Filling Your Jar

January 15

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life."

''If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse or partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal."

"Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend."

Lure of the Fist

January 10

Being a great fan of chinese martial art, I have watched old martial art movies by Jet Li many times over, and follow movies starring Donnie Yen. Only these movies are able to make me step into the cinema, and the last I was in cinema was for the movie Fearless (Fok Yun Kap) by Jet Li, on the life of the kung-fu master who taught at the famously known, Cheng Mo-Mun. That was more than two years ago.

When the trailer of the much-talked-and-reviewed-about movie Ip Man was available, and billboard posters started mushrooming in the Klang Valley, I was still unsure if I would catch the movie on screen. I read reviews on the movie, which came with high ratings and recommendations to watch. Adrian, being a real movie buff, talked about it earlier and I asked if he would like to catch it in cinema. Afraid of the coldness in the cinema, I asked which was the least cold - in KLCC, Pavillion or 1 Utama Shopping Centre. GSC 1 Utama was his recommendation.

We made reservations for two seats and I was all set, with my long denim jeans, and two extra jackets - one denim and one wool. The movie was to start at 12.20pm, and it was almost 12.50pm when the movie actually begun. Within the good whole 30 minutes of waiting and commercials I was getting cold, and I already had my denim jacket on. i covered my front and hid my hands under the wool jacket.

Ip Man was an engaging movie with few real good scenes in slo-mo, though I noticed some abruptness and missing links between few other scenes. When it ended, I glanced at my watch at and it was ten past two in the afternoon. I thought it was rather short for a martial art movie. Definitely some missing scenes.

Adrian asked what I thought of the movie since it was his second time watching it. He had caught it after work three days back. I had expected it to be more impressive given all the reviews I read. I thought the last fight scene with General Miura was too short, and angles were a little disappointing. They could have been a lot better. I also thought the ending could have been been done differently, unless the producer plan to have sequels later (that would be good for business).

Indeed there were missing scenes - four to be exact, as I discovered when I watched Ip Man all over again on DVD. Overall, casting was good. Simon Yum, versatile and talented actor, played his supporting role very well. Donnie Yen, who portrayed Ip Man, gave the late Wing Chun grandmaster his due, in character, and fighting style and prowness. That, I thought was admirable. I must admit, one does feel quite motivated to learn Wing Chun martial art after watching the movie. Well done, Donnie!