CreativeLive $15 off Coupon Code

I recently bought a CreativeLive course and in turn have been given a $15 off coupon code. If you enjoy learning, do browse the many courses on creativelive.com Who knows, you might find something that you've been wanting to learn for the longest time.

They have discounts going on from time to time and these discounts can be combined with the $15 off coupon code to further bring the prices down!

To enjoy the discount, click on the link for the $15 off coupon code. 

Joey Yap's Feng Shui 2015 Seminar Encore

Learning on a Sunday. I love his seminars.

There's this annoying male usher-er who is insisting that I close the gap and sit in the row in front of where I have already seated myself. I know, you are only doing your job but I'm stubborn and choose not to move. Sorry. He's clearly not impressed when I tell him that other people will come in and and those seats will be occupied... only not by me.  

On Acquiring New Information

I've been reading quite a bit lately, mostly novels. I've got to get back to the habit of reading content instead of just fiction. Gotta keep learning in order to keep improving.

The price of the book is negligible when you put into use the ideas that you learnt from the book. I'm currently reading about behavioral economics.

Learning Photography

Knowing how to REALLY use a camera and being able to take good photographs is something that has always been sort of a mystery for me. So... I've decided to come out of the darkness and learn how to operate a camera. As always, I went to youtube.com (Thank God for youtube --- where would I be without it???).

I found this channel called PhotographersOnUTube and have so far watched 3 of the videos and wow... it suddenly is all making sense to me!!! They make fantastic videos for newbie learners of photography. I would strongly recommend that you watch their videos if you're interested in getting started with photography.

learning

if it weren't for the recent turn of events, i wouldn't have:

1. learned to use photoshop (no kidding!!!)
2. learned to use illustrator(ditto!)
3. spent much time thinking about design
4. leaned about vimeo and the great movies that people out there are making
5. had time to design my own logo, blog heading and lots of other things
6. had time (and energy) to rediscover yoga
7. had time (and energy) to do workouts
8. discovered audio books library

i have to thank the people who have generously contributed tutorials on youtube for the first two items on my list. i have been enlightened because of them.  thank God for social media!  :)

learning

i am now learning to use photoshop and illustrator, two programmes that i have always wanted to learn but never got around to doing so.   now is the perfect time to learn.

i'm pleased to say that i am capable of a lot more than i thought i was.  thanks to the tutorials on youtube.com, i can now do some work using those programs!!!  

retire young retire rich by robert kiyosaki

i came across this book in the bookcrossing zone in 1-utama just before going on holiday.  i found a lot of things in this book that made A LOT of sense.  is someone trying to tell me something???

a lot of what you say says a lot about how you want to be perceived

an adult iranian student proudly informed me that she is unable to ear rice with her hand.  while this fact saddened me, she viewed this as a good thing.  it was her way of  telling me that she was from a well-off family.

unfortunately, i don't share that view.  i think you're culturally poor if you're no longer able to do the things that others in your culture are able to do.

there is nothing to be proud of if you no longer are able to eat using your hand, sit on the floor comfortably, and do other things that is performed with ease by others in your culture.

while i would like to believe that i am westernized, i would like to believe that i am being open to accepting different ideas and ways of doing things while remaining true to who i really am.  i am proud of my culture.  it is who i am.

"why should i use my dictionary when i have you?"

a few days ago, in a reading task, a student asked me for the meaning of a word that he didn't know.

in the quest of trying to make him an independent learner, i suggested that he use his dictionary.  he said to me that he didn't like using his dictionary and why should he use a dictionary when he had a teacher to ask?

it's not easy trying to make an arab student an independent learner.  their culture is as such that they prefer being told than seeking for the answers for themselves.  seeking for answers seem to not be a challenge that arab students embrace.

on learning

before one can learn, one must acknowledge that one does not know before one can proceed to the next stage of looking for the answers. It is the process of seeking for answers that constitutes learning and not the answers in themselves.

there are many people out there who are in learning institutions but who really don't know what it takes to lear

the frame of mind of "I know" hinders one from progressing with the learning process.

learning also requires one to be humble and not to be defensive. it's difficult to learn when you have your guard up.

in this day and age, it is about making technology work for you. it is not about knowing everything but about knowing where to get the information when you need it.

many are still of the frame of mind that what they need to know will be taught to them by their teacher. they understand not that by doing so, they are limiting themselves.

question is --- why limit yourself to just one teacher when you can have so many other teachers out there?

learning in the age of the information technology is liberating but it only liberates those who want to be liberated.

many people think that they want to have an education but are they prepared to make what is available to them so that they can not only acquire knowledge but also contribute towards the bigger body of knowledge? now that is the real question.

do these "students" really know what it really means to be learners?