Emotions Evoked by Music Are Universal

Study Shows Happy, Sad, and Fearful Emotions in Western Music Are Understood by Other Cultures

By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

March 20, 2009 -- Three basic emotions evoked by Western music affect people everywhere, regardless of culture or habits, a new study shows.

People in Africa who've never listened to a radio can still pick up on happy, sad, and fearful emotions in Western music, researchers say in the journal Current Biology.

These emotions in music can be universally recognized, says Thomas Fritz of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. "These findings could explain why Western music has been so successful in global music distribution, even in music cultures that do not as strongly emphasize the role of emotional expression in their music," Fritz says in a news release.

In some musical traditions, music is appreciated for qualities other than emotions, such as group coordination rituals, the researchers say.

Fritz and colleagues, including Stefan Koelsch of the University of Sussex, set out to determine whether the emotional aspects of Western music could be appreciated by people who had no prior knowledge of it.

They recruited members of the Mafa, one of about 250 ethnic groups in Cameroon, who were unfamiliar with Western music. The scientists concluded, after exposing the Mafa people to Western music, that the African listeners could pick up on emotional expressions of happiness, sadness, and fear more often than would have been expected by chance.

The researchers found that both Western and African listeners enjoyed original Western or Mafa music more, finding it more pleasant than music that had been manipulated, such as original music played with another version of a different pitch.

"Both Mafa and Western listeners showed an ability to recognize the three basic emotional expressions tested in this study (happy, sad, and scared/fearful) from Western music above chance level," the researchers say. "This indicates that these emotional expressions conveyed by the Western musical excerpts can be universally recognized, similar to the largely universal recognition of human emotional facial expression."

Westerners and Mafas alike were more likely to classify pieces with higher tempos as happy and songs with lower tempos as fearful or scared, the researchers say.

The mode of the music pieces was also significant. "Both Westerners and Mafas classified the majority of major pieces as happy, the majority of pieces with indefinite mode as sad, and most of the pieces in minor as scared," the researchers write. "The universal capacity to identify emotional expressions in Western music is presumably at least partly due to the universal capability to recognize nonverbal patterns of emotional expressiveness."

View Article Sources

SOURCES:

News release, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.

Fritz, T. Current Biology, 2009; vol 19: pp 1-4.

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Talking in Your Sleep

Have you been told that you whisper sweet nothings in your sleep -- unaware that you ever spoke a word? Or, maybe your child shouts out streams of babble late at night -- only to fall right back to sleep. Have you been hoping your sleep-talking spouse will spill a long-time secret? Go ahead. Pose a question while he or she is sleeping, and don't be surprised if you get a single syllable answer! But be warned: A sleep talker usually doesn't remember anything that's said during sleep.

Talking in your sleep can be a funny thing. Perhaps you chitchat unconsciously with unseen associates at the midnight hour. Or maybe a family member unknowingly carries on nightly conversations. It can also be violent or a sign of some other disorder. Here are answers to your questions about talking in your sleep -- what you need to know about sleep talking, from causes to treatments.

What is sleep talking?

Sleep talking, or somniloquy, is the act of speaking during sleep. It's a type of parasomnia -- an abnormal behavior that takes place during sleep. It's a very common occurrence and is not usually considered a medical problem.

The nighttime chatter may be harmless, or it could be graphic, even R rated. Sometimes, listeners find the content offensive or vulgar. Sleep talkers normally speak for no more than 30 seconds per episode, but some people sleep talk many times during a night.

The late-night diatribes may be exceptionally eloquent, or the words may be mumbled and hard to decipher. Sleep talking may involve simple sounds or long, involved speeches. Sleep talkers usually seem to be talking to themselves. But sometimes, they appear to carry on conversations with others. They may whisper, or they might shout. If you share a bedroom with someone who talks in his or her sleep, you might not be getting enough shut-eye.

Who talks in their sleep?

Many people talk in their sleep. Half of all kids between the ages of 3 and 10 years old carry on conversations while asleep, and a small number of adults -- about 5% -- keep chit-chatting after they go to bed. The utterances can take place occasionally or every night. A 2004 poll showed that more than 1 in 10 young children converse in their sleep more than a few nights a week.

Girls talk in their sleep as much as boys. And experts think that sleep talking may run in families.

What are the symptoms of talking in your sleep?

It's hard to tell if you've been talking in your own sleep. Usually, people will tell you they've heard you shout out during the night or while you were napping. Or maybe someone might complain that your sleep talking is keeping him or her up all night.

What causes sleep talking?

You might think that sleep talking occurs during dreaming. But scientists still are not sure if such chatter is linked to nighttime reveries. The talking can occur in any stage of sleep.

Sleep talking usually occurs by itself and is most often harmless. However, in some cases, it might be a sign of a more serious sleep disorder or health condition.

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and sleep terrors are two types of sleep disorders that cause some people to shout during sleep. Sleep terrors, also called night terrors, usually involve frightening screams, thrashing, and kicking. It's hard to wake someone having a sleep terror. Children with sleep terrors usually sleep talk and sleepwalk.

People with RBD yell, shout, grunt, and act out their dreams, often violently.

Sleep talking can also occur with sleepwalking and nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder(NS-RED), a condition in which a person eats while asleep.

Other things that can cause sleep talking include:

• certain medications
• emotional stress
• fever
• mental health disorder
• substance abuse

How is talking in your sleep treated?

It is a good idea to see a sleep specialist if your sleep talking occurs suddenly as an adult or if it involves intense fear, screaming, or violent actions. You might also consider seeing a doctor if unconscious chatter is interfering with your sleep -- or that of your roommates.

If you think your child has sleep problems, make an appointment with your pediatrician.

A sleep specialist will ask you how long you've been talking in your sleep. You'll have to ask your bed partner, roommate -- even your parents -- this question. Keep in mind, you may have started sleep talking in childhood.

There are no tests needed to diagnose sleep talking. However, your doctor may order tests, such as a sleep study or sleep recording (polysomnogram), if you have signs of another sleep disorder.

Sleep talking rarely requires treatment. However, severe sleep talking may be the result of another more serious sleep disorder or medical condition, which can be treated. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options.

How can someone reduce his or her amount of sleep talking?

There is no known way to reduce sleep talking. Avoiding stress and getting plenty of sleep might make you less likely to talk in your sleep.

Keeping a sleep diary can help identify your sleep patterns and may help your doctor find out if an underlying problem is causing your sleep talking. Keep a sleep diary for two weeks. Note the times you go to bed, when you think you fell asleep, and when you woke up. You'll also want to write down the following:

• the medicines you take, and the time of day you take them
• what you drink each day and when, especially caffeinated drinks such as cola, tea, and coffee, as well as alcohol
• when you exercise

Note Imported from WebMD

If I hadn't met you...

The work of God's hands is so awesome and miraculous, I thought.

Just yesterday, I was chatting with a friend whom I haven't seen for ages - or so it seems to me. Then it dawned on me, that if I haven't met him, my life would have been tremendously different today.

I first met him at a function while I was working as a temp. It was really be chance, you see. If I wasn't at the reception table at that exact time, I wouldn't have seen him, nor shown him in to the ballroom. Neither would I have chatted with him in the capacity of a host, then became friends.

If I haven't met him, we would have brushed past each other with no regrets. Then, he wouldn't have introduced his girlfriend to me, whom I became friends with too. And she wouldn't have introduced me to another person who became my good friend as well.

And the list goes on..

I have this friend whom I met in JC in the first day of my class. She is often running for the bus, simply because she likes the thrill. She has an infectious laughter, and often has jokes to tell at any time of the day.

If I haven't met her in our orientation group, then subsequently in the same class, we probably wouldn't be as close as we are today.

If I hadn't met this JC friend at a bus stop opposite my workplace last year, we wouldn't have kept in contact till today. It was funny, because we seldom talked in JC, even if our classes were lined side by side every morning.

We wouldn't have eaten Sakae Sushi, nor joked around.

I have another friend whom I met in JC as well, during the first film shoot of Pre-U Seminar. I called her jackfruit. Then there was another guy called lychee. Sometimes, I honestly thought that they should just form a fruit family.

We weren't close at that time. But one day, I received a call from her out of the blue. She invited me to go shopping with her. Incredulously, I said 'yes' - something I don't normally do to someone I've only met once. God knows what was running through my mind! But I would have regretted saying 'no'.

So the friendship grew. And she stuck with me through thick and thin; when I cried, or when I was stressed, or when I was overjoyed, she was always there for me.

If I hadn't met them, these special people wouldn't have changed my lives, and I wouldn't be who I am today.

So I thank God for every single day they're alive (but I'll probably deny it in front of them..haha..).

If I hadn't met them... Only God knows what'll happen.

An interesting MRT ride

A friend once told me that China people, regardless of where they are, would always have a book with them; they would be found reading on the transit train, on the bus, at the bus stops. But Singaporeans are just the opposite, he said.

And that is true, after countless times of observation. Singaporeans do not read - they stare, and sigh, and stare. This is especially evident when you observe after office hours.

No, they are not being rude. Instead, they are tired, and stressed.

Yesterday, while I was sitting in the mrt engrossed in my papers, an old man plonked himself beside me.

He stared, and stared.

Then, his phone rang. He answered.

"Yesh, wait until I go office first...I know..No no, that business....Yesh yesh, I'm on my way to office now. I'm in the MRT. Okay.", he bellowed in a deep voice that resonated in the MRT train.

Naturally, he got everyone staring at him, for being unintentionally disruptive.

Then, he got back to an unspoken committment of people in the MRT - staring.

Lines creased across his face and under his eyes, speaking of the years he weathered through. His eyes were deeply sunken in, further accentuated by his high pointed nose. His eyebrows were bushy, and his mouth was set in a firm line.

He took a deep breath, then sighed "Ahhhhh...."

After about one minute, he let out a sigh again. And after he let off his third sigh between a short interval of 15 minutes since his call, it was his stop. And off he went to face the piling workload at his office.

When I glanced at everyone in my cabin, they all looked almost uniform enough without a director. If there was ever a show needing people to simply stare in an MRT, Singaporeans, I thought to myself, were unarguably the best candidates.

Travel time is probably the only time Singaporeans have left to themselves to think, and to relax - apparently - and doing absolutely nothing productive.

After reading this, if u realised that you've seen similar incidences as well, then we're on the same page. If you haven't, try plugging out your mp3 and observe what is going on in the MRT just for a ride, and you may see things you never did before!

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

7 Wonders of the Ancient World

The Lighthouse at Alexandria was built in 279 B.C. on the small island of Pharos by Sostratus of Cnidus for Ptolemy II. The lighthouse was over 400 feet high. The remains of this imposing structure could still be seen in 1480, when the Mamluk ruler Qa'it Bay constructed a fort on the exact site of the lighthouse.

The Colossus of Rhodes stands over 100 feet tall, this statue of the Greek sun god was completed by the sculptor Chares in 280 B.C. The Colossus stood with one hand shielding its eyes looking over the harbor of the Greek island.

The Mausoleum of Halikarnassos was built by the wife of the Carian ruler Mausolus in 353 B. C. This tomb was of such great size and, with its sculptured friezes, so beautiful, that fragments of it are preserved in Turkey and at the British Museum.

The Statue of Zeus, though small in relation to some of the other wonders of the ancient world, this statue of Zeus, sculpted by the Greek Phidias about 430 B.C., won fame because of its beauty.

Temple of Diana at Ephesus measured 300 by 150 feet, with columns 60 feet high. This great temple dedicated to the goddess Diana was begun about 555 B.C. by Croesus, king of Lydia. Avandal burned down the original temple in 356 B . C., but it was rebuilt by Alexander the Great.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon rises on terraces some 400 feet above the level of the plain. This hanging gardens were built by Nebuchadnezzar about 600 B.C. to console his queen, who missed the mountains, trees and flowers of her native Media.

The Great Pyramids at Giza, which date from the Old Kingdom (2700-2300 B. C. ), are the oldest and most famous of the Seven Wonders of the World.

DISCLAIMER: These drawings of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are by Michael Turner and are taken from the ARAMCO WORLD MAGAZINE. Special thanks to Joseph MacDonnell, S.J.

Darwin: You Should Believe in Love at First Sight

Written by Fisher Helen, Forbes.com 02/13/09 05:00:04 GMT


"It was evidently a case of love at first sight, for she swam about the new-comer caressingly ... with overtures of affection."


Thus Charles Darwin described a female mallard duck who had become infatuated with a male pintail duck--a duck of a different species.


We all make mistakes. But Darwin believed that animals feel romantic love. A male blackbird; a female thrush; a black grouse; a pheasant; a stickleback fish: These and many other creatures, he reported, "fell in love with one another."


Scientists have not endorsed his view, despite vast evidence that Darwin had it right.


Hundreds of articles have been written about "mate choice," the habit of all creatures to express attraction toward some, while assiduously avoiding others. In fact, the animal literature uses several terms to describe this favoritism, including "mate preference," "selective proceptivity." "individual preference," "favoritism," "sexual choice" and "mate choice."


Moreover, scientists have recorded all of the core elements of romantic love in other creatures. They carefully describe how creatures, from rhinos to butterflies, focus their mating energy on a specific, preferred individual at a time.


Focus on a special other is a central component to human romantic love. Other creatures also obsessively follow "him" or "her," as humans do. They stroke, kiss, nip, nuzzle, pat, tap, lick, tug or chase this chosen one, behaviors you see regularly among humans. Most sing, dance, strut and preen for a beloved--just like men and women. Courting creatures great and small show excessive energy and sleeplessness, more core traits of human romantic passion.


And adversity heightens their pursuit--just as barriers intensify romantic love in people. And many animals become possessive, jealously guarding their mate until their breeding time has passed.


Some animals express this magnetism for only seconds; others become infatuated for hours, days or weeks. But, just as Darwin said, many fall in love at first sight.


Such was Violet, a female pug. Elizabeth Marshall Thomas wrote of Violet's feelings for her other pug, Bingo, saying, "From the moment she set eyes on him, she adored him. Wanting only to be near him, to lavish her affection on him, she followed everywhere he went. The sound of his voice made her bark."


This instant attraction also happened to Thomas Jefferson. Historian Fawn Brodie wrote of him: "What Jefferson was told in advance about Maria Cosway is irrelevant, for if ever a man fell in love in a single afternoon it was he."


Today we have even more evidence that Darwin had it right. My colleagues and I have put 49 people who were madly in love into a brain scanner (fMRI) and mapped some of the brain pathways that generate feelings of romance.


The most dramatic activity occurs in the "reward system," the "wanting" system, the brain system that gives lovers their focus, energy, ecstasy and motivation to seek life's greatest prize, a mating partner. This same brain system also becomes active when other mammals express attraction.


How did Darwin manage to see this continuity between man and beast? I suspect biology played a role. In my new book, I maintain that humanity has evolved four broad basic styles of thinking and behaving based on our brain chemistry.


Men and women whom I have dubbed Explorers especially express their dopamine systems--predisposing them to take risks and seek novelty, to be curious, creative, energetic, impulsive, flexible and optimistic. Builders express more serotonin--predisposing them to be calm, social, networking, cautious, loyal, managerial and traditional. Directors are the high testosterone type--analytical, strategic, direct, decisive, tough minded, competitive and good at understanding math, machines or other spatial and "rule based" systems.


Last but not least are Negotiators, women and men who are particularly expressive of estrogen, giving them their broad, holistic, contextual view, their exquisite imagination and intuition, their verbal and people skills, their emotional expressivity and their compassion for all around them. Darwin, I believe, was a Negotiator, a man predisposed to see the vast physical--and emotional--connections between all living creatures.


Darwin wrote 17 books and over 100 scientific papers on phenomena as varied as orchids, barnacles and earthworms. But it was his two grand synthesizing theories of natural selection and sexual selection that would explain the evolution and proliferation of life on earth. Biologist Richard Dawkins called this set of principles "the most important idea to occur to a human mind."


Perhaps someday scientists and laymen alike will come to understand more about Darwin's mind, including something he told us 150 years ago: that animals share our human drive to love.
Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at Rutgers University, is the author of Why Him? Why Her?: Finding Real Love By Understanding Your Personality Type and Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love.

A Fairytale Valentine's

From left to right: Rosalind, Crystal, Hui Qin & Me!

*Wei Ling was our photographer!

I enjoyed a memorable Valentine's today - probably one of the best in my entire 19 years of experience. Okay, after minusing the years I toddle-d around and is not exactly eligible to Valentine's, let's put it at 13 years.

I went for a lovely picnic at Fort Canning Park. Unbelievable? Yeah.. probably.. because I raised my brows at the idea when my friend first told me. I thought they were out of their minds!

The picnic was accompanied by the picturesque scenery, the incessant construction noises, the occassional bird twitting (probably the mother bird nagging at the father bird for not bringing her a rose), the scorching sun burning our backs, and my friend's jokes and laughter.

Unromantic it may seem to some, or uncomfortable the idea may sit with others, it was nonetheless the best Valentine's I've ever had; not that I had many, to be honest.

I wasn't about the noises, neither was it the blazing heat nor the construction that I thought would have irked me. Instead I enjoyed it more that I thought; because of the friends who celebrated it with me.

It was hilarious when I saw my friends exclaiming "HUH?! We have to climb the stairs to Fort Canning! .. We should have gone to the Botanic Gardens!"

If I could have read their minds, I bet they would be thinking "ARE YOU KIDDING? ! It's not JUST 1 flight of stairs - it's FLIGHTS!! You're nuts!"

After climbing a series of flights of stairs, we roamed around and FINALLY! We've found our perfect spot - on a slope right plonked in the middle of what used to be the World AIDS Day Concert in November last year.

Drained in perspiration from all the climbing, and laughing, we laid the mat and dug in to our sandwiches, fruit salads, jelly and chips.

And two of my friends were so sweet to prepare V-day gifts for us!

We shifted our position to under the tree after a while, and I almost said goodbye to two of my friends as they almost rolled down the slope! HAHA!!.. Trust Rosalind to ALWAYS behave like that! We had a good laugh.

After we're done with the food, and fooling around; sinking into school life, and catching up on everyone's study and love life, we decided to snap some photos to rememer this day!



Boy, did we have fun during the photo shoot - YES, I said photo shoot, because we did colour coordination, timing and many shots to get one perfect shot, especially our jumps in front of the sign "FORT CANNING PARK".

Somehow Ros & I had telepathy - we wore the same colour top! How cool is that!

There! Our beloved photographer of the day - Wei Ling standing on the left in white polo tee! :)

Oh..and this pavillion is to be uprooted to shift somewhere else, but the kind worker stopped to let us have our fill with taking photos first!

Okay.. we pretended to kiss the tree, and acted emo; which was further accentuated by the black white finish Wei Ling gave it.
Hey, it was hard acting okay.. with Qin and Crys laughing like mad at the side..!









Oh yes! This was a shot we took countless times until we gained stares from onlookers.. and two photographers wandering around..

WE HAVE CHEMISTRY!

That's what Ros & I realised after this shot was taken! haha.. we practically jumped at the same time without counting and prepared what looked like a piruette on the same count.. which was kinda miraculous..

But it wasn't easy, as we ran with no footwear and the ground was pretty rough..



Oh, this idea came from Rosalind..



It was pretty fun!




Just as we were about to leave to shop at Plaza Sing, SNAP! That was the sound of my scandals giving way! HAHA...Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I almost could here that sound effect in my head - and maybe the dreaded "Oh no.." that almost escaped out of my mouth.



And my friends; well, some were laughing, one was snapping away with her camera, and they thought of ways to hold the scandal until we got to a shoe shop - which was pretty far, actually.



Gosh, I always had something with shoes! It's irritating. It once broke while I was walking by the highway!



Oh! And some fat boy went to step on my scandals while I was having tuition at a tuition agency - it broke. Right smack in the middle! Rosalind just kept laughing, along with Wei Ling - YES both of you are guilty!! DON"T DENY! haha..



Okay, so back from my history with shoe issue, we've tried plaster-ing it. FAILED.



Then my friend Crystal had a brilliant idea: she took two nylon strings out of the paper bag she was carrying and tied the shoe to my leg. SUCCESS.




We FINALLY got to the shoe shop, others by walking and I by limping. haha.. And Rosalind decided to rub it in by saying she was walking with an old grandmother!!




After strolling for a while at Plaza Sing, we headed for our individual dinner dates.




And that was mine Valentine in 2009 - a sweet, fun, and probably choatic at times - but I'm glad I shared it with my bevy of girlfriends :)

Gosh taking this photo is no easy feat!

WL had to position the camera on the floor on top of a bag and run to the spot within 10 sec. My head often hit the ground just to see the view through the camera's eye.

Writer's Special Note:



To Rosalind, Hui Qin, Wei Ling & Crystal,


Thank your for such a memorable day! I totally miss the times we had in JC! haha..



With loads of love,



Deborah

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: HONG WEI LING

A Valentine's conversation

Ever heard that men are from Mars and women are from Venus?

Boy, how true can it ever be! No wonder there's a saying in Chinese "不吃老人言，吃亏在眼前！"; meaning that if you don't listen to an elderly's advise, you will lose out!

But today, I actually found two friends who agree on the same thing - amazingly they are of opposing sexes.

Valentine's Day Conversation

Girl: Hey, so you buy a gift for your gf already not?

Boy: Ya lor, so expensive! Everything so expensive! You leh?

Girl: No leh! Dunno what to buy for him! Every year like the same one..

Boy: Argh.. dunno who invented Valentine's Day one.. So expensive for what..!

And the best irony is.. men and women DO agree - only if you're not talking to your gf/ bf!

Er.. Ah Boy, to answer your question, it's probably St Valentine who invented V-Day.

Valentine History

Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. There was an Emperor at that time by the name of Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. Supposedly, Valentine, decided this decree just wasn't fair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine's actions he had him put to death.

Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor's daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first 'valentine' himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it 'Your Valentine', words still used on cards today.

Source: http://holidays.kaboose.com/valentines-day/history/val-history.html

My Thoughts

But is Valentine's all about showering expensive gifts over your gf/ bf just to prove that you love him/ her? Or has it become mandatory or an unspoken law passed by your other demanding half?

I remember it was Valentine's last year and I happened to pass by Pasir Ris mrt. There were hives of couples - some bored waiting for their partner, some smiling so beautifully, and some reprimanding their bf for not buying a bouquet of flowers when he gave her a stalk of rose. The poor guy tried to explain that the price of a bouquet was too expensive for him to afford. But the girl didn't seem to listen at all, and stomped off in a huff.

Swissh, that was the sound of her skirt in the wind, and BYE BYE BOYFRIEND !

Not that I'm siding the guys - because I have no reason to - but HELLO! Why is it that guys MUST give presents to girls, but yet when girls give their bfs gifts, he is EXPECTED to be touched. Talk about equality.

To me, Valentine's is all about treasuring your loved ones - my family, my friends, and probably in the near future, my boyfriend.

And I think the best present is a cake he baked himself for me, a card he made, or we could cook together. And we'll probably stroll down the beach or have a picnic outdoors.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update on how I spent my Valentine! And share with me yours! :)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Exam Break

The writer is on Exam Break until Feb 15, 2009.

Feel free to contact her via deborahchoo@gmail.com

Obama's Unprecedented Security

Obama's Inauguration Video

"The success of our economy is always dependent not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but on the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend the opportunity to every willing heart..."

Part 2:

"And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today - from the grandest captial to the small village where my father was born - know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to leave once more."

Via 'Obama's Speech'

Obama's Inauguration: Snipets of Speech

Terrorism:

"We say to you (terrorists) now, that our spirit is stronger, and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you!"

Religion:

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth."

To Leaders Worldwide:

"Know that your people judge you on what you can build, not what you can destroy."

To the Poor Worldwide:

"We pledge to work alongside to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow."

Facing the Challenge Ahead:

"Our challenges may be new, the instruments when which we meet them will be new, but those values upon which our success depends; honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism, these things are old. These things are true....return to this truths!"

Reminder to Americans:

"America! In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come."

Leaving the Legacy to Generations Ahead:

"Let it be said by our children's childrens, that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end - that we did not turn back, nor did we falter - and with eyes fixed on the horizon, and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom, and delivered it safely."

Inauguration Sights and Sounds

With courtesy of CBS News
Watch CBS Videos Online

Be Happily Stressed!

I had many people labelling me as "no life!" and others simply being more tactful by labelling me "busy girl". But what people do not realise, or probably find hard to grapple with, is my joy of being busy.

And they only have one question to ask: "What are you so happy about?"

My equally simple answer: Because I love what I'm doing.

It is as simple as that, but many a times, I realised that people are doing what they don't like doing. Or some just haven't found what they exactly like. The only credible answer they gave was "I like slacking" or "I like eating and sleeping".

I remember when I made a decision to pursue a degree in Mass Communication, many persuaded me otherwise.

"Xiao Mei ar, you know that passion can't feed you for life right?", one concerned colleague said.

Then on and on went the rest of the concerned friends on how the media industry in Singapore is impenetratable, how the pay is so measly, and claiming that I would probably regret this decision later. Others went on to recommend I be a teacher - and mind you, this advise has been given to me upteen times until I almost flared.

Just because you're paid to study doesn't mean you have to sell your soul! No, I told myself firmly, I want to pursue my passion. That's that.

Of course, I got to thank God that I am so fortunate as to have been born in a financially stable family, but most importantly, a family who will support me no matter what.

I have always believed that the decision lies in your own hands.

Some sales guy lamented to me about his pathetic life (sales people work 7 days a week), how tired he is of his job and what not. After listening to his all-so-touching speech, I felt tired too.

My father always told me that people always have a choice. He said, "You can't control the situation, but you can control how you react to it."

Just like how the poor people are always happier than the rich, he added, because they learned to treasure what they have and be thankful for it, while the rich only complain about what they don't.

This morning I woke with a grumpy mood as I had only four hours of sleep. I started biting whoever who disturbs me. And I kept sighing to myself. As I was extremely stressed out finalising my reports for the term, this image flashed through my mind. Then I made a choice - I chose to smile and face Mr. Stress.

So, instead of sighing and complaining your way through life (trust me, there's never an end to complains - This month's Most Complained about Award unanimously goes to Recession), choose to smile through your life!

Is there Perfect Objectivity?

Tell me, what do you see?

Everyone sees things differently, and that brings me to a question:

Is anything ever perfectly objective - with not even a hint of human touch?

The answer is no, simply because the world is made up of humans.

Journalists are humans; they are the opinion leaders of the society, framing people's ideologies in accordance to theirs when their feelings subtly flows into the article.

Professors are humans; they educate the next generation whose thinking would most likely be influenced by them.

Judges are humans; for they are not immune to the emotions of the defendent, but they bear in mind to be impartial at all times.

Law makers are humans; they craft the law or policy based on what they think needs to be addressed when they see for themselves where the problem lies.

Ministers and presidents are humans; they eat and sleep just like we all do, just that they have to draw a clear line between work and personal life.

Doctors are humans; they have to make sure their emotions do not cloud their judgment in a surgery room, when they hold the power to make or break a person's life.

And the list goes on.

Everything we read, every photograph we see has human emotions melded and cleverly weaved into the piece.

At the end of the day, you will take a stand.

It depends on what values you believe in, the choices you make based on your experience, the people you've spoken to who had made an impact in your lives, the articles you read that make you have a pre-conceived notion of someone.

That is probably what causes conflicts across the world today - from international news (the Israel-Gaza war, and the strained ties between India and Pakistan) to domestic affairs that you would have come across everyday of couples bickering, office disagreements and such.

Nothing is perfectly objective in this world.

Wonders of Dubai

The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government. It is one of three islands called The Palm Islands which extend into the Persian Gulf, increasing Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520 km. The Palm Jumeirah is the smallest and the original of three Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira) under development by Nakheel. It is located on the Jumeirah coastal area of the emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Heart of 120-acre waterscape

The Palm Jumeirah is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometre long breakwater. The island is 5 kilometres by 5 kilometres and its total area is larger than 800 football pitches. The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel.

Zigurat Tower Slide through a shark-filled lagoon

Grand residences in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Bird's eye view of Dubai from Burj, Dubai from 801 m

The persons who are working on the upper most Girders can see the

'ROTATION OF EARTH'

Information from Wikipedia and Palm Jumeirah's Official website.

Pictures from Palm Jumeirah's official website & an email intended for the writer.

Brussels in Bloom

Every two years people can admire the carpet of flowers on the Grand Place in Brussels. In 2008, 700,000 begonias form the largest tapestry of the Savonnerie the world: a tribute to the French presidency of the European Union.

Since 1971, it is the 16th carpet of flowers on the Grand Place in Brussels. In recent years, the flower carpet has become one of the biggest attractions of Brussels.

Last year, the flower carpet designed by floral architect Mark Schautteet is inspired by the tapestry of the French Savonnerie, which dates from the 17th century. 700,000 begonias form a colourfum motif on which appears the patron saint Saint-Michel and the iris of the Brussels Region. One hundred volunteers have brought flowers on the Grand Place.

For the floral carpet of flowers to be perfect, the design is fully represented in size on a transparent plastic perforated to create a micro-humid climate which must keep fresh flowers and colorful.

The official opening will be accompanied by music created specially for the occasion by the composer Gregory Dune.

The information was republished from an email intended for the writer.

The Arts House 2: Photo Gallery

I have loaded some of my favourite art works amongst the plethora of photo works.

Take a peek into the photo gallery:

First prize: Wild Places

Chalid Nasution

Indonesia, North Sumatra

Grand Prize: Man's Imprints

Thai, Myanmar

Bali, Indonesia

Humanity

Jashim Salam

Chittagong, Bangladesh

Bali, Indonesia

All photographs are taken with the permission of The Arts House.

The Arts House 1: The Pillow Talk

I visted The Arts House yesterday, 9 Jan, 2009.

The most interesting creation I stumbled upon was this art work "The Pillow Talk". The designers are Tomoko Hayashi, Stefan Agamanolis and Matthew Karau who created this piece of art work relating the growing trend of lond distance relationships nowadays.

I tried my hands on Mutsugoto, an interative installation that enables couples to experience intimate connection over a distance.

This work serves to explore how human can stay connected via technology and the digital media.

Take a look:

Red lines - human connection across the world

2 beds on each side

Christine, the friendly volunteer who explained to me the concept of the artpiece

This exhibition is part of the Singapore Fringe Festival '09, occuring between 7-18 Jan 2009. The writer has enjoyed herself there and encourages all art lovers to try this invention out.