This poem contains 62 references to Jay Chou's songs and 10 references to his albums. Below is the version with links to the corresponding songs and albums on Jay Chou's official YouTube channel. In the cases where a song reference coincides with an album reference, the link to the song, instead of to the album, is used.
Saturday, August 23, 2025
The Jay Chou Poem
This poem contains 62 references to Jay Chou's songs and 10 references to his albums. Below is the version with links to the corresponding songs and albums on Jay Chou's official YouTube channel. In the cases where a song reference coincides with an album reference, the link to the song, instead of to the album, is used.
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Me: Then and Now
Perhaps to most people the phrase "time flies" feels more and more true with age. Here I am in 2025, a quarter of the 21st century having flown by unthinkably powerful AI tools such as ChatGPT being household names all across the world such that "digital gods" might be an apt name for them. I was born on the pale blue dot in 1990, which means 35 years has passed since my accouchement and I have, more or less, another 35 years of having the privilege of residing on this Brobdingnagian life-supporting rock. (Or is it? We'll see.) Everything evolves, and so do I. Looking back to my much younger self, I can see quite a significant difference between him and my present self.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash |
The most striking change I have experienced has to do with my holistic view on life. I grew up becoming a religious bigot who harbored bitter hatred for those not adhering to my deeply held belief. That period of my life was indeed grueling years, filled with continual unsatisfaction and intense stress which rendered me alamort. I could not become my real self and had to suppress the naturality inside me, which would otherwise have entered its anthesis in that timeframe. As odious as this psychological and behavioral phenomenon may seem, I am confident that I have figured out how it managed to grip my being, and others' for that matter, so firmly. The infectious ideological bigotry in human mind could be easily explained by our desire to extinguish fear in the simplest way possible. The problem is what is simple is not necessarily good, and what is simplest is not necessarily best. Science has enabled me to unmask this false thinking. It goes without saying that, as a dinosaur maniac, paleontology is the science that has played a vital role in decimating the pernicious mental illness.
I could almost laugh when thinking about the naivety exhibited by my past self. In my mind, life was destined to be a bed of roses. Justice would eventually prevail, everyone would inevitably reach happiness if they really wanted to, and so on and so forth. As dreamy as this thinking may appear, so far as I can tell, it is not in line with reality. If you are born in a war-torn country, the odds are your well-being will not be as good as those who aren't. Where your parturition takes place is aleatory – it is not something you can choose. You could win the lottery today and go into a coma the next day because some inebriated guy's car ploughs into your unfortunate body. There is just an unending list of things that are outside our control. This is where Stoicism comes into play. This ancient school of philosophy seems to have been gaining traction in recent years, and its popularity is a testament to its efficacy and practicality. While terrible things do happen, we can still (and have to) make the most of it. Focusing only on things within your control and loving the fate handed to you (amor fati) are two examples of Stoic practices and I find them incredibly potent and fulfilling.
"Purpose inherently exists in every human being." This is another thing in my mindset that has become obsolete. From a cosmic point of view, we have no purpose in this world. This may sound overly depressing and can leave us disoriented, but it can be liberating and uplifting instead. Although the universe did not impart purpose to us, we can create our own. Meaning is something that we ourselves determine and not something automatically dealt to us. Here is a profound quote from the extraordinary thinker Osho Rajneesh:
"People wonder why there seems to be no meaning in life. Meaning does not exist a priori. There is no meaning existing in life; one has to create it. Only if you create it will you discover it. It has to be invented first. It is not lying there like a rock, it has to be created like a song. It is not a thing, it is a significance that you bring through your consciousness." - The Book of Understanding: Creating Your Own Path to Freedom
Related to this is my realization of the vague distinction between good and bad. Dwelling in absolutism will not bear real fruit and only result in desperation. Which is better, being an employee or an entrepreneur? Is working as a doctor better than as an accountant? Should you get married or stay single? No one can say that one is absolutely good and the other is absolutely bad. I completely agree with Osho on this matter and I'd like to end this article with another eye-opening quote from the Indian guru:
"People have remained concerned about their acts: Which act is right and which act is wrong? What is good and what is evil? My own understanding is that it is not a question of any particular act. The question is about your psychology.Continue reading..
"When you are total, it is good; and when you are divided, it is evil. Divided you suffer; united, you dance, you sing, you celebrate." - The Book of Understanding: Creating Your Own Path to Freedom
Friday, June 27, 2025
The Lexicologist's Handbook – Book Review
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Image source: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/815Vk7cqbaL._SL1500_.jpg |
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Quote #123
"In a sea of the insane, the sensical are deemed to be the insane and vice versa." - Klinsman HinjayaContinue reading..
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Dinosaurs: 10 Things You Should Know – Book Review
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Eternality
Friday, May 23, 2025
Homophones Visualized – Book Review
Friday, May 16, 2025
A Reflection on Death
My dad has just passed away. At the age of 67, after battling liver cirrhosis for many years, he finally succumbed to the medical condition. My relationship with him would not have been described as best; we had a multiple-year-old feud until recently, when we naturally made it up. One thing I will never forget is the fact that he took me on his motorcycle to Jay Chou's first concert in Jakarta back in 2013, for which I am infinitely grateful. (Thank you, Dad! 🙏🏻💙✨)
My late father, Hendry Budiman, resting in his casket in Husada Funeral Home, Mangga Besar, Jakarta (photo taken on May 1, 2025) |
A portrait of my late father, Hendry Budiman (photo taken probably on May 3, 2013) |
Despite our not-so-close relationship, I couldn't prevent myself from shedding tears. I think it's perfectly natural for us humans to cry for a deceased person who has been with us for a long time; their departure from life is a natural tearjerker. This was certainly a sad moment for me and my family, and I would like to thank everyone who expressed their love and support during the bereavement period. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
The death of my direct male progenitor has consequently shoved me into a state of reflection. That day would and has come. My father has ceased living in this world, completely losing consciousness and transforming into nonliving matter. This serves as a poignant reminder of the ephemerality of our lives. Our time on this planet is incredibly short, and the clock is continuously ticking, unable to be stopped. Conscious of this fact, we need to get our act together, before it is too late. Sing, dance, travel, smile, play, love, explore, ... the list is endless. Do what you want while time is still available, and relish the present to the fullest because now is the most important moment of all. This is the essence of the Stoic practice of memento mori; the great philosopher Epictetus instructs us to "let death put everything in perspective".
Death can seem odious and petrifying. The thought of having your mind shut down and your existence zapped can certainly drive you nuts! However, if we take a helicopter view of life, we can see it through a completely different lens and stop being neurotic. Dr. Kenneth Lacovara points out in his interview with FRANCE 24 English: "Everybody dies. That's what people do. That's what organisms do." It is just part of the workings of nature. Rather than lamenting this biological phenomenon, I think it is prudent to "celebrate" it as a fact of life. Dwelling in romanticization will bring about more bad than good. Reality will not change through wishful thinking: facing up to it is the only way.
I would like to conclude this article with words from the preeminent guru Osho Rajneesh:
"I do not want life to be taken seriously. Seriousness is a kind of psychological disease. Life has to be a fun. Life has to be a rejoicing, a dance, a song, a love affair. In such a small life, being serious is simply wasting the opportunity. That's what I mean when I said it is a circus; it should be everywhere a circus, and we should turn everything in playfulness. But people are so heavy and long-faces, and so burdened and carrying loads on them. And life is so short, soon you will be reaching to your grave. Before reaching to the grave, have a little dance, a little drink."Continue reading..
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
The Book of Understanding – Book Review
Saturday, April 5, 2025
The Lesson from the Bakery
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Photo by Robert Anderson on Unsplash |
Inside the relatively small establishment, I was suddenly enthralled by the beauty of the creations displayed there. The experience was kind of peculiar since I had been there so many times but never felt the same way before. The cakes I saw imbued me with a very strong and deep feeling of appreciation and admiration; it was as if I was about to weep tears of joy for the wonderful works, created with an incredibly high level of precision and dedication. Marvelous! Perfection! Masterpieces! The feeling was so overwhelming that, had the baker(s) been present right in front of me, I would probably have commended them directly.
Friday, March 7, 2025
A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth – Book Review
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Image source: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71AvU10Q9lL._SL1500_.jpg |
Friday, February 28, 2025
Quote #122
"Silent moderates are (at least partially) responsible for the action of violent extremists." - Klinsman HinjayaContinue reading..
Monday, January 13, 2025
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Big & Fancy Words That Might Make You Smarter...er – Book Review
- A synonym for "antediluvian" should be "old-fashioned", not "old-fashion". (p. 43)
- The correct spelling for "consistant" is "consistent". (p. 72)
- The word "vengence" is a misspelling; the correct one is "vengeance". (p. 319)