Today I returned to an empty house and sat down in front of the computer after downing a bit of chocolate cake and a whole lot of chocolate icing. I transferred pictures from last night's dinner into the computer and proceeded to entertain myself with a couple of videos from YouTube. Though 'whose line is it anyway' provided me with a few moments of laughter, time did seem to crawl on by. Being blessed with three siblings, I've become accustomed to always having someone to talk to at home.
In any case, at about 6.45 I glanced out of my window and saw a splash of orange across the skyline. Since my camera was already beside me, I took a few snaps before coming to the realization that I did not spend over $1k on my camera to shoot from my window. I packed my camera and my bible and decided to chase after the sunset on my father's bicycle.
Staying in the east, I was never likely to get a clear shot at the sun. Setting out at close to 7pm and the fact that I live in an urban jungle, probably as dense as the Amazon Basin, made it Mission Improbable. Soon it become impossible as I got stuck at a junction. A King Kong-sized tractor being transported by a truck, possibly as long as an anaconda, was attempting to reverse uphill into one of the construction sites.
There were about 3 people directing the truck and after almost going off-road, they finally managed to get it into a position where they could reverse the truck up. However, due to the presence of water puddles, there was insufficient traction for the truck to make it up the hill. Hence, they had to drive the tractor off the truck, before reversing the truck into the construction site.
By the time this was done, the sun had set and darkness fell across the land. Haha.. just trying to be as dramatic as my brother! In any case I gave up on getting my shot and decided to make this into a thought-filled cycle ride. first task was to relate the incident which just unfolded to actual life.
Well, at times you could feel like you really can't see where you are headed and if you reverse blindly it is definitely plausible that you could end up in a ditch. At times, friends could help you get back into the right direction and save you from falling into a position where it would be near impossible to get out. However, even if you manage to get into the right direction, you still have obstacles you need to overcome before you can achieve what you are aiming for.
What the obstacle is and hence what you need to overcome it varies according to what your end goal is. So now the question becomes, what exactly is our goal in life? I'm not talking about the little objectives that you try and complete over the span of your life, but rather what is the one thing you chase after through your entire life.
I think it is pretty safe to say that the thing everyone chases after is happiness. Whether in this age or during the Jurassic age, whether in Europe or in Asia even whether we're talking about man or animals, we are all after true happiness. People who chase after power believe that power will provide them with happiness. Same for the people who chase after wealth and it is the same for religious people.
I think to myself then, what would make me truly happy? I do honestly believe I was born in the wrong generation. I do not long after the lifestyle of Bill Gates or any celebrity, including soccer players. The person whose life i dream of emulating is that of a certain Charles Ingalls. I believe that the number of people who have watched Little House on the Prairie is as few as those who do not download illegally, a group which i have recently have become a proud member of.
Charles Ingalls, his wife and 3 kids built their own house on a prairie in a town where everyone knows everyone else. He was naught but a farmer and a good man. They weren't rich and they had zero technology. What they did have was a creek near their house, neighbors who cared, a single school for the whole town and a little church, where they would faithfully attend service every Sunday, wearing their best clothes.
Of course there were trials and tribulations along the way, but life would be incredibly boring without a few days of worry here and there. In any case, this is the kind of life I am drawn to. Living in a quiet quaint place in a small town with a whole lot of countryside and wide open spaces. Which is the main reason I am so attracted to Europe. Not even the main cities like London, Madrid or even Milan, but rather locations such as Salzburg.
Upon further thought, I realized that just migrating to Salzburg would not guarantee a life of happiness and joy. No, in fact, I believe I am as happy stuck here in this urban jungle as I would ever be living in any other country or place. Of course I would be delighted to live the life i dream about, but I would not be happier. Hmmm..let's see how else i can put this across.
You see, true happiness is only brought about by partaking in perfect love. A love that no human can provide you with. This love is a concoction of grace and selflessness. This incomprehensible love is freely given and is unconditional. Whether we love God or not, He loved us first. However, unless you accept and partake of God's love, you attain no joy from it.
After you embrace God's love, the road ahead is as difficult if not more difficult than before. The difference is that now we move out with divine enabling. We know that no matter what comes our way, God's love is a constant we can always depend on. Perfect love certainly drives out all fear.
Perfect love gives us more than just enabling though. It provides us with an identity. When you are basking in someone's love, the natural reaction would be to replicate that love. We will never be able to fully replicate God's love, but the way we express our love is by doing His will and living a life pleasing to Him. This, I have discovered, is my main purpose in life. My identity is as God's son and my end goal is to make my Father proud.
The person whose life I try to emulate is not Charles Ingalls, it is the life of Jesus Christ. He came down to earth in complete humility and showed us how to live life as God's children. A man who endured more suffering than anyone before or after him, I have no doubt that Christ also enjoyed a happier life than anyone before or after Him. Why? He was in perfect relation with God the Father.
The way I see it, the only way for us to be successful in our pursuit of happiness is if we pursue a Christ-like lifestyle.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Hey apple.. can you multi-task?
Let me first say that I am no product reviewer and that i have never owned an Apple product, neither have i found the need too. I just find that Apple's marketing strategy is absolute genius.
Let me start with the iPhone. Honestly, if any other company had released the iPhone, people would just be like bleah.. nothing special. Honestly, when the iPhone was announced the specification sheet was so terribly ordinary. No 3G, only a 2 MP camera, no video recording and no multi-tasking. Honestly, I was wondering how they were gonna sell this phone especially when compared with the Nokia N95 which was released earlier with much better specs.
However, when it was released, the iPhone was good for one thing and one thing alone. It had an incredible operating system. In essence, the iPhone was by far the easiest phones to use in the market. It had the best implementation of a touch screen and the layout was easy enough for anyone to understand.
This was more than enough to convince consumers to change to the iPhone. They were willing to part with a very considerable amount of cash for a phone which paled in comparison to others in the market. I'm not saying that they were gullible dummies for choosing an under-equipped phone, because ease of usage is something worth paying for.
Apple had to market their phones not just to consumers, but to the tons of people who write apps. As soon as the iPhone started selling, tons and tons of apps starting flowing into the market. Making it even easier to use the iPhone and access information over the net. Suddenly, it was so much easier to watch YouTube videos, check email, check up on facebook, find bus info, find places to eat, download tons of games and of check up on blogs.
Suddenly, it became synonymous to relate these functions to the iPhone. I had people telling me that they wanted to get the iPhone so that they can receive email. Flabbergasting really.. surely the blackberry is a better option for such a purpose. In any case, as more people bought into the iPhone, more people wrote apps for it leading to more people buying into the iPhone and i think you get my drift.
Still it was ridiculous that such an internet driven phone was running on a 2G network which is a lot slower than the 3G one. So once Apple had made sure that enough people had bought the 2G version of the iPhone, it decided to release the 3G version. It just added 3G support plus GPS. So now the multitude of people who had bought the 2G version found out that they had an underpowered device. Mind you that the 3G version came out just 1 year after the initial product.
Yet apple was praised for improving a handset which already was the best-selling one in the market. Of course, the 3G and GPS technology was already available even before the 2G version was released. In any case, 1 year later, Apple release another updated model, 3Gs. Improving the camera, enabling video recording and utilising a better CPU.
Now in 2010, just one year after the 3Gs was released, we wait on the 4G version on the iPhone. Which finally has a spec sheet comparable to phones released half a year earlier. It is expected to be a smash hit just like the 2G,3G and 3Gs versions.
Apple could have arguably released this 4G version back in 2007, but they chose to release 3 under-powered versions before releasing this one. Absolute genius. The iPhone now sells at a price comparable to the initial price of the iPhone 3 years ago, the price of the 4G version will definitely go up a few hundred dollars. Which other phone in the market has been able to continue selling at the same price tag it was first released with?
Look at any Nokia, Samsung or SE phone.. within 3 months the price drops by at least 10%, not so with the iPhone. A phone which is inferior to a host of phones in every way except for it's ease of use.
Why am I writing about this now? Well... the iPad was just released and I am willing to bet my bottom dollar that they are going to continue with the above marketing strategy. Why change a working system?
The iPad is a brilliant conception.I can see it eventually replacing laptops in the next decade or so. Paper, pencil, textbooks all could potentially be replaced by iPad-like devices in the future. A good thing if you are high on saving the environment or if you do not fancy training up your shoulder muscles as you travel to and from school.
Honestly though, I'm more than happy to wait for Samsung or some other company to come up with a more competent version of the iPad, which is missing a plethora of essential features. It would probably be easier to get accustomed to Apple's operating system, but i think it is worth my time to figure out a different operating system which will give me better performance. So grazie apple for your great concept, but there isn't a way that I will buy your products in the conceivable future.
Till the next random thought, farewell and God bless!
Let me start with the iPhone. Honestly, if any other company had released the iPhone, people would just be like bleah.. nothing special. Honestly, when the iPhone was announced the specification sheet was so terribly ordinary. No 3G, only a 2 MP camera, no video recording and no multi-tasking. Honestly, I was wondering how they were gonna sell this phone especially when compared with the Nokia N95 which was released earlier with much better specs.
However, when it was released, the iPhone was good for one thing and one thing alone. It had an incredible operating system. In essence, the iPhone was by far the easiest phones to use in the market. It had the best implementation of a touch screen and the layout was easy enough for anyone to understand.
This was more than enough to convince consumers to change to the iPhone. They were willing to part with a very considerable amount of cash for a phone which paled in comparison to others in the market. I'm not saying that they were gullible dummies for choosing an under-equipped phone, because ease of usage is something worth paying for.
Apple had to market their phones not just to consumers, but to the tons of people who write apps. As soon as the iPhone started selling, tons and tons of apps starting flowing into the market. Making it even easier to use the iPhone and access information over the net. Suddenly, it was so much easier to watch YouTube videos, check email, check up on facebook, find bus info, find places to eat, download tons of games and of check up on blogs.
Suddenly, it became synonymous to relate these functions to the iPhone. I had people telling me that they wanted to get the iPhone so that they can receive email. Flabbergasting really.. surely the blackberry is a better option for such a purpose. In any case, as more people bought into the iPhone, more people wrote apps for it leading to more people buying into the iPhone and i think you get my drift.
Still it was ridiculous that such an internet driven phone was running on a 2G network which is a lot slower than the 3G one. So once Apple had made sure that enough people had bought the 2G version of the iPhone, it decided to release the 3G version. It just added 3G support plus GPS. So now the multitude of people who had bought the 2G version found out that they had an underpowered device. Mind you that the 3G version came out just 1 year after the initial product.
Yet apple was praised for improving a handset which already was the best-selling one in the market. Of course, the 3G and GPS technology was already available even before the 2G version was released. In any case, 1 year later, Apple release another updated model, 3Gs. Improving the camera, enabling video recording and utilising a better CPU.
Now in 2010, just one year after the 3Gs was released, we wait on the 4G version on the iPhone. Which finally has a spec sheet comparable to phones released half a year earlier. It is expected to be a smash hit just like the 2G,3G and 3Gs versions.
Apple could have arguably released this 4G version back in 2007, but they chose to release 3 under-powered versions before releasing this one. Absolute genius. The iPhone now sells at a price comparable to the initial price of the iPhone 3 years ago, the price of the 4G version will definitely go up a few hundred dollars. Which other phone in the market has been able to continue selling at the same price tag it was first released with?
Look at any Nokia, Samsung or SE phone.. within 3 months the price drops by at least 10%, not so with the iPhone. A phone which is inferior to a host of phones in every way except for it's ease of use.
Why am I writing about this now? Well... the iPad was just released and I am willing to bet my bottom dollar that they are going to continue with the above marketing strategy. Why change a working system?
The iPad is a brilliant conception.I can see it eventually replacing laptops in the next decade or so. Paper, pencil, textbooks all could potentially be replaced by iPad-like devices in the future. A good thing if you are high on saving the environment or if you do not fancy training up your shoulder muscles as you travel to and from school.
Honestly though, I'm more than happy to wait for Samsung or some other company to come up with a more competent version of the iPad, which is missing a plethora of essential features. It would probably be easier to get accustomed to Apple's operating system, but i think it is worth my time to figure out a different operating system which will give me better performance. So grazie apple for your great concept, but there isn't a way that I will buy your products in the conceivable future.
Till the next random thought, farewell and God bless!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Better Late than Never
Well, Blogging certainly has lost it's shine with the advent of Facebook, which means that I shall now start blogging. I am one who likes to go for things which are out of trend, a rebel wannabe you could say. Yeah, I'm not a real rebel. I do think though that most people intentionally try to be different in one way or another. Hence it isn't actually rebellious to be a rebel.
By the way, the blog will continue like this. I created it mainly because I have thoughts like this running through my mind all the time. Observing stuff, evaluating it, forming conclusions, evaluating the conclusion, realizing that said conclusion actually isn't true and it can go on and on for hours. That's usually how my travelling time is usually spent.
I wanted the Url to be travelling thoughts, but it was taken, then i tried boulevard of thoughts, also taken. Fleeting thoughts was taken as well and a few others all turned up taken. Yeah... there are that many people with blogs. Contemplated giving up but then decided to just have something random. Someone gave me a photo of a card which I had given the person which had the words,'please don't go scary mad'.
I figured that the way I think and write is as if I am talking to my self, which can be pretty scary? I am in no way mad though... You can have my assurance. Though a mad person isn't really aware that he/she is mad? Haha... this has got to be after effects of watching shutter island. It really is a brilliant show... warped, eerie, thought provoking and absolute genius.
In any case, I decided to jot my thoughts down on a blog because, as you probably can tell by now, my thoughts get all jumbled and scrambled. I really need to focus my thoughts before I start university, and I decided that this would be a good place to not only achieve that, but also to improve my writing skills and vocabulary.
That would be all for now, so till the next random thought, Farewell and God Bless.:)
By the way, the blog will continue like this. I created it mainly because I have thoughts like this running through my mind all the time. Observing stuff, evaluating it, forming conclusions, evaluating the conclusion, realizing that said conclusion actually isn't true and it can go on and on for hours. That's usually how my travelling time is usually spent.
I wanted the Url to be travelling thoughts, but it was taken, then i tried boulevard of thoughts, also taken. Fleeting thoughts was taken as well and a few others all turned up taken. Yeah... there are that many people with blogs. Contemplated giving up but then decided to just have something random. Someone gave me a photo of a card which I had given the person which had the words,'please don't go scary mad'.
I figured that the way I think and write is as if I am talking to my self, which can be pretty scary? I am in no way mad though... You can have my assurance. Though a mad person isn't really aware that he/she is mad? Haha... this has got to be after effects of watching shutter island. It really is a brilliant show... warped, eerie, thought provoking and absolute genius.
In any case, I decided to jot my thoughts down on a blog because, as you probably can tell by now, my thoughts get all jumbled and scrambled. I really need to focus my thoughts before I start university, and I decided that this would be a good place to not only achieve that, but also to improve my writing skills and vocabulary.
That would be all for now, so till the next random thought, Farewell and God Bless.:)
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