Monday, May 23, 2011

Moral behind story of the four wives

MY PAPER MONDAY May 23, 2011, PAGE A14, VIEWPOINTS
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2011-05-23
Source Website: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Mailbox/Story/A1Story20110523-280145.html
By Geoff Tan, my paper, Mon, May 23, 2011



PHOTO: Moral behind story of the four wives
http://news.asiaone.com/A1MEDIA/news/05May11/20110523.103451_st_marriage%28430x280%29.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Mailbox/Story/A1Story20110523-280145.html
MY PAPER MONDAY May 23, 2011, PAGE A14, VIEWPOINTS



PHOTO: Geoff Tan
The writer is a senior vice-president of Singapore Press Holdings’ marketing division.
MY PAPER MONDAY May 23, 2011, PAGE A14, VIEWPOINTS


I AM well aware that Singapore does not encourage bigamy but, nonetheless, there is a lesson to learn from this story about a rich merchant with four wives.

The man loved his fourth wife the most and gave her only the best.

He also loved his third wife, and was always showing her off to his friends.

His second wife was the confidante whom he turned to when he had problems. And his first wife was loyal to him and helped him to maintain his wealth and business, and took care of the household. However, the merchant hardly took notice of her.



PHOTO: Darkness, Darkness
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUQiNePYJiZxWasdJ9XuCyr_-G-zFwt0L8Dx1XGHobQMCVKNIrftX7BBPHJZi-4NWCv7mWTrM94e77CDp09JTQ5ZXZ9XtZIpd0ggyPD53wC2Y1aoSDGdajKbAXME8K7nozH9VPdqL7hM/
http://gaylesbardblog.blogspot.com/


One day, the merchant fell ill and was told that he would soon die. He thought of his life of luxury and told himself: "Now, I have four wives. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

He asked the fourth wife: "I've loved you most and given you the finest clothing. Now that I'm dying, would you follow me and keep me company?"

She replied: "No way!" Then she walked away. That hurt him terribly.



PHOTO: What Should the Betrayed Spouse Do?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u824/broken%20heart.jpg
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/maybe-its-just-me/201005/adultery-what-should-the-betrayed-spouse-do


The man asked his third wife the same thing, but she replied: "Life is so good here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank.

He asked the second wife: "I've always turned to you for help, and you've always helped me. When I die, would you follow me and keep me company?"

She replied: "At most, I can only send you to your grave." The merchant was devastated.

Then, his first wife spoke: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you wherever you go."



PHOTO: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you wherever you go."
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t52/howie777/Job-wife.jpg
http://www.myspace.com/262737963


She was skinny, and seemed almost as if she was suffering from malnutrition. In tears, the merchant said: "I should have taken better care of you when I could!"

What is the moral of this story? Well, let's consider that we each have four "wives" in our lives. The fourth "wife" is our body. No matter how much time and effort we take to make it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our third "wife" would be our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, others will take them from us.

The second "wife" is our family and friends. Even if they are always there for us when we are alive, the furthest they can stay with us is up to the grave.



PHOTO: Betrayed - Betrayed Digital Art - Lorenza Don
http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/betrayed-lorenza-dona.jpg
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/betrayed-lorenza-dona.html


The first "wife" is, in fact, our soul, the part that will be with us when we die. It is ironic that our soul is often neglected in our pursuit of material goals.

And when we eventually realise how important this first "wife" is, many of us will regret how we have neglected it for most of our lives, and wish we had paid more attention to it.

I'm sure you know now which "wife" you should look after most!

By Geoff Tan, my paper, Mon, May 23, 2011
The writer is a senior vice-president of Singapore Press Holdings' marketing division.



PHOTO: Betrayed_Logo_by_werexmutt.png
http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs45/f/2009/159/c/8/Betrayed_Logo_by_werexmutt.png
http://xnightside.proboards.com/index.cgi



HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Bigamy: 重婚 - chóng hūn
Confidante: 女性知己 - nǚ xìng zhī jǐ
Malnutrition: 营养不良 - yíng yǎng bù liáng
Ironic: 令人啼笑皆非 - lìng rén tí xiào jiē fēi



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Saturday, May 21, 2011

Bookings for Japan tours on the rise

MY PAPER FRIDAY MAY 20, 2011, PAGE A3 & A8, HOME
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2011-05-20
Source Website:
http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/636742/Bookings_for_Japan_tours_on_the_rise.html
http://forums.sgclub.com/singapore/bookings_japan_tours_348357.html
By Lei Jiahui, jhlei@sph.com.sg, my paper | Fri, May 20 2011 Additional reporting by Jecolia Tong



PHOTO: A horse-drawn buggy at Wakka Wild Flower Park, Hokkaido.
http://static.relax.com.sg/site/servlet/linkableblob/relax/636742/topImage/Bookings_for_Japan_tours_on_the_rise-topImage.jpg
MY PAPER FRIDAY MAY 20, 2011, PAGE A3 & A8, HOME
http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/636742/Bookings_for_Japan_tours_on_the_rise.html
http://forums.sgclub.com/singapore/bookings_japan_tours_348357.html


S'poreans are starting to be aware of the fact that some parts of Japan are quite safe and unaffected: tour agency.

MADAM Janet Chua was looking forward to a holiday in Japan with her husband, when the March 11 earthquake and tsunami struck the country and made her put her travel plans for next month on hold.

The 48-year-old hawker gave it a second thought two weeks ago, only when she chanced upon a tour-package offer to the Japanese island of Hokkaido. It was too good to be true - priced about $900 cheaper than usual.



PHOTO: Okinawa's early Sakura (January 23, 2011)
http://www.u86.net/UploadPic/2011-1-2/2011125175248174.jpg
http://www.u86.net/catalog.asp?tags=Tourism&page=10


"It was such a good offer, I didn't want to miss the opportunity," she said.

Madam Chua eventually booked a seven-day trip for about $1,800 a person, inclusive of taxes, with travel agency CTC Travel. A similar tax- inclusive package previously cost $2,800.

She said she was assured by her Japanese friends that the situation in Hokkaido is stable, following the nuclear crisis faced by Japan.



PHOTO: The Daibutsu Kamakura, a 13.35-metre tall Buddha statue located in Yokohama, Japan.
MY PAPER FRIDAY MAY 20, 2011, PAGE A3 & A8, HOME
http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/636742/Bookings_for_Japan_tours_on_the_rise.html
http://forums.sgclub.com/singapore/bookings_japan_tours_348357.html


Madam Chua is among a growing number of Singaporeans taking up sizzling-hot deals and promotions that have been rolled out extensively by tour agencies here in the past two months, in order to revive tourists' interest in Japan.

Tour agencies my paper spoke to said that while demand for Japan travel hit rock bottom in March, bookings have started showing signs of an upswing.



PHOTO: Izu Peninsula in February. Spring is coming, seeing the cherry blossoming is an exclusive and unique romantic experience. (January 13, 2011)
http://www.u86.net/UploadPic/2011-1-1/2011113132623977.jpg
http://www.u86.net/catalog.asp?tags=Tourism&page=11


"People are slowly becoming open to Japan travel again. Of course, it (the take-up rate) is nowhere near the pre-crisis level, but it is a work in progress," said Ms Eva Wu, the marketing and communications manager of Sino-America Tours.

The agency will lead 12 tour groups from Singapore to Hokkaido over the next two months. CTC Travel said it also has about 300 people bound for places in Japan, such as Hokkaido, Tokyo and Osaka, over the same period.



PHOTO: Japan Summer Manga Tour, 17-24 August 2011
SOLD OUT - But there are still a few spaces remaining for Summer Manga Tour II
http://www.japanjourneys.co.uk/images/mascot/Haruka-chan_221a.jpg - (Haruka-chan_221c.jpg)
http://www.japanjourneys.co.uk/manga_summer_tour_japan.htm


Tour agencies are optimistic that Singaporeans will choose to holiday in Japan again.

Ms Michelle Yin, marketing-communications manager of Chan Brothers Travel, said: "Singaporeans are starting to be aware of the fact that some parts of Japan are quite safe and unaffected. We are quite confident, considering the current momentum."



PHOTO: Japanese geishas in traditional dresses, walk around near Sensoji temple, one of major tourist attractions in town, in downtown Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, March 26, 2011. The triple disaster of March 11's magnitude-9.0 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis has set back a Japanese government campaign to boost tourism to help shake off economic malaise. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)
http://nimg.sulekha.com/travel/original700/japan-earthquake-tourism-2011-3-26-6-30-58.jpg
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/japan-earthquake-tourism_photo_1762783.htm


The tour agency has seen 30 new bookings in the past few weeks and have a total of 20 tours set to depart from next month. Ms Susan Ong, manager of the Japan National Tourism Organization Singapore, said that the lifting of the advisory against non-essential travel to Japan by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week helped to boost the confidence of travellers.

She added that the fourth quarter of the year is likely to be when a "steep increase" in tour bookings will be noticed.



PHOTO: Administrative officer Pat Chong and her husband visited Japan without fear about two weeks after the tsunami hit, as they knew unaffected spots were safe.
MY PAPER FRIDAY MAY 20, 2011, PAGE A3 & A8, HOME
http://forums.sgclub.com/singapore/bookings_japan_tours_348357.html


Administrative officer Pat Chong, 42, went on a 15-day tour around the regions of central Honshu and Kansai with her husband about two weeks after the tsunami rocked Japan.

She said she had no reservations about heading there and was certain that it was safe, because the places she visited were unaffected.

"If you go to the key tourist spots, it is pretty much business as usual. It can be quite crowded."





PHOTO: JAPAN TRAVEL GUIDE
http://www.visitjapan.co.uk/assets/images/japan-map.JPG
http://www.visitjapan.co.uk/


Promotional carrots for tourists
The June school holidays are around the corner and travel agencies have stepped up efforts to entice Singaporeans to travel to Japan.

Here are some of the Japan travel promotions lined up:
  • Travel agent JTB is offering free-and-easy packages to popular locations in Japan such as Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka and Kyushu. Mr Eddie Ung, JTB's manager of outbound leisure, said that Tokyo remains the most popular. Tour packages to Tokyo (including a two-night stay and flights on Singapore Airlines) are now being offered at $388. The promotion ends on May 30. At its lowest, a similar package cost only $148.
  • Travel agent Chan Brothers has also offered attractive tour deals, like the 5 Days Japan Alpine Allure 1-for-1 at $1,688 for two persons, and the 7 Days Hokkaido Passion at $1,488, usually priced at $1,988.
  • Mr Wyne Png, business manager of H.I.S. International Travel, also noted that many online buying websites like Groupon are drumming up interest in Japan tours.
  • Changi Airport Group will partner the Japan National Tourism Organisation through a promotional campaign to support travel agencies and airlines promoting travel to Japan.
By Lei Jiahui, jhlei@sph.com.sg, my paper | Fri, May 20 2011 Additional reporting by Jecolia Tong



PHOTO: The Northern Trail (Small Group Tour)
http://www.uniquejapantours.com/download/1/sgt2011/northern_big.jpg
http://www.uniquejapantours.com/small-group-tours/the-northern-trail



HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Hokkaido: 北海道 - běi hǎi dào
Tour agencies: 旅行社 - lǚ xíng shè
Optimistic: 乐观 - lè guān
Reservation: 顾虑 - gù lǜ



PHOTO: "Dressed in a traditional kimono, furisode and okobo a young women training to become a geisha poses for a portrait near the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2008. Women who wish to become geisha now most often begin their training after completing junior or high school."
http://www.patricksmithphotos.info/blog_images/1231-KYOTO-002web.jpg
http://blog.patricksmithphotos.com/2008_12_01_archive.html



PHOTO: Lascivious Geisha painting
http://yqg06172.img.jugem.jp/20091121_1218750.jpg
http://yqg06172.jugem.cc/?eid=1370



PHOTO: The Asakusa samba carnival is held in Asakusa, Tokyo on 28th of August. It is the largest samba carnival in Japan. The carnival was started in 1981 to vitalize tourism and boost the downtown economy. It is held on the last Saturday of August every year.
The event is modeled after the Rio Carnival in Brazil. Samba schools from all over Japan parade in their own specialized costumes, getting into the rhythm of samba. The parade also serves as a samba contest.

The samba schools compete with each other with their dancing skills. A samba school from Brazil also appears in the samba show. Less than 10 minutes walk from Annex/Smile. Do not be lazy, go to the festival!! Samba!!
http://www.khaosan-tokyo.com/news/samba.jpg
http://www.khaosan-tokyo.com/news/2010/08/



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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Three little words to keep in mind

MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY 18 MAY, 2011, PAGE A18, VIEWPOINTS
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2011-05-18
Source Website: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Mailbox/Story/A1Story20110518-279349.html
By Geoff Tan, my paper, Wed, May 18, 2011 , myp@sph.com.sg



PHOTO: Three little words to keep in mind
http://www.asiaone.com/A1MEDIA/news/05May11/others/20110518.111955_3words.jpg
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Mailbox/Story/A1Story20110518-279349.html




PHOTO: Geoff Tan
The writer is a senior vice-president of Singapore Press Holdings’ marketing division.
MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY 18 MAY, 2011, PAGE A18, VIEWPOINTS


IN a world of increasing auditory and and visual overload, brevity (short) has become rare.

Everyone seems to be saying so much, but how much of what one is saying actually gets through to his audience?

Turn on the television set, and you are inundated (overwhelm) with numerous channels. After work, you are likely to be nagged at by your parents or spouse. And with the proliferation (rapidly producing) of social media, you are blasted with information 24/7.



PHOTO: BOOM!: iPad Not Shotgun Blast Survivable
http://www.geekologie.com/2010/08/18/ipad-shotgunned.jpg
http://www.geekologie.com/mt/mt-search.cgi?tag=ipad&IncludeBlogs=1

But how much of what is said helps to bring people closer together?

Recently, I received an e-mail message titled "Three Little Words". It was about 10 three-word sentences which were familiar, yet foreign - for it has been a while since I uttered them.




For example, telling your friends or partner "I'll be there" and "Count on me" assures them that they can rely on your support, no matter what.



PHOTO: longing - yearning desire
http://artmight.com/albums/2011-02-07/art-upload-2/L/Law-Stephanie/longing.jpg - (longing - 1.jpg)
http://artmight.com/gallery/search/%28keyword%29/stephanie+tarot/%28sort%29/lasthits
http://artmight.com/Artists/Law-Stephanie/longing-216224p.html/%28mode%29/search/%28keyword%29/stephanie+tarot/%28sort%29/lasthits


Saying "You are right" and "Please forgive me" communicates your humility (courteously respectful) in admitting your imperfections and mistakes. The phrases "I understand you" and "Let me help" reflect empathy and thoughtfulness, while "I respect you" helps to set the stage for a good friendship or relationship.

A simple "I thank you" is not only polite, but also expresses your appreciation for receiving help from others.



PHOTO: Lake of Longing - Updated
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs44/i/2009/100/5/8/Lake_of_Longing___Updated_by_folkvangar.jpg
http://folkvangar.deviantart.com/art/Lake-of-Longing-Updated-74023690


Finally, there are "I miss you" and "I love you" - verbal expressions of the deep longing (yearning desire) and affection you feel or another.



PHOTO: longing - yearning desire
http://artmight.com/albums/2011-02-07/art-upload-2/L/Law-Stephanie/longing.jpg - (longing - 2.jpg)
http://artmight.com/gallery/search/%28keyword%29/stephanie+tarot/%28sort%29/lasthits
http://artmight.com/Artists/Law-Stephanie/longing-216224p.html/%28mode%29/search/%28keyword%29/stephanie+tarot/%28sort%29/lasthits


Have you said any of these sentences lately? If not, perhaps it's time to make a conscious effort to express your love appreciation to the people around you.

My parting shot in three words?

Go do it!
By Geoff Tan, my paper, Wed, May 18, 2011 , myp@sph.com.sg The writer is a senior vice-president of Singapore Press Holdings' marketing division.



HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Brevity: 简洁 - jiǎn jié
Proliferation: 增殖 - zēng zhí
Humility: 谦逊 - qiān xùn
Longing: 思念 - sī niàn



PHOTO: More Fractured Tales of The Three Little Pigs
Steven Guarnaccia’s The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale.
http://gatheringbooks.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/three-little-pigs.jpg
http://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/more-fractured-tales-of-the-three-little-pigs/



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