Who runs the hospital

I just came back to Shanghai from HangZhou, last Saturday, and got sick. I went to a local hospital for check up, they asked if I was covered by travel insurance and would like to make a claim, I need to go to the foreigner section. So i went, and the bills comes out RMB557, RMB500 for the 15 minutes consultation on a common flu, and RMB57 for the medicine.

My friend told me the consultation for locals are only RMB14. So its a ripped off for foreigners, or shall I say the insurance company (If my claim is successful).

On the point of view of the hospital, there's the opportunity to earn more, a lot more, and unreasonable more. Is there a need for the foreigner to go to a special section for insurance claim? Does the service provided worth the fee? or its purely catching on the opportunity to ripped huge profits?

Use our wisdom

Our mind could run wherever it wants and comes up with various kind of thought , it is the nature of the mind.

Lets use our wisdom to decide how we should act. Explore the thoughts, and feeling, what's behind them, and do we want to summit our action to them.

Grandma's story

I chatted with my grandma a moment ago, and she talked about her childhood, and my dad's and his sibling's childhood. and it was real tough. life back them is simple, the purpose is to survive, and keep the family alive. These days, perhaps its not a issue anymore, so now is about financial freedom, become a millionaire, excel among peers, get enlightened and etc. listening to their life makes me feel more content, and regret of course.

I never realized what I am now is a result and continuation of their struggle. I never went through meal problem, never walk for more than 5km to earn a day's living, never walk to see a doctor for can't affording the fare and never plead for help for lack of money. And what they go through back then, result in the way of living of later days.

Back then, there's more warmth in the community, the doctor will treat you for free. Yeah, for free, because thats what need to be done. The neighborhood helps you to build your house, they worried over your safety, they share food with the those in hunger and so on.

Today as i walk to the mall, there's a lady sitting on the floor, with a little girl in her hand, and a cup on the floor. i saw her few times, she is always there. Every time i feel like talking to her and offer some help or get her some food., which i didn't. As i leave the mall, i bought some pastry for them, but they are gone. The pastry ends up my dinner.

UNIQLO Tshirt Design

I received an email notification 2 days back on being shortlisted in a T-shirt Design competition.

I submitted a few, only one get shortlisted, but its my favorite, when i done it and show to a friend, she reply me on how she felt.

The rational behind it is i realize if we pay a bit of attention to how people feel, then you won't feel bad or irritated on most situation. and if you observe closely, people feeling changes all the time following their sensual contact with the environment.

This shirt invites viewers to observe others feeling, just observe without opinion. and its kinda unique i think, instead of a shirt that shapes personality, the wearer and viewer are giving meaning to it by filling in the blank, so different time, different people, different meaning.

no worries on cloth clashing...haha.

I think it will be kinda fun to see bunch of people wearing different color versions of it on streets.

If you are happen to be here, leave a comment and say how you are feeling now. cheers

Money And You Flipcharts

where are these

where is the mind?

i realise my thoughts are make up of sounds, visuals. so what is this seeing and hearing? how this seeing and hearing occurs, thoughts has form?

greed(craving), hatred(aversion), delusion(mind object) ? how the heck buddha could eliminate all these? how does he penetrate the ultimate reality?

alive

i am still alive. but if i am in the wheel of samsara, does it still matters?

Work it out

During a drink with my fren last nite, we talk about money and how much is enough. He told me about his fren who plans to bring along his wife to USA to work as squatters. the reason, both of them are waiters, having two kids and their income is not sufficient to makes them see a bright future for the family.
The kids are aged at few months old and 2, their plan is that they would go USA to work for another 4 years. And when they returned, they would somehow like save more than RM200k to start some small business, and the gap of relationship with the child would not be significant.
First, i was thinking the child may developed some insecurity and lack of love, since i just attended a workshop thats mentions the first 7 years of childhood will programme a lot of beliefs into one life. on the other hand, i have a great respect for this young couple, they are working togather to build up their family for a brighter future rather than fussing. Ain't that a important attitude to bond a family togather? its not about you or me, its about us.

i feel anger arising

its not a good start for morning, most of the time, i am either busy with work, of just relaxing myself. but now, some anger arises. if i have a gun, i might put a bullet over the person responsible for below two clipping.

First one: about an Iraqi girl named Sabrine. read the full story here

Second one: its on every major news, the Iran capture 15 British crew and put them on TV. but in this case, its not the same as in Afghanistan where they are being prosecuted. they are being treated nicely, and on TV, explained why the heck they are being captured, but also state that they are being well treated.

The Iran gov is making this a peaceful resolution, their law is being carried out, in a humanity and reasonable way. but on the other end, B&B(bush and blair) are making one heck of a noise, saying how wrong the Iranian are, and demanded a immediate release, without an apology. read the full story here


okay, anyhow i won't pull the trigger, i am buddha followers. Any chances spreading dharma to both B&B?

passion driven

Can I establish a creative team that identify what are the products or services we are passionate about, and after found out how to make it work, then only go out to get those accounts.

this is the common way in advertising:

1. pitching account secured
   
2. get creative brief
   
3. start selling to client
   
4. get approved (here involves changes, sometimes a lot of time)
   
5. roll out

here's what i think of:

1. what's the product/services i like to work on
   
2. is there a idea and strong belief in making it work
   
3. if yes, write it down then go to pitch the client
   
4. work in a way to have a trustworthy relationship, so the client believe the work produce to avoid all unnecessary changes. and make life easy for all.

During my freelancing work, the account director would take the work to get clients' approval, and a lot of time, when the comment comes back on designs, art direction or whatsoever, i dont feel good about it:
first, is the comment base on research? or just personal opinion?
if its base on personal opinion, does that means their art sense is stronger than trained designers or art directors?
If you take a single piece of work to anyone, comments is always there, but which are the comments to be value? i think its base on logic and trust.
Just like one don't walk into Giorgio Armani and request for a different cut on the outfit, first they won't do it for you, secondly, you accept and buy their sense. of course, there are variety of brands for you to pick. But basically, they won't change it for you.

i would like to work this out and get things to run more productive.

What not to buy

Last night, i was stopped by 2 policeman after turning into a road with a sign of "no entry".
Upon showing them my documents, one of them asked for a bribe over a ticket of rm300.

At that moment, i felt one hell of a dilemma, i don't feel like parting with rm300, but at the same time, i recalled an email circulation on policeman nows a day are being paid to make you bribe them and catches you right on the scene.

Somehow, i decided not to bribe, and he let me go. I thought about it over my bed, when the incident happen, i was really thinking about myself, what i may getting into and hoping for the best, which happened, instead of thinking about what's in between us, me and the policeman.

And i decided, i will never bribe anyone else because its bad for both of us. on his side, i am buying out someone dignity, and watering the seed of evil in him, on my side, it means i am not standing up and prepare to take the responsibility.

next time it happens, i'm going to educate him. But of course, if the other party is kind enough to forgive me, i'll gladly accept it. Good for both of us.

And heck i would never turn into a road with a no entry sign again, as i promise the policeman last night.

Does it begin with Want or Care

When you feel like being with someone, think about how it begins & the motivation behind?
Does it begins with you wanting that person? Want to have him/her by your side, want to posses, want to be related, want to feel good yourself...Or,
does it begins with care? that you want that someone to be happy, can count on you when needed...

Buddha teaching

Attended a talk at BGF yesterday, learn a few things:

• On all matters, we can decide how we would like to relate by asking "What's the origin ? Whats the property? What's good of this? What's the danger? How could we make good on it?"
• Know what am i meditating for.

Link to Ajan Chah's Teaching

Enjoy the Silence

Catch up with a fren last week, he shared on something he read from Krishnamurti book, it goes something like this, "If you cant have peace, go listen to music. And when you are listening, you are actually listening the silence between the sound."

We have a big laugh over it. On my way back, i realize its true for me. i am listening to the silence in between the sound, if i listen to the sound, its pretty annoying.

People are just people

Learn this from the movie Blood Diamond.

A old man asked, "Do you think people are generally good or generally bad?"

young man, "I think they are just people."

Old man, "Yup, they are just people, its only what they do that makes them good or bad at that particular moment."

Thoughts

1. Process of Business:
   
   
   Ideas + Raw Materials / Materials ($)
   + People ($, Time) + Skills
   > More Values(Solutions/New Experience/Choices)
   > Sales
   = $$$ Profits
   
   
   * Think: Begins with value/solutions needed > costings (from start until customer purchase or point of sales) > desired profits > sales
   
   * Think: How to make it a WIN/WIN through out for all people involves? Starts first, then finetune the process.
   
   
2. Life experience is more important than money. Money can be earn.
   
   
3. When fear arises, look at it, what's the fear, what arises it. Go through and master it, the fear will dissapear.