Tag: Wordpress

Jump-Start

It’s the New Year. Let’s start with new ideas.

I have noticed after living here (Saigon) for a while that there hardly is any basketball court.

A city full of young people, but no basketball. I don’t play the game myself. I just jog. But for those who look for a place to make a difference in the lives of young people, why not asking around to find some way to start this sport.

It’s ironic that in a country whose young people help produce Nike Shoes yet there is an eerie absence of basketball courts.

Fitness, coordination and collaboration of this team sport are just a few skill-set that last a life time.

I am sure the expats and tourists could join in to break a sweat during their in-country stay as well.

My second idea is to have a platform on which  people can practice and promote their story telling and screen play.

Like WordPress, but with template and tutorial: characterization, plot, conflict and resolution.

A few years ago, Boyz in the Hood made a splash due to its screen play. We learned about inner-city plight of young people trapped in harsh circumstances (South Central).

William Goldman talked about Hollywood in turmoil back in the 80’s. Now it’s still the same. No sure-fire formula for success.

By crowd-source story ideas and screen play, we make our world richer with creativity and hard-to-get-to corners where shadows are darker and perhaps light is brighter.

We cut of unemployment insurance to 1 million people. I am sure one in a million has a story to tell, if not all.

Why not have a story board for them to post their pleas and plight, instead of just post in compliance to “act” as if they have looked for a job.

We live in a world of pretense. Why not take it to the next productive level: sell your story (suffering or triumph).

Use it. Pain and all.

Life is tough. Now let’s get going, dribble a ball or scribble a story, transforming the negative into positive.

The world and what it has to offer, actually depends on what and how far you go about searching for it. You have the right to a phone call or the pursuit of happiness.  2014 multiple choices. The art of jump-start an idea.

It only takes a spark to get a fire going.

Perfection and Permanence

Right! We are wired to look for those two qualities in others, but we know it’s in vain.

Buddha realizes that by stop wanting, we found. Gandhi won by being after the path of  non-violence. Yet, we keep slaughtering each other, hurting people and writing them off .

In business, we took calculated risks, optimal ROI and voted for the most pragmatic of minds.

But humanity can only advance by those who follow a different drum beat. The “Yes, I can” kind of people.

There is a fine line between scientists and dreamers, poets and politicians.

They imagine the possibilities, while realizing that permanence and perfection are just mirage, yet one needs to reach out still. The paradox in life is to know, then to forget that we know, and before we know it, we end up knowing the truth for the first time.

Face-to-face. Out of the gate, into the sun, and keep following it. What happened before will happen again. But this time, we are all the wiser. Still with the half glass. Full or empty? Ask first of yourself the perfection you are looking in others. No wonder we all cried the minute we are out of that maternal bubble. From then on, it’s all uncertainty and unpredictability. The guy whose name is Murphy did not invent the Law. He just articulated it better than most of us. You and I are joined by the hips, commonly bonded with Murphy and might as well acknowledge that there is no Perfection nor Permanence. On that note, I am grateful for WordPress for being there, day in and day out. Reliable, but even then, I am not sure, it will be there permanently. As to Perfection, we are reaching for it, or else, there wouldn’t be new apps and themes, new ideas and content, challenges and overcoming.

Point A To B

We make that trip all our lives. To and Fro. Back and Forth. Arriving and Leaving.

The Goodbye Girl. The Run-Away Bride.

The Mid-night Cowboy. All feels restless Gotta be somebody, going places. This time, point B happens to be Mars itself.

Young people can muster up the courage to go to far-away wars, but dare not venture to South Side.

When B is too close to home (the last few inches are the toughest distance to cross), it’s psychological, not geographical distance e.g.when B is your estranged relatives, your difficult siblings or your X’s.

Somehow, it’s a long trip home if we are not in good terms.

It just is.

Many of us just stay put at point A whose Point B is the general store, or the post office.  For some shut-ins, B and A are the same.

Creative folks refuse to accept that the straight line between A and  B is the shortest. They want style, twist and shout, over and back, or spiral in coils before landing (thus milking the trip out).

We thank them for thinking out of the box. This country needs creative folks: architects, designers and coders.

They don’t sleep much at night. In fact, that’s when they are hard at work.

Bringing us better looking buildings and greener use of space. In-style clothes, shoes, glasses and hats.

Slicker version of WordPress, more integrated communication and command of thoughts and ideas.

The world is a better place thanks to them.

The ROW (rest of world) envies them, imitates them and copies them.

You know you hit the spot when the Chinese start churning out look-alikes.

Let them.

Go on to the next spark, follow the next urge.

Turn things inside out (Madona and Jane Fonda during the 80’s wore underwear outside).

Spell GaGa backward.

AgAg!

(she is going to kill me).

From A to B, a straight line is not necessary the shortest.  Who is to say.

Meanwhile, right after reading this, you will go from point A to point B again. Take the scenic route. Enjoy the city on the Hill. The long view. Take a leisurely Sunday Drive. Order a chili dog. Indulge. Pampering. Eat, drink and be merry. We need it. It’s been too much of point A to point B. Rest up. Until you feel restless again, Papillon.

Take it up one notch

I am all for PE (Physical Education).

This trend has picked up in Vietnam; all the powers to young people.

Gold gym, Cali gym, NVK gym, Nhat Dang Nhi Da etc…. Let’s go. One and two.

Lift those arms, kick those legs.

Be healthy and be green.

(I have blogged too much about death and caskets, since I live near a funeral parlor).

This morning I saw a tennis tournament take place at Lan Anh Club.

To be fair, Vietnam’s young demographics are ensuring their fighting chance.

Vietnam got Talent. Got health and ambition.

Pressures from below and pressures from above.

Between the rock and a hard place. You are in between hot oil and the frying pan.

Find the optimal medium.

Work hard and work smart.

Spend wisely, and invest heavily (in people and connection).

Meanwhile, lift those muscles, not letting the scooters and machinery do all the lifting.

Industrialization and its discontent.

Coming to the machine near you.

Soon, Vietnam will get over its first love with smokestacks.

It will step back and look at its polluted landscape (Dong Nai, Binh Duong).

And ask itself, is this worth it all, our health and our grandchildren’s health!

Nguoi Viet Khoe. NVK.

A gym near you.

It doesn’t cost much to join. But it takes pain to tone those unused muscles.

Then the alteration folks are standing by to hem those lines and fit those loosed shirts.

Have a great work-out. You will definitely break some sweats here in Vietnam. The weather will always cooperate to make that happen.