What goes round comes round…

Subject: Amazing but true
This is a true story that had happened in 1892 at Stanford University .
Its moral is still relevant today.

A young, 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees.
He was an orphan, and not know­ing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea.
A friend and he decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.
They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski.
His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital.
A deal was struck. And the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately,
they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600.
Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight.
They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400.
They promised to honour the cheque soonest possible.
"No." said Paderewski. "This is not acceptable." He tore up the cheque,
returned the $1600 and told the two boys, "Here's the $1600.
Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left" The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.
It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.
Why should he help two people he did not even know? We all come across situations like these in our lives.
And most of us only think "If I help them, what would happen to me?"
The truly great people think, "If I don't help them, what will happen to them?"

They don't do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it's the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader,
but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were over 1.5 million people
starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help.
He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.

The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover - who later went on to become the US President.
Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.
A calamity was averted.
Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said,
"You shouldn't be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago,
you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them."

The world is a wonderful place. What goes around usually comes around.

GPS for me...

Yup..you guessed it. Hub got me this Xmas gift..said I needed help as I often got lost and also for my future travels around M'sia..also Singapore, Thailand and East Malaysia. Great isn't it! And so it seems...For the week we were on holiday, we kinda of used it to give s directions since we had a few places to visit. Hub didn't need it actually..cos he has all the maps in his head! Just the same, we let the GPS guide us and ya it was quite fun really..cos' it took us through roads and places we never knew existed and yes and behold..the places we wanna go. What other gadgets are there these days eh..guess everyone's into i-Pads and i-pods, smartphones etc..so for me..blackberry next perhaps? Well...for now..my old reliable 2 year old Nokia will do. Till next time au revoir!

Healthy fruit juices

Got myself a new blender for Xmas! yes...decided I wanted to drink fresh juice..new year resolution u say...kinda of. Since the last one broke down...I've been hankering for one and since no one got it for me..I decided to get myself one. So since the NY, been spoiling myself...nice juices u say...so far..have tried carrot, apple, oranges, celery, potato...yes u heard it, some veggies are ok to drink as juices. Will be getting the watermelon, star fruit and soursop soon. At any rate...hope my skin will glow and tinkle as they say. So join me folks to a healthier and fresher you!

When the maid is away...

Right..folks..the maid left on Saturday. Well, all good things must come to an end they say...the sleep-ins, the telly watcher, the couch potatoes, the days of not housework are all in the past. Suddenly the kids wake up and lo and behold..the breakfast is not done..no milo mum! Wah..mum we have to fold our own clothes and iron too??? Howlah??? Is it my turn to sweep the floor, mop and take the rubbish out? Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

Sure things kids...those days are gone. So u ask what happened? Well, suffice to say...we have had enough and even though having the maid around was great...the bad outweighed the good. We had to worry about where she's wandered to when everyone is out, whether she's locked the door and gate and who she might be bringing into the house. I guess sometimes, employers like me tend to just overlook all those little blatant things happening so we could have a few hours of rest when we get back home...no need to cook and no need to wash the dishes or worry about the wet laundry. I turned a deaf year to complaints and overlooked her impoliteness but I guess last week enough was enough and I just booked her a ticket home and sent her packing.

Couldn't we have waited till after CNY..n lah really...no point...and so here we are maidless...as of it was a big crisis. Well it did affect my youngest..back from school, opening the house with her set of keys I gave her this morning and cooking her own maggie mee and telling me of her experience when the egg fell onto the floor instead of the pot. Well...guess it wont be the first but I am sure she would look back and laugh about it someday after she's become an expert at it.

Son decided he wanted to spend time in Seremban and Melaka..away fron the house with no maid. As for me, my first day cooking breakfast after many months..not too bad ...my omelete went down well with everyone who cared to eat it! The laundry was done at night so it was ok...my sister in law had the dinner ready and hub did the dishes..so all in all..we did well after two days without the maid.

I am sure we will survive as we did the last time we were maidless...guess the days of spoiling ourselves with ample time is gone. Now I seem to be able to plan and manage my tine better then when I had her around.

To all who have maids...good luck...to all who don't..here I come...in a way..I feel relieved that I am doing some of the housework myself instead of working and bending over the computer all the time. I hope this means I can shed a few pounds before CNY...he he.

Well...my adventures begin...ta ta!

Done at last!

yes everyone...after months of speculation and living in limbo..finally its done! Sentence is carried out finally... yes both functions dealing with management of school libraries and reading program Nilam will be given to BBT. I am so relieved that its done..not that I was looking forward to that but well...we are after all just doing what the boss wants. Rule No 1: the boss is always right. Rule No 2: If the boss is wrong, refer to rule no 1! So whatever we do...the boss is always right...do you agree?

Anyway, its kind of sad as the functions have been with BTP since 1988. A lot of history has taken place. BTP through sektor PSP, BTPN-PTPB and PKGs have done a great deal in making school libraries to be what they are today and taking the reading program NILAM to a higher level. I am sure the literacy rate has gone up with the reading program.We will miss all the programs and activities that come with the two functions, we will miss working with the officers, teachers and students whenever we have national functions like the Anugerah Tokoh Nilam, Kem Penulis Muda, Anugerah PSS, Kem Membaca 1Malaysia, READ2010. We will also miss all our smart partners who have worked with us on many of our successful campaigns and programs. A big thank you to everyone who have participated and given their best to all our programs. We hope that BBT will continue making the two programs a success.

As for our new functions, I am sure with everyone's commitment and participation, we will also do a good job in implementing the projects lined up for the year. To everyone, thank you for your support and let us work together to make our teachers and students more ICT-savvy and literate in using educational technology to improve their teaching and learning, and equipped with 21st century skills.

Cheers everyone.

Yes! we did it!

Congratulations to everyone at sector PSP, BTP and all Unit PSP, BTPNs.

Yes syabas to all schools which took part in the READ2010 record breaking feat in the Malaysia Book of Records. For those of you not in the picture, the Educational Technology Division of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Scholastics Malaysia organised the READ2010 in conjunction with Kem Membaca 1Malaysia on 8 November 2010. About 1000 schools all over the country and over 400,000 students took part in the reading campaign and registered the most number of school children reading together in a single day. The event was witnessed by the Deputy Minister of Education, Datuk Ir Dr`Wee Ka Siong at the national launch of KM1M whilst state events were witnessed by respective directors of the State Education Departments and school principals.

It was indeed a remarkable feat. Syabas to all schools and school children who took part. Here's looking forward to another record breaking feat this year at READ2011!

A very big thank you to the organisers and all team members!

You guys did a fantastic job.

To know more, log onto http://www.read2010.com.my/

Cheers! :))

Exercise to look and feel younger...

Healthy aging: Tips for exercising as you age

Many older adults don’t exercise. However, exercise is vital for healthy aging. It helps you maintain your strength and agility, gives your mental health a boost, and can even help diminish chronic pain. Whether you are generally healthy or are coping with an ongoing disability or health problem, regular exercise will help you stay physically and mentally healthy and improve your confidence.

§ Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. Find out if any health conditions or medications you take affect what exercise you should choose.

§ Find an activity you like and that motivates you to continue. You may want to exercise in a group, like in a sport or class, or prefer a more individual exercise like swimming.

§ Start slow. If you are new to exercise, a few minutes a day puts you well on the way towards building a healthy habit. Slowly increase the time and intensity to avoid injury.

§ Walking is a wonderful way to start exercising. Exercise doesn’t have to mean strenuous activity or time at the gym. In fact, walking is one of the best ways to stay fit. Best of all, it doesn’t require any equipment or experience and you can do it anywhere.

*Yes, a walk to Bukit Jalil at the weekend works wonders...now if only I can do this everyday...

Getting quality sleep: Tips for seniors

Many older adults complain of sleep problems, including insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and frequent waking during the night. But aging doesn’t automatically bring sleep problems. Learning and practicing healthy sleep habits may be all you need to, once again, get a good night’s rest.

Read: Sleeping Well As You Age: Healthy Habits To Help You Sleep

Healthy aging: Tips for keeping your mind sharp

There are many good reasons for keeping your brain as active as your body. Keeping your brain active and maintaining creativity actually may help to prevent cognitive decline and memory problems. The more you use and sharpen your brain, the more benefits you will get.

§ Try variations on what you know. For some people, it might be games. Other people may enjoy puzzles. Still others may enjoy trying out new cooking recipes. Find something that you enjoy and continue to try new variations and challenges. If you like crosswords, move to a more challenging crossword series or try your hand at a new word game. If you like to cook, try a completely different type of food, or try baking if you’ve mostly been cooking over the stove.

§ Work something new in each day. You don’t have to work elaborate crosswords or puzzles to keep your memory sharp. Try to work in something new each day, whether it is taking a different route to the grocery store or brushing your teeth with a different hand.

§ Take on a completely new subject. Taking on a new subject is a great way to continue to learn. Have you always wanted to learn a different language? Learn new computer skills? Learn to golf? There are many inexpensive classes at community centers or community colleges that allow you to tackle new subjects. Volunteering is also a great way to learn about a new area. Taking classes and volunteering is a great way to boost social connections, which is another brain strengthener.

http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_aging_seniors_aging_well.htm

*Yes...keeping our minds clear and free from worries and work...that should keep us healthy. Keep it up all.

Have a great year and a new you...Cheers!