heaven and hell

the story I'm going to tell you was told by one of end user of a large construction project I involved about ten years ago. he was a pious person and this Ph.D on his name. the story may be an old one. but at the time I heard it, it was my first time. and I've never heard that kind of story again after that.

"after a while, people in the heaven decided to pay a visit to their friends or relatives who had been thrown to the hell. but of course, they cannot cross into the hell. so they decided to built a bridge from heaven to hell and meet each other at the boundary of the two places. so they communicated this idea to the hell's inhabitants and they agreed to do it together. but after a while, the idea of having the bridge did not materialised fully. only bridge's on the hell part was finished. there was none from the heaven side. the reason: 'all contractors live in the hell, none of them live in heaven. so who are going to build the bridge for the heaven residents?'".

I was shocked when I heard the story particularly when it came from the mouth of such person. I don't know what his attention or whether he booked a place in the hell as well. but why can't he respect others?

greatness, Japan style

after I finished my blog yesterday, I kept on thinking how the Japanese is facing the aftermath from the tsunami. the destruction, death, nuclear threat, political instability - all in one short period of time. but they preserver and nothing hinder them from moved forward.

they are certainly a great nation and great people. just look at how they redefined themselves after the devastating world war II. I would like to share with you an old Japanese song I learnt from my Japanese teacher more than two decades ago, 'Kojo no Tsuki' or 'The Moon Over the Ruined Castle'.

1. A banquet was held  in the splendid castle in the season of the cherry blossom.
Where is the light now, that shadowed the glasses and flew through the old pines?

2. (The second verse is difficult. There are many interpretations of the text.)
The encampment was covered with frost in the autumn.Where is the light now, that shone on the swords like plants, that were as numerous as the cackling wild geese, that flew ?

3. Now there is the moon over the desolate castle.
Whom is it shining for without change? 
Only tendrils remain on the walls.Only the storm sings between branches of the pines.
4. The shadow of the sky doesn't change. But the moon is reflecting  it as before, changing for better to worse? Ah! The moon over the desolate castle!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Nbtemm2qQ

greatness

“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.”


-T Alan Amstrong


Who's the hell is T Alan Amstrong? just google it!


today I got one very miserable news and two great news. the bad news is I'm going to be without work, I'm going to bite the dust longer than I thought. I might as well finally fell into bottomless pit. this is very bad indeed.


today also I received the monthly magazine from my engineering society, the biggest of it kind in my country. the topic of the month is 'risk management in engineering'. my God, my believe in risk management exists in engineering field is once again proven to be correct. I hope three of people who laugh at me during my presentation on applying the risk management in then our engineering department can now bite their dust. they must. they get the same copy as I am because they belong to the same fraternity. but wait, they must be keep on laughing because they're clown.


late today my kids came back from home and told me about their mid-term result. they are so improved from last year when I was working very far away from home. I'm now ever believe that the decision to move back home is correct.


so I'm great. but I've no job that I don't know for how long more I can exist. I've already partially lost my car now, so what next will I have from the Pandora box? my life so far has already defies what ever Alan Armstrong feel.

environment V

notice the white shade on the hill edge? it is sort of greenhouse for plants. the last time I was here, the place was still green. now it's white and green. yeah, sure. people need money to buy food. they can't eat the trees, aren't they?

environment IV

this picturesque small water fall is no place for picnic or swim. despite remotely located from the development of human being, the view is just sick. there were trash all long the banks of the river. it's very weird. the river originated deep in the forest located more than 50 km from cities. to reach there one need to drive a zig-zag trunk road, 1.5 km above sea level. yes, there are small town near to this place, may be 2 km away. but the town is so small that I believe that the population is small. I believe that the trash were transported here far from this place. I even found thrash neatly wrapped in plastic bags but left by the river bank.

environment III

this is a view from top of isolated mountain 1 km towards low land. two decades ago there were only a handful of buildings. but today I can see that they can't even stop the construction of buildings. perhaps they'll never do. I don't see the point of having barren or landscaped highland when my intention to go to such places is to see the nature in its 'natural' condition.

yes, I'm among those who support nuclear for electricity. but there must be places where we developed them and then places where we can have breath of fresh air. yet the people around this pristine areas longed for development (or in other words it is actually money). for thousands of years we have been plundering this earth for wealth. is it all that we need?

environment II

this is a village my family & I went last week end. I got to know that this is a traditional village. so I suggest the view here, except the tarmac, must has been here centuries ago. it's all natural, in colour and the life.