Inside Steve's Brain

I was entertaining myself with www.apple.com/getamac/ads/ as I desperately tried to drown out the sounds of my tone-deaf relatives belting out karaoke songs in my house!

Yes… That’s pretty much my 'status' now on the 2nd day of the Chinese New Year.

I initially planned to accomplish several things during this seemingly long holiday. Not surprisingly, nothing is done except that I’m almost done with a book, “Inside Steve’s Brain”.

And so, when the 'music' floated to my ears, I couldn't carry on reading. I had to stop. It so happened that I was reading the section on Apple ads and so I started surfing for past Apple ads. Much to my amusement (and thankfully), the ads managed to drown out the sounds of my tone-deaf relatives. Thank goodness the next generation’s musicality is a drastic change from the previous generation (all of my cousins, my sis & I have musical backgrounds one way or another and I must say are pretty good singers ;p - guess we should be grateful that our parents provided that for us).

Now back to the book that occupied most of my CNY holidays…

There are many books on Apple but this is the first that I’ve read. I started using Apple products in 2006 but never bothered to find out more about the company or its founder. But in 2007 & 8, I started hearing more about him through a Mac believer and started to get a little more intrigued. Still, I never bothered to find out. So when I saw Inside Steve’s Brain at Borders last week, I thought it’s about time I find out more for myself.

It was like revelations. Suddenly, I relate to my Mac stuff and why they are designed in that manner. And previously heard information from SK is also mentioned in the book, creating a sense of much-desired familiarity. I particularly like the human elements in this book and how Steve Jobs’s personalities and idiosyncrasies are revealed through the way he works. It made me constantly reflect on the 16 Habits of Mind (I rather not, but I couldn’t help it) and the way I manage my area of work. It also gave me a better understanding of the Apple company.. not just what happened… but also why it happened and how decisions made in the past impacted Apple today.

It’s a pity that I’m only starting to know a little more about Steve Jobs when he’s not well. I hope he will get better and that the investors just quit harping on his health disclosure (or lack thereof). In worst circumstances, may his legacy still continue with or without him…

Some say Apple is Steve Jobs and without him, Apple is nothing. In a way, he reminds me of a significant founder of Singapore, Uncle Lee - their pursuit for excellence & perfectionism, the no-nonsense, harsh approach, lack of tolerance for stupidity but most importantly their passion to make a difference…

I doubt I'll ever be like them (and I don't want to). But I do hope to learn a little from them and hope that some of their passion and their level-headedness can be rubbed off onto me.

I can't say I'm a Mac but I think I'm slowly but surely becoming one.

And now, I shall end off with Apple's old ads which I like, subtle, intelligent & different... that pretty sums up what I like abt most things as well..

Damn! They are still singing.......
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For You A Thousand Times Over....

I'll never forget this quote fr The Kite Runner.........

"FOR YOU A THOUSAND TIMES OVER"

I bought the book some time at the beginning of this year.. But it just sat there on my desk... patiently waiting for me to finish my other work, read finish my other books... patiently waiting for me to pick it up.

After 7 mths, I finally did. And what it gave me was a touching and unique story...a page-turner with narrative techniques that inspire me to use them to teach .....a story that left me crying twice and I'm not even half-way through..

I finally found my cure to FB (or at least somewhat)... It's this story.

A story of betrayal and redemption.... something so familar... even as the story is set in the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy to the days of the Taliban reign.

This story tells of how the friendship between the two boys becomes changed forever. It is a story where the antagonist pushes away his friend by being mean. The friend who said the above quote to him as a sign of his loyalty and the very person whom he had ruined. The redeeming part which I've yet to read, would be the antagonist's attempts to break his silence and guilt by his returning and by his redemption.

It got me so hooked that I missed my train stop by two stations. Yet, I'm struggling to find the time to finish this book. I'm only at chapter 11 out of 25. And I'm hesitant to read the ending after Lady28 gave me a 'preview' to it.... I'm still hopeful that things will eventually work out..

Perhaps, it's a timely thing to read it after many months since the purchase of the book...I found out recently that the story was made into a movie... Even though I know movies are usually less intense than the books, I'm still glad that the movie is coming out soon... As I was watching the trailer, my goosebumps just rose along with my emotions... I tell myself that I have to read finish the book before the release date.. slated for 14 Dec. Hopefully, it's out in the theatres in Europe by then...

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Just finished this wonderful story.. I simply have to share... Never read such a compelling story in awhile.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by KIM Edwards is a brilliantly crafted family drama that explores every mother's silent fear: what would happen if your child dies or worse, you lost your child and she grew up without you.

The story started out on a winter night in 1964 (as you can see from the snow flakes on the cover page). Dr. David Henry was forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, was perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter was born, he saw immediately that she had Down's syndrome. Rationalising it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he made a split second decision that altered all of their lives forever. He asked his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, could not leave the infant. Instead, she disappeared into another city to raise the child herself.

So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by David Henry's fateful decision that winter night.

The Memory Keeper is actually refering to the father, David. Why Memory Keeper you may ask... In the story, he took up photography after the birth of his children. After giving away his daughter, his guilt and the longing for her grew strong but he had no one to share those feelings with. He simply couldn't bring himself to be close to his wife and son as they reminded him of what he did and yet, he was afraid to tell them the truth. So the only way he felt close to them was to take their pictures, process it in solitude in his darkroom (they were using film them obviously) and freeze the moments so that he'll never forget.. keeping the memories with him. In fact, David said, "Photography is all about secrets.... The secrets we all have and will never tell."

Hmmmmm... Most photographers would beg to differ.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter captures the way life takes unexpected turns and how the mysterious ties that hold a family together help us survive the heartache that occurs when long-buried secrets burst into the open. It is an compelling tale of redemptive love. At some parts of the book, I even had to take a pause from reading because I was simply too emotional. Perhaps, some emotions of the characters reflect mine as well. It was not the events that made the story interesting but the ripples the events creates in the lives of the characters. In life, it's like that too...

During the time I was reading the book, I found myself seeing more people with Down's syndrome. It could be that I did not take notice of them before reading the book. It did occur to me what I would do if I have a child with Down's syndrome? Obviously I do not wish that to happen but you never know. What sort of decisions would I make?

Decisions are made every day, and with each decision and each event, something else follows. Some will be a mystery, some a little more predictable. But whatever it is, we have to live with it. I just hope I won't be like David in the end... He did everything thinking that he was protecting his family but in so doing, distances himself from them... seldom smiling.... always closed up and guarded... just keeping the memories with photography.


Here are some quotes for us to ponder:

"Others won't care how much we know, until we show them how much we care. "

"If someone does not smile at you, be generous and offer your own smile. Nobody needs a smile more than the one who cannot smile to others. "

What if you have one more day with someone you'd lost?

Finally.. I finished reading 'For One More Day' which technically could be finished within a day... simply love it..

Although it seems rather surreal, it makes me relook into my life, my past and my relationships with my closed ones...

It made me think of "the times my mother stood up for me" and "the times I did not stand up for my mother"... I think you should too... pg 138 taught me a real lesson which perhaps came too late..

The story also explores questions of regret, divorce, and how we would spend one special day with the ghost of someone we loved. The part where the main character keep chasing the elusive love of a person (his dad) who wasn't worth it in the first place seemed haunting.

There was one paragraph in the book that got me thinking...
"As the sun is going down, it's coming up someplace else in the world. .... It's such a big world.. something is always happening somewhere.. Do you ever think while something is happening, about what's happening someplace else?... "

I do....

Sometimes, I wonder what so and so is doing right now...

• whatever happened to Susan a friend I knew in Primary One who migrated to London.. (Wow.. that's a whole separate story which I'll put as a footnote* )
• whatever happened to Mark Ong whom I discussed marriage with at the age of 15
• whatever happened to my 18 yr old Nepalese porter who told me he'll go back to school
• whatever happened to my grandfathers' other families whom I've only heard of.. .never met..

Was wondering at the same time, what are the odds of another person reading this book, that line at that same point in time... or for that matter, what are the odds of a person blogging about For One More Day at this very minute. Very slim odds but not impossible... I know.. I know.. It seems trival and some people would go "Siao... nothing better do to".. .. but I believe every thought, every sense tells us something...

So, what if you have one more day with someone you'd lost, what would you do?


*footnote
I had a 'best friend' in primary one. Her name is Susan.. can't remember her surname. 'Leong' perhaps.. not sure.. One day, she told me she'd be leaving. She said London. I think I didn't know where it was only knew that it's some Ang Moh country. I didn't take it seriously. We went for recess as per normal. We sat side by side during lessons as usual and one fine day, she 'disappeared'... "migrated".. that's what my teacher said. (I had no clue what that word meant back then.. it was too 'chim' for me.)

I went home crying but hid my tears for I didn't want my mum to find out. When I realised my mum was busy, I secretly went to the phone, pulled out the thick residential telephone directory and anxiouxly flipped to "S" section.. When I got there, I was shocked... there were so many Susans... I finally found the one with the correct surname (I still can't remember what it was) and I promptly dialled. I remembered hearing a male voice over the phone. I asked for Susan.. and he said she's not in... then I remembered asking why did she leave... and I remember going on and on asking about where is she etc etc... and then the person kept asking me where is my mummy.

haha... It was only a few minutes later did I realise I could have dialled the wrong number when he told me Susan was working. Working?? Adult perhaps.. Damn (Of course I didn't curse at that age... I guess it was thinking of an equivalent of 'damn' from a child's point of view)

And with that I hung up and gave up on contacting her... didn't even say bye

I still have her picture though..

So what if I had one more day with her before she left... silly.. I get her number, her address and I'll give her mine...

Hmmm... what are the odds of Susan XYZ from Marymount Convent Class 1A (1986) reading this blog entry... hmmm...

The Final Two Lessons

Haha… managed to meet my target and finished the book before the movie version (160mins long!!!) was aired on Hallmark Channel. Well, like most print-to-screen movies, this one didn’t do the book justice too. It missed out a number of details and yet seemed draggy. I guess reading allows you to explore the characters in a deeper sense and you have the ability to create and interpret the mood and scene as and when you read them whereas for movies, every visual stimulus is offered to you. You can either take it or leave it. Where’s the fun?

Many authors and movies have offered representations of heaven, but few with as much conviction and creativity as Mitch Albom’s version. The other movie that I can think of that portrays life after death creatively is What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams. Beautiful cinematography, refreshing point of view of life after death and the essential message is simple, love doesn’t end in death. For every ending, there’s a beginning.

Having finished the book, here are the final two lessons:

LESSON 4:

Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that’s all. You can’t see their smile or bring them, food or tousle their hair or move them, around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it. Life has to end. Love doesn’t. ~ Marguerite

Hmmm... Every fleeting moment will always be remembered, be treasured and be in my memory forever. Love is not lost if you continue to love be it the distance, the absence or the constraints.

LESSON 5:

With our existence, comes a purpose. The simple and sometimes mundane things that we do in our lives can affect others.

~ Each affects the other and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories but the stories are all one. ~

Hmmm…Who have I affected, am I affecting and will I affect? Hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s life by my mistakes.

Are you one of the five people I'll meet in heaven???

I'm nearly through with The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I have two more people to go. Arrgghh... rushing to finish the book by tomorrow so that I can watch the movie version on Hallmark channel, if not I've got to tape it. Grrr...

Though Tuesdays with Morrie is more inspiring, 5 people you meet in Heaven makes you wonder who are the 5 people who have touched you or whose lives you have touched (knowingly or unknowingly).

I've always known heaven as a final resting place where you get everlasting peace and joy, where you'll go back to our Father, our creator. Yet in this book, it is being portrayed as a place where you make sense of your life where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it.

There are 5 lessons to be learnt. Most we've already known but for different people, at different stages of their life, these lessons would be intepreted differently. So go ahead and fibgure what these mean to you.

LESSON 1:

"All lives intersect. That death doesn’t just take someone; it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and missed, lives are changed. "

"No life is a waste. The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone."

"There are five people you meet in Heaven. Each of us was in your life for a reason. You may not have known the reason at the time, and that is what heaven is for. For understanding your life on earth" - The Blue Man

Hmm... I'm wondering who are the five people I'll meet or if I've even met anyone of them yet. Perhaps only one so far.

LESSON 2:

"Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to. " - Captain

"Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else."

Hmm... but its so hard to let go...

LESSON 3:

"Silence was his escape, but silence is rarely a refuge."

"Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves." - Ruby

Hmm... such a common point of view yet when you are in that state, it is often hard to get out. Silence.......................................

LESSON 4 & 5: (to be continued)

http://www.albomfivepeople.com/index.htm