Going commercial for a good cause!!!

I was thinking of how to give back more to AIESEC, the organization that shaped me in a big way. Besides mentoring one of the local Singaporean Presidents, I thought that I need to help my original local committee: AIESEC Oradea.

I already helped them financially, and decided to do it again. So I had this brilliant idea that I put Google adds on my blog and all the revenue I get (minus taxes I will need to pay) I donate to AIESEC Oradea. In this way I can give back to the community without giving up my current lifestyle. And I will have a chance to test this Google and online advertisement thingy as well.

I think AIESEC can further develop this idea, with more then 1 million alumni and 30.000+ members, if only 100.000 have blogs/websites and put a Google ad on their blogs and donate it all to AIESEC, a serious amount of money can get into the AIESEC network.

I have some proposal for Google as well on this topic and will present it to one of the Google employees soon. Yeah, I am revolutionizing the web myself!!! :):):)

Fingerprint....

Today I went to sort out my work pass thingy and for the first time in my life I had a fingerprint scan. So I assume from now on I can’t do any dirty thing because they have my fingerprint in a database which is eventually shareable and searchable. Not that I intend to do anything illegal (except jaywalking maybe and having sex in public spaces).

First of all in Singapore is not like in all those cheap American movies with some ink thing and the police man is pushing your finger in it (most of the time the police man is pissed off in those scenes). It is a smooth device which scans your fingers; you just have to put them above a sensor.

The feeling of doing this was very weird. First I felt like being a criminal by doing this. Secondly I felt that they invaded my privacy. My life will never be the same again…

Books in my life

Now that I am spending most of my cash on diving, I don’t really hang out that much so I read quite a lot of books this year. Being cashless has its own advantages :):):) Sometimes you might know a person by looking at the books she or he is reading, so here are the books I have read this year and I did not mention them yet on my blog. Just for you to know me better lah.

The Dilbert Principle - by Scott Adams
This book describes how is to work for DHL and for any other multinational company for that matter. The best management book I think and I am thinking of buying one for the whole team + senior management :).

The Fountainhead – by Ayn Rand
I got this book from Oana when she visited me in Singapore. I think it is a fantastic book and I got to read it exactly when I needed to reinforce some of my believes and values. This book helped a lot in that and in taking some decisions. Good timing Oana :):):) I can see myself in that book, not sure if that is good or bad though… This book is special because of other reasons as well, I met a nice Singaporean girl when I was reading it on the MRT coming back from KL. She left a promising but apparently phony career to take a more relevant job. Very inspiring (both the book and the girl).

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – by Richard Bach
If I want to be ironic, then I would describe this book as a combination of an AIESEC training and the messages from the Matrix Trilogy. But I won’t be ironic cause I got it from a nice girl, so I just say that it is a very very beautiful book. It is so nice that worth reading several times. It has a very interesting energy.

The end of poverty – Jeffrey D. Sachs
This book I have read quite a while ago, but I never mentioned on my blog, though it had a huge impact on my thinking. It is a very simple book about how to eradicate poverty. I think the dude is a genius and the book is absolutely fantastic. It is a must read for everybody who wants to change the world or want to work with governments or just want to know what is happening around the world and it is not shown in the news:)

Attila The Hun – John Man
Yes, actually there is a book like this :):):) If you have seen the movie (yes, there is a movie as well, I am quite famous huh?) then probably you have a bit of brushed picture of him, but this book seems to give a more realistic picture of who he was and what he had done. Though at some places I do not really agree with the author, maybe just because I am a HUNgarian :).

The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera
Another nice girl gave me this book quite a while ago (yeah, all the nice girls give me books) and I read it quite a while ago but I think I never managed to write about it. It explains a lot of things from my previous experiences, however not that sure if I agree with everything. But very good book, a good description of human psychology :):):)

Five men you meet in heaven – Mitch Albom
I found the concept and the message of the book very interesting. I mean it is tackling a subject that is concerning every one of us: getting along with our life and our past. But his style is not necessarily my favorite. Good book to read on the bus to work and back :):)

THE BUDDHA, GEOFF & ME - Edward Canfor-Dumas
Fantastic Book. Reading this book is like being on an AIESEC training :) It has a very good and relevant story and it is very well written. I got a lot of good energy from this book and I managed to learn a lot about Buddhism as well. I did not know much about this religion before and even though I live among Buddhist, I did not managed to learn much about their religion because I was fairly ignorant before.

Love in the time of cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of course this book is about love :) Dah… But is a well written one. A good combination between realistic and romantic ideas and it describes the very different forms of love. So however wants to be an expert in love, needs to read it. :):):) It’s the kind of book that makes you reflect a lot about yourself and about the things written in it. It’s the kind of book that keeps coming back in your mind and you think of it fairly often even after you have read it.

So yeah, these are the ones that shaped me this year so far. Going diving again at the end of September, so will be able to read some other books as well.

One year in Singapore...

I arrived in Singapore exactly one year ago and looking back it seems that it passed very very fast but in the same time it feels like I live here for ages. Sometimes coming back from a trip I feel like coming home and I really got used to the life here. But of course there are things I do not like.

So after one year here are 10 things I like and I don't like in Singapore (in no specific order):

What I like:

• The safety on the streets... there is no place I have felt safer then in Singapore. Not even in my little home town.
• The living standard is just great. I have a very posh life at a very affordable price :):):) I really don't have to worry about day to day living, I can really focus on what matters for me and what I want to learn and explore.
• The city is designed in an excellent way, very logical and very easy to live in (roads, public transport, housing, shopping, etc). It is always clean, it is always green and there are a lot of flowers everywhere. It is impressive that even the highway feels like a jungle trip rather then a city tour.
• I love the food court concept with all the yummmy Asian delights like Sweet & Sour fish, Hong Kong noodle, Satay, Roti Prata, Black Pepper Crab, Chicken rice, curry chicken, etc
• I love rollerblading on the east coast and the endless possibilities for all kinds of sports:):):)
• I like chilling at the Esplanade and listening the free concerts :):)
• I love Singapore because I can try everything I want while living here, there are endless possibilities (you need a bit of cash though). I feel very free here even though people would say that Singapore is not that free of a country.
• I love the fact that I can travel around and visit cool places and try cool things like diving :):):) I like Singapore Airlines too, haha :)
• I love the nightlife, the clubs are world class, the girls are beautiful and the best DJs come to town, such as Tiesto :)
• I like the fact that the country is very logically developed, I like the fact that the people are very proud of being Singaporean and I really like the fact that they try very hard to be unique in this world and have a positive contribution in everything they do (as a nation and not as individuals at the workplace, haha).

What I don't like:

• I think the Singaporeans are the worst drivers in the world. They just can't drive.... Going with the bus or the cab can make you sick because they can't keep constant speed, they just accelerate and after that they push the break....
• I hate aircons.... I am sick almost every three months because of the aircons....Everybody is freezing in the office, but they still keep the aircons on... There is such a good weather outside, but inside in any place it is damn bloody cold... My glasses get foggy when I alight from the bus from example...
• After eating rice and noodles for one year, I kind of get bored of it... gimme some potatoes and bread uncle....
• I hate the shopping and commercial culture... my dear Singaporeans, there is more to life then shopping and eating!!!
• Sometimes not understanding Singlish can be quite annoying, but most of the time is just fun :):):)
• I don't like the fact that sometimes Singapore gets transformed into a military base with fighter planes roaming around the sky for hours. It feels like being in a war zone. They are obsessed with security, however I understand the reasons and I can accept it.
• Sometimes the inflexibility of people and the system can be annoying and also the hierarchical decision making process can get on my nerves. However I understand that it is a very cultural thing, it is harder to accept when it affects me directly though.
• There is almost nothing to watch on the TV and the radio shows are boring (though they have very good music on the radio).
• I don't really like anymore the fact that there are so many girls and women (sometimes even married) hitting on me just because I am European and not necessarily because I am a nice guy, or because they really like who I am. It was very flattering at the beginning, but somehow gets a bit too much. Of course if they are nice, then I don't mind, haha :):):)
• Hmmm... I really have to think to find some more... hmmmm... I think sometimes I don't like the simple fact that it is too perfect :)