What does cheap mean to you? Inexpensive? Poor quality? Both? Does being thrifty or frugal sound better than being cheap? Definitely Not the Opera (DNTO) is a great radio show on CBC. This particular podcast episode is especially applicable for my see-lai self:
(1hr 8mins) Listening to this now: "cheap dates win!" (vs. an expensive date)
"You pay for the experiences, not the material."
That sounds like me. Reminds me of the day I went into R&W and came out with a leather belt that was marked down to $4.95 minus $1 ($3.95 plus tax) because I brought in my R&W bag to re-use. I do a have general guideline that CDs should cost no more than $10 for one, DVDs/Blu-Rays $20; for clothing: shirts/tops $10-$20, leather shoes <$40, pants? $25 is pushing it. Yet, I would be willing to pay more for home repairs and renos, travel, social experiences, good food (no excessive sodium, artificial flavours or colour), some kitchen gadgets, and dining out.
What do you save on? What are you willing to splurge on?
In the last couple of weeks, many of us have read, heard about, or seen the stories of inspiration at the Olympics. From the beginning, where the Georgians honoured their teammate (who died tragically at a trial run) by staying to compete, to the Canadian athletes who quietly "owned the podium" in golds, despite the early pessimistic outlook. I remember telling our friends (after watching Canada lose to the US in the first game) that I enjoyed watching ice dance, and her comment was that most people don't like it because there isn't the triple axles, but the synchronized movements of the pairs are incredible. Who would've known that the juniors at the World Junior Championships in Kitchener back in 2005 would someday become Olympic celebrities and champions? (well, maybe they did, but I went to watch them back then for enjoyment value). I regret missing their performance but watching Virtue and Moir's winning pieces just made me realize how much they have matured, in both skill and age!
Stories of inspiration wasn't limited to the Olympics. Local attendees at Region Waterloo's first independently organized TED event, TEDxWaterloo and Ignite Waterloo had the privilege of hearing some inspirational stories from a wide range of speakers. Some of these speakers were more renown than others, but the ones from Ignite Waterloo were restricted to speaking without notes and having only 5 minutes to share their story where each slide would automatically advance after 15 seconds. At TEDxWaterloo, we watched past TED videos together, one being Aimee Mullens, a double amputee who took her disability and made it an ability with her 12 pairs of legs. And, the audience was hung on to Marty Avery's story of the hero: how someone who wasn't so close to her had prepared to trade his life for hers; the audience was so silent that you could literally hear a pin drop.
Makes me think - how can my life inspire others in a way like these people have?
