Books Review

Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
This book was mentioned during one of the sermon presented by local parish priest. A very good and inspirational book which talks about the life a simple man, Eddie, who died on his 83rd birthday, trying to save a young girl from a falling cart. Eddie awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever. And the story begins with the 1st person he met....The movie was shown in Astro about a couple of weeks ago. Check out the website http://www.albomfivepeople.com/fivepeople.htm. The book can be purchased at any local bookstore but Popular is the cheapest (Even cheaper if you are a Popular card member).

Just last night, I finished reading yet another book by the same author entitled "Tuesdays with Morrie"http://www.albom.com/morrie.htm
Another very inspirational novel. The story talks about the last few Tuesdays Albom spent with his dying Professor Morrie Schwartz. A very touching novel about the life expectation and the life's point of view from a dying man. Many thing were talked about during the last 14 Tuesdays Mitch spent with his Professor and amongst the things they touched on were on love, work, marriage, envy, children, forgiveness, community and aging. Is hall not say so much about the book, you just have to read and understand it. At the end of the novel, the 14th Tuesdays of their time together, the Professor suceeded in his conquest to make Mitch cried and it moves me to tears too. Enjoy!

The Wedding Singer

Attended a wedding dinner last Saturday and I must say that was the most annoying yet interesting dinner I had attended so far. To start off, I was seated just right in front of the speaker which...umm...should be okay if they are just going to put on a nice soothing instrumental but alas.....instead I had to endure a whole night of karaoke session...as a matter of fact, I'm still recovering from the headache as well as the temporary hearing impairment (Might need to sign up for T's class if it doesn't get better by end of this week)

Scenario 1 - The MC with his stupid slang who kept on singing and singing (and then claiming that he's a "hardcore" fan of Elvis & Cliff Richard). How I wish he'll die and then he can join his hardcore idols in heaven/hell.....I must commended him for his good voice but to sing the whole night???

Scenario 2 - A lady guest went up and sang "The Power of Love" (dedicated to the parents, not the newlyweds) and that's where I actually lost my appetite (and that was only the 2nd course) She sang her heart out with all that shouting and funny pronounciation and the off-key tunes and and and...argh.....and remember the big black speaker behind me???? Shucks! She has guts!

After all the ordeal of some other guests who went up and sing, suddenly...whoosh....the karaoke technician went up and sing too! (I supppose he was trying to tell the host that they are yet to pay him) That moment...that minute.....I regain my appetite .....I was mesmerised........I fell in love with the song Cinta Sonata. Man.....he can sing!

Flying Phobia

I have never realised that in the midst of us, we still have people who are terrified of flying. After talking to a friend just now, I looked through the net and to my surprise, 1 out of 5 people is afraid of flying.

As quoted in one of the website - "You were not born as a nervous flyer - you learned to feel this way. Don't accept it as being 'how I am'. And decide that you do not have to 'learn to live with it', either. You can un-learn your phobic response just as you learned it. You can learn to manage and even dissolve your fear of being on a plane"

I love flying and one of my greatest dream is to fly around the world before I die. I've always enjoy the facilities one get on a long flight. U get to watch all the latest inflight movies throughout the journey as well as get to play all the games provided. The longest flight I had was 16 hours from Kuching to Rome and I got to do an 9-hr movie marathon as well as a 4-hr of Super Mario Games. The balance of 3 hrs??? Meals!

Too bad for my height...I should have become a stewardess.......bet someone must be laughing there but hey! it's only a dream......

Anyway, my message to my flying phobia friend: To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom (Bertrand Russell)

"You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind." (Dale Carnegi)

Send me an mms of you in the plane before take-off ok?

For Junoesque on her birthday

Always My Friend by: Susan Polis Schutz

It takes more than words to let you know how much it

means to me to have you as a friend

I can depend on you for understanding

when I am confused

I can depend on you for comfort when I am sad

I can depend on you for laughter when I am happy

I am so thankful to know that you are always my friend

I Have a Baby!

Don't be deceived by the heading, ok? I'm sure Junoesque would be surprised to see such a heading eh?

Check this beau that I have just got myself. Isn't she pretty???? She's just 3 days old today and I'm so proud that I've finally conquered my 'stingyness' and emptied out my piggy bank for this little beau. It might burn quite a big hole in my pocket but I've decided that life is too short to worry about this. I can do lots of things with it, namely taking photos (meaning I can take photos of all my creations), video camera, real player and lots more. I'm yet to discover all its features and I shall take my time to know her more intimately. Oooooo....I'm so happy!

Reflection

It has been 4 days since it happened and I'm yet to fully recover from the shock. Apart from the bruises that is so obviously sighted, I still can't erase the scene from my mind. The thoughts of the car heading towards me and the 'Dead-end' right in front of me as I was approaching the drain can never fails to send shivers down my spine. Words just can't describe the horror of such scenes of which to some people, it only happens in action movies.

On the lighter side of things....Only my nephew think of me as a hero and kept on asking whether I did jump out of the car as it approaches the drain. He has seen too much action movies and thought that like McGyver, I jumped out from the car just as the car was about to explode! Kids....

A Near Death Experience

15 August 2005 @5.30pm, I was driving along Rock Road on my way home from work when a car driven by a young boy (who just got his license few weeks ago) suddenly came from the opposite side of the road and rammed into me and due to the impact, my car was thrown towards the other side heading for the big drain. Should it not for the strong railing along the drain, my car would have plunged into the drain and I can never imagine what's going to happen to me. My first thought after my car was miraculously stopped just as the first rail was broken was whether there was a pedestrian there cos' it sure is going to be very messy should there be one.

After days of lamentation, God has really been there with me throughout the whole thing. Lots of 'ifs' came into the picture:
1) What if there are cars at the inner lane, would I be able to escape death such way?
2) What if there was a pedestrian walking along the road, would he/she survive?
3) What if the driver who rammed into me died, would I be able to accept it for the rest of my life, though I was not at fault?
4) What if the rail is not strong enough, what will happen......to me?

At that moment, when I saw my car heading towards the drain, my first thought was whether is there anything that I'm yet to achieve/tell, especially telling my loved ones that I love them and would I have the opportunity to see at least 1 of my loved one before I go? As a matter of fact, that day was suppose to be the happiest day of my life cos' I have just found out in the morning that an overdue reconciliation in the family has been settled.

There are lots of uncertainty in lives and I now live on the philosophy of living today as if it's your last and be sure to say "I love you" to my loved ones everyday just in case I might not be able to say it again tomorrow.

15 August 2005 - This is the day God granted me a 2nd chance in life.

Tulips

One of my favourite flower - white tulip.

My first encounter with a real fresh tulip was in Melbourne, during autumn, in Coles Supermarket. From afar, I thought it was a fake plastic flower (like what we use to get in Kuching) and was tempted to touch it. As I touched (or rather squezzed one of its petals) it actually fell off and I felt so guilty for ruining such a beauty....

Marriage is for eternity

My parents are celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary today...

This year, I'm doing something different for them. Instead of just the normal handmade card, I'm doing a scrapbook (though not really a complete one...not in time to gather all the necessary photos and infos) The scrapbook was officially "launched" last night at 1am after 2 weeks of cutting and pasting and stealing of photos from my parents' house.

Over the past 2 weeks (in the midst of cutting and messing up my whole bedroom...thanks to Aloy for closing 1 eye about the mess) it reminds me of how much we are loved and cared for in our early years. Dad & mum were married when they were still young (as in the early years), with no savings or property, they spent most of their early adult years taking care of my sister & I. Dad would have to take on 2 jobs to make ends meet and to ensure that his family are given the best food and shelter.

I'm sure at a certain stage of their hardship, Dad & mum would have thought of given up on us & on themselves....but they never did....all because we have God in our hearts, in our home, in our life..He is always there for us.

34 years later, Dad & Mum have really did a wonderful job....4 grown up children, 2 sons-in-law, 1 daughter-in-law and a grandson......Dad's enjoying his retirement and Mum is preparing herself for retirement! And the most important thing of all, they are still as loving as before and still very much enjoying each other's company.

Footprints in the Sand

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:
one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path ofhis life
there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times
in my life,there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.
"The LORD replied:
"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Quote of the Day

Christ is the wisdom of God; and in the knowledge of this Christ there is wisdom for you. Not wisdom only, but life, forgiveness, peace, glory, and an endless kingdom! Study Him! Acquaint yourself with Him! Whatever you are ignorant of, be not ignorant of Him. Whatever you overlook, overlook not Him. What ever you lose, lose not Him. To gain Him is to gain eternal life, to gain a kingdom, to gain everlasting blessedness. To lose Him is to lose your soul, to lose God, to lose God's favor, to lose God's heaven, to lose the eternal crown!
Horatius Bonar

The Seven Deadly Sins

Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

Seafood, seafood, where art thou!

Haven't had so much seafood for a long time...Went to TopSpot last night for seafood. Ate too much crabs I actually look like one today (Crab or crap or whatever)

Food was great and price........cheap like dirt....I ate too much that I felt guilty later about over-indulged myself...think about the poor people in the streets who have nothing to eat and here I am, feasting.......

Well, I have just committed one of the 7 deadly sin - Gluttony.......

It also reminds me of a good friend of mine who used to dine with me at TopSpot (her fav spot..Ed-we have spots too!) and everytime we ordered clams, she will described to the lady on how she want it "opened".........put your hands together with your palms facing each other and open them..I'm lousy at describing...perhaps leggy cud assist???????

Friendship quotes

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one” CS Lewis
CS Lewis


True friendship isn’t about being there when it’s convenient; It’s about being there when it’s not.
Anonymous quotes

“But what is the good of friendship if one cannot say exactly what one means? Anybody can say charming things and try to please and to flatter, but a true friend always says unpleasant things, and does not mind giving pain. Indeed, if he is a really true friend he prefers it, for he knows that then he is going good”
Oscar Wilde quotes

Twins in our own way

After reading the latest blog by Ed, only then I realised that the 2 of us do have lots of similarities. It really amazes me to notice that amongst the millions of people in the world, I found someone who are similar to me as far as our interests are concerned and I'm given the priviledge to know him personally. I've heard once that somehow or rather, there are 2 people of the same looks in this world. Do you believe this??? I have a classmate who look like me except that she's fatter and taller. (Whose shorter than me anyway???)

I'm ashamed to say that after all these years, I didn't know that Ed is into papers as well. Yes, like Ed, I used to collect all the used wrapping papers and kept it nicely in a folder for viewing. I kept magazines as well as newspapers. Tell me, how many of you have actually read and keep The Malaysian Post from Day 1?

Ed has been so kind as to call me everytime he saw a shop selling paper & all those craft thingy, with the latest discovery at Fah Company????

Creation of Cards

Blogging is contagious

This is really contagious.....first it was me and now, it's another dear friend.......

We are waiting for another one to join in.......T, we are waitingggggggggg.....Like what you have told me yesterday, if you can't beat them...join them!

London Terror

My heart goes out to the family members of the victims in the underground blast. Imagine the joy of winning the 2012 Olympic was shortlived due to the irresponsible and cruel act of certain people.

Let us pray for the repose of the souls of the 37 people who died in the blast............ What a day!

Straighten & Strengthen?

Shalom

I'm going to have my hair straighten today. Yesterday, over lunch, an old friend of mine told me that I'm going to look like Ju-On with that straight, shiny and long hair. We'll see about that, Ed!