1. The New Paper | Sat, Jun 21 2014 - Around the world with dad's cutout
Her father wanted to travel the world, but did not have the means to do so.
He immigrated to the United States from China at the age of 17, but never really lived the American dream. For more than 20 years, he worked at a dry cleaners, 12 hours a day, six days a week, Sydney Morning Herald reported.
He was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 51 and died a year later. So his daughter, Miss Jinna Yang, decided to pay tribute to him by making a life-sized cardboard cutout of him the star of her holiday photos. Ms Yang, a New York-based photographer, was devastated when her father died two years ago. She wrote on her blog Grease & Glamour: "He's 52. He's never been to Europe or Africa. California. Florida. He never got to chase his dream of touring the world as a pro golfer."
But she seemed to have it all - a great job, a luxury apartment, a solid long-term relationship with a man she met five years ago, an overflowing closet with more shoes than she could count, and enough disposable income to eat out in New York City at least five nights per week.
She said: "I left everything in New York City to travel the world for the first time with a life-size cutout of my dad." To share his story, and to help bring peace to my stepmother, my 22-year-old brother, my nine-year-old sister and myself, I took him with me all over Europe to be photographed together in front of some of the world's most iconic destinations. "And even though he is not here in the flesh, I knew he was with us in spirit.""
A tad sad with this story and without a lot of details, I can imagine the sadness in this story.
a. live life with no regret as much as possible;
b. things can be complicated with 'remarriage' and relationship with the family. It all depends on how you want it to be. At peace and in harmony or otherwise.
c. Many will question why did she NOT do what she could have afforded to bring her dad, while he is healthy and strong, around the world instead of now bringing his life-size cut-off to Europe? Reading between the lines, I am not sure there were no issues between their relationship. Whatever it is, it is a nice gesture if this is her way of closure;
It is never too late to have closure on 'unfinished' business on earth.
2."Online deluge washes away China 'piggyback' official - AFP Monday, Jun 23, 2014
BEIJING - A Chinese official who tried to save his shoes by taking a piggyback during a flood has lost his job instead, reports said Monday, the latest example of Internet users holding bureaucrats to account."
'What was he thinking of?' when I first read this report. Tragically comical. Apparently this is the 2nd case of such behaviours by Chinese officials with the same fate: sacked from his job!
Lessons for me are:
a. assuming the official is a man of intelligent and competence when he first entered the public services, and not the supposedly many officials who bought their 'official positions' in some lesser counties or towns or smaller cities, this behaviour is simply inexplicable! OR really?;
b. in my book: 'The 7e Way of Leaders', I mentioned about how many right minded and good intention people STRAYED from their righteous way and ethical conducts AFTER they become successful in society. The main reason is: 'narcissism' i.e. falling in love with oneself. i.e. going from self-confident to being self-conceited;
c. the contributing factors to this 'narcissism' are: believing your success as solely your own doing, surrounding yourself with people who will always say: 'Yes' or 'You are the best' or 'Your are right', and lacking of courage to listen to constructive feedback.
When a public servant, no matter how high a position he or she holds in the government, is detached from reality and unable to empathise with the ordinary citizens, it spells the beginning of the end. The sacked official behaviour revealed that he was too good to have his shoes (I wonder which brand?) wet while the feet of the people around him were soaked in flood water! How sad can it be!!
'What was he thinking of?' when I first read this report. Tragically comical. Apparently this is the 2nd case of such behaviours by Chinese officials with the same fate: sacked from his job!
Lessons for me are:
a. assuming the official is a man of intelligent and competence when he first entered the public services, and not the supposedly many officials who bought their 'official positions' in some lesser counties or towns or smaller cities, this behaviour is simply inexplicable! OR really?;
b. in my book: 'The 7e Way of Leaders', I mentioned about how many right minded and good intention people STRAYED from their righteous way and ethical conducts AFTER they become successful in society. The main reason is: 'narcissism' i.e. falling in love with oneself. i.e. going from self-confident to being self-conceited;
c. the contributing factors to this 'narcissism' are: believing your success as solely your own doing, surrounding yourself with people who will always say: 'Yes' or 'You are the best' or 'Your are right', and lacking of courage to listen to constructive feedback.
When a public servant, no matter how high a position he or she holds in the government, is detached from reality and unable to empathise with the ordinary citizens, it spells the beginning of the end. The sacked official behaviour revealed that he was too good to have his shoes (I wonder which brand?) wet while the feet of the people around him were soaked in flood water! How sad can it be!!
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