Boston Experience

Passing of a Great Person

2012-01-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

It is always very sad when you hear news of a great person leaving us.

At the age of 89 1/2, Zulene has a full life touching many people. We will all miss her.

I feel that often in life, we have loved ones which we take for granted. I am not home much for the last 8 years of my father's life, and even when I am home, I go out to dinner with him once a week at most.

I could not emphasis enough how much I missed him now, and I'm not sure if he heard me say good bye. Instead of regretting for what you would feel in the future, why not cherish what you have -- your parents.

I don't understand why some of my friends do not communicate with their parents much. I would hope that they can get along with their families. You can't choose your family but you can choose to get along with them.

Whatever the reason, I would say, cherish what you have and don't be sorry when it is too late.

-- Robin Low

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Here is an email from my friend Greg.

Sadly, lovely Zulene passed away on January 5 at her home in Laguna Niguel, Ca. She was 89 1/2 and surrounded by her daughter, son and caregiver. Honoring her request,

Zulene's body was donated to the University of California at Irvine for research in helping others live long productive lives. UCI is a global leader in the study of dementia.

We are planning Celebrations of Zulene's life for her friends in Southern California, Mexico, Illinois and Boston. Details will be forthcoming.

In lieu of flowers, we are asking those interested to make donations to the following award.

Zulene Payne Political Communication Award

The Zulene Payne Political Communication Award provides support for creative projects, conference presentation, papers, and internship experiences in the US and abroad for promising political communication and public diplomacy students.

The Award honors the love for politics, people, and grass roots civic engagement that epitomized the life of Zulene Payne and her core belief that one motivated and persistent person can make a difference in making the world a better place.

We are currently exploring housing the award at Emerson College, but in the meantime please send any contribution to:

"Zulene Payne Political Communication Award"

31094 Montesa
Laguna Niguel, Ca 92677

For those who have not seen the video on "Zulene: Lady in Red," please enjoy a glimpse of this lovely lady we were blessed to have in our lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWfVnSus-sg

Thanks for all you thoughts and prayers.

Janice and Greg
Gregory Payne

Hello 2012 from Boston

2012-01-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

First night in Boston was pretty good. It was not cold and the weather was pretty good.

Although there was rain in the early afternoon, things cleared up and the sky was sort of foggy up there.

I had a good time, and I wish all of you a Happy New Year!

-- Robin Low

X-Mas in Boston 2011

2011-12-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas... This year, it is weird because there is absolutely no snow.

Not that I'm complaining.

X-Mas and New Years is usually magical in Boston.

Putting on pounds this year, and it will start on x-mas...

Happy Holidays!

-- Robin Low

#Occupy Boston -- Last Day

2011-12-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

The Occupiers had till midnight to clear camp at #Occupy Boston and they started clearing out in the morning. Some of them were slow, and the camp area was getting cleared and cleaned and things that were donated were distributed to the people who want it.

New crews were on standby and police presence was felt, but the police that was told by city officials to move in, waited professionally and did not harass anyone. The Boston Police were friendly and facilitated the move by even allowing vehicles to stop to pick up the items.

At about 5pm, eviction notice was handed out officially, though many people know they needed to move out. The notice showed what they could be fined for if they decide to stay. The police started to gather after 8pm, but the crowds did not really arrive till about midnight. Perhaps many of them waiting to see a conflict.

The conflict never happened. Boston Police did not move in and force the people to move out as most of them are peaceful and were in the process of moving out.

There were some tents remaining this morning, and overall, even with the 1000 people who showed up at midnight to block traffic at Atlantic Ave, not much incidents happened, and the radio and media channels were reporting and interviewing people, putting words in their mouths, trying to incite violence, but there was none.

-- Robin Low

Nativity Live -- In Acton

2011-12-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

This is my first indoor / outdoor Nativity Live and I thought it was very creative and interesting.

There was a long queue getting to the Nativity Live performance and the crowds were grouped into groups of 10 people. The group was then ushered into the chapel and seated into a row where short live performances on the stage ran.

It was such a great idea managing the crowd as the play was run in 4 parts, each about 5 minutes long, and this is such a great way in moving crowds as the waiting time for a group of 20 people (2 sides of a row) was just about 5 minutes. The groups would rotate, and instead of moving 80 people in and out, 20 at a time was a manageable crowd.

Later, the groups were given a briefing, each of us is given an identity to memorize and we began our journey to Bethlehem.

The journey was cold and long, we met a cartographer who plotted a safe route for us, and we escaped Roman soldiers. It was perilous and exciting.

During the journey, we met many peasants, shepherds (with real sheep) and even 3 wise men! Then we saw angels and a star which eventually led us to Mary and Baby Jesus... Yes. It was very cold and Jesus was a real baby.

The experience was fun and within our group, no one broke character! The best part happened at the end of the journey... We had home made cookies and hot cocoa!

-- Robin Low

My birthday / xmas wishlist.

2011-11-15T23:23:00.000-08:00

1) Camera bagpack.

I need one relatively big to carry 2 pro bodies and 3 large lens. (preferable with a 12.5" notebook as well.

2) LED video lights

Lighting is good.

3) ~~SanDisk Extreme HD Video 16 GB or Extreme Pro SD cards~~

Camera needs fast Cards.

4) Sandisk 8GB Extreme CF memory card - UDMA 60MB/s

Camera needs fast cards.

~~5) Leather Case and PC sync Cable for Kindle Fire~~

~~I have the Amazon Kindle Fire but it comes with absolutely nothing!~~

6) Subscription for my Flickr Account

It expires on my birthday, anyone wants to pay for my account to view my photos?

~~7) Omaha Steak~~

~~I would not reject Lobster tails or Angus beef!~~

8) NP-E3 CANON EOS-1Ds MARK II Battery

I need a battery for my camera.

9) Contact juggling ball?

I want one!

10) Sportster Ironhead Rear Fender

Yes, I want another one.

11) ~~EF 85mm f/1.8~~

~~Cheap Portrait lens!~~

12) ~~S&S Carburetor for Ironhead Sportster~~

Can you learn Social Entrepreneurship from Business schools?

2011-11-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

There is an increasing trend towards Social Entrepreneurship and the trend is very heartwarming. When I read this article, More business schools embracing do-gooders, I do wonder if business schools can actually teach social entrepreneurship?

I am very troubled when many business schools and self help books say that, "To do good, one must do well." I think this is just a sorry excuse for people to not help others and focus on their own self interest. I am not proposing that you give away your money or possessions, but I do believe that you do not need to be rich and successful to give (time or money). In fact, by giving, you often receive more.

I love stories about people and organizations that are giving back to their communities through time, money, and ideas. And many students today are embracing the idea of using a business education to help build the success of a non-profit organization or develop another career that is based on social responsibility. However, does a business education really help you to build that social enterprise?

Firstly, I do not want to come across as someone who is telling you that your MBA is a waste of time. I know many people with MBAs and they do have incredible networks which may come in helpful in starting a social enterprise. However, today, MBAs do cost quite a bit of money and time, and it does not guarantee you a bright career path, and definitely does not make a successful business.

In terms of the skills learned in an MBA, I feel that it would make you a great manager, and with case studies and various experiences in business schools, make you a good consultant, however, many skills required for a successful social business, requires hands on experience, engagement and physical involvement, something which a book nor a course can help much.

You may learn how to craft a plan, but for social entrepreneurship requires a lot of execution, commitment and the willingness to engage. And the skill sets are much different from an academic program. A business school however can provide great mentors which can help steer and guide your social enterprise in the right direction. (Again, in business schools, the mentors are very much varied, and some do not have the right contacts in the social field to be effective)

Before you sign up for an MBA program if you are interested to start a social business, find out more about the lecturers and the Alumni of the school which have started social businesses, as networking is one of the best way to get success, you need a university that provides you will contacts and a network that can support your business.

-- Robin Low

Some articles I read before writing this article.
Can business schools teach entrepreneurship?
The End of Business Schools?
Less Success Than Meets the Eye

Fall Colors in Boston

2011-11-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

It is the time of the year again. Trees are colorful, shadows are long and the temperature is perfect. The weather is pleasant and perfect for riding.

Enjoy the days where the leaves are still on the trees. Although we have already 2 snow falls, the weather is still pretty good and enjoy it while you can.

-- Robin Low

A trip to Salem State College

2011-11-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

Salem State College does feel a little far from Boston when I planned my Trip with Google Maps.

1) Allston - Haymarket via Green Line
2) Bus 455 from Haymarket to Loring Ave (Salem State College)

The trip looks like it takes 1 hour 45 mins, but this was because the bus ride leaves only once an hour, and this caused the trip to look long as there was a 30 minute wait for the bus as I arrived at the station early.

It was a good 30 minutes though as I read Boston Metro, and had 2 donuts and a coffee. The morning was also beautiful. I did not realize that Haymarket T-station was so pretty, I remembered that there were much construction and it was all gone now, and much prettier.

The trip was pretty interesting as well. The morning sun does make things look much better. The colorful leaves and interesting landscape does make the long trip much more enjoyable.

I shared experiences with many students in several classes and met Professor Robert Brown and made many new plans on possibly teaching at Salem State College. It was fun!

-- Robin Low

Halloween in Boston!

2011-10-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Boston being a college town is full of fantastic Halloween parties! From Jamican Plain to Fenway to Allston, the party never ends from Thursday nights till Monday night (Oct 31) you can see people dressed in costumes on the trains and buses.

It is really hilarious and creative how some of these costumes are created. There is always the "OccupyWallStreet" costume, Angry Bird and of course Gaddafi mask with a bullet in the head.

Its good times!

-- Robin Low

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is coming

2011-10-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

Costumes anyone?

A visit to Istana Woodneuk

2011-10-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

It was a hike to Istana Woodneuk, a.k.a. Tyersall House, the paths were overgrown, and slopes were steep.

When you finally reach the building, it was an impressive sight.

The building though not maintained was still very beautiful to look at, the walls are interesting details and the way nature has taken over is very spectacular.

The roofs and inside have signs of water damage, but it just makes the visit ever more spectacular.

The building is rather big, and must be rather luxurious back in the day, the whole place is filled with lots of toilets.

It did not rain for 2 days, yet you can see the dampness in the walls, and the puddles of water inside. Amazing.

Many toilets in here and strangely, they do not stink.

There is a beautiful ballroom of sort, and the wall is covered in beautiful carved wood.

The building is going to be torn down soon, and the workers there do smoke a lot of cigarettes.

Proceeding up to the second floor, the view is very interesting. Looking around, you can see the Singapore you never though was possible.

Large portions of the roof is destroyed and it has an interesting character and there are ferns all over.

There is evidence that the place was damaged by the fire and the roof was perhaps burnt down.

Many of the ceiling in the house have holes in them, it keeps the place bright in the day.

It was indeed an eyeopening experience, and soon, it will be destroyed by the government.

-- Robin Low

HDR Photos

2011-10-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Some HDR Photos Comparison

Can you tell thick photos are HDR?

-- Robin Low

Chill out in the clouds

2011-09-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

I love taking breaks to travel with friends before going on another trip. It helps me reset. Sometimes, watching clouds go by, walking around and shooting with my new Fuji X100 camera is kinda fun too.

On my other cameras, I can roughly predict what I would get, but the X100 seems to surprise me a lot. Not in a bad way, the X100 likes to suck in Color and Light, making every shot "Happy" The photos are unedited, and simply bright and colorful most of the time.

After working long hours, resetting myself in the clouds is a fun way to help me focus on my new tasks and plan for the new 2012 Greenyarn products that is coming out.

What is your way of taking a break?

-- Robin Low

A different trip to Japan

2011-09-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

Every time a disaster happens, a little part of me gets excited to learn more about what happened on the ground. The media coverage often paints a story of disaster, and most of the reporting is done at a macro level showing the destructive power of nature. Depending on the level of destruction, my curiosity usually makes me do some research and find out more. Through my travels, I meet people from around the world and I try my best to contact them.

With social media, emails and smses, the world is a much smaller place. Everyone is interconnected. With information that others are burdened by disaster, I would make a decision to go to the areas and contribute as an individual. Even with many friends in Japan, it took me a few days to research to finally get to several numbers to call and speak to people in the disaster areas to find out the current needs and what I was able to contribute to the relief efforts.

When I declare to friends that I am going to Japan a week after the tsunami, there were people who cautioned me about the dangers, and others who wanted to contribute. Some asked me how effective I could be on the ground, some asked why I wanted to go. Frankly, I don't really have the perfect answer. Some time ago, I have decided to live life by my rules, not by rules other set for me. I feel happiness most when I can share and spread happiness.

Deep inside, I believe that individuals can be effective on the field as long as they are not in the way of recovery efforts. As an individual, you are responsible for your actions on the field, and with large relief organizations and governments, bureaucracy and top down management sometimes get in the way of getting things done. These organizations however, can get supplies to the field fast. Most of the time, volunteers fill the gaps left by top down bureaucracy and there is never enough volunteers.

When I arrived in Japan, I met other friends and volunteers who were there to do our part. As one of my good friends, Dave Cataldo put it, "I'll never be able to sleep well if I know I could help, but I'm not there helping", he was right, and it felt right being at Ishinomaki, but at the same time, being at the disaster area was also the part I hate the most -- the destruction.

On my bus ride to Ishinomaki, I saw a lot of emergency vehicles on the highway, and as the bus enters Ishinomaki and makes its way towards the disaster area, the level of destruction increases. When I reach the first shelter, and dropped off our supply of food and medicine, my heart dropped when I saw so many people in the shelter, in the town without running water and electricity. I help in distributing the hot food to the never ending queue of people, many of which had one meal a day. The weather was cold, and there was also not enough heat in the shelters. Conditions were harsh, yet many of the people at the shelters were happy -- they were glad to be alive and with their loved ones. In a disaster, one can look at what one lost in the disaster, but one could also be thankful to be alive.

It struck me that the Japanese culture was one that was orderly and the Japanese people are so hospitable and they always looked out for others before self. I get a lot of the survivors asking if I needed anything, when I was there to help them. It was an incredibly admirable culture, and with that kind of attitude, I have no doubt that they will weather through the disaster and they will get back on their feet again.

-- Robin Low

Sunrise in Singapore

2011-08-30T01:17:00.000-07:00

It is very uncommon that I see the sunrise in Singapore. Most of the time, I sleep late, but last weekend, I decided to take a walk on the Changi beach during sunrise and it was worth it.

It is the little relaxing to take life a little slower, with a walk on the beach during sunrise.

-- Robin Low

Life's Lessons - Dates with Women of Different Ethnicity

2011-08-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Got another chain email which I am sharing.

-- Robin Low

Life's Lessons - Dates with Women of Different Ethnicity -

WHITE WOMEN:

First Date:
You get to kiss her goodnight.

Second Date:
You get to grope all over and make out a bit.

Third Date:
You get to have sex but only when
She wants to and only in the missionary position.
   _____________________________
IRISH WOMEN:

First Date:
You both get blind drunk and have sex.

Second Date:
You both get blind drunk and have sex.

20th Anniversary:
You both get blind drunk and have sex.
   _____________________________________
ITALIAN WOMEN:

First Date:
You take her to a play and an expensive restaurant.

Second Date:
You meet her parents and her Mom makes spaghetti & meatballs.

Third Date:
You have sex, she wants to marry you & insists on a 3-carat ring.

5th Anniversary:
You already have 5 kids together & hate the thought of having sex.

6th Anniversary:
You find yourself a Mistress.

_________________________________________
ASIAN WOMEN:

First Date:
You get to buy her an expensive dinner but nothing happens.

Second Date:
You buy her an even more expensive dinner. Again, nothing happens.

Third Date:
You don't even get to the third date and you've already realized
nothing is ever going to happen.
____________________________________
INDIAN WOMEN:

First Date:
Date is arranged by her parents.

Second Date:
Wedding date is set.

Third Date:
Wedding night.

_____________________________________
BLACK WOMEN:

First Date:
You get to buy her a real expensive dinner.

Second Date:
You get to buy her and her girlfriends a real expensive dinner.

Third Date:
You get to pay her rent.

Tenth Date:
She's pregnant by someone other than you.
_________________________________________
MEXICAN WOMEN:

First Date:
You buy her an expensive dinner, get drunk on Tequila, and have
sex in the back of her car.

Second Date:
She's pregnant.

Third Date:
She moves in. One week later, her mother, father, her two sisters,
her brother, all of their kids, her grandma, her sister's boyfriend
and his three kids move in and you live on rice and beans for the rest
of your life in your home that used to be nice, but now looks like a
home along the Tijuana strip.

_____________________________________________
JEWISH WOMEN:

First Date:
You will have to spend all your money to impress her.

Second Date:
You will take a loan to keep the image.

Third Date :
Your are broke, she finds someone wealthier.
______________________________________________
ARAB WOMEN:

First Date:
Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles,
Friends and entire Arab community finds out.

Second Date:
You are shot dead. She is beheaded by her father for
bringing shame to her family and the Arab community

No Third Date!!

______________________________________

The POINT?

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IRISH WOMEN?

San Francisco

2011-08-16T02:28:00.000-07:00

I never did like much of San Francisco. The weather is nice, but being part of California, you get the same ridiculous traffic and bad transportation. Although there are attempts to enhance the public transport, for the things that I do as a visitor, I do not really get a chance to try it out.

Previously, these are the things I like about California:
1) Strawberries, oranges and other fruits.
2) Autobacs, HKS and abundance of car tuning shops.
3) Fantastic Motorcycle Weather.
4) Nice Surfing Spots.

However, I do hate much of California because of these reasons:
1) Spread out layout, very far to drive anywhere.
2) Heavy traffic on 7 lane highway.
3) Smog.
4) Lack thereof Public Transportation

I guess in many places, its the people that make the place cool. Boston with many of my friends is sort of my favorite place, however the hospitality of Fu Chong and his family does make me feel that there is something to this "West Side"

I've visited Monterey Bay, Pebble Beach, Oakland, Hayward, Palo Alto...

Again, this time I enjoyed the trip a lot more because of the company I had. Fu Chong was a great host! And I had a great time.

One of the reasons I'm writing about this is I discovered a SFO folder on my computer and found lots of photos which reminded me of the "Rise of planet of the apes" which I watch last week.

It was a great experience when I saw the Golden Gate Bridge in the movies, and reminded me of the many times where I could not catch a good shot of the bridge due to the fog! :(

Well, I had some pretty ok photos this trip, however, I do look like a Mascot from NUS with the Free Shirt and Jacket from them.

I believe what I enjoy from being in the US is definitely the sheer size of the country. Being in Singapore, there are limited things to do. You can get great food or go shopping. Everything else seems like you might be trying too hard.

I like Palo Alto as the location near Stanford make it feel like a University town. A location where great ideas come together and great inventions happen.

I have similar feeling in Cambridge as well, however in Singapore, even when I am in Kent Ridge, the feeling is totally different. The students are not really interested in learning and trying, but rather focused on exams and tasks given to them.

I hope things change as there are alot of construction, and new buildings happening in the National University of Singapore. But I digress, back to San Francisco. I found that Stanford was a very conducive environment for startups. You get to meet people with great ideas, VCs, and mentors to make it happen.

I was a speaker at TEDxHayward and I talked to many folks about the East / West divide, and we love out coasts with passion!

Being back in Asia makes me miss San Francisco and Boston, however, I will be back very soon!

Well, if you are interested in visiting San Francisco, I would say it is really worth to see it first hand. It is a colorful place and a fantastic place to visit.

I hope to see you soon San Francisco, thanks for being such a great host!

I have a new reason to visit San Francisco, to find the apes in the forest!

-- Robin Low

Visit to NUS U-Town

2011-08-07T02:51:00.000-07:00

I visited the NUS U-town during Alumni Day 2011, and I was quite impressed with the facilities and have this constant feeling that whenever you leave your school, it gets better, but you do not get to use the new facilities.

The NUS U-Town looks fantastic and new.

The Macs and PC screens are huge and the Starbucks is Gigantic!

You should visit soon and check it out while it is new!

-- Robin Low

458 Italia Instrument Panel

2011-08-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

Really? The speedometer goes away to GPS mode?

Do you not need to know your speed?

-- Robin

GOOD VISION IN A DOWNPOUR

2011-07-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

I read this in a chain mail, and thought it would be good to put in a blog.

How to achieve good vision while driving during a heavy downpour.

We are not sure why it is so effective; just try this method when it rains heavily. This method was told by a Police friend who had experienced and confirmed it. It is useful....even driving at night.

Most of the motorists would turn on HIGH or FASTEST SPEED of the wipers during heavy downpour, yet the visibility in front of the windshield is still bad......

In the event you face such a situation, just try your SUN GLASSES (any model will do), and miracle! All of a sudden, your visibility in front of your windshield is perfectly clear, as if there is no rain.

Make sure you always have a pair of SUN GLASSES in your car, as you are not only helping yourself to drive safely with good vision, but also might save your friend's life by giving him this idea..

Try it yourself and share it with your friends! Amazing, you still see the drops on the windshield, but not the sheet of rain falling.

You can see where the rain bounces off the road. It works to eliminate the "blindness" from passing semi's spraying you too.

Or the "kickup" if you are following a semi or car in the rain. They ought to teach that little tip in driver's training. It really does work..

This warning is a good one! I wonder how many people know about this~

A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her car. A resident of Kilgore , Texas she was traveling between Gladewater & Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!

When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know - NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain. But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane. She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY, along with the airbag warning.

We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed - but we don't tell them to use the cruise control only when the pavement is dry.

The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries.

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on. If you send this to 15 people and only one of them doesn't know about this, then it was all worth it.. You might have saved a life.

-- Robin Low

x220 Lenovo

2011-07-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

After 4 months of use my x220 still performed pretty well battery wise, however I realized that some parts of it is getting annoying.

My x220 with a 9 cell battery, 160GB SSD, 8GB ram running on Windows 7 professional is going on 16 hours battery life on a full charge, although this number varies with usage, it still gives me a full weekend use of computer without ever charging it, and I can achieve this on Wifi or on 3G.

So far, the computer is kinda ok, however, I am not sure if this is Lenovo's problem or Windows 7's fault when my volume control and screen brightness just ceases to function when I use the computer for some time or put it to sleep for more than 3 days (without restarting). This is not a big problem as when I restart the computer, everything is back to normal.

Another thing that irks me is the connectivity of this machine with Skype. I could watch video, use google voice, but when it comes to skype, the mic or speakers sometimes do not work. I'd have to disable the driver, enable, and go through all sorts of weird stuff just to get it to use the built in mic and speakers when everything seems to be working fine on skype.

Next, my Trek presentation device also fails to function, but my logitec one works fine.

Oh well, I like this computer, but it does have its flaws.

-- Robin Low

Robin brings victory to Boston

2011-07-10T01:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why the Bruins won the Stanley Cup?

Or why the Patroits won the Superbowl, Red Sox the World Series... Celtics the Championships -- All in 10 years? I'm in town, since 10 years ago!

Well, I'm in town!

-- Robin Low

Great 4th of July

2011-07-06T03:02:00.000-07:00

My weekend in Boston Spent with many friends is indeed great!

I was in Tyngsborough, MA with Shirley, Nancy and Charlie's family for a cookout!

There was burgers, hotdogs, cheese, beef, chicken, Garlic Bread... and FIRE!

Lots of kids present, and of course a mess as always.

Dave was in charge of looking after the kids, and he did a pretty good job of cleaning after them!

When it got dark at 9pm, you know what people do on July 4th...

It was initially underwhelming, but as the bigger fireworks come on, the night became better.

The weather was great, and most importantly, the company was perfect. I went riding and had dinner with my friends!

Hope to see you soon again Boston!

-- Robin

Trip to York Beach, ME

2011-06-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

The mission was simple... Get Solid Molasses!

York Beach is a fantastic place!

At York Beach, the lobster rolls are simply amazing. At Cape Neddick Road, the Shore Road Market has simply the freshest Lobster Rolls. Priced at under $10, ($8.99) these lobster rolls come with cold slaw and a little container of liquid butter. Though Sinful, its pretty freakin' amazing.

When the police station doubles up as a senior center, you really do get very friendly police officers who greet you as you walk by!

Golden Rod makes candy fresh and you can get food there as well. You can get fresh water taffy made really fresh as well. York Beach, ME is a sleepy town, and it very beautiful and relaxing.

This is one of the few places on earth that has Street Fighter 2 Championship Edition that still works!

If you visit York Beach, ME you need to visit the light house as well.

York Beach is also near Kittery where you find many factory outlets and the Portland Historic area as well. Be sure you check out the area and make it a day trip!

-- Robin Low

Boston Summer

2011-06-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Well, when you think of awesome blooms and great colors, you usually think of spring right? Where the flowers bloom and the weather is good. Well, its late June, and flowers are still blooming here.

The weather does get hot at times, 85 degrees for about 3 days, then the rain comes and everything gets cool to 60 degrees again.

Summer time is a great time to visit Boston. The day is long, sunlight lasts till 9pm... The walk in the park in Boston Common or a stroll down Newbury Street is very enjoyable this time of the year.

Boston is a very walkable city, and there are lots of sights to see. Take a walk on the Freedom trail, grab a beer in Cheers, try Boston Lobsters at McCormick and Schmicks.

You get to meet squirrels, ducks and more in the middle of the city, and enjoy the shopping and food. There is also many sites to visit, museums and the new Greenway is also very pretty, come check it out!

-- Robin Low

June 2011

2011-06-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

It is pretty strange for the weather to be that mild. It has past Memorial Day, and we are well into summer but for the past few days, there seems to be only 3 warm days and the rest of the days, the temperature hovers around 60 degrees (15 degrees Celsius)

It is not that I'm complaining that the weather is mild, I just want to ride in this Fantastic weather!!

On another note, I went up to York Beach, ME to get solid Molasses

York Beach is simply the best place to get Lobster Rolls, candy and fried clams. We went to Shore Road Market to get Lobster Rolls for $8.99! The Lobster Rolls are simply fresh and Amazing. This place is only open for the summer and make sure you check them out when you go to Maine!

(Shore Road Market
10 Shore Road
York Beach, ME 03910
(207) 363-6533)

Besides Shore Road Market, you need to check out Golden Rod! You get the best salt water taffy, and other candy made fresh! There is also fresh fudge made daily!!

Ok, besides the crappy weather, the place is fantastic! There is a Retro Bowling alley and a Retro Arcade center by the beach!

Cape Neddick Light house around the corner and the view is very nice too!

Well, York Beach is just 20 minutes from Kittery Maine, where the Kittery Outlets are located.

There are lots of big labels here, and you can find a lot of things on discount!

Besides Kittery Outlet, you can also visit the Portland, NH Historic area where there are many interesting bars!

Well summer is filled with many awesome things to do, its about 9pm and the sky is still blue!!

Be sure you check out Maine if you are in the North East!

-- Robin Low

Summer is here!

2011-06-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, it was very hot for a few days and it seemed to be cooling off a little now. I was surprised to see so many flowers blossom everywhere.

Boston is a great place to be early summer. The weather is nice, and you know its summer when you hear the bikes roar and smell cookouts.

Well, in preparation for summer, I'm getting new brakes for the bike, and doing a new paint job as well. Can't wait for summer to hit me in the face!

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to go to York Beach in Maine, and to the Cape for some awesome BBQ.

See you in the summer!

-- Robin

My thoughts on the Singapore GE 2011

2011-05-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

My thoughts are mixed regarding this elections in Singapore. I was certainly surprised that nearly all the 87 seats are being contested, and glad that Singaporeans are no longer as apathetic as before, and driven to be out to go to the rallies.

However, the results are still similar. The fear of change sets in and majority still vote the incumbent.

In my opinion, elections is about looking at what each party or candidate can offer, and not what the party has done. The "track record" has nothing to do with how your life will be affected in the next 5 years.

Looking at the voters, reading the comments and blogs, I quickly realized that there are a few groups of people -- a group that is angry about the PAP, and will say anything against the PAP, a group for the PAP, and will defend PAP till the end no matter what happened, and lastly, a group who wants to see change and progress, and engage other Singaporeans with social media.

Often, the third group is misunderstood for being anti-PAP as the a lot of the pro-PAP folk tend to label alternative views as "opposing" and "minority" views.

One thing for sure, I feel that after the elections, some people feel more powerless than ever. There was a lot of anger on the ground. The needs of the people are not met, and there was hardly an avenue to voice out.

The days following the elections were hard. At Potong Pasir, a petition was raised as many voters who voted for Mrs Chiam felt that there was something wrong with the results. The system of "crossing" the party you want to vote for was a little unclear and people felt that they voted for Mrs Chiam when they put a remark, "Go to Hell" next to PAP, and instead, they voted for PAP, and when the results were shown, PAP won by a narrow margin of about 78 votes.

The people want some sort of recount or bi-election, so they started a petition, and people from all over came to support. I clearly felt that this rational approach by doing it in a peaceful and calm way of getting the government to resolve this is well, a futile attempt, however when riot police was sent to retrieve the petition, the response was indeed uncalled for. I felt that a better solution was to allow the petition to be submitted, have a committee look into the claims, and then decide after 1 year that it was too late to change the results, but it will take it into consideration, and such problems will not happen in future elections.

The GRC system was also under the spotlight as the PAP lost Aljunied. And George Yeo, a well loved minister was out. The GRC was a plan to prevent any opposition to get into parliament after Jeyaratnam won a seat, and when it was said to allow a voice of minorities in parliament, it felt like such a joke as Jeyaratnam was a minority.

The GRC system sees weak candidates like Tin Pei Ling, get a seat, while Zainul Abidin Rasheed was out. It was no place for people to intern, and with the amount of controversy her candidacy has drawn, if the government was clearly hearing, something would be done to eject her from parliament.

The few people whom I know that are pro-PAP seemed to be attention freaks. Complaining about being "victimized" by friends, and getting emotional scars when friends call them a PAP-lackey when they write about pro-PAP things, I just have one word for you. "Don't frackin' antagonize people."

Some of the PAP rhetoric are very offensive, and the fear and propaganda that are baseless should not be used as reasons for arguments, as they are often not backed with numbers.

For the opposing camp, Temasek Review is the worst. The arguments are often one sided and flawed as not all the information are presented.

I do not know what will happen in the next 5 years, but judging from the results and the things I've seen, it does not look like a good 5 years. There is still much unhappiness, and REAL anger on the ground that is not addressed. There will also be growing paranoia as the opposition rallies are packed to the brim, and yet most of the opposition lost.

For Singapore's sake, I hope the problem of income disparity and the government being more empathic to the people's needs will be addressed, but with the politicians and top civil servants having a different tiered salary and pension system, it does not look like they will be in a hurry to solve the needs and listen to people. After all, all the unhappiness still resulted in the incumbent having 81 of the 87 seats. It is still fine to be arrogant.

SM and MM declared that they will step down from the cabinet, and well, such positions should never have been created, and they failed to mention that they will be drawing their millions in salaries every year for years to come.

When I look at the increasing cost for healthcare, education and housing... I cringe, and then return to Boston. Where prices of things remain relatively the same since I was there -- more than 10 years ago.

-- Robin Low

Osama's last FB posts

2011-05-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Lolz

-- Robin Low

Reflection during voting

2011-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

As this is my first vote after 30+ years, as I cast my vote, many thoughts went through my mind. Did PAP do such a bad job, and what am I voting for?

In a white shirt and white pants, I recalled many changes in housing and public transportation, many things went well in the past, and that was why they were in power.

Then it struck me, when you vote, you vote for your future. The past records does not mean anything at all. Since the 2006 elections, everything has gone downhill. How did this affect me when I lived in Boston? Well I started thinking about my dad.

My father was a hardworking man, started his architectural firm, and worked hard for the money and provided a good life for his children. All his 3 children went to universities, and he could easily say that he is a good parent.

In 2008, I realized that there was a very big flaw in the current system. Healthcare cost was through the roof, and Medicare / Medisave programs do not work. My dad fell into a coma for more than 4 months, went to several operations, and the cost for medical fees was more then a few hundred thousand.

When my mom and I looked for nursing homes, none wanted to accept my dad when he was in a coma with a feeding tube, and those that could accept him, it costs upwards of $5,000 per month. Bring him home to a HDB flat in Toa Payoh was also costly as the HDB flat would need about $50,000 renovation as the toilet and corridors will never be able to fit a person in a coma at all. To move into a house, renovations would also cost the same.

I teared thinking about what had happened to me and many families alike, with a loved one in bad medical condition, but the Healthcare cost is simply unbearable, and yet the Healthcare minister says it is "affordable" (for a ministerial pay)

As I put my vote, tears started rolling down my face as I see a lot of old people in Toa Payoh, some in wheelchairs, and I could imagine the difficulties their families have felt as Healthcare is simply out of reach, and nothing is done by the government since 2006. The salaries of ministers have risen, food prices risen and transportation cost increased.

Overcrowded is seen everywhere, and the polyclinics which were $2.50 the last time I visited is now $90 (my mom's visit in March) The queues are long, and the trains and every corner of Singapore is simply packed to the brim, and as it came in such a short period of time, there is much tension and friction among the people. Our harmony is gone.

With the Casinos and the high GDP, the government promised more jobs, but I see more foreign labor.

With a heavy heart, I voted for SPP, hopefully this is not too late and the tipping point of irreversible change has not reached. I want an inclusive Singapore, where the Members of Parliament are people we put up and listen to our voices. People who can empathize with our daily pains and relate to our problems.

I don't want scholars who earn $50,000 a month and has never been on public transportation nor eaten in food courts.

I urge that you reflect on the things that happened to you in the past, and think. When you vote, you vote for your future.

-- Robin Low

Singapore Elections

2011-05-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am actually quite glad so far on how the elections has progressed. There are far more opposition in the running to compete with PAP. Many of them have fantastic credentials and in fact may be of better standing than their PAP counterparts.

I guess, I may be having Elections burnout. I love Mr Chiam from SPP, and I do support him, but after attending SPP rally, I suddenly have the urge to pump Caltex Fuel and go out to test drive an Audi. Perhaps the new A7?

Nonetheless, I feel that although there are still many mindless robots who are brainwashed to listen to the rhetoric as they are shrouded with fear, there is much hope as people dare to voice out and make their opinions heard.

I really felt that in these few days, when PAP is not in power, real comments, real questions are asked, and people demand real answers. Suddenly the high and mighty PAP appears humble and attempts to apologize -- never seen in the past before.

I felt that many people have awakened from their slumber, and actually like the way rallies felt. People being allowed to speak freely about Singapore, and others responding.

Singapore needs free speech. With the ability to criticize the government, ask for accountability, and hold a talk to air ideas to thousands of Singaporeans, it makes people connected, feel more of a belonging to the country.

Being able to take constructive criticism, responding and engaging does make a better, stronger and cohesive country. The rallies and sort of mini-protests seemed very constructive to get PAP's attention, and since protests are banned in Singapore, when will people's voice be heard again if PAP wins? The next 5 years?

I do believe that Singaporeans are matured and rational enough, and even when people are allowed to speak freely at speaker's corner without registration, hold protests and rallies, we will never see what happened in Bangkok, but we can see more passionate people forming groups to target an issue they feel strongly about and get the government to act.

This is indeed a progress, and as a young country, I felt that Singapore grew a lot. I just hope that this change stays longer, for more than just the 9 days before the election.

-- Robin Low

Great post that deserves reposting.

2011-05-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

WHY I VOTE OPPOSITION

by Richard Seah on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 9:05pm

This sharing is dedicated especially to younger Singaporeans who may
not be aware of some events in Singapore's more distant political past.
And to older Singaporeans who, like me, never made much previous effort
to find out.

Some people are concerned about whether their vote will be secret. I am
not. I want as many people to know that, on May 7, I will be voting for
an Alternative Party - the Reform Party in my Ang Mo Kio GRC. I will be
voting against the PAP, as I had done so in past elections. Here are my
reasons why.

The past five years have given Singaporeans plenty reasons to be
disillusioned with the PAP - the astronomical salaries of its
ministers, their incompetence and blunders, their refusal to take
responsibility for those blunders, their arrogance and disconnect with
ordinary citizens, and so on… along with rising costs of living, rising
HDB prices, high medical costs, the influx of foreigners, over-crowded
public transport and other issues of daily living.

I, too, identify with these issues. But my primary reason for voting
against PAP goes deeper. I articulated it recently during a whatsapp
(similar to sms) chat with one of my younger friends, who is about 25
years younger than me. It began quite innocently…

“I dun care about the elections, hahaha,” my young friend messaged. We
had, as usual, been joking and engaging in casual chat. I decided to
get serious.

“You dun care because you dun have friends who were imprisoned without
trial for doing social work and helping the poor,” I replied. “You dun
have friends who cannot come home to Singapore, you dun have friends
who were made bankrupt and had their lives destroyed by the PAP
government.”

“Wah! So serious arh?” my young friend replied. She then went on to
say… “But if you vote opposition you won't get upgrading… Ya I know the
PAP is unfair… But I am the logic (pragmatic) type.”

Haiz! I gave up and resumed the nonsense talk. But my heart won't give
up. I have to speak out what I feel deep inside.

Let me share a story… I will never forget one night, around 1990 or
1991, when my doorbell rang, I opened the door and I saw a small,
timid-looking man with a sheepish smile. “I am Vincent Cheng,” he
announced.

Whoa! I had been ‘forewarned’ - by a Catholic nun - that she would
introduce someone to me. But she never said who it would be and I never
expected that it would be Vincent Cheng, the man whom the PAP
government had arrested in May 1987, accused of being “the chief
Marxist conspirator” and imprisoned without trial for three years.

Vincent had sought me out because I was teaching natural health and he
was interested in the subject, as he had taught himself reflexology
while under detention. There were no political motives for his visit.

I was well aware of his background. I worked as a journalist with the
Business Times from 1980 till 1989 and had written several articles
related to his arrest, along with that of his other alleged
“conspirators”, including Father Edgar D'Souza, a Catholic priest whom
I knew (and who has since migrated to Australia and left the
priesthood).

From the onset, I never believed the story that they were out to topple
the government via a Marxist revolution. As far as I was concerned,
they were do-gooders working through the church to help the poor and
the exploited. As I got to know Vincent better, I became fully
convinced that he was not the evil conspirator that the government made
him out to be. Nor were Teo Soh Lung and the rest of the “gang”, 22 of
them altogether.

As the years went by, I began to see more and more cases of people
either made bankrupt, forced to flee the country or otherwise portrayed
as crooks and liars simply because they opposed the PAP. The late J B
Jeyaretnam, Tang Liang Hong, Francis Seow… all had their characters
assassinated.

(Speaking of Jeyaretnam, I will never forget the night he won the Anson
by-elections in 1981. When it was time for the news, I ran to my car
and turned on the radio. The first headline story was about some
development in the Middle East. Oh, he did not win, I thought. Then the
news came, as the second story. So you see, the unique bias of the
Singapore media is old news. And Jeyaretnam's win led to the
introduction of the GRC system, yet another reason why I am against the
PAP.)

Even former comrades, raised to the highest office of the presidency,
were not spared. The late President Devan Nair was painted as someone
who hopelessly misbehaved. The much beloved late President Ong Teng
Cheong, who tried to perform his duties as a President instead of just
being a ceremonial rubber stamp, was denied a state funeral while the
late wife of Lee Kuan Yew, not even a public servant but just the wife,
received one of the grandest send-offs that Singapore has seen.

More recently, from the 2006 General Election, the ferocious attack on
then Workers' Party candidate James Gomez remains fresh in the mind,
with the PAP pulling back only when it realized its attacks might have
back-fired.

Still, I tended to believe the PAP. For a long time, I believed the
PAP's portrayal of Singapore Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan as
a disruptive force, possibly even a nut case. But the Internet changed
all that. Through forum posts and forwarded emails, I began to hear
good things said about Chee Soon Juan, by respected members of society
that included Singapore's “father of counseling” the late Anthony Yeo.
Then YouTube came along and I saw and heard Chee Soon Juan speak. I
realized he is not that bad a person after all. Good, in fact.

The SDP was driven almost to the ground by the PAP and, for some years,
looked like it was left with Dr Chee, his sister and a handful of
loyalists. Its ability to attract some top talents in the 2011 General
Election, including Tan Jee Say, former Principal Private Secretary to
Goh Chok Tong when he was Deputy Prime Minister, only goes to show that
Dr Chee is, indeed, a man of substance.

Or course, I could have acquainted myself better with Dr Chee through
his books. Me penning this article might make it seem that I am one who
takes a strong interest in politics, the sort who would read political
books like The Fajar Generation. No. All I know of that book is its
title and that it is about a group of political activists. As I said
earlier, I never made much effort to fi nd out.

And so I never found out about earlier PAP opponents, like Chia Thye
Poh, who probably holds the world record for being the longest serving
political prisoner, locked away without trial for 23 years before being
“freed” to live a hermit's life on Sentosa for another nine years. Till
today I don't know much about him. But I no longer view him to be the
dangerous communist that, for decades, I was made to believe he was.

The Internet did introduce me, however, to Dr Lim Hock Siew,
Singapore's second longest serving political prisoner after Chia,
imprisoned for 19 years from 1963 to 1982. That happened only last
year. First, I read an article about him - at The Online Citizen - and
then I watched a banned video of him speaking at the book launch of The
Fajar Generaion.

Like Vincent Cheng, he, too, turned out to be a mild and gentle man.
And greatly intelligent too. Nah. Dr Lim was no terrorist. He merely
disagreed with Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP.

How many Vincent Chengs and Dr Lims are there in Singapore's political
history? Tens? A couple of hundred? Never mind the actual number. One
is already too many.

Every life is sacred. Every person has a sacred right, not just to
breathe and have a heartbeat, but also to lead a normal, regular life
without unjustified persecution, harassment and victimisation. When
politicians and political parties destroy the lives of innocent people
in order to preserve their own power, that, to me, is evil. Or, to use
a milder term, let's just say it is immoral.

This is my bottom line: The PAP has no morals and no moral authority to
govern Singapore. Because it does not uphold the life and freedom of
individuals. Its stubborn refusal to drop the death penalty - including
mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers, giving judges no room to
consider specific circumstances of a case - only reinforces this lack
of respect for life.

The PAP comes across as a party that looks more to numbers and
statistics such as GDP growth and it will sacrifice lives and
livelihoods in order to achieve those numbers. It runs Singapore as a
corporation, a ruthless one at that. More evidence of this comes from
the recent public tears of retired Minister Lim Boon Heng over the
casino issue and his subsequent affirmation that casinos did benefit
the economy. Sure, the PAP acknowledges that promotion of gambling
could lead to the downfall of individuals and the breakup of families.
But it's okay. The GDP will benefit.

Its pegging of its Ministers' salaries to the GDP – whilst at the same
time arguing till the cows come home just to increase public assistance
to the poorest of the poor by $30 a month – only makes the PAP all the
more immoral.

--

Great post..

I'm just hoping that PAP loses majority. Because if they still remain in power, there may be no more fair elections in 2016.

-- Robin Low

Ishinomaki Japan Tsunami Photobook -- Relief 2.0

2011-04-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Kickstarter is fantastic! It is a good way to start your project you've always wanted, so you have no excuse now.

As you may know, I was at Ishinomaki, Japan to help with the relief work and the experience and the things I saw was pretty shocking and it is very hard to describe what has happened, but as you know photos tell a Thousand words, and I hope to share the experience with you to let you understand the raw power of nature and Tsunamis.

I hope I can raise enough funds to print this book, and I've raised more than $1,500 locally, and just require the stated amount more to get this book printed.

We will give the books to our supporters, and the remaining books will go to an auction to raise funds for Relief B2B, another initiative to jumpstart affected businesses by getting their story out, and allowing other businesses to give direct loans to them.

Please support and do what you can!

-- Robin Low

48 Hour Film Project

2011-04-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

Just forwarding this fun project!

Most of you probably know that my day job is running a film festival
called the 48 Hour Film Project. A couple of announcements about that...

1. I made a short film to promote the 48HFP. It's got work by 150
filmmakers from 6 continents in just three minutes. I think it's awesome.
If you've got sharp eyes, you can spot me, Joed Polly, and Katie Hazard.
Check it out! http://www.48hourfilm.com/what

2. I'm doing a show of the best films of the first ten years of the 48HFP
at the Coolidge on 4/20. If you're catching one show this year, you
should probably see the Obnots' film in the second week of May. (Date to
be determined.) But if you're coming to two, see this one as well!

3. There's still room to sign up for this year's Boston 48HFP. If you're
interested in putting a team together, you should do it by Monday, and get
$20 off the registration.

Thanks for listening!

-- Robin Low

Ishinomaki - Japan

2011-04-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

I was at Ishinomaki Japan for 10 days and my accounts can be found here.

Ishinomaki, Japan was destroyed by the Tsunami, and a large part of town is gone.

A group of us embarked on a journey to provide Relief 2.0 -- running the last mile to provide efficient disaster response with dignity, inclusion, generation and distribution of wealth.

We were all volunteers, going into the unknown. Strangers to each other, we soon became buddies as we endured the harsh conditions the survivors were facing. The temperature was freezing and it did snow for a bit, and there was a lack of indoor heat, running water, and food.

Once again, nature showed men that it is a force unimaginable, and cannot be easily dealt with. Ships are found kilometers on land, buildings wiped out, businesses, homes and loved ones all taken away.

The spirit of the people are still strong, and many of them, though lost a lot in the tsunami, they still want to stay and rebuild their businesses and home.

Ishinomaki is a beautiful place many call home, and at Relief 2.0, we do minor errands like sorting clothes, carrying fuel for shelters, distributing food... And no relief services are seen here.

Fuel Relief fund and founder Ted Honcharik is there to give fuel personally as well.

I feel that this trip to Ishinomaki benefited the volunteers more than the survivors. The gratitude we received, thanks we get, and the feeling that we have helped someone is much more than the little help we give.

All said, after relief work, volunteers go home while the survivors remain in the destroyed environment.

Unlink conventional relief, Relief 2.0 will return with more. Armed with some knowledge on the ground and information, Relief 2.0 will share this information with the world, and hopefully gain support to return and get videos and information of business owners who want to restart their businesses and their contact information. Hopefully, we can match businesses who want to borrow them funds to restart their businesses.

I believe that connecting and empowering the people to restart, is one of the best ways to help rebuild the community, and it gives them dignity and give others a job.

At TEDxEarthquake9.0, Carlos hopes to get the Japanese involved to help with Relief B2B, the next phase of Relief 2.0.

Please come to your event and learn more about Relief 2.0

TEDxKRP hosts TEDxEarthquake9.0 in Singapore at NUS Enterprise

-- Robin Low

2:46 on 3/11

2011-04-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Talking to some people who were on the coast when the Earthquake hit, it gave me a new perspective on life.

In Natori Japan, a closed bowling alley -- Airport Bowl is now used as a morgue. more than 100 white coffins rest on the dividers between the 25 lanes, and people walk up and down the alternate empty lanes, their heads lowered, looking into each coffin, trying to find loved ones. Airport Bowl is in a suburb bordering Sendai and everyday, 25 - 30 bodies arrive and 10 are identified and moved out.

At Ishinomaki, I've seen every patch of land at Graveyards being dug up, and a lot of burial services conducted daily. The great loss of lives is one that overwhelms you when you look at it in person. No words can describe the sadness I felt, and no pictures could describe the imagery of the whole incident. Constantly, there are people going to the disaster struck area to try to identify family, friends and other loved ones, and occasionally, they find survivors in the shelters, or they can say their last "thank you and good bye" at the make shift morgues. I lost my dad 3 years ago, and I know I have countless words I would like to tell him before he left me and was more fortunate than most people at Ishinomaki who still have their loved ones missing.

What happens during the earthquake and Tsunami is not our fault, but what happens after is something we can all contribute to make things get back to normal again. We cannot replace loved ones, but we can help people restart their businesses again. In my days at Ishinomaki, I can see many people cleaning their stores which is wiped out by the tsunami. For most business owners, the infrastructure and building remains, human capacity remains. I feel that the best help is not donations which according to Carlos, turns survivors into refugees, but rather helping them restart their businesses, providing necessary funding for them to start a business to hire more people who loss their jobs and businesses due to the tsunami.

When I see people working hard to clean their shops, their minds are occupied and they are strong. But when all the cleaning is done, and the people are not doing things to preoccupy their time, they start getting depressed and focus on the negative things that happened. I believe in Relief 2.0, where helping businesses to start, rebuilds towns, villages and communities. when there is no business and commerce due to a disaster, there is no jobs, no hope and no future. Conventional charities provide the necessities to survive, we help rebuild the future.

-- Robin Low

Big in Japan Mission Update.

2011-03-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

Its been more than 1 week for our Big in Japan Mission

I'm with Relief 2.0, founded my Carlos Miranda Levy, and we are in Japan running the last mile and sharing ground information on what is going on in Japan.

The trip got on to a rough start as the team arrived in Singapore Airport. We brought 320 MREs (meals ready to eat), medical supplies and a lot of other things to give to the survivors, however, at the Cathay Pacific Counter, they decided to stop us, and charge us more than S$2,000 for the relief aid that we are bringing to Japan as "excess baggage"

We tried to explain that this is not commercial products nor our luggage. This is actually things that are donated and what we are bringing to the survivors in Japan, but the counter staff just want to waive 3kg or give us a S$100 discount.

As we could not pay for this, we have to call on more volunteers to bring the MREs back. It was a sad thing that Cathay Pacific and the Changi Airport Counter Staff are so "rules binded" and could not do a thing for humanity.

Nonetheless, we missed the plane, and took the next flight to get to Japan. I started a Facebook Page to share updates of our mission here.

We arrived at Narita, stayed in Tokyo for 1 night and proceeded to Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, where we heard that there was widespread destruction.

It was very difficult to go to the disaster areas, the government blocked the highways and allowed only emergency vehicles on the highway, and fuel is scarce. We managed to find a bus with permit through our social networks, and we actually had a bigger team when we arrived in Japan.

The Team comprised of many Relief / Disaster veterans like Todd Shea, Randy Roberson, Jesse Mendoza, Ted Honcahrik, James Kushner, Tim Riesenberger and a lot more online volunteers.

At Ishinomaki, we setup at City Hall, and we saw a wall of missing people, and immediately, the mood was much more grim. There was a thick mud / Tar mixture on ground and you could smell the sea outside City Hall, even though it is more than 2 miles away from the sea. We even found some fishes on the ground.

Just having a brief walk around we could see some earthquake damage and piles of mud. Soon after, we connected with more people and got to a shelter that needed food, and we gave whatever food we brought along to them.

We felt a little happy that we did something to help these people, but looking at more than 1,000 survivors without heat and running water, we felt for them, and hope we could do more as what we brought could clearly not help everyone!

The next day, we had a walk around town, and we saw the power of the Tsunami.

Homes destroyed, businesses gone... Boats on the streets, Cars overturned. The image was depressing.

The damage was unthinkable. We are at the "cleared" part of town, and much of the destruction is already much less than the other parts of town, yet we could see destroyed buildings, crushed cars, and hear lots of horror stories, and bodies being pulled out from the rubbles.

The situation is unique and different as the other Tsunami were in relatively warm conditions, and the shoreline did not change after, but in the case of Japan, together with SUPERMOON, the shore flooded, and it makes relief efforts harder.

Many people are left with nothing. We met shop owners who lost their store, family and more. Yet, I feel that the people are strong, and the Japanese do not want help as they are proud people, and will accept them only if the situation is critical.

The situation is pretty Grim up North from Sendai which has a lot of help from NGOs and NPOs, but not the north where foreign teams are not allowed.

The government is very organized and doing a good job, but the task is still overwhelming, and Relief 2.0 hope to fill the gap of the government / NGOs and provide fast assistance when needed, deploying independent units in the field.

Lastly, I'd like to leave you with this image of "Mass Grave" which can be found all over the town, and it makes my heart feel heavy as no amount of words can describe what has happened at Ishinomaki.

For more photos of Relief 2.0, and our mission, feel free to visit our Flickr Page.

You can follow us at Relief 2.0 and please support us at Give.Sg

-- Robin Low

Big in Japan Mission

2011-03-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am going to Japan tomorrow morning for Relief 2.0. After doing some training at Grameen Creative Labs for 4 days, I have been dying to get to Japan to help, I have already missed my South Africa Trip, and I felt that I could make a difference by sharing stories on the ground, and running the last mile -- doing small errands more efficiently than large NGOs and governmental agencies who are bogged down by bureaucracy and red tape.

I have seen survivors with capacity -- doctors, carpenters, engineers -- become refugees. I feel the tragedy, beside those who lost their lives, a lot of human capacity is often lost as large aid agencies and governments bring their doctors and engineers to the disaster areas, and the locals are turned into refugees.

I think there is a need to transform the survivors into Social Entrepreneurs, identify their skills and talents, and integrate them into the relief efforts, empowering them to rebuild their country before they become refugees.

Relief 2.0 has a Facebook Group and I hope to share information on the ground with everyone there.

With Social Media, I believe that relief 2.0 will work. Where individuals on the ground are not restricted by any red tape, they are free to react quickly to the situation, solving problems, and handing them over when the NGOs are up to speed. With global resources and local volunteers taking many small actions, I believe many great things can be done.

Everyone can make a difference, and I am looking forward to do my very best.

-- Robin Low

Social business is good business.

2011-03-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

After watching and attending several TED talks, I am inspired by many fantastic ideas, and instead of looking at changing the world, ending poverty in a third world country, I saw that there was a big problem with Globalization, and the effects of importing foreign labor.

In Singapore, many people are displaced by the foreign talents (FT) and as a result, they lose their jobs. The industry is changing, and many people find it hard to adapt. With the changing landscape and new challenges ahead, the employment market is much different, and the government is forcing people to pick up certain skills and placing people in jobs which they think the people should work at: namely -- the Casino and hotel and other tourism related Industry.

Talking about efficiency and human capital, I feel that getting a 40+ year old ex-manager to drive a Taxi or work at the front desk at the hotel may not be the best use of their skills and passion.

I feel that the mindsets of Singaporeans who are great workers, but not enterprising individuals, is not very conducive for such challenging times. Being Kiasu, and just taking a job, performing badly and complaining about it does not help at all.

In view of this problem, I've talked to the Entrepreneurship Coop, and I'm helping them start an Entrepreneurship Business School to develop mindsets and skills for people to start their own business.

And instead of just education for the sake of a certificate, the trainers will be from the industry, and the "future" entrepreneurs can be inspired and get ideas, as well as network with others with similar interests.

Among the group, investors can also meet these "future" entrepreneurs and hear their business plans to fund them partially and offer them advice on starting their businesses.

I think Singaporeans need more successful home grown businesses and people who enjoy what they are doing, instead of workers who just work long hours in jobs they do not enjoy, just to make a living.

I plan to focus on social business as well, as I feel that business with 3BL that focus on "people, planet and profits" and go a long way.

Anyone interested to be trainers to inspire some of these "future" entrepreneurs who may have the capital, experience and skills to find their passion and build their businesses?

-- Robin Low

Benefits of an Abundance mentality

2011-02-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

Being positive, having an abundance mindset is a great way to live.

Although the world's resources is limited, many opportunities around you is not.

Here are some examples to think about:

When you fail an exam... Its not the end of the world -- there are many other opportunities to make it up!

When you don't find the girl you are dating suitable -- there are many other females in the world.

When you don't get a job during an interview -- there are more companies out there and possibly better companies that may employ you.

If you have the abundance mindset, you can have the following:

1) Drive to work towards your goals
Success does not come automatically. It may take one or two failures before you succeed. Have the abundance mindset allows you to have the tenacity to continue to learn from your mistakes is key to success.

2) Willingness to fail
If you have a radical idea, your abundance mindset allows you to try things and FAIL. It means you will dare to approach beautiful ladies, apply for positions you do not quality, and keep trying. Sometimes, having the experience, and learning from it brings you one step closer to success.

3) Ignore rejection
Feeling depressed and worry about failure does not help you in any way. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t try your hardest and hope for the best, but sometimes we care too much about things that we can’t control.

Start living your life and stop worrying about failures.

Invite abundance into your life and stop living a life of lack!

Don't be afraid to give, you will never know what you will receive in return.

"Trying to get without first giving is as fruitless as trying to reap without having sown."
-Napoleon Hill -

-- Robin Low

Year of Rabbit (Offending Tai Sui)

2011-02-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

2011 Forecast for the Year of Rabbit (Tai Sui)

Are you offending the Tai Sui during the year of 2011? Check it out here ..
Year 2011
This year, 2011 is 兔年(辛卯年)(Metal Rabbit Year)
Tai Sui
Obviously, those born in the year of rabbit will be offending the Tai Sui.
In brief, the rabbit direct hit with Tai Sui for 2011 Rabbit year. Next, Rooster are in direct clashed with the Rabbit. Consequently, Rat are in Ingratitude Clash with Rabbit. Lastly, the Dragon are in Earthly Branch Clashed with Rabbit.
More information regarding to Tai Sui as follow:

Offending Tai Sui	Direct clash with Tai Sui	Punishment clash with Tai Sui		Harm clash with Tai Sui
Rabbit: 1927(85), 1939(73), 1951(61), 1963(49), 1975(37), 1987(25), 1999(13)	Rooster: 1933(79), 1945(67), 1957(55), 1969(43), 1981(31), 1993(19), 2005(7)	Rat: 1924(88), 1936(76), 1948(64), 1960(52), 1972(40), 1984(28) 1996(16), 2008(4)		Dragon: 1928(84), 1940(72), 1952(60), 1964(48), 1976(36), 1988(24), 2000(12)

If you are offending Tai Sui this year, be sure you check with your local temple and burn some offerings.

-- Robin Low

Barak vs. The Yeti... a collaboration between Jake and Robin.

2011-02-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Beyond this ridge, yes then, perhaps we may find... THE YETI!

a reasonable discussion of the next plan...

The Land Adventurer is made of the stuff of Legends

but that doesn't stop the Yeti from ATTACKING!!!

things are looking dire...

hold on there Yeti...

maybe a nice glass of ice water...

FUN! Hey let's snap a pic!

hey some other friends! The Yeti is surprisingly funny!!!

a great day in the snow!

We are pals, one and all!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is an early meeting of the two minds. Ever since i was a little kid, I was a huge fan of the G.I. Joe Adventure Team, particularly, the Land Adventurer who I was lucky enough to own. What was the deal with scar on his face? His serious expression. Kung fu grip! He was an outdoors man, which I thought was extremely cool as I'm from Maine and that means a lot to us woods folk. It wasn't until the late '90's that the 1:6 figures had a resurgence and even a Renaissance and with that came re-issues and re-mixes of older ideas including an updated Adventure Team guy, (not seen in the montage), with a Yeti, (there was also a big foot a couple of years ago at a G.I. Joe convention), and that Yeti is just great! In the meantime other grown-up collectors are out there including in Hong Kong, where the best figures and equipment may be purchased off of E-Bay. Hot Toys is a fantastically good 1:6 figure company and they make figures are just that, figures. You may put them in any uniform or outfit that you'd like, no back story and these figures have a likeness to real people but are not sold as such. So, let's say that you wish to make a cool urban S.W.A.T. team guy, you buy the Hot Toys African American figure and you'd have my Barak Obama figure but in you're world he could be any person. It's been pointed out that my "Barak" fig is too darkly complected to be the president. Hot Toys makes a Caucasian male who looks like a grown-up Prince William for instance. While its not featured too prominently, during that a fore mentioned happy occurrence of 1:6 toys of the late 90's, there arrived on the scene, a knock-off toy company that was the cheap generic version of the more expensive G.I. Joes put out by Hasbro and these guys were called Ultra Corps and the snow machine is an Ultra Corps accessory and very cool at that. The Ultra Corps equipment and uniforms still go for dirt cheap on E-Bay so they are well worth it for stuff like extra hand guns and binoculars. Ip Man's binoculars in Birding With Snoop Dogg are Ultra Corps... Anyway, i have one more post which Robin and I made and its the introduction of violence and dramatic tension...

Birding with Snoop Dogg... A collaboration of Jacob Schachter and Robin Low

2011-02-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of North American wildlife Snoop Dogg flips through an Audubon book on birds when...

Yes, this is it. The bald eagle! What a fun idea, he and some friends could go birding and maybe, just maybe they might spot this mighty predator of the skies!

'Sure doesn't take a lot of convincing for Ip Man and Barak to join the fun. Does everyone have their binoculars?

Hey look up there...

COOL! A grackle...

' looks like Ip Man has got an exciting bird, better tell the others...

Nice spot Ip Man, a scarlet tanager! That's a fancy bird, for sure!

OMG! Barak's got AN OWL in his sights!!!

oh, geesh, that's a Wild Thing, not even a bird!

what the ? a little embarrassing, but these things happen...

a least everyone got a good look at a tufted titmouse and on a nest with eggs too, awesome!

WHOA! Can it be? Snoop is transfixed... this is such a lucky day, wow!!!

bald eagle!!!

what a fun day, and we all learned a lot, perhaps a healthy supper would be nice...

-------------------------------------------

Robin has an excellent eye for photography and I have an extensive collection of action figures and when you put the two interests together, the effect can be magical. Really, one of the funnest things that one can do with a toy soldier collection is to make scenarios and take pictures. We worked together on three stories and I'll attempt to replicate them here.

Chinese New Year 2k11

2011-02-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year is an important time for Chinese to spend time with their families, visiting friends and relatives.

This year is the rabbit year, and in Chinatown all over the world, the festive season can be felt.

On New Years Eve, it is a tradition to have reunion dinner with immediate family and then do a family activity. (Like going to Chinatown)

I am in Chinatown Singapore this year, and the crowds were crazy! There were lots of people just soaking up the atmosphere, while some are buying new year goodies.

There are always New Years Eve performances in Chinatown and the night ends with fireworks and a LARGE SALE! As by 4am, the streets would be swept clean, and everything will be clean and empty on Chinese New Year.

As it is a time for family get together, this is also a time where all the stores are closed perhaps except restaurants, where prices are also through the roof. If you have no meal plans, the only good alternative is Fast food!

Well the days after Chinese New Year is not too friendly either. Expect to find large crowds in the Cinemas, Casinos and various other tourist attractions.

I was in Sentosa, and the crowd was indeed "Scary"

There are also lots of visiting the homes of friends and relative, and tons of eating and snacking.

I'm surely going to pile up some weight before this ends.

恭喜发财,万事如意

-- Robin Low

How to get meat from Lobster legs

2011-02-02T01:58:00.000-08:00

What I Learn from my friend Bob Arens(PHd).

How to get the damn meat from those lobster legs. (works for crab legs too)

You will need a rolling pin.

1) Boil the legs of the lobster till they turn red.
2) Strain the water off, let the lobster legs cool down.
3) Use a rolling pin to roll the meat from the tip to the joint as seen in the photos below.

There can be a lot of meat from those small legs, so don't waste them!

-- Robin Low

The Praka-Shini Wedding

2011-01-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

Prakash Somosundram, CEO of Yolk Pte Ltd is a cool dude that I am following on Twitter and friends with on Facebook. Although I met him only a handful of times, he invited me to his wedding at Hort Park today.

When I heard that there will be free beer and cotton candy, I could not resist but to go, even when is it pouring outside.

At Hort Park, there was a lot of people, even in the pouring rain.

From the moment I arrive, I can feel that it must have cost him quite a bit to plan this.

There was live music and Prakash seemed to be a very popular guy, with lots of folks that would do stuff for him. And at the Praka-Shini Wedding, I am reminded that Prakash is a Saint -- from St. Andrews -- that is, and his boys were his friends from school long ago.

His spouse was pretty popular too, and she had many friends on her side.

After listening to the Hymns, atmosphere made me feel that this is a very religious thing, just like when I was back in Anglican school! Musical and strangely uplifting.

Then the solemnization secession begun.

Yes, the priest is pretty long winded, and the speech does not seem to end, and after that, there is a "contract" ceremony, to make it legal.

Finally it is time for food.

Well, it is buffet style, and there is pretty good roast beef, and otherwise, I get carbs from beer. After food, it is cake time!

Even in the rain, Singapore is indeed hot and humid.

Next it is time to CHEERS! This happens at all weddings! One thing I don't get, when there is "bottoms-up" why is there no refill in between? How am I going to drink if there is no refills yet?

Next speeches... There are some real emotional stuff here. The singing and long long emotional speeches. Many people teared.

Seriously, they should be writing scripts for MCYS about family or something. And this is a large family!

And the evening winds down with more live music and dancing...

Thanks for inviting me to the Wedding..

Congratulations!

-- Robin Low

What’s closed, open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2011-01-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

What’s closed, open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday - January 16, 2011

Retail stores: Open at owner’s discretion.

...Liquor stores: Open.

Supermarkets: Open.

Convenience stores: Open.

Taverns, bars: Open.

Banks: Closed.

Stock market: Closed.

Municipal, state, federal offices: Closed.

Libraries: Closed.

Schools: Closed.

Mail: Closed.

MBTA: Commuter rail is on a regular weekday schedule. Subways, buses, trackless trolleys on Saturday schedule. Hingham, Quincy, and Hull commuter boat service and inner harbor ferry service on regular weekday schedule. THE RIDE will operate on a Saturday schedule. For more information, call 617-222-3200.

Boston traffic rules: Parking meters free (time restrictions apply); The Tow Lot will be closed from 1 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Trash/recycling collection: Collections will be one day late for the week, except Boston proper, Roxbury, Charleston, and South Boston.

Snowpocalypse in Boston

2011-01-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

So far, we had 2 Blizzards that dumped more than 12" of snow each time in Boston.

Don't get me wrong, when the snow is falling, it can be a lot of fun.

Snow day.

With more than 12" of snow on the ground, Snow day is often declared!

Anyway, what do they expect when it takes a few hours to dig out your car from the parking lot!

Scene from Snowpocalypse 1:

Everything was covered in snow it was hard to get around, and parking was a nightmare. For many people in Boston, it was hard to deal with as it may be their first blizzard. Sidewalks are unshoveled, people driving all over the place.

For others, the heavy snowfall brought lots of fun!

Even a few days after Snowpocalypse, the snow can still be enjoyed.

Snowpocalypse 1 lasted till the New years, where many people did see a lot of snow.

And when there is snow and kids, there is always a way to enjoy.

But for the adults, its simply shoveling, shoveling and more shoveling.

Then about 10 days later, Snowpocalypse 2 arrived.

Everything was coated with a lush layer of white again. This time in Boston, its 18". Although most of the snow from the previous snowpocalypse was gone, and people got their experience from the last snowpocalypse, this was not so bad.

Shoveling again was backbreaking. Some of the snow came a little wet, and everything seemed heavy. 18" was really a workout, and I had to do it in 2 attempts.

Don't be deceived by the fluffy snow. Its cold and heavy!

There was much damage done too, and trees were destroyed.

There was a lot of beauty to behold, and the snow did not deter people from going out the next day.

To many who have not experienced a blizzard yet, trust me, its nice to be in it as long as you do not need to shovel or go anywhere!

Happy 2k11.

-- Robin Low

Wild Rice Casserole + Pork Wrapped in Asparagus

2011-01-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

Wild Rice Casserole + Pork Wrapped in Asparagus

I did not do the Wild Rice Casserole, but it did involve Cheese, Bacon, Wild Rice, Celery, and lots of buttery goodness, along with mushrooms.

However I did wrap asparagus in thinly sliced pork, then soaked them in Teriyaki Sauce and added Pineapple to it, and Grilled them with the Casserole.

It was indeed Yum!

-- Robin Low

Notable deaths in 2010

2011-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Just in case you missed the news.

(Dec 16) Blake Edwards, the director of such classic films as "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "The Pink Panther" and husband of actress Julie Andrews, passed away at 88.

(Dec 7) Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards lost her six-year battle with cancer at the age of 61. Elizabeth played a significant role in her husband's presidential campaigns and was also a lawyer and author who inspired many with her struggle against breast cancer.

(Nov 28) Leslie Nielsen became best known for his roles in comedies like "Airplane!" and "Naked Gun." The actor passed away at 84 from complications from pneumonia.

(Oct 19) Tom Bosley, best known as the patient and understanding father on "Happy Days," died at age 83. After debuting in 1974, "Happy Days" ran for 11 seasons. TV Guide named Bosley's "Happy Days" character one of the top 10 greatest TV dads in 2004.

(Jun 20) Manute Bol stood nearly 8 feet tall and spent a decade in the NBA. The shot blocker was well known for his humanitarian work in Africa.

(May 29) Dennis Hopper, an actor-director whose career included the 1969 hit "Easy Rider," died at age 74. Hopper's career also included "Rebel Without a Cause," "Blue Velvet," "Apocalypse Now" and "Hoosiers."

Arnold is DEAD!
(May 28) Gary Coleman, the child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" whose later career was marred by medical and legal problems, died after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage, the AP reports. He was 42.

(Apr 2) John Forsythe, who became one of the most recognizable faces and voices on television through long-running series like "Dynasty" and "Charlie’s Angels," died at age 92.

Rest in peace, you will be missed!

-- Robin Low

Ramen Casserole -- Yes we can.

2010-12-29T08:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, we made a Casserole with Ramen, Scallops and mushrooms... It was delicious! Bob made this and it is called AWESOME Bob's Strange Casserole.

Cooking Ramen in interesting ways can make Ramen dishes a great hit as well, anyone interested in opening a ramen Restaurant with a PHd Chef?

-- Robin Low

This is the recipe... (From Martian Bob)

3 pkg ramen
1/2 package frozen veggies
1/2 shiitake mushroom, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth, same size
- Or bullion cube + water
1/2 c. Panko bread crumbs
Butter
Scallops
Random spices

Cook ramen until just soft enough to come apart. Put in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Cover ramen with veggies and mushroom.

Prepare the mushroom soup as indicated on the can. Add the chicken broth, and whatever random spices you feel like. I used ginger and chili sesame oil.

While that simmers, melt about a quarter stick of butter in a saute pan. Add the bread crumbs, stirring frequently until they get brown and tasty looking. Set aside.

Pour the soup mixture on top of the noodles and veggies - it should just cover them. Cover with about half of the Panko mixture, and bake for 20 minutes at 375.

Meanwhile, put a tablespoon of butter in the saute pan and cook the scallops for a few minutes. The time will depend on the size of the scallops, but it should be just long enough to brown them on the outside. Toss with the rest of the Panko.

Put the scallop mixture over the casserole, and put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Add cheese if desired.

-- This is Fantastic!!

Xmas in Boston!

2010-12-26T21:49:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is here. It is a great time to relax, take a break and spend time with people you care. This is also a time where you have great food and just eat and eat -- and eat.

There is the lots of food... and of course.. deserts!

Cake pops anybody?

Enjoy your time with your friends and family and relax... You deserve it!

-- Robin Low

201mass

2010-12-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

201mass is Awesome!

www.201mass.com

Food for thought, Minumum wage and other motivations.

2010-12-15T22:36:00.000-08:00

In many countries, in many companies, I've often seen many unmotivated workers, getting minimum wage and working just to get by. After speaking to many people, including my Harvard Professor, Dr. Brown, Navin and many other business leaders, some of my perspective changed and it allowed me to grasp some ideas of motivation and productivity.

Often in Singapore, you just hear the slogan: "Cheaper, better, faster." But what is the point of just having the slogan, by say that over and over, can worker actually achieve "Cheaper, better, faster."?

In my opinion after consulting friends and business leaders, I realize that many countries, especially the first world countries would love to compete with China, India and many emerging economies alike. However, due to costs of social benefits, safety, welfare, pension, etc, it is really hard to have a concept of cheap labor.

Even in places like Detroit, where unemployment rate is high, much of the conditions seemed ideal for companies to startup again. The housing is cheap, and labor is available, however things are often not as simple as it seems as labor laws with minimum wages and other rules and regulations may make the situation not friendly for businesses.

I've heard friends who bought apartments for as low as $40,000 in Detroit, and rentals are as low as $100 a month. It means more money goes to the worker if he is even paid $25k a month, compared to another location like Boston, where renting a room usually cost about $700.

With unemployment and cheap rents, cost of running a business can be significantly competitive. However, today, skilled labor always in demand and very mobile as well, hence there will not be much opportunities in the form of skilled labor.

I was asking myself, why can't a place like Detroit be a manufacturing central for the US again? It manufactured lots of cars in the past, and the machines and labor are probably still around. Can outsourcing be now cheaper than the current conditions in Detroit?

The answer is -- YES!

Even with people asking for lower wages, and accepting minimum wages, they would still cost more than that in a developing nation.

I ask myself another question, "Surely, with an educated labor, it is easier to manage to get them to be more efficient and effective."

The answer to that is NO!

The developing nations, and including nations like Singapore that largely hire foreign workers, have a great influx of immigrants. These immigrants, though no skilled in any way, are eager to learn and most of all, WORK. In every country I go to, the initial wave of immigrant workers are usually very hardworking. The fact that they severe family ties to work in a far away land, shows their commitment for them to work. And the output they can produce can easily far exceed that of an unmotivated minimum wage worker.

The uneducated unskilled immigrant is usually far more effective a worker compared to the minimum wage worker. One of the reasons is their belief and motivations. Immigrant workers come from a place which is far worse in many ways than the city that they currently work in, and earning much more. They motivated because the work they do, will enable them to earn money, to better the lives of their families. Instead of working and earning enough for 1 person, they tend to save and send money back to their families. Being able to do that is very important as it boost their self esteem being the breadwinner, and they aspire to one day make enough money to return, or bring their families over, so that their children gets better opportunities and education. (And not be in their situation)

The unmotivated minimum wage worker is often no performing as they feel that the amount they earn is too little for them to care. Their attitude of "you pay me $x and I give you $x amount of work" hold true, as they do not have any motivation to do more than what is expected. Being somewhat educated, and seeing the lack of opportunities, they have a very grim picture of their future, and most of they stay that way as they do not see a future of them in the company. Disillusioned, many of these workers just do the bare minimum to get by.

I could see this getting into a social issue as well, as clearly, with the above argument, immigrant workers are better. However, if the immigrant workers do not integrate into society, they cause social problems, and if they integrate into society, they would expect a certain status quo, and they will feel jaded as well, once they run out of their initial motivations.

My friend Navin has a great solution for part of this problem. An incentive program that pays minimum amount for their work (and their survival) and if they produce more, they get bonuses. I feel that when people earn very little, any excess is very much motivation as it lets the buy a lot more!

Imagine, if you earn $20,000 a year, $5,000 you pay taxes, $5,000 in rents, $5,000 in food and transport, there is very little remaining to enjoy. (Say $5,000 remaining) And if you get a $5,000 bonus, essentially, your amount extra you have to spend on things or save is automatically doubled!

Compared to a person who earns $50,000 a year, the $5,000 bonus would be more significant. It would also encourage them to spend more as well. Money can be a great motivating factor when you earn barely enough to get by, and it surely can be used as a motivating factor as well.

In my other approach with more sophisticated passionate people, I've seen other businesses flourish, and expands in leaps and bounds. Franchises of certain successful brands do very well, as they can reap what they sow. As an entrepreneur, I feel that people will work hardest for themselves. if they know that every extra effort they put in is going to help them earn more money, they will put in the extra hours to do it.

In another words, making the people in the companies part owners, and empowering them with decision making powers. I've seen that with insurance sales people and MLM people. When they sell a product, they get a big commission, and that helps a lot in driving more sales, and good customer service. The "bad salesmen" are easily weeded out, and the one that succeed are often the ones that are most passionate and influential.

Somehow bonuses, commissions and shares in the company, offering them a "partner" position, seemed to work very well in motivating people. So will there be businesses that can be set up where the employees can own part of the business, make some business decisions, and flourish in places where property is cheap and infrastructure is present?

Well, if you can think of a business that does not require highly skilled people, and can be relocated to places in the midwest with high unemployment, perhaps you may be able to revive the job market, create employment, and have a viable and profitable business with workers eager to "own" the company as well.

Just a word of caution... These companies though can be profitable and grow relatively fast, they cannot scale. (or can they?)

Just a thought.

--Robin Low

My x-mas Wishlist

2010-12-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

Things I would like for X-mas 2010.
(Let me know if you are getting these as I can strike it off the list)

1) Kolchak - The Night Stalker DVD Box
2) Maple Syrup (Not corn Syrup crap)
3) Lenovo x100e Netbook
4) Lowepro Slingshot 100AW Camera Bag with Shoulder Strap
5) Black Scorpion DVD
6) Sting of the Black Scorpion DVD
7) Black Scorpion II: Aftershock DVD
8) Full Face Helmet L Size?
9) Canon EF 135mm F2.8 or EF 200mm F2.8 or EF 100mm F2
10) Harley Sportster 81 Exhaust Pipes

Why I love Boston

2010-12-05T23:22:00.000-08:00

Boston is a great place to be, especially during the holiday season.

There are many people on the streets and lots of free street acts to watch as well.

Enjoy the following photos I took today!

-- Robin Low

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is about having lots of food, be with friends and family and reflect on the good things we have in life.

And food did I get... A LOT!

I met Adrian, and went over to Charlie's for Thanksgiving dinner. Again there was lots of food.

I felt fortunate to have lots of good friends and mentors that help me in my times of needs. Although there may be a lot of failures in the past and bad things that happened to me, I strongly believe that the future remains bright, and many things are still out there for me to accomplish.

Life is a journey which you have to pick your own path. You learn from your choices, and I learned that there are more than 1 way to get to your destination. Instead of looking back at the bad things, you learn from your mistakes, and focus on the future.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

-- Robin Low

This is not cheese.

2010-11-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Have you forgotten about food in your refrigerator that it started growing "fur" to fight the cold?

Well, obviously Charlie is breeding a new kind of intelligent sandwich.. I think it spoke to me the other day.

-- Robin Low

Battle of the buses. Fung Wah vs. Lucky Star vs. Megabus vs. Bolt

2010-11-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

Fung Wah vs. Lucky Star vs. Megabus vs. Bolt
Boston: All buses leave and arrive at South Station.
The trip takes 4 hours - 5 hours and has a 10 min break in between.

Traveling between New York to Boston is simple and relatively cheap. Now there are multiple buses to get you there.

From Boston, you can get on any of these buses at the bus terminal at South Station. Depending on where you need to get to in New York will cost around $15 to $25 one way.

Bolt bus

New York
Number of Stops: 3
New York 33rd and 7th by Sbarro (To DC or Balt.)
33 St. & 7 Ave NY, NY 10018

Description: This is an outdoor stop at the northeast corner of the intersection. The bus will stop in the designated bus stop area on 33rd Street in front of a Sbarro’s Italian restaurant.
Connections: MTA subway lines A, C, E (8 Ave), 1,2,3 (7 Ave), B,D, F, V (6 Ave)
New York 34th and 8th by Tick Tock (Phil. or Bos.)
34 St. & 8 Ave NY, NY 10001

Description: This is an outdoor stop at the northwest corner of the intersection. The primary landmark is the New Yorker hotel and the Tick Tock Diner. Along 34th there are designated bus stops from the Tick Tock to the entrance of the Manhattan Center. This is where our bus will pickup.
Connections: MTA subway lines A, C, E (8 Ave), 1,2,3 (7 Ave)
New York 6th Between Grand & Watts (To DC or Phil)
Canal St. & 6 Av. NY, NY 10014

Description: This is an outdoor stop at the northeast corner of the intersection a little north on 6th.
Connections: MTA subway lines A, C, 2, 3

Price sort of varies between $15 - $23.00 or more, and though there are a lot of buses running, they tend to sell out. This is a good way to get to B&H in New York, but otherwise, its main cost is the Wifi and Plug in. If you don't need to plug in, why pay extra?

I don't feel the service any better than the others.

Pros: Wifi, Electric Plug In
Cons: Pricey

Fung Wah Bus

Your old school Chinatown - Chinatown bus.

Maps : Location

Fung Wah runs regularly with very solid schedule every hour. In fact Fung Wah Bus service is running every 15mins during the rush hour on Nov 24 and Nov 28.

It is always $15 (except the 2am bus) and it seemed fantastically fast!

There are lots of news about Fung Wah getting into accidents though, but heh, accidents do happen right...

Pros: $15 most of the time, every 30 mins during peak hours, can book at the boarding area. FAST!

Cons: May get into accident?

Megabus

The Megabus offers Free Wifi,

Leaving New York, NW Corner of 9th Ave and 31st St.
Arriving New York, 7th Ave & 28th St.

I feel that this leaving and arriving does get confusing at times, and I've been on this bus twice back from New York, and as it always pass by Yankees Stadium, the traffic jam sometimes makes traveling time unbelievably long! (I was stuck at a location there for 1 hour before)

The Megabus is also pricey. Costing $13 - $25 online, it costs $25 at the bus stop.

This bus stop is great for leaving B&H as it is just across the road from it.

Pros: Free Wifi
Cons: Expensive and slowest. Confusing stop locations in New York.

Lucky Star

Lucky Star is yet another Chinatown - Chinatown bus.

Location: 55-59 Chrystie Street (Chinatown)

Strangely, this $15 bus also offer free wifi, and the wifi feels pretty fast compared to Bolt and Megabus. It just feels like Fung Wah, less fast (less dangerous?) and with free wifi.

Pros: $15 bus. Wifi
Cons: No plug in.

After trying out all the services, I feel that Lucky Star is the way to go if I want to get to Chinatown and move from there. It has a short rest stop in Connecticut for 10 mins, and the wifi seemed great.

I was on the Megabus and Bolt, and the NYC staff seemed uninterested and I feel that they do not really answer your question, and the locations to board are pretty "questionable" off the street.

Fung Wah and Lucky Star has a store in Chinatown where you buy tickets and board. And since they are very near each other, if a bus is full, you can always get on the next.

Compared to flying, this is a much cheaper way, and you don't need to be at the airport 2 hour in advance.

-- Robin Low

My Holiday Wish List 2010

2010-11-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Things I would like for my Birthday / X-mas this year.
(Let me know if you are getting these as I can strike it off the list)

1) Kolchak - The Night Stalker DVD Box
~~2) DSLR Camera Neckstrap.~~
3) Lenovo x100e Netbook
~~4) Sandisk Extreme CF memory card~~
5) Lowepro Slingshot 100AW Camera Bag with Shoulder Strap
~~6) Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens~~
~~7) LOBSTER MEAL!~~
8) Black Scorpion DVD
9) Sting of the Black Scorpion DVD
10) Black Scorpion II: Aftershock DVD
11) The Settlers of Catan 5-6 Player Extension
12) Scanner Cop DVD
~~13) Leica M3 with 50mm Cron~~
14) Harley Sportster 81 Exhaust Pipes
~~15) EOS 5D with 135mm F2 L~~

A Perfect Day in Boston

2010-11-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

Bright sunshine, 60 degrees weather, no agenda.

The day began with a nice cool morning, I had lunch with Charlie and his friend for lunch at Tampopo at Porter Square. Later I met up with Pete and collected my Sportster.

Finally mobility.

Mobility allows me to get a lot done. Got stuff for my mom, groceries. The weather still perfect even after dinner, the temperature was still above 50 degrees outside.

What a wonderful day! I hope Sunday would be nice too!

-- Robin Low

I'll be back. Soon.

2010-11-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

I'm coming back to Boston really soon.

Although I get to chat with some of my friends on Facebook, it is not the same.
After all my travels, I realized that I miss lots of things I took for granted.
I miss the following very much.

1) Shaws Supermarket -- $2.50 Haagen Daas where else can I find it?

2) Dunkin Donuts -- Extra Cream and Extra Sugar in my Large Coffee... Yum!

3) The Place of Champions.. Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots (Bruins.. not so much)

4) Harvard / MIT -- Oooh you cool students, I want to meet you guys more.

5) Guitar Hero night -- Shaun Scovil and the fun events, I want to try out the new stuff!

6) My Harley! -- So pretty and fun!

7) My Boston Police friends -- Lets fight crime Detective Cataldo

8) Lobster!!! Need my fix for Boston Lobsters, even at Legals Seafood, its ok!

9) Free press (Sort of), Free Newspapers (Boston Globe), Great Emerson College PR people!

10) My friends...

-- Robin Low

Bird Mourns Death of Mate (Pretty emotional stuff)

2010-11-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

This story touched me as the images (not video) were very touching about a bird mourning its mate.

I usually though that most animals have a very grim view about life, and if death happens suddenly, they move on easily, and are not very emotional, however the following story did show the emotional side of animals one may think do not exist.

-- Robin Low

A flock of birds had stopped on a highway (somewhere in the Ukraine) perhaps just taking a rest or maybe they had spotted a bit of food. A vehicle passed by and one of the birds was injured and unable to move from the roadway.
Here, his mate injured and the condition was fatal.

Her mate lingers nearby offering solace and eventually he brings food to her. On one of his return trips he finds his mate dead and seems to try to shake her awake and attended to her with love and compassion.

Aware that she is lost to him he cries out in obvious anguish. Every time a car passes, the bird flies off for a moment but then returns to mourn, his heart clearly broken. Shocked at her death, he tried to move her.

Eventually the photographer, concerned for the safety of the living bird, put down his camera, picked up the bird and removed it from the road. The grieving bird lingered in a nearby tree, "crying" out loud with adoring love and reluctant to move on.

No one knew how long he stood beside her and cried. Devastated by the loss.

There he stood beside her lifeless body with sadness and sorrow.

I don't know what species of bird this is, but I think it could truly be considered a "love bird." So sad =/

Excerpts from: http://monokuroboo92.blogspot.com/2009/04/bird-mourns-death-of-mate.html

The Sandals have potential

2010-10-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

There seemed to be much interest in the sandals, and a lot of inquiries. With suggestions coming in, the newer versions are ever so better than before.

The newer versions have non-slip sole and the newer straps are slightly softer.

I am going to add some Eco-fabric to the straps and more options like Neoprene cushioning soon.

Thanks for supporting the amputees in Jakarta by buying these sandals. They are hired to manufacture the sandals, and given a job, empowered by good people like you.

I hope to pitch these sandals to a few SUPERSTARS and with their help, spread more awareness to others that might be interested in them.

With future developments, they do have much potential in helping more people.

-- Robin Low

BarCamp Singapore 6 - 2010

2010-10-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

BarcampSG6 was held at the City Hall in Singapore on 9 Oct 2010.
It was indeed a very fun event.

The day started off with a briefing on what Barcamp is about and speakers go off to post their topics and people vote on them. There were many great topics, and there was 4 rooms where the talks were held.

What are the odds for Barcamp to be held at City Hall?? The place was used as judicial courts and it was definitely interesting to see the rooms and original furniture!

I also participated and gave a few presentations!

Entrepreneurship Mindsets Presentation

We went to Hackerspace for the Afterparty, where I met a lot of fun people.

500 people registered for BarcampSG6 and I would say about 200 people were there at any given time.

I was very disappointed at the Singaporean visitors who came to City Hall, and their inability to control their children, and their lack of consideration is really annoying as they would enter a room, see a talk going on, and pretend nothing is happening and take photos of the attendees and the speakers, leave the door open and allowing the noise outside to distract people.

I would say it was a very memorable experience and I got to meet a lot of great people, whom I wish to keep in contact even after the event.

I would highly recommend going to the next Barcamp!!

-- Robin Low

BarCamp Singapore 6 2010

2010-10-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

BarCamp Singapore 6

Will be held on Sat, Oct 9, 2010 - 11:00 am - Sun, Oct 10, 2010 - 6:00 pm

BarCampSG6 will be a two day event. We will feature user nominated presentations and discussions on technology, education, social media, DIY, food, travel, popular culture, film-making, green-tech and many other topics.

Basically, BarCamp is sort of an unconference where everyone (YES -- even the audience) may get a chance to pitch their ideas and share it with others. There are a few rooms, and the topics for each talk will be published, and you can go to the rooms with the topics that interest you.

BarcampSG6 is located at Singapore City Hall (Level 03). (Believe it)

Nearest MRT is City Hall.

Twitter hashtag: #BarCampSG6

Are you going?

Remember to register ->here<-

-- Robin Low

Fantastic Part Time Job

2010-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Check it out, I would even apply to work here.

$4.8-6.5k / hr

Damn

Work for KOI, part time, don't think anyone pays as well here in Singapore

-- Robin Low

Connect online!

2010-09-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

"Tweetups" + "Blogger meetups" + "Flash mobs"

These are just some of new gatherings enabled by Web 2.0 technologies. The new trends of social gathering driven by online technologies is increasing, and the ease of organizing activities has also fueled more of such activities to be held.

Some time ago, many people believe that these new web technologies created a group of people who became more withdrawn with reality, and immersed themselves in virtual worlds. However it did not take long before these people who enjoyed their online games organized group meetings and socialized.

From a TrendWatch article: Mass Mingling. Here are some numbers:

* Twitter: 100 million+ users, with 50 million tweets sent each day.
* Facebook : nearing 500 million users. The average user has 130 friends, spends 55 minutes a day on the site and receives three "event invitations" to real-life gatherings every month (in December 2009, the company stated that 3.5 million events were created every month). Next? According to The New York Times, Facebook will soon incorporate 'location' in two ways: its own features for sharing location and APIs to let other sites and apps offer location services to Facebook users. This could well be a MASS MINGLING killer app.
* LinkedIn : over 65 million members. A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second.
* A ‘veteran’ MASS MINGLING engine like Meetup has 6.1 million members, handling 2.2 million RSVPs and 180,000 meet-ups, in 45,000 cities a month.
* Foursquare has one million users, while Gowalla: 150,000 users.
* Nearly three quarters (73%) of online teens and an equal number (72%) of young adults* use social network sites. 73% of adult profile owners use Facebook, 48% have a profile on MySpace and 14% use LinkedIn. (Source: Pew, Feb 2010.)

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Not so long ago, sharing private information on what you are doing or where you are located is pretty much frowned upon. Their personal information is very much personal and not shared. But recently, many things have changed.

PEOPLE love to connect.

It is not hard to meet someone, and locate them on Facebook. Then by following their updates, continuing conversations online, one can get to know them better.

On Jun 30, Social Media Day, Mashable declared a day where people who engage in social media can meet others with similar interests.

With more groups online to associate with, it is easy for people to meet people with similar interests and join in physical activities at the touch of your fingertips.

Online Mobile Devices

iPhones, Android Phone, Windows Mobile Phones, Symbian... More phones today allow you to access information and connect with friends through the 3G network. With the access to the Internet while you travel around, meeting and connection is ever easier. The mobile Internet penetration is ever increasing and the subscription prices is getting more affordable.

The embedding of GPS in mobile devices also gives rise to location based services. I think that a lot of these location based applications are still in their early stages, but still there are a few promising benefits they provide to businesses.

1) Verified Checkin Rewards

Most checkin apps are designed so that small businesses can set up specials or rewards for checkin activity. Few, however, can truly verify that an application user is exactly where they say they are. For the small business owner to truly benefit from offering checkin rewards, verification is critical.

SCVNGR is an example of a location-sharing service built with verification in mind. The startup, which seeks to serve as a game layer for the real world, has a QR code checkin feature; businesses can display QR code decals to encourage patrons to pull out their mobile phones and scan the QR code to check in to their venues. Since the scan is tied to a specific location, the checkin is valid.

In general, QR codes present a clean way to tie a customer’s whereabouts to a physical location. Small businesses can choose to chuck the checkin app in favor of creating their own in-store QR code marketing initiatives — think scan-activated coupon codes or discounts — with the help of full-service QR code solutions such as ScanLife.

2) Social Barcodes

Small businesses sell products. Products have barcodes. New technology makes it easier than ever for consumers to create social experiences around products, and for retailers to reward them for their in-store scanning behaviors.

Bakodo is an iPhone app that can scan nearly all types of barcodes; consumers can use it to comparison shop, read reviews from friends, and make more informed purchase decisions. Stickybits has a mobile app that lets users create a social experience around products with photos, text, and videos. Even Shopkick, an automatic checkin service for retailers, has an iPhone app that supports barcode scanning activities.

As barcodes become more social in nature, small businesses have an opportunity to participate in product-driven communities and even reward consumers who scan in their stores. With Bakodo, for instance, small businesses can license a white label version of the technology to reward customers with discounts and coupons depending on what they scan.

3) Group Deals

Those following the group buying trend have no doubt noticed the growing buzz around Groupon and its many competitors. These deal-a-day sites allow small and local businesses to offer extreme discounts to new audiences. The formula has proven to appeal to customers looking for a deal, bring in new business, and create repeat business.

Interested small businesses can turn to services such as Groupon, LivingSocial, OpenTable, Yelp (Yelp), or Zagat to help them facilitate a location-based deal. Better yet, there’s now a handful of do-it-yourself, deal-a-day software options. With Wildfire, for instance, businesses can offer their own group deals via their website or Facebook (Facebook) Page.

Another new option perfect for neighborhood bars, restaurants and coffee shops is GroupTabs. The service blends group buying with checkins, so that when a certain number of people check-in at the same place at the same time, they can unlock a pre-defined venue deal or special. GroupTabs is brand new and available in limited markets, but it hopes to expand and is accepting business requests via email.

4) Challenge-Based Rewards

In addition to QR code checkins, the mobile location-based game SCVNGR now enables any retailer to offer custom rewards to patrons who accrue points for specific behaviors — checking in, posting a photo, or completing a user-defined challenge — at their store.

The rewards platform is more flexible than those offered by Foursquare (Foursquare) and Gowalla (Gowalla), and allows small businesses to decide how many rewards to offer, how many points customers need to unlock a reward, and how many times the reward in question can be redeemed. Patrons can also only attempt one reward at a time and can visually track their progress via a green status bar.

SCVNGR also sends out signage, QR code decals, table tents, and coasters to participating businesses free of charge to help facilitate the in-store behaviors. As such, the platform is perfect for small businesses looking to offer their own location-based deals.

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It is a wonderful world we live in now, as we can connect with so many people with similar interests by just searching for them. You don't have to live your life -- on an island anymore.

-- Robin Low