The Reader

Pocket-sized portability

When I am on the move-going back to my kampung and going outstations for my business/pleasure,I prefer to bring my things that I can put in my pockets.They are lighter,easy to pack and to carry around.Here is a photo i took of what i carried on one of my trip.

 

Lessons from chess games

  Chess anyone? 
  Originally uploaded by Adibi

First,let me let tell you that I am not a good chess player but I love to play the games.Last week, when I visited a friend, I saw this beautiful chess set on the coffee table in his lounge.It looks very expensive and I dare not ask how much. That reminds me of my own chess set at home- a plastic one that cost me less than RM20.

Way back in May,1998 I wrote a short note about my youngest son's encounter with a chess tournament. It was very stressful for me as a father cum manager. Here is the link.

On chess

Yesterday,I read some witty remarks by Dato Seri Najib , our deputy PM when he officiated the Chess Festival.May I qoute,"Once  you have  made your move, you will have to live with the consequences..".
I could not have added more wisdom to it but here is what I wrote on chess some eight years ago...

weekly_NOTEBOOK #40

"Checkmate!,thanks for the game,Dad".Ok,that is enough for to-night.I lost 2 to 1 to my 9 year-old son in three sets of chess game.

To me,it is only a game-just a board game to pass the time.It started two years ago when I bought a plastic chess set for RM17.00 and taught my 7 years old son then how to play chess. We continue to play the games just for the fun of it.Now,everyone of us (three children and one adult) in our house play chess except my wife.After two years,my nine years old son plays better chess than the rest of us,most of the time.A recent friendly chess tournment organised by Putrade at PWTC really motivate him to take up chess seriously.

For the past three weeks I have been 'managing' him to a friendly chess tournment at PWTC.He plays against his peers and persons even three times his age and won  a few sets of game against his peers and a 15 years old girl.These few victories encouraged him to learn more about the game and he even asked me to buy chess books.Hopefully,this interest in chess may inculculate a reading habit in him.To me personally,chess is ONLY just a game to enjoy and pass the time.But,not to my son and many other people.He plays hard to win and when he loses to someone,his face gets longer- some 14 inches long.Now,it is almost an obsession.May be this is familiar to my friends who play golf and willing to wake up very early in the morning just to tee-off at 7:05 am.

For the  last three weeks,every day,I HAD to be his 'sparring' partner.In one way,chess is like golf-it is a personal challenge to some! On one hand,I am grateful that he enjoys the *mind* games-a game that makes him plans and thinks before making the next move,but on the other hand I have to  be "father-in-waiting" at the chess tournment.Quietly,I pray that when he grows up,he will remember to apply the principle of playing chess,i.e plan and think before making any move,every time.At the same  time, quietly,he told his mother that he would like to be a chess champion for Malaysia!I hope my prayers and his wish are answered one way or the other.

Planning and thinking are very important in our everyday life.Just ask ourselves how many times we told ourselves that we should have done this instead of that.As in the game of chess,our opponent moves are beyond our control,in the same manner as the external factors in our everyday life. Nothing is static-everything is changing.In the digital world of to-day,things or environments moves with the speed of of light,some 186,000miles/sec. As in the case of Alice in the Wonderland,she keeps asking where she is because her surrounding keeps on changing.Bill Gates has been asking where do you want to go to-day?Now ,he knows where he is-fighting DoJ in anti-trust laws. Our present economic situation is also another example telling us where,who and what we are to-day and what we have been doing before.This is a very valuable lesson that all of should learn.I believe,a lot of personal and national mistakes can be avoided if all of us plan and think ,at the same time know what and who we are before we make the move,any move all the time.

As fathers,we sometimes are quite selfish without realising that our children need our support and attention to pursue their own interests.We have time for our friends,but neglect the attention needed by our own family members.Most of us parent will go all out helping our  children to attend tuition classes,so that they can get all A's.I think that is WE want,not what the kids want.They need to develop and enjoy their personal  talents as well,not just academic performance. Sadly,I know only a few who will scarifice their golf session(as an example,no offence to golfers out there) to attend to their kids hobbies like playing piano, riding BMX bikes etc.

Looking back more than a decade ago when I was an engineer at PWD,we did a lot of planning for our projects implementation.As far as I can recall,I did not do much planning for myself.Most of the time,our work on government projects override our personal needs.(Sound fimilar to some of you who are still in PWD).I don't remember seeing anybody sitting down using CPA(critical path analysis) or PERT(program evaluation and review techniques) to plan their career,family financial needs etc.When other people are successful,we say they are lucky.However, when we are stagnant in our office or our company is not growing,we blame it on our fate!
Just ask:Did we really plan and think how  to be successful? If the answer is no (most likely to most people),then be rest assured that 'lucky' people are those that had planned and prepared when the opportunity knocks on their doors.

Well,chess is only just a game......
                                                 but life is not.

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Illusion?

I think I have been playing too many Sudoku puzzles in the last two weeks.When I arrived at the first floor of KLCC Suria I saw the above view.Previously,I saw the beautiful scenery of the lake surrounded by the garden, but this time around, I saw numbers 1 to 9 filling themselves in the squares/rectangles formed by the aluminium wall frames.I have to physically shake my head; then the numbers started to disappear virtually from the view.I exclaimed to myself."Oh My God, I am seeing Sudoku games on the glass cladding of KLCC  Suria!".Now, I better stop playing the games before I began to start imagining things and/or hearing strange voices.Remember John Nash in The Beautiful Mind? When our minds are too much engrossed in something,they tend to have illusions and some weird thing may happen...Not likely to happen to me because my mind is not as beautiful as his;-)

Now I better delete the software my friend beamed to my Treo last week before I become "squared" by the addiction of playing Sudoku.

For the information of regular readers of my blog,please don't get worried.I have not reached the level to claim not guilty on the ground of insanity.As a proof, I can still count 1 to 9-forward and backward.

By the way,please don't ask me how many possible squares and rectangles are there in the photo.If you still want to know,just do it yourself and tell me.Free Sudoku software here.

Resco Sudoku

Last week, a friend came to my house and showed me how to play this computer game called Sudoku.The child in me immediately got interested and downloaded this game of logic so I can polish my thinking skill like him. By the way,my friend is a member of MENSA- a group of high IQ people. Hopefully,after playing with this game, I am ready to sit for MENSA test? This must be a joke for I am no MENSA  material.

This game consists 9 big squares and each square has 9 smaller squares where a number from 1 to 9 has to be inserted so that each big square has different numbers and the number must not be repeated vertically and horizontally in the matrix.This game can be played on your computer but I downloaded it to my palm pda so that I can play the game any where.

As one gets older, my thinking speed gets slower.I hope by playing this game,the mental exercises will erase all the rusts that is taking place in my brain;-) At the same time,old men also need some fun. By the way my MENSA  friend is 65 years old.One day,a younger friend,half my age, caught me playing game on my palm pda.He asked,"Pak Adib also main game?".I replied,"Why not....I did not have all these interesting games when I was younger."

To those of you who play this game,please give me some tips.Currently,I am at the beginner's level and took more than 15 minutes to finish a game:-( I hope to finish a game in 5 minutes.

Teddy Bear picnic

  Teddy Bear picnic? 
  Originally uploaded by mohdadib.

While doing my Sunday morning walk at KLCC garden yesterday, I took this photo.It is a picnic for kids-owners of Teddy Bears and of course with the parents came along..

I observed that kids nowadays are pampered right and left,top and bottom.It is not that I am jealous because there were no Teddy Bears during my time(anyway, we cannot afford them)but parents must control what we to give in and what not.

Personally, I am also guilty as charged because I gave too many toys for my kids.On reflection, may be I bought the toys for me....

By the way, I was informed(please verify on your own) that KLCC is having an expo for Toys For BIG boys from 3 to 6 June,2005. Most likely, I will be there.

Note: This posting is done via my photoblog.

Idle chessboards..

After my morning walk with MHI this morning(MHI took this picture using his P800 Sony Ericcson phone),I stopped at an empty table near the playground at KLCC garden. There are at least five of these tables but I have yet to see anyone play chess there:-(( Most of the time I only see families sitting there eating breakfast in the morning.

I can play chess but not a good player.My son can beat me anytime.Here is a note I wrote a few years ago when I had a few anxious moments when he took part in a Chess Competition at PWTC.

IMHO, chess is a good game that people of all ages can play and enjoy, but I don't think it is a popular game in Malaysia like it being played at the parks in a few western countries.