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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

My Grandpa’s Crabs


When I was young, my father was a General Secretary of village-track of four villages. My grandpa was a member of Board of Trustees of our village.

My father had meetings very often and my grandpa had meeting usually once per month or sometimes, twice per month. Though my grandpa had less meetings than my father, grandpa often had problem with people in the meetings because of his short-tempered and intolerant speaking outs, if he believed in something was true / right.

Any way, I remember that once, my grandpa came back home from a meeting and he was very angry and told me that “There were Crabs in the meeting.”
I asked my grandpa, “What did you mean by that?”
He said that there were two kinds of people like crabs:

The first kind; Siders
He said that crabs naturally could not go forward or backward, but side to side, which meant they were not leaders, at the same time, not followers. So what? They are just - Crabs!

The second kind; Dropping Down each other
My grandpa explained that you put the crabs into a little tall pot. You did not need to cover the pot, not because of the crabs could not climb up to the top of the pot, but because of (whoever was going to the high place,) they pulled down each other. They could not go outside. They could be pulling down each other enough. So what? They are just - Crabs!


Picture: http://martinscrabs.com/martinscrabs/Images/Live%20Blue%20Crabs.jpg

Meanings of the Given Names (R)

Roosevelt = Rose Field

People often ask me about - what does my name mean. Sometimes, I also ask other peoples if his or her name means something. These are not important but it is good to know about each other in our cultures of mankind. For my friends who want to know, the meanings of (Western) given names:
Men’s Names (R)

Radford: (Old English) Red ford
Ralph: (Germanic) Counsel, wolf
Ramsey: (Old English) Ram’s isle
Randal, Randolph: (Germanic) shield, wolf
Raphael: (Hebrew) Healed by God
Raymond: (Germanic) Counsel, protection
Reginald: (Germanic) Might, power
Reuben: (Hebrew) Behold a son; substitute
Rex: (Latin) King
Richard: (Germanic) Rule, hard
Robert, Robin: (Germanic) Fame, bright
Roderick: (Germanic) Rule, rule
Rodney: (Old English) Road, servant
Roger: (Germanic) Fame, wolf
Roland: (Germanic – Scottish) Might, power
Roosevelt: (Dutch) Rose field
Roscoe: (Old English) Rose, wood
Ross: (Germanic) Horse; promontory
Roy: (Celtic-Old French) Red; king
Rudolph: (Germanic) Fame, wolf
Rufus: (Latin) Red-haired
Russell: (Old French) Little red; red head

Women’s Names (R)

Rachel: (Hebrew) Ewe
Rebecca: (Hebrew) Cow; snare
Regina: (Latin) Queen
Rhea: (Greek) From Rhea, the goddess of fertility
Rhoda: (Greek) Rose
Rita, Reta: (Greek) Pearl
Roberta: (Germanic) Fame, bright
Rosa, Rose, Rosalie: (Latin) A rose
Rosamond: (Germanic) Horse, protection
Rosemary: (Latin) From the shrub rosemary; dew of the sea
Ruby: (Latin) From the gem ruby; red
Ruth: (Hebrew-Germanic) Friend, beauty; fame

Picture: http://image59.webshots.com/59/1/30/47/2627130470071661067NYYRpD_ph.jpg
Source: Smith, Elsdon C. “Vocabulary of Given Names.” The World Book Dictionary. 1968.

Meanings of the Given Names (Q)

Quentin = Fifth


People often ask me about - what does my name mean. Sometimes, I also ask other peoples if his or her name means something. These are not important but it is good to know about each other in our cultures of mankind. For my friends who want to know, the meanings of (Western) given names:


Men’s Names (Q)

Quentin: (Latin) The fifth
Quincy: (Old French-Latin) Quintus’ estate


Women’s Names (Q)

Queenie: (Old English) Wife of a king
Quintina: (Latin) The fifth born


Picture:
https://www.lapuliabookofshadows.com/merchantmanager/images/uploads/Fifth%20Element.jpg

Source: Smith, Elsdon C. “Vocabulary of Given Names.” The World Book Dictionary. 1968.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

What do I learn from Master Golfers?


Last Sunday, our family visited my sister and brother-in-law for Easter dinner. During the dinning time, I was also watching the masters’ series of golf tournament. There were top golfers, such as Tiger Wood, Campbell, Perry and Cabrera.

Those masters had different and similar styles of shot, measurement, twist and swing etc. Nevertheless, I noticed that they all had one same thing, which was found in every top golfer; it was ‘Carefulness.’ Whether it was long or short, far or close, they all took care of every shot very attentively. Even for the shot of less than two feet away, they made practiced swings two to three times before they actually shot. I also noticed that some golfers, like Cabrera who won the Green Jacket on that tournament took notes in his little notebook about his shot/s, especially when he made bad shot/s.

If we say that golfers’ investments are their shots, all master golfers make their investments very carefully, much more than many other investors. In other words, whether small or large, short term or long term, every single investment is significant!

Thanks and have a good day!


Picture: http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/apr2009/6/0/angel-cabrera-pic-getty-7254147.jpg

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Today, I lost one of my grand opportunities.



Today, when I went to school, there was an election in our school; the election of Student Leadership Council and student trustee. My class began at 6:00 and when I passed the election area, it was about 5:56. The candidates offered me to vote. I felt I did not have time to vote and rather than that, I felt I did not have right to vote, since I am not a citizen, yet.

At 7:30, we had a break time about for 15 minutes. I quickly walked into the election area to make sure if I have right to vote or not (as an enrolled student). The process was over and two people were collecting things around. I asked them if I had a right to vote. One of them said “Yes.” I did not need to be a citizen; just a college student was fine, but time was over. He said he was sorry for me. I felt I was more than sorry.

For misunderstanding, I lost one of my grand opportunities, which is only we can have in democratic societies on this planet that to choose our leaders by ourselves. It is one of my big dreams to give leader/leaders the opportunity by myself to lead me/us in small of large communities.

I lost this one because of misunderstanding, but I am sure that I will have many more opportunities in future. Let it be. I am sorry for our student leader candidates to lose my vote, too.
One day, even I will be one of the candidates as it is also one of my rights in a Democratic Society! Thanks.

Picture: http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/columnists/jimbaumbach/blog/vote-button.jpg