Discovering Villeurbanne

I keep doing this. I don't post for a while, then I put one of the posts I've been saving, and then I suddenly happen to have something to write.

Today I went out for a walk. It wasn't particularly sunny, the sun only came out for short periods of time. But the day was bright even without direct sunlight (by that I mean it wasn't somberly cloudy). I first thought of going out when I saw one of the sunny spells, but by the time I actually was ready to go out, the sun had disappeared behind a cloud. However I decided to go ahead anyway...

I walked all the way to Gratte-Ciel, and then République, and I believe I continued until I almost got to Alsace (the bus stop, not the region ;P ), but then I decided to turn back before reaching it. I walked back to Gratte-Ciel and walked around that area...and snapped a few photos (with my phone, so expect low quality)


This is a statue at Gratte-Ciel. I had never noticed it before, which isn't really surprising since I only passed Gratte-Ciel by bus or got off the bus there to take the metro. And both the bus and metro stops are further back in the photo. So I never walked far enough to see the statue.

Then I walked further (behind the statue, and by that I mean in the direction opposite the one it is facing) and found the place I had been wanting to find. :D

la mairie de Villeurbanne - Villeurbanne's town hall
(I'm not sure whether this is the front or the back though)

Okay, let me clarify. This is not some hot touristic spot. I passed it a few times by bus when I went for some interviews last semester (and I think when I took the bus to a friend's place as well). Before that I had never had any reason to take any bus passing through this part of the town.

While passing in the bus, I noticed the little square (okay, not really that little actually :P ) which I found rather pretty. I made myself a mental note to come back again another day to take a look, but up till now I never gave it another thought (which was kinda to be expected, I guess). So now that I have actually been there, on the square instead of just passing by in a bus, here are a couple of photos:

a "global" view of the square

and from one side of the square, which happens to be the view I got from the bus (the square's pretty symmetrical, as you can see)

For those who might have forgotten, I'm studying in INSA de Lyon, which is supposedly in Lyon but is actually in a small town beside Lyon called Villeurbanne ;)

Besides, there is a Starbucks in Gratte-Ciel. I remember all the fuss when a Starbucks opened in Lyon...please tell me that this Starbucks wasn't already there all the time! :P (not that I am a fan of Starbucks anyway...)

Let's start an epidemic!

I don't know who wrote this, but I found it online :)

smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu,
when someone smiled at me today, i started smiling too.
i passed around the corner and someone saw my grin
when he smiled i realised i'd passed it on to him.
i thought about that smile then i realised its worth,
a single smile, just like mine could travel round the earth.
so, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected
let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!

The pros and cons of warm weather

It is that time of the year again
When insects fly, and butterflies plane
When I can finally open the window
And bugs return to my room again!

I wrote this some time ago when the weather was just starting to get a little hot, but it's going to stay true all the way into summer! Today, for example, it was so hot a t-shirt was enough. Unfortunately the mornings and nights are not always that way...so I still have to go out with a jacket, and later face the dilemma of either putting it on (and feeling too hot) or holding it in my hand (very inconvenient). Sigh...

Still. I'm going to go cycling in the park one of these 3-day weekends (the 1st and 8th of May are public holidays). The weather's bound to be fine during at least one of them :)

I've got to make the most of not having exams, haven't I? ;)

Mission accomplished

Oh yeah. I was going to post this photo.

yummy glutinous rice

Thanks to:
1) Xin Zhu, who gave me the rice before she left Lyon, 'cos I would never have thought of buying it otherwise.
2) My mother, who told me how she makes her glutinous rice dish (which I basically duplicated)
3) Jiqiong, who told me that the rice could be cooked in the microwave and saved me steaming it.

Okay, I'm making this for the next potluck. Who's interested?

The lost path

You probably chose the wrong way, and you are now lost.
You might find your way again, but it will never be that second road you could have taken; it will surely be another. There will be a path lost forever, that will never be found again, that is now impossible for you to take.
But it is with the present that you have to contend, lost paths are in the past and it is not them that will lead you to a future. And a future is waiting, with another path to take you there.

Integrity - just a word?

This is an article from The Star by Dina Zaman. (the red highlights and the comments in [...] are mine)

In an increasingly manufactured world, virtue is a lone island. Saving one’s face is more important than playing by the rules.

A MAN who possesses intellectual prowess does not necessarily have integrity.”

So said a wise friend at a dinner I hosted last weekend.

We had been talking about our disillusionment with a cause and a personality in general, and whether we were too blinded by this person’s charisma and success, that we did not see the forest for the trees.

We too wanted to be part of the cause; we too wanted to change the current realities in Malaysia.

He, my friend, and I, felt like failures.

The word integrity has been bandied around so much that it has been cheapened to the lowest denominator.

In a culture that promotes personality and the branding of one’s self as the path to professional and personal success, seemingly having this virtue – integrity – is an illusion to seduce the masses.

Yes, virtues can be created and marketed – even honesty and sincerity.

In an increasingly manufactured world whereby nobody has the time and resources to contemplate and appreciate goodness, virtue is a lone island.

Man and his companions learn very fast to be different things to different groups of people.

Authenticity does not gel with certain crowds; it is smarter to adjust and be another person.

This is all about survival and winning. Saving one’s face is more important than playing by the rules.

It is easy to do so.

Accountability is another principle that is pushed aside. Look at how we conduct our daily lives.

We double-park or drive the opposite way on a one-way street.

We backstab colleagues and friends, and when we are called on that behaviour, we do not have to be accountable for our errant ways. [Instead, some even find that it's a normal thing to do]¹

In the end, it is the one who seeks justice who loses face and his reputation.

We are so used to corrupt behaviour, we make excuses for immorality and bad manners² because “…oh, he’s so clever, he’s so smart and rich ... oh, you have to understand, she’s so pretty she’s used to being waited on hand and foot…”

And when we have to make a choice, we choose the easy way out.

We do not risk confrontation, we have our rice bowls to think of.

We do not court trouble, even if we are wronged.

When are we going to reclaim our lives? When are we not going to be fatigued by it all, and put our foot down when it matters?

And when we do, why are we demonised for taking a stand?

But, yes. The word integrity is sexy. Many are starved for it to happen in their lives.

We talk about it, as well as accountability, at the mamak restaurants and smart cocktail receptions.

We demand it in our public lives. But when push comes to shove, would we know what we want to do with it?

Integrity, the word, may be sexy, but its weight is heavy when one considers its truth.

As someone who has worked in the media and public relations, I am becoming more disenchanted by the marketing of values.

We now have fast-food honesty, popcorn principles and teh tarik sincerity. [nice play on words]

Branding and public relations can be a boon or a necessary evil to get a product/message across.

What matters is what you put out to the front; forget the reality behind the product. This is 21st century integrity.

How can we bring integrity back to our humdrum, humble Malaysian lives then?

We need to discern what is right and wrong and be able to instill it in the young and ourselves. [easier said than done]

We must act on it, even at personal cost. We must also be public about our actions as to our understanding of right and wrong.

We cannot allow personal or professional ambition to overrule everything else, and allow the wrongs to become our pathway to success.

Every faith wants its believers to follow the word of Allah/God, to submit and obey, to have integrity in our thoughts and manner.

But it is not going to be easy.

Another friend complained about how difficult it was to put on so many fronts as she attends the many work functions and events she has to go to.

“It is difficult to be authentic, especially when your life and family depend on the work relationships you create and maintain. One has to close one eye to too many things.”

To walk away, even with integrity burning in you, can mean the loss of everything important to you.

How are you going to allow integrity into your life?

Are you willing to let go of your many faces?

About some points:

¹I do not backstab. At least I believe I never have. But who knows how long it will last? In such a world, where everything good seems to be drifting away, where values are forgotten and it is everyone for himself...if it goes on what are the chances that the majority will not lead the way? Some characteristics I am so against have already started seeping into my everyday conduct, sometimes I have to consciously remind myself that that is not the way I do things, it is their way. And it can stay their way, without becoming mine. It is just something that has to be remembered.

²I am probably guilty of making excuses, but guess what, it has never been for my conduct, it has always been for someone else's. But there are only so many excuses I can make. And then one day...it could snap. And to coin a popular phrase, all hell could break loose.

So is integrity in your life? Do you want it in your life? I wouldn't say "allow it to come back", I would say let it come out. Let it show itself, do not bury it. Are you capable of that? Are you willing to try?

For thought.

Someday

I may still not know what I want to be
when I grow up, but I do know that
someday I want to live in a house filled with my books and travel souvenirs
And the walls that aren't covered in bookshelves
will be covered with photos of family and friends
When I leave the house I will be going to a job I love,
and I'll return to a person I love.
So that's the dream I'm working on
-Amber Morley

It fits...

Thanks to Hannah; I read this on her blog! I've been keeping it for when I don't have much to post.

Just to make you drool

Yesterday I went to a barbecue at Phoebe's place in Couzon au Mont d'Or. I went there with Wenshao, Mah and Aidan, since we're all students staying in Villeurbanne, while Couzon is situated to the north of Lyon. We went there by bus, it took about half and hour plus a 20-minute walk to the bus-stop.

the festival hall (or community hall) in Couzon, right beside the post office where we waited for Phoebe to pick us up

There was a pretty winding road uphill to Phoebe's place...here's the view from the terrace where we had the barbecue.

See the slopes?

Phoebe had prepared ikan bakar (a kind of grilled fish with spices) and satay (meat skewers, again with spices)

the ikan bakar being bakar-ed (grilled; though it literally means "burned" :P) alongside beef
(It's wrapped in banana leaf)

The beef had been grilled on the charcoal grill first...here it's been shifted to make space for the satay.

the guys and Phoebe grilling satay

close-up

Phoebe's husband Philippe (the one in the middle) chatting with the other guests David and Emilie

Lunch is served!

satay

the peanut sauce to go with it, and cucumber and onions

Phoebe made the sauce from scratch! It was a little on the spicy side, but with the satay it was just fine.

and the ikan bakar, unwrapped

Now this one was really spicy! Even for us Malaysians...we added soy sauce to "soften" the sting a bit :P

a Thai salad

This one I didn't find spicy at all...though I believe one of the French did :P

This wasn't all the food...there was grilled chicken, and oven-grilled vegetables...but I didn't take photos of everything. Actually I mainly took photos of the "special" dishes that we're not likely to see in France!

After eating we Malaysians went for a walk on the hill, led by Phoebe (well, what d'ya expect, she's the only one who knows the place!)

we could see the Saône, a river that passes through Lyon
(click on the picture for a bigger version)

a military base at the summit (I think this was already in Poleymieux, a town beside Couzon)

We sat down for a rest

and watched a father and son playing kite

After that we walked back down and Phoebe drove us around...we stopped at Saint-Cyr au Mont d'Or and took a short walk in the old town.

the church in St Cyr au Mont d'Or

Then Phoebe sent us to the bus stop so that we could take the bus back to Lyon. So, a nice relaxing afternoon...thankfully the weather was just nice, sunny most of the time, with a little wind but not too much. ^_^

Cat on the mat

I again found something pretty interesting at my internship.

It's actually an explanation about analog inputs, and I found it really creative. I don't know whether you'll think that way too, but here you go:

While a digital input can tell us about discrete changes in the physical world, such as whether the cat is on the mat, or the cat is off the mat, there are times when this is not enough. Sometimes we want to know how fat the cat on the mat is. In order to know this, we’d need to be able to measure the force the cat exerts on the mat as a variable quantity. When we want to measure variably changing conditions like this, we need analog inputs.

Hehehe...that certainly made me chuckle.

By the way I went to a barbecue at Phoebe's place this afternoon, but I think I shall write about it tomorrow... simply 'cos I'm feeling kinda lazy :P

Fun with synonyms

Try this if you like words! ;)

FOR each set of three words below, find a rhyme for the second and third words so that you get three words (including the italicised word, which rhymes with the first word) that are synonyms of each other.

Example: dry, keep, lob > cry, weep, sob.

1. invent, upset, sue > repent, ____, ____

2. appeal, destined, provoke > repeal, ____, ____

3. event, cinder, stampede > prevent, ____, ____

4. chalice, gate, write > malice, ____, ____

5. tarnish, acorn, operate > garnish, ____, ____

6. revel, brat, Stephen > level, ____, ____

7. obsess, late, amaze > assess, ____, ____

8. prepare, match, send > repair, ____, ____

9. resist, control, banister > enlist, ____, ____

10. fierce, thrill, score > pierce, ____, ____

11. deal, lure, implore > heal, ____, ____

12. withstand, dwell, release > expand, ____, ____

13. connect, hard, yield > protect, ____, ____

14. inept, guild, efficient > adept, ____, ____

15. grow, curl, cling > throw, ____, ____

16. reap, disrupt, clear > steep, ____, ____

17. reside, acerbate, stain > subside, ____, ____

18. stealthy, lonesome, frail > healthy, ____, ____

19. slither, swivel, lilt > wither, ____, ____

20. floral, broken, herbal > oral, ____, ____

Answers:

1.regret, rue 2.rescind, revoke 3.hinder, impede 4.hate, spite 5.adorn, decorate

6.flat, even 7.rate, appraise 8.patch, mend 9.enrol, register 10.drill, bore

11.cure, restore 12.swell, increase 13.guard, shield 14.skilled, proficient

15.hurl, fling 16.abrupt, sheer 17.abate, wane 18.wholesome, hale 19.shrivel, wilt 20.spoken, verbal

It's from the Star. Don't mind the italics in the answers, they're the ones I couldn't find, I put them for my future reference.