It all started with an sms that I received earlier this week:
"This Sat 6.30pm dinner at my place."
"Okayyy... But would you be kind enough to let me know who tis is?"
"Phyllis"
"Hi Phyllis, I would love to join you for dinner tis w'end but unfortunately, I've already got plans and oh, I think you've got the wrong number ;)"
If it was a guy, I have a feeling that I would've asked him for his home address.
After all, who am I to say no to an invitation from a man who can cook?
"The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on." - Robert Bloch
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
"I'll be coming home, wait for me"
"Flight attendants, please be seated for takeoff."
I was assigned to a window seat on my daytime flight back from Kota Bahru to Kuala Lumpur after the Lunar Year break last week. Which I wasn't exactly pleased about initially because it meant that I won't be able to get out of the plane as fast as I'd like to.
And I remembered thinking to myself "This is gonna be one lonnggg flight" when I realized that lucky seat 31A IS at the last row of the plane and seated next to me was a lady who was with her 7-month-old child.
Normally, I'd prefer to take a nap during the 50 minutes or so flight but due to the incessant crying of the baby and his mom's futile efforts to soothe him, I decided to shift my focus to the view outside.
My flights are often, if not always, in the late evenings due to my work schedule.
But on that day, flying 25,000 feet above sea level, with clouds that look like cotton candy; the warmth of the sunlight felt even through the window; the lush woodlands, the various hues of greens and blues reflected by the crystal clear sea; and when no matter how hard you squint, you can't seem to figure out where the sea ends & the horizon begins...
I used to marvel at the sight of the glorious night lights, which were readily available in every other city that I've been to. I'm wondering now whether they are even worth a comparison.
To think that I spend most of my waking hours at a desk in a concrete jungle, 5-6 days a week, I can't help but feel as if my entire life revolves around my work.
When there is so much out there - waiting to be discovered, to be explored, to be revelled in.
Don't take me wrong, I think my job is great (ok, so I'm a boring person) and I'm well aware that this is not a world whereby human beings can survive on eating grass, drinking water from a nearby river and living in caves; or where money grows on trees.
I remembered coming across this a few days ago from a book that I've been reading: Nobody on their deathbed ever said, “Gee, I wish I had spent more time at the office.”
I guess the keyword here is 'balance'.
While I know it's kinda late for a New Year resolution since it's coming to the 3rd month of the not-so-new-year (scary, huh?) but I'd like to make one of them this: to wake up and smell the roses - be more adventurous, more flexible in my schedule, make time for friends and go out more.
So the next time you extend an invitation for Friday night drinks to me and I give you some lame a** excuses about how I HAVE TO attend my 8.30pm yoga class, please can you remind me of this darn post.
“One day at a time - this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.”
- Author Unknown
I was assigned to a window seat on my daytime flight back from Kota Bahru to Kuala Lumpur after the Lunar Year break last week. Which I wasn't exactly pleased about initially because it meant that I won't be able to get out of the plane as fast as I'd like to.
And I remembered thinking to myself "This is gonna be one lonnggg flight" when I realized that lucky seat 31A IS at the last row of the plane and seated next to me was a lady who was with her 7-month-old child.
Normally, I'd prefer to take a nap during the 50 minutes or so flight but due to the incessant crying of the baby and his mom's futile efforts to soothe him, I decided to shift my focus to the view outside.
My flights are often, if not always, in the late evenings due to my work schedule.
But on that day, flying 25,000 feet above sea level, with clouds that look like cotton candy; the warmth of the sunlight felt even through the window; the lush woodlands, the various hues of greens and blues reflected by the crystal clear sea; and when no matter how hard you squint, you can't seem to figure out where the sea ends & the horizon begins...
I used to marvel at the sight of the glorious night lights, which were readily available in every other city that I've been to. I'm wondering now whether they are even worth a comparison.
To think that I spend most of my waking hours at a desk in a concrete jungle, 5-6 days a week, I can't help but feel as if my entire life revolves around my work.
When there is so much out there - waiting to be discovered, to be explored, to be revelled in.
Don't take me wrong, I think my job is great (ok, so I'm a boring person) and I'm well aware that this is not a world whereby human beings can survive on eating grass, drinking water from a nearby river and living in caves; or where money grows on trees.
I remembered coming across this a few days ago from a book that I've been reading: Nobody on their deathbed ever said, “Gee, I wish I had spent more time at the office.”
I guess the keyword here is 'balance'.
While I know it's kinda late for a New Year resolution since it's coming to the 3rd month of the not-so-new-year (scary, huh?) but I'd like to make one of them this: to wake up and smell the roses - be more adventurous, more flexible in my schedule, make time for friends and go out more.
So the next time you extend an invitation for Friday night drinks to me and I give you some lame a** excuses about how I HAVE TO attend my 8.30pm yoga class, please can you remind me of this darn post.
“One day at a time - this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.”
- Author Unknown
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Blessed
I received this in my inbox today (Lawrence, if you happen to be reading this, for which I'm quite sure you will, thank you!).
Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983. From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: 'Why does God have to select you for such a bad disease?'
To this Arthur replied:
'The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked God 'Why me?'.
And today in pain I should not be asking God 'Why me?'
Which prompts me to ask myself when was the last time I counted my blessings?
Each & every one of us have so many things to be thankful for and yet often, we fail to realize how lucky we are. It has not dawned upon us that there are a lot of people in this world who are so much less fortunate than us. (Or, maybe, for some of us, we don't really give a hoot because all we care about is ourselves and for that, my friend, all I can say is that I feel sorry for you)
Instead of counting our blessings, we put more emphasis on what is lacking in our own little world - physical beauty, worldly possessions, a loving, more understanding/romantic partner, a better paying AND less stressful job (keep on dreamin', baby!)
In times of trial, we blame God; at times, our parents/partners, society, government, etc. but not for a moment do we look back and ask ourselves whether we have ever thanked or credited anyone during our happy moments.
The truth is that most of the time we don't because the majority of us think we deserve all the happiness in the world but not the trials & tribulations that come with it.
We simply refuse to acknowledge that ups & downs are part & parcel of life.
So today, I am ever so grateful for:
"There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." - Carl Gustav Jung, Swiss psychiatrist, Psychologist and Founder of the Analytic Psychology, 1875 - 1961
Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983. From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: 'Why does God have to select you for such a bad disease?'
To this Arthur replied:
'The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis, 500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, when I was holding a cup I never asked God 'Why me?'.
And today in pain I should not be asking God 'Why me?'
Which prompts me to ask myself when was the last time I counted my blessings?
Each & every one of us have so many things to be thankful for and yet often, we fail to realize how lucky we are. It has not dawned upon us that there are a lot of people in this world who are so much less fortunate than us. (Or, maybe, for some of us, we don't really give a hoot because all we care about is ourselves and for that, my friend, all I can say is that I feel sorry for you)
Instead of counting our blessings, we put more emphasis on what is lacking in our own little world - physical beauty, worldly possessions, a loving, more understanding/romantic partner, a better paying AND less stressful job (keep on dreamin', baby!)
In times of trial, we blame God; at times, our parents/partners, society, government, etc. but not for a moment do we look back and ask ourselves whether we have ever thanked or credited anyone during our happy moments.
The truth is that most of the time we don't because the majority of us think we deserve all the happiness in the world but not the trials & tribulations that come with it.
We simply refuse to acknowledge that ups & downs are part & parcel of life.
So today, I am ever so grateful for:
- Having my mom as a parent and thankful for everything that she has done for both my brother & I - without you, there will be no us;
- My relatives for being ever so supportive and remaining a close knit family even though there tend to be some on and off minor arguments,
- My cousin for allowing me to stay with her so that I can watch baby Aydan grow into a beautiful little girl and also, at the same time discover that in a relationship, a perfect partner does not exist;
- My amazing friends whom I have come to realize that even though we're far apart, that I can always count on them (you know who you are!);
- My job which I enjoy despite the fact that I still hate the idea of getting out of bed at 6.15am every weekday morning;
- My yoga classes which never fail to make me marvel at how time can possibly pass sooooo slowly and yet, brings a sense of peacefulness within me;
- Me being pink, pasty & healthy and though sometimes my left knee hurts a little after my 3km run, at least my four, whole, limbs are still attached to my trunk & in working order.
I could not have asked for more.
"There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." - Carl Gustav Jung, Swiss psychiatrist, Psychologist and Founder of the Analytic Psychology, 1875 - 1961
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A funny thing called love
I may not have shown my appreciation for all the things you've done for me before so here it goes:
Thank you for everything that you have given me; and more importantly, for showing me what I can be and more.
I'm everything I am today because you loved me.
And just because two people are no longer together doesn't mean they have to stop caring for each other.
All I can do is hope and pray that you'll find your happiness one day, even if it's not with me.
"Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." - St. Augustine
Thank you for everything that you have given me; and more importantly, for showing me what I can be and more.
I'm everything I am today because you loved me.
And just because two people are no longer together doesn't mean they have to stop caring for each other.
All I can do is hope and pray that you'll find your happiness one day, even if it's not with me.
"Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." - St. Augustine
Monday, February 1, 2010
Honey, do I look fat in this?
No comprendo why one would ask a question when (s)he is not ready for an honest answer.
A question which puts the other party in a predicament.
Should he then:
(A) be true to himself (read: honest) and risk jeopardizing the delicate balance of the relationship; or
(B)just say what he thinks she wants to hear, i.e. a safe answer, such as, "You look fine, dear. Uhm, and since we're running late, I guess I'll just go start up the car first."
If your choice is (B), you are hereby forewarned that it may prompt her to say
And depending (a lot) on how he reacts, it will end up 78% of the time, with an imaginary border drawn right in the middle of the bed that fateful night, at best.
And a cold war that could last a lifetime and beyond, at worst.
I somehow have a gut feeling that the author of this phrase "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" was exactly in this situation when he had a 'Eureka' experience and coined the phrase.
Some words are best left unsaid.
Or should I say, unquestioned.
"My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met." - Rodney Dangerfield, American comedian and actor
Nota bene:
This is NOT
As for the "OMG, I'm turning into a hippopotamus!", I'm warning you, don't even go there.
A question which puts the other party in a predicament.
Should he then:
(A) be true to himself (read: honest) and risk jeopardizing the delicate balance of the relationship; or
(B)just say what he thinks she wants to hear, i.e. a safe answer, such as, "You look fine, dear. Uhm, and since we're running late, I guess I'll just go start up the car first."
If your choice is (B), you are hereby forewarned that it may prompt her to say
And depending (a lot) on how he reacts, it will end up 78% of the time, with an imaginary border drawn right in the middle of the bed that fateful night, at best.
And a cold war that could last a lifetime and beyond, at worst.
I somehow have a gut feeling that the author of this phrase "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" was exactly in this situation when he had a 'Eureka' experience and coined the phrase.
Some words are best left unsaid.
Or should I say, unquestioned.
"My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met." - Rodney Dangerfield, American comedian and actor
Nota bene:
This is NOT
As for the "OMG, I'm turning into a hippopotamus!", I'm warning you, don't even go there.
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