Ohmynews
Engineer's death alarms Chinese white collar workers
Xu Zhiqiang (xuzhiqiang)
Since last week, hundreds of thousands have signed in on China's netizen sites to mourn the death of Hu Xinyu, a 25-year-old engineer whose untimely death was attributable to overtime work and other continuing pressures. At the same time, more and more white-collar workers are taking a second, critical look at the longstanding overtime traditionally demanded of them.
Hu was in hospital at the end of April and died of bacterial encephalitis on May 28. Before being admitted, he had put in overtime almost every day for all of April on an R&D project and often stayed on task till the wee hours.
Hu had been employed by Huawei Technologies, headquartered in Shenzhen, adjacent to Hong Kong, for about a year after graduating from Chengdu, the capital of southwest Sichuan province. To most young graduates, it was a desirable job, because Huawei is China's top telecom company, and its staff salaries are competitive. After being recruited, Hu entered the white-collar ranks.
Hu treasured his job very much and was trained by Huawei to work with dedication. Huawei's corporate culture is the "wolf spirit," created by its founder, Ren Zhengfei, since incorporation in 1988. This culture helped Huawei expand from scratch to a 40,000-employee telecom giant, with last year's sales reaching US$8.2 billion.
An inescapable part of such rapid expansion is the enormous pressure brought to bear on each employee. The "eliminate through selection or contest" system of appraisal is strict. Hu's workday routine was to leave the office at 10 p.m. for a one-hour bus ride to his dormitory, only to get up at 7 a.m. the next day to catch the bus.
Continuing pressure weakened him gradually until he caved in to the strain of overwork on the latest R&D project, making him susceptible to infection, disease, and finally death. It's rumored that, not long ago before Hu's loss, an employee of another prominent IT company in Shenzhen had died from overwork.
"Without life, higher scores and salaries mean nothing."
"I know I should balance my work and life from now on."
"The human body is not a machine. Health is king."
Lots of netizens have been leaving their thoughts.
This time, the context is China's growing white-collar labor force that so hugely reflects Hu's death. Actually, Hu typified this expanding class of labor — well educated, hard working, pursuing a quality lifestyle but without adequate savings or adequate rest to safeguard health.
China's white-collar workers consist mainly of elite migrants from rural poverty to the cities as well as college graduates. It is flourishing as part of China's economic growth spurt, a partial result of privatization, and a major contributor to urbanization. From 1982 to 2003, the rural population decreased from 80 percent to 60 percent of the total, and 250 million people have moved to the cities. In just the last two years, the annual college graduation rate has exceeded 3 million.
In the public eye, compared with miners, who risk their lives working underground, and peasants, white-collar workers are thought of as a favored group, while the truth is more complex. They are burdened with taking care of their parents and children, while soaring housing costs and inflation vex them.
In fact, they are not yet middle class, in the western sense, but middle class wannabes. Last year, China's GDP per capita rose to $1,700, so that "middle class" has to be understood in relative terms.
A venture capitalist once told me that, according to her calculations, there are more than 480 million Chinese with a per-capita GDP exceeding $2,000 and 50 million for whom the figure is at least $7,000, and all of them yearn for a better life and material lifestyle.
To pursue this dream, they see the only way as working harder and longer, no matter what the cost to their mental and physical health. An expert says that overtime and health damage are a common trend in developing countries playing catch-up with the First World.
In any case, Hu's death is ringing alarm bells for the mass of dedicated white-collar workers. Hu was the backbone of his family, and his loss has brought the family much grief after his parents arrived in Shenzhen from their village in Sichuan.
A spokesman of Huawei told media recently that Huawei is now emphasizing two things employees must observe — no permission for overtime in labs, and overtime work must be strictly approved in advance.
2006/06/06 오후 4:25
© 2006 Ohmynews
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Never Trust A Tiger
"Never Trust A Tiger", read a title of the TIME Magazine's columns on October 20, 2003 edition.
And then the snippet said, "They are kept as pets by thousands, but as a fresh rash of attacks shows, tigers cannot be tamed."
I thought, "Oh I see! So you guys just found it out now? How surprising! Well, well, well the so called civilised community did not realise how dangerous a tiger is eventhough it looks cute."
My grandfather, my uncles, my aunties, my mom, my dad, even my neighbours all have told me since I was still a kid, that I should never ever have a wild beast (like tiger, lion, snake, bear, crocodile, even Orang Utan) as a pet. PAST EXPERIENCES have shown that A BEAST WILL ALWAYS BE A BEAST AND NEVER WILL BE A PET.
As for Orang Utan, sometime they have sexual desire, and according to some people, there was a case in my hometown where an adult Orang Utan ran after a teen and they reckoned the Orang Utan wanted to rape her (well I have no idea if this story has any truth at all).
The bottomline is, a beast will never be a pet.
And then the snippet said, "They are kept as pets by thousands, but as a fresh rash of attacks shows, tigers cannot be tamed."
I thought, "Oh I see! So you guys just found it out now? How surprising! Well, well, well the so called civilised community did not realise how dangerous a tiger is eventhough it looks cute."
My grandfather, my uncles, my aunties, my mom, my dad, even my neighbours all have told me since I was still a kid, that I should never ever have a wild beast (like tiger, lion, snake, bear, crocodile, even Orang Utan) as a pet. PAST EXPERIENCES have shown that A BEAST WILL ALWAYS BE A BEAST AND NEVER WILL BE A PET.
As for Orang Utan, sometime they have sexual desire, and according to some people, there was a case in my hometown where an adult Orang Utan ran after a teen and they reckoned the Orang Utan wanted to rape her (well I have no idea if this story has any truth at all).
The bottomline is, a beast will never be a pet.
Monday, June 12, 2006
History is Againts Australia
Australia vs Japan last night.
I was going for a draw because I didn't want both Japan and Australia to lose but Australia won it after coming from behind. It was a good win for football in Australia though, I am happy for them. Football (Soccer for some people) has always been number 4 or 5 in this country. The number 1 national sport here are cricket or the AFL (Aussie Rules Footie).
I was going for a draw because I didn't want both Japan and Australia to lose but Australia won it after coming from behind. It was a good win for football in Australia though, I am happy for them. Football (Soccer for some people) has always been number 4 or 5 in this country. The number 1 national sport here are cricket or the AFL (Aussie Rules Footie).
History has been made and Australia will play Brazil next. I will definitely go for Australia to win. Too much? Not at all! We support underdogs not a superpower!
Cool website:
http://www.stuffhistory.com.au
Funny!
Answering without Giving Away any Answers
Here is an example of giving a feedback without giving away any answers:
It means: you actually did alright with the interview but unfortunately you're ranked outside the number of best candidates we needed, so you just missed out fractionally. Try again next year.
Or it can also mean: we actually don't like your voice :)
Hi ...,
My apologies for taking so long to respond.
Your interview technique is fine, no problems at all; it is important to
listen to the questions and answer with examples to demonstrate your
experience. All of this you did. As we interviewed over the phone it
is always more challenging to build a rapport with your interviewer, but
I think you also did this successfully.
Once again, graduates with up to three years experience are eligible for
the XXXXXXX Graduate Program, should you wish to reapply next year
please look on www.website.com for more information.
Kind Regards
It means: you actually did alright with the interview but unfortunately you're ranked outside the number of best candidates we needed, so you just missed out fractionally. Try again next year.
Or it can also mean: we actually don't like your voice :)
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Football Fever
As a huge fans of football (it is soccer for those of you who do not know what football is...oh and don't forget to do more reading, read newspaper, sport tabloid, sport website or whatever, just make sure you know what football means in the rest of the world), I already feel the excitement created by the coming FIFA World Cup in Germany. It also makes me remember how I started to love playing and watching football, and of course once I used to think that I was Diego Maradona or Ruud Gullit.
I started playing football when I was in the Junior High School in 1987-1990. My eyesight was still good at the time and I didn't use prescription eyeglasses at all. I used to play with my schoolmates in our small sport pitch, and we were all barefeet. Every one of us were a striker, because we never learn the tactic of how to play the game correctly. Basically what we did was to follow where the ball was, just like a lot of ants surrounding a small crystal of sugar.
Once I started wearing eyeglasses in my final year of junior high, my interest in playing football started to disappear, however I still played sometime. Once, I broke my new eyeglasses because of playing football on a wet pitch after raining. The pitch was slippery and I fell down on my bottom. Unluckily, I kept my new eyeglasses in my back pocket. I felt guilty and was too scared to tell my Mum about it, so I didn't say anything at all until the week after. Mum asked me where my new eyeglasses were, so I reluctantly told her that it was broken. Thankfully Mum could accept it and we bought another new eyeglasses later, however I knew she was sad.
The first World Cup I really followed was the one in Italy, in 1990, when Argentina was beaten by Germany in the final. I remember I cried when Andreas Brehme's penalty beat Sergio Goycochea, and since then I really hate West Germany's team (I am sorry to Matthias and Ben my very very nice German friends, what else can I say? Germany play a boring football). Obviously I don't like Brazil either, because they always win. You can imagine how boring it is to be able to predict that Michael Schumacher will be the winner of every Formula 1 races in many years.
So, obviously we all like the underdogs, I meant whoever played Brazil will get my support, but for other games, I am happy to be a neutral, unless that game involves Argentina, because I want them to win. So, when Australia play Brazil next week, I will obviously cheer for Australia, with a Green and Gold Socceroos scarf on my neck. It is a pity Indonesia never qualify for the World Cup.
I started playing football when I was in the Junior High School in 1987-1990. My eyesight was still good at the time and I didn't use prescription eyeglasses at all. I used to play with my schoolmates in our small sport pitch, and we were all barefeet. Every one of us were a striker, because we never learn the tactic of how to play the game correctly. Basically what we did was to follow where the ball was, just like a lot of ants surrounding a small crystal of sugar.
Once I started wearing eyeglasses in my final year of junior high, my interest in playing football started to disappear, however I still played sometime. Once, I broke my new eyeglasses because of playing football on a wet pitch after raining. The pitch was slippery and I fell down on my bottom. Unluckily, I kept my new eyeglasses in my back pocket. I felt guilty and was too scared to tell my Mum about it, so I didn't say anything at all until the week after. Mum asked me where my new eyeglasses were, so I reluctantly told her that it was broken. Thankfully Mum could accept it and we bought another new eyeglasses later, however I knew she was sad.
The first World Cup I really followed was the one in Italy, in 1990, when Argentina was beaten by Germany in the final. I remember I cried when Andreas Brehme's penalty beat Sergio Goycochea, and since then I really hate West Germany's team (I am sorry to Matthias and Ben my very very nice German friends, what else can I say? Germany play a boring football). Obviously I don't like Brazil either, because they always win. You can imagine how boring it is to be able to predict that Michael Schumacher will be the winner of every Formula 1 races in many years.
So, obviously we all like the underdogs, I meant whoever played Brazil will get my support, but for other games, I am happy to be a neutral, unless that game involves Argentina, because I want them to win. So, when Australia play Brazil next week, I will obviously cheer for Australia, with a Green and Gold Socceroos scarf on my neck. It is a pity Indonesia never qualify for the World Cup.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
How to Reject a Job Applicant (2)
Dear .....,
Thank you for your interest in our XXXXXXXXXXXXX Graduate Recruitment Program, Ref No: XXXXXXX. I apologise for the delay in communicating with you.
The relevant Hiring Manager has considered the submissions for the available opportunity and decided on a preferred group of candidates to progress. It is regrettable that not all the talented contenders can move forward, and I am writing to say that we will not be pursuing your application further at this time.
>>means: you 're either not good enough or too good for this program, decide it yourself, the bottomline is you are NOT selected
With your permission, I would like to retain your details on our database and consider you for any other positions that may arise within the XXX XXXXXXXX Group of Companies.
>>means: we don't mind to keep your details, however we cannot guarantee you that the position you are after will come up next month, in 6 months time or in 5 years time. It may never arise at all after all
I take this opportunity to wish you success in achieving your career aspirations and thank you once again for your patience and interest.
>>means: we hope you are lucky enough to get a job, ta ta
Sincerely,
XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
PS. This is only a joke, have a good laugh :))
Thank you for your interest in our XXXXXXXXXXXXX Graduate Recruitment Program, Ref No: XXXXXXX. I apologise for the delay in communicating with you.
The relevant Hiring Manager has considered the submissions for the available opportunity and decided on a preferred group of candidates to progress. It is regrettable that not all the talented contenders can move forward, and I am writing to say that we will not be pursuing your application further at this time.
>>means: you 're either not good enough or too good for this program, decide it yourself, the bottomline is you are NOT selected
With your permission, I would like to retain your details on our database and consider you for any other positions that may arise within the XXX XXXXXXXX Group of Companies.
>>means: we don't mind to keep your details, however we cannot guarantee you that the position you are after will come up next month, in 6 months time or in 5 years time. It may never arise at all after all
I take this opportunity to wish you success in achieving your career aspirations and thank you once again for your patience and interest.
>>means: we hope you are lucky enough to get a job, ta ta
Sincerely,
XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX
PS. This is only a joke, have a good laugh :))
Monday, June 05, 2006
How to Reject a Job Applicant (1)
Dear ...,
As you are aware the XXXXXXX Graduate Program 2006 was very competitive and you are to be commended on your achievements to date.
Unfortunately, you have not been successful in progressing to the next stage of the recruitment process. I would however, like to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you and your efforts at the interview.
>>means: you are actually not good enough to be selected
If you would like some feedback on your application and interview, please do not hesitate to contact me.
>>means: you can send us an email but we are too busy to reply back to you, so actually we don't bother to answer your email
It is expected that XXXXXXX will activate a graduate recruitment program next year and we encourage you to apply.
>>means: we like to look busy every year, it is good for our stats if you apply again, that means our company and program are attractive. but if you can't get a job until next year, it is even easier for us to reject you again
If you prefer that your details not be retained on our records, or if your circumstances change, then please advise us and we will amend our records. We take the confidentiality of your information seriously. To view our policies on the management of your information and privacy, please visit out website www.xxxxxx-xxxxxxx.com
>>means: we don't really care if you're still interested to have your resume with us or not at all, we're happy to delete your account
I wish you all the best with your career in the future.
>>means: we hope you're lucky enough to get a job
As you are aware the XXXXXXX Graduate Program 2006 was very competitive and you are to be commended on your achievements to date.
Unfortunately, you have not been successful in progressing to the next stage of the recruitment process. I would however, like to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you and your efforts at the interview.
>>means: you are actually not good enough to be selected
If you would like some feedback on your application and interview, please do not hesitate to contact me.
>>means: you can send us an email but we are too busy to reply back to you, so actually we don't bother to answer your email
It is expected that XXXXXXX will activate a graduate recruitment program next year and we encourage you to apply.
>>means: we like to look busy every year, it is good for our stats if you apply again, that means our company and program are attractive. but if you can't get a job until next year, it is even easier for us to reject you again
If you prefer that your details not be retained on our records, or if your circumstances change, then please advise us and we will amend our records. We take the confidentiality of your information seriously. To view our policies on the management of your information and privacy, please visit out website www.xxxxxx-xxxxxxx.com
>>means: we don't really care if you're still interested to have your resume with us or not at all, we're happy to delete your account
I wish you all the best with your career in the future.
>>means: we hope you're lucky enough to get a job
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