my favourite street food in Hanoi
-
bún thang – one of Hanoi signature noodle soups – end of Hạ Hồi street ốc
luộc – boiled snails – Đinh Liệt/ Hàm Long bún ốc – snail noodle soup the
traditi...
Breathing & Playing
Showing posts with label how to live a life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to live a life. Show all posts
Sunday, February 19, 2012
like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on
And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Benjamin Button: My name is Benjamin Button, and I was born under unusual circumstances. While everyone else was agin', I was gettin' younger... all alone.
[from trailer]
Daisy - Age 7: Are you sick?
Benjamin Button: They said I was gonna die soon but, maybe not.
Daisy - Age 7: You're odd.
Daisy - Age 7: Are you sick?
Benjamin Button: They said I was gonna die soon but, maybe not.
Daisy - Age 7: You're odd.
Benjamin Button: I was thinking how nothing lasts, and what a shame that is.
Daisy: Some things last.
Daisy: Some things last.
Daisy: Would you still love me if I were old and saggy?
Benjamin Button: Would you still love ME if I were young and had acne? When I'm afraid of what's under the bed? Or if I end up wetting the bed?
Benjamin Button: Would you still love ME if I were young and had acne? When I'm afraid of what's under the bed? Or if I end up wetting the bed?
Thomas Button: [runs upstairs to see Caroline and his newborn but sees a room full of people and Caroline bleeding. Soon, the pastor enters the room] What are you doing here?
Dr. Rose: Thomas. It's Caroline. She's going to die.
Thomas Button: No. No, I want all of you out! Get away from her!
[runs to Caroline and takes her hand]
Thomas Button: I'm here. I came as soon as I could. The streets were wild. The war is over, Carrie.
Caroline Button: [whispers] Promise me he'll have a place.
Thomas Button: [confused] I... I promise.
[Caroline draws her last breath and dies]
Dr. Rose: Thomas. It's Caroline. She's going to die.
Thomas Button: No. No, I want all of you out! Get away from her!
[runs to Caroline and takes her hand]
Thomas Button: I'm here. I came as soon as I could. The streets were wild. The war is over, Carrie.
Caroline Button: [whispers] Promise me he'll have a place.
Thomas Button: [confused] I... I promise.
[Caroline draws her last breath and dies]
Benjamin Button: It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you.
Benjamin Button: What if I told you that instead of gettin' older, I was gettin' younger than everybody else?
Mr. Daws: Did I ever tell you I was struck by lightning seven times? Once when I was in the field, just tending to my cows:
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Mr. Daws: Did I ever tell you I been struck by lightning seven times? Once when I was just sittin' in my truck just minding my own business:
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Benjamin Button: Sometimes we're on a collision course, and we just don't know it. Whether it's by accident or by design, there's not a thing we can do about it. A woman in Paris was on her way to go shopping, but she had forgotten her coat - went back to get it. When she had gotten her coat, the phone had rung, so she'd stopped to answer it; talked for a couple of minutes. While the woman was on the phone, Daisy was rehearsing for a performance at the Paris Opera House. And while she was rehearsing, the woman, off the phone now, had gone outside to get a taxi. Now a taxi driver had dropped off a fare earlier and had stopped to get a cup of coffee. And all the while, Daisy was rehearsing. And this cab driver, who dropped off the earlier fare; who'd stopped to get the cup of coffee, had picked up the lady who was going to shopping, and had missed getting an earlier cab. The taxi had to stop for a man crossing the street, who had left for work five minutes later than he normally did, because he forgot to set off his alarm. While that man, late for work, was crossing the street, Daisy had finished rehearsing, and was taking a shower. And while Daisy was showering, the taxi was waiting outside a boutique for the woman to pick up a package, which hadn't been wrapped yet, because the girl who was supposed to wrap it had broken up with her boyfriend the night before, and forgot.
Benjamin Button: When the package was wrapped, the woman, who was back in the cab, was blocked by a delivery truck, all the while Daisy was getting dressed. The delivery truck pulled away and the taxi was able to move, while Daisy, the last to be dressed, waited for one of her friends, who had broken a shoelace. While the taxi was stopped, waiting for a traffic light, Daisy and her friend came out the back of the theater. And if only one thing had happened differently: if that shoelace hadn't broken; or that delivery truck had moved moments earlier; or that package had been wrapped and ready, because the girl hadn't broken up with her boyfriend; or that man had set his alarm and got up five minutes earlier; or that taxi driver hadn't stopped for a cup of coffee; or that woman had remembered her coat, and got into an earlier cab, Daisy and her friend would've crossed the street, and the taxi would've driven by. But life being what it is - a series of intersecting lives and incidents, out of anyone's control - that taxi did not go by, and that driver was momentarily distracted, and that taxi hit Daisy, and her leg was crushed.
Benjamin Button: When the package was wrapped, the woman, who was back in the cab, was blocked by a delivery truck, all the while Daisy was getting dressed. The delivery truck pulled away and the taxi was able to move, while Daisy, the last to be dressed, waited for one of her friends, who had broken a shoelace. While the taxi was stopped, waiting for a traffic light, Daisy and her friend came out the back of the theater. And if only one thing had happened differently: if that shoelace hadn't broken; or that delivery truck had moved moments earlier; or that package had been wrapped and ready, because the girl hadn't broken up with her boyfriend; or that man had set his alarm and got up five minutes earlier; or that taxi driver hadn't stopped for a cup of coffee; or that woman had remembered her coat, and got into an earlier cab, Daisy and her friend would've crossed the street, and the taxi would've driven by. But life being what it is - a series of intersecting lives and incidents, out of anyone's control - that taxi did not go by, and that driver was momentarily distracted, and that taxi hit Daisy, and her leg was crushed.
Benjamin Button: [Voice over; letter to his daughter] For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
Mrs. Maple: Benjamin, we're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?
Benjamin Button: You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.
Mr. Daws: Did I ever tell you I been struck by lightning seven times? Once when I was repairing a leak on the roof.
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Mr. Daws: Once I was just crossing the road to get the mail.
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Mr. Daws: Once, I was walking my dog down the road.
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Mr. Daws: Blinded in one eye; can't hardly hear. I get twitches and shakes out of nowhere; always losing my line of thought. But you know what? God keeps reminding me I'm lucky to be alive.
[sniffles]
Mr. Daws: Storm's comin'.
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Mr. Daws: Once I was just crossing the road to get the mail.
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Mr. Daws: Once, I was walking my dog down the road.
[brief footage of a man getting struck by lightning]
Mr. Daws: Blinded in one eye; can't hardly hear. I get twitches and shakes out of nowhere; always losing my line of thought. But you know what? God keeps reminding me I'm lucky to be alive.
[sniffles]
Mr. Daws: Storm's comin'.
Benjamin Button: Momma? Momma? Some days, I feel different than the day before.
Queenie: Everyone feels different about themselves one way or another, but we all goin' the same way.
Queenie: Everyone feels different about themselves one way or another, but we all goin' the same way.
Benjamin Button: Some nights, I'd have to sleep alone. I didn't mind, I would listen to the house breathin'. All those people sleepin'. I felt...safe.
Daisy: And in the spring, 2003, he looked at me. And I knew, that he knew, who I was. And then he closed his eyes, as if to go to sleep.
[last lines]
Benjamin Button: Some people, were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people, dance.
Benjamin Button: Some people, were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people, dance.
Daisy: I promise you, I'll never lose myself to self-pity again.
Benjamin Button: [while the day begins] And I think, right there and then, she realized none of us is perfect forever.
Benjamin Button: [while the day begins] And I think, right there and then, she realized none of us is perfect forever.
Elizabeth Abbott: [after she has removed her shoes and left the elevator... Benjamin give her a quizzical look] I broke a heel! I don't make it a point to walk about in my stocking feet!
Ngunda Oti: You'll see little man, plenty of times you be alone. You different like us, it's gonna be that way. But I tell you a little secret I find out. We know we alone. Fat people, skinny people, tall people, white people... they just as alone as us... but they scared shitless.
Queenie: [talking to infant] You as ugly as an old pot, but you still a child of God...
Benjamin Button: It's funny how sometimes the people we remember the least make the greatest impression on us.
Captain Mike: Why is it when you showed up you were no bigger than a pollard with one foot in the grave. Now, either I drank a hell of a lot more than I think I did, or you spry'd up. What's your secret?
Benjamin Button: Well captain, you *did* drink a lot.
Benjamin Button: Well captain, you *did* drink a lot.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Challenge of the Week!
Hey all!
We hope you had a great thanksgiving break! This week's challenge is to have a quality conversation with someone you live with (or someone close to you) over a cup of coffee.
Make it a great week!
-The OurKindness Crew
We hope you had a great thanksgiving break! This week's challenge is to have a quality conversation with someone you live with (or someone close to you) over a cup of coffee.
Make it a great week!
-The OurKindness Crew
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Jumpstart your day (the night before) – an evening routine
Not long ago, I talked about the importance of a morning routine … it’s a great way to incorporate your goals into each day, at the beginning of the day. This is a beautiful time of day, when all is quiet and the world sleeps.
But there’s another part of the day that I love, and that can have great benefits for you at a cost of only 10-30 minutes each day: the time right before you go to sleep.
If you’re following my advice on how to become an early riser (and if not, try it out!), then you are going to be earlier, and perhaps reading yourself to sleep, so you won’t be so tired in the morning. Well, just 10-30 minutes before you go to bed, try going through an evening routine that can make a huge difference for your morning.
Each person’s evening routine will be different, but here’s a sample routine that’s based on something I’ve been trying, with some good ideas that most people can use:
- pack lunch (for yourself and the kids)
- get your clothes (and other gear) ready
- check your calendar
- plan your MITs
- review your day
- wash any dishes, clean the counters
- pick up so that you’re greeted with a clean house in the morning
- set your alarm
- read yourself to sleep
You will of course modify this to fit your needs, but you can see some of the most important elements: you’re cleaning up so that the house is beautifully clean when you awake, you are reviewing your day and planning for the next, and you are prepping your stuff for the next day so you don’t have to do it in the morning.
Create your evening routine today and get a jump start on tomorrow!
http://zenhabits.net/jumpstart-your-day-night-before-evening/
How I Became an Early Riser
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.
I’ve found that waking early has been one of the best things I’ve done as I’ve changed my life recently, and I thought I’d share my tips. I just posted about my morning routine, and thought you might like to know how I get up at 4:30 a.m.
For many years, I was a late riser. I loved to sleep in. Then things changed, because I had to wake up between 6-6:30 a.m. to fix my kids’ lunches and get them ready for school. But last year, when I decided to train for my first marathon, I decided that I needed to start running in the mornings if I was to have any time left for my family.
So, I set out to make waking up early a habit. I started by getting up at 5:30 a.m., then at 5 a.m. When that became a habit, and I had to wake up at 4 a.m. or 3:30 a.m. for an early long run, it wasn’t a problem. And last November, when I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo, I decided to get up at 4 a.m. to write for at least an hour a day. Now that I completed that novel-writing goal, I don’t need to wake that early anymore, but have settled on a happy compromise of waking at 4:30 a.m. Some days, when I’m really tired (if I go to sleep late), I’ll wake at 5:00 or 5:30, but that’s still earlier than I used to wake up.
Here are my tips for becoming an early riser:
- Don’t make drastic changes. Start slowly, by waking just 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Get used to this for a few days. Then cut back another 15 minutes. Do this gradually until you get to your goal time.
- Allow yourself to sleep earlier. You might be used to staying up late, perhaps watching TV or surfing the Internet. But if you continue this habit, while trying to get up earlier, sooner or later one is going to give. And if it is the early rising that gives, then you will crash and sleep late and have to start over. I suggest going to bed earlier, even if you don’t think you’ll sleep, and read while in bed. If you’re really tired, you just might fall asleep much sooner than you think.
- Put your alarm clock far from you bed. If it’s right next to your bed, you’ll shut it off or hit snooze. Never hit snooze. If it’s far from your bed, you have to get up out of bed to shut it off. By then, you’re up. Now you just have to stay up.
- Go out of the bedroom as soon as you shut off the alarm. Don’t allow yourself to rationalize going back to bed. Just force yourself to go out of the room. My habit is to stumble into the bathroom and go pee. By the time I’ve done that, and flushed the toilet and washed my hands and looked at my ugly mug in the mirror, I’m awake enough to face the day.
- Do not rationalize. If you allow your brain to talk you out of getting up early, you’ll never do it. Don’t make getting back in bed an option.
- Allow yourself to sleep in once in awhile. Despite what I just said in the previous point, once in awhile it’s nice to sleep in. As long as it’s not a regular thing. I do it maybe once a week or so.
- Make waking up early a reward. Yes, it might seem at first that you’re forcing yourself to do something hard, but if you make it pleasurable, soon you will look forward to waking up early. My reward used to be to make a hot cup of coffee and read a book. I’ve recently cut out coffee, but I still enjoy reading my book. Other rewards might be a tasty treat for breakfast (smoothies! yum!) or watching the sunrise, or meditating. Find something that’s pleasurable for you, and allow yourself to do it as part of your morning routine.
- Take advantage of all that extra time. Don’t wake up an hour or two early just to read your blogs, unless that’s a major goal of yours. Don’t wake up early and waste that extra time. Get a jump start on your day! I like to use that time to get a head start on preparing my kids’ lunches, on planning for the rest of the day (when I set my MITs), on exercising or meditating, and on reading. By the time 6:30 rolls around, I’ve done more than many people do the entire day.
- Enjoy the break of dawn! As much as you can, look outside (or better yet, get outside!) and watch the sky turn light. It’s beautiful. And it’s quiet and peaceful. It’s now my favorite time of day. Getting up early is a reward in itself for me.
My Story
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.
Many of my new readers (welcome new readers!) have been wondering, after reading some of my posts on how to achieve your goals, and how to save money or exercise or wake up early … what exactly are my qualifications?
My answer is that I have no formal qualifications. I am not an expert, or a doctor, or a coach. I haven’t made millions of dollars and I’m not the world’s greatest athlete.
All I am is a regular guy, a father of six kids, a husband, a writer. But I have accomplished a lot over the last couple of years (and failed a lot) and along the way, I have learned a lot.
Here’s what I’ve done since December 2005, when I began to make changes in my life (this is going to sound like bragging, so forgive me, please):
- Quit smoking (on Nov. 18, 2005). Really the change that set all the other changes in motion. Quitting smoking taught me a lot about changing habits and accomplishing goals, and all the elements needed to make this successful. I had tried and failed to quit smoking before, and when I was successful this time, I analyzed it and learned from it and was inspired by my success. Success can breed success, if you take advantage of it.
- Became a runner. In order to relieve stress without smoking, I took up running. I started out by running about half a mile, heavily winded after doing so. I slowly built up my distance and within a month was running my first 5K. Soon after, I was so into running that I decided to run my first marathon.
- Ran a marathon. About a year after I started running, I completed my first marathon. I didn’t do it very fast, but I did it. It had always been one of my lifetime goals, and completing it was one of the very best things I’ve ever done. I hope to run many more, and recommend it to everyone.
- Began waking early. In order to get my running in, I decided to start waking early. I did it slowly, and once I began waking early, I began to discover the joys of the quiet morning hours. I get so much more done in the morning — not work, but working on my goals.
- Became organized. In early 2006, I discovered GTD. It was like waking up after a long sleep. I learned how to keep my files in order, how to stay on top of my paperwork, to be organized at home and work. I’m not perfect, but I’m much, much improved over how I was before.
- Began eating healthy. As a runner, and someone with the goal of losing weight, I decided I needed to eat healthier. I began cutting back on unhealthy things like fried and salty and sweet foods. I ate leaner poultry and fish, more fruits and veggies, more whole grains. It felt great!
- Became a vegan. In August 2006, I decided to become vegan. I first cut out meat, and then slowly transitioned to a 99% vegan diet. I don’t drink milk or eat eggs. Now, I am vegan most days, with some days when I have little choice but to eat cheese or something with traces of milk products. I hope to be 100% by the end of this year. I am eating healthier than ever before.
- Doubled my income. I was only working as a free-lancer for most of 2005, and wasn’t making enough to support my family, looking back on it. I got a job and continued free-lancing and effectively doubled my take-home by working two jobs (while still having time for exercise and my family).
- Wrote a novel. I participated in NaNoWriMo 2006, and completed 50,000 words in November 2006 for my novel. Actually, I still need to finish the ending and revise it, but achieving my goal of 50,000 words was awesome.
- Took control of my finances. This is related to doubling my income, of course, but I stopped living paycheck-to-paycheck and learned how to stick to my budget, spend less, save and pay off debts.
- Began eliminating my debt. I started with some smaller bills at the beginning of last year, and paid off several of them by the end of the year. This year, I am doing even better, and plan to pay off my credit card by summer and car by the end of 2007.
- Began saving an emergency fund. One of the smartest financial moves I’ve ever made. If you don’t have one, start today! My emergency fund is still smaller than I’d like, but at least it’s something. I continue to contribute to it each payday and within a few months it will be fairly healthy and I can begin to save for other things.
- Simplified my life. I have become fairly frugal, and have reduced a lot of clutter in my life. A little at a time, gradually getting better, but I’m pretty happy with the simplicity of my house and the rest of my life.
- Cleared my inbox and desk and kept them that way. I credit this to learning the principles of GTD. My inbox is always clear, and so is my desk. It is lovely!
- Lost weight. I’ve lost about 30 pounds so far, and would like to lose another 20-30. My goal is to have a flat stomach by the end of 2007.
- Began training for a triathlon. My goal this year is to complete an Olympic-distance triathlon. To that end, I have been taking swimming lessons and have started to learn to ride a bike.
- Began commuting to work by bike. I just started this a few weeks ago, and only do it once or twice a week, but I hope to gradually increase to doing it 4-5 times a week. I am saving gas, helping the environment, being frugal, simplifying my life and getting great exercise all in one move!
- Began the habit of clean-as-you-go, keeping my house clean all the time. I clean my kitchen sink every time I use it, and keep the counters and table clean. I clean my bathroom sink and toilet and shower every time I use it. I pick up after the kids as I go. I make sure the house is clean before I leave, and before I go to bed, so it’s clean when I wake up. It’s a simple way of keeping your house clean, and I recommend it heartily.
- Added: Started Zen Habits and made it a top blog within a year. Today, Zen Habits has over 100K subscribers and was named one of the Top 25 blogs by Time Magazine.
- Added: Started a second blog, Write To Done, for writers and bloggers. It now has more than 10K subscribers and is one of the Top 10 blogs for writers.
- Added:Wrote the No. 1 best-selling productivity ebook, Zen To Done. Has been bought and downloaded by tens of thousands of readers.
- Added: Wrote a best-selling print book, The Power of Less. My book made the best-selling list on Amazon.com, and is in bookstores around the country. Read more.
- Added: Started a third blog, mnmlist, about minimalism. Has well over 6,000 subscribers already.
- Completed NaNoWriMo for the 2nd time, writing 108,000 words in a novel in 30 days in November 2009.
- Gave up my car in the summer of 2010. These days my family walks or takes mass transit, and we’re also starting to take up bicycling.
That sounds like a lot, and looking back on it, it is. But I didn’t tackle it all at once, and by building on and learning from each previous success, I was able to achieve each new challenge I set before myself. And I had a blast doing it (and still do).
Now, I have no claims to perfection. I fail all the time, on a daily basis. But I don’t let it stop me. Maybe I didn’t run today. But that doesn’t mean I won’t run tomorrow, and it won’t stop me from achieving my goal. And there’s still a lot of things I’d like to achieve, habits I’d like to change, and hope to change this year and in the coming years. But so far, I’m pretty happy with myself.
How have I done all this? No magic tricks, no special amount of determination or dedication. Simple methods, the stuff I talk about on this site, and stuff that I’m still learning to perfect and probably never will.
It is a journey, with no destination, that we are on, my friends. Join me. Together, we’ll accomplish a lot and have fun along the way.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Could you stay silent for eight days?
Turn off your mobile phone.
Switch off the television, forget about checking your computer (after reading this article of course), turn off the hi-fi, shut the windows and stop the dishwasher and the washing machine for a moment.
What do you hear?
Nothing? How uncomfortable has that made you feel?
From the noise of the text message alert to the Skype conversation, modern communication tools have made switching off nearly impossible. It seems as though every minute of every day is spent catching up with what other people are doing.
As an example, there are 130 working mobiles for every 100 people in the UK.
And the world seems to just be getting louder. Research done by Sheffield Hallam University showed that Sheffield City Centre was twice as loud in 2001 as it was in 1991.
When outside, the roads are getting busier - 3.5m more people are expected to own driving licences by 2020 according to the Department for Transport - and for those using public transport each evening, the rail traveller is told exactly where the train is destined for at each station, while the sound of someone else's music player invades the quiet of the carriage between stops.
Continue reading the main story 
“Start Quote
End Quote Volunteer CarrieI found silence quite frightening because I didn't know what it was going to bring up”
There seems to be no escape.
Maybe then, it is no surprise that some people want to get away. Five people volunteered to be sent to a Jesuit retreat for eight days where they agreed to remain entirely silent except for a meeting lasting one hour each day.
"If you go back 200 years into a rural society, people would see being quiet as normal. Now, it's as if people have acquired an aversion to silence," says Father Christopher Jamison, who organises retreats at Worth Abbey in West Sussex.
"There's an element of fear about missing something if we're not plugged in."
And Father Christopher says it is a different world from the days before television and radio news when people had to wait for the morning paper to find out the news.
The volunteers were taken first to Worth Abbey for a weekend of reflection before being taken to the St Beuno's Jesuit Spirituality Centre in north Wales.
So who would choose to cut themselves off from the world?
Continue reading the main story
Find out more
- Episode two of The Big Silence is on BBC Two, at 1900 BST on Friday 29 October
"I worked in the media for 15 years, and was this television junkie," says Jon Treanor, one of the people taking part.
Twice-divorced Jon is 55 years old and runs his own business consultancy company. He rarely spent time on his own and was, in his own words, "anti-religious" when he started the project.
"The whole thing is frightening to start with, daunting and sometimes boring but it's like coming off a drug, coming down from something and you have to get used to it."
Noisy neighboursSilence has for so long been linked to some form of spirituality - space which allows deeper thinking and reflection. Certain orders of monks show dedication to their faith by taking vows of silence. Other orders, such as Trappist monks, are discouraged from "idle chatter" and will only speak when it is deemed necessary.
At the retreat, absolutely no talking is allowed except for a one-hour counselling session a day, and recording a short diary on tape.
Perhaps understandably, with the increase in noise, more and more people are finding themselves on the receiving end of noise pollution.
According to a recent study by Electrolux, 10 million people in Europe move home each year because of problems with noise.
Continue reading the main story 
Five steps to greater wellbeing
- Connect with others - making links with other people is vital to mental health.
- Be active and try to keep fit - There is a close relationship between physical health and mental health.
- Take notice of surroundings - a mindful engagement with the world is important.
- Learn something new every day - It's very important to keep our minds active and growing, even if it's just Googling something we heard on the radio.
- Give to neighbours and communities - People who give time and energy to other people seem to have higher levels of wellbeing
And the damage is not only to health, but to the economy as well. The Interdepartmental Group on Costs and Benefits report estimates that noise pollution costs the UK economy between £7bn and £10bn each year.
This figure comprises annoyance to the public, adverse health effects and loss of productivity.
And with everyone getting louder, this silence - or not communicating for any length of time - has become even more of a sacred commodity.
A recent study by Nielsen found that US teenagers are, on average, sending or receiving 3,339 text messages a month, more than six for every hour they are awake.
So it seems staying silent for eight minutes could be a challenge, never mind eight days.
"I actually thought I was going to spontaneously combust for about two days at the beginning," says Carrie Lloyd, another volunteer.
"I thought it would physically injure me being silent for that long."
Carrie is 29 and is on sabbatical from a job as head of PR for an advertising firm to write a film. She thinks she knows why so many of us fear silence.
"I found silence quite frightening because I didn't know what it was going to bring up," she says.
"We all knew we were going to face up to things we didn't want to face. I had massive belly cries, clinging-to-the-wall cries but they're actually quite cathartic. In the end, what we found out was it wasn't half as daunting as I thought it would be."
And Father Christopher believes that not having any time to yourself means that many are missing out on a vital - and maybe uncomfortable - part of life.
German research suggests that 4,000 heart attacks a year in the country are caused by traffic noise "There are whole areas of life that people have cut ourselves off from," he says,
"When we go into silence, it can be very frightening because we find the darker side of ourselves."
But recent studies suggest that noise could even be dangerous, increasing stress levels and risk of illness - the word "noise" does derive from the Latin "nausea" after all.
German research from the Federal Environmental Agency indicates that traffic noise alone is responsible for 3% of all heart attacks each year.
Brian Kristensen, of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, estimates that between 200 and 500 premature deaths each year in Denmark are due to noise.
This has led to the EU Environmental Noise Directive and the World Health Organisation developing guidelines for night noise. It is serious stuff.
Continue reading the main story
The UK Soundscape
- The least tranquil area in Britain, according to the CPRE, is Slough. (The most tranquil place in England is Northumberland)
- Eight hours of 90dB sound can cause damage to your ears. Night clubs play music between 95 and 110 decibels
- According to a traffic study of urban areas, Newcastle is the noisiest place in Britain. Torquay is the quietest
Even in the music charts, a push for silence is gathering pace. The annual race for the Christmas number one could this year have John Cage's silent composition 4'33" among the running, with the help of a Facebook campaign.
But away from the musical politics, and the fiscal and health benefits, the volunteers went through a rather different transformation.
"From my point of view, stepping out of noise is just the most amazing experience you could possibly have," says Jon.
"I think, never mind the money it costs to the economy, it's what it does to you personally in your growth. It's about what happens to you as an individual that's absolutely huge.
"You grow spiritually, you have to face yourself. You have to face who you really are and that can be quite a shock."
And while Father Christopher believes it is difficult to maintain the same level of tranquillity in everyday life - he feels he's "cheating somewhat" by living in a monastery - the volunteers have been changed by the experience.
"I was left with this overwhelming feeling of strength," says Carrie.
"I felt absolutely fearless and by the end of it, none of us wanted to leave. I wanted to keep it and didn't want noise to destroy things all over again."
You can turn your phone on again now.
The power of silence
9 November 2010 Last updated at 11:57
A record by the Royal British Legion featuring only silence is hoping to beat Take That to the number one spot this week. It reflects the immense power that - for many people - silence can wield, if only we stopped to listen.
Stop.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath.
Shut out the world around you.
Those moments when you are immersed in quietness are all too rare in today's world.
Noise pollution is a companion to modern life, with traffic, ringtones and other people's conversations providing the soundtrack to our daily routines.
But at this time of year, when the echoes of the bangs and fireworks of the calendar's noisiest festival have only just passed, it's the absence of noise that takes centre stage.
On Thursday, Armistice Day, the nation will fall silent for two minutes at 11am and recall the moment the bombs stopped in 1918. Many will also respect a silence on Sunday.
This sombre reflection is probably the most famous expression of silence in British society, and it will have an even stronger resonance this year.
This week, the Royal British Legion released a single called 2 Minute Silence, which is competing for top spot in Sunday's Top 40 with Take That's first record since their reunion, The Flood. The Legion's video features noiseless contributions from some famous figures.
The Legion's director general, Chris Simpkins, said he hoped people would appreciate the significance of the absence of sound.
"Rather than record a song, we felt the UK public would recognise the poignancy of silence and its clear association with remembrance."
But silence need not be sad or contemplative. It has many powerful functions, depending on the circumstances. Here is a selection. Add some more using the form at the foot of the page.
PROTEST
The web-based Cage Against the Machine campaign aims to put a work of silence on top of the Christmas charts.
John Cage's most famous work, entitled 4'33 and made up of three movements in which the musicians are instructed not to play their instruments, is an attempt to hold off the X Factor winner from its anticipated slot, as was achieved in 2009 by a somewhat noisier Rage Against The Machine track.
Continue reading the main story 
“Start Quote
End Quote Composer John CageThe sound experience which I prefer to all others is the experience of silence”
It may be a playful exercise, but according to Guardian classical music critic and presenter of BBC Radio 3's Music Matters Tom Service, it is fully in keeping with Cage's reasons for creating the track.
Service says the composer was, in part, reacting against post-war America's inescapable soundtrack of muzak.
Nothing, after all, is more terrifying to radio producers than the prospect of "dead air", and nor has any other musician presented a starker contrast with the noise of modern urban life.
"In the world we live in, it's really quite a subversive thing to do because you never really get silence otherwise," observes Service.
"In fact, what you're listening to isn't silence - it's background noise, and Cage is asking us to focus on it rather than block it out.
"It's a radically simple idea and it cuts across our notions of what is music. Cage Against the Machine makes perfect sense."
HEALING
On 24 February 2007, the Ireland rugby team hosted England at Dublin's Croke Park, in one of the most emotionally charged sporting fixtures in recent years.
The stadium, home to the Gaelic games, was the scene of Bloody Sunday in 1920, when British forces opened fire on the crowd watching a match, killing 14 spectators and players.
A respectful silence greeted England in Dublin There was much talk in the build-up to the match about what kind of reception England would get, and how God Save The Queen would be treated in an arena strongly associated with anti-British enmity of the past.
Writing in the Times on the day after Ireland thrashed England on the pitch, columnist Simon Barnes said the short silence before the British national anthem was so well respected, and emotional, that it was transformative for the Irish nation.
"It [the national anthem] was preceded by a silence that was almost reverent - not in respect of the sentiments of that terse and tuneless ditty but because freeing oneself from the shackles of history is worth a moment's savouring.
"Then the tune was played and the England team and the 7,000 England supporters sang along, and there was not a whistle or a catcall or a boo. Why should there be? This was just sport, was it not?
"Then, extraordinarily, a round of applause; not for the song but for the silence, the palpable feeling that the end of an era was being celebrated."
WORSHIP
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
End Quote Father Christopher Jamison Worth Abbey, West SussexIf you go back 200 years into a rural society, people would see being quiet as normal. Now, it's as if people have acquired an aversion to silence”
Silence has long been recognised by religious groups as a key component of an ascetic path to spirituality, founded on a belief that denial offers spiritual focus.
The recent BBC programme The Big Silence - in which five volunteers were sent to a Jesuit retreat in for over a week, and only allowed to talk for an hour a day - brought the practice to broader attention.
In Christianity, some orders of monks take vows of silence. Others, such as Trappists, only speak when it is deemed necessary.
Hindus also have wise ascetics called munis, or silent ones.
To those who practise worship in this way, the power of keeping quiet relies on the opportunity it creates for contemplation.
Kim Nataraja of the World Community for Christian Meditation says silence offers a pointed retreat from the noise, bustle and distractions of modern society.
"We need to rediscover the power of attention and we do that through silence - the concentration that we use in prayer can be used in everyday life," she says.
"The intuitive knowledge that lives in silence helps us deal with life's surprises. If you are silent that allows you to be fully attentive to who you are."
MENACE
Pauses became such a hallmark of playwright Harold Pinter that they even get a mention in the Oxford English Dictionary under the term "Pinterism".
The Nobel prize winner made a short silence as loaded with meaning as the lines themselves, elevating it from being a gap in conversation to an important dramatic tool.
A Pinter pause - typically about 10 seconds - could convey a range of emotions. It commonly amplified a sense of menace by ratcheting up the dramatic tension in an exchange.
These silences were also capable of fear, rage, indecision or introspective trauma. Each break in dialogue, sometimes mid-sentence, became an important aspect of character.
Continue reading the main story
Pinter's pausometer
- Betrayal 140
- The Caretaker 149
- The Homecoming 224
Pinter himself said too much was made of them, but director Sir Peter Hall said the pauses in Pinter's work are all there for a reason. Three dots is hesitation, he remarked, a pause is a mundane crisis and a silence a full-blown crisis.
"Beckett started it and Harold took it over to express that which is inexpressible in a very original and particular way, and made them something which is his."
Michael Billington, theatre critic of the Guardian, says: "Pinter carefully orchestrated his plays with pauses and silences and, if you observe what he wrote, the plays acquire their own rhythm and music.
"What he disliked was productions that arbitrarily inserted pauses and sacrificed the natural moment of his dialogue."
COMMUNICATION
Silence is not just the absence of sound, it is an important way of communicating. It can denote agreement, disapproval, intimacy, power - any number of emotions and feelings.
Just like the spoken word, it fulfils the basic functions of language - the referential, interpersonal and textual - says Professor Adam Jaworski, author of The Power of Silence.
"Where it does most is in the interpersonal area. It is often associated with the negative actions of communication and implies concealment, but we often need to use it this way to protect ourselves.
"However, silence also speaks of intimacy, love and security for people. It's a hugely important role of silence. Good friends can be together and be silent, people who aren't good friends find silence uncomfortable."
Another important thing that silence communicates is power. People in authority can regulate speech and silence. They can nominate when a person talks and when they don't. Those who are subordinate often stay silent until spoken to.
RESPECT
Click to play
Watch a clip from the 2 Minute Silence video
Silence has been used as a collective show of respect for many years, but it really became part of British life in the early 20th century, says Professor Jaworski. This is probably because it was a time when national identities became very important.
Records show a period of silence in remembrance of King Edward VII, when he died in 1910. One was also held after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. But the practice of using silence to remember the dead was firmly established on 11 November 1919 - the first two-minute commemorative silence on Armistice Day.
It's thought the idea was first proposed by Australian journalist and World War I veteran, Edward George Honey. It led King George V to order a two- minute silence, saying "all locomotion should cease, so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead".
Now silence is commonly used to show respect after many high-profile deaths and tragedies. This is because it is collective, it involves everyone and can be done in unison, says Professor Jaworski.
"It is a ritual and as such provides a safe script for people to express extreme emotions. People know the conventions and know how to behave. Also, it is a way of saying 'there are no words that are fitting to say how we feel about this'."
Monday, November 1, 2010
Weekly Challange
Happy Halloween Everyone!
This week's dare is to surprise someone with a treat!
Make it a great week. Be intentional!
-The Our Kindness Crew
This week's dare is to surprise someone with a treat!
Make it a great week. Be intentional!
-The Our Kindness Crew
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Cái tượng đất nung
Để đanh lạc hướng dư luận về cái tượng nhựa, tôi mạn phép mượn cái tượng đất nung của bác NQH về treo ở đây. Hy vọng là bác không phiền lòng. Còn đây là đường dẫn về nguyên bản cái tượng NQH.
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1. Có bác hỏi tôi có tin vào “Linh Hồn” không. Hỏi vậy cũng như hỏi tôi có tin vào “Cambukachiraturukichemo” không. Tôi không hiểu cái từ đó nghĩa là gì. Làm cách nào để trực tiếp hay gián tiếp cân/đong/đo/đếm/cảm giác nó. Mô tả nó. Hỏi Aristotle có tin vào “Sóng điện từ” hay không thì ông ấy phải trả lời thế nào?
2. Một số bác cho các con số: 30-70% này, 1000 trường hợp tìm mộ này, v.v. rồi hỏi tại sao tôi lại không tin ngoại cảm.
2a. Thứ nhất, tôi không biết các con số đó ở đâu ra. Nguồn tin đó có đáng tin cậy không? Quá trình tìm kiếm lưu trữ dữ liệu thế nào? Có kiểm chứng độc lập không?
Ví dụ nhé, trong một ngành quan trọng và liên quan đến sự sống chết như Y Khoa chẳng hạn, với các quá trình peer-review chặt chẽ, vậy mà dữ liệu còn *rất* đáng ngờ nữa là các anecdotal evidence như các bạn đã viết. Xem bài này chẳng hạn. Trong khoa học, để có thể chấp nhận được một kết quả mới, kết quả đó cần phải được lập đi lập lại, kiểm chứng độc lập bởi nhiều nhóm nghiên cứu trong một thời gian dài, quy trình tìm ra kết quả phải có peer-review cẩn thận … Cái quy trình ảnh hưởng cực lớn đến kết quả. Bác nào đã làm khoa học thực nghiệm rồi thì sẽ hiểu rất rõ điều này.
2b. Thứ hai, cứ giả sử như một nhà ngoại cảm nào đó tìm được 1000 ngôi mộ thật, thử DNA đúng 100% đi. Thì cái đó có phải là bằng chứng là người đó có khả năng ngoại cảm không?
Tôi không biết. Không đủ thông tin.
Một hiện tượng có thể có nhiều nguyên nhân, tại sao các bạn lại biết là nó do khả năng ngoại cảm?
Có thể bà ấy có truy cập đến cơ sở dữ liệu (CSDL) của Quân Đội. Cho biết tên tuổi và binh đoàn của liệt sĩ, vào CSDL này tìm ra trận đánh, nghĩa trang, v.v. Dù thông tin trong CSDL không đầy đủ, tìm 10000 lần trúng 1000 lần cũng có thể chứ. Tại sao cứ phải là “ngoại cảm” (whatever that means!)
Muốn biết có phải khả năng ngoại cảm hay không thì đơn giản chỉ cần áp dụng vài ba cái blind-test.
Phép thử 1: cho một tên thật, nhưng phải đảm bảo là trong quá trình tìm mộ bà ấy không có truy cập đến nguồn thông tin nào khác. Cái qui trình rất là quan trọng.
Phép thử 2: cho một tên giả.
Phép thử 3: tìm mộ một người lính đánh thuê chết ở chiến trường Angeria chẳng hạn, chỗ nào mà mình gần chắc rằng nhà ngoại cảm không có CSDL về cả lính lẫn địa bàn. Hay là tìm lính Đức, lính Nga chết ở Siberia … Hay là “hồn” chỉ biết nói tiếng Việt?
Thực hiện blind-test mà thành công thì còn đáng tin hơn vạn lần cái con số 1000 các bạn cho ở trên.
Lần lũ lụt vừa rồi là một blind-test tuyệt hảo, vì không có CSDL nào về vị trí xe buýt cả. (Nhưng mà hỏi 10 NNC thì thế nào cũng có một NNC đoán trúng nếu một vài người trong số họ dùng common sense!)
Hoặc là, nộp đơn đáp ứng thách thức 1 triệu USD của James Randi. Vừa có tiếng (là NNC có thật), vừa có tiền (1 triệu đô).
Việt Nam không độc quyền các nhà ngoại cảm. Tiếng Anh người ta gọi nó là extra-sensory perception. Bói toán, chiêm tinh, bẻ sắt bằng mắt, ma nhập, cầu hồn, UFO, người tuyết … vân vân trên thế giới đều có tất tần tật, và có rất nhiều người tin. Chưa có ai được 1 triệu đô của James Randi cả. Trong website của James Randi có kể lại rất nhiều các câu chuyện mà họ khám phá ra nguyên nhân của các hiện tượng “siêu nhiên” như thế nào, kể cả những hiện tượng siêu nhiên xảy ra … ngay trên TV truyền trực tiếp mà bà con tin sái cổ.
Các bác cũng có thể đọc cái này từ quỹ khoa học quốc gia Hoa Kỳ (NSF). Hay đọc tạp chí Skeptical Enquirer.
3. Tôi thấy một xã hội mà quá nhiều công việc hàng ngày phải liên hệ đến “ngoại cảm”, “bói toán”, “phong thủy” … là một xã hội không khỏe mạnh. “Lao Động” và “Sáng Tạo” đi đâu mất rồi?
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Brin-Page, Zuckerberg … đã cách mạng hoá toàn bộ lịch sử nhân loại, thay đổi cách chúng ta sống, tư duy, và làm việc. Họ làm được điều đó là một phần nhờ công lao động sáng tạo ngày đêm bao nhiêu năm liền của họ và mấy trăm nghìn nhân viên phụ trợ.
Trong khi đó, …
Sĩ tử của chúng ta thì làm gì? Đi Văn Miếu lạy lạy lục lục.
Doanh nhân chúng ta làm gì? Mở hàng xem ngày xem tháng, cúng vái cái tượng đất nung. Xây nhà thì xây méo xẹo để cho “đúng hướng”, bất kể sự vô lý và hao tổn về mặt xây dựng và kiến trúc.
Lãnh đạo chịu trách nhiệm cứu hộ chúng ta làm gì? Gọi điện hỏi nhà ngoại cảm.
(Tôi không có ý trách móc bất kỳ một cá nhân cụ thể nào; ở đây đang nói đến một hiện trạng chung.)
Nó cho thấy một xã hội muốn “đi tắt đón đầu” (nhờ quỉ nhờ thần, vận mệnh may rủi), mà không tin vào khả năng lao động và sáng tạo của bản thân. Khi thất bại thì thay vì rút ra một bài học duy lý xem mình đã làm gì sai, thì lại đi đổ thừa ma ám, “khai trương sai ngày”, xây nhà không đúng hướng.
4. Tôi thật sự không có thù hằn gì với các giá trị do tôn giáo, sự duy tâm, hay việc nghiên cứu vận mệnh. Những gì còn có giá trị cho một ai đó thì còn tồn tại. Tuy nhiên, những điều này nên được dùng chính vào việc phát triển một tinh thần và thái độ sống thanh thản cho từng cá nhân (và có thể cho từng cộng đồng). Chúng rất không nên can thiệp vào những giao tiếp thường nhật của chúng ta với thế giới tự nhiên, và không nên can thiệp vào phương thức chúng ta cải thiện cuộc sống vật lý.
Muốn làm được phi thuyền bay ra vũ trụ thì đừng đi hỏi cái tượng đất nung. Hãy lao động miệt mài bằng chính năng lực tự thân.
http://thichhoctoan.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/cai-t%C6%B0%E1%BB%A3ng-d%E1%BA%A5t-nung/#more-2185
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Weekly Challange
Happy Monday!
This week's challenge is to reconnect with someone who you have lost touch with. Invite him or her for a coffee date, skype or send a sincere letter.
Have a wonderful week!
~The OurKindness Team
This week's challenge is to reconnect with someone who you have lost touch with. Invite him or her for a coffee date, skype or send a sincere letter.
Have a wonderful week!
~The OurKindness Team
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Online Volunteer opportunity alert
Help develop online fundraising campaign for Pakistan
Best regards,
Online Volunteering service
United Nations Volunteers
Bonn, Germany
E-mail: info@onlinevolunteering.org
http://www.onlinevolunteering.org
http://www.unvolunteers.org
Best regards,
Online Volunteering service
United Nations Volunteers
Bonn, Germany
E-mail: info@onlinevolunteering.org
http://www.onlinevolunteering.org
http://www.unvolunteers.org
Weekly Challange
Hey Everyone!
This week's challenge is to make a donation to an organization of your choice that supports an issue that you are passionate about.
Make it a great week!
-The OurKindness Crew
This week's challenge is to make a donation to an organization of your choice that supports an issue that you are passionate about.
Make it a great week!
-The OurKindness Crew
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Weekly Challange
Hello and happy Monday!
This week we challenge you to look for an intentional way to serve during one meal each day. For example, getting someone a refill or helping someone with their dishes, etc.
Have a wonderful week! Make someone's day!
~The OurKindness Team
This week we challenge you to look for an intentional way to serve during one meal each day. For example, getting someone a refill or helping someone with their dishes, etc.
Have a wonderful week! Make someone's day!
~The OurKindness Team
Monday, October 4, 2010
Weekly Challenge!
Hello All!
This week's challenge is to focus on holding doors for others as you enter or exit a building. This includes holding the door until the person has walked through, rather than just pushing the door open for someone. Throw in a smile and a "hello" for an extra touch!
The OurKindness Crew :)
This week's challenge is to focus on holding doors for others as you enter or exit a building. This includes holding the door until the person has walked through, rather than just pushing the door open for someone. Throw in a smile and a "hello" for an extra touch!
The OurKindness Crew :)
Monday, September 13, 2010
Challenge of the Week! :)
Hey OurKindness Folks,
This week's challenge is to write an intentional note to someone whose work is often unrecognized, such as a bus driver, janitor, dishwasher, etc.
Make it a great week! :)
This week's challenge is to write an intentional note to someone whose work is often unrecognized, such as a bus driver, janitor, dishwasher, etc.
Make it a great week! :)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Weekly Challenge
Another week and another challenge!
This week focus on performing an intentional act of kindness for someone or group of people you live with. Be creative, caring and brighten their day!
Have a great week!
~The OurKindness Crew
This week focus on performing an intentional act of kindness for someone or group of people you live with. Be creative, caring and brighten their day!
Have a great week!
~The OurKindness Crew
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Kids' Fitness for the Reluctant Child: 6 Ways to Get Kids Moving
By Catherine Holecko, About.com Guide
Help reluctant kids jump in and play.
Erica GreisSponsored Links
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With less time and space for safe outdoor activities, and more electronics competing for your child's attention, it's easy for physical play to fall by the wayside. But in today's sedentary culture, encouraging kids' fitness is more important than ever. Try this advice to help even the most reluctant child increase active play time.
First Steps to Kids' Fitness
Remember that fitness and physical play are part of a healthy lifestyle that makes you feel good. Try not to send the message that exercise is an unpleasant chore. These dos and don'ts for fun fitness will help you set a positive tone.
Be a Fitness Role Model
The number-one way to prompt your reluctant child to be more active is to be more active yourself. Take up a new sport, resume a walking or running habit, or resurrect that gym membership you've been ignoring.
Set Kids' Fitness Goals that Motivate
Many kids are motivated by rewards. Work together to come up with a set of goals for each member of the family, then plan some fun (non-food!) prizes, such as active toys you can all enjoy.
- Make Fitness Fun: 10 Top Tips
- Small-Size, Low-Cost, High-Impact Gifts
- Active Toys for the Whole Family
- Active Toys for Preschoolers
- Active Toys for School-Age Kids
Boost Kids' Self-Esteem
If your child is overweight, fitness is more important than ever--but also tougher to encourage. Try this advice to help your child feel more confident about himself and his body.
Find Fitness Activities Kids Love
Maybe your child doesn't enjoy active play because she hasn't yet found the right sport or exercise for her. Check out profiles of youth sports to get a feel for some popular favorites, and don't forget to take advantage of seasonal fun!
Fight Kids' Fitness Excuses
Bad weather or a lack of gear needn't prevent your child from getting his daily dose of active play.
OurKindness Challenge!
This week's challenge is to call someone and tell this person how much you appreciate him or her. Try to provide specific reasons.
Make it a great week and keep spreading the love! :)
-The OurKindness Crew
Make it a great week and keep spreading the love! :)
-The OurKindness Crew
Sunday, August 22, 2010
what do you want to be?
Jessica: When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like, astronauts, president... or in my case, a princess.
[the students and parents chuckle lightly]
Jessica: When we were ten, they asked again. We answered, a rock star, cowboy, or in my case, a gold medalist. But now that we're grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this. Who the hell knows?
[the other students cheer and applaud]
Jessica: This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions; this is a time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere. Fall in love... a lot. Major in philosophy, because there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind, and change it again, because nothing's permanent. So, make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask what we want to be, we won't have to guess... we'll know.
[the students and parents chuckle lightly]
Jessica: When we were ten, they asked again. We answered, a rock star, cowboy, or in my case, a gold medalist. But now that we're grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this. Who the hell knows?
[the other students cheer and applaud]
Jessica: This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions; this is a time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere. Fall in love... a lot. Major in philosophy, because there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind, and change it again, because nothing's permanent. So, make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask what we want to be, we won't have to guess... we'll know.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1325004/quotes
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