A photo a day

The wonders of data plan and nokia e66..live updates! haha..my colleagues and me joining a street soccer tournament today. hope we win!

 

We did not win. =(

Even though we did not qualify for the quarter-finals (this is what happens when you put a bunch of office people in a street soccer tournament, haha), I am proud that everyone in my team gave their full effort.

We managed to score a few goals, I chipped in 2 myself! Yay..Most importantly, everyone had fun.

Better luck next time.

28062009076

Today is Ruby's 100th day anniversary. Be at peace, my friend.

A photo a day

Pam's birthday celebration

27062009073

Well Wishes.

Dearest mummy, you have reached another milestone. Today is your 50th birthday.

We wish you a happy happy happy birthday. We love you very much. =)

Best wishes and best of health to you always. Here's to the next 50 years.

 

Birthday Greeting

Fortune Cookie Quote of the Day: "Happiness is not having what you want, it is wanting what you have."

Food for Thought.

There are nearly seven billion people on this planet. Each one unique. Different. What are the chances of that? And why? Is it simply biology, physiology that determines this diversity? A collections of thoughts, memories, experiences that carve out our own special place? Or is there something more than this?

Perhaps there's a master plan that drives the randomness of creation. Something unknowable that dwells in the soul, and presents each one of us with a unique set of challenges that will help us discover who we really are.

We are all connected. Joined together by an invisible thread, infinite in its potential and fragile in its design. Yet while connected, we are also merely individuals. Empty vessels to be filled with infinite possibilities. An assortment of thoughts, beliefs. A collection of disjointed memories and experiences. Can I be me without this? Can you be you?

And if this invisible thread that holds us together were to sever, to cease, what then? What would become of billions of lone, disconnected souls? Therein lies the great quest of our lives. To find. To connect. To hold on.

For when our hearts are pure, and our thoughts in line, we are all truly one. Capable of repairing our fragile world, and creating a universe of infinite possibilities.

- Quote taken from Heroes Season 3 Finale -

I felt connected to this narration when I was watching the season finale of Heroes today. All these while, I have been trying to find a meaning to life, to existence, to put it into words and share it on this blog. And then I was guided to it while watching the episode. Is it synchronicity? I feel blessed to be able to connect to these words, and share it with the universe. The last line is especially insightful; when our hearts are pure, and our thoughts in line, we are all truly one, capable of infinite possibilities. Let us embrace life with meaning, and create infinite possibilities for the betterment of one and all.

 

Fortune Cookie Quote of the Day: "The path of least resistance is always the most arduous." 

Minimize the Negative, Maximize the Positive.

I was watching tv just now, and happened to catch a beautiful commercial by Toyota. Not as thought provoking as the MCYS funeral one, but just as rich. The commercial can be watched HERE, but it is the shorter 30 sec version. 

The transcript of the commercial goes something like this;

Be less discouraged, more determined
Less timid, more brave
Less distracted, more present
Less wasteful, more environmental
Less me, more we

We ask a lot of ourselves, shouldn't we ask as much for our cars?
At Toyota we are creating future technologies that minimize the negative,
maximise the positives and humanize mobility

 

Looking at the underlying meaning of the words, they mean so much more than just a car commercial. The words represent meanings of life which all of us can learn from. I definitely did after watching it. We choose how we want to lead our lives; happy-sad, determined-discouraged. Enjoy life, savour every minute of it with happiness.

Try to catch the full 1 minute commercial on the airwaves if you can. =)

 

Fortune Cookie Quote of the Day: "One who enjoys doing and enjoy what he has done is happy."

Sailing.

To a best friend and teacher, it was nice to see you again today after a long while, and glad to know that you are coping well. Thank you for the lunch, company and guidance. I always enjoy visiting you, as you never fail to fill me up with hope and wisdom everytime I step into your door. You have a gift, continue sharing it with the world. The best is yet to come.

This song's for you, hope you sail out of the stormy waters soon.

Rod Stewart - Sailing

I am sailing, I am sailing,
home again 'cross the sea.
I am sailing, stormy waters,
to be near you, to be free.

I am flying, I am flying,
like a bird 'cross the sky.
I am flying, passing high clouds,
to be with you, to be free.

Can you hear me, can you hear me
thro' the dark night, far away,
I am dying, forever trying,
to be with you, who can say.

Can you hear me, can you hear me,
thro' the dark night far away.
I am dying, forever trying,
to be with you, who can say.

We are sailing, we are sailing,
home again 'cross the sea.
We are sailing stormy waters,
to be near you, to be free.

Oh Lord, to be near you, to be free.
Oh Lord, to be near you, to be free,
Oh Lord.

=)

Numbers.

Have you ever been attracted to numbers?

Numbers, we are surrounded by them constantly. Every time you look at the date, pay for food, ask for the time, look for your seat in the cinema, or even do some mental calculations. It would not be illogical to say that our lives are governed by numbers.

Certain numbers also have special meanings for individuals, some more so than others, such as the day or month that you were born. Each of us has a favourite number, or a number that we attracted to. What number do you choose when someone ask you to pick a certain number? How many times have you been asked what your favourite is?

My first fascination with numbers began earlier this year, at a seminar I attended with a good friend. During one of the short breaks, the topic of numerology and life path number came up. Using the day, month and year of your birth, I can culculate my life path number. My number is 7.

Number 7 - Philosopher, sage, wisdom seeker, reserved, inventor, stoic, contemplative, aloof, deep-thinker, introspective, spiritual, faith, esoteric, exotic, unusual, hidden, seeking perfection, ethereal, other worldly, enigma.

I can resonate with many of the attributes written above. Interestingly, I have always felt a strong connection with 7 all these years. My favourite soccer player wears the number 7 jersey. Haha.

Being the wisdom seeker that I am, I decided to probe further. I applied the number technique to what my friends usually call me, and I got a 7. Next I tried something more obscure, such as my student number in Griffith University, and guess what, 7 again!

I calculated my mum and sis's life path number next, and I got a small surprise at the results. Very interestingly, my mum is a 5 and she is born in May (5th month), my sis is a 6 and she is born in June (6th month) and I am a 7, and I am born in July (7th month). I began to ask the universe if there is a significance for this coincidence. This exercise has shown me that I am surrounded by many special people, and I am very blessed to be part of this very special family.

Lately, I began noticing a particular number sequence that keeps catching my eye. Many many times, when I look at the time on my computer or handphone, the number 1234, or variations of it comes up. Just this afternoon when I visited a dear friend, I was telling him about this sign, after which I looked at the digital clock infront of his tv, the time was 15:23.

I seeked guidance online by searching for a spiritual explanation, and one website caught my attention. The website attributed these signs to our Spirit Guides, who are trying to communicate with us through numbers.

1234, 234, 456 - If you are repeatedly seeing ascending number sequences such as 1234, this is a sign from your Spirit Guides that these are progressive thoughts.  You will see this sign when thinking about an area of your life that you are concerned about and want to change, or thinking about a particular subject.  Seeing this number sequence immediately after these thoughts is a sign that your thoughts are progressive; your life will progress by following these thoughts and you will have your Spirit Guides support in its pursuit.

Thank you for the wonderful insights. Let me be opened to more in my continual search for wisdom. The website is here if you are interested.

 

7Seven

Fortune Cookie Quote of the Day: "Never stop at the weigh station on the road of life."

You want a strong strong man?

Special request from a mischievous friend, who finds some of the strong men attractive. Feast your eyes on them! =)

 

Body beautiful?

Oops sorry. Fail! These are the bodybuilding finalists. I must say their bodies are rather impressive, but so impressive that it kinda gross me out. You should have witnessed the carnage in the changing room, where they apply their dream tan. Yes, their tan is fake, they apply this lotion called dream tan to make them shine, literally. They left remnants of the dream tan all over the interior of the changing room that it looks as if someone was raped in there. Back to topic.

 

2008 Champion.

 

2007 Champion.

 

2006 Champion.

Above are some of the notable finalists. They had a few small tasks to do, such as carrying a yoke weighing 100kg on each side, lifting two logs weighing 100kg each and walking 20 metres. They make it look like a piece of cake.

 

Watch that string!

 

Faster faster!

 

Grits teeth.

 

I can barely lift one with both hands.

 

Those are just 250kg tyres.

 

Pull the red rhino!

 

Who will win it!

 

Yes! Me and my tummy did it!

Guess who won! YESSSSSSS, it is number 5, the guy with the nice round tummy! Congrats to him. He blazed through the competition, scoring 47 out of the maximum of 50 points. He also walked away $10K richer. Apart from the main competition, there were also side events, which the public could take part in.

 

Barrel lift.

 

Watch out for those humps.

This was the first major event I am involved in since starting my job. A lot of preparation were needed to ensure that all aspects were covered. From the logistics to liaising with the various contractors, safety precautions to admin programme. My colleagues and me managed to pull it off successfully at the end of the day. The feeling of satisfaction was sweeeeet. Thank you all who participated in the event or came down to have a look. See you all again next year! =)

 

Thank you for coming.

Fortune Cookie Quote of the Day: " Anger is revenge taken on yourself for another's misdeeds." 

In remembrance

Dearest Ruby

 

It is hard to accept that you are not around anymore, and it pains many of us to learn about your passing. You have been a contant light in many of our lives; a light that holds true and dear. You welcomed us into your home whenever we come to visit. You allowed us bring forth truth and light in your humble presence time and again. For that, we are truly grateful.

 

You are in a better place now, a place where there is no sadness, no disappointment; only love. As we gather our emotions, and come to grasp with your loss, you will forever be remembered and loved. Thank you for coming into our lives. As the saying goes; the night is darkest before dawn. We mourn, but in acceptance, we heal.

 

Till we meet again, my friend.

Loss of a Friend

Nerissa Morton

A loss of a friend hurts
The loss of a best friend hurts more,
But it is never a true loss;
Everyday you will see something that reminds you of them
This will bring a memory;
A memory of the times you speant together
Followed by another;
A memory of how you went your seperate ways
They will always be in your mind;
They never really leave you.

Fortune Cookie Quote of the Day: "The hard times will begin to fade. Joy will take their place."

Not giving up.

No, I have not given up on this blog yet. =)

 

It has been 2 wonderful weeks since I started this job. The past 2 weeks has had its ups and downs. Ups being exposed to a myriad of different events, interacting with people and seeing an event through from beginning to end. The downs are mostly sitting infront of my desk and opening the same folders over and over again. It is very true, what a good friend has shared with me yesterday, that sometimes my job does not give me the challenge that I crave. Sitting infront of the computer waiting for emails to come in, or simply looking through a file and 'acting busy' can degenerate the brain cells a lot!

 

Perhaps it is still a honeymoon period for me. I am still learning the works of the organization, and at the moment, I am slowly absorbing the culture of the work environment, preparing for future challenges. But still, at times it is rather frustrating to be unable to set into motion some of the ideas I have, as I am not familiar with the procedures or what to do to set them into motion. Patience, my young padawan. You must learn to walk before you can run, and eventually soar.

 

This morning, I got a rather shocking piece of bad news just before going to work. I received a sms from my cousin, saying that my paternal grandfather had suffered a stroke a few hours earlier, and has been admitted into the hospital. The news hit me with a shock, but I did not panic. Good thing my cousin ended the sms saying that his condition is stable.

 

My paternal grandfather and me share an unspoken closeness. It has been almost 20 years since my father passed away due to stroke. When I was young, my grandfather has taken over the role of a guardian for my sister and me. Even though he is already in his late 70s, he still fondly remembers the times when I was young, when I was a pesky little boy who refuses to go to school (kindergarten). He will drag me all the way from home to school, and make sure I stay there, and never fail to be there to pick me up when school ends. My grandfather lives a very simple life. He is very happy with just coffee and bread as his staple food, and spends most of his time tidying the house and doing the household chores. You cannot detect a single tinge of worry in his eyes, only Love, for his children and his grandchildren.

 

Today, after work, my mum, sister and me went to the hospital to visit him. As we drove to the hospital, I hummed a silent prayer for him to be well and recovering. Just as we were reaching the hospital, I spotted a rainbow arching across the sky. It is a good sign! Telling me not to worry and my grandfather will be protected and well taken care of. Walking to the ward and his bed, it was reminisce of 20 years ago. Back then, after my dad suffered a stroke, I was brought to his bed before he passed on. That was the last time I seen him alive, lying on the bed sleeping in a slightly contorted position. Mouth open, eyes closed with a breathing device attached to his nose. When I saw my grandfather just now, he was in a similar position, mouth open, eyes closed and all.

 

I sat beside him, watching him sleep while my mum and sis chatted with my cousin. I tried waking him, but he was sleeping, even snoring at times. We learnt from my cousin that he had fallen down early this morning in the toilet, the cause is still unknown. The doctor suspects it is a mild stroke, and he suffered some cuts on his left hand due to the fall. I had to take a toilet break. When I came back, I was pleasantly surprised that my grandfather has woken up. He looked at me with his loving eyes as I walked towards the bed. It was as if I was 5 years old once again, from the way he looked at me. I knew he is very happy that we are beside him, and all I can try to do is give the same amount of love back to him, and more. He will be alright, I know it. There are many friends and guardians in the ward looking after him, I could sense it. He started chatting with us, and his hand is no longer pain. He can even move his arms and legs freely. 

 

Thank you God for looking after him. Let him recover well and soon.

 

Fortune Cookie Quote of the Day: "Success is to be able to spend your life in your own way."