All Because of A Nail, My Dear Watson

I've had just enough time to...   ponder on what a nail can do

Taken of the little nail that caused a lot of havoc

A nail, a tyre, a delay,

A business lost

It is all in the details, my dear Watson

For want of a nail a battle was lost

I’ve a problem, Master Sherlock

It is you who said - Don’t sweat the small stuff

Did I?

You did!

Well, that is a different story

In a different setting

Under different circumstances

We think differently

But how does one know

When to paint in big strokes

And when to notice of

The missing of a hair?

The tea is brewing, dear Watson

A cup of tea in the afternoon

That is a big picture

And to brew the perfect cup –

Practice, practice, till perfect, my dear Watson

_______

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost.

For want of a horse the rider was lost.

For want of a rider the message was lost.

For want of a message the battle was lost.

For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

The Back of A Business Woman is Made of Steel.

I've had just enough time to...  admire the back of strong women.

Taken on the strong back of a business woman in the fruit market in Hanoi.

An old bicycle

A few plastic pots hanging

A metal rack

Holding a few green plants

She is in business.

The back of a business woman is made of steel.

Another strong back and strong shoulders too. Can you carry those weights throughout the day?

Her back may have bended double from age and weight over the years but hers is the strongest back of all for she carried her entire family on it. And she is still doing it.

Myanmar Is Changing!

I've had just enough time to...   see the beginning of Myanmar's transformation.

Taken in a Chinese shop in Yangon's Chinatown, Myanmar.

I found myself in the Chinatown of Yangon, Myanmar recently. While my colleagues were buying casual nuts, I took this shot from inside the shop, through hanging lanterns at the street outside. Chinese New Year was just round the corner. Though this is my first trip to Yangon, I could feel the change in the air. Myanmar is changing and it will never be the same again. 

This is the watershed year for the country. After decades of being trapped in its own time zone, Myanmar is finally opening up to the rest of the world. Democracy will follow soon. Business men already smelling profits are descending into the capital by the plane load. 

With the change, more freedom and progress will follow. But not all will be good. Some will find it hard to adjust to the change. The oppressors of the country will probably be the greatest beneficiaries. It must be hard for Aung San Suu kyi. Going after the perpetrator will plunged the country into a crisis, compromising for the sake of the people will let them get away scot free. Because she cared more for the living than the dead, she has only one option really. So the past must be buried for the future to have a chance. But the injustice of it all is quite difficult to swallow. The alternative is worse. 

If you can, visit Myanmar now. In ten years, it will change beyond recognition. Though it is all for progress and a brighter future, it is still kind of sad to see some old ways of Life changed and the country losing some of its charm and unique personality. Happy New Year Myanmar. May this be a happy new beginning for you.