Fly Me To Some Place Else

As of now, 2.55 pm on a sunny Friday afternoon, part of my day has been great. Oh yeah! It feels good to feel this way. I'm beaming from inside...would be even better if I could feel this way for at least 3 - 5 days in a week. I'm trying to be a little more realistic...'cause you see, you can't always be in such a splendid mood every - let me add - single day (therefore, 3 - 5 days of being spared from moments of unhappiness...lolz).

Now, lemme count...1...2...3...4... Yup, four things that's causing me to smile from the liver (got this phrase from my favorite book, 'Eat Pray Love'). I'll leave the first three zipped up - not that it's top secret or anything (well maybe a little) - and I'll let you know reason number 4. It's the weekend!... Plus, it's Sabbath tomorrow... Time to get all renewed spiritually. Hehe. I'm trying peeps, I'm trying...it's a daily effort to let that part of you grow.

Know what? I've suddenly got this desire to be at some place else...not for that long a period, just maybe a little more than 'awhile'. And, if it can happen, I'll be back because my heart belongs on 'home ground'. Yupz. Most of us are where we are because we chose it. Like for instance, me being right in front of the computer...blogging.

Hmm...just how far will I go to get what I want? 

I hate saying I don't know. Sometimes, I just really want to know, you know. I know you know. Donks!

Anyway...

I hate being all alone here...I wanna be back home. So my choice? I'm logging off and heading back. 

Happy Sabbath y'all!

Tunggu!!...Wait!!...

This quote by Hans Nouwens - I want to post it up here even though it appears on my quote catch right now as I type. I'll lose it by tomorrow that's why. So here goes...

In true love the

smallest distance is too 

great, and the greatest

distance can be

bridged.

Lawa lah! (Uhh...sorry that's an expression I find hard to 'translate'). If you've got a person who can love you this much, and it won't change now or later, then you're just one lucky person. Gotta appreciate the good things in life - they come by so rare sometimes.

Bye...for real now. ;)

 

Breath...This Is Another Day

A picture that I so want to capture right now looks something like this in mind...a single white flower cupped in the palm of my hands with still waters as my background. Well, maybe I'll try to be more flexible with the choice of color.

No camera, specifically a DSLR. I can almost swear I won't stop mentioning 'bout this until I purchase one...or am given one. Dalam mimpi kau lah! [In your dreams lah!]

Anyway... 

It's mid-week prayer. This heart says, "Go..." And so, today, this evening, I will listen to that voice. 

Help me to see how precious this life is - the one You gave me to live...sweet or bitter it may be...and help me, too, to say and do the right thing.

PeekaBoo!

Sometimes, being all busy like right now is not too bad. It's better than staying at home 24/7 doing nothing and letting my brain rot.

I've got 2 minutes (this is a lie!) to post this up. Yes, I'm giving myself a 'breeze'...whatever the heck that means to you. Ha. 

The bell just finished buzzing. Tata!

In His Eyes...

It is these words that are echoing at the back of my mind right about now...

 

"Sometimes you have to forget your own hurt, and think about the hurt of others...that's when your prayers change."

 

Why do we always end up asking from God? We ask to be blessed for this, and then that... and if that's not enough, we ask for so many other things that never seem to come to a definite end. Why this question? Because it was directed once or twice before to a congregation/worship gathering/etc where I happened to be in it.

 

*Sighs*...Yes, I guess I'm rendered by deep contemplation.

In His Eyes... His love for us does not fall short... It is us who fail to understand just how much we really mean to Him. 

I hope He helps me understand the depth of this love He has for me.

Nite, peeps.

"She Will Be Loved..."

Just so happened that that's the tune I'm tapping into right now..intentionally (on Windows Media Player)..like having the same song played over and over again. Please don't throw the word 'lame' at my face. Ha.

Well, who doesn't want to be loved, right? I guess, my words will hold some percentage of truth when I say that we were born with a heart that desires to be loved. 

Oh well, that's not quite what I had intended to blog about ('...to be loved'). Fellow peeps..I missed blogging. The first two paragraphs were just mere comments to the title of the song that's quietly playing through the speakers. I had wanted to put in a new post on the last day of June. Luck, however, was dry on my side. Now, no thanks to the terrible Internet connection, my archives has one month missing - the chain of posts have been broken. Dang.

Anyway...

You know how it gets when you do things in a rush? Like when you rush blogging something up, you don't get to say all that's in your head. 

That's how it is for me now..wanna say more but the voice at the back of my head is saying, "Hey you..go take your bath and freshen up yourself."

Yup, got a small farewell party to go to in about 15 minutes from now.

I hate goodbyes like this one.

Later!

 

Her Heart Says This...

There's just one thing I'm sharing here today...I want to travel.

Yes, I want to go to some far away place from the usual scenes around me, with one of my girlfriends. And of course, there's definitely no harm if there's more in number to travel with. As the saying goes, 'The more, the merrier'.

I just want a breath of fresh air...to let this mind roam free from the clutters of every day life...my life to be exact. A week long getaway will do me some good. 

All I need is to gear myself with a wallet filled with the right amount of money (plus some extra bit of cash or more), a backpack carrying all a woman's necessities, a stomach ready to be charmed by novel culinary experiences, and...that Digital SLR that I've always wanted. My baby! Pictures...if you can't bring anything else back home, bring some pictures that everyone else can enjoy during  happy family gatherings.

I'm getting all rusty mentally and in spirit. I need to be rejuvenated. Spraying perfume to the bare skin just simply won't do no matter how sweet to the senses or how well-known the brand or how 'wow-ish!' the price tag. Last I've been out of the country was 'plus minus' two years ago. Seems like I'm half way shrivelled to my bones like an orange sitting in the fridge for way too long and that all traces of life has slipped and dissolved into thin air. That's how I'm mentally picturing myself.  

'Punya lah'...itu lah ekspresi orang disini. 

Okay, I'm telling myself it will happen soon. That chance is already on it's way, heading straight at my direction. Whether that's true or not...well hey, gotta cheer myself up with the thoughts of possibilities in the palm of these hands that I've got.

May God bless us with a happy heart...there's nothing bad in that. :)

May's Greetings

Guess what? A smile is sketched across the features of my face right now. You'll find out why if you read on. :)

On the afternoon of yesterday, at around this same time, the sun was hidden by clouds that poured out rain...yeah it pretty much rained the whole afternoon yesterday. Total mood killer, I'd say. I slept through the afternoon like a pig (what a pathetic way to picture myself in sleeping mode). Anyway, what really gets me smiling is the change of weather today...this very day. Earlier this morning, I felt that all hope was gone when I saw no promising light to a bright sunshine any time today. So I breathed out a prayer as I mounted the stairs somewhere on this school compound (well more like a conversation to God) which went something like this, "If there's no sunshine today, well at least let it not rain until night time." 

God proved He could do much more than that silent prayer I breathed out. Sometime ago, but not too very long ago (somewhere in March), I heard this particular line of words from a much revered pastor who gave this talk for chapel. I wish I was in the chapel gathering area right from the beginning of his talk. His exact words were, "Tuhan mampu lakukan lebih daripada doa-doa kita". Translated version of that would go, "God can do much more than our prayers." They were just the words I needed to hear at that very moment when my ears had finally tuned in. 

Outside the window, the sun is shining bright and the birds are singing to their own tune of praise. It's enough to make me happy for now. So, thank you, Lord...thank you so very much.

Hehe. Here's the sunshine I was talking about.

I didn't mind the fact that two senior students saw me capturing this scene which I believed to them seemed like there was not a single speck of significance about it. You have no idea how I feel at this very moment. I guess only I will know the story. Or maybe, just one other person. ;)

By the way, here's the continuation of the Serenity Prayer from my previous post. 

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He would make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

~Reinhold Niebuhr~ 

I hope so much that this day of next year would be so much different...in a good way of course.

May tonight's rest be filled with inner joy that only God can give. :)

Let Not Anger Spoil My Day

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

To be continued...

My twenty plus years of life has taught me a lot...and I will learn yet even more as I have come to know - some experiences sweet to the taste and many others hard to swallow. Who would have ever thought that life could be so cruel, and that in the moments in between it could be as gentle as the touch of the hands of a loving mother? 

Left and right, and all around, there are questions. For some, all they might probably see are answers rushing towards them. I'd say, 'Wow!' to that if that were really true. Who are 'they' and 'them'? They're people other than the pronoun 'I' or the other similar version of it, 'me'. 

The seconds...they're still moving without ever running out of breath. These words slip by tiptoeing and come whispering to me, "My dear, this day has not yet come to an end.'

Each one's got a story of their own. You and I. Some stories escape the heart synchronizing itself, dancing to the flow of breath. Some choose never to leave, settling in the inner walls of privacy. And sometimes, if it ever does chooses to take a step outside, it goes to just one other soul. That's about as far as it goes. No further.

3pm. And I need to quench this thirst. 

Next to come, a purchase or two later today. That must happen.

Bye for now.

More than meets the eyes...it meets the heart.

Didn't plan on blogging 'bout anything today, but it turns out that I'm in the mood. That shouldn't be quite a bad thing, should it? Nah, guess not. 

Well, I've got to hand it to the pictures to help me tell today's episodes. Thank goodness for the birth of technology.

 

Creative piece of needle work. Story goes that it was given as a gift from a friend who's not living anywhere close by. We're talking Myanmar, people. I guess sometimes it's not so much of the thing given, but the thought...and that, fellow readers, makes the heart feel all warm with happiness. Oh by the way, it wasn't for me. The lucky person is my colleague that, let's say, I'm quite close to.  

Not quite satisfied with the angle which I took with the first shot, I took another. Looks to me as if they're half swan half peacock. 

 

So here's the person who gave that gift, one of musical talents. Notice the caption on the top left? Guess what? I've got my list of people that I miss too. I won't deny it. Maybe verbally, but not the heart.

 

Food! Definitely not from my limited culinary skills. This came from the time and energy of a group of students. I came to replace someone to taste and to actually grade the prepared dish. Ha! So much for spending little time in the kitchen.

Now there you go. Aww...I said, "Come, I take your picture," and they all obeyed and posed cheerfully.

 

Not bad with the utensils arrangement and all.

 

Menu complete with love from color pencils (hehe).

 

Notice how some of the letters get a little fancy with the curves.

Second helping of carbohydrates, anyone?

 

Now when the eating was done, I found this girl back in the teacher's room. That's a pen that gives out a green glow of light. Someone bribed her with a candy (find it if you can) to write. 

Piece of advice: Never bribe kids no matter how tempted you are to do it.

Truth is I really don't mind if I have to do that to kids

over and over again.

 

And here's the look of the pen when it has its cap on. See...I'm not the only one fascinated by it. I've got my little buddy. Hehe. Someone give me a little sister!

Pretty much about it for now. Gotta get back home. Heading over to a friend's place later tonight. I want to laugh like a kid, talk like a real grown up when I have to, talk  all gibberish when I feel I'm allowed to, and just think as free as this mind would run. 


Night and sleep tight.

Sunshine for Monday

I haven't completely deserted my dear blog, so yes, I'm back. Muah! The weather's been pretty kind so far - sky's painted with a healthy shade of blue and there's enough sunshine to get you over-tanned. Ha. Nah, I'll never be interested to get a tan. Why, I'm a typical Asian sticking to the concept of physical beauty where the fairer the skin the lovelier (no seriously, don't believe that...if you do, don't ever let me know that you have just criticized me). Ahem...well I ran dry of luck when I was born. My skin's not as fair as I wish it to be. What? The brother gets the fairer complexion? Boo. 

Pictures, peeps. I've got to get them coming in once in awhile. Would be such a bore sight to see endless strings of posts without a single image. Oh yeah, by the way, I sparked up a conversation on DSLR with a colleague of mine earlier. Feels good to talk with someone who's tied to at least one similar interest and from there on branching out other bits of decent conversation to occupy time. Too bad, I haven't gotten one for myself just yet. Grrr. Guess what? Once I own one, I'll refer it as my 'baby' (hoho!). Kalah trus oh status semua boipren yang wujud di dunia yang bercuaca panas ni (and please don't force me to translate that).

Here goes them pix. 

  

Another colleague holding up a kind of...fruit you might say? First time seeing one so decided to take a snap of it.

A look on the inside. The spoon, I'm sure, tells you that it's edible enough to not cause you a tummy ache. Small serving...what harm could it possibly do? Unless of course it's sprinkled with poison.   

I've been craving for ice-cream after bumping into someone at the payment counter in one of the shops down town yesterday. He's made me all jealous with all of those ice-cream cones in his hands (there were 4 to be exact). So after lunch today, I took a solo walk to the bakery with my good ol' umbrella. Really, it's not that old you know. I just had to put something in between the adjective (good) and the noun (umbrella).So, tada! to ol'!

I couldn't get enough of one cone of ice-cream so I ordered another to go down my throat. Sure cheaper than the ice-creams I saw yesterday, but in a way it's all the same - cold and sweet. Right, right, right?

Nyam, nyam, nyam. That intro was just purely for the sound effect (why need an effect of this sort...dunno) to this whole new paragraph of which might not make any sense to any of you. Never mind, it does to me. I had one more picture to post but I ended up deleting it. The background was in a state of a tsunami mess with the main object in focus being me (a little chubbier), having my hair just washed, dried, and feeling all fresh. I lurve hair that feels all rejuvenated!

Hmm...planing on growing out the leftover dye on my hair then go chop it off, refining it with layers. Maybe I'll put on some wild color to it during the longer school break (like at the end of the year) and then color it to jet black just before school reopens next year. 

Now that is total foolishness which, maybe, I might actually so suddenly succumb to. Ceh...buat apa semua tu? [What's all that for?]

Today's a good day for me. Somehow strangely fine because I don't get to feel this way too often. Please, oh pretty please, let the feeling stay this way till I put my eyes to rest tonight. Should the day go the complete opposite for me tomorrow, then so be it. Just give today a chance to be the way it started off.

Can you do that for me God?