31/12/04

Now is 2.15pm. I know I wouldn't have time to type today's blog tonight, so I type it now. This morning, I went to teach again. Its my last session with them, because i won't be going to this school until next holiday. I'm gonna be busy with school work when school reopens next week. Goodbye, my students.

So now I'm home, listening to Lin Jun Jie's "Hai4 Pa4" while typing this. Nice song :) Anyway, my Pri school buddy, H, will be coming here soon hee. He is going to join forces with me and fight with the evil aliens in Gradius 5 hee. He is one of my best gaming partner since more than 10 yrs ago. His skills and reflexes are not below mine. A totally worthy opponent in competitive games, and a good team player for cooperative games. He is my life long friend too, this, I can foresee hee.

Ah, I wanted to do a summary of what I have done during this holiday, but I guess its not necessary because my previous postings have recorded my history. A summary is just an extra hee.

Later I'll be going out to join in the mood of new year celebration. But, I know many people doesn't feel that good because of the tragedy. The destruction of natural a disaster, unmeasurable.

I just wonder if the person would join me. I shouldn't think so much :)

Happy new year everyone!!

Slice of Life

Make It A Great Day! Sometimes it seems we're having a particularly bad day. Or a period of distress, when we lose something dear to us, or when it seems we've believed in something hollow and we feel like a cruel joke has been played on us.

When this happens, what can we do to feel better? The secret is to take the focus off you, and put it on other people. When something unfortunate happens to us, our world suddenly seems extremely small. As we ponder more and more on our problems, it begins to feel as if life is no longer worth living, or at least not worth living up.

But this is not true. We all have value. And we all can make a difference to someone else's life. The key is to engage yourself with people and help them. Your own problems will become easier to manage when you do that.

So the first thing to do is to listen to others. I don't necessarily mean listen to their advice, just truly listen to what they have to say. When was the last time you truly listened to someone, and allowed yourself to understand where that person was coming from, instead of letting your mind wander? Try it - you'll find that every human being has something to offer. Maybe you'll find that you have something to offer in return. Be in their presence and accept them for who they are.

Also, choose to see the good in people. Focus on our similarities instead of our differences. You know, a lot of conflicts occur because we think we want different things. But deep down inside, every one of us wants joy, love and peace. Or at least have the capacity to cultivate them. Terrorists have been conditioned to believe that their divine mission is to kill, to seek revenge. But what do they eventually hope to achieve? They want acknowledgement, they want love, they want family. They want a place in this world, or perhaps a place in heaven, but they all want peace in the end. Nobody benefits in a war-torn world.

We also need to share. We need to connect and to be related to. Sharing opens a doorway to connection. The news media has taught us to protect ourselves, to put up a barrier of defense, and not to be vulnerable. Does that really work? While keeping us safe, it keeps us from having the great fulfilment that comes from connecting with people. Humans connect when we help each other, when we support each other, when we share with each other, when we're real, and when we're being authentic. When we do this, we grow together and we create a community. So if you feel like you're having a bad day, make it a great one by listening to people, acknowledging them and sharing with them.

30/12/04

I have declared war on mosquitos. 3 consecutive days of bad night. I feel like I'm sleeping in a forest. The memories of army became so vivid. I woke up with a "balloon head".

I had to teaching band again today. I thought I might lose my temper because I had a bad night yesterday but i didn't. They are just such a nice bunch of kids. Happy to teach them. They are just sooooo attentive, so i have to crack some jokes to release them from their tension haha. In the mean time, I felt happy as well.

After teaching. I went to ktv with my friend S again. I must thank him actually, for asking me out to ktvs. I feel that my voice has improved alot. Now i really feel happy singing haha. Today was 5 hrs of singing for me. The Rap didn't work for me haha. It was a really difficult one. I didn't manage to learn the last verse for the rap haha, next time bah. My friend and I ordered alcohol drinks just to make sure our money was well spent for the ktv haha. One of the drinks was tequila without adding any soft drinks. It was the power one haha. i think that was just 50ml of tequila. One sip and i think I might just faint hahaa. That was the kind of feeling i was looking for. Pure power haha.

Tomorrow is new yr's eve, and its friday. Guess where I would go? Hee let you guess. I won't say.

Slice of Life

Tap Into Yourself!

We all have dreams. From the time we are able to consciously ponder the world, we begin to shape an idea of the kind of life we would like to lead, the kind of person we would want to be.

What makes some of us afraid to pursue our dreams, while others go on to make their dreams come true? What distinguishes the achievers from the dreamers? Is it their genetic make-up? Is it the way they were raised? Is it IQ or EQ?

Well, it can be some of these things, or none at all. The fact is, every one of us has more than enough resources to achieve our goals. Most of us just don't know it yet, or are simply too afraid of what might happen should we decide to pursue our dreams.

The entrepreneur/motivational speaker who makes hundreds of thousands per speech is no more talented than you are. He simply had the conviction to tap into his unique abilities to achieve his goals.

We all have unique gifts, wisdom, skills, abilities, and strengths. Most of us possess more than we choose to tap into. How many times have you allowed a flash of brilliance to pass without action? It could be a clever phrase, a witty joke, a business idea, a storyline, an artistic flourish… anything! All of us are capable of coming up with fantastic ideas. It's just that most people choose to let them pass without believing in them, recording them, and acting upon them.

That's what differentiates the achievers from the dreamers. Dreamers spend all their time sleeping. The achievers are constantly aware of themselves. They are aware of elements in their environment that trigger an emotion or idea in them. They are deeply conscious of what they want in life, and they are consistently learning from people and experiences. Achievers believe in themselves. Achievers believe in others. Achievers understand that there are no silly ideas, that all ideas have value, especially their own.

A good way to start is by writing down your answers to these questions:

" What are your ideas?" How can your ideas be turned into action that's good for you or others?" What are you really good at?" What do you want to change?" What do you want to achieve?" What are your values?" Who is the person you see yourself becoming?

You will not get instant results, but keep trying. Refine and develop your answers to those questions. Over time, you'll find that you'll instinctively know what to do. Tap into your own unique abilities and talents and pursue your dreams today.

29/12/04

Mosquitos...... yesterday was another terrible night. 2 days of night bombardment made me soooo tired. I couldn't sleep enough. 6 mosquitos downed by 6 am. After the last one was gone, I finally had a good sleep for 4 hrs before i woke up at 10am.

I went down with my parents for breakfast. After that, my mum and I took a bus and travelled to a place near Sim Lim tower to search for a device that has 2 blue lights in the middle, surrounded by electrical wires. This is used to "wack" the mosquitos. I think you might be able to picture it out. I don't know what it is called. The mosquitos have lead me to no choice but to engage in such a terrible warfare, more deadly than my "tennis racket".

After that, we went to Toa Payoh central for some shopping. I got a pair of sandels and slippers hee. SPEND TOO MUCH!!. I really have to stop haha but i couldn't control. I wanted to find a small retro handheld game so that i can play it during my boring bus ride to school but i couldn't find any that I like. Sooo sad.

Then, my dad came and joined us for lunch haha. It is only today that I know that my dad doesn't like egg white from the full-boiled egg (i don't know the official name) . So coincident that my mum doesn't like egg yolk. And sooooo coincident that I like both. hahaa what a family. Had a meal full of pigs organs. I guess that sounds yucky to my western friends, but they tasted sooooo good. haha

Then I came home to upload all the photos that i have taken during my jc class outing. Many of my friends requested for the printable size, so i think its still better to post them on a website. haha.

At night, I attended a concert by the Mus Art Wind Orchestra. I was damn late. I usually have a habit of arriving early for concert but today was an exception. The concert started at 7.30pm but i was still outside cityhall MRT station at 7.25pm. I ran.... past peninsula plaza, took a left turn, then a right into a dark alley behind the parliament house. The construction workers looked at me as if i was some wierd freek haha.

I managed to reach in time. The first piece that band played blew me away. For a moment, I thought that the band still hasn't improve much. Still as noisy, messy and bad. But the subsequent songs changed my thinking. I think they have did alot of intonation training and balance building. Impressed. The conductor is indeed a good one. However, they lack the higher level of musicianship. That is, emotions. I still can't feel. Those music just sound like notes to me. Even the crescendos and decrescendos feel so mechanical. haha sorry for saying that.

Gotta rest cuz tomorrow i have to teach band, then KTV with my friend S. ahhaa fun!!

Slice of Life

Beautiful, Useful or Loved?

We often don't realise it, but some of the stress in our life can be reduced if we eliminate clutter. We could also possibly see things in a clearer perspective.

At this point, you have probably run across some belongings that don't exactly serve a practical purpose in your life. Some items simply cannot be judged according to their function alone. Certain objects, such as artwork or collectibles, are kept because they are aesthetically pleasing. Others are treasured for their sentimental value. However, there is another set of criteria that you may find easier to apply in these situations.

"Is it beautiful, useful, or loved?"

Think about it - if an object isn't beautiful, useful, or loved, then why are you keeping it?

"But it was expensive!"

You may say that you are keeping an item because you spent a lot of money on it, and you can't stand to see it go to waste. Well, if you aren't using it now, isn't it still going to waste? These objects are nothing but high-price reminders of purchasing mistakes you made in the past. Perhaps you can sell it and recoup some of the expense.

"I might be able to wear it again!"

So, you're keeping those size "S" clothes because you might fit into them again some day. But does keeping a garment that is too small encourage you to lose weight or fill you with shame because you still haven't reached your goal? Isn't it healthier to focus on feeling better about your appearance now?

Another rationalization that I hear fairly regularly is, "Auntie Mei gave that to me. She would be so hurt if I got rid of it." Don't 'guilt-trip' yourself this way. Who runs your life? You or Auntie Mei?

We place too much importance on "stuff" as it is, without creating an unnecessary sense of obligation. The idea of keeping something that you have no use for, just so you can drag it out when your relatives visit, seems a bit dishonest. Wouldn't you prefer that your loved ones respect who you are, rather than who they want you to be?

ADAPTED FROM AN ARTICLE BY RAMONA CREEL

28/12/04

I had a bad night yesterday. Its not because of nightmares. It was because I was heavily bombarded by suiciding mosquitos. They seemed to be so organised. haha. Within 3am- 4am, I woke up 4 times to wack mosquitos using my electrical tennis racket. Each time I woke up, I killed one mosquito. They were so clever to send one at a time. Everytime I thought I can rest, I was awoken by the renewed itchiness. They kissed my neck and face. Mosquitos are just soooo hateful. I wonder why so many hid in my room. All the corpse laid in my mini tennis racket. I hope tonight I can have a better night.

I travelled to the school to teach band again. A kid pissed me off again. Gave them a long lecture haha. But I think I am more able to control my anger infront of them now. Instead of using loud voice, I just used normal voice for scolding haha. What an Ass I am. I guess my face plays a big part too. Monstrous face. haha.

After that, I have to go to Hougang interchange to refund my Army Ezlink card. Since I'm there, I might as well do a little window shopping there. So I went to Hougang Mall. I found this CD shop that sells the soundtrack for Stairway to Heaven. And It seems to be the cheapest among all that I have seen. Without too much, but a bit of hestitation, I bought the soundtrack. Yeah!!. But I skipped lunch to control my pocket. My spending for this 2 month holiday is Shocking. Really Shocking. I've never spend so much in my life before. In the end, my lunch was 2 Ferrero Rocher.

Then I took 107 from the interchange, and reached the Shaw Towers. I wanted to go to Suntec to Collect my jeans that I purchased yesterday. I walked from Shaw Towers to Suntec. This is the 5th consecutive time I'm going to suntec. Its really one of my favourite shopping place now. You can get whatever you want there.
Oh ya, I bought another korean drama from there. Its called "Little Bride". I intend to watch it throughout my next semester haha. This time its a comedy. Its time for a short change before I watch another tragedy. I don't think I can take it if I watch a tragedy now.

I'll be watching a concert tomorrow haha. Alone.... I have gotten used to it. Seems like I'm enjoying life now heee.

Slice of Life

Living Life According To Your Values

Are you stuck in a rut where you feel stressed, frustrated, and disillusioned, but you can't quite put your finger on it? You feel that your life is lacking something, but you just don't know what it is?

The reason why you feel this way is that you've lost sight of your values. When you were younger and more passionate, your ambitions and desires automatically motivated you to live your life in a certain way. Your work was fresh, you wanted to make more money to maintain the lifestyle you were reaching for, you had lots of fun with your friends and colleagues. You were a young upstart going places. You felt you had control over your life.

After years of slogging, perhaps one disastrous relationship too many, or maybe a marriage that isn't turning out so well, bills to pay, bosses that upset you, health problems and so on, it seems the table's turned. It now feels like your life is controlling you. Daily events determine your actions. You're living life by default. You don't know where you are, you don't know where you're going, you start to ponder the meaning of your life and you're getting increasingly fed up that you don't know anymore! And you start thinking, did you ever really know? What have you done with your life?

No, this is not a mid-life crisis. Even a teenager can feel lost if he or she has lost sight of his or her values. In fact, that's the reason why most teenagers feel lost.

So what do you do? Re-connect with your values. When you identify your core values, and to let them guide your life, you are better able to control your life by making conscious and purposeful choices based on what's important to you. For example, you may value spending time amidst nature. But because you put in such long hours at the office, your life is practically a desk. The solution seems simple, right? True, but so many people have allowed their lives to go on by default for so long that they don't even realise what they need anymore. Perhaps this material society has convinced you that your career should be Number One - when you've made enough money, then you'll be happy. When maybe all you needed was to unwind by the sea twice a week.

So do yourself a favour. Set aside 30 minutes out of your day. Brainstorm a list of your values. Then, reflect on a time when you were really living out one or two of these values, and write down how this experience felt. Based on this reflection(s), go back and circle three values you believe are the most important to you.
Throughout the week, take a little time to reflect on these values and reward yourself when you have acted accordingly. As a reminder, place these values on post-it notes and put them all around your work and home environment. Eventually you will begin to align your actions with your values, and you will feel a greater sense of calm, control, and fulfillment.

27/12/04

Ahhhh not enough sleep haha. I woke up at 6.30am. My band teaching starts at 9am. Was soooo tired, so i slept throughout the whole bus journey.

haha guess what my students say about my hair.... "Mr ling Mr ling, are you wearing a wig? "Mr ling, you are act-cute boy ah" Haha, faint. Talking to kids are just so fun eh.

After finish teaching, I went to Suntec with a friend S for shopping. I need to get some new clothes and jeans. This is the 4th consecutive days that I'm going to Suntec. Tomorrow I'm going there again to collect my jeans that was sent for alteration. I guess Suntec City is going to be one of my favourite shopping place haha.

I bought a jeans and a T shirt at suntec, but that ain't enough for me, so S and I went to Bugis junction next. I bought another T-shirt there. S was my fashion advisor today. My fashion sense is totally crap. What can a 40 yr old mind have for fashion? haha. My friend and I also ate ice kachang there. S had a Mango Sunrise while I got a chocolate Rocky mountain (special names for the ice kachang). I wasted my ice cream because it fell off the top of the ice kachang and hit the tray. I was soooo sad haha.

Just when I wanted to take a train back home, I found that my ez link card expired. Argh why are there so much problems with these kind of cards. I used my army card as a normal card, but now they told me it can't be used. Heres some lousiness in new technologies. Why can't we just have a card and let it stay with us for life? Now I have to travel to one of the stated ticket office to make a total refund on my card. Non of these office is near my home. Faint.

Oh one important thing, remember I posted in one of my blog saying about the Downloading of movies, software, and songs being a criminal offense starting from 1st of April? My great mistake. Its taking effect starting from 1st Jan05. Just a correction for my mistake.

I needa rest. My feet got a nice red tattoo. I guess i was bitten by an unidentified insect that ambushed me from my sandels. I need a new sandels too!!. Argh what a big patch. lhahaa. Less than 2 weeks to school reopens, ahhhh I haven' played enough.

Slice of Life

What Women Really Want

Have you heard the story of "King Arthur's Dilemma - A Wise Lesson for All Men to Learn"?
Well, it goes like this:

As a test, young Arthur was asked to answer the question, "What do women really want?" Brilliant though he was, he simply could not discover the answer. Finally, he decided to seek counsel from a very wise and very powerful old witch.

She told him that she would reveal the secret only if he promised to marry her. Arthur agreed and she gave the answer: "To be in charge of their own lives."

As the wedding approached, Arthur was beginning to regret his promise. He'd been so eager to find out the answer that he had failed to seriously ponder the consequences of having an ugly old witch as his wife.

When the day of the wedding came though, the witch appeared to Arthur as a beautiful woman. She said that since he'd been kind enough to marry her, she would be a witch half the time, and a beautiful maiden half the time. But he would have to choose when!

This time, Arthur gave it more serious thought - a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his home, a gnarled old witch? Or by day, a hideous hag, but by night, a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy many intimate moments?

Care to guess his decision?

Well, noble Arthur replied he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing this, she announced she would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

The witch's answer to the question "What do women really want?" was deceptively simple, wasn't it? Yet, Arthur was wise enough to understand its meaning. And that earned him a beautiful bride. As well as a wonderful marriage and relationship, presuming he continued to understand and apply the philosophy.
So what do women really want?

What we all want, really - to be in charge our own lives. To be appreciated and respected. To be made to feel that our opinions and feelings matter. A simple philosophy that is crucial to making any relationship work.

26/12/04

Fun fun day! I went for a nice hair cut today. Its the first time I went orchard to cut my hair. The saloon my friend recommended me was closed today, so I went to another one thats just along that stretch of shops. Well, I kinda like this new style haha. I bet everyone will have a shock when they see me this way.

Then, I went home to carry on my Metal Gear solid. I thought I've completed it when I killed that stupid boss. In the end, I have to carry on playing for a while during the next few days to complete that game.

Evening time, and its outing time!!. I organised an outing for my Jc class. 11 person turned up. 1 of which is the hubby of a girl. First to get married hahaa. Congrats her woh. Anyway, we ate dinner at Sizzler. Did a gifts exchange as well. I think the gifts exchange system can be improved because drawing lots will have situations whereby you'll get back your own gift. Let me think about that hee.

We actually took alot of photos during that meal but I better not post them on my yahoo photos to share with all my friends. I posted these photos only in the yahoo group where only my jc friends could access. Too bad hahaa.

After Sizzler is Harry's again heee. I've been drinking too much lately. I think I better rest my body haha. Can't take that much.

Its late, so Sleep time. Tata

25/12/04

I woke up at 10am, the latest time ever in this holiday. I remember a mosquito attacked me yesterday night but I couldn't summon strength to wake up to wack him. I think I woke up at 7am to wack it. haha. Heavy bombardment throughout the night. Sooooo itchy!!

After I woke up, I edited the photos I took yesterday and posted them online. Then I started playing Metal gear solid again. 4 hrs of gaming I think.

After that, I took off to suntec city to make reservations for tomorrow's outing, and got myself a gift thats needed for tomorrow's gift exchange. I bought 2 wrappers and asked the lady there to wrap for me. Guess what she said.

"You need to wait for a while"

"Sure no problem, just tell me how many minutes you need" I replied.

"An hour" she said

(OMG) "Sure :)"

Faint hahaa. But she took a little lesser than 1 hr. I went back early to the shop to check. Suntec is a nice place to shop. All the discounts happening in most of the shops there.

I took bus home after that. Nearly slept at the bus stop while waiting.

Remember I said before that I have headaches while shopping for a long time at night? I know the cause of that headache now. Its my eyes. My "experiment" has shown that if I wear specs at night, I would not have any headache at all. Researchers found out that men who shops for a long would have this "blood clot" effect in their brain. I think I have a high "durability" towards these blood clots if i wear my specs out at night haha. No fear for night shopping in the future.

I'm gonna cut my hair tomorrow. FInally haha after so many months. JC class outing at night tomorrow. Have fun!!

24/12/04 continued

Today is 25/12, I would now like to type about the things that happened yesterday. Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone first.

Yesterday morning and afternoon was as usual, Metal gear solid and Ace combat. ahhh boring day. So, i decided to ask my friend, S, if he wants to go out for photographing. So we did. We met at about 8pm in the Orchard Mrt station.

The place was packed with people. Moving from one place to another was very difficult. We took off from there and moved down towards city hall. Along the way, we took photos on the things that we think that were nice. Christmas trees, lightings decorations, seas of people, and many more.

Then we came to city hall, and then to Esplanade, then to Victoria concert hall. We were taking some photos at a bus stop outside Victoria concert hall when the Clock striked 12am. Hahahaa it was damn funny. "Merry CHristmas!!" I said. The night scenes around city hall area are damn nice.

Yesterday, I drank so much that I couldn't keep my head up. However, I have reached a conclusion. No matter how much you drink, you will still be able to think straight. So, its no excuse when you say that drinking makes you do wrong things. Bull shit hahaa. I managed to reach home in one piece. Took a train and bus back. I bet my face was even redder than a riped tomato. Haha. I can't bluff anyone that I haven't been drinking. I'm honest eh? hahaa BHB eh?

You guys can see my photos in http://photos.yahoo.com/ling_weiqiang Have fun

24/12/04

This blog is for myself. Just need to remember that I'm totally wasted. I will blog the happenings of today tomorrow. I cannot keep my head straight now. Merry Christmas.!!

Slice of Life

Seeking the TruthDo you believe in the power of your convictions? Well, it's time to lighten up!

People love attaching themselves to ideas. We can get pretty defensive when one of our beliefs is challenged. In fact, we probably spend more time defending our ideas than analysing our ideas. We claim that rules hem us in, but we still seem to be comforted by them. We like to hold on to our reasons for feeling righteous.

What gives you more satisfaction - being right or discovering the truth? Of course, the ideal situation is discovering that we were aware of the truth all along. We all like being validated. That's why we strive to win arguments rather than try to learn more about the other side or the other person.

A concept I often bring up is how life is a journey to be savoured. The destination is not the most important thing. It's the same thing with Truth, with Knowledge, with Ideas. Many people claim to have found the answers, then from there, they become complacent, bloated and self-indulgent. But what if what they found wasn't the Truth? Can Truth really be found? Or is it meant to be relative, nebulous and eternally inchoate? What if the whole point was to keep looking for the Truth?

Socrates was fond of saying that there are only two kinds of beings who don't need philosophy - the gods, who are already wise, and the fools, who think they are.

Human beings aren't meant to have it all figured out. It's not our nature. It's not our destiny. We are meant to be imperfect, incomplete. Our beauty is in our flaws, our weaknesses. Our Truth is our lack of wisdom and our lifelong quest for it.

Don't let anyone fool you into believing that there is a "right" way. Just because everybody else buys into it doesn't mean you have to. Just look at popular culture - entire industries fuelled by widely-held beliefs that make no sense. What about politics? Never accept an idea just because everybody else does. As Bertrand Russell, the British mathematician once said, "The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatsoever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible."

Hang out with people who aren't afraid to admit that they don't have all the answers. Doubt those who claim to have found the Truth. Think for yourself and have fun with it! Approach truth-seeking like a five-year-old playing a new game. Don't get caught up in the regulations, and don't keep score. Who cares who's winning?

23/12/04

A whole day of activities. I have been out since 0930 hrs. I got back at only after midnight haha. 1100 hrs, kbox at around parklane there. Oh, 3 person for the outing, including me. A friend S, and another friend H were with me. Ahhhh kept having feedback from the speakers there. Can't stand those "weng weng" sound. But overall, it was quite good singing duet with H. I thought I did well too haha. Ego again.

Then we went for movie in Plaza Singapura that started at 3pm. Its kung Fu Hustle!!. Steven Chow, my childhood favourite idol. His shows are so funny that i can choke while laughing. This show is still having some lame aspect, but his humour aspect is still very well done. Quite a number of loud laughing scenes. A must watch I say. He used high technology for this show.

After the movie, We headed for Suntec. I had to meet my another group of friends for a dinner. They are, W, W, and I, and me. So I seperated from S and H when we reached suntec. W,W,I, and me met straight at suntec's fish and co. There are my buddies from the saf band. Felt very good chatting with them. Laugh and laugh. I created a joke for my friend W. He told me he could order one more fish and chip after finishing a serving of seafood platter. My reply to him was," Hey your stomach is Wu2 Di3 Dong4 (endless pit) ah! I ask Tanya Chua to sing Wu2 Di3 Dong4 for you ah! wan?!" He laughed. I didn't know I created a joke, but it feels good when someone laughs at something you said that is supposed to be laugh at. W is a good buddy who appreciates my nice crappy jokes. hee.

Wow, Fish and Co's fish and chips is really no joke. Its just sooooo nice. The fish is so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fish inside has some nice texture that bounces off the teeth when munched, and melts nicely with the enzymes in the mouth (getting too bio?). In short, Good!!. Next time I'll try the seafood platter because it looks damn good too haha (grass always greener on the other side?).

After that, I have to seperate from the second group and get back to my first group. We went shopping for a while in suntec, looking for nice clothes. I really need a makeover haha. I got this dumb boring look, but I myself won't want to think it this way. Sometimes i'm confident, sometimes i'm not. Ahhhhh such a confused person haha. I think I shouldn't care how other people look at me as look as I like myself eh?

So then, we went to the Harry's at Esplanade. Nice atmosphere, good guitarist, nice service. What can you ask for more. But I think I still cannot go out of the sadness that just come into me when I step into that place. I wonder when I can go there in a happy mood. I still like that place. Its the only place I'll got for a drink. Our hearts melted when the guitarist sang the christmas songs. His voice contain some inducement for sorrow. Nice one.

Ok thats for today. Very tired now. Kudos to Tequila Sprite. Exquisite taste hahaa. I don't think alot of people would like that taste.

22/12/04

Its a homely day today. I started my day by playing lots of games. I played Metal gear solid 3 for 4-5 hours. I find this game not as good as the previous ones. Not as exciting and not as fun. sigh, just complete it so that i know the story.

After that game, I went back to Ace combat 5 again. Although I have completed it, I restarted it using the most difficult level available in it. Trying to get myself excited flying and attacking enemies. This time its so much more difficult. One hit by a missle and you are gone, totally.

I felt bored after a while and went to the living room for a movie haha. I need to rest my brain as well. I watched this monk and gangster korean movie. I can't remember the title, but i think its quite interesting haha.

Then dad came, and requested for a game of gradius with me, cooperative plane shooting. Ok so it started. We played the "very easy" level, but its not EASY at all!! Faint. So much innovation on the bosses compare to the previous predecessors. Halfway through the game, my dad got shot down so many times that he gave up, leaving me there still playing and sweating. What a mess of bullets flying in the screen. Its a great game!! And!! I finally completed it, with the support of my dad and mum watching me play. haha audience does make a difference. My parents' eyes were dazzled by the lazers and diamond shaped bullets flying throughout the game. Thankz for the support, dad and mum.

Dinner time- I took out my camera after I have finished my meal, and took some cute shots of my dog. She is really photogenic, even better than humans. I even took some of my soft toys haha, interesting. I want to create artistic views instead of just normal views. Anyway if you are interested in the photos I take, you might want to visit http://photos.yahoo.com/ling_weiqiang Have fun! I will upload nice photos onto that website when I have any. Gonna take sceneries soon.

tomorrow is gonna be a full day of fun!! stay tuned!

21/12/04

Exciting day! I prepared myself for the battle that was held at 1000 hrs, online. Its the registration for my next semester modules. I sat infront of the comp at 0930 hrs, bracing myself for impact. The clock went tick, tick, tick. My heart went thump, thump, thump. I met some of my comrades online, checking the situation over my side.

0959, total silence over the network. I log into the server for registration, and got in in sonic speed. I reached the page where I need to enter my subject code, and clicked "confirm". I switch over to my chatting window and send a note over to my friend," commence battle". I switched back to my registration window and saw..... a white page. Oh my god, please don't hang on me at this time. My other windows didn't have any problem. I believe the network was flooded with all the clickings and swearing. Thousands of people were trying to get into the network at the same time.

I panicked. I logged out the ntu network, and tried to log in using the singtel network, but to no avail. Minute by minute passed, sweat began to trickle down my forehead. What a tough moment. Suddenly, I received telecommunication over my handphone. A comrade called. It was A. "How's the situation at your side? Situation is bad here". I replied with some signs of worries.

1030, half an hour has passed and the screen was still white. What the hell. But I managed to settle down and smile. I reached the type of calmness that exist as though nothing has happened. I don't know how I could reach that state of mind. It wasn't like me at all. I was glad that I calmed down. The screen changed. It started to move. I acted fast and typed all coordinates necessary for registration. Lagginess and errors popped out once in a while, but those didn't stop my perserverance. I dashed through all odds and managed to register all that I need. A sign of relieve. I got all I wanted except.... My damn minor modules. I emailed the coordinator and presented the problem. Meanwhile, I registered for another General Elective. Sigh.

After all those exciting moments, I prepared myself for some photographing training provided by canon hee. I learnt the basics of taking nice pictures. I guess thats enough for basic users like me. It was a powerpoint presentation. The presenter was quite a nice guy. I learnt quite alot of things. Hee.

Then I went back and played Metal Gear Solid 3. I started it and hope to complete it before school reopens. I guess this will be the last game. I can't play others I guess.

Alright thats all the highlights for today. No slice of life again sigh.

20/12/04

The first thing i did in the morning was to take a long bus to HarbourFront to collect the freebies for my camera. It has been a month since i last sat in the bus for soooo long. Its kinda fun haha. After the collection, I went to walk in the Shopping complex for a while. I was searching for a place that has Dim Sum buffet. Can't find eh. I wonder where it could be. My parents wanted to have that buffet. Anyone has any recommendation?

So i went back. Settled the booking of a free photographing training session provided by canon hee. Had to call that place because my online booking cock up. What to do?

I watched "Crazy First Love" in the afternoon. Finally can watch it, because summer scent is over. It does spoil her image hahaa. Greatly. Anyway, its really an NC16 hahaa. I remember last time I wanted to watch with this disciple of mine. We were at the ticket booth but.... we didn't get to watch the show. I guess you can figure out why yourself. I laughed until my head nearly dropped onto the floor. There is this big joke about men's testosterone level. You'll know when you watch it yourself. Not a bad show, but not as good as Windstruck.

After that, its Philharmonic Winds' concert. Timothy Reynish conducted the band. He is one of the most prominent person in the Wind band scene. The band sound is just soooo soothing. Its my type of style. I heard the conductor went to the band and told them off that they sound like American Band haha. No offense to the American bands but perhaps this conductor likes a more european style. The precision is there, but i thought the articulation can be done a bit deliberatly because Esplanade concert hall just muffles everything. What I heard was nice sound chords and harmony. Nearly put me into sleep. Haha. But the Trumpet and Clarinet Solo pieces were very well done. Superb showmanship.

Saw alot of familar faces in the hall too. Ms Dorean Tan, one of my sec school conductor, sat just behind me. I haven't seen her for such a long time. Still and energetic and cheerful as ever. She was the one who allowed me to play the Euphonium. Thank her alot. :)

I should cut my hair soon. Too long.

Oh ya, saw my disciple after the concert. Whats up with the red face eh hahaa. I still owe you ice cream hor. Please claim before 31 dec haha. Time expires ah.

Today theres 2 slice of life haha, enjoy

Slice of Life 17 dec

Designing a Life You Need

Do you have pre-requisites you set up for yourself, things that have to happen first before you'll be happy? For many of us, it's a way of life. We live always in expectation of that next big thing that's going to make it all complete. The diploma. The marriage. That newbig job.

Remember that first paycheck in your first "real" job? It seemed like so much money! How long did it take before that same check, newly strained by the rent on the bigger apartment, that car payment, or your new lifestyle, all of a sudden didn't look so big? If you're like most of us, not long, and suddenly, you found yourself thinking, when I make more money, then things will be really great.

It's really easy to get caught up in not having enough when you focus on externals. Someone once said "You can never get enoughof what you don't really need."

It's the perfect explanation for people who must always have the latest gadget, or just another pair of shoes, or the biggest house. Why can that need never be satisfied? If your life is focused on fulfilling these so-called "needs", then you'll never be really happy.

The next time you think you "need" something, think about why you need it. And think about how you will feel when you get it. How long does the pleasure last? For example, the latest gadget that has everything in it, 80% of which you will probably never use more than once. What else can you do with the money that will bring you more satisfaction? More joy that lasts? Nurturing a relationship perhaps? Buying gifts for your loved ones? You must understand what drives you to be liberated from it and to start to design your life to fit your needs. Learning to identify your true wants and desires will make you much more effective in achieving your goals and in setting up a life that works for you.

Slice of Life 20 dec

Conversing or Merely Talking?

There's a saying that goes "One of the most boring things in the world is ME deep in conversation".
Nobody likes a conversation-hogger, not even if the self-styled "monologue artist" is an interesting and knowledgeable person. No matter how engaging he or she may be at first, the smiles and nods quickly turn into blank faces and efforts to keep from yawning.

People like to share, yes, especially when it comes to their own experiences and interests. But people also like people who allow them to share. And who listen to them.

The next time you enter into discourse with someone or a group of people, check yourself to see if you often feel the need to cut into a person's speech with your views on the topic. Do you tend to go on prattling without allowing the other person to contribute his or her fair share? Do you engage in conversation or do you simply talk?

You may have a lot of information. You may even be an expert on the subject. But unless you're a lecturer or a speaker at a seminar, YOU droning on about YOURSELF simply doesn't make meaningful conversation. The dynamic is lost. You might as well be talking to a mirror.

It can be hard sometimes, I know, when you're just bursting with information. And it can be difficult to admit that you sometimes don't have an answer. But the danger in simply talking is that you may engage the mouth before putting the brain in gear. I've said lots of dumb things because I didn't think before I spoke.

Unfortunately, this may not only involve statements that are dumb, but sometimes statements that are also harmful. And, yet, though the right thing to do in such cases is to apologize, such does not change the fact we said it. This being the case, we'll never regret being slow to speak.

Nor will we regret those occasions when we had nothing to say and just kept quiet. There are folks who bring to mind the story of the man who was suing for divorce. The judge asked why. "Because she talks too much," was the reply. "What does she talk about?" the judge asked. "That's just it," the husband answered. "She never says." Silence truly can be golden.

It's also a good idea to be silent when one doesn't have a proper answer. Or, better yet, a person might just say, "I don't know." No one has all the answers.

So try to converse more, rather than just talking. As someone once put it, "Merely talking is about as far from communicating as merely not talking is from actually listening".

19/12/04

Morning- woke up to play my ace combat 5. Complete quite a number of stages. Some stages are damn hard to play, with 5-6 fighter jets behind me, firing all their missles at me. Exciting though.

Afternoon- Suppose to go out with mum to orchard after buying some Vcds in Toa Payoh's TS. Suddenly, Mum felt a slight dizziness in that shop. I was shocked still. Her face for red. I was so scared for that moment. I don't want this kind of drama to befall on me. Luckily, she was ok at 2 minutes. That was quite a long time. Time actually stood still. She wanted me to carrying on with my shopping and leave her to go home by herself. But i couldn't leave her like that. I insisted, and became real stuborn. She repeatedly asking me to go, but I just ignored her, and brought her home. I waited for my dad to come home before going out again. Frightening afternoon. I don't want to lose anyone.

Evening- I went for NUS band's concert. I was supposed to meet my friend's friend at 6.30pm, but I misjudged my time and arrived at 5.30pm haha. So i took this chance to walk around clementi area. Really walked alot. Ate Ice Kachiang at one of the hawker centre. so 6.30pm came, I waited at the place to board bus 96. sharks, gonna be late.... haha but anyway i didn't panick. Here the friends came. Wow, both of them are taller than me. Now I know how small i can be. One female though.

Concert- So I reached the hall. We were admitted after the end of the 1st piece. what nice sound they produce. The tuning, the Style, the Composure, the concert hall. The sound is quite neat. Not noisy too. I hate blasting sound. I just wonder when would Westwind learn how to do those things. When players get too good, they don't control eh. Blast all the way isn't a good way to play. Its the mind that they should practice, not the musical skills. I would still hope. Good job, NUS band.

Thats all for today. Tata.

18/12/04

Highlight of the day, I finally got my Camera!!

My morning is so exciting. This is the first time i queued up for 4 hours for something haha. Well, my friend wanted an Ipod, and this Funan had an offer that allows you to buy an Ipod at $50 if you spend $800 on that day at any shop in that shopping mall. Since I wanted to get my Camera, so might as well help him get his Ipod too. I reached the enterance at 0830 and queued there, and I was the 15th in the queue :). Luckily I had my Mp3 player, or else I'll be bored to death. At 0900, my friend came, and joined me in the queue. Chatted alot, listened to music alot, do nothing alot.

At about 0930, we moved into the mall and queued at the atrium. Exciting. It felt like we were chasing some world idol. 1100, I took off to buy the stuffs while my friend guarded our stronghold. I had to check all the things I purchased and make sure the receipt was right. I had to fill up a warrenty card for my friend as well, because he bought a canon printer to top up to $800 bucks. My cam is only $609. I wrote the address wrongly for my friend haha. My mistake.

1200, I went back to the queue, going over the barricades with all my barang barang. Everyone just looked at whoever's crossing the barricades, such feeling of being watched doesn't make me feel good. 1300, the redeemption of the things started. A cameraman from Channel news asia came down. Haha, We were hiding from it because we don't want to be seen haha. I don't know how to describe the kind of feeling. Its like you are proud to be there and not proud to be there. Its hard to be alive haha.

1330, my friend finally got his ipod. Its a 15GB one rather than a 10GB (advertised as 10GB). Soooo BIG!!. We had lunch and I went to Orchard because someone asked me to watch a band performance.

1415, I reached Wheelock place, where the performance was supposed to be held. I searched high and low for that band, where could they be? So i msged that friend. Then I recalled that the performance is starting at 1500. So I walked to the Orchard library to return my Jap book. Its date due and I don't want to pay fines.

1515, I returned to wheelock place again. Walking around. This time, I received a call from my friend, thought that they have arrived. But........ Its my friend's sister, searching for the band too. Ermmmm I don't know the sister. Somehow I sense trouble haha. This sister checks on my friend, and I know this time is no exception. Well, I have blown my identity, what can I do? Who ask my friend left the handphone to the sister.

1530, Finally saw them arrived at the place. The sky was clear after a slight drizzle then. I stayed somewhere under a christmas tree, and watched the band. I heard them played a turning note concert F, and then a concert Bb, and the sky started to Drizzle again. (were the notes too touching?) So they evacuated the area, and went under shelter from the cruel bombardment from the sky. I thought I was quite dumb taking shelter from 2 small bells above my head. I went into Borders (bookshop).

1545, no signs of them moving out to performance, all lazing around and chatting. I watched afar leaning against a large pillar. I couldn't keep myself straight anymore. The tireness kicked in. And I thought I was starting to have the effect of a cold.

1550, Although I looked like a zombie leaning against the pillar, someone approached me," Excuse me, I'm very sorry, I am suppose to meet a friend here but I have forgotten to bring my handphone. Is it ok to lend me yours?" I looked at the person, full of sincerity and ernestness. I couldn't deny. Maybe another reason is that she's a lady. Its time to practice my coolness. I didn't say a word, raised a slight smile at the side, took out my Handphone and turned it to face her. (eh calling boyfriend eh?) I could hear everyword she said to him. I believe she reached there early to wait for him. She returned the Handphone back to me after the call.

1620, the band seems to have abandoned the operations. What a disappointment. I waited 2 hours for it. I wanted to confirm, so I walked around and check their movements. All equipments seemed to have gone back. I walked yet another round in Wheelock place. From 1st floor to 3 rd level and back to 1st again. I saw the lady still waiting at the same place. (That guy is nasty eh, making a lady wait that long) I wanted to go to her and offer her the phone this time, but I didn't. Its not good to be a busy body eh? I turned my eye to the side another slight side smile before I left. (I'm trying to be cool, don't laugh)

1630, I reached the bus stop where I should take 143 back home. 5 mins, 10mins, 15 mins, 143 didn't come. 2 buses of 105 went pass to another bus stop (I could have gotten onto that bus if i waited at the other bus stop). 20mins, no sign of that idiotic bus. I gave up and walked to another bus stop nearby. When I reached there, I saw 143 stopping at the first bus stop that I was waiting at. Darn. Haha. But 105 came soon after. I took 105 and I couldn't keep my eyes opened. I got knocked out soon after my seat was warmed. I hugged my camera real tight.

Nice writing style? I don't intend to write all my blogs this way. It depends on mood haha. I finally felt the happiness for my exam results seeping into my thick skull. YEAH!!!!!! Congrats myself. *faint*

17/12/04

I feel so tired today. So dried.

Morning- Watched the remaining 3 discs of the korean drama. Totally dried inside. This is a good show. Highly recommended. You can learn alot of things from there. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Too tired.

Afternoon- after all that tears, I checked my examination results. Did someone say that he/she wanted to know my result for Accounting? Well, that error didn't do enough damage to destroy my hopes. I got what I wanted for that paper. Overall, My results are great, just that 1 module didn't get my expected grade. Even if you are very confident for a paper, you might not get what you expect. It happened. Well, look forward right? I'll do.

The rest of the time- I play alot of games. Gradius and Ace combat 5. Trying to complete them as soon as possible. 2 weeks left before school reopens. I really want to have a longer holidays.

Anyway, I wonder what will happen to this blog when school restarts. I might just post one per week. I don't know haha. Lets wait and see.

Anyway, I need to sleep early. Tomorrow I have to wake up early to meet my friend at funan. Tata

No slice of life again., I wonder what happened

16/12/04

Its 16/12. 2 weeks more and school starts. What kind of feelings is this? I really don't know (my friend's favourite phrase).

Today, I went for Ktv with a friend, S. Toa Payoh Kbox have better speakers than the Cineleisure one haha. Well, at least thats how i feel. The menu for kbox lunch is also better. Yummy.

After that, S came to my house, practiced his song again. This time, he is more fluent in his playing. Great. While he is practicing, I just continue my Ace Combat 5 again. Wack the hell out of those irritating planes. After that we both played Gradius 5. Its the first time that konami has allowed 2 planes to play cooperative in that game. Great feeling haha. But the game is quite difficult to play. I haven't complete it yet.

After that, I continued my unfinished Korean drama. Its disc 15 and 16. Sooo emotional. Lost of sight can be a painful thing to people too. Especially you can't see your loved one. I got another thought as well. Good people doesn't usually have good endings eh? Like what someone told me, heaven is fair. You can't have all good things shining on you. If you are someone who is very talented, very good looking, very loved by family members, you might have something that balance all the good things. Something bad. At least for me, its true. Remember, Heaven is fair.

Tomorrow is the day where my results for me exams will be posted online. I can't bear to look at it. The higher you aim, the harder you fall? hmm perhaps.

I learnt something from that drama. The 3 things that one should give to his/her partner are, trust, dream, love.

I found another reason for me to write all these things here. If anything were to happen to me in the future that makes me forget my past, then I could see all these things here. Prepare for the worst bah.

People say school results matter. That I believe. But I challenge myself using those results. Failing to reach those expectations would just makes me disappointed. I don't like to compare because that doesn't have any meaning. One's talents are different. I'm not a genius for studying, so if one's results are better than me, I won't be surprise.

No slice of life. I wonder why. argh.

15/12/04

Today is a great day, packed with loads of activities.

Morning- I told the monarch of the Utopian Invasion Kingdom (online game: Utopia) that I'll be leaving the kingdom for a moment because I really want to put in more time for my other stuffs. Time no enough you know. But I told him that i'll be back in Jan. "thats hell long time", was what he said. Haha. Oh this monarch is a real cool guy from Australia hee. Playing games with people from all around the world is really cool. I made a good friend from Estonia through this game as well. Kudos for the game well played hee.

Afternoon- Went to Ktv with a friend, W, from 2-6pm. 4hrs of non stop singing haha. Its damn fun. We can order Alcoholic drinks during this time slot. Haha, so I did. FIrst cup, Volka Sprite, second cup, Tequila Sprite. I came to the conclusion. Volka is for happy people, and tequila is for sad people. Why?? Because volka sprite will make you smile after you drink it, and tequila will just turn your face upsidedown after you take a bit. Even smelling the tequila will turn your face around. Hahah but I like tequila. Next time I gotta try other flavours. hmmmm Am I teaching bad things to my readers? (DIsclaimer: don't get yourself drunk. And, don't drink until you puke.... so wasteful - quoted from another friend W)

Oh ya, I find that my pronounciation of words got similar to Jay after my 1st cup haha. Kinda fun. The speakers in that room was damn small. What a lousy Bass sound. haha.

Evening- We went to Funan to hunt for things. Reason being, there will be a happening thing happening on Sat. Its the crazy Christmas offer again. You can buy things at crazy prices of $1 or $50 for items like PS2, Ipod, HP printers, if you spend $800 on that day. Redemption done at a counter somewhere. I don't know haha. But i'm going down on Sat. My friend wanted an Ipod, so I hope he can get it, because there are limited stock. I'm going to get my camera on that day. Decided Canon Powershot A95. Yeah!!!

One more offer for you guys. For those who want to watch Xin1 Niang2 Shi2 Ba1 Shui4 (korean show), you can buy it at 29.90 at Sembawang music in CineLeisure. Its the cheapest I've seen. Even lower than TS movies. haha

Slice of life

"Time is An Illusion

When we're feeling lousy or sad, we tend to forget that life does not go on forever. That every moment is an opportunity for love, knowledge, compassion, creation, and joy, and once gone, can never be retrieved. We are too fixated with the past and all its "could have"s and "should have"s, squander our precious present by feeling sorry for ourselves, and imagine a future that may not come to pass!

We've all been brought up to believe that time is quantity - 60 seconds make up one minute, 60 minutes make up an hour, 24 hours make up a day. But the meaning of time varies from person to person and from context to context.

Time is an illusion, a phantom, a delusion if you will. This moment is gone before I am finished saying "this moment". This 'moment' will virtually never exist! Time is not a thing, it has no substance...you can't touch it, you can't feel it, it cannot imprison you.

We should know not the quantity of our life, or our time spent on this earth - but we should value the quality of our life. Time by itself has no meaning - we have to give it meaning via our thoughts and actions.
There is so much happiness out there waiting for you. And there are plenty of people who can benefit from the joy you will bring them. You may now feel very lonely, and sad, and it may seem quite possible that you will never experience joy, love, spontaneity and fun again. Which is, of course, a most absurd thought. Don't worry, it's just the grief talking… the withdrawal, the initial disbelief and dejection.

It is never too late. Very often, when we lose something valuable to us, we think it's too late to salvage things, to express our love, to show our appreciation. What we fail to realise is that we have ample opportunities to do this with other people we love, and the ones we will come to love!

I urge you not to waste another moment of your life - you'll never get it back."

14/12/04

I feel like I'm back to a gamer's life today. After so long of other kind of experience, I would still need games to fulfill my testosterone thirst for excitment.

I spent my morning dealing with matters in an online game utopia, then went out to my old friend's house. He has been my friend for more than a decade already. Still a charming lad, but other girls out there have no chance, because he is attached muahhaa. Anyway, I think it has been more than 1 yr since i last went to his house. Nice and cosy room. For the moment that i step into his room, my mind went " dinky and the brain, dinky and the brain" , " hey are you planning for world domination?" He has a comp in the middle of the room and another one at the side. MIDDLE OF THE ROOM. can anyone imagine that hahaa. Its just a piece of artistic view man. oh ya nice fish tank!! hee I have always like those normal fishes as compared to the luo hans.

He introduced me to some new games, and showed me some exciting scenes of those games. PS 2 has never failed to impress me with those nice and colourful graphics. Ace Combat 5, a flight simulation game by Namco, is just something cooooooool. I feel totally into the game. It fills my dream of flying hee. Excitement comes when i know an enemy is behind my tail, trying to get an aim on me. When he fires that missile, I'll go ," shit and damn you." Turn my plane 180 degress, pulll up that handle and turn away with full throttle. *whew*. When I go *wamp! and Bamp! Fox 1, fox 2 go go go!* *booooooom*. Thats music to my ears.

hmm nothing much today. I wonder why no Slice of life today, I think they might have forgotten. Anyway tomorrow is a singing day for me!! Ktv with another friend!!! Full of activities. Friends..... precious.

13/12/04

Did I say that I am going for buffet today? hee Yummy!!. Its that sakae sushi again. Those things are just soooo good. This time I went with my parents. Laugh quite alot while eating.

Morning- I check the websites on the cameras again. I saw this Canon A95. Looks good, review is good, picture quality isn't too bad too. Soooo tiring checking all these information out. So its nikkon vs canon. After checking the website, I went to watch the drama again. I caught hold of some quotes and I want to put them here. You decide whether its useful or not.

"Friends or lovers? Whats the difference? 1) Friends are forever while lovers might breakup one day. 2) when friends hold hands, heartbeat rate won't increase. 3) Gifts for friends are non returnable while gifts for lovers might be returned when they break up.

When you need someone to share your problems, friends might just be a better listener. So, is it better to be friends?"

I think its really good to put some thoughts here. After all these yrs, I have grown to mature and think that true friends between girls and guys exist. When 2 chooses to be friends, I think its because that the relationship might just be too precious to run the risk of becoming lovers. The risk? Breaking up. Breaking is painful isn't it? And most people can't return back to friends after that. Most amazingly, I could. I wonder how haha.

Friends vs lovers... the choice is yours.

Afternoon - Sakae!!

Evening- I went to suntec to check out the prices for the cameras. I chatted with a sales person in Harvey Norman. Found out that the popular ones are the ones i'm looking for. Canon A95 and Nikkon 5200. Now its war between these 2. But Canon came up top because of the photo quality and manual settings that are available in it. I gotta learn how to control them though hee. I wanna do some shooting on nature.

I wore my specs all day round haha, and my eyes felt so protected from the lights hee. I can't stand those rays that comes out from the lights. Makes me headache. But i think i look quite dumb with those specs... or not? I seems to start to like the look again. Why am I soooo vain??? faint. Anyway suntec is a fun place to be. Oh somehow I think the service quality in Singapore needs some improvement heee. Just a general comment.

I found the slice of life for 10/12 in another folder of my email haha funny. I'll post it.

Slice of life (10/12/04)

"The Richest People

It's often been said that one doesn't have to be rich to be happy. But richness doesn't have to be defined in monetary terms.

Some of the richest people in the world don't have much money. But they are wealthy in other ways.
Rich people know the speed limit. Most of us know what gives our lives joy and meaning. But many people race through life so fast that they fail to pay enough attention to them. While driving on the road of Life, they are so focused on the destination that they don't appreciate what's all around them. But the destination is uncertain. Whether we will eventually reach it or not is uncertain. What is certain are the things we pass by on the way. Don't drive too fast to notice them.

Rich people understand that in life, there is bound to be disappointment, loss and failure. They don't live in the illusion that things will always be good and the ones they love will return their love and stay by their sides forever. But they understand that they can deal with life's challenges, learn from mistakes to create future successes.

Rich people place people above things. They know that no object, no matter how valuable or pleasurable can compare to the emotional and spiritual enrichment of a loved one's kind words, caring deeds and loving touch. Having said this, human beings are fallible and imperfect creatures… and they will occasionally leave or fail us. But rich people understand this, and continue to give love and compassion in spite of it.

Rich people know that being rich does not mean having a lot of money. They realise that regardless of how much money one has, one cannot hold on to it for long. But rich people also understand the benefits of having money, and will use it to make their loved ones happy and help others regularly.

Rich people see the value in labour and hardship. They have the ability to remain faithful and content no matter what challenges they face. They realise that whether times are good or bad, they are the only times we have. No one has more or less time, and it's better to make the most of the present than dwell on the past or worry about the future.

Slice of Life (13/12/04)

"Don't Let Anger Get the Better of You

How often do you allow anger to get the better of you?

Well, the next time you feel that emotion igniting your belly and flaring in your temples, remember: anger hurts no one more than you. Besides the more evident downsides like increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, anger deprives you of the time you could've spent on something more satisfying and beneficial.

If you're a kettle of water on the stove, anger is the flame beneath you. It takes hardly any effort for someone to ignite the gas. Very often, it takes a few simple words, or a selfish or foolish act. After the flame is lit, the perpetrator disappears, and you're left seething silently till you reaching the boiling point. As you allow the heat to engulf you, you start losing more and more of yourself until you bubble over. Very soon, there'll be more of you in the atmosphere than in the kettle.

Whether you vent your anger or hold it inside is irrelevant. Either way, you are causing damage to yourself. And to what end? Will the consequences affect your life so drastically and prevent you from achieving happiness? In an hour, a day, in a month, a year… who's going to care?

Some people are more predisposed to anger than others. A simple way of checking how susceptible you are to anger is to ask yourself: Do you often feel as if you're mistreated by others? Do you frequently take minor insults or inconveniences as personal attacks against you? Do you complain more than you praise? Do you often exaggerate the actions of others? Has driving become unpleasant because you're cursing other drivers so much?

Think of all the things that get on your nerves. Why do they upset you? Are they worth getting worked up over? Does getting angry resolve anything? The next time these things surface, remember how insignificant they are. If you can change things, by all means, do it. If not, either accept them, or avoid them. Most of them are really not worth your time and effort. Focus on something else.

This world is not a bed of roses, even if your home might feel like one. And even if you consider yourself a prime example of loving kindness, not everyone else is the same. In fact, most people are very flawed. They can be selfish, jealous, callous, unjust or plain nasty. But the damage they can do to you is minimal, and temporary. Only you can inflict the longest lasting and most painful injury to yourself.

Don't allow people to ruffle your feathers and steal your serenity."

12/12/04

I'm just feeling so tired now. This morning started with my friend, S, coming my house to play my keyboard. He is very determined in practicing the song he composed. After that we had lunch and he is off to band prac while I went back to do web searching for information on digital cameras.

With the help from a friend, A, he recommended a website with alot of camera reviews. I spent about 2-3 hrs looking at them, and finally came to a conclusion. I want to lay my hands on Nikkon Coolpix 4300. Just when I wanted to start watching the korean drama, A called a invited me to a game of soccer.

When I was about to go out, the sky started to drizzle. I was wondering if someone is telling me not to go for soccer. I thought for a while, and decided to go out. This time the sky started pouring. OMG stopping me for soccer? I smsed my friend and ask him whether they are still playing, and he said," Its still on, rain or shine". This created some thoughts again. I think I am easily affected by circumstances that come into my way. I think to give up easily and go through another easier route when difficulty arises. My friend, on the other hand, face problems head on. This, I felt a bit inferior. I think i need a change on this mentality. Like what I always call myself," I am a pest" If you know what it means.

So I went for soccer. 4 a side, fun and tiring. Some friends are really serious in scoring. I felt so lousy with soccer haha. I could only laugh at myself for those miss kicks. But I manage to put in some nice kicks but luck wasn't with me. The ball hit one side of the pole and hit the other side then flew out. Erm just in case you are thinking wrongly, I'm playing on the basketball court haha. I usually play soccer and joke while playing. I put my lousiness using laughter haha but I think some of my friends didn't like that. Well, I'm ok man. Just a bit stressed when playing with them hee. Wait till one day I can bend it like beckham haha. Dream again.

After that, my legs just doesn't want to move at all, but I still went out to hunt for the price for the digi cams. I couldn't find the one I want. In the end, I just went to the supermarket for some soya, and went home after that. I really like walking in supermarkets haha. Looking at those food and things really brightens up my mood. I wonder why.

Ok enough for today. DAmn tired now. I need a long sleep. TOmorrow its buffet again!!! talk more tomorrow.

11/12/04

Hows the day hows the day lawrence. I can do self talk pretty well eh? hee yeah. I reckon that. I watched 5-6 discs of the drama today. Lost count, thats why i'm not sure. I think I could finish it pretty soon. I didn't cry that much on this show, and I wonder why. Is it not effective enough or I am getting numb to them already. I wonder.

I finished part 1 of my new composition today. I started it yesterday so I used 2 days. I borrowed my friend's emotion after this friend broke up. This piece is for a solo piano. It is called Lost and Found. The first movement I have completed is called Lost. Its depicts the emotions one feels after a break up. The second movement is called found. This movement depicts the bliss and happiness when one finds hope in new relationships.

Is it a dead end after a break up or just a split road in the life journey? My composition wanna tell people to look for a brighter future. You can be sad when things happen, but dwelling in the depth of the dark abyss is not a good thing. The last 2 bars of my first movement resolved the sorrow with a major chord. It brings a slight mood of recovery from pain and despair. I just hope my friend can recover soon from the sorrow.

I will start writing the 2nd movement when I can feel the bliss of the recovery. I think its easier for a friend to tell me how it feels than me experiencing it myself. You know what i mean. This composition has the best chord structure ever, compared to my previous compositions. I'm getting better in wacking keys on my keyboard hee. I'm glad.

So its saturday, where can i go at night? Its band time again. I really can't stand that argh.... that person who site behind me, blasting his notes. My ears are sooooo well blasted that I become numbed to loud sound. I don't know if its bad or good but I think my hearing is getting worst. There comes another thought about playing music.

What is music to a musician? Is it an expression of oneself, or a way to get fame, money and fun? I myself feel that to educate one to be a musician, he should be taught about how one should view music. The student should develop a high level of culture forming of music before starting to learn the contents. If all musicians in Singapore can learn that playing in a band is a group thing, and there is no solo players in the band, then music would sound more together, and more balance as a whole. It is because of the desire to outperform others that makes teamwork and balancing difficult.

Why would a College band sound so neat and tidy? Although mostly are average players, they think as a team. 3 lousy warriors is better than 1 advisor? Hee. Anyway, I just hope that Westwind won't blast its way through this time, because I'm gonna invite my prof there!! It'll be bad if we perform the ugly way.

Ahhh no Slice of life today again. ohhhhhh I know why!! Its sat!! I lost track of days. OMG faint. Anyway I'm gonna enjoy my sunday. Hope all my friends to too. Ja Mata

10/12/04

Short posting today because nothing much happened. Another band teaching day. All those naughty boys again. Haha. Nothing much to say, except much fun in teaching kids. They'll amaze you with the way they think about things.

After that, its home sweet home for 2 discs of the drama. Finally, I feel that the character of the lead male actor seems much like me haha. Its a nice show. I think the drama story writers for korean shows are just pure genius. Really great.

Today I arranged another ktv session with my friend haha, so that makes it 2 ktv sessions next week. Soooo much fun. I'm gonna expand my repertoire haha. I was thinking about Pan Wei Bo's rappy songs. Try harder Lawrence.

I went jogging again, same distance as yesterday. I'm gonna run like how I trained for my 2.4km during the army days. I want to show all people out there that a Pes C and someone from SAF band is not a weakling.

Some thoughts went through today. I'm just quite sick to think about the real world. Life is tough isn't it? Like what my friend said," why is it so difficult to be alive? Might as well end it". I guess its just a challenge for all to be alive. Well, it's one's choice whether to live on, or end it. Early or later, all will end up in the same path afterall. However, I think its important not to create regrets for anyone. Ending your own life might create irrecoverable regrets. So, live life to fullest and don't think of ending abruptly. Just like any song or music, abrupt stopping causes confusion and unhappiness. A nice song would always have nice endings. Even ants strive to live, why not anyone? Think of your objectives in life, whether to pass on the family name, create a historical name for yourself, or even aim to be the riches man on earth. Do your best for such aims, then no regrets will be there.

I guess I'm quite a lousy writer for this kind of things hahaa. No slice of life today. Thats why I wrote something in replacement.

Anyway, I'm thinking of getting a digicam. I would like it to have the cababilities of taking nice sceneries. Would anyone have any recommendations? haha

Thats all folks.

09/12/04

Day started with band teaching again. Slightly sleepy because of late night yesterday. Luckily, the task I was given wasn't difficult. Its hard to play a straight note on the mouth piece ehh. I think i need practice on that myself.

When I got home, I watched 1 disk again (you know what i mean). I just enjoy watching the emotional scenes. It just shows that guys can be as agitated and emotional as girls. Why hide emotions? To all cool guys out there, please don't wear a mask anymore, it'll reduce your life.

After that, I went to jog. I really think that i need to start jogging. I'm getting fat because I've been eating too much. And, time isn't what I have. 3 weeks more and school hell starts again. Ran about 3.2km today. I think thats my standard distance. I am not like my friend who can run marathon!!

At night, I went to teach a friend how to play a guitar. Its not that I'm very good with it but I can teach the basics and things to take note while playing. I can't play any song on it. Not in my memories. The friend wanted to continue learning on sunday, but I think I have nothing to teach anymore, and guitar is some sort of pain for me.

The friend actually asked me about the kind of girls i'm looking for... I said,"I don't know". After some real thoughts, I really couldn't spell out anything. I'm just wondering why people set the requirements? Would it be the same if you set requirements and then you find the person, as compared to you find the person and see if he/she fits into the requirements. Or in the first place, should you have requirements at all? Why am I talking about all these crap. Or perhaps its numbness? I guess so.

Hmm let me do a bit of advertising for a great band. Phil Winds having concert on 20th Dec, 1930 at esplanade, conducted by a world renowned conductor. Its a world class band. Must watch. Check out the sistic website if you want.

Slice of Life

"The Airport

The moments before a loved one leaves for a long period of time are intensely powerful. So are the moments following a loved one's return. At the arrival and departure halls of the airport, grudges and annoying habits are forgotten, differences, insecurities, and selfishness put aside. Our eyes linger for one last look, we breathe in more deeply, hug more tightly, and kiss more affectionately. We scan the crowd for our loved one, our hearts close to bursting and when we finally meet, our emotions just explode.

At the airport, the light in which we see our loved ones is one of utter love. But how long does that light last? How quickly we slide back into our tangle of doubt, jealousy, selfishness, and anger!

Life and death are very much like the arrival and departure halls of an airport. A mother looks at her newborn with pure love. The feeling that we have at the beginning of a relationship is one of absolute bliss. At the deathbed of a loved one, we too become loving, forgiving, and wistful. But why do we have to wait for those times? Why can't we love our loved ones purely and unconditionally on ordinary days?

That's because we take them for granted. We get caught up in our own affairs. We think about our problems and imagine that somehow our loved ones are to blame. But think about the feeling you had at the airport. Wasn't it wonderful? How fantastic it would be if you could learn to constantly remind yourself that your loved one is due anytime on that plane with a one way ticket! Imagine how much more love you would experience! And how much less time you would waste on being angry, fussy, or proud!

When I watched the movie "Big Fish", what struck me most was not the fact that the father Edward Bloom was able to add more colour and joy into his and others' lives by spicing up his adventures and stories. What moved me the most was how intentional and focused his love was for his wife. To find her, he spent three years working for free at a circus just for information. He made a field of daffodils for her. He endured the beating of his life because she told him not to hurt her rampaging fiance. He took on every hazardous mission he could during the war in the hope that he would be injured and return to her sooner. And he spurned the advances of a young girl saying that his wife was "the only one".

Of course this is fiction. But how wonderful if we could love someone like that. Even if we could only try, it would be a good start. Pure love may not be achievable for everyone, but if we remember the airport, remember the light in which we saw our loved ones there, and remember that one day, they too will be bound for a flight never to return, we will cherish every moment with them."

08/12/04

1 disk of korean drama again. Just couldn't find time to watch more than 1. Today's activities are just full of colours. 1st, I went to kbox with my friend, S, and we went mad in that room. I guess my friend got the full effect of my screaming haha. My voice shivered on the high notes as usual. All the out of tunes and squeezing of sound out from my voice box. I'll need more practice to get rid of those bad habits and smoothen out the voice hee. Need more experimenting with my voice. No talent means need more hard work.

After Singing, S came to my house. I guess he is just not used to getting close to a dog. My dog was full of passion and romance hahaa, but my friend "rejected" her. Laff laff. He actually wanted me to teach him how to play a piano piece he composed, but I myself Ban4 tong3 shui3 (half bucket water: describes someone who is not up to standard). To be frank, the song he composed is remarkable. It's titled "feelings", and i can really feel. Ohhhh the introduction is taken from my opus number 3 hahaa. If I have time, I might just convert it to a song. Time.... hmmm don't have.

Next, I was suppose to watch the movie, The Incredibles at Tiong Bahru Plaza with a friend H, but... its just so coincident that some donno-who organization booked the cinema for that show. Darn haha. In the end, we travelled to tampines mall for that show. But we had to skip our dinner. To be frank, was damn hungry but become numb after a while. Today I only at a bowl of porridge in the morning and a Delifrance pastry in the kbox. Today is a slimming day for me hahaa. But, H, if you are reading this, please don't feel bad because I chose not to eat (I'm lazy!! haha).

Actually this friend has some relationship problems, so after the movie, we chatted somewhere till very late. I don't know if I can say this because I know that this doesn't apply to everyone. I suddenly feel that there is a handful of people out there who are just wanting to enjoy life and couldn't commit to a serious relationship, and once they found that they got into one, they would want to get out as soon as possible. What happens to the other party? The person gets bitten and lose trust in the opposite gender. Is it the result of the changing culture and mindset of youngsters? I feel like I'm quite old saying about all this things. My mental age is way beyond my physical age as I've said before. Where are the stable ones? All hurt and hiding. What does government do? SDU!! omg. What a great chain effect.

Oh yes one thing, just in case you are reading this, I hope I'm not giving too much advice because some people just want the other person to listen. Guys always give many of solutions when they know the problems. I couldn't kick the habit of giving solutions. I'l try harder next time.

Remember the story I told you, H? Its only 30% of it. The drama hasn't end. Another day bah.

Oh yes, to all people out there, if you want to ditch someone (although not a good thing to talk about), please ditch them nicely (properly I mean). What my friend is experiencing now is an improper ditching. If you wanna dilideli (dragging things), just communicate and work things out.

Last but not least, someone msged me a picture msg when time was nearing midnight. I just wanna say," Although we might be in different faculty, but thanks for keeping in touch, I really appreciates it."

I gonna teach band tomorrow, sleep now or I'll become a walking metronome.

SLice of Life

"Winners"

Would you like to be the best that you can be? Would you like to be a winner?

These sound like redundant questions, don't they? Who wouldn't want to be a winner? Well, if you take a good look around you, apparently plenty. Most of us are not living lives of constant self-improvement and action towards success and the fulfilment of our dreams. Most of us are "losers", not in the derogatory sense of the word, but we are "losers" because we allow ourselves to keep falling short of what we are capable of.

In order to achieve our goals, we have to burst through the web of "passive anticipation", meaning the kind of thinking that says "oh, I'll get to that soon", "yeah I know I need to get this done, but I have so many other things to do", and "when I find the time, I'll do it".

Cut to the chase. Identify your passions, your priorities, your plans of action, and most importantly, act on them. It's no good having dreams if you simply continue sleeping.

If you truly want to be a winner, you have to wake up. See the world in a brave new light. Believe that this world is essentially and generally benevolent, and that sometimes, bad things happen to good people, but if you follow your instincts, it will point you in the right direction and towards your goals. Learn to control your fear and do not always avoid something just because past experience has been negative. Who knows, the next one might just be the one.

Learn to be optimistic but rational. For example, putting half your earnings into investments you know have the potential for modest but steady growth is being optimistic but rational. But putting all your savings into an IPO you know nothing about just because a good friend says you should or because you have a gut feeling about it, is a foolish gamble. Some might say that you've got to take big risks in order to win big. Well, are you prepared to lose big?

Once you've identified your passions and loves, make a list of things you have to do to get you closer to your dreams. What's next? Action - the key to success. Your plans are nothing if you do not have the discipline to follow through on them. And start today. Losers chatter to themselves that they will start "one day real soon". It never happens."

07/12/04

I suppose to have alot of things to type, don't know why my mind feels blank now.

Anyway, I watched another disk of the drama. It just show how scheming people can be. This is just terrible haha. At least this time is not 2 guys going for a girl. Its more of 2 girls going for the same guy.

A great friend visited my house today. We played a soccer game, then dynasty warrior. The best game for the day was bomberman land 2!! We were so engaged in bombing each other. Total bombing sensation. My dog liked him alot, very obedient too. I think she is trying to create a good image for my friend haha. What a fake haha.

My friend and I chatted alot of things, but i don't know why I can't remember much. I guess my memory failing again. I think another person is angry with me because of my lousy memory too. Why don't people understand that I have poor memory. To be specific, I have to take extra effort to convert working memory to short term memory, and even more effort to convert short term memory to long term memory. Its me... accept me please.

My friend and I also went to Toa Payoh central for a little walk. He treated me a chocolate waffle. WOW! It just take soooo good. I wonder if anyone believe that I have never tried a waffle in my life before. That was my first one. Hmmm or did I forget that I have eaten it before? sux memory.

The weather is just sooooo good for a nice long sleep. I feel like a kind of animal that wants to sleep throughout the whole winter (dong1 mian2). I'm sooo lazy that I haven't even start jogging. So.... I might just be a little bit fat when I meet all my ntu friends next sem. Haha... just don't call me fat ass, although I have one.

Although I have said it once, but I would like to say it again. Go for sakae sushi buffet!! Its available during weekdays, 13.90 before +++ for students, and 16.90 before +++ for adults. The things are just soooo goood. Go to the Heeren one, because there are so special packages there. I'm gonna go there with my parents some time sooooon.

Ok side track. I'll like to introduce my friend's blog, meseannie.blogspot.com His blog is just soooo nice with controversial relationship topics discussed. I remembered seeing some moving cartoon, but I wonder if its still there. It shows a guy wacking a wall using things that are just out of the world. All the power, lazer, cannons, hammer, sword power. haha. Anyway he takes good pictures too. I think I might just get myself a digicam to take pictures. Some places in Singapore are quite nice. I would like to take them in a different angle. Why look at the world in only one way?

Ok double side track. Just some words received from some free SMS. Very meaning full. I might just make a section just for these SMS so that everyone can see. hee.

1) Malcolm Forbes- Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.
2)John Macnaughton- Maturity begins to grow when you can sense your concern for others outweighing your concern for yourself.

Hmm Today no slice of life. I wonder why. :)

Are my posting getting more and more bored? Hmm

06/12/04

Total fun-ness today!! Let me write today's blog in time order. So firstly, I went out to see a doc first thing in the morning. Want to settle it as soon as possible, so that I have time to do my other things. After I got home, I watched a disk of "stairway to heaven", and it just got me sooooo worked up. Haha its really a like-and-hate feeling when I watch these kind of drama. Never knew women can be so evil until that kind of degree, especially a step mother.

I remembered I said before that tears can't be fake. I might want to alter that statement. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that tears of man can't be fake. Tears of women might not always be true. I'm not saying that all tears are fake for girls. Its just that men have to be more careful when interpreting the emotions behind the tears. I guess the reason that girls might use tears to reach their motives is because guys easily give in when they see tears. The situation would be worst if tears are used to reach ulterior motives, like, defending herself/pushing blame to others when she has made a mistake. Guys don't use this simply because of 2 reasons. One, society has perceive tearing guys as weak and lousy, so guys wouldn't want to be viewed like that. Second, guys are more practical when solving problems, so they will try to solve the problems using practical ways rather than emotional ways.

The above said does not represent any organization. It is just based on my own thoughts. Any coincidence is deeply regretted. Thoughts derived because of that show. See it for yourself and see if you feel the same.

After that 1 disk, its time to go for a buffet session with my soccer kah kees (buddies). We went to Sakae Sushi. I'm just amazed about the amount of food that is available. We are even entitled to 2 red plates free of charge with 2 mochi ice cream. Its just soooo fun and happening. 8 people went, and seperated into 2 tables. Me and my good friend are on one table. We joked so much that I find that my voice went slightly coarse. Haha we actually played with the food by doing funny things with them, but we ate them in the end. No food wasted.

One friend has a phone that has photographing capabilities, so we play with that too. We took the bowl and the cover for the miso soup and put it on top of a stack of plates. Then we placed a chopstick standing, reaching the mouth of the bowl. We made the bowl a singer and we took pictures of it, and we actually sang some songs and moved the "mouth" of the bowl at the same time. In case you can't picture it, imagined a covered bowl, and we move the cover to make an opening to make the bowl "sing". If you can't picture now, I give up haha, show you guys next time perhaps.

The next thing we did with that camera was that, my good friend, A, have to simulate a punching scene. Well, he has to punch me. He did an upper cut, and I acted out the impact by moving my face up high and turned away. The camera took 6 continuous shot, so it looked like a short film. The photos were damn funny. I could really feel the impact of that upper cut. The best of it, my friend turned his head to the camera and gave a cheeky smile after punching me (with his hand still in the upper cut position and my head turning away.) Total Madness!!

Talking about the foood, it is the most worth it meal I ever had. With the student discount, its only about $16 netted. I really recommend everyone to go there.

After eating, we went to the arcade for some rest before going to the ktv next. At the arcade, I found a game that I like to play. Its called Giga Wings. Its a plane shooting game, 2-D, moving bottom-up. I exchanged 1 token and played it. I've never complete that game in 1 token before, however, I did it in 2 tokens before. That was in Plaza Singapura. Today, I played it so long that half of my friends have to go to the ktv first so that they can get the room first. Haha I apologize for that. Didn't complete that game though. Some arcade set the game level tooo difficult.

At the ktv, we sang to our hearts content. Halfway through, my voice is really so tired that I have to force myself to sing the songs I pick. I tried songs that I've never tried before in ktv hee, so it's a fresh feeling. The 2 greatest joke haha..... "Ai4 Ni1" and "Tuo1 Diao4". "Ai4 Ni1" came from a song by "Wang2 Xin1 Lin2", and "Tuo1 Diao4" came from Du4 De2 Wei3. So, halfway through some songs, someone will just should "Tuo diao tuo diao!" *laff laff*, then whenever the songs have the words "Ai4 Ni3", we would just pronounce it as "Ai4 Ni1", signature phrase by wang xin lin. haha.

It has been a long time where I laugh that much. And, I am surprise that I created some jokes too. Can't remember the jokes ah. Luckily my friends can understand my jokes and laughed at them. Most of the time, my jokes are just soooo difficult to understand.

Ok thats it for today, a long and memorable blog. Stay with my memories. Tomorrow is a day for me and my good friend, A. details on tomorrow's blog. Nites for now.

Slice of Life

"Living a More Focused Life

You've heard it a thousand times. Life is short. Make the most of it. The saying has become so hackneyed that most people these days don't even give it any serious thought. But in order to find lasting fulfilment in our lives, we need to understand that our time here is precious. Every second of it.

Yet, how focused are we on people and activities that improve the quality of our lives and give them drive and meaning? How much time we waste on "zoning out" - wasting hours, even days on so-called "soft addictions", like eating, reading, watching TV, surfing the Net, shopping, chatting on the phone, and so on.

What's so bad about these things, you ask? Well, the activities themselves can be harmless, and indeed, most of the time, they are. But when we think about how much time and energy we invest in them, and how much we really get back, then we begin to realise that these mildly pleasurable pursuits can compromise the quality of our lives.

Don't get me wrong. We all have to eat. Reading can be informative and educational, and so can TV and the Internet. But we have to spend more time doing these things with focus and intention. Snacking is fine. And there's nothing wrong with reading a comic book or watching a reality TV series. These can be relaxing or simply entertaining. But we have to balance these with foods and media that benefit our bodies and minds. Spending hours chatting aimlessly on the phone, mindlessly watching TV, or indulging in unhealthy foods on a regular basis rob you of the time and energy you could've spent on investing in your relationships, your health, your mind, and your soul.

It's fairly easy to determine if your activity is, or is becoming a crutch for you. For instance, television can be a window into new worlds, stimulating viewers with new ideas and leading them into meaningful pursuits -- or it can be a means of escape. But as you engage in this activity, think about why you do it and what it does for you. When you watch a television programme, are you actively involved in the process? Are you absorbing information? Are new ideas triggered? Are you inspired? Or do you finish a bag of chips, channel surfing, and simply letting whatever's on to wash over you? You may believe that this is a way for you to relieve the stress of work. But surely there are better ways of doing that. After a while, activities which are performed mindlessly and without focus numb your mind, encouraging you more and more frequently to simply escape from life. On the other hand, if you are intentionally involved in the activity, it can enhance the quality of your life."