September 2, 2001: Lessons in Communications, Puzzle, I've Learned

Hi,

This weekend was all about dance. On Saturday night, I attended the Orchid
Ball. It was a formal / semi-formal dinner and dance event attended by
alumni of many American universities and friends. After the guest speaker
spoke and the MC played some group games, there was some dancing. The DJ
played "Bizarre Love Triange", which is one of my favorite dance songs from
my days as an undergrad. It sure bought back a lot of good memories of the
Asian American student association dances I went to.

On Sunday night, a large group of friends and I attend Womad, which stands
for "World of Music and Dance". It's a yearly outdoor music and dance
festival in Fort Canning Park in Singapore. It's like going to a classical
music concert at Tanglewood (in that you sit outside on the lawn).
However, the bands are from all over the world, and the music is very
diverse.

One really cool group was Te Vaka, which is from the Polynesian islands.
The music is very rhythmic, and there are some dancers who danced while
dressed in tribal costume. Many people, include me, went right up to the
stage area and had a great time dancing to the very fast beat. It's a bit
like "Stomp". After that, there was another very good group called, "Blind
Boys from Alabama". They were a gospel band, and sang some funky tunes.
All in all, it was very fun.

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you could be the author of
any one quotation from history, what words would you like to have uttered?"

This week's humor and inspirational pieces were forwarded by Anna Man and
PC Lim, respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

Lesson in Communications

DANGEROUS: What's for dinner?
SAFER: Can I help you with dinner?
SAFEST: Where would you like to go for dinner?

DANGEROUS: Are you wearing THAT?
SAFER: Gee, you look good in brown.
SAFEST: Wow! Look at you!

DANGEROUS: What are you so worked up about?
SAFER: Could we be overreacting?
SAFEST: I'm with you, honey, those guys are the scum of the earth.

DANGEROUS: Should you be eating that?
SAFER: You know, there are a lot of vegetables left.
SAFEST: Can I get you a glass of wine with that?

DANGEROUS: What did you DO all day?
SAFER: I hope you didn't overdo it today.
SAFEST: I've always loved you in that bathrobe.
_________________________________

New Puzzle: Kidnapped

My cousin Ernest was once kidnapped. He knew they would either take him to
New York City or to Sydney, Australia. When they took his blindfold off,
he could see he had been locked in a room without windows. There was only
a table, a bed, a chair, and a sink. However, Ernest was able to figure
out which city he was in. How did he do it?
_________________________________

Last Week's Puzzle Answer

A medieval count organized a court trial in which he gave the defendant a
chance to save his life if he could pick a white markbe out of a bag
containing, in the count's words, one white marble and one black marble.
The accused knew that this was a trick, because he had seen the count place
two black marbles in the bag. However, he went ahead and took out a
marble. What did he do to save his life?

Book Answer:

He took out one marble and swalloed it before someone else could see its
color. This forced the count to take out the other marble. It was black,
of course, so they all assumed that the previous one had been white.

Rockey Chan's Answer, which could also work: he took both out.
_________________________________

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

(by Andy Rooney)

I've learned....
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....
That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned....
That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

I've learned....
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful
feelings in the world.

I've learned....
That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help
him in some other way.

I've learned....
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a
friend to act goofy with.

I've learned....
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to
understand.

I've learned....
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I
was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end,
the faster it goes.

I've learned....
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for

I've learned...
That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be held when it
is a life threatening situation.

I've learned....
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

To all of you.... Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.

Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you
to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always
want to open their hearts to us.

It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends and family how much you
care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending
it back to the person who sent it to you. If it comes back to you, then
you'll know you have a circle of friends.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP WEEK TO YOU!!!!!! YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED!