No String Attached

It the 100th day prayer for my dad. We had the busy morning and decided to go for movie together in the afternoon, with mom along.

It's "No String Attached", by Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher (no spoiler here don't worry).

Throughout the movie there were pretty much laughter and frankly speaking it is a great new cinema in 1st Avenue, Penang. I enjoyed it so much particularly one line caught me as if it's some kind of message for me.

It says, "Be hurt. The world can take it".

Me and my sis-in-law had a talk yesterday over communication issue between couples. I mentioned about the sudden decease of my dad actually had quite an impact on us where we are still working on getting over it.

I did not really let myself get down in emotion since his depart. I know deep down I miss him so much but I just don't want to break down in tears. However when I heard this line my tears fall.

Sometimes it is just too deep the cut until the word "hurt" can be too much to bear.

Yes, be hurt.

Yes, the world can take it.

 

By the way, it is a good movie.

What is life if there isn't any process of achieving goals?

I guess different people just make different decision in defining life. I attended the 20th Anniversary Luncheon organized by the theatre troupe that I once belonged to and met many friends. It's always an interesting experience when many who got separated after taken their sail are once again back at the very same place where they nurtured their teen spirit.

We all have dreams.

They may vary from time to time, and sometimes accordingly to different life stage.

No matter what our dreams are we should never give it up for anything for they keep our soul soar so we can always hold our head high to face challenges.

Because of the gathering my memory wanders. I wonder where have the other absence gone and how have they pursue their dreams, and I missed them.

I guess different people have made different achievements in defining life.

Whatever yours is I wish you continue to achieving more goals!

A Time of Seeing Old Friends

I was told by the invited guests to my wedding that apart from sharing the joy of our unity, another reason of attending such event is they can meet with friends that they have probably not seen for a long time.

It's true.

Much laughter and catch up were done over the dinner.

Although not many photos were taken (coz we were busy chatting).

Dream

Communication does not mean talking through things only when there is an issue waiting for solution. It gives the involved parties a chance to speak out the heart and listen to each other.

I believe everyone has a dream. Talk it out, and make it fly.

I am Holding Up

It took me quite a while to get back on my feet since the demise of my beloved father.

Everyone worries about me because I looked rather fine with the shock. I sincerely appreciate all the warmth and concern from each and every one of you. However it is just personal to me and I do not prefer expressing them in the way people expect I would.

I mourn his depart with silence and I remember him with smile.

Life has never been easy.

But I keep working on it.

I want him to be proud of me, like he always have, even after he is gone.

Getting to Somewhere

Ever came across this situation? Playing on a puzzle game trying to find the solution but it seems unsolvable. So what do you do? Keep trying? Or just leave it?

Well, I assume you are the fighter type - keep trying. So how do you work on the attempts? You use different combination, or you change the pattern. Right?

Imagine we are driving in a stranger place. We might have map and Global Positioning System (GPS) to help us with the routes but there is still possibility that we end up getting lost. So what do we do? We try different routes, or we simply ask for direction.

It is very obvious - we are not getting anywhere if we don't try, we are not getting anywhere either IF WE DON'T CHANGE OUR COURSE/METHOD (putting aside the thought of waiting for rescue to come by itself).

Solving the small problems is the fundamental of big achievements!

It is so ALIVE!!!

This is my first time in participating Blogfest, thanking the host of the festival for bringing it to Penang.

Being born an islander allows me to appreciate big picture from a very special and unique perspective - every big achievement begins with baby steps. Being a part of Blogfest 2010 gives me the honour to witness how little efforts make a long way.

Seeing this little pearl by the equator striving to shine is a big part of my life - we have been through the labour age, moving from trees to infrastructures and receiving overwhelming responds from MNC around the globe yet we still preserving the juicy heritage stories in our little Georgetown impressing the world how we make this little island as lovely as ever yet growing to meet the demand of the growth.

Since the visiting Penang Heritage Sites trip is limited to 40 pax only so my experience started with the pleasantly arranged dinner at QE-II, located at Church Street Pier (built in 1897), hosted by Ministry of Tourism of Malaysia. The place itself welcomes every participants with Penang's 2 greatest signatures - Ferry and Penang Bridge. Indulged in the evening breeze enjoying the casual dining experience has allowed me to mingle around meeting new friends - those that I'll get to know more throughout the following 2 days of the festival.


I think the most incredible thing about the night is - everyone blended in so well. I guess bloggers are special in our own way - we are familiar with words although we might not share the same language so we can easily make ourselves comfortable with topics that we each and everyone interested in.


Myself grew up in Khoo Kongsi, one of the heritage sites, when it was still open renting to tenants of different backgrounds. Back then (almost 30 years ago) we were using the very traditional kind of toilet service - all "big businesses" were collected in a big pail/bucket and will be collected by feces collector knocking every household 6 in the morning.

A lot of feelings crossed my heart when I stood in front of the statue of "TowKay Yeap Chor Ee" at the campus of Wawasan Open University. It touches me when I think about how efforts have been put in to build and make this place prosper.

The second day starts with a very interesting opening speech - once again bloggers are not boring person who can only play with words behind the screen. Representatives from different countries share their blogging experience back in their own place helping one another to understand what is happening in places outside their country and, perhaps, appreciate, blog, this piece of thought sharing platform.

Blogfest has created an opportunity to allow bloggers from countries to come to this small piece of land named after a fruit called "Pinang" witnessing not only the pride of having the recognition as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site but also bring together great minds that share one passion - to record and express what we love and we care with our heart (well, with fingers dancing on the computer keyboard).

It means a lot in help bringing the attention of looking at the duality of all things. What does this island have to offer? It has hills (Penang Hill) and beaches, traditional hawkers and international cuisines, multi-races people that almost can speak or at least understand our local dialect (Hokkien), and most of all it shows, not only to the visitors, but also me that it possesses the gift in offering the hospitality and courtesy that everyone needs when they come to her - a great sun shinny day with cooling drizzles whenever possible.

The afternoon sessions were even more interesting when diverse topics and workshop were held and we each get to choose our own preferred subject to learn and share. I've chosen Commercial Blogging – How to get your blog noticed; Journalistic values for documenting events via your blogs; Speed Up Your Blog With Content Delivery Network (CDN). All different sessions were mind-blowing. As a result I got a very congested head and have to retire to rest early (and yes that means I am "forced" to skip the evening dinner, and MyBloggerCon Award, and PARTAY!!!!!!).  Sob sob~~~


Anyway, I am so very looking forward to the final day tomorrow whereby I am sure I will have another inspiration-blasting day with the rest of the bloggers.

What have I gained from Blogfest 2010? Many new friends and also great opportunity to attend inspiring sessions. But most of all, being proud as one of the citizen here. Special thanks to Ministry of Tourism for ushering us into this wonderful festival, Blogfest 2010 for making this remarkable experience memorable, Wawasan Open University for a very comfortable journey, and other sponsors for making this event a great success.


I am blessed to have a peaceful and beautiful home and can be a part of this.

Oh by the way, the t-shirt is cool and I love that tiny packet of dried nutmeg as well as the sling bag!

We Are Ourselves Both The Creator & Destroyer

As we continue seeking the potential future that we can ever explore, we have somehow finding a very good reason in neglecting who, or to be more precise, what we really are. Well at least it is "hope" that we are talking about and looking at, we may say.

Thanks to the advancement in multimedia and technology, movie has become more and more exciting and interesting.That we are almost able to make any projections that we have on mind into fascinating pictures, or rather movies.

For many of my friends find ideas adopted by motion picture such as Avatar a "channeled" from some place higher than human realm, I think it is rather a place in us that we keenly hoped and prayed to exist after we have seen so much cruelty we have done among one another. Deep inside us there is a place where both good and evil reside.

Seeing "SPLICE" is like asking ourselves to confront this very special place in us - it exist whether we like it or not. Of course I would say the movie isn't as interesting and beautiful as the blue creature planet because it's dark, and it has more lust and desire.

We create to destroy ourselves. How interesting is that?

Watch the movie, although I don't like it.

But I love the whole idea of it.

It is time!

I paused for a while when my friend sent me a link to blogfest.

I hesitated.

I have always loved writing but things like becoming a part of blogfest has never crossed my mind. Perhaps that is why I am still way below the line from being known as a blogger. And I thought it's always very very common to be fairly unpopular as a blogger since my topic of writing is not so much of those HOT STUFF like travel, food, cultural or parenting.

But then I ask myself, "what for I write if I don't want to reach readers?" I can always write in my personal diary instead of blogging. I must have that intention of bringing forward the idea of my writings if I am a keen blogger.

So I quickly make up my mind and participate the upcoming event, which is going to be held in Penang next week.

I should make my work public, at least to a bigger group of potential reader. After all it is the passion in writing that has helped me through the times where I felt lost and realized lessons.

So if you are one of the readers here and blog at the same time as well as being one of the participants for the BlogFest 2010, please say hi when we meet on the event! It is always nice to know we are connected in the way we like - writing.

Action

First of all, the previous post was somehow unique: I captured the picture with my mobile phone and blog it straight away, didn't realize the setting in my phone was actually heading the writing to this English blog instead of the Chinese one. So I thought just keep it here since it means something to me - when I sat in front of the statue and contemplated about the idea of Buddhism and Taoism.

Anyway, this one is about another point of ponder. Sometimes in our lives we find ourselves lost - not knowing how to go on. It could mean our direction suddenly vanishes, especially when we take the big leap in doing changes.


We first convinced ourselves that everything will be different and alright if I change my path since the one I took did not work out. Then we walk on the new journey believing things shall set straight for as long as we believe it will. Yes, sometimes it works - when "FATE" or "LUCK" does most of the work for you. Other times, it is us the reason of change - we make it right.

When making a decision our focus changes, that's why we need to adjust accordingly and that including not only our faith and mind but also our action.

ACTION is the word. We constantly need to be in the position of seeing the motion and move accordingly. It's like the fish in the stream - you either go with the flow or against the current. And that determines the destination.

And so we have gathered the courage to take a big turn, believing that we will get over the low tide. With that belief and the whole of us changed in position and operation, we will breakthrough any dilemma.

Action = Achievement

Think about it, the true meaning of the very popular Mahatma Ghandi's quote -

Be the Change You Want to See