Hey there,
It is pretty interesting. After a long time, I posted in my blog. One, was about the way economy should behave. How an economy of advanced humans would look like? Followed by a rough, "imaginary" guideline to get there. Of the few options, I chose the android servant as the most appropriate morally.
It is pretty interesting. After a long time, I posted in my blog. One, was about the way economy should behave. How an economy of advanced humans would look like? Followed by a rough, "imaginary" guideline to get there. Of the few options, I chose the android servant as the most appropriate morally.
Lo and behold, HRP-4C is now introduced to the world. She's a robot, given the face of an average Japanese woman. The body still looks robotic though. The best part, she is only 43kg. After the unveiling, the Japanese have mentioned that she would be walking the runways in an upcoming fashion show. I have to admit, that is an interesting publicity stunt. To showcase a female robot in an arena where "the best looking" female humans dominate.
Another point I made in that write-up was the way companies are behaving towards employees and just cutting them out. I mentioned that there should be not only a business ramp-up strategy, in times of distress there should be a phase-down strategy as well. One of which is of course to actually recommend their employees to job seek agencies / other employers.
Lo and behold, I just read in the news today how it has been happening in other parts of the world and now it is becoming a serious business opportunity in India as well. "Outplacement" is what they call it. Lucrative business actually. These outplacement specialists in India now charge INR 4 lakhs for Managerial level people; INR 2 lakhs for Executive and experienced people; and INR 1 lakh for junior placements, which is ok as that would be the typical 2-3 months salary of those employees given normal times. At the end of the day, everyone is happy, hopefully.
Coincidence is a powerful word, mind you. It has happened often enough at critical junctures of my life, I started believing in the idea of Fate. A recent speech by my Guru highlighted the fact that there is no such thing as Fate, which is written by Someone up above as the way we would live and die. There are however environmental factors which do influence us. Our parents and friends. Our hobbies and the people we meet in that line of sports, activity.
National athletes, if you notice do not seem to be fazed by strong competition. Their highly competitive environment trains their mind, to be stronger than the average person. Children growing up in musical families, tend to take part in musical competitions and hone their musical talents even though they may be born math geniuses.
It is really difficult to be born in a family or surrounding which entrusts and encourages a certain set of values and feel that we don't fit. It really is hard to break the mold. I decided that I had to break the mold for my family. I went overseas to study, post high school. I still have to thank my dad for giving me that opportunity. I went and lived in Australia with a bunch of really successful people. That was what helped me think out of the box. Thinking "HOW?" I can break the mold.
Mr. John George, was a partner at a law firm in Darwin, Australia. Extremely knowledgable man and someone I didn't know how to speak up to. He was a lawyer and I having been brought up in an environment where I was expected to listen, did not utilise the chance I had, did not learn how to argue for my rights, did not learn from him all the stuff that I could have.
Dr. Masoud Mahmood, was an opthalmologist in Darwin, Australia. I only stayed with his family for 2 months but I realised how intellectual this man is. He listened to classical music which was my first introduction into that world. Dr. Masoud was also learning how to do Visual Basic 6 programming on his own. I had my first introduction to serious PC programming flipping through his book as well. Dr. Masoud also had stricter rules, but yeah it was fun being with them.
Last but not least was the stay with Oma. :) This deserves special mention. When I got there, I thought I had finally landed in a "normal" Aussie home. I stayed with Oma. Her daughter Connie and son-in-law James Koch lived like less than 10Km away. They had 3 beautiful children. Jameson Koch, Talia Rose Koch, Tamsin Louise Koch. So, yeah I was more like an Uncle to these kids. Lol!~ Oma was a retired nurse, while Connie was teaching at the community centre at that time. Under Connie's house they had a pool table. They also had a Japanese exchange student, Dais living with them. I've never had any pool game as satisfying as the last game I played with Dais, until I met Elly in MMU I guess. It was good ol' family love that I learnt from them. I learnt how they are much more open in showing it, in taking part in family functions, in joining activities that made the family get closer.
These are the things I learnt, by a simple change in environment for a year. I also went out on my own to do a few things. I wish I still had the contact of all those people who changed my life while I was there. 10 years have gone. Their influence still remains strong. I still see with different eyes. The extent of their influence was only felt by me when dealing with my cousin recently. 10 years I had, to influence him and to show him all the possibilities that I have seen. But, telling him and letting him experience it are polar opposites.
I made an extremely grave error in forgetting to tell my aunt to register him for an AFS Intercultural Exchange experience. It ends up even after repeatedly telling him a lot of things, he still looks at Malaysian solutions. He didn't take effort to search for the list of courses that are being offered in Aeronautical Engineering which is what he is interested in doing. That is a typical malay attitude, not taking effort, which even I had. Which, I still have. Yet, I know its effect on me and try my best to overcome it to be successful, knowledgable and loving like the people I mentioned.
Without the new blueprint of what is possible, there is no attempt to let go of what exists.
Life would be just following the few factors that dictated our lives since birth unless something really "shocks" us into taking our life into our own hands. Believing in coincidences and Fate until something tells us that life need not be so. For me it was a change in environment. I tried telling people about the change in environment that I experienced. To be able to appreciate what else can be done in life now, I realise that they needed the change in environment themselves.
I cannot afford to make anymore mistakes in my life. I have wasted time enough. It is time once again to take the effort needed to break myself from my own mental blocks and processes. Once again to take the effort to break the mold. Once again to live a life of dreams...
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