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суббота, апреля 30, 2005

More Neurotic Rantings

Its been an interesting week altogether.
I've sorta started work as an engineer.
I've been thinking about purpose, significance and success
Vision, hopes and dreams.
Choices

This week was marked by a particularly concentrated onslaught of good-natured questions ("whatever happened to music school?"), watching great musician friends in concert, invitations to various music projects, talking to my old professors and old friends* and also, the tedium of adjusting to work life. Precipitates quite abit of thinking, especially when commuting takes some time.

Been pondering the notion of 'packing' up one's dreams away for a bit while we slog it out in the world to earn money, coming back sometime later and unpacking the dream and getting on with it. Not quite sure about the veracity of that notion. From what I've observed, after working for some time, people don't exactly get back to their dreams. It remains safely tucked away, buried and hidden. Sometimes one would think about it, but somehow they never quite get around to opening it again. Along the way, the busyness of work, the draw of more finances and what comes with it (increased spending power etc) sorta suck one into its rhythm: mindless, boggling, and seemingly inescapable. Occassionally we'd treat ourselves to a retreat, a holiday, to recharge, and then pounce right back into the insane cycle of work. Sometimes, through some incredible motivation, the box of dreams is actually retrieved (if found), and opened. However, observation says that after working for an extended time (with increased expectations to 'settle' or the draw of success or the monster of 'never-enough'), the very act of earning money changes your heart and your values. The "who" you were when you bore the initial dream is no longer the "who" you are right now, calloused and hardened by the act of earning money. Calling it 'maturity' or 'age', you turn in disgust at the 'immaturity' and 'simplicity' of your former plans. How's that for self-betrayal?

Dunno. I guess I'm sorta worrying over a non-issue. I know where I am right now is the place God wants me to be. The looming question, however, is for how long, and where next. How will I know what I should be preparing for? Create in me a holy desperation for You- won't You show me the way!

*Appendix:
JM says:
well, i know the big picture purposes
JM says:
but how, why and when
Po boi sandwich says:
well.. some call it significance.. some call it trying to find meaning .. some trying to live up to expectations both old and new...
JM says:
how is significance different fr success?
Po boi sandwich says:
they are both relative
JM says:
eh?s
Po boi sandwich says:
like the elf in santa's grotto sees his job of packing presents are very impt to gettin em to the kids on christmas
Po boi sandwich says:
or santa can say.. i'll fire him and hire a gremlin
JM says:
haha
Po boi sandwich says:
so where does the elf find meaning in being an elf?
JM says:
your point?
Po boi sandwich says:
or what he does at santa's grotto? sweeping the floor? feeding the reindeers?
Po boi sandwich says:
all of which are key to santa getting the presents to the kids
Po boi sandwich says:
of course.. the elf prefers to sit in the AC room wrapping presents
JM says:
mmm
JM says:
you don;t need much AC in the north pole
Po boi sandwich says:
that's true
Po boi sandwich says:
oh.. he moved to taihiti by the way..
JM says:
woo
Po boi sandwich says:
santa's deciding to make singapore his SE Asia hub.. its center for operations
JM says:
hahaha... getting a tan
JM says:
his reindeer will need special AC stables
JM says:
as well as health certification fr the AVA
JM says:
and HACCP profiles
Po boi sandwich says:
with cheaper elves and a more technological advanced infrastructure.. the nite safari is a bonus
JM says:
mmm
JM says:
thats true
JM says:
and since spore houses don't have chimneys
Po boi sandwich says:
and all the free trade agreements to get all the airspace
JM says:
no wonder
JM says:
he should just outsource
Po boi sandwich says:
he lets the elves in each constituent do the dirty job of delivering presents up the garbage chute
JM says:
haha
Po boi sandwich says:
ya.. he's getting bangla elves
JM says:
smelly presents
JM says:
oops.. ahha.. thats; referring to garbage chute
Po boi sandwich says:
MOM is quite worried abt worker benefits and safety though.. it has been reported that santa lets his elves sleep on the job
Po boi sandwich says:
hahahah.. wah.. racist sial
JM says:
lol
JM says:
MOM is taking a long time to issue employment passes! they'd better hurry or it;ll be christmas!
Po boi sandwich says:
ya.. else he'll have to resort to illegal workers
JM says:
mmm
Po boi sandwich says:
or get the hobbits from new zealand.. and introduce em as foreign talent... as long they are caucasian hobbits
JM says:
hahahah
JM says:
i can be asian hobbit
Po boi sandwich says:
well my fren... maybe significance is not the issue.. maybe it's the way u think or your fears abt work and how it might take your dream/vision away...
Posted by: JM / 7:48 AM

суббота, апреля 09, 2005

Badamtam Darjeeling First Flush 2005

Time to do some math. Below is a lovely email from the folks at Whittard of Chelsea, a British tea house.

They've got some really cool darjeeling- an estate first flush, from the first day's pickings. A first flush tea is simply tea leaves picked from the first buds off the tea plant right after winter in the Himalayan region of Darjeeling. The buds contain very delicate and unusually concentrated characteristics of darjeeling.

Subtle.

Its the sort of stuff you drink without milk or sugar, just on its own to appreciate its sublime character. And it varies from each tea estate to estate, much like fine wine.

Anyways... just to do some math. Here's the shocking bit...

125g of this tea costs £8; i.e. £32 to order 500g
(this is after a 25% bulk discount for ordering a 500g bag, and paying an extra £8 for shipping to Singapore)
typically 4 ounces (113.4g) of 1st flush darjeeling makes 50 cups
therefore, 500g of tea makes 220 cups of tea
at current exchange rates, £32 = SGD99.7326
so a cup of Badamtam Estate Darjeeling First Flush 2005 costs

*DRUM ROLL*

45cents.

*GASP*

And the kopitiam down the road sells teh tarik for ONE DOLLAR.

*Double GASP*

Remember, we are comparing exotic Darjeeling whole-leaf tea with common Ceylon tea dust! And we're talking about exclusive first flush tea, not just 'normal' darjeeling picked throughout the year!

*Triple GASP*

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf sells generic darjeeling for SGD3.50 a cup. That's such daylight robbery. And again, its not even first flush darjeeling they serve!

*Quadruple GASP*

So even if I import really unique estate grown 1st flush darjeeling all the way from London and sell it for SGD3.50 a cup, I still make a profit of SGD3 per cup! There's something seriously wrong here! And for certain, the Tea House would already have made a mountain of a profit by selling it to me. Remember its in London! Do the growers get to earn anything?? I think somebody's being exploited here.

And think about it. If I import a one-ton crate of this tea... it'll cost me SGD200,000 (1/5 of a million bucks), and good for 440,000 (half a million) cuppa, and in the process, earn 1.34 million bucks. No wonder they call it starbucks.

How's that for a cuppa tea?!



Tea | Coffee | Hot Chocolates | Teapots & Mugs | Gifts | Coffee Machines
Order by phone: 0800 015 4395 or +44 (0) 20 7819 6510

Dear Customer,

We are very excited here at Whittard, as we have again succeeded in obtaining the first day’s picking from the Badamtam Darjeeling Estate. It arrived in London last week and the quality is impressive.

The leaves are pale green; silver tipped, surprisingly bold and they have the most fantastic natural sweet tea-leaf aroma. Add to this the heavenly flowery bouquet that is oh-so sweetly toasted - these first pickings are truly remarkable.


Badamtam Darjeeling First Flush 2005
Exclusive first day's picking; toasted, crisp taste
£8.00

If you have any questions do call us on 0800 015 4295 or if you are from overseas + 44 (0) 20 7819 6510. Alternatively please click here to email us.

Kind regards,

The Whittard of Chelsea Online Team


Posted by: JM / 4:09 AM

пятница, апреля 08, 2005

Quiet

Its been quiet. Quite quiet.

Job 40
3 Then Job answered the LORD :
4"I am unworthy-how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
5I spoke once, but I have no answer-
twice, but I will say no more."

What remains? What's left to do?

Ephesians 6
13Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Grace. Sweet freedom of grace. We rest in grace. Our assurance is in knowing the source of our freedom.

Psalm 131
2But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

What counts in the final analysis? What's left at the end of the equation?

1 Corinthians 13
12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Many plans, many ideas, many schemes.
But what do we have that You have not given?
What do we have that is not already Yours?
All we posses are these lives we're living.
That's what we give to You Lord.

Job 42
1Then Job replied to the LORD :
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted."

Do your work in me LORD.
Lead me, guide me, hold me.
Capture my heart again.

Oh, how I long to get out of the boat,
and walk on water.

Habakkuk 3
2LORD , I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD .
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
Posted by: JM / 3:19 AM

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