Masks

We all wear masks. What is true and what is not?

With love. Deva.

I've Learned

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone that can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do.

I've learned that you can do some thing in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned that you can keep going long after you can't.I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done regardless of the consequences.

I've learned that money is a lousy way to keep score.

I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned that no matter good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

Author: Unknown

Best of love,
Fran

Trivia: Reading Test

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"...the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."

Sometimes we need to stop focusing on all the trivial details. Step back a little bit, so that we can see the whole picture.

I have done such test a few times, with different articles. But for each time before I started, I did not know that everything just "looked right" but in fact not. I presumed things were all right. Amazingly, for each "first" time I did it, I completed the article very fast and I totally got the meaning. But, when I knew what the test was about and read the passage again, I was way slower and sort of stuck with all those single words and letters. :o)

The phenomenal power of the human mind. To me, the power all lies in self-suggestion. Sometimes things can be easy when we think they are easy, while they are hard to handle when we think they are missions impossible. In Chinese we have similar saying which goes like "He who did not survive was scared to death, by the scary images in his own mind." Do not go to the extreme and be over-optimistic, just go for some positive self-suggestions, tell yourself that YOU CAN.

Best,
Fran

Ladies, Say Hello & Say Goodbye: It Is An Assignment!

Hey ladies!

Life is an adventure. We encounter and embrace new things and we wave and say farewell to the old ones. "Hello" and "Goodbye" are probably two most frequently used words in our everyday life. We say "Hello" to new friends, to our brand-new dresses, to our dreamed jobs, to a great plan, to an original idea. Why? Because we lOVE them! But life is not always about good things to be happy about. Like it or not, we also have to say "Goodbye". Sometimes it is really hard to say the word because it can be hurtful and it just feels much easier to keep holding on. But in some cases, it is wise and usually a good idea to let go. It is a daring thing to do, isn't it? Sometimes it feels like telling everybody else you are leaving and you leave without looking back and actually you have no idea what is going to happen next and there is nothing you can do but keep moving on. Perhaps the goodbye is not forever, but you will never know until you say it and really mean it. Saying goodbye to one thing probably means saying hello to the other. It allows room for new things, for transformation, for exploration, and for better understanding of yourself. In some cases, goodbye is really the end, but a good one!

That is why I write this post. Hopefully it inspires you in some way. I intend to make it an "assignment". In this assignment, I would like to know your "Hellos" and "Goodbyes". Say hello to all the exciting challenges you want to face, and say goodbye to all the things you need to let go: bad habits, the passing of your loved ones, ex-boyfriends, or girlfriends, self-destructive feelings and behaviours, jobs, projects, or thoughts, anything.

But please write them as simple lists. Each can be a list of only one item, or a list of 1001 things. It is all up to you! By the way, for the Goodbye List, please take a moment with each one to really say goodbye. This isn't a catalogue of your fears and faults, this is a ceremony to bid them farewell.

I will show you mine first.

My Hello List:
- Hello my new haircut! Thanks to my new hairdresser. I know I still look stupid now, but less stupid than last time. And no matter what, my hair is growing anyway! (This one is for who I AM.)
- Hello Canada! I almost see you smile and wave at me. Almost! (This one, for my FUTURE.)
- Hello all my team members and all my readers! Starting this group blog is probably the best thing I have ever done! I do not want to say "Thank You!" any more. My gratitude is beyond words. (This one, the last but the most important one, is for YOU!!!)

And My Goodbye List:
- Goodbye my ex! You are so... such an a**hole but thanks for letting me know what and who are the most important to me. (This one is for the PAST.)
- Goodbye my bills! Thank God I finally paid you all for this month! (This one is for the PRESENT...)
- Goodbye biting fingers... I guess I have been doing really well for the past few months, and I do hope I will not get into it again! (This one is for the FUTURE.)

Ooookay ladies... I can only think of such shallow things about my "Hellos" and "Goodbyes", and I would love to hear yours! There will be a follow-up post with all your feedbacks and my thoughts by August 8, 2009!

It is just an experimental project of me, let me know what you think about this "assignment" thing. Or perhaps you have your suggested assignments for us all. For all your lists and suggestions, please comment, e-mail me at fran9719@gmail.com, or write something in your blog and let me know! I will not use any of your thoughts for anything else. It is a PROMISE.

Best of love,
Fran

Enjoy Your Life: A Marathon A~Z List :o)

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Hey ladies!

Today I am going to post a veeeeeeeeeeery loooooooooooong A~Z list. We need to remind ourselves from time to time, we need to LIVE.

Enjoy reading! Have a great day!

Best of luck and love,
Fran


Act now. For now is all you have.
Action is the food and drink which will nourish my success.
Action will destroy your procrastination.
All men must stumble often to reach the truth.
All nature is a circle of moods and you are a part of nature and so, like
the tides, your moods will rise; your moods will fall.
All your problems, discouragements, and heartaches are, in truth, great opportunities in disguise.
Always let your reach exceed your grasp.
Always raise your goals as soon as they are attained.
Always strive to make the next hour better than this one.
Always take another step. If that is to no avail take another, and yet another. One step at a time is not too difficult.
Any act with practice becomes easy.
Apply all of your efforts to become the highest mountain of all and strain your potential until it cries for mercy.
Avoid with fury the killers of time.
Bad habits must be destroyed and new furrows prepared for good seed.
Bathe me in good habits that the bad ones may drown.
Be happy.
Be hungry for success.
Be prepared to control whatever personality awakes in you each day.
Become master of yourself.
Begin now to accent your differences.
Beginning today, you can increase your accomplishments of yesterday by a hundredfold.
Bury doubt under faith.
Cherish each hour of this day for it can never return.
Chuckle and your burdens will be lightened.
Concentrate your energy on the challenge of the moment.
Confidence will take away your fear.
Consider each obstacle as a mere detour to your goal and a challenge to your profession.
Consider each obstacle as a mere detour to your goal.
Count your blessings today.
Cultivate the habit of laughter.
Destroy procrastination with action.
Dismember fear with confidence.
Do not allow yesterday's success to lull you into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure.
Do not be satisfied with yesterday's accomplishments or indulge in self-praise for deeds which are too small to even acknowledge.
Do not commit the terrible crime of aiming too low.
Do not dwell on the past.
Do not judge a man on one meeting.
Do not listen to those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious.
Do not make vain attempts to imitate others.
Do not permit the petty happenings of today to disturb you.
Do not think of yesterday or tomorrow.
Do not waste a moment mourning yesterday's misfortunes, yesterday's defeats, or yesterday's aches of the heart.
Drink every minute to its fill; savor its taste and give thanks.
Drive a bad habit from your life and replace it with one which will bring you closer to success.
Each day will be triumphant only when your smiles bring forth smiles from others.
Each failure to sell will increase your chances for success at your next attempt.
Each frown you meet only prepares you for the smile to come.
Each minute of today will be more fruitful than the hours of yesterday.
Your last must be your best.
Each misfortune you encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck.
Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea.
Each rebuff is an opportunity to move forward; turn away from them, avoid them and you throw away your future.
Each struggle, each defeat sharpens your skills and strengthens your courage and your endurance.
Enjoy today's happiness today.
Failure does not course through your veins as you were not delivered into this world in defeat.
Failure no longer will be my payment for struggle.
Failure will never overtake you if your determination to succeed is strong enough.
For now you know one of the greatest principles of success; if you persist long enough you will win.
Forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of your life.
Fulfill today's duties today.
Good habits are the key to all success.
Grant me compassion for weaknesses in others.
Grasp each minute of this day with both hands and fondle it with love for its value is beyond price.
Green grass grows where dry desert ends.
Greet the sunrise with cries of joy.
Happiness is the wine that sharpens the taste of the meal.
Have confidence that this will be the best day of your life.
I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will, for why would the miracle which produced me end with my birth? Why can I not extend that miracle to my deeds of today?
I consider poverty to be the mark of a lack of ability or a lack of ambition.
I have a choice and I will not let my life be fed to swine nor will I let it be ground under the rocks of failure and despair to be broken open and devoured by the will of others.
I have not time to hate, only time to love.
I need not wait for I have the power to choose my own destiny.
I shall live this day as if it is my last. And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees and give thanks.
I will acknowledge rewards for they are my due; yet I will welcome obstacles for they are my challenge.
I will be successful.
I will command, and I will obey mine own command.
I will do the work that a failure will not do.
I will encourage my friends and they will become brothers.
I will endure sadness for it opens my soul.
I will form good habits and become their slave.
I will greet this day with love in my heart.
I will greet this day with love, and I will succeed.
I will laud mine enemies and they will become friends.
I will laugh at evil and it will die untasted.
I will look on all things with love, and I will be born again.
I will love all mankind.
I will love all manners of men for each has qualities to be admired even though they may be hidden.
I will love myself.
I will love the ambitious for they can inspire me!
I will love the beautiful for their eyes of sadness; I will love the ugly for their souls of peace.
I will love the failures for they can teach me.
I will love the kings for they are but human; I will love the meek for they are divine.
I will love the rich for they are yet lonely; I will love the poor for they are so many.
I will love the young for the faith they hold; I will love the old for the wisdom they share.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will persist and I will win.
I will say it is done before the failure says it is too late.
I will talk when the failure remains silent.
I will think naught of my profession when I am in my home for this will dampen my love.
I will toil and I will endure.
I will walk where the failure fears to walk.
I will welcome happiness for it enlarges my heart.
I will work when the failure seeks rest.
If all things shall pass, why should I be of concern for today?
If I delay, success will become betrothed to another and lost to me forever.
If I have no other qualities I can succeed with love alone.
If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.
If I stumble I will rise, and my falls will not concern me.
If you bring joy, enthusiasm, brightness, and laughter to your customers, they will react with joy, enthusiasm, brightness, and laughter and your weather will produce a harvest of sales and a granary of gold for you.
If you feel depressed - sing!
If you feel fear, plunge ahead.
If you feel incompetent, remember past successes.
If you feel insignificant, remember your goals.
If you feel poverty, think of wealth to come.
If you feel sad - laugh.
If you must be a slave to habit, then be a slave to good habits.
If you persist long enough, you will win.
If you waste today, you destroy the last page of your life.
Ignore the obstacles at your feet and keep your eyes on the goals above your head.
In setting my goals, I will consider my best performance of the past and multiply it a hundredfold.
Increase your knowledge of mankind.
It pays to be persistent.
Just as love is my weapon to open the hearts of men, love is also my shield to repulse the arrows of hate and the spears of anger.
Just as nature made no provision for your body to tolerate pain neither has it made any provision for your life to suffer failure.
Keep work and family separate.
Laugh and your life will be lengthened for this is the great secret of long life.
Laugh at goodness and it will thrive and abound.
Laugh at the world.
Laugh at your failures and they will vanish in clouds of new dreams.
Laugh at your successes and they will shrink to their true value.
Laugh at yourself for man is most comical when he takes himself too seriously.
Leave your problems at home.
Lift up a friend in need.
Lift your arms with thanks for this priceless gift of a new day.
Live this day as if it is your last. Seal up the container of life so that not one drop spills itself upon the sand.
Live this day as if it is your last.
Live today as if it is your last chance to prove your love and your greatness.
Look upon each obstacle as a lesson to be learned.
Look upon misfortune as opportunity in disguise.
Love the darkness because it shows you the stars.
Love will melt all hearts like the sun whose rays soften the coldest clay.
Love yourself!
Make every hour count and trade each minute only for something of value.
Make love your greatest weapon.
Make the hours ahead priceless!
Make this day the best day of your life.
Many face each obstacle in their path with fear and doubt and consider them as enemies, when in truth, these obstructions are friends and helpers.
Many succumb to despair and fail without realizing that they already possess all the tools needed to acquire great wealth.
Master your emotions so that each day will be productive.
Master your moods through positive action and when you master your moods you will control your destiny.
Meditation and prayer feeds the soul.
My desire to meet the world will overcome every fear I once knew, and I will be happier than I ever believed it possible to be in this world of strife and sorrow.
Nature knows not defeat.
Never allow yourself to become so important, so wise, so dignified, so powerful, that you forget how to laugh at yourself.
Never be satisfied with yesterday's accomplishments.
Never feel shame for trying and failing for he who has never failed is he who has never tried.
Never will I allow my heart to become small and bitter, rather I will share it and it will grow and warm the earth.
Never will I allow my mind to be attracted to evil and despair, rather I will uplift it with the knowledge and wisdom of the ages.
Never will I allow my soul to become complacent and satisfied, rather I will feed it with meditation and prayer.
Never will I labor to be happy; rather will I remain too busy to be sad.
Never will I overindulge the requests of my flesh, rather I will cherish my body with cleanliness and moderation.
Never will I scratch for excuses to gossip.
No longer shall my vocabulary include such words as cannot, unable, impossible, and quit.
No longer will I fail to call again tomorrow on he who meets me with hate today.
Obstacles are necessary for success.
Only a habit can subdue another habit.
Only action determines my value in the market place.
Only with laughter and happiness can I enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Only with laughter and happiness can you truly become a success.
People will always respond positively to joy and enthusiasm.
Persist and develop your skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.
Persist with the knowledge that each failure to sell will increase your chance for success at the next attempt.
Practice the art of patience for nature never acts in haste.
Put your uniqueness on display in the market place.
Rain cleanses the spirit.
Remember that as today's dead flower carries the seed of tomorrow's bloom so does today's sadness carry the seed of tomorrow's joy.
Remove from your vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless,
and retreat; for they are the words of fools.
Rewards are great if one succeeds but the rewards are great only because so few succeed.
Seek constantly to improve your manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted.
Set goals for the day, the week, the month, the year, and your life.
Should you concern yourself over events which you may never witness? Should you torment yourself with problems that may never come to pass? No!
Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday, think of it no more.
Sleep in peace for you have not failed.
Small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.
Smile and your digestion will improve.
So long as I can laugh, never will I be poor.
So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist.
Strive for happiness and peace of mind.
Strive for happiness, to be loved and to love, and most important, to acquire peace of mind and serenity.
Strive to become better than you are.
Strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.
Success comes to those willing to work a little bit harder than the rest.
Success will not wait.
Suffer me to know that all things shall pass.
The height of my goals will not hold me in awe though I may stumble often before they are reached.
The only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in their habits.
The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal.
The problems of the market place will be left in the market place.
The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.
There are good qualities in everyone.
There are lessons to be learned from failures.
There is no room in the market place for your family, nor is there room in your home for the market.
There is not time to hate, only time to love.
This day is all you have and these hours are now your eternity. Greet this sunrise with cries of joy as a prisoner who is reprieved from death.
This is the place.
This is the time.
This too shall pass.
Time teaches all things to him who lives forever, but I have not the luxury of eternity.
To conquer fear I must always act without hesitation and the flutters in my heart will vanish.
To enjoy success I must have happiness, and laughter will be the maiden who serves me.
To multiply your value you must multiply your actions.
To surpass the deeds of others is unimportant; to surpass your own deeds is all.
Today I begin a new life.
Today I shed my old skin which hath too long suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of mediocrity.
Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.
Today I will surpass every action which I performed yesterday.
Today you will be master of your emotions.
Today, I will act.
Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy.
Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday.
True wealth is of the heart, not of the purse.
Try again, make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails, make another.
Try, and try, and try again.
Understand and recognize the moods of others. Make allowances for their anger and irritation for they know not the secret of controlling their minds.
Unless you act you will perish in a life of failure, misery, and sleepless nights.
Unless you put your skills, mind, heart, and body to good use, you will stagnate, rot, and die.
Victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats.
We must have the night to appreciate the day.
Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.
Welcome happiness for it enlarges your heart; endure sadness for it opens your soul.
What can take place before this sun sets which will not seem insignificant in the river of centuries?
What is success other than a state of mind?
When an act becomes easy through constant repetition, it becomes a pleasure to perform, and if it is a pleasure to perform, it is man's nature to
perform it often.
When I am burdened with wealth I shall tell myself that this too shall pass.
When I am moved to praise, I will shout from the roofs.
When I am puffed with success I shall warn myself that this too shall pass.
When I am strangled in poverty I shall tell myself that this too shall pass.
When I am tempted to criticize, I will bite on my tongue.
When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
When you are heavy with heartache console yourself that this too shall pass.
Where dry desert ends, green grass grows.
Where there are idle mouths I will listen not; where there are idle hands I will linger not; where there are idle bodies I will visit not.
Will my concern for this day not seem foolish ten years hence?
With each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult.
With love I will tear down the wall of suspicion and hate which they have built round their hearts, and in its place, I will build bridges so that my love may enter their souls.
Within you burns a flame which has been passed from generations uncounted, and its heat is a constant irritation to your spirit to become better than you are, and you will.
Yesterday's joy will become today's sadness; yet today's sadness will grow into tomorrow's joy.
Yesterday's success will not lull me into today's complacency.
Yesterday is buried forever, think of it no more.
You are a unique creature.
You are here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.
You are nature's greatest miracle.
You are rare, and there is value in all rarity; therefore, you are valuable.
You can accomplish far more than you have, and you will.
You can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles with ambition.
You have been given eyes to see and a mind to think.
You have but one life and life is naught but a measurement of time.
You have unlimited potential.
You may encounter failure at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. You will never know how close success lies
unless you turn the corner.
You must fail often to succeed only once.
You must have objectives before your life will crystallize.
You must nurture your body and mind in order to fulfill your dreams.
You only have time to love.
You were conceived in love and brought forth with a purpose.
You will become great.
You won't know how close success is unless you turn the corner.

Life Is Like...

"Do you ever think about life as a metaphor for television?"

"The best way to waste your life, ... is by taking notes. The easiest way to avoid living is to just watch. Look for the details. Report. Don't participate."

There is a blog survey in many blogs I read recently. People list out things that they can/ can't do; will/ won't do; and should/ shouldn't do. Five items for each of those things, and they can be listed in any order and connected by "and" or "but". It is an interesting way for us to know ourselves. Here is my list.

Talking about life, today in our "Featuring You" series, I would like to feature Ana from far away, :o) and her post about "Life". Here it is. Enjoy reading, and tell us what you think.

Comparisons… random stuff

By Ana from far away

This morning I was analyzing my ceiling fan, watching it spin and spin, and thinking about life. Maybe I got dizzy and my mind started spinning to… so I decided to compare life with everyday random stuff, this is what I came up with. Might sound stupid, but anyways… What would you compare life with?

I would say life´s like______ because______:

- A beach/ with shinny days and storm days
- A sunset/ beautiful, something to contemplate
- Vitamin/ makes you stronger over time
- Diary/ your own pages to write your story
- Flower/ it grows, becomes something beautiful and then dies
- Credit Card/ provides, and then it charges back
- Manicure/ it takes tons of care but is great to have
- Christmas/ has a lot of gifts
- A picture/ is a frozen moment in time that lasts forever
- Broadway/ colorful, happy, and exiting
- Chocolate/ dark and sweet, soft and hard
- An old friend/ always haves good memories to share with someone
- A sale/ a lot of one day only opportunities
- Italy/ it has some AMAZING places
- A kiss/ it comes with a lot of good feelings (most of them)
- Exercise/ makes you stronger and prettier
- A test/ is a hard evaluation to pass
- Bikini season/ lots of sacrifices to make
- Diet/ only with effort you can truly achieve
- Addiction/ is hard to let it go
- A catfight/ you might not always win
- Wearing a dress in a windy place/ you get exposed when you least expect it
- Bad relationship/ could be shallow and a waste of time
- A bug/ is ugly and scary, sometimes comes with a disease also
- A bitch/ is ready to stab your back
- Allergy/ sometimes you can’t breathe properly
- A hangover/ is hard to get out of bed
- A casino/ the house always wins
- High heels/ they make the obstacles seem harder that what they are, even though they look amazing
- A video game/ you play with the elements
- Crashing a car/ is confusing, painful, and expensive
- An airport/ things come and go
- An ear infection/ you lose balance
- Being blind/ you have no idea what is waiting right next to you
- Wine/ is tasteful
- Snow/ is slippery
- A mirror/ it reflects who you are
- Time/ it never stops
- Birthday/ is a celebration
- Car/ it takes you somewhere
- Life/ life… a miracle
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are my random comparisons (listed before I read Ana's article):

Life is like a rainbow, you have all sorts of colours there, the dark ones, and the bright ones. A rainbow is beautiful because it does not contain but one colour, it has them all.

Life is like a journey, there are ups, and downs, so you go fast, and you slow down. Go fast and enjoy your ride with the wind, and slow down to enjoy the beautiful scenes along the way. Wherever you go, go with your heart, and stop when you need a rest.

And life is like...

Enjoy the chocolates!!! (I like the picture so much so I use it in our group blog, too!)

Best of luck and love for your life!
Fran

The Heptadecagon

Considering I have not yet found the one to feature today, I will post an article about the so-called "heptadecagon". I translated it from Chinese and added a little bit of my imagination. Read on, you will find out what it is.

P.s. I am unable to upload any picture for the moment, will do it later.

Best of love,
Fran

The Heptadecagon

Photo Credit: La.Joie.de.Vivre

One day in 1796. University of Gottingen, Germany.

A young man started working on his homework after dinner: considering his extraordinary talents in maths, his tutor left him 3 maths problems each day as homework.

The first two problems were soon solved- they took no more than two hours. The third one was written on another piece of paper: Construct a regular heptadecagon by compass and straightedge.

It was a tough one. The young man found what he had learned did not help much to make the problem any easier. Time is ticking out and no progress was made.

The frustration, however, made the young man think harder for some unconventional perspectives and solutions. He said to himself that he could devise the construction in the end and he would.

He did it, at the dawn of the next day.

When he met his tutor, he said with regrets,"It took me the whole night to solve the third one- I should have done it better..."

The tutor was astonished after checking out his student's homework, his voice trembling,"And you reached the solution all by yourself?"

"Yes, all by myself." the young man was a bit confused by the question.

Stretched a piece of blank paper on his table, the tutor asked his student to take a seat, and to construct a regular heptadecagon, using only a ruler and a compass. He wanted to see with his own eyes how this young man could do it.

Amazed by the fact that the young man completed the work within a short time, the tutor said excitedly,"You know what? This problem, a mystery, has occupied the mathematicians since the days of Ancient Greeks! Archimedes did not find out the way-out, nor did Newton! But finally you made it! You put an end to this mystery, within a night! You are really a prodigy!"

The tutor himself had been trying hard for a solution, too, and that piece of paper with that problem was given to the student by mistake...

When looking back at this legendary experience, the young man always said,"If anybody had told me that the problem had been an unsolved mystery for over 2000 years, I would have no faith to work it out."

This young man was later known as the Prince of Math, Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777- 1855).

Photo From: http://www.chops.com/

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.

In geometry, a heptadecagon is a 17-sided polygon ("hepta" means "7"; "deca" means "10"). So pleased by the discovery of the construction, Gauss requested that a regular heptadecagon be inscribed on his tombstone. But the stonemason declined, claiming that the difficult construction would essentially look like a circle- so it was later decided that a star would be used on a monument honoring him instead.

An "Ugly" Lesson :o)

Hey Ladies!

We have been quoting and discussing Sex And The City for a while- those very gorgeous single women who have everything just so GORGEOUS! Life is so unfair... But I guess many of us are not so "gorgeous" as they are, but still have great life adventures to be excited about, brilliant traits to be proud of, and unique stories of success to make us shine. That is what I am saying- for today's "Featuring You", I would like to feature Valérie from France, with her article about an "ugly but beautiful" lady. Valérie is a student of Psychology from the University University Lumière Lyon 2, and she is going to the University of Birmingham in the U.K. next year! (That is really cool! APPLAUSE!!!)

And her article is "5 Things You Can Learn From The Ugly Betty TV Show"! Enjoy reading!

Best of love!

Fran

5 Things You Can Learn From The Ugly Betty TV Show

By Valérie

1/ You don’t need to come from a top 10 university to succeed in life. What matters the most is your passion and ability to provide a good work and to grab opportunities. Betty may come from the Bronx but in Mode she’s definitely one of the hardest and most respected worker!

2/ To be loyal et faithful to your boss and the company you’re working for is great, but if you refuse all the other opportunities you have because you feel too good in your routine or too scared to see what’s next, it’s bad. Step out of your comfort zone and try to reach your dreams rather than staying where you are. Betty took the opportunity to work at the magazine Sophia created in the first season. She also chose later to go back to school and professionalize herself. She found love along the road. That’s all good, right? And even if it’s not, it’s actually okay: it's still a good experience.

3/ Being honest may put you in uncomfortable situations sometimes but in the end people will only see how respectable you are. So, it’s like a bad thing (it can creates a few drama) but for a good thing in the end (everybody will see how great you are!). Daniel, Marc & Amanda always want to lie to everybody but Betty taught them that saying the truth is the best thing to do. Everybody hates fake people!

4/ Don’t let anything stop you in your career or even your life in general: what people told you does not matter, where you come from does not matter neither! At the beginning of the show, Betty’s sister, Hilda, as well as her father, keep on telling Betty to quit her job, that she doesn’t belong to this world. She didn’t listen to them and it obviously worked.

5/ Be who you truly are and don’t try to fit in the standard criteria of beauty or what’s trendy. What will make you stand up is your originality and creativity. When you try to be somebody you’re not, you usually fill ill at ease. So, what’s the point doing that? You’ll go way further if you are just you :) What I like in Betty is that even after 2 seasons, she is still the same. She changed a little her appearance, you can see her with fashion items but it’s still customized in her own way. It’s colourful, it’s bold, it’s Betty!

Any other lesson you learn while watching the show?

A Happy Beginning! :o)

Before we start...

Hey ladies!

Besides writing, I have been reading along many awesome blogs by ladies from all over the world, and I finally decided to count "Featuring You" into our group blog programme. I am going to feature some great, well-written, to-the-point posts written by ladies every day. (Or perhaps by guys... Let's see.) Their websites and names will all be listed on the left sidebar of this blog, under the name of "Our Featuring You Programme"!

Today the writer in our "Featuring You" Programme is Lisa from San Francisco. She is currently living in London, and her featured article for today is "Where Is My Happy Ending? [or beginning]"

Here it is. Enjoy reading!

Best of luck and love for your life!

Fran

Where’s my happy ending? [or beginning]

By Lisa

I see it every day. The young couple strolling through St. James’ Park, pausing between strides in order to share a brief kiss or embrace. That glowing woman on the Underground- her husband clutching onto her waist so firmly, yet gentle, so she won’t fall over or wobble on the fast and jolty tube ride. The foreign couple navigating through the streets of London, map in hand, not speaking a word of English but somehow managing to safely find their way together throughout the city. The man buying fresh roses or freesias from the flower stand around the corner, or the one standing in line at the grocery store calling his girlfriend to ask what sort of wine she wants. The laughs, the smiles. I see love around me everyday, and it is so beautiful.

I have never been one of ‘those’ girls who needs a guy in their life. I have known girls who literally cannot function without a member of the opposite sex glued to their hip, shuffling through relationships as if men are some sort of card deck. I have witnessed female friends very close to me immerse themselves so much in their boyfriends that, tragically, at that very moment when their relationship becomes broken, that same girl becomes lost and almost childlike, completely devoid of any personal understanding of who or what she is. Without that guy on her arm, she knows nothing. It’s sad.

I have learned to enjoy my own company, particularly now that I am living alone in a brand new city. I have never allowed another individual to define me as a person. No guy can alter me to fit the specific mold he wants to create for his girlfriend. I am me, and I have found out (and I am still finding out) who I am, irrespective of any rich or handsome boyfriend. Following this rational thinking trend, I have always tried to do what seems smart, logical, or “morally correct.” Truth is, this way of behaving hasn’t really got me very far. Sure I feel content with who I am and aware of what I want in my relationship, but at the end of the day, I am alone, and yes, I’ll put it out there– I am lonely. Yeah I know, love requires you to take risks... I think it is time for me to become more of a risk taker? I am a good girl, and I have grown up thinking that surely my principled ways will pay off at some point, right? There must be some man out there who is willing to see the beauty in what I have become– the beauty of who I am, where I have been, and where I am going.

I just feel like I am ready to let someone special and long term into my life finally. I am creating the best possible version of myself, for myself and my future, but now I am ready to share that side of me with someone else. Someone to stroll the busy streets of London with, hand-in-hand and exploring the famous sites and creating life-long memories. Someone to cuddle up next to while watching C.S.I reruns. Someone to enjoy a picnic with in Hyde Park, or a visit to the museum or galleries. Someone to travel with and explore unseen sights and foreign destinations. Someone to wake me up with a warm latte first thing in the morning because they know I am much too lazy at 7:30am to fetch one myself from around the corner. Someone to find humor in my lack of direction and ability to get lost in every new city I visit. Someone to tell me that my makeup isn’t necessary, and that my green eyes shine the most when they are free from the usual mascara and eyeliner. Someone to care for, and to care for me in return. Someone to love. Someone to be there. Someone. But not just anyone.

F-R-I-E-N-D-S

Inspired by Friendship by Deva.

Friendship to me resembles relationship in some way. You do not get in, so you will not get hurt, but then you will never feel how wonderful it is either. I am not quite a "social" person and I do not have many friends. As I grow up, "friends" becomes a "heavier", or "more precious" word in my vocabulary and I do not use it often. I have "classmates" at school, I have "neighbours" next door, I have "colleagues" at workplace, and I have "acquaintances" to hang out with. But, unfortunately, or perhaps otherwise, they are not my "friends".

Back to the ages when I took the word "friends" for granted. I once did the homework for a roommate's boyfriend- now I will not call that girl a "friend" though. Some 20 pages' English into Chinese translation. It was a chapter of a textbook about Cross Culture Communication in business scenario. The book was fun, and I did it for her, or him, a boy I did not even know.

As a "Thank You Souvenir", the girl gave me that textbook in return, I really enjoyed reading the book so I said "Thank you."

"No need. We are just 'using and being used' classmates."

I never said "Thank you." to her any more. I rarely talked to her after that. I still have not yet figured out who was using whom and who was being used in the whole thing. Perhaps I enjoyed doing translation about that subject, so I used her boyfriend's homework for fun (or I was indirectly using him, or her, for fun?); or she used me to nail that 20-page-chapter and then I used her to get something in return. That textbook?!

To tell the truth, I did want something from her.

A "Thank You." A sincere one.

Friends are like bras- close to the heart and they are always there to support. (Sorry for the ignorance, GUYS!)

I do not remember how many times I have quoted this one. It is fun, it is so true, and it says it all.

I got to know my close friend Delia at university, and we became good friends since graduation. She is loyal, supportive, and she is always there to listen. She told me to believe in myself and to hold on when I was so frustrated and I wanted to quit. She helped me whenever I needed her help. We both have those dirty little secrets that we both prefer to hold to ourselves and never share. For some topics I reveal more details but in other occasions, she is the one more talkative. But how can that matter? In a friendship, just like in a relationship, you just cannot be that greedy because you think you are the one who "devote" more and want the other one do the same as you think you do... Friends can be close, but to keep the friendship, you also have to keep the distance.

Best of love,
Fran

Tug Of War

It is like a tug of war.
I swing like a pendulum.
I give away to please others.
And I draw back to protect myself.
The greedy curiosity is always there.
Chewing on your privacy.
"It cannot be that bad."
Someone said to me.
"Since you enjoys popularity!"
That is exactly the mentality.
So the tug of war proceeds.

I am not a star or anything, which probably means privacy will not be a deal "THAT BIG" for me. Mais non non non non non... I found recently that privacy is one of the most basic rights a human being deserves and mine has been endangered and violated by my extremely inquisitive neighbour... She lives next door, and whenever we met, she has endless questions for me.

"Where did you go?"
"With whom?"
"What did you eat for lunch?"
"And who cooked the meal for you?"
"Why you eat at 10 O'clock?"
"And why you call that lunch?"
"Where is you Dad are your parents?"
"Where is he going are they going?"
"When did he they leave?"
...


Madam can you just stop it?
Because I do not even know you.
Isn't a "Good Morning" enough?
Or simply a "Hello!"
I barely know what to say.
For all your questions.
It is a very deep one for me.
Why I eat at 10.
Basically I tell the truth.
I eat at 6, 10, 15, 19, or more often than that.
Because I eat.
Whenever I need to.

P.s. About the lines-through: My mistake- actually she is interested in both of my parents, instead of my Dad only : P hahahahaha...
So, ummmmm I guess she is not a psycho, not yet. She is just a nosey parker...

Oh I do not live with my parents. They live with me, occasionally.

I do not know why I mentioned tug of war. And I can be really mean.

Best,

Fran

When You Think Nothing Can Be Done

Helen, my workaholic friend (a forced workaholic), complained to me the other day that she would be killed by her God d*** job one day. She has been working like crazy for quite a while and she needs a break, she needs to run away from her current life, she must do something else for a change, she is dying for an escape, and she wants her hiatus so bad... BUT, here comes her problem, she is caught in a trap, she thinks that she cannot stop doing her job and she cannot do anything to make that change happen.

Why? Her responsibilities, her sense of obligation!

"I am the person in charge of the sales department and I should be the one to clean up all the mess, not someone else!!"

Wow... That is WAY TOO MUCH, for Helen, and for me, too. I guess THAT is something bothering her for so long and made her "stay up all night" more but smile less.

Lady, you need to change all those stuff! And the first and the most important thing to do is to CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK.

Your company will still be there running as it always does; your colleagues will not die if you leave for a while, or perhaps some of them would be happy to say goodbye with a big smile; things will not be that "out of control" without you. Comparing with a job, a company, and somebody else, your own self perhaps is the easiest to handle and manage. Chances for you to become the savior of the world (if it does need one of course) are like "once in a zillion" so PLEASE, stop pushing yourself to a hard place like that, lay back and relax, and do not be that pessimistic- you still can be the savior of yourself if you agree to think and act on the right track. Saying how much your work needs you is exactly the same as presenting excuses to persuade yourself to stay and keep doing the job. Remember that you live, not for a job, not for your employer, but for you, you, and you.

Starting a job is like getting involved in a battle which will never end. And stop when you need to. If you are not there, somebody else will do the job and things cannot be THAT bad actually. And, come on, give the other people a chance to show that they can do the job as well as you do. If you get paranoid and keeps thinking that you are going to lose the job this way, then shut up, stop complaining, take whatever you get, and just do the job!

A hard job sucks. Your workplace sucks. All the rumours, the gossips, the arguments going on there every moment suck. But, your keeping thinking them all sucks the most. It is going to suck you into a black hole and you will have not chance to get out and back to your normal life.

Jobs never die. People die. Because they work too hard and thus kill themselves.

Stop when you need to.

Best of love,

Fran

Forgive And Forget

(Inspired by Haunted By The Past by Sabz.)

Every one has memories, memories which are dazzling and brilliant, and memories dark and painful. People often say that we should forgive and forget and let go our unhappy past, but Can We?

Forgiving and forgetting are not for anybody else. They are for yourself. They are for making yourself feel better and relieved and focus on the future. Life is a journey and for each unhappy memory, we gave ourselves a huge burden. Those burdens, they drag us and keep us from moving on and making progress. They make the way to our goals harder and longer. By letting go, we unload those burdens therefore we are able to move forward more easily.

Twelve years ago, my desk mate hurt my toe with a chair. He did not mean it, and he still does not quite believe that my toe nail got seriously deformed because of the accident and was finally torn off in an operation and that my toe never looked "right", or "normal" ever since... I was so hurt because it would be some "mark" on me for all my life. I was hurt over again and again for each time I looked down and saw my deformed toe nail... I could not get over it, never.

As time goes by, I realized no matter how hard I tried to cover it up, the scar would be right there like always and the ultimate cure for it is the acceptance from my own heart, because taking it as it is seems to be the easiest way to make myself feel any better. It is going to be a lifelong battle which I will never win if I keep being obsessed with it.

Twelve years is a "circle" in a Chinese sense. A circle, to me, does not mean that things will repeat, so you will never have a chance to go through all the best moments in your life, nor the worst ones. However, a circle in your life, just like the annual rings of trees, gives you a new look, which makes you look "obviously different" from your former self. As for my life circle, a time of twelve years, it does not only make me "look" different, but also teaches me to "look" at my life in a different way. That is how people grow, like trees, right? We are the way we are. Anything good or bad of me will be with me. I will definitely make changes for a better self and I will learn to be comfortable with those flaws that I cannot get rid of.

Forgive and forget, are the same thing. They are going to let your tree grow, up, and up, and up.

Forgive and forget the past, focus on the present, and always fight for the future.

Best of Love,
Fran