This is a very insightful speech by Daniel Goleman who spoke to the staff at Google. Through technology and Youtube, we are able to participate and benefit from his speech, in the comfort of our tiny cubicle or office. Hope you enjoy the above video as much as I do.
New York Times science writer Daniel Goleman argues that our emotions play a much greater role in thought, decision making and individual success than is commonly acknowledged. He defines “emotional intelligence”?a trait not measured by IQ tests?as a set of skills, including control of one’s impulses, self-motivation, empathy and social competence in interpersonal relationships. In marriage, emotional intelligence means listening well and being able to calm down. In the workplace, it manifests when bosses give subordinates constructive feedback regarding their performance.
Have you wondered what is the origin of Arabic algorithms or numbers?
How is it that Arabic numbers are written
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0?
What is the story and the logic behind?
The Answer is ANGLES.
Watch this little animated clip and you will see that
the number 1 has one angle
the number 2 has two angles
the number 3 has three angles
…….
and the most intelligent of all – ZERO has no angles.
Called the Hindu-Arabic numerals, the numbers were first invented by the Indian mathematicians, subsequently, the numerals were adopted by the Persian mathematicians in India, and passed on to the Arabs further west. From there they were transmitted to Europe in the Middle Ages. The use of Arabic numerals spread around the world through European trade, books and colonialism. Today they are the most common symbolic representation of numbers in the world.
I have heard of the famous Longjing Tea Plantation of Hangzhou, but was not so keen to pay a visit, as I wondered what would be so exciting about some tea bushes. Reluctantly I agreed to go along for a visit to the tea plantation and museum of Hangzhou and boy! did I get a good education on tea!
It turned out that Longjing tea is the imperial tea of China, blessed by the emperor of the Sung Dynasty. In fact 18 tea bushes were branded Imperial tea and were fenced, and heavily guarded. The tea leaves from these bushes are strictly reserved for the head of states of China and visiting dignitaries.
The mountainous plantation is dreamlike in its setting, and true enough, the tea has a refreshing taste quite unlike anything else. It has been branded a beauty tea, and a health drink, and is scientifically proven.
Here is a video clip explaining the wonders and history behind longjing tea.
My friend and I went shopping for longjing tea afterwards. We didn’t want to buy from the museum, as the price tends to be higher. It turned out that there are several kinds of longjing tea.
1. Baby tea leaves – most expensive (hand picked)
2. Before the rain tea leaves – picked within 10 days before the Jingming festival (usually around first week of April) again these are handpicked.
3. After the rain tea leaves
4. Mature tea leaves
The best would be the spring baby tea leaves. Tea shops will let you try these teas out for comparison. I was sold after the experience. Only Longjing tea for me, and I am willing to pay the price. I calculated that I paid the equivalent of $10 US for 100 grams of “Before the rain” tea leaves and this would make 60 to 100 cups. Not bad for the best tea of China that is fit for an emperor!
This is how the tea leaves look, and the paler the color, the more superior the leaves.
Another “must visit” place in Shanghai is the Huxingting Tea House, the word Huxingting meaning “pavilion on the center of the lake”. This is the place which hosted foreign dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II and President Bill Clinton. When I read the menu at the tea house, I couldn’t believe that the cheapest tea run at about US$10. I was not going to be ripped off, I thought, and wanted to get out of this place, but I was convinced that I can treat myself as a queen or president and pamper myself with a $10 cup of tea.
This cup of tea turned to be quite an interesting experience. For one thing, this cup of tea actually came with some several dishes of savoury snacks including dry bean curd, tea quail eggs, pickled olives and mochi rice cakes. In addition, the tea we ordered was a blooming flowering tea, and watching this delicate tea blooming in front of our eyes was simply amazing.
Ever since this tea experience, I never looked at tea the same way. It turned out that those tea bags we buy in North America are the worst type of tea we can buy. The best teas can be found in China and once you’ve tasted the best, it’s hard to go back to the crumby tea. If you’ve never have a blooming flowering tea, just watch how a tea bulb blossoms in real time in front of your very eyes.
Zhou Zhuang is a 900 year old water village in China located only 30 km away from Suzhou and 1-1/2 hour by bus from Shanghai. Marco Polo also visited this place in his travels and called it the “Venice of the East”.
During my visit, I bought some snacks which I took to the office today for our staff meeting. So,. To my delight, everyone enjoyed the snacks (a different treat from the usual timbits).
These savoury snacks (a little sweet and salty) one made with sunflower and pumpkin seeds mixed with seaweeds; another made with peanuts, some with red beans, sesame seeds… a real variety. Most of them, made by hand using the ancient method. In fact, I tried kneading the dough at a food stall, and boy, was the mallet every heavy. I could hardly move it!
Zhou Zhuang is also famous for its pork knuckles. The tourist guide on the bus told us that there are more concentration of pork knuckles in Zhou Zhuang than anywhere else. Several food stalls sell pork knuckles and there are vacuum packed cooked pork knuckles for sale at only 38 yuen (approx. US$5).
What is really significant about this place is not the candy or the pork knuckles but the history. Zhouzhuang, known as the Venice of the Orient is part of the criss-cross of canals and irrigation ditches that link with the 1800 km Grand Canal going from Beijing to Hangzhou.
The Grand Canal of China is the world’s oldest and longest canal, far surpassing the next two grand canals of the world: Suez and Panama Canal. The building of the canal began in 486 B.C. during the Wu Dynasty. It was extended during the Qi Dynasty, and later by Emperor Yangdi of Sui Dynasty during six years of furious construction from 605-610 AD. The canal is 1,795 Km (1,114 miles) long with 24 locks and some 60 bridges. Main purpose of the canal was to facilitate the transport of food supplies from the south to the north.
Here is a miniature of a portion of the water village which was displayed at a museum in one of the buildings.
