My Life Journey

The definition of love comes in many shape, form and sizes. Over the years, I have heard many people talk about this ancient yet fresh terminology that has plagued the human race. Why plague? Because it had caused a lot of hurt but yet we as sentient beings chase after it as if our life depends on it.

My life experience on love has been somewhat vague. Vague in the sense that when I think back things seems far and distant. It may be due to the fact that I have shut out my heart for a long time for other commitments in my life.

My life have always revolved around the people that is dear to me and for the last few years it had been revolving around my family. Friends and family ask me why have I not moved on. I myself ask the same question but deep inside i suspect that I have lost myself or even lost the sense of purpose on what love is all about. The images of previous relationships and the sacrifices that I have made for them and the hurt it had caused me had been a scar that was pretty hard to bear. Up until recently the thought still hold true.

Then came a glimmer of hope late last year. What started off as an innocent conversation blossomed into something unexpected. Unexpected because I have always had many barriers built up around me. For the past few years it had protected me from what I thought was something I am not prepared to do. The rate that my barriers got ravaged was so rapid that my heart lead me on a journey that my brain couldn't. By the time my brain got back to its senses I realised what a great journey I have walked on and I knew my heart was doing what was right for me. My heart was finally opened after so many years of dormancy.

My life in a way has come full circle, in a sense that I now know what to expect and what to hope for in life.

Someone once told me, "one cannot choose what family that he/she is born in but what they can choose is the family that they will be in later in life". I have now seen the path that is laid in front of me. I shall walk along it through thick and thin. I know that one needs to give before they can take. I shall give every effort, heart and soul for this long journey of mine. As I know this path I am walking is the one that I want to take for the rest of my life.......................

Oh my brother...how painful can that be!

Encountered a very painful morning today.

My sister was in a rush this morning cause she was late for my car service appointment. Not knowing which one was the service log book, she threw the whole stack of booklets at me to find it for her while i was actually still half asleep with my blanket still up my neck.

Guess where it hit me...................................?

Ouch!!

What a morning to start my day eh?

Bad Vibes

I woke up this morning having the exact feeling I had yesterday afternoon. A sense of uncertainty, anxiousness, bad premonition all lingering around the air. Not sleeping well yesterday night compounded the bad vibes that I have been receiving this morning.

Many things in my mind that used to be simple and irrelevant now seemed heavy. My temper that is usually not out in the surface seems to be surfacing from time to time. Not had this kind of feeling for a while and whenever its out i feel really uncomfortable.

I have always practice self control most of my life. I try my best to be in control of myself and try not to get my emotions get the better of me but of course not everything goes as plan at times. I guess it may be due to the stress that I have been through this past two weeks.Many things in my mind right now but alas most of them are really out of my control. I can only wish that things will fall into place with time. Latest problem involved my family that I am pretty worried about but something I expected and cannot really change.

Heh....probably its "the time of the month" but this time the Male's version.

I am pretty sure in time this feeling will go away like it always had. Lets hope that it runs its course as fast as it came.

Short Story

Got this off the e-mail. Hope you guys enjoy this short story

The Sights and Taste of Kuala Sepetang

Kuala Sepetang or more famously known as Port Weld is a fishing village about 30 minutes from Taiping. It used to be the busiest port in the region used for exporting tin ores. But now its mainly for fishing boats.

For those that knows the local area, its pretty famous for its fresh seafood and it has a famous restaurant (Restoran Tepi Sungai) situated on the upper floor of a shop lot overlooking the river. If you are looking for good sights while you are having delicious seafood, this would not be a place you want to miss on your next trip in Perak. You can often have lunch and spot eagles and other sea birds flying in the area. Pretty good place for bird watching.

Anyway, I had the luxury of having my late lunch there after my Tree Top Walk. Here are some pictures for you guys to enjoy.

The Tree Top Walk Sungai Sedim

I was told by a nature loving friend about this remote . part of Kedah that hides one of of the country's best spot for white water rafting. But the part that caught my ear was the fact that this location is also where the longest tree top walk in the world is located.

I was finally there last month with my family and some friends.

Getting There

To get there you first hit the North South Expressway and head towards Kulim. Once you reach Kulim, drive through Kulim High Tech Park. From the modern complexes and factories, the scene soon changes to that of villages with huts having wooden and brick combination. Moving further, you will soon reach a place called Karangan. From there just follow the signboard to Sungai Sedim Tree Top Walk. From here be ready to expect kampung roads that are windy and bumpy dirt roads. I was practically wondering if i was in the right direction as signboards are not present till a bit further along the journey. Nevertheless you will eventually arrive at Sungai Sedim once you see the signboard "Sungai Sedim Recreation Forest".

General Info

The Sungai Sedim Walkway measures 925 metres long and is about 50 metres high. Its walkway are firm and does not move from left to right as you walk along it. So even a grandma would be safe walking along the walkway. Nevertheless, for those scared of heights, this attraction is not for the faint-hearted as a peep down might make you a bit dizzy.

For those interested in going, the walkway opens daily from 8.30am to 5.30pm with an entrance fee of RM10 for adults and RM6 for children.

Pictures showing how the walkway was constructed

Snapshots of the walkway

At certain points of the walkway you see a sign indicating how high you are from sea level

A hawks few of Sungai Sedim

One of the picturesque images as you walk along the walkway

Lazy Sunday Post

This week passed by pretty quickly with nothing much on the agenda. I see my coming months being busy with the latest project that I shall be undertaking this May. I shall be co-organising a 2 day health camp with Pfizer International at both Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Siput town. This will be my second time working with them and I hope this year would be better then the last. I am predicting a lot of meetings to be done in the coming 2 months to sort out all the major and minor issues still at hand.

On a lighter note, I attended my friends niece wedding at the Bougainvillea Country Club, Ipoh yesterday. It was a typical Indian wedding with long buffet queues and the never ending trumpets and the likes normally associated with this sort of weddings. For me and my friend it was really a mad rush since Liverpool vs Chelsea kicks off at 8.45pm. We have decided to quickly rush to "Tung Kui" to watch the second half. Anyway we manage to escape at roughly 9.30pm with the incentive that Liverpool was leading 2-0. Being a Liverpool fan i was really pleased. In the end we manage to watch the second half just as it started. Final score Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0. GO LIVERPOOL!!

Dad and Oatmeal

Been babysitting dad for the past few days since mom have left for Kuching to visit some friends. It then dawned on me how husbands of the older generation, are so dependent on their wives. Last Sunday I saw my dad fiddling around at the kitchen. I later realised he was trying to make himself a bowl of oatmeal. We have been trying to put dad on a low sodium diet so we have introduced the wonders of oatmeal to him. Anyway here was my dad trying to figure out how much milk to put on his oatmeal and the minutes needed to microwave it. It really gave me a chuckle when i saw it. Of course I volunteered to make his oatmeal for him but to my amazement he refused. So there i was watching my dad frantically trying to make himself a bowl of oatmeal for almost 15 minutes.I gave suggestions along the way but it was a pretty amusing situation. At the end of it all, my dad grumbled on how the taste was different with what he normally had but still ate the bowl clean. I guess he was pretty hungry.

So to the guys out there. Cherish your loved one's but don't let them do all the work or you'll end up like my dad struggling when the wife is not around.

A Bad Day

Today is just one of those days that you wish would end at a blink of an eye but can't for some odd reason. One word sums up my day today - frustrating.

First was this oddball that came to my practice wanting glasses. Then after less then 5 minutes of me testing his eyes, flung my trial lenses and rushed out of my site test room. He then complaint to her daughter which incidentally is one of my regular customer that I was wasting his time. The problem was, the daughter was surprised that the test was so quick when the dad came out. Of course i kept my cool. Even though my equipment got thrown to the floor i tried to explain that its part of the procedure to make a good pair of glasses for him. I felt a bit pity for the daughter since she had to say sorry on the dad behalf after the dad angrily walked out of the practice. Bloody hell...why does such unreasonable human exist?

To compound my frustration, later in the afternoon I was talking to another client of mine. After explaining to him on various lenses things that he can use for almost half and hour, he stood up and said "thanks for the info, I don't plan to buy today just wanted to survey the market so that I can buy in 2 month time when i get my wage". I was like...bloody hell, you should have said so instead of the "i wanna make a pair of glasses please". Honestly i don't mind people browsing but to say you wanna make glasses and after me doing so much test then walking off...now thats unreasonable.

Then came my third calamity. For some reason my PC stopped working. Had to boot the comp 5 times and after again another agonizing 20 mins it suddenly just like magic decided to work on me.

Its 4.17pm in the afternoon. I honestly hope this would be the end of my streak. I don't think i want to handle any pleasantries at this moment in time. Anger management have always been my strong points but today it seems its starting to creep up on me.

May god have mercy on this currently fragile mind of mine.

The Meaning Of A Successful Relationship

Recently I have been having conversations of how people suffer or complain about their current relationships. Some can be as petty as not calling more then once a day to not being caring enough or even him being a complete "batu or kayu".

This then brings me back to my thinking box. What does a relationship mean?

For me a relationship means 2 person getting together and each being able to fulfill the other person's needs either emotionally, spiritually or even materially. A relationship is about 2 person understanding each other as they move along the winding road we call life while supporting each other along the way.

So what makes a successful relationship?

The success of a relationship is a function of the extent to which it meets the need of two people. If you are happy and contented while your partner is not, that would mean you have not done enough to fulfill your partners needs. If your partner is contented but you are unhappy, then your partner have not done enough to fulfill your needs. Lets all be frank, everyone has needs in their lives. Some of the needs cannot be procured alone and has to be given by the other. For example, we can pamper ourselves with tender loving care but we yearn for tender loving care by our loved one's. So it is important for both parties to know what is needed to fulfill the needs of the other. Tell each other what makes you tick.

A lot of people would complain that their partner do not understand them or do not know how to please them. If thats the case, isn't it your responsibility to TELL your partner what you need? There should be no hesitation to ask or tell the other on what makes you tick. Isn't life about self exploration after all? Do not expect your partner to mindread you. We humans are not able to do such things. Unless you ask or tell, no one would really know what you need. So both should be proactive in understanding the needs of one another in order to build a successful relationship. Do not complain to people that he is not doing enough...TELL HIM/HER.

So here you go, my formula for a long lasting relationship. Of course this is a personal view, so follow at your own risk!! haha

On a side note, recently I have been having many mind stimulating conversations that have made this little mind of mine buzzing with activity. Not had such good thoughts for sometime.

Hope it continues.

Visitors

This few evenings had been spent entertaining a family fren. They are an English couple in their 80's that was once in Malaya (that's what they call Malaysia) in the 1950's. This few days is more or less a lesson of history for me as they told me stories upon stories of how the British was trying to help the community and how they managed the communist insurgents. This couple have been frequenting Malaysia and my hometown specifically every 2-3 years for the past 18-20 years. Its rather astonishing to see such dedication and love from a foreigner towards my country that I sometimes hate but love at the same time. Alas I predict this could be their last year here with age catching up.

I Can't Believe This!

I was reading the papers this morning and this article caught my attention.


Nearly 40% of Malaysian women abused by partners

By NG SU-ANN

PENANG: About 39% of Malaysian women are physically abused by either their husbands or boyfriends, Wanita MCA chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

Dr Ng, who obtained the statistics from the police, said in Asia, the average figure stood at 33.33%.

She said domestic violence could be a vicious circle where men whose fathers hit their mothers would end up hitting their wives and children.

“Although there are laws protecting these victims, many refuse to seek help for fear of breaking up the family,” said Dr Ng, who is also Deputy Finance Minister.
She also said that rape cases had risen from 2.4 daily in 1993 to 5.3 daily in 2005.

She said the figures could be more as only one in 10 cases was reported to the police.

About 80% of rape cases in the country involved teenage victims who went on dates, she said when giving a talk yesterday on anti-violence organised by the Federation of Hainan Association Malaysia (Women’s Section) at Han Chiang High School.

Dr Ng said that although the Government recently allocated RM20mil to incorporate sex education in schools, parents must still continue to instil moral values such as self-respect and gender education in their children.

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What the hell? I knew there are quite are many abuse cases out there but 40%!! That's ridiculous.....I really do not understand it at all. How on earth can a husband or loved one hit their other half is beyond me. For whatever wrong that they may have done at the end of the day, man should not hit on women, full stop. I have absolute no respect to any guys that hit women and it really angers me when i see this happening around me. Your wife who labored for 9 month to produce your offspring deserves much better then that. If there is a misunderstanding then sit down and talk about it. Do not wait till breaking point and let all hell let loose.

Love

Just watched a random series on the dumb box (TV) just now and something that one of the character said caught my mind

"Loving someone till it hurts"

A lot of people say love is a wonderful thing. True if things start and ends well. Unfortunately in this world things are just not that simple. There are many twist and turns in life that we cannot predict. Life's just ain't that fairytale that we have all hoped for.

In this complex cycle we call life I guess love must be one of the most complex subject matter that we human face. Even after so many heart ache and disappointment that we human go through, love is still something that we all yearn for and chase for.

Farewell 2006

2006 have generally been a good year for me. My gross profit for the year rose by 8% which for me is admirable considering this year was actually bad for many business market.

My investment in new equipments and new administration processes have helped out a lot. Nevertheless, I have yet accomplished my vision for the practice although I would say 70% of what I want is there after 3 years of taking over. There is still the matter of having my data fully digitalized and to upgrade my diagnostic equipment for more value added service. I would definitely want to go paperless this year and i am also seriously contemplating on acquiring a fundus camera but it would knock me off by about 80K. But I do see me having it in the coming future even if i don't get it by this year. Probably get a digital slit-lamp if the fundus camera don't materialize.

Anyway I will need to further think about the matter and see how I would want to shape my business for 2007. For sure I shall be sticking to my niche market which is the middle upper segment. I'll leave the bargain galore to the rest of the competitor to fight it out.

On a personal note, I guess after 3 years of constant work I might wanna take a vacation for a change. Although I don't know when time shall permit me to do so, I shall make an effort. The problem is to find people to wanna join since I am normally off during non holiday period.

My Classic Car

I have been in the midst of reconditioning our old family car. Its a first generation Open Gemini 1975 coupe. From what I gathered from the net, its the first coupe edition that was introduced to Malaysia. This car was pronounce car of the year in 1975 by Wheels magazine. This model was later discontinued in 1984. Its also called the issues Coupe in the US since it uses the issues engine as its core. Believe it or not the first generation Honda Civic evolved from this model when it was launched in 1997!!

Anyway, reconditioning the car was a pretty fun process. I am hoping that everything will be done by the end of this year. Of course I am not rushing it since its more of a hobby. The car have been left on its own for quite a few years so me and my brother decided to put some life back into this baby.

The car have definitely gave me a lot of wonderful memories. I can still clearly remember the steamy encounters that I have in the car with some of my female acquaintance. And before you think any further, its not the "thing" that you are thinking off. You see....there is time where the air-conditioning of the car decides not to blow out cold air and when it rains under a relatively hot sunny day, the interior window of the car will fog up. Common sense!! Muahahahaha! Next time, don't think too much into the words ya!

Here's 2 photo that was taken this morning of the car.

Big Ears

I was being cheeky today. One of my client came in and I was like.....WoW!! Look at those ears!!

So i decided to take a picture and show it to the world :D

On my way home

While I was driving home, I manage to snap some pictures with my N73. Anyway here are some of the pics just for fun

This last one is a bit interesting. Hmm....who left the durian there anyway??

Chatbox Update

I have added a new chatbox.

Feel free to say hi!

Links Update

I have added two new links in the "Link" section

The first one is Screenshots. This is a blog by Jeff Oii that is arguably one of the best e-journalist out there. If you think what you are reading on mainstream media is somewhat lacking this is definately a site to visit. There is many "news" not on mainstream media that you could find here. Definately worth a read.

The second link is more like a god sent for me on a personal note. This is a Chinese reader that would read out loud the Chinese that you input into it. For those that know me long enough will know that I can't read Chinese so this site have really helped me along the way.

I shall add in more links from time to time.

My New Home

I have decided to ditch the friendster blog for this one. I have always not liked friendster's blog since its not that user friendly.

Anyway I shall be writing my blogs here from this day onwards.