E C L E C T I C . J A M : tech, biz, music, religion, society, etc A journal of my life’s experiences, discoveries & opinions on a smorgasbord of wide-ranging issues.
Mr Tony Meloto Founder & Managing Directorof Gawad Kalinga
APEC 2009 CEO Summit 13th November 2009
Brief Info
Gawad Kalinga (GK), officially the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, is a Philippine-based poverty reduction andnation-building movement launched by Couples for Christ (CFC), a Catholic lay community, to care for worse-off Filipinos and survivors of natural disasters.
The following interview was conducted by Colin Pang and Sarah Bte Adam, Singapore country delegates of APEC VOF (Voices of the Future) 2009 @ APEC CEO Summit 2009.
QN: How do you see Gawad Kalinga’s role in APEC economies in the next 10 years?
ANS: Gawad Kalinga is simply an Asian model of development, and our mission is Asians ending poverty in Asia. We’ve chosen Singapore as the hub for our mission of bringing GK to the different countries in Asia. Since this is the hub for innovation, this is the hub for business, the hub for education , so we’re going to India next year and we’re connecting with the students and the corporations and the people in social development who are not here in Singapore.
We’d be bringing to Malaysia next year too, probably Sabah. And we’re now in Cambodia. And besides, Singapore is a good model for social development, since they have already shown that it is possible for an Asian country to rise from poverty. If Singapore can do it, why can’t other countries do it.
QN 2: This year’s theme for APEC is “Sustaining Growth, Connecting the Region”. What are your personal opinions about sustainable development and how can we go about doing it?
ANS: The thing about APEC is that it’s mostly CEOS, head of states, top executives coming together. I’m probably the only from the bottom of the pyramid. It’s important that you cannot just have top-to-bottom development, it has to be simultaneous ground-up. Everyone wants build top-to-bottom, but no one wants to build ground-up. So, we are the ones who bridge the ground to people who control wealth and power from the top, because even if you increase GDP and experience economic growth, it still might not still address the poverty issue.
If people can create wealth and do not know how to spread it, the few who amass all the wealth, leave the majority behind, that’s what happened in the Philippines. Even people who attend APEC conferences, they’re there just to promote business, not there for nation-building. They’re there not for societal renewal, but fiscal policies, economic developments that affect their own business. They’re not there to contribute to the global economy so that it can create abundance for all. No one ever comes here to speak a view from the bottom. In our country, 3% of our population control 60% of our total economy. We hope that more of our people will see and go down. The tragedy of the world is that those who control the power and wealth of the world are disconnected from the majority who will suffer from their decisions.
(Still transcribing from my audio recorder, to be continued)
PIC: Mingling with local & international delegates (newly made friends) before the night’s session
Lessons from a Media Meister
"Insight" - that was the word etched in everyone's mind, after a night of sage advice peppered with personal anecdotes, from none other than Mr Viswa Sadisvan. With more than 26 years of television experience, not to mention having interviewed political giants the likes of George Bush Senior, Mikhail Gorbachev, Henry Kissinger and Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Viswa was undoubtedly the right man, to guide us fledgling journalists.
Like a true veteran, he instantly connected with the audience upon taking the stage. He then dived into a statement, “The way you present yourself and how confident you are, how smooth you are, to a large extent, determines the outcome of the interview.” But however important those things are, he stressed that the key is to be honest and "never pretend to understand when you don't”. This is especially pertinent when the interviewee raises specialized terms, where it would be necessary to clarify.
Beyond that, Mr Viswa also shared about the importance of tone, in thatthere were 2 approaches. The first one entailed a tough, vociferous, pugnacious approach. The second involved beginning with safer, general questions and following up with the tougher specifics at the end. Aptly termed by Mr Viswa as the "crouching tiger approach", it lowers the interviewee's guard before moving in for the kill. He recommended this approach to us, as communication (including that between interviewer and interviewee) is always established upon trust, and it is prudent to start off with the comfortable questions to put the interviewee at ease. As for the tougher questions, the best approach would be to ask in a plain, honest manner.
Another significant point that Mr Viswa strongly emphasized on was “doing our homework”, i.e. doing an intensive research about the interviewee. Besides researching on the subject matter and what the interviewee does, a good interviewer always digs deeper into the person himself. Just as everyone loves talking about something, the interviewee also has his pet topics that he feels passionate about and comfortable with. If we could unearth these little nuggets of information, it would prove useful in getting the interviewee to open up and even turn a tense situation around. I especially liked the example of Mr Viswa’s personal experience with then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, whereby Mr Viswa touched on a very sensitive topic that hit a nerve with Mr Lee. But by skillfully bringing in Mr Lee’s favourite topic, his fight against the communist in the 1960s, Mr Viswa was able to instantly change the mood of the interview and eventually, still get Mr Lee to answer the question he had initially detested.
The night continued with a myriad of invaluable advice and experiences by Mr Viswa. He emphasized the importance of understanding cultural sensitivities, body language, going into the interview with a clear objective in mind, and good questions (not exceeding 10 words). He engaged us constantly, throwing us questions spontaneouslyf and shared one anecdote after another that had everyone laughing. In ending, I would like to share a point that sums up the night. Mr Viswa talked about insight, and the difference between insight and knowledge. Knowledge can be easily gleaned from a book of the Internet. Insight, on the other hand, is a particular perspective from the person, usually one with a high level of domain knowledge. The key to a great interview is never to just gather information that everyone already knows, but rather to elicit fresh insight, something which few have been privy to. That, I believe is the heart of the matter. Let "insight" be the goal that all us young journalists strive towards.
A friend shared this. Everyone who's ever done up a powerpoint presentation before (which means ALL of you here on Facebook), so absolutely needs to see this. Especially for those who are guilty of boring to death your poor colleagues or classmates with lousy (*YAWN*) presentations, you should better read this a thousand times.
“I use one hand to pull you closer / The other to push you away,”...."I'm a liar who thirst for truth/and while I ache for faith to hold me/I need to feel the scars and see the proof. " I believe this song will speak to those out there, who want to love God, yet find themselves pushing Him away, ‘cos of things that they’re unwilling to let go. I think that this internal conflict of being divided inside (often finding ourselves doing what we ought not to do, and not doing what we ought to do) is something that resonates in most of us sincere Christians. And the simple, yet profound way to overcoming this conflict? Lifting our two hands and surrendering our lives to God.
Lyrics
I’ve been living out of sanity I’ve been splitting hairs and blurring lines I am a house that is divided In my heart and in my mind
I use one hand to pull closer The other to push you away If I had two hands doing the same thing Lifted high, lifted high
I have a broken disposition I’m a liar who thirsts for the truth And while I ache for faith to hold me I need to feel the scars and see the proof
And if we just keep digging we can reach the foundation Of our souls And if we just keep cutting all the chains from our hearts We’ll lose control
And it feels like giving in It feels like starting over It feels like waking up, and you know it’s coming It feels like a brand new day Open your eyes
This afternoon, I had my 2nd training session of Pétanque (pronounced: "pay-TONK") ,following my 1st time playing it last Saturday, near the Toa Payoh Sports Hall. At first glance, you would probably mistake the metal pétanque ball (known as a "boule") as a shot-putt ball, albeit a smaller & lighter one. But you'd probably soon be delighted to discover that pétanque, is actually much more fun than it looks.
A steel pétanque boule
For those who're wondering what is pétanque, it's a beloved French sport that the French often play in their summer vacations (the casual form of the game is played by about 17 million people in France) Pétanque is usually played on hard dirt or gravel, but can be played on grass or other surfaces. The equipment that is required for the game is really simple: Steel Balls (called "boules") and a "jack", a very small ball which is made of wood or synthetic material.
The original Pétanque game is played between 2 teams of 3 players each (Triplette), every player has only two steel balls.
By default, the game starts with a coin toss and the winner will choose the starting location (which will be a circle drawn on the sand). Standing in the circle, he will then toss the small ball, "jack", within a 6 to 10 metres range. And, the game continues with each side taking turns to throw their pétanque boules.
The objective of the game is to throw your boules closer to the "jack" than the other team. After all boules have been thrown, the team with the closest boule receives a point for each boule that is closer to the jack than their opponents. This is repeated until the first team to get 13 points wins the game. (picture on the left: a jack, and a rusty boule on the right of it)
What is unique about this game is the way you hold the ball when throwing. The ball is best held in the palm of the hand facing the ground. This creates a lot of backspin to the ball as close to the jack as possible.
There are also special positions/roles that each team player can play: "pointing" & "shooting". For me, I'm training for the upcoming competition as a "shooter", and basically my role is to thow the boule at my opponent's boules that are very near to the jack, to knock it out of play. For "pointing", as the name suggests, it is basically to throw one's boule with the aim of stopping near the jack (also known as placing)
This game might appear simple, but beyond just accurate throwing, it requires careful consideration of ground conditions, strategy, good throwing posture, teamwork, etc. Let's take for example, ground conditions, sometimes, the ground might not be flat. And you need to determine the landing spot of your ball and the actual path that the ball takes in order that it goes close to the jack.
Well personally, it's only the 2nd (and last training session before my competition this Saturday) time playing this sport, but it's incredibly fun. I think it's really easy to understand how to play the game, but to really be good at it, the old adage "practice makes perfect" still applies.
I look forward to this Saturday's competition, and having a great time with my team-mates, Harris and Charles. We call ourselves "allumer le feu" (literally, "ignite a fire"), and sure hope to burn brightly at the competition, despite the minimal practice we've had.
Win or lose, I'm determined to have a good time playing it and most probably, purchase a "Pétanque" set to play more in the future. It sure is a fun and uniquely French sport worth picking up and sharing with others.
In recent years, augmented reality (AR) has been gaining lots of attention, and has no doubt become one of the hot trends of 2009. This particular example from CISCO is just one of the many exciting possibilities of how AR will be intertwined into our lives in the coming years.
and watching that, can't help but remind me of a video I shared on Facebook back in June, Project Natal by Microsoft, which also utilizes augmented reality (in addition to voice-detection, motion-detection, facial detection, etc)
05 October 2009 Due to overwhelming response, we will be re-opening our registration! Walk-in to register at the New Balance REAL Run 2009 Prelude from 16 to 18 October 2009, between 10.00am to 8.00pm at Velocity @ Novena Square. See you there!
For those running enthusiasts , who’ve missed the chance to register in-time for Nike Human Race or Standard Chartered, there’s still the New Balance Real Run 2009 X-Terrain Challenge. which will be on the 8th Nov 2009, Sunday. Click here for Details
Registration is reopened from 16th to 18th October 2009.
I’m still finding people to go run with me :) Anyone interested do email or FB message me ;)
A friend of mine had this on her MSN display picture, and I was teasing her that that was a really cute photo, and it probably was a photo with some spectacular editing…only to find out from her that it really was a real photograph, and in fact, a reality that bear cubs hold hands when they are afraid. I went to check it out and discovered it was the National Geographic’s photo of the month for July 2009,
Choices - whether we are consciously or subconsciously aware of it, we exercise our volition everyday, we make choices. We choose: when we discipline ourselves to wake up on a bright weekend morning to enjoy a good sunrise or to snuggle in bed a few extra hours. We choose: when we make the effort to exercise or be a couch potato fed on an endless TV diet. We choose: when we eat healthy or succumb to our cravings for fatty, sodium excessive fast food. We choose: when we make a choice to live pure or to live a promiscuous lifestyle.
choices have outcomes Whatever choices we make, let there be no doubt, that there will always be an outcome: a positive one or a dire consequence (in layman terms, a good outcome or a bad outcome)
The most basic example would be our diet. If we choose to have a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and low on salt & oil, we will be in healthy weight and shape. On the contrary, choose a daily diet of KFC, McDonalds or deep-fried hawker food, and you’d eventually get a fat tummy, arteries clogged up, etc.
choices in our thoughts This causal-effect principle also applies to an overlooked area, our thoughts. In fact, this is where the root of all our choices come from, our thoughts determine our actions. James Allen in his book “As a Man Thinketh” explains really well on how the thoughts we choose can have a tremendous effect on our lives:
“ Impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervating and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances. Thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence.
Lazy thoughts crystallize into habits of uncleanliness and dishonesty, which solidify into circumstances of foulness and beggary. Hateful and condemnatory thoughts crystallize into habits of accusation and violence, which solidify into circumstances of injury and persecution. Selfish thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of self-seeking, which solidify into circumstances more of less distressing.
On the other hand, beautiful thoughts of all crystallize into habits of grace and kindliness, which solidify into genial and sunny circumstances. Pure thoughts crystallize into habits of temperance and self-control, which solidify into circumstances of repose and peace. Thoughts of courage, self-reliance, and decision crystallize into manly habits, which solidify into circumstances of success, plenty, and freedom.
Energetic thoughts crystallize into habits of cleanliness and industry, which solidify into circumstances of pleasantness. Gentle and forgiving thoughts crystallize into habits of gentleness, which solidify into protective and preservative circumstances. Loving and unselfish thoughts crystallize into habits of self-forgetfulness for others, which solidify into circumstances of sure and abiding prosperity and true riches.”
no such thing as no choice Often we hear people giving excuses that they have “no choice”, and they blame it on “imperfect circumstances”. It is true that we cannot directly choose our circumstances, but we can choose our thoughts in so indirectly shape our circumstances. In whatever situation we’re in, we are ultimately the ones who determine how we choose to respond to it.
choose wisely In an era where “anything goes” and everything is morally relativistic, it is easy for us to indulge in hedonistic living and indulge in things that promise to pleasure, but in reality, enslave us.
"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 1 Cor 10:23 (NIV)
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (NKJV)
I especially like these 2 verses in 1 Corinthians, Paul writes to the believers in Corinth, that all things are permissible but not everything is beneficial. In our lives too, let us examine that the choices we make are truly good choices, choices that will build us up and build others up.
One “No” opens the door to many “Yes” I remember a brother in Church once shared with me that whenever we say “No” to something, it can open up the door to many “Yes”.
When I say “No” to lust, and choose not to look at a girl in lust, and choose not to give in to the snare of Internet pornography late at night, when I say “No” to adultery or promiscuous and casual sex,
I say “Yes” to delighting in a healthy sexual intimacy with my current/future spouse
“Yes” to building greater resolve, self-control and moral excellence
“Yes” to having pure heart, unstained by lust and carnal thinking.
“Yes” to using my time more productively and fulfilling my God-given potential in impacting the world, rather than exhausting my energies in masturbation/unbridled sex.
“Yes” to respecting and treating women with dignity
“Yes” to finding my comfort in God, and not in temporal physical pleasures
“Yes” to walking in a deeper love relationship with God and glorifying Him in my conduct
“Yes” to a myriad of other good things
When I say “No” to escapism, running away from my problems or compromise
I say “Yes” to maturity and being responsible,
“Yes” to becoming a problem-solver,
“Yes'” in building up my ability/capacity to overcome bigger obstacles in the future,
“Yes” to the positive outcomes after the problems get resolved,
“Yes” to progressing and rising up to greater heights.
When I say “No” to exaggerating, lying, situational ethics, doing what feels right but ain’t right,
Father God, I am clay in your hands Help me to stay that way through all life's demands 'Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me And every little thing I make up my mind to be
Like I'm gonna be a daddy whose in the mix And I'm gonna be a husband who stays legit And I pray that I'm an artist who rises above the road that is wide and filled with self love Everything that I see draws me Though its only in You that I can truly see that its a feast for the eyes - a low blow to purpose And I'm a little kid at a three ring circus
I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul Don't wanna walk away let me hear the people say I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul Don't wanna walk away let me hear the people say
The paparazzi flashes and that they think that it’s you But they don’t know that who you are is not what you do True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts Yo before we part from the start where’s your heart? You’re a pimp, hustler? Tell me what’s your title America has no more stars now we call them idols You sit idle While we teach prosperity The first thing to prosper should be inside of me We’re free … Not because of 22’s the a range But Christ came in range we said yes now we changed Not the same even though I made a fall Since I got that call no more Saul now I’m Paul
How do I sense the tide that's rising? De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity How do I sense the tide that's rising? It's hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity
Behind the Song: "It’s easy for any of us to fall into the trap of setting our eyes on success and achievements. I wanted to be honest about my struggle because I believe no one is alone in it and we can learn from each other. I wrote my verse as a prayer, one that I find myself praying often. ‘Father God I am clay in your hands. I wanna stay that way thru all life’s demands cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me and every little thing I make up my mind to be, Like I’m gonna be a daddy who’s in the mix, and I’m gonna be a husband who stays legit and I’m gonna be an artist who rises above, the road that is wide and filled with self love”
Since I was a kid, my dad’s favourite verse has always been on the back of his business card. “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” With an infectious chorus melody and an all-star choir on the vamp it already felt like an anthem. Enter Kirk Franklin as a guest on the second verse and Mandisa (American Idol) on the bridge and we are officially over the top." - TobyMac
"One today is worth two tomorrows; what I am to be, I am now becoming." – Benjamin Franklin.
”The goals we worship write their names on our faces, be sure of that. And a person will worship something, have no doubt about that either. One may think tribute is paid in secret, in the dark recess of his or her heart, but it is not. That which dominates imagination and thoughts will determine life and character. Therefore it behooves us to be careful what we are worshipping, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Question to Ponder: What dominates my mind, my thoughts, my imagination? Am I pleased with the fact that I’m in the process of becoming what I have been thinking and dreaming about?
Eclectic Jam: A journal of my life’s experiences, discoveries & opinions on a smorgasbord of wide-ranging issues, from the latest technology breakthroughs, tech news to areas of design, music, languages, the arts, film, etc. As I venture out as a budding entrepreneur, I’ll cover business , startups & money too. As a Christian, I'll espouse about matters of the soul and tackle the big questions about spirituality, religion. I’ll also discuss politics, foreign affairs, globalisation, culture.
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A steel pétanque boule 
Well personally, it's only the 2nd (and last training session before my competition this Saturday) time playing this sport, but it's incredibly fun. I think it's really easy to understand how to play the game, but to really be good at it, the old adage "practice makes perfect" still applies. 
choices have outcomes 
no such thing as no choice 
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