Did You Lock the Door?

Now that you have double checked, do you really believe that you would prevent the dishonest guys from coming in? If someone really wants to break in, they could, in no time, but who do we stop? Oh … the 98% of us! – Right!!

According to an article,  Why We Lie, at the Wall Street Journey, there are about 1% of people who are very honest and they won’t be dishonest no matter what. And another 1%, would always be dishonest regardless and they may come after you and pick your locks to steal something. You can’t worry about the outliers at the bottom, the 1% dishonest folks,  but you do need to worry about the rest 98% of the people. Why you asked?!

According to the article, we love to think that people are virtuous, but few bad apples spoil the bunch. If that is so, it would be much easier to scan the bad apples out, but the truth is, not really! The author of the article has done few experiments and found, when people are in charge of the “honor” system (count own correct answers) with a price tag reward, people tend to cheat and the percentage of cheating are NOT corresponding to the higher amount of the reward. In fact the amount of cheating was slightly lower when the reward was higher. –It was harder for their consciences level to acknowledge that they deserved the higher amount and still felt good about it.

Next variance of the experiment was to determine whether people cheat less if there is a chance to be caught. Not quite according to the author. Now what makes them cheat more or less?

• When there a monetary involvement
• Having a bad apple who set the example –Cheating is infectious
• If we think that someone/our group would benefit from our cheating (“If I am already wearing fake Gucci sunglasses, then maybe I am more comfortable pushing some other ethical limits (we call this the "What the hell" effect). If I am mentally depleted from sticking to a tough diet, how can you expect me to be scrupulously honest? (It's a lot of effort!) If it is my teammates who benefit from my fudging the numbers, surely that makes me a virtuous person!” –cited from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304840904577422090013997320.html?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1)

Okay. How many people you know that cheat on taxes or insurance claims! –Now you see the author’s point of view. Wait! Don’t’ give up just yet! Let’s examine on what push people toward more honesty? –Reinforce the rule upon them.

When the experiment was conducted by reading the *Ten Commandments* and such, the cheating was reduced to none. And at his conclusion, Mr. Ariely wrote, “But locking our doors against the dishonest monsters will not keep them out; they will always cheat their way in. It is the woman down the hallway—the sweet one who could not even carry away your flat-screen TV if she wanted to—who needs to be reminded constantly that, even if the door is open, she cannot just walk in and "borrow" a cup of sugar without asking.”

Hope you found this blog amusing :-) Thanks for accompanying me on this journey and until next time, take care!

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Living Funeral …

The first time I have heard about the idea of living funeral was from reading “Tuesdays with Morrie,” by Mitch Albom. Morrie, Mitch’s old professor, had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Okay. Let me digress for a moment, as I just read about this illness so I want to pass on what I have learned.

According to www.alsa.org, “A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment–"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away.” ASL also referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease.” Patients with ALS will lose their brains’ ability to initiate and control muscle movement and in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed and eventually leads to their death.

Morrie Schwartz decided to host his own living funeral after attended one and felt quite depressed and said, “What a waste.” He thought it was such a waste with all of the nice things that people said but the dead never got to hear any of it. –So, living funeral!

I am quite sold to the idea and someday, I would definitely hold one for myself unless I was called before my time –without any warning signs, then so be it! Otherwise, I am in!

I hope this journey will shed some lights to all of us, life after all is quite short so don’t wait until our loved ones/friends are gone before telling them how much they are meant to us. Each day could be a living funeral for someone and one day, it could be ours.

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Yes. There is a Hope …

Researchers recently inserted a probe against palm oil and found surprising potential health benefits aside from its  infamous bad reputation. Palm oil, hard-shell red fruit, primary used for cheap cooking oil and congeals when cool-down makes it less appealing.   

Image from pinoypolitikas.blogspot.com

Palm oil contains tocotrienol, a form of Vitamin E, could help fight cancer and prevent strokes.  “Palm oil is the richest source of tocotrienol, says Pramod Khosla, an associate professor in the department of nutrition at Wayne State University in Detroit. He says numerous test-tube studies done over the past two decades in the U.S., Canada and Malaysia show tocotrienols are "very effective" in killing cancer cells. Now researchers worldwide are embarking on the critical next step: human clinical trials on cancer patients. "The reason the clinical trials are being done is because the preliminary findings are so promising," Khosla says.” – cited from http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2115331,00.html?xid=rss-mostpopular

I’ve lost several people in my life due to cancer and strokes, including my father, my father-in-law and one of my childhood friends at a very young age.” I am hoping all of these findings can shed more lights to the cancer sufferers. And someday, perhaps some of us or perhaps our next generations would benefit from the studies.

Hope you enjoy this journey with me on palm oil and perhaps someday, we will find the palm oil like the fish oil supplements in our local stores/pharmacies.

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Let the Game Began...

I guessed it had been awhile since I played the tag game and perhaps I am a bit slow when come to tagging game. So, I was tagged and I was quite thrilled. In fact so thrilled that I forgot to read the rule and started to post my answers right there at the place where I was tagged :-) http://papaisapreacher.blogspot.com/2012/05/tag-im-it.htm To make the long story short, I had to rectify what I did by deleting my answers and post them here instead :-)

Now, a little bit about myself ...

I am blogger who is a little bit clumsy and occasionally I would walk into a glass door. When I was much younger, my mom would send someone to look for me and that person couldn't find me and declared that I had gone out with my friends. Little did they know that I was sleeping underneath the bed. Go figure :-)

I am known to have a soft heart but would say whatever that come to my mind,  mostly straight to the points but somehow managed to come out funny instead of offending. I am quite a considerate person and easily touched by little gestures from others. But, once I deemed that you are not worthy in my world--you are no longer exist as you are invisible.

Oh … my life philosophy: Our lives are like long journeys that we don't even know when they will end. Sometimes, we don't even know when they began until we've realized that we are part of the journey. Do you think they were prearranged?

Enough about me, me, me. Now let the game began ... I am going to tag several people and once you are tagged you would need to answer the following questions that I have in your own blog and come back with your link. Then tag more people and ask them to answer the questions that you would come up. (The rule is to have 11 bloggers that you would tag and 11 questions to answer.)--Simple?

Here are the answers to the questions that I was asked:

What is your favorite book?
Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell (If I can pick more ... I loved Gladwell's Blink and Outliers as well)

Favorite color?
Sapphire blue --the best color ever :-)

Sweet or salty (food).
Definitely salty food. Anything salty is good for me :-)'cause I am not a sweet tooth person.

What was one gift that someone gave you that you will always remember? (Doesn't have to be one you liked. A memorable one.)
Attention --I know this is not tangible but I feel like that is the best and memorable gift in life

What is your favorite blog post.
Hm .. this is tough question. If I must choose - Slightly imperfect … (http://journeyofmylifendestiny.blogspot.com/2012/03/slightly-imperfect.html) Though, I must say that I almost chose this one (http://journeyofmylifendestiny.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-tiny-spider.html)

What annoys you?
Honestly? People who doesn't have common sense. It just gets me tho sometimes I try to hide it but it does annoy me.

What makes you happy?
I am easily happy but I am happiest when I see my girls happy-- as simple as that.

Truth or Dare? ("Depends" is not an option.)
I think I tend to shy away from it. I am pretty conservative person.

Did you collect anything as a kid?
Yes. Books and stamps --pretty boring :-)

Bath or Shower? ("Depends" is not an option.)
If I have a choice, bath would be my answer but mostly I am taking *shower* due to time constraint.

Would you ever use gel pens? Sparkly ones.
Oh yes! Definitely! Absolutely! :-) I often use my girls' ones when they are not looking or even when they are looking :-)

Here are the bloggers that I would like to tag:(Not quite 11 bloggers with 11 questions ... close enough :-))

a.eye

ropcorn

Jenn

PardonMyPoppet

FromNagguesFarn 

FeelingBeachie

Libby 

Corinne 
A Touch of Absurb
Jo @My Wondering Mind

Please go to their blogs and check out their answers for the following questions:

1. What is your life philosophy?

2. What was your childhood's dream? Did It come true?

3. Name one person that has inspired you the most in your life

4. Who do you love the most in your life?

5. What is your most memorable moment in your life?

6. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

7. Where is one place that you must visit before you die?

8. What is one thing that you must do before you die?

9. If you know tomorrow is the day that you would leave this world, what would be one advice that you would behind?

10. If tomorrow is the day that you would die, who would be the person that you would like to spend the rest of hours with?

Have fun with the game,

Journey of Life

 

Journey to Colosseum and Roman Forum

Legend has it that as long as the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand; and when Rome falls, so will the world. The mammoth amphitheater was built by Emperor Vespasian and established by Titus. Today it is one of the seven wonders of the world. For "the grandeur that was Rome," this obstinate oval can't be topped.

Ready? Let's go on a journey to visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum with me and I hope you would enjoy and have fun along the way ...

As you can imagine, the following mystical labyrinth ruins was once stood tall and served as a political playground, and a place where justice was administered during the Roman empire. Today, the Forum is a silent ruin—sic transit gloria mundi (so passes away the glory of the world).

Having fun so far? Next, we are going to the Trastevere area where we would visit the Santa Maria church. Santa Maria in Trastevere is the oldest church in Rome and preserves some its most glorious medieval mosaics. 

Santa Maria church: image from goitaly.about.com

Afterward, let's dine in one of the fine Italian restaurants there and for the entertainment of the night, we would listen in to the symphony that is played in the piazza right outside the Santa Maria church.--Hm.... The dinner, coupled with the symphony! What a journey, I say!

Hope you enjoy this journey with me and perhaps this journey has triggered some fond memories of yours or perhaps will excite you to travel there as much as I enjoyed the trip with my family couple years ago. 

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Did You Say Cappuccino?

Ah ..cappuccino! Wondering what does it taste like... Eventho I am not sure what it tastes like, but I do know one thing --cappuccino's origin. The color of cappuccino resembles the color of the cloak that the Catholic monks used to wear in the eighteen century. The word cappuccino also came from Capuchin, the monk, which also known as cappuccino.--Quite interesting? 

Not as interesting as the journey that I am about to take you with me ... Have you ever heard about the Capuchin Crypt? 

It was definitely the most unforgettable day in our lives. We walked from our hotel to the most incredible site, Capuchin Crypt. Oh .. my gosh, speaking of spooky. That was it! It was one of the eeriest sites in Rome: a series of chapels mosaicked with the bones of long-dead monks.
"Depending how you look at it, the cappuccini are monks with a death wish—or a healthy attitude toward their own mortality." --cited from http://www.reidsitaly.com

Capuchin Crypt is located in the Santa Maria church, where its five chambers were filled with mosaics made from over four thousands dearly departed cappuccini, monks. "First their bones were dried out by temporary burial in the floors filled with dirt from Jerusalem" --according to www.reidsitaly.com
The crypt was first started in the sixteen hundredth where the Capuchin monks' original church was destroyed by the flood from the Tiber river. Then they collected the bones of their deceased and started arranging the bones in their new crypt, first lining them up against the walls and eventually they were getting fancier. 

Enjoy some of the images that I found from internet 'cause we were not allowed to take any picture in order to prolong the bones.

Courtesy of www3.sympatico.ca

Courtesy of www3.sympatico.ca

cited from http://itthing.com/wp-content/uploads/Capuchin_Crypt.jpg

Here is the last message from the Capuchin to all of us, "What you are, we used to be. What we are, you will become." --Indeed!

Hope you enjoy this journey with me visiting the Capuchin Crypt. It was quite an experience for me and my family ... My youngest one and I enjoyed this trip the most! 

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

What is Your Face Book ID?

It was not long ago, we would give out our home phone numbers. Then after the internet booming, our emails were flooded with new acquaintances. About 10 years ago perhaps? The cell phones started to become popular in the States. Ironically, nowadays ... no one ever calls our home numbers except those telemarketers ...

One Saturday, I took my girl to take the AP exam prep test and she found couple new friends. After we left, I have asked her whether she had gotten their emails or cell phone numbers. She said nope. I questioned her how she was going to keep in touch with them since she mentioned  that she really enjoyed chatting with them. She said, "I've gotten their FB IDs." -- I was speechless!

Image from searchengineland.com

It had never occurred to me to ask someone their Face Book names. To me, cell phone and emails are still my primary contact information. But definitely not my girl's generation. Facebook IDs. I still couldn't get over it! --Totally cool!

Though, there is a downside to this new contact information. Potentially, there could be some people with the same Face Book names. And some of them would have their profile photos other than themselves which make them impossible to locate. I was wondering if Facebook would come up with a solution if they want to be THE contact information for the next generation.

Have you found yourself asking your newly found friend, What is your Face Book ID? 

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Simple but Fascinating ...

Every now and then ... I would encounter something that would simply catch my attention. I don't even know why and how .. but it just did. For instance, this song titled, "Somebody That I Used to Know"  by Gotye. The voices, the rhythm and the lyrics simply captured me totally.

I found the singers' voices simply captivating and check out how four singers shared one simple guitar and yet able to produce such an amazing rhythm ...

Here is the snapshot of the lyrics ...

"Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
I told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

You can get addicted to a certain kinda sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make it like it never happened and that we were nothing
I don't even need your love, but you treat me like a stranger
And that feels so rough ...""

I hope you enjoy the song and find it mesmerizing. Isn't it true that sometimes in our lives, we met someone that we became so close, be an ex or a close friend, but somehow things happened and that person that we were once knew so well became someone that we used to know? --Simply wordless ...

Until next stop ...
Journey of Life

The Vanishing Minds ...

Somehow, I have a certain passion when comes to Alzheimer's disease. Not sure why. In fact, I have written two blogs that related to Alzheimer's in the past.

1. I will be Your Memory or Not -- http://journeyofmylifendestiny.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-will-be-your-memory.html
2.  Alzheimer's Patients in Nursing Homes -- http://journeyofmylifendestiny.blogspot.com/2012/02/alzheimers-patients-in-nursing-homes.html

Today, I want to take you all on a journey to visit a remote mountain village that is located in Medellín, Colombia. Most people are originated from one Andes region, Antioquia. They called themselves paisas--countrymen. They are about 5000 people in one clan who have inherited a single genetic mutation guaranteeing that they will have Alzheimer's. In fact, it is a matter when not would or not.

"For generations, the illness has tormented these and thousands of others among a sprawling group of relatives: the world’s largest family to experience Alzheimer’s disease. Now, the Colombian clan is center stage in a potentially groundbreaking assault on Alzheimer’s, a plan to see if giving treatment before dementia starts can lead to preventing Alzheimer’s altogether." --cited from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/health/02alzheimers.html?pagewanted=all

Image cited  from alert.psychiatricnews.org

Intermarriages and large families have accelerated the illness and in some cases they have shown memory deteriorating at early as 40s, some even in their 30s, and by 47 they have developed the full blown Alzheimer's disease.

Now Scientists have started to conduct a study on the clan with the drug, Crenezumab, hoping to solve the mystery of Alzheimer's. "The drug, Crenezumab, attacks amyloid plaques in the brain. If it can forestall memory or cognitive problems, scientists will know that prevention or delay is possible and appears to lie in targeting amyloid years before dementia develops. Many, but not all, Alzheimer’s researchers believe amyloid is an underlying cause of Alzheimer’s." --http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/health/research/prevention-is-goal-of-alzheimers-drug-trial.html?pagewanted=1&ref=health

The study intends to prevent the Alzheimer's before it is fully developed. It is believed once the disease hit, the brain is damaged, it is almost impossible to cure it, at least at this point.

Seems like this glimpse of hope would shed some lights for the cure of Alzheimer's. This journey to find the hope to uncover the vanishing minds is indeed quite encouraging. Hope you would find this new discovery as encouraging as I am.

Come 'Like' Journey of Life page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelJourneyofLife

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Journey to Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo

We took the train from Naples all the way to Rome. After checked into our Hotel, we took a taxi straight to the Vatican.This was our second time but the girls' first time. As you know that Vatican is a country of its own.

Though its population numbers only in the few hundreds, the Vatican—home base for the Catholic Church and the pope—makes up for them with the millions who visit each year. Embraced by the arms of the colonnades of St. Peter's Square, they attend Papal Mass, marvel at St. Peter's Basilica, and savor Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling.

We joined a walking tour to visit the Vatican Museums. The seemingly endless line waiting for entry here can be intimidating, but the reward—a vast collection of masterpieces, including the Raphael Rooms—make it worth it. The agony, not the ecstasy, of it all is summed up in Michelangelo's sublime Last Judgment and Sistine ceiling.
 
We entered the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Frescoes. - Last Judgement - was definitely masterpiece indeed! It was really impressive.

Images from northrup.org

We would not miss the infamous St. Peter's Basilica. The Pieta and Dome from Michelangelo -Tomb of St. Peter - Bernini's Baldacchino - View of Pope's Residence, St Peter's Square and more.--They were equally awe-striking!

Every year, millions of pilgrims flock to the world's most important Catholic church, as art lovers marvel at Michelangelo's cupola, Bernini's papal altar, and the vast nave. The burial site of its namesake, St. Peter's took such Italian masterminds as Raphael and Bramante more than a century to complete.
After we were done with the Vatican, we bought a few souvenirs along with postcards. We then decided to write something for us to remember and sent them from Vatican to home. 

Property of yaymicro.com

We had dinner at nearby where the Castel Sant'Angelo is located while waiting for it to open. The girls had so much fun playing the hockey game. 

Finally the time we had been waiting had finally arrived. As we stood in line waiting to get in. We took few photos of the surrounding area. It had the great view of the Tiber river. We were lucky to catch the sunset over the Tiber river. Check out our photo. It is fabulous! 

Thought to give you a little bit of overview of the castle. This castle, originally constructed as a mausoleum for Roman emperor Hadrian, this cylindrical building, which towers over the city's skyline, alternately served as a fortress, a castle, and papal prison.

Images from devwijewardane.blogspot.com

By the AD 2nd century, the Imperial tomb that Augustus had built along the Tiber was nearly full of emperors and their families. The Emperor Hadrian decided to start over and build himself a grand new tomb across the river in AD 130, and every emperor from Hadrian to Septimius Severus was interred inside. 

The tomb was a massive round structure, which it turned out made a great base for fortifications, and by the Middle Ages the tomb had gradually become Rome's greatest castle, and eventually, the papal military stronghold.
We took the walk along the massive brick cylinder is connected to the Vatican by a raised viaduct, its tunnel once used by troops and the pope to spirit back and forth in secrecy and safety. 

Please let me out!!!

How was the journey? Did you enjoy it? If you ever visit the Castel Sant'Angelo, please don't let that girl out ... :-)

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Misophonia: “Hatred of Sound”

Do you ever find it is hard to tolerate everyday sounds such as  chewing, coughing, even breathing ? Most of us, would be able to tolerate even though we may find them annoying. Some of us don't even notice or care. But for those suffered rare and not curable disease called, Misophonia, --hatred of sound, can find this intolerable to the point of feeling anxious, distressed, and violent --according to abc.com

"For 19-year-old Emma Riehl, attending her college classes is a form of torture. But she doesn’t blame the subject matter or the homework." --Instead sounds such as sniffling and chewing. She find those sounds quite intrusive and make it hard for her to remain in the same room. "Unlike people who find these noises merely irritating, people with misophonia have an extreme reaction that often leads to lives of isolation."

Image from globeedia.blogspot.com

When I first heard about this in the radio yesterday morning, I thought to myself, this is weird... I never even thought about this. I wonder if this is a psychological thinking or actually a neurological defect. But according to researcher, though not enough evident yet, it is potentially a neurological defect.

I thought to share this finding with all of you and if you find yourself or any of your loved ones suffering from these sounds. Please watch “20/20″ Friday at 10 p.m. ET.

Any thought to share?

If you enjoy my blogs, would you come 'Like' me on my FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelJourneyofLife --Thank you!


Scratching my head,
Journey of Life

Practical Intelligence

Have you ever heard of "practical intelligence?"--To pyschologist, Robert Sternberg, practical intelligence includes things like "knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect."

My pepper posses some kind of charm where she can talk her way out. One time when she was at the piano, CM, test. She could wiggle words out from the evaluator to hint her how she did at the test. She would talk to me in such a way that prep my mind to accept whatever she was about to say. --She wasn't born like this for sure.

I recalled when Pepper was younger, she would cry and threw temper tantrum if she didn't agree with us or she didn't get whatever she wanted. And she is the kind of child that would always push her limits. I stood my ground--unless the girls could-convince me! Remember, I am not easily convinced. Somehow those encounter sparked her practical intelligence, if you may.

Image from blog.lib.umn.edu

According to Gladwell, author of Outliers, " It is procedural: it is about knowing how to do something without necessarily knowing why you know it or being able to explain it. It's practical in nature: that is, it's not knowledge for its own sake. It's knowledge that helps you read situations correctly and get what you want. And, critically, it is a kind of intelligence separate from the sort of analytical ability measured by IQ. To use the technical term, general intelligence and practical intelligence are "orthogonal":the presence of one doesn't imply the presence of the other.

We see these all the times where some people always able to convince others easier and get what they want and somehow for whatever situations they may be in, they always manage to get out of them easier. They posses the charm --practical intelligence. And for the rest of us, who are quite intelligent, IQ wise, but not practically intelligent, we may find it harder to squirm ourselves out for many situations. But luckily this social savvy is knowledge --can be learned and normally unintentional trained by our families.

Annette Lareau, sociologist, conducted a fascinating study of group taken from two different classes, poor, middle/upper class. To her surprised that children from middle class own the most 'practical intelligence' --middle-class children learn a sense of "entitlement." --Parents from middle-class family tend to let their children negotiate, involved in conversation, speak for themselves, own their own problems.

It is still not too late ... if we find our children lack of the so called, practical intelligence, we still have a lot of chance to tend them--after all they need to posses both intelligence to be successful in this society.

Do you agree with Gladwell, Lareau and Sternberg that we should enhance our practical intelligence to be successful? 

If you enjoy my blogs, would you come 'Like' me on my FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelJourneyofLife --Thank you!

Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Threshold in Intelligence

I once wrote Motivation and Us, where I have mentioned that "Self motivation! Without it, even a gifted child can perform less than one! In fact, I was told that there are plenty of gifted children that aren't doing well in this world and some parents considered gifted is a curse!"

Now I have learned something new about being gifted, so called, higher IQ. --IQ is a lot like height in basketball, according to a British psychologist Liam Hudson. Basically you need to be a t least a certain height to play at the NBA level, and the same true of intelligence. Intelligence has a threshold. Basically, what both Hudson and Gladwell from Outliers were saying that once you are in the threshold of having IQ from 130 and above--there is no much difference. And you don't have to have the highest IQ to win the Nobel prize.

Image from sciencedaily.com

Gladwell analyzed schools that have produced Nobel Prize winners and discovered that they were not only from the schools like Stanford, Harvard or Yale but also from any school even the less elite ones. In order to be a Nobel Prize winner, all you have to do is to be smart enough to get into College. "This is a radical idea, isn't it," the author asked.

Another drastic example Gladwell has given in his book Outliers was about The University of Michigan law school. Like any elite schools, the university has given 10% of his admission allocation to member of racial minorities due to the policy of affirmation action. The school decided to tally up some statistic on the students admitted solely based on policy of affirmation action. They wanted to understand how successful were these students compared to the Termites--based on their intelligence. --a phrase introduce by Lewis Terman, professor of psychology at Stanford University for gifted individuals. He believed that these Termites were destined to be the future elite of the United States. To the university's surprised that those law school's minority students did extremely well --They're just as successful. There was no discrepancy.

"We have seen," Terman conclude, with more than a touch of disappointment, "that intellect and achievement are far from perfectly correlated."

Aside from intelligence, there is a creativity. Now take the following sample of 'divergence test.' and ask yourself and/or your children. Write down as many different uses that you can think of for the following objects:
1. a brick
2. a blanket
If your answers simply lie between the conventional usage of both items. Think again! Think about what are their usages when you have nothing but those items. --Now you know ...

I really enjoy writing this part of blog as much as I enjoy reading the Outlier. --Simply mind boggling!

If you enjoy my blogs, would you come 'Like' me on my FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelJourneyofLife --Thank you!


Thank you for walking with me on this journey ...
Journey of Life

Nature walk ...

Time flies ... She decided to show up in my tummy one day and then presented herself as a gift on Mother's Day. Can you imagine the feeling that I had on that day? --A gift was sent to me on the day that I was 'born' as her mother! As she celebrated her birthday, it was mine too. I have always had a soft spot with her. Not sure because she is the youngest, or the fact that she is my Mother's Day gift, or perhaps the way she is... --cuddly, innocent, more like little stuffed human.

Each year for her BD, I have searched far and beyond on what things that would be fun for her. See, if my memory served me well ...We did parrot show, gymboree, Invited Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Snow White, Art-and Craft @ local art place, Horse riding, and series of in house custom parties with sleep-over. But the best was this time where we took the girls for the treasure hunt at the local open-space park. --Nature hunt.

Speaking of Nature, our family loves walking in the nature. Ever since our girls were young, we often take a walk nearby our neighborhood as we are lucky that our neighborhood still feel like the woods. We can still spot many deers especially during spring time where the fawns are wondering around with their mother. Occasionally we would sight some bucks as well. Or we would stray a few miles further where we could see some people are fishing at the reservoir. The trail nearby the reservoir and its park are quite a walk as it provided cooler feeling with its creek.

Image courtesy of flickr.com

In fact according to researchers that connecting with nature inducing both healthier mind and body. They also believe that getting in touch with nature will rejuvenate children's brains preparing them to be ready for the next challenge. When they are out in the nature, all the senses get triggered. They are involved in something grander then themselves. Nowadays between iPhone, iPad and computer screen, the kids have seemed to lost their senses.

Hope you enjoy this little visit with nature walk along with my girl's BD and be inspired to do your own nature walk with your children. According to Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, urges us to take a second look at getting our kids in touch with nature. 

If you enjoy my blogs, would you come 'Like' me on my FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelJourneyofLife --Thank you!


Have you walked in the nature lately?
Until next stop,
Journey of Life

Happy Mother's Day!

The world is celebrating on Sunday. Why? The very day to recognize that a mother has been born. Like Rajneesh once said, “The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new. “

And I like to dedicate this blog to each and every one of that special woman who has become a mother. Today is your day! --And you rock!

Before I ask you to take me on a journey to meet that very special woman in your life, I would like to take your hands with me and meet the most incredible woman in my life. The woman who gives me the best gift ever –life.

My parents

She was eighteen when she married to  the most wonderful man in the world –my father. They live their lives to the fullest where they were blessed with six children –three boys and three girls. She tenderly attended all of her children while assisting her husband in their business. Unfortunately, just like any party that would end, she lost her husband to cancer when she was forty two years old. –What an age to be a window!

Never once crossed her mind to pursue another marriage, instead she had determined to devote the rest of her life and love to each and every one of her children. One by one she sent her children abroad to study and she paid for every single penny hoping her children would start their lives with debt-free. Many years of hardships and countless heartache, yet, she stood tall and still smiling. She admired all of the achievements that her children have accomplished. She has produced two business owners, three engineers and one founder for a startup and currently pursuing an elite MBA from Harvard. 

Smiling and feeling contented with her misty eyes, she murmured to her deceased husband, “Aren’t you proud of me? I have done it! Your (Our) children have grown up beautifully. Not only they have their own lives but also they are very successful. I hope you are feeling as complacent as I am today.” --Isn't she wonderful?

I hope you enjoyed this journey that I am taking you as much you have enjoyed your own journey traveling to meet you own special woman in your life.

--"For the hand that rocks the cradle - Is the hand that rules the world” --  William Ross Wallace quotes.

If you enjoy my blogs, would you come 'Like' me on my FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelJourneyofLife --Thank you!

Tell me ya ...about that special woman in your life ...

Happy Mother's day!

Journey of Life

Does the brain ever stop growing?

From the moment when we hold that baby, we know she would grow and someday she would surpass us perhaps in both intellectual and physical appearance. But, do we ever pay attention to how their brains grow? –The hidden gem that keeps on growing … Arguable, it is the most important organ in our body. Without it, we can’t communicate/socialize or even making sense of anything.

Now thru MRI scans, Scientist can analyze how a brain is developing from the day we are born up until we are turning into a young adult.—Twenty one and counting …

Image courtesy of pbs.org

Have you ever wondered why kids can learn new languages so fast and they could master many different languages at young age? In fact in elementary/middle school, I was able to speak five different languages fluently. And I didn’t have any problem switching between one language to another in the blink of eyes. Then in my high school year, I learned another language and managed to speak it fluently. While I was in College and thru my young adult time, I added three more languages under my belts. At one point of my life, I was able to speak 10 languages –Not perfect but I could carry conversation in those languages.

Now as I aged and didn’t have much time to practice. I started to lose the speaking part even though I could still make out some of them thru listening. –Some I managed to totally lost them. Ever wonder why?

According to Scientists, the area of the brain controlling language development is still immature at the age of 6 years old and will continue to grow through age 10. –This is why learning new language is much easier during our young age, as we get older, they have eliminating the redundant neural links. --cited from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/09/15/health/20080915-brain-development.html

I love this little visit and learn about our own brains. Only if we stop learning then our brain will stop growing.

If you enjoy my blogs, would you come 'Like' me on my FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/AngelJourneyofLife --Thank you!

Keep on exercising your brain so it would never stop growing ...

Until next stop,

Journey of Life