Putin's Blueberry Hill

Somehow, this makes me smile.

A quiet moment

I went for the memorial service today and finally got a chance to know him better. It is rather sad to only know him better after his death.

I quote the pastor: When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.

The Real Death of a Facebook Friend

Recently, someone I know, a facebook friend, an okay acquaintance of mine passed away in the most unfortunate of instances. I'm rather confused about how I should feel as we are acquaintances. I don't feel particularly entitled to be upset. It is for his family and close ones to grieve, for my grief is only self pity, a cry for attention that really unneeded in these times. I don't know what to feel but hope those who cared deeply for him find solace that he had led a good life, successfully pursuing opportunities limited to a worthy few. His circumstances were not great and he had managed to get to where he did. I almost feel undeserving to be his peer, for not cherishing what I have and the opportunities given. With as little morbidly as I can muster, he probably deserve his PhD position more than me.

I was speaking to a rather good friend about this incident and he said: At least I'm glad you are still alive. It is at once, a flattering yet chilling reminder of how the inward focused life has become. I'm glad my friend prefers me alive, but he seems not to be at all afflicted with general malaise caused by the passing of an acquaintance. Perhaps I am at the wrong extreme, generally feeling upset for people that I don't know well, 2nd degree friends etc. Maybe I shall better utilize my energies, for I too have learnt that really no one cares a crap about you.

Death is just another event in life. And I have recently been reading this (from a mobile app): Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death. - Socrates

我问天 variations

Possibly the original Hokkien version. The other 2 videos below are in Chinese with han yu pin yin... they are much easier to sing along but I much prefer the Hokkien version. I'm perpetually fascinated with such LC stuff, LC-ness is an inherent suppressed part of me that is dormant in NYC. Urgh. That why I have to go back. I wonder whether I would be so LC in Singapore. OF is, of course, appalled by me. But he is sort of used to it and even sings along these days.