Zen of Tofu

Lewis Hamilton has persisted, and followed his rainy win in Britain with a fantastic win from pole in Germany this weekend. Go Hamilton! Now Lewis leads in the driver’s standings with 58 points over Felipe Massa’s 54 points. Kimi Raikkonen had a tough start, trying to find proper brake balance for his car which seemed to change depending on how much fuel was on board, but he finished sixth and is a respectable third in the driver’s standings.

The next race is in Hungary in two weeks, and I’d like to see Lewis capture another checkered flag to compliment the Union Jack on his McLaren-Mercedes.

written by tofu \\ tags: F1

Today I got the pleasure of calling in to Linksys tech support to help get a router set up to work with a portable Internet service. Quite tricky business. The portable modem wasn’t letting the router access the Internet because the router was a stranger to it. I had the basic firmware that came with the router and I tried tricking the modem by renaming the router the same name as the PC on the network. No go. So then I called in to Linksys and got a tech support agent to help me get this modem set up.

The tech support was great! Very informative, good English, and understanding. The agent was clearly trained properly and wasn’t just following some laminated sheet in front of her *cough* Bell *cough*. The problem was the firmware, which after updating allowed me to clone the MAC address of the PC so the modem would be tricked into thinking it was letting the PC access the Internet, and not the router! Overall, I’d give Linksys tech support a 9 out of 10. I’ve had bad tech support in the past over the phone, and it’s very easy to see when the other side knows what they’re doing or not.

For example:

• When a tech support agent tells you to reboot your computer and 5 seconds later asks if you’re ready for the next step, you should call back and hope to get a different agent!
• When a tech support agent can’t even pronounce an IP address, you should call back and hope for another agent!
• When a tech support agent knows that you too know a little of what you’re doing and are not completely hopeless, get that agent’s name and clearly say in the recording, “Thanks so much for your help!”

written by tofu \\ tags: Tech

While riding on the bus today, after yet another exhausting day of class, a very interesting realization dawned upon me.  I am not as thrilled about each day as I used to be.  With thanksgiving just around the corner and many many reasons to be thankful, why is there still a lack of joy within me?  I spent the rest of the bus ride analyzing the thought…and I’ve narrowed it down to such:

1) The Balancing Act
As my last post has suggested, I planned to reduce the number of interest/hobbies so that I can concentrate on academics for the next few months.  The experiment is over and the results are in.  I find that eventhough I get more sleeptime and more schoolwork done, this concentration is slowly eating up my energy.  Everything becomes more and more dull and repetitive.  

In positive psychology, flow experiences are moments when one is so engaged in what they are doing that time seems to fly.  Such moments are a sign of extreme interest.  Flow experiences are great for psychological well-being, as happiness is often seen as the best medicine.  I realize I have been really time conscious lately, constantly checking my watch to see if I spent too much time eating breakfast, watching tv, doing house chores…By doing so, everything becomes a task.     

2) Intrapersonal relationship
Known as one of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence, intrapersonal relationship is the knowledge of oneself.  I view myself as a highly contemplative person.  Many times, I find bits and pieces of thoughts and theories floating around my head.  Ancient proverbs, quotes and philosophies have been of great interests to me.  At a young age, journaling has been a vital part of me.  I find it to be one of the best ways to sort through the clutters in my mind.  Putting thoughts on paper helps liberate my brain of its distraction. 

However, I haven’t been journaling at all, eventhough ideas and inspirations keep circling my mind! I need to start journaling more frequently!

3) Interpersonal relationship
Another one of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence is interpersonal relationship, which looks at the interaction between self and others.  With long hours at school and even longer hours of classwork, I don’t get to communicate as much with family as I used to. 
All in all, I realize the importance of striking a balance in life.  But above that, a deeper understanding of the self can improve happiness.  What makes you tick? What makes the hours pass by like seconds?  What makes you want to wake up each day?

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”  Socrates

written by tlc

I got my sought-after A in my Summer school math test! That really made my day when I found that out. Lately I seem to have fount my groove for productivity. I’ve been working out, having a healthy appetite, working hard, and studying hard. It feels good to accomplish so much in just 24 hours. Sleep has been sufficient and refreshing, and yet I have time to read, reflect, and plain old relax around my study and work schedule.

This new routine I’m in, is a far-cry from the full-time student routines that mess up my sleep schedule, and pretty much rid me of any spare time. Sure there are times I can get out, go a few places, possibly even catch a movie but it’s the reflection and contemplation time that is totally lost in the activities that scream productivity. Getting the breaks, holidays, and time off is something every employee looks forward to, and plans far ahead for. To me it’s like a short-term goal. Push hard, work hard, and tolerate what you need to, so that you can fully enjoy the time away. I don’t necessarily mean I need vacation time (although I haven’t gone on vacation in many many years), but I definitely need time away from the productive side of life to relax, gather myself, and take a breather occasionally. It’s not healthy to over-work ourselves especially in hot Summer weather where smog is a health hazard. Besides, it never hurts to take ten minutes out of your day to grab a cool drink and a magazine, and just make time for yourself.

written by tofu

Well it’s that day of the year again. One of a business owner’s best days of the year– Valentine’s Day/V-Day/<3 Day. I was out yesterday and saw many people in the card shops and chocolate boutiques trying to find the perfect gift for their special someone. (How cliche!) It was amazing how many woman I saw out yesterday since I’m used to seeing mostly men struggling to get their gifts. (Maybe woman are one day early in buying but men will mostly buy today!) Today is the day guys either make it or break it with their lady, provided of course that they remember the occasion!

Every major news program (with an opinion) all gave their “best gifts” list and surprisingly a survey said woman mostly want better communication and some spontaneity. Two things I believe are essential for a good relationship. Spontaneity is not always easy in today’s busy lifestyle but we just have to be creative and alert. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Of course having some freedom in your schedule makes it easier, but the small things you do won’t go unnoticed. So while you’re with your special someone today, be alert, be creative, and don’t be shy to do the small things that could spark much bigger things today. (Watch out for flying arrows!)

written by tofu