Quote

"It's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

Benjamin Button in a letter to his daughter

Health! Health! More Health!

It's important to be healthy, really. The idiotic illness that struck me 2 days ago really put me off. Though my overall well-being was ok, it caused a lot of discomfort so much so that I was not able to sleep at all. DBS Bank CEO was diagnosed to have leukemia. Who would have expected that to happen? C'mon, life is short. We do not have to take things too seriously. Learn how to let go. Well, having said that, it is important to take our work seriously, coz we are paid to do a job. Always do a good and proper job, no run-of-the-mills performance. If we know we can't cope with too many things at one time, we must learn how to manage our time and our own expectations.

I am glad that I was given 2 days medical leave. Alas, I can rest well at home. When I say rest well, it's really resting well.

This pictures show an oil boomtown in the 1930s. Who would have thought that we would be hit by such an economic crisis which could be worse than the 1929 depression? Life is so unpredictable, live each day as it is. Just be happy.

Time After Time

Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,
and think of you
caught up in circles confusion--
is nothing new
Flashback--warm nights--
almost left behind
suitcases of memories,
time after--

sometimes you picture me--
I'm walking too far ahead
you're calling to me, I can't hear
what you've said--
Then you say--go slow--
I fall behind--
the second hand unwinds

chorus:
if you're lost you can look--and you will find me
time after time
if you fall I will catch you--I'll be waiting
time after time

after my picture fades and darkness has
turned to gray
watching through windows--you're wondering
if I'm OK
secrets stolen from deep inside
the drum beats out of time--

chorus:
if you're lost...

you said go slow--
I fall behind
the second hand unwinds--

chorus:
if you're lost...
...time after time
time after time
time after time
time after time

Mr. Tambourine Man

Mr. Tambourine Man
Bob Dylan

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand,
Vanished from my hand,
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping.
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet,
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship,
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'.
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way,
I promise to go under it.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though you might hear laughin', spinnin', swingin' madly across the sun,
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'.
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind,
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach,
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow.
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

New Year's Resolution

Another year has passed with a wink. Time is so cruel, it passes even without one notices how fast it flies. What have I learnt? What have I improved on? There are so many things to learn everyday. It takes more than a lifetime to learn and absorb everything in this universe. What's going to happen to me and the people around me tomorrow? No one knows. Is Gundum everything?:-) Haha, of course not! Is David Achuleta everything? Is the Killers everything? Is fine dining everything? Is money everything? Is career everything? Well.....it's up to the individual. Most importantly; sincerity, peace of mind, willingness to let go of things, no attachments, nothingness....are key.

Dedication to JL

Gundum Gundum
My fountain of Happiness
My fountain of Sadness

Gundum Gundum
Your Fasination
Is my Obsession

Gundum Gundum
You are my Everything
Even when I have Nothing

Gundum Gundum
Your world is Heavenly
My world is Hell

Gundum Gundum
Who will I be
Without You?

Flurries, Flurries

Flurries,
Gently falling from the sky
She starts asking why

Flurries,
You make the background beautiful
But why are my troubles still so plentiful?

Flurries,
You come and go
But my troubles never slow

Flurries,
Darkness descend
Your pure whiteness still ascend

Flurries,
Your impermanence
Makes her see beyond all continents

Flurries,
All things are transient
She realises

Flurries,
She says
My troubles are miniscule

As compared with
The vastness
of the Earth

Aska はじまりはいつも雨

はじまりはいつも雨

The beginning
Starts with the rain

Pitter Patter
Pitter Patter

The raindrops
Hit against my window

I look out
Seeing you
Standing in the rain

Arrggghhh.....
Don't know what to write. This is such a beautiful song. Can't write these days. Can't even spell properly. Wanted to tell a friend that she looked beautiful in her wedding gown, but could not spell 'beautiful', so had to replace the adjective with kirei. What a loser. Can't even communicate properly in English these days. Is it because I have stopped reading? I should continue reading, really. Did not even get to finish reading "In cold blood". Gosh. I wish I could write as well as those professional bloggers. How to brush up my command of English? I guess I gotta read, read, and read.

Anyways, 飛鳥さん最高です！

Vital Statistics

Took my height and weight this afternoon. Can't believe that I weigh 53kg at 1.61cm. My little tummy is getting bigger too. My waist line seems to have increased by 1cm? Damn. I recall some years back, I also weighed around 53kg and my weight went back to 49kg back in 2004 - 2006. Now it's increased by 4kg! Is my weight increasing due to age? Or is it due to the numerous meals that I had with customers in the last 3 months? I really dislike travelling overseas for business. I tend to over eat whenever I am on business trips. It really sucks.

The last time I ran was last Friday. And I did only 4km? But I was panting like crazy even before I completed the run. Oh man...... I better buck up and run more regularly.

Thoughts

Super tired from all the travellings.
There's always a price to pay for.
I wish I could become a 'normal' employee again.
No travellings, no 100 over emails to respond to, no conference calls, no meetings.
Just wanna a normal and peaceful life, with regular exercise.
Sigh.
Life is not easy.

Falling in Love at a Coffeeshop

I think that possibly, maybe I’m falling for you
Yes there’s a chance that I’ve fallen quite hard over you.
I’ve seen the paths that your eyes wander down
I want to come too…

I think that possibly, maybe I’m falling for you

No one understands me quite like you do
Through all of the shadowy corners of me

I never knew just what it was
About this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew…
Ahh…

I think that possibly, maybe I’m falling for you
Yes there’s a chance that I’ve fallen quite hard over you.
I’ve seen the waters that make your eyes shine
now I’m shining too

Because, oh because
I’ve fallen quite hard over you

If I didn’t know you, I'd rather not know
If I couldn’t have you, I'd rather be alone

I never knew just what it was
About this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while, I never knew
I never knew just what it was
About this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while, I never knew

All of the while, All of the while it was you
You…
You…
You…

Misia Discotheque Asia Tour 2008

Listening to Misia live at the Singapore Expo was 100 times better than listening to her on YouTube. Her 5-octave voice is superb and she is one of the best rock singer I have ever known!

We were pretty close to the stage and could see her clearly. She looks like a nice girl to me as she obliged the audience encore twice. The concert lasted for close to 2.5 hours! Wow, I truly enjoyed myself that night! You made my day, Misia! Though I was dog tired from my business trip, you really made my day!

Saving Private I

Private I
Though stout
Stands tall
Behind the ferry wheels

The sunrise glorifies his beauty
Signifying his determination
And strength

He keeps going
And going
And never gives up

That's the spirit
She says
Keep it up
She says

Save private I
Save private I
She says

Private I is saved
Private I is saved
He says

She smiles
A weak smile
Closes her eyes
And rest peacefully
Forever

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

In 1820, Smith wrote a letter to an unhappy friend, Lady Morpeth, in which he offered her tips for cheering up.

I have my own variety of tips lists for cheering up, and I was interested to hear what someone from two centuries ago would recommend. Most of Smith's suggestions are as sound now as they were almost 200 years ago – though a few are amusingly odd, and it might be tougher today to work "good blazing fires" into everyday life.

“1st. Live as well as you dare.
2nd. Go into the shower-bath with a small quantity of water at a temperature low enough to give you a slight sensation of cold, 75 or 80 degrees.
3rd. Amusing books.
4th. Short views of human life—not further than dinner or tea.
5th. Be as busy as you can.
6th. See as much as you can of those friends who respect and like you.
7th. And of those acquaintances who amuse you.
8th. Make no secret of low spirits to you friends, but talk of them freely—they are always worse for dignified concealment.
9th. Attend to the effects tea and coffee produce upon you.
10th. Compare your lot with that of other people.
11th. Don’t expect too much from human life—a sorry business at the best.
12th. Avoid poetry, dramatic representations (except comedy), music, serious novels, melancholy, sentimental people, and everything likely to excite feeling or emotion, not ending in active benevolence.
13th. Do good, and endeavour to please everybody of every degree.
14th Be as much as you can in the open air without fatigue.
15th. Make the room where you commonly sit gay and pleasant.
16th. Struggle by little and little against idleness.
17th. Don’t be too severe upon yourself, or underrate yourself, but do yourself justice.
18th. Keep good blazing fires.
19th. Be firm and constant in the exercise of rational religion.
20th. Believe me, dear Lady Georgiana.”

*
A thoughtful reader sent me the link to PocketMod, which shows you how to make your own mini-personal organizer. I can't wait to try it out myself.

*
Check out my new one-minute internet movie, Secrets of Adulthood.
http://www.secretsofadulthood.com/

Butterflies in my stomach

Starting something new come 1st August. Have been having butterflies in my stomach for the last 1 week. Anticipating it because of some damn good rewards but nervous coz some additional new responsibilities.

Some short-term goals (next 6 months):-

1)Excel in this new 'venture'
2)Nest
3)Continuous elation contingent upon.....homosapiens around me

Confidence, determination, hard work and integrity.

Accepting failures or semi-failures

Procrastination is the thief of time. How well said. Life is always full of challenges. No short-cuts to success and nothing's guaranteed. One does not expect that the sail is always on calm waters without the company of fierce storms, which is highly unrealistic. One faces the reality with bravery, go through failures and knocks with integrity, and there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Failures must be accepted with grace, and one has to move on with confidence and might. Sinking into "anti-elate" status is uncalled for, and it results in deteriotion of one's life, be it QoL, relationships, etc. Running away from problems is not a solution either. Proscratinating and wanting the best of both worlds are no solutions as well. Be decisive, focused, and think through carefully the consequences of the decision made. Always look at the brighter side of things. Remember, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Moving Back!

Have decided to move back to good old sunny Sin! It's been a rewardful 2 months in Vancouver. Is it worth moving back? I think it definitely is! A great career with one of the leading industry players in the industry. Why not? Decision to move back may be quite impromtu but it's still worth it, for sure.

I will have to work doubly hard and face and conquer all the challenges that I am going to face. If I work hard enough, I will be able to 'recoup' my 'losses' incurred in the last 2 months. Well, but not all's lost, anyways. I have gained much much much more than the materialistic stuff that were lost. Monetary loss is nothing. I can always earn back those that was lost within a couple of months with this job.

No more run-of-the-mill performance at work for both of us!

Looking forward to a 'new' life! Buri! Buri!

• View my profile


• Create your own travel map or travel blog


• Visit TripAdvisor.com

Driving in N. America

Drove a total of about 180km within a day yesterday. Driving in N. America is pretty stress free; no worries about obnoxious taxi drivers tooting their honks at you, no tailgatings when you are a little slower, no swearings and pointings of middle fingers from nasty drivers. It was raining pretty hard and visibility was kindda poor. However, we still braved the rain to drive to Abbotsford, a small city about 72km west of Vancouver. I enjoyed the drive but full concentration was warranted since it is right-hand drive. Got a bit of time to get used to right-hand drive, but managed to get the gist of it within a couple of hours.

I am glad to be given this opportunity and it really boosted my confidence to drive on highways in N. America.

The only sad thing that happened was that another car behind us skidded and bumped into our car when we stopped at a red light junction. The driver is a lady and she was very apologetic towards us. Well, guess she will have to pay the rental company's damages, if any.