Strangers at heart

She might turn left. I might turn right.

We might be strangers.

But we still meet at the intersection.

And we cross each other's path, unknowingly.

They are our hope

Our hope. Our future.

Love this shot.

Credit : Cheeky Monkey Photography

Coming to my senses..

Life is often full of challenges that twist already-made decisions and tried very hard to keep both your feet off the ground. Turning opposite directions just to make you face yourself upside downs.

Sometimes, you are so stucked at these intersections, that there is nothing you can do to change the harm done but to accept it and then, move on.



Because change is so permanent, I've found out that avoidance is not a good mode of learning. Life is about accepting change and learning to adapt to it. It is also about being happy, sidetracks aside. Ultimately, making sure that your feet is still on the ground.

Yummyliciousss!!!

Hey, where did you buy those?

Errr... I cooked them.

You and Me

We left our footsteps at Aonang.

Faith would lead us back there.

Happy 1st Anniversary

Hi Hong Kong,

I remembered clearly 01/09/2009. The first time I stepped into Hong Kong. A foreign land. No idea of what awaits me. No expectation of what lies ahead. Not well prepared to embrace the cultural shock and differences. Not knowing that I'd sustain here until now.

I vividly recall when I first step down from the plane. Ok. I was all alone. Lost and unsure. Blur and insecure. I really do not know, where did courage found its way and accompanied me all the way. It is indeed, a BIG step.

I still remember how shocked I was every time I had an encounter with Hongkie. Startled by their straight-forward and none-of-my-business manners, I was always victimised emotionally. Now, I understood. IT is in their culture. Sarcasm is their manners. Realistic is how they view. Highly system- and policy-oriented SAR. The business manifested society. A financial hub.

Hong Kong surprised me in many way, as much as how I surprised myself. And there's never an end to new discoveries and learning to overcome or embrace them. Small but compact. Flexible in many ways but still rigid.

Hong Kong proved to be a good touristy place. Excellent transportation. Informative resources. Accessible in every way. A planned society. Too many things to see and to be delighted with. But, only short term. Nobody would tourist for 4 years in Hong Kong.

One thing I learned, in a multicultural society, we blend in not by adapting and losing our own cultures. But to adapt and enrich the society with my culture. I am not a local, I am a foreigner.

I found the most ideal [quite] way to adjust to you. I just hope that your people would smile more. Coz I won't give up my smile.

Hong Kong, you're part of my life now.

HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY...

Hong Kong's period of grief...

Such a tragic end for Hong Kongers at Manila...

A day, nobody could be proud to have it listed in the history...

Who could have thought of a massacre while touristing?

All they wanted was just to travel abroad during the summer holidays.. with their loved ones.. before school reopens...

We watched, horrified with the live telecast... anticipated the outcome of the 10-hour standoff... clock ticked by too slowly for hope...

The worst had sounded... Hong Kong hearts are shattered..

Some are left widowed.. some orphaned.. some lost their dependants...

Just too much to bear..

People are scarred for life..

In a bus ride, hijacked by a lone gunman..

surrounded by 200 SWAT trained personnels...

snipers...

10hours of standoff...

2negotiators...

and, 1 simple request : secure and protect my people...

Philippines, who can stop blaming you?

Hong Kong has been weeping for the lives lost..

Hong Kong is in deep sorrow...

Hong Kong wants justice...

I hope that they find peace...

Mothercat abroad

Tiger

Coffee

Leopard

I feel bad for leaving my cats behind.

And having them to be care for by my dearest parents, grandma and sister. I try not to channel the pressure onto them for they did not ask to be responsible.

I feel bad and irresponsible. And it is difficult to maintain the sanity of being away from your pets for a long long time. I set aside my pets for the sake of focusing on my life abroad.

Having bonded so closely with my cats, I'm constantly worried about them. Hoping that no tragedy shall ever fall upon my fluffy ones.

I miss meowssssssssss.... And I hope they would stay good... til I get back.

Springing faith

I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord,
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
~Jeremiah 29:11

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.
~Buddha

The will to trust again.

Life at quarter of a century

Is 24hours a day enough to reflect every second passed?

Time surpasses all our expectations.
Time have us all deciding, regreting and vow never to repeat the same mistake.
Time lead us to fall, learn, fall harder and learn more.
Time make us grow, flourish and retired with grace.
Time heal all wounds, bless all souls, give hope to the faithless.
Time's own limitations have us in awe admiration.

Little do we realized, it's already quarter of a century.
The path, as they said would be long. But I doubt, how far can you see?

Being able to brave every step ahead with simplicity, is the greatest gift to living. There's nothing better than being blessed with all clear senses and being able to guide others. Humans are selfish, unable to reflect on their own self but rather, have high tendency to point their fingers. To me, nothing left to complain, but more to be advanced and to improve more. Also, with so limited time left, little that I can do, wishing there's more time to contribute to others. The best feeling, is when you lift up another's burden.

Treasure life, treasure the moments.
For we will never walk this way again.

I will continue capturing each meaningful moment...

Let's celebrate this route call life.
HAPPY QUARTER-CENTURY!!

Female in the male league

Very few can guess what I do when I go to work.

Specifically, nobody can believe what I did when I work.



My recent work took place at various mangrove locations in Borneo.

• Planning fieldwork.
• Exploring virgin mangroves.
• Assisting sampling.
• Purchasing equipments.
• Implementing ideas.
• Learned about land surveying.
• Snapping pictures.
• Middle person.
• Communicate with officers, staffs and labourers.
• Representing the university.
• Entertaining officials.
• Showing foreigner around.
• Filtering cigarette smokes.
• Paying for meals.

I have a team of man collaborating with the fieldwork. Most of the time, their expectation will underestimate me. Or they just have the tendency to neglect my presence. But I do not mind because I do have the mindset that both sexes are equal. Or at least, shown to be so. Those man eventually respected my contribution and how I take my stand.

That makes my work revolving around MAN all the time. Possibly because few woman are as interested as I am in doing what I do.

I found that I can do personal assistant, secretary, clerk, manager, interpreter, translator, surveyor, photographer, research assistant, food decision-maker, labourer, map reader, slide manager, peacemaker, financial planner, accountant, marketing officer, IT, 2nd-hand smoker and babysitter - ALL AT ONCE.

I am basically drained out with what I have.

Twinc

the aftermath twin sharing bed

eye sores for jazz





I miss my Kuching.

The kid in me

♥

I heart being a kid.

♥

I heart my taste.

♥

I heart how I am.

I heart 25.

♥

Love Tale Rewinded

Well, just a repitition from my FB note. Would like to share it, prior to my previous post :-

Life is too precious for too many wrongs,
for we only walk this way, once.

whether you are Single - In a relationship - Attached - Separated - Engaged - Married - Divorced - Widowed... this article is a good read.

A good daily reminder for all.

MARRIAGE
from an unknown source.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you.

She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking.

I want a divorce.. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man!

That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage. This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into our bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning.. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions.. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully..

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time.. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.

On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore. She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead.. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead...

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage! If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.



Thank you unknown author. You helped enlightened another's mind.

Forgiveness is choosing to love.

It is the first skill of self-giving love.

[Mohandas K. Gandhi]

When two is better than one

It's a roaring year for knots getting tied this year. I vividly recall grandma mumbling something about not being auspicious to get married this year. But, it seems just the opposite for our modern society these days. Soooooooooo many of my friends, family, relatives and colleagues signing off their bachelor/bachelorette life in 2010.

I wonder, if they are really sure they have found the right one. Or they just do it out of loyalty? courtesy? Or taking another plunge into the next stage of their lives?

Like I said, each step is a giant leap.. saviour it.

Anyways, I do wish them happiness, compassion and lots of love 'til they breathe their last. Love itself, work wonders to make miracles happen. For those who waded through, would be blessed and praised.

Well Grandma, your prediction is museum now.

YOUTH 2009!!!

Malaysia's Largest Youth Lifestyle Festival Return!

9th-11th JANUARY 2009

Time : 10.30am - 9.30pm
Venue : Putra World Trade Centre, KL

Check out cool events at Youth '09!

The Learning Workshops may just introduce you to your new hobby??!

Hurry up & Get your free passes here!

It's a Kampong Life !

I love the feel residing in a kampung [village].

This kind of satisfaction is ultimate and relaxing, far away from all the neverending buzz in the city.

So old and mystical, charming in their own aesthetic ways.

Each village, has got it's own story, waiting to be shared.

A great place to capture un-uttered beauty as well!

It gives me a sense of overwhelming comfort, a sense of belonging.

I will never grow bored travelling to villages and rural areas, it's actually a fun outing for me!

And, it will always be.