Love is unconditional.
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| (2013) love in a teabag. |
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Thursday, 17 October 2013
shine like a jewel, baby
This entry was inspired by an episode of The Amazing Race (season twenty-three, woohoo!!!) which I watched yesterday where former NFL teammates Chester and Ephraim were eliminated. I know it does not sound convincing at all that I am extrapolating life lessons from a reality television series.. but... well.. I can't make it sound better. Read at your own risk then.
Excerpts from the CBS website:
"At the start of Sunday's episode, the footballers were in first place
as teams were told they had to fly from Santiago, Chile, to Lisbon. A
string of bad luck for the pair began here -- their flight plan was
supposed to put them in Lisbon at 7 a.m. after a connection in Brazil,
but the travel agent mistakenly entered the wrong date. Before the
mistake was realized, married ER doctors Travis and Nicole got their
spot. The NFL guys got on another flight that arrived later, but the agent
felt bad and called them back, offering a different itinerary with two
connections that would still get them in at 7 a.m. They decided to take
the risk. Bad idea."
As you would have guessed, Chester and Ephraim arrived horribly late due to a series of unfortunate flight delays and missed connections, after all the teams have completed their tasks and have checked in. They were eliminated.
It got me wondering.. how this is so much like LIFE - where the best plans fail, no matter how much the odds look in your favour, sometimes not due to elements within one's control. As much as I would like to say that I believe in the power an individual has and the control an individual exerts over his/her life, I truly believe that fate/luck/whatever one calls that mysterious unseen power also plays a huge part in one's life and the consequences of one's choices.
I am not promoting fatalism here nor am I trying to encourage anyone to be more superstitious. What I gleaned from the episode is how one should not be judged solely based on an outcome, given that so many uncontrollable elements are at play. The intent and effort one makes towards a desired outcome are also important, albeit with the 'results-focused' mentality that permeates the society now, not many people think the same way as I do. Very often, one is so obsessed with the results, and overlook the 'journey' or the process of hard work that one endures towards the end. Surely, that counts for something - a learning experience to say the least? If this outcome is not desirable, how about trying again? Create the second / third / fourth chance.
I used to get really disappointed when things did not turn out my way and sometimes blamed myself for it, even though things did not work out due to a series of unfortunate events / unforeseen circumstances and I could not have done anything to prevent it. It was frustrating and I had to endure a lot of self-loathing, which was not healthy at all. Nowadays, I just ensure that my intents are kind and genuine and that I put in my best effort in whatever I do, then leave the 'greater beings' above to take care of the rest. Life is much easier this way. Perhaps some things do not work out now so better things can work out in future? A negative outcome should not stop me from believing in myself or from doing what is good. Positivity is my new mantra!
"A good will isn't good because of what it effects or accomplishes, it's good in itself. Even if by utmost effort the good will accomplishes nothing it would still shine like a jewel for its own sake as something which has its full value in itself" ~Immanuel Kant.
I used to get really disappointed when things did not turn out my way and sometimes blamed myself for it, even though things did not work out due to a series of unfortunate events / unforeseen circumstances and I could not have done anything to prevent it. It was frustrating and I had to endure a lot of self-loathing, which was not healthy at all. Nowadays, I just ensure that my intents are kind and genuine and that I put in my best effort in whatever I do, then leave the 'greater beings' above to take care of the rest. Life is much easier this way. Perhaps some things do not work out now so better things can work out in future? A negative outcome should not stop me from believing in myself or from doing what is good. Positivity is my new mantra!
"A good will isn't good because of what it effects or accomplishes, it's good in itself. Even if by utmost effort the good will accomplishes nothing it would still shine like a jewel for its own sake as something which has its full value in itself" ~Immanuel Kant.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
september
I must admit life has been pretty pleasant these days.
Just had an awesome popiah party with the extended family and I cannot overemphasize how much I appreciate time with my family.
I have also recently subscribed to a new life philosophy (see quote below), choosing to find joy in the littlest details, and believing that every good thing that happens to me is the work of magic.
Indeed it is not hard to feel joy when I think I have been dealt an extremely good set of cards due to some mysterious divine intervention. Everything becomes a miracle, and a reason to feel thankful.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
― Albert Einstein
Just had an awesome popiah party with the extended family and I cannot overemphasize how much I appreciate time with my family.
I have also recently subscribed to a new life philosophy (see quote below), choosing to find joy in the littlest details, and believing that every good thing that happens to me is the work of magic.
Indeed it is not hard to feel joy when I think I have been dealt an extremely good set of cards due to some mysterious divine intervention. Everything becomes a miracle, and a reason to feel thankful.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
― Albert Einstein
Saturday, 13 July 2013
how timely...
From a friend:
I wish you all the best and all the happiness that you deserve. I also hope you will not question and deconstruct it too much when it presents itself to you.
I wish you all the best and all the happiness that you deserve. I also hope you will not question and deconstruct it too much when it presents itself to you.
Monday, 20 May 2013
places...
I have been particularly pensive lately, thinking and evaluating my life since I graduated, and whether I am living the life I think I should be living and the thoughts eventually led to... travelling. Travelling has been the only respite from the drudgery of my work life, and I listed down all the places I have been to for a little escapade.
- Kuala Lumpur, Pulau Aur (Malaysia)
- Bali, Batam, Bintan (Indonesia)
- Macau, Hong Kong (China)
- Sydney, Canberra, Snowy Mountains (Australia)
- Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Dambulla (Sri Lanka)
- Taipei, Taichung (Taiwan)
- Krabi (Thailand)
- New York, Washington DC, Niagara Falls (United States of America)
- Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay (Vietnam)
- Kathmandu, Pokhara (Nepal)
- Phnom Penh, Siem Reap (Cambodia)
Monday, 22 April 2013
one year ago...
22 April 2012 was a stormy, wet day in New York. Warnings were issued since the night before for everyone in the North-East region to be ready for a big storm that was expected to last a couple of days. I was obviously bummed as it was my last couple of days in New York City before I hit Washington and I had been looking forward to spending an afternoon reading at the iconic Central Park.
When I looked out the window that morning, I was greeted by grey skies and rain. Nevertheless, I dressed up and prayed hard that the rain would ease as the day passed. I walked north towards Central Park with no destination in mind. While waiting for the rain to stop, I had potatoes and scrambled eggs for breakfast while reading my novel at a deli. Much to my dismay, the rain only got heavier. The weatherman was not kidding about the storm. I had no choice but to postpone my plans for Central Park, then wandered the streets under my pink umbrella.
I ended up at Bloomingdales, where a Tory Burch bag caught my eye but I did not have enough cash with me then. I made a mental note to come back the next day to get it (I did go back on my last day, but they ran out of stocks). I stumbled upon the much raved Magnolia Bakery at the corner of the huge department store but was too full for cupcakes then (the cupcakes were heavenly, as I found out the next day at the West Village store). I crossed the street to Dylan's Candy bar where I bought some sweets for souvenirs.
Finally, I decided on Guggenheim Museum, which was a few streets away and an ideal place to hide from the rain. I spent a few hours drifting from art pieces to art pieces, Picasso's and Van Gogh's amongst them, and was intrigued by photos from a Francesca Woodman exhibition.The heavy downpour made any other activities tough and I decided to call it a day by taking a train back.
I made a detour to a nearby Bath & Body Works for hand sanitizers as souvenirs, and nearly lost my sense of smell trying out the different flavours of the tiny bottles of gel. The store assistant was friendly - a nice respite from the gloomy day, and I scored a good deal by using a voucher which got me a free bottle of moisturizer. For dinner, I had in mind Chipotle, a Mexican fast-food restaurant, where I loved the rice with salsa and chicken, and the awesome avocado dip with nachos (yes, all american portions and I finished them all). As a testament to the severity of the storm, my delicate paper bag from the store did not survive the 15 minute walk to Chipotle and gave way before I was halfway there. I had to scramble to empty the contents into my bag before it spilled on the streets, while struggling to hold on to my little umbrella in the blustery wind.
It felt nice to finally be back in my tiny hotel room, where I enjoyed my dinner after a long day out battling the inclement weather. Luckily for me, the storm changed direction overnight and headed out towards the Atlantic. I managed to spend a short period of time outdoors the next day at the High Line and the Central Park for as long as my body could take the chills of that unusually cold Spring day.
That day, I also learnt a valuable lesson to schedule all outdoor activities in a trip early so that I have the flexibility to adjust my schedule.
____________________________________
The experience of the entire trip is still vivid in my mind, as though it just ended yesterday. I could, if I allowed myself to, still feel the rush of adrenaline as I submitted myself to the assault of all my senses being a bewildered tourist in the big, confusing city. What decadence! That was much like a dream, an experience that I can only relive in my mind now while trapped in a humdrum existence. When reality hits a bit too hard sometimes, my mind inadvertently wanders back to that period, a time when I truly felt free and empowered and not a prisoner of circumstances. And I am instantly comforted by that slice of memory, like therapy for my battered soul. I am so glad I made it happen.
When I looked out the window that morning, I was greeted by grey skies and rain. Nevertheless, I dressed up and prayed hard that the rain would ease as the day passed. I walked north towards Central Park with no destination in mind. While waiting for the rain to stop, I had potatoes and scrambled eggs for breakfast while reading my novel at a deli. Much to my dismay, the rain only got heavier. The weatherman was not kidding about the storm. I had no choice but to postpone my plans for Central Park, then wandered the streets under my pink umbrella.
I ended up at Bloomingdales, where a Tory Burch bag caught my eye but I did not have enough cash with me then. I made a mental note to come back the next day to get it (I did go back on my last day, but they ran out of stocks). I stumbled upon the much raved Magnolia Bakery at the corner of the huge department store but was too full for cupcakes then (the cupcakes were heavenly, as I found out the next day at the West Village store). I crossed the street to Dylan's Candy bar where I bought some sweets for souvenirs.
Finally, I decided on Guggenheim Museum, which was a few streets away and an ideal place to hide from the rain. I spent a few hours drifting from art pieces to art pieces, Picasso's and Van Gogh's amongst them, and was intrigued by photos from a Francesca Woodman exhibition.The heavy downpour made any other activities tough and I decided to call it a day by taking a train back.
I made a detour to a nearby Bath & Body Works for hand sanitizers as souvenirs, and nearly lost my sense of smell trying out the different flavours of the tiny bottles of gel. The store assistant was friendly - a nice respite from the gloomy day, and I scored a good deal by using a voucher which got me a free bottle of moisturizer. For dinner, I had in mind Chipotle, a Mexican fast-food restaurant, where I loved the rice with salsa and chicken, and the awesome avocado dip with nachos (yes, all american portions and I finished them all). As a testament to the severity of the storm, my delicate paper bag from the store did not survive the 15 minute walk to Chipotle and gave way before I was halfway there. I had to scramble to empty the contents into my bag before it spilled on the streets, while struggling to hold on to my little umbrella in the blustery wind.
It felt nice to finally be back in my tiny hotel room, where I enjoyed my dinner after a long day out battling the inclement weather. Luckily for me, the storm changed direction overnight and headed out towards the Atlantic. I managed to spend a short period of time outdoors the next day at the High Line and the Central Park for as long as my body could take the chills of that unusually cold Spring day.
That day, I also learnt a valuable lesson to schedule all outdoor activities in a trip early so that I have the flexibility to adjust my schedule.
____________________________________
The experience of the entire trip is still vivid in my mind, as though it just ended yesterday. I could, if I allowed myself to, still feel the rush of adrenaline as I submitted myself to the assault of all my senses being a bewildered tourist in the big, confusing city. What decadence! That was much like a dream, an experience that I can only relive in my mind now while trapped in a humdrum existence. When reality hits a bit too hard sometimes, my mind inadvertently wanders back to that period, a time when I truly felt free and empowered and not a prisoner of circumstances. And I am instantly comforted by that slice of memory, like therapy for my battered soul. I am so glad I made it happen.
Monday, 21 January 2013
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