Anthology of Snippets

Brain Dump

  • Why International Women’s Day is More Important Than National Men’s Day

    Why International Women’s Day is More Important Than National Men’s Day

    International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8th every year, while National Men’s Day is celebrated on different dates in different countries. Both of these days are important in their own right, but there are several reasons why IWD is more important than National Men’s Day.

    Firstly, International Women’s Day is a global celebration that highlights the achievements of women and raises awareness about the challenges they face. It is an opportunity to celebrate the progress that has been made in advancing women’s rights and gender equality, while also acknowledging the work that still needs to be done. In contrast, National Men’s Day tends to focus on issues specific to men, such as their health and well-being, and does not address the broader societal issues that affect women.

    Secondly, International Women’s Day is a reminder that women still face significant barriers and discrimination in many parts of the world. Despite the progress that has been made, women continue to face inequality in areas such as education, employment, and political representation. IWD provides a platform for women to speak out about these issues and demand change, while also promoting solidarity and support among women around the world. National Men’s Day, on the other hand, does not address these broader issues of gender inequality and discrimination.

    Thirdly, International Women’s Day serves as a call to action for individuals and organizations to work towards gender equality. It encourages people to take concrete steps towards creating a more just and equal society, such as supporting women’s organizations, advocating for policies that promote gender equality, and speaking out against sexism and discrimination. National Men’s Day, while important in raising awareness about men’s issues, does not have the same level of urgency or call to action.

    In conclusion, International Women’s Day is a crucial reminder of the progress that has been made in advancing women’s rights, as well as the work that still needs to be done. It is a call to action for all of us to work towards a more just and equitable society, where women have the same opportunities as men. We can each take concrete steps to support gender equality, such as advocating for policies that promote equal pay, supporting women-led businesses and organizations, and speaking out against sexism and discrimination. By doing so, we can work towards a future where every woman is empowered to reach her full potential and contribute fully to society. Let us all take action today, and every day, to create a world where gender equality is the norm, not the exception.

  • 10 Ways to Start the Year Right

    10 Ways to Start the Year Right

    You’re eager to get the new year off to a great start because it’s a brand-new year.

    You commit yourself that this will be the year that you grow your company or improve professionally. You make a list of resolutions and then get started!

    But before you know it, you’re back to carrying out your routine in the same manner and reaping the same results.

    So what can you do to maintain your course and accomplish your objectives? Here are some pointers to get you moving and make this your finest year yet!

    my secret plan to rule the world book
    Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com
    1. Make a plan. Once you’ve decided on your objective(s), move backward from there so you can see exactly what has to be done to reach your destination.
    2. Establish attainable and precise objectives. Making your aim unachievable is the best way to ensure failure. Be selective when creating your goals. It is preferable to advance one item a mile than ten things an inch.
    3. Compile a list of new abilities you’ll need. To advance in your profession or keep up with the times in your industry, you’ll probably require new skills. Make a list of the talents you’ll need to acquire this year and devise a plan for achieving them.
    4. Steer clear of repeating prior mistakes. Continuing to act in the same manner after failing to obtain the desired consequences won’t alter the result. Instead, adopt a different strategy.
    5. Outline your objectives. Inform trusted friends, family members, and coworkers of your goals so they can be supportive.
    6. Ensure that your objectives are quantifiable. What is measured is accomplished. Keep a record of your accomplishments and treat yourself occasionally.
    7. Adjust your course as necessary. Do not be reluctant to change your route if you discover that you are going in the incorrect direction. Objectives are not fixed in stone. Changing your objectives as you go is acceptable.
    8. Maintain a healthy balance between work and recreation. Most of the time, our jobs and work come before a lot of other things in our lives. There is no stopping work. The most valuable asset you can accumulate is free time. Consider this before deciding to pursue your passion!
    9. Plan some time just for you. Set out some time on your calendar to get away and avoid distractions.
    10. Request assistance if things aren’t going as planned. Admitting that you need help is not a sign of shame.

    Most of all, remember that it is okay to make mistakes and learn as you go. Here’s to fruitful and kickass new year!

  • Change is Constant

    Change is Constant

    As we near the end of the year, can you tell me what challenges you’ve faced and what changes you’ve experienced for 2022?

    A few years ago, I had a chat with a young friend who mentioned that he was getting bored with life. He felt that there was nothing interesting left to do and that he already knew everything there is to know about life. To this, I told him that growth and change are constant in life. You need to at the very least learn something new every year. It does not have to be something that would benefit your career, it might be something more creative.

    At that point, he challenged me, asking what new thing did I learn that particular year (2020)? I proceeded to list down new things I learned, both big and small. He said the small things do not count.

    I said they count if I say they do. And for me, they do.

    So as 2022 winds down, I suggest taking time to look back at the year that was and see if you learned something new. Write it down. Be grateful for the opportunity to learn.

    If you feel you have not learned anything new, then I suggest getting a lined journal, or a notebook, and writing down things that you would like to learn. I suggest making those goals smaller, more achievable, and some that are big. 

    Dream big!

    End of the Year Challenge

    motivational simple inscription against doubts
    Photo by Leeloo Thefirst on Pexels.com

    Since December 2022 is technically not finished yet, I would like to invite you to learn something new this month. Here are some ideas:

    • Learn to play Christmas tunes on a kalimba (you can use a kalimba app).
    • Learn to DIY a Christmas ornament.
    • Learn to make an advent wreath.
    • Learn 25 new words in a different language.
    • Learn something new about Christmas.

    Okay, maybe the themes are Christmas-themed but ’tis the season.

    Give it a try!

  • November Rain

    November Rain

    We’ve come to the end of November, and with it comes the tail-end of 2023. Around this time of every year, I frequently experience fatigue and a slight zombie state of mind. It feels as though I have run a marathon and I am losing speed and losing care that the finish line is appearing.

    Nothing to worry about. It happens every year. This year just feels a little bit heavier.

    I suppose I will have more strength in a few days.

    November: A Month in Review

    Despite the fatigue, November came with surprises and new things learnt. No wonder my back hurts so much. Here are some things to remember this month by:

    • Stretching my coding brain – I relaunched my attempts at Flutter. This time, I made more progress. Perhaps you will soon see my app.
    • Creative BuKo – I’ve taken a step back to reassess where we are with Creative BuKo and thinking of more ways to improve it. I believe I have an idea now, but I just need one thing that I always needed: TIME.
    • Attended conventions – Little Boxes Solutions has attended conventions and participated in n events. One of which was the Cambodia Tech Expo. While majority of the speakers spoke in Khmer, it was still interesting to see how much growth Cambodia has had in the technology scene.
    • Reading progress – I’ve made progress with my reading after a month reading slump. This is one thing I am most ecstatic about because reading is life.
    • Revamped my business card – I have revamped my business card somewhat. Hope to have it printed soon.

    One thing I have missed is my writing, which I suppose this is the reason why I am writing a bit. I really hope to write some more, but the previous challenge was with having to switch laptops. Sometimes having multiple laptops can be challenging when some of the things you need are in another laptop, but you brought a separate one.

    Let’s talk more about other things when I get back.

  • Another Revamp?

    I think the problem with my writing is that I often look for images that need to go with a post. Sometimes, its the reverse: I look for words that go with the photo.

    I have this space for the longest time, and I have neglected it so I must really start using it… or get rid of it, so we’re going to have another revamp. Besides, it seems that writing has been slowly drifting away from me. I fear that my talent may be taken away from me if I do not write something.

    Perhaps I will not necessarily have a revamp of the website, but just keep writing things because I know that nobody visits this blog anyway… save for a few people who come to check.

    I’ve decided to also share my world.

    Having a lifestyle blog without actually sharing my world seems a little counter productive. For far too long I have just kept quiet, so now I will start doing things again. 😉

    While you’re here, you might as well visit my other websites or links on the side panel. Please?

    Thank you!

  • Reading and the Universe

    Reading and the Universe

    Someone I recently befriended told me that I flex about reading.

    I … I think I don’t.

    I talk about reading as if it is as normal as breathing. Every now and then, I am still shocked when people do not read. I still get surprised when I find out that the people I actually like are not readers.

    Then I remember that of course, maybe not everybody is into reading as I am.

    Now, some people who claim they love reading often peak my curiosity as I am only eager to discuss about books. Same situation applies to that said “new friend” who shared that he reads. To which I said, “yeah? Like what books?”

    That was not a flex. That was me asking what books the person liked. He then felt like I was showing off how many books I have read… I was not. I was just happy to know someone else read. I cannot help it if I read that many books.

    But then again, perhaps some people do find it intimidating – he said so as well.

    Reading the Universe

    I simple like to read. Perhaps I do not read as much as I used to, but I do find comfort in books. Books make me happy.

    Reading unlocks a whole lot of information in the world that makes sense to me.

    I simply find it enjoyable.

    To that sentiment, he also said I was flexing.

    eh.

  • Curious Cats

    In a world where there are so many observers, watchers.. *stalkers*, where would you categorize yourself?

    I … am… a ninja!

    But in terms of popularity, I classify myself as fairly unknown. Where nobody bothers to Google me, look for me, stalk me, or even try to find every social media that I own. Except, there are some who still keep coming back. Waiting to see if I posted something new.

    So here’s a quick post for my faithful guests (maybe 1 or 2 of you), who never fail to visit. 🙂

    Life Updates:

    • so many changes have taken place in September – life changing!
    • so many things coming soon – life changing!
    • planning, planning, planning things to come – life changing!

    You get it, right?

    Life changing things happened and are coming even more.

    I hope you stick around so I have some readers.

    Daily Blog Updates

    I have decided to blog daily — yes, maybe. Because I have not been blogging or writing a lot and my creative juices need to be rekindled. So, this will restart being the dumping grounds of what is in my mind. I need to stretch the creative muscles so that I have more ideas.

    Also, so that my brain gets preoccupied by things that are not ideal.

    I am talking about YOU.

  • Fickle Creativity

    Fickle Creativity

    Creativity is a fickle thing. She’s like the waves of the sea on a sunrise painted with pretty hues of pink and lavender, with touches of blue and cyan here and there. Inviting, inspiring, coercing.

    “Come create with me,” she says. “The possibilities are endless. Come and make this idea a reality.”

    And so, we go…

    Some are hesitant: touching her surface, dipping a toe, a foot, and then perhaps wading in until she reaches the calves. Some run to her with abandon, embracing her waves, going under. Under.

    Some feel confident, sure, and happy with her. Then she decides to become cold. Icy cold. Unwelcoming. Waves rage and cause people to run. The water turns dark, unsure, and dangerous. Some still welcome the change, the darkness, and the chaos, while others are caught helpless and have come ashore.

    Creativity is a fickle thing.

    We cannot control her. We must ride her waves, and listen to her voice. We must practice and learn to either receive blessings and enlightenment or face chaos. We must learn to turn what she gives us into something or learn to sit and wait until she becomes more welcoming.

    Truly, the life of a creative is full of promise and beauty, but often at the mercy of Creativity’s fickleness.

    Create.

    Create.

    Create.

    She’ll be back. Just create.

  • New Year, New Thoughts

    New Year, New Thoughts

    Here’s an update, it is the new year, and I am not really going to say that its going to be a “New Me.” There is no “New Me.” There is only me, myself, and I. And what we can expect this year is more on self improvement or growing this same old version of myself.

    Do you feel the need to reinvent yourself? Do you often feel like you have to change?

    What if I told you that you don’t necessarily need to “change” rather just take it day by day and improve the things that you want to improve.

    We’re so caught up in this world of expectations that we forget the realities that we are blessed with. For instance, we have expectations brought about by peer pressure, family pressure, parental expectations.. and worse of all, self-expectations. But when do we learn to give ourselves a break? When do we get to pat ourselves in the back and say, its been good. You’re doing great!

    I say, let 2022 be the year you start giving yourself a break. Start being kinder to yourself, and stop expecting people to go hard on you — just because you are hard on yourself.

    Unfurl the tarpaulins and let the sign say “2022: Kinder YOU; Kinder ME!” Or something like that. Yeah?

    Back on the work horse

    Today, I sit in an almost empty room, hearing the rumble of an old air conditioning unit. Outside, the walls of the buildings reflect the heat and helps drive brightness into my eyes. I could move, I really could. But I am lazy to do so.

    Besides, moving entails that I move my monitor, mega mousepad, and laptop to another place in the room. I simply do not have time or the energy to do that.

    I’ve come to the office today to work, and get some stuff down. I would like to try to do more work this time around than just play Rise of Kingdoms. In the olden days (okay, in 2019 to 2021), I used to journal in an attempt to share my world with you. However, I realized that nobody actually reads my blog, so now I feel a sense of freedom to just ramble on and write about anything about everything.

    There are a couple of drafts that I still need to review and post, but no rush.

    We’re running low on energy today, sick as a dog, and so on. I guess the trip over the holidays has given me some weird bug that somehow becomes more severe as the day wears on. Not only I am affected by this but also the hubby and the little kid.

    General anxiety

    I cannot help but feel a sense of general anxiety or fear for 2022. So many things have happened over the course of the last 2 years that I cannot help but wonder what this year brings.

    However, as what the husband said, 2021 was not all that bad, actually. It could have been worse, but we came out of it strong and in control. So let us hope that it continues to do so for 2022. Challenges are always coming out, but I can only hope to be stronger and more courageous to face the things that are coming my way.

    Lets see how this year goes.

    Oh, and Happy New Year to you!

  • 2021 Round Up

    2021 Round Up

    So, I did call 2021 a year about a month ago… and then I vanished, right? Well, here I am, stopping by to wrap up 2021. What a year it was!

    This post started with the intro, all peppy and hopeful, but it quickly changed into something dark and menacing. So, I’ve mentally paused and mindfully pulling myself out of the rabbit hole.

    The rabbit hole is something we will discuss at some point, when I have managed to arrange things a bit. Let’s look towards more rainbows and sunshine, shall we?

    Here’s some good things that happened in 2021, month by month:

    • January – Left a job for a job that I felt was better for my “situation”.
    • February – Went to the beach and managed to drive for an hour. Car driving achievement unlocked in 2020, but car driving with U-turns and crossing bridges was unlocked this year.
    • March – I baked cookies for the first time. Yep. I finally put that oven to good use.
    • April – Baked brownies… I don’t recall much of anything else.
    • May – This is a blur. I cannot recall much. You see, lock down started in February.
    • June – Sanya’s birthday.
    • July – My birthday, and I learned to use a French Press. I basically leveled up my coffee game.
    • August – What happened here..? Oh, new strides for Little Boxes!
    • September – More improvement for Little Boxes, and gained more clients.
    • October – Went to the beach with a friend, and took a jump to finally start another business.
    • November – Creative BuKo went LIVE! AND I started reading a LOT more than the previous months.
    • December – Christmas is always a good thing.

    Okay, so maybe it was not that eventful. I think I need to start journalling so I do not miss any events that would be memorable.

    How was your 2021?