Journey mercies

One good thing about being in the kind of job I'm in, free meals are in abundance!

Labels: Random things

When I prayed over my home to appease my flatmate's fear of the unknown, it went along this:

Labels: Random things

So there I was, changing in the gym, when I saw an earring on my gym towel. I picked it up, peered at the green and white stone settings on it and thought to myself that someone must have dropped it. So I left it on the side.

Labels: Random things

Saturday morning and was up at 8.30am and the thought that crossed my mind was, when was the last time I slept in?

Labels: Random things

I've moved to my new place and there's no furnitures yet. Haven't had time to even think of furniture shopping.

Labels: Random things

I had a vivid dream last night with varied details emerging throughout the dream. But what really stood out was when I declared to two of my old schoolmates, "I want to go back to London."

Labels: Random things

The phone rang yesterday morning at 10am and I saw it was Gurjeet. As I was having a busy morning as work is finally hitting me hard, I picked it up with my crisp "I'm-working-what-do-you-want" voice.

Labels: Friends, Random things

When I was sitting in Hethrow airport, waiting to leave London, I felt a tinge of sadness.

I've travelled through Heathrow every year for the last three years but this time, it was on a one-way ticket. It felt a bit surreal thinking that I would not return to Heathrow airport for a while.

I didn't have too heavy a heart though in leaving London. Not as heavy when I first left the UK after my degree in Newcastle. Maybe because this time, it was my choice to leave London and knowing for certain it is the right time, right decision.

And this morning, I'm sitting in Changi Airport waiting to go to Bali for holiday.

I can't help but think, I have a new favourite airport!!

Labels: Random things

My biological clock has begun tick-tocking.

Ticky tock!

It'll go boom one day!

Labels: Random things

The kids are already on their Christmas break this week and the family went out to Tesco tonight as a treat. Usually the kids are in the room going through their homework and stuff before going to bed early.

Dang.

I feel jealous. I wish I had 2 weeks off work too. But while I'm wishing for stuff, I wish I had a 2 months break again. :P

Labels: Random things

As we were passing some bridal boutiques in the car, my mind preoccupied with thoughts on how some people can spend outlandish amounts of money on weddings I said...

Me: If I ever get married...

Mom: What!?! Why you talk like that one?!?

Me: Huh?! Err... if I get married...

Mom: Not IF!! WHEN you get married!!!

Me: -_-

Labels: Random things

At 10.50pm yesterday night, I was in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil to make myself a cup of tea. KiCheol and wife were in the study room. My mind was occupied as I gazed listlessly at the window, when suddenly, I saw a shadow walk past the window!!!

The window is slightly tinted (for lack of a better word), so I could only see the outline of the shape, but not any other details. My poor heart jumped. And then it jumped again when it saw a second shape walk pass, and then a third, and a fourth and then a fifth. And my poor heart nearly went into cardiac arrest when the fifth shape turned towards me and waved!!!

I ran to the opposite end of the kitchen to look out that window to see if there were any lights shining out of the church kitchen window, because that would mean there were people in church at that freaking time of the night but nothing.

I ran to the living room to peer out of the window to see if there were any lights shining out of the side door where the figures were headed to, nothing.

So I ran to the study room, knocked on it and when KiCheol came out, I told him what I saw and pleaded with him to check it out. Puzzled, he and his wife tried to look out the windows themselves. They thought it strange as well.


KC: Maybe it was teenagers?

Me: It better be teenagers!! Then I can report them for trespassing!!!

KC: Maybe it was angels?

Me: It better be angels!!!!! Cheeky angels aren't they?!?! Waving at me!!??!?


After a few minutes, KiCheol came back into the kitchen where I was to tell me excitedly that he knew what it was! It was the group of people Andrew R, one of the church elder, played street hockey with, as they kept their hockey sticks in the shed behind the flat.

And KiCheol said, the person who waved must have been Andrew R.

I called Andrew R just to confirm, and true enough, it was the street hockey group of people that walked past the window, and it was Andrew R that waved at me.

I am really at loss for words.

Labels: Random things

I couldn't help but roll my eyes behind my sunnies on Sunday afternoon as I took the bus back to my flat from the tube station, when a lady who sat in front of me spoke very loudly to her friend on her mobile enough for everyone on the bus to hear:


Lady: I look very nice today! Everyone's looking at me! Blablabla... I look very nice today! Very nice! I'm all dressed up in matching clothes and everyone was looking at me today... blablala... I look very nice today! Very nice!!


No, she didn't look at all nice. Her skin was quite bad, too much make up, her hair too dry and lack luster, her sense of style pretentious. Note to self: keep away from vanity.


You could literally feel the snickering emanating from everyone. English people may be reserved and won't publicly express themselves as some people from different countries might, but when you pick up the ability to read their sarcastically snide thoughts shining at the corner of their controlled eyes, they become one of the most amusing people around.

Another note to self: learn to keep a tab on my tongue. Apparently not everyone is comfortable with my bluntness.

Labels: Random things

Sarah, living and working in Tokyo, told me everyone* keeps asking her, "How's your Japanese?"

Me, living and working in London, told her everyone* keeps asking me, "Have you put on weight?"

Ohshuttup.



*By everyone, we mean people we know in Malaysia

Labels: Random things

The media has always been very powerful tools, channeling commentaries and news that make a difference to the public and shaping the thoughts of people. The power of the pen can be great indeed.

But when one of the world's most powerful media reports on the death of Martha Stewart's dog, it makes you think, DO THE MEDIA REALLY THINK PEOPLE'S MINDS ARE THAT MALLEABLE?!?

I felt almost insulted as I read it.

Labels: Random things

Sometimes, no, my mother never ceases to amaze me with her determination and energy to complete her tasks and job responsibilities. She can work through the night day after day while I can only pull off one or two late nights in a week or else my entire system crashes by Friday and I am incapacitated the entire weekend.

But some nights, she would turn to me and ask me for help in certain things she struggle with, particularly when she has to prepare slides for a presentation. She'll spend some minutes explaining what she wants to present and I'll have to help structure her ideas into the slides.

Makes me a lot more useful a daughter to have around when I can help her with stuff like that. I ain't much for house cleaning, ironing or cooking and such. But I can help with Powerpoint slides!

Precious I am!

Labels: Random things

When I first heard they were making a motion picture on Transformers, I groaned inwardly. Another comic/cartoon made into a movie!? Initially nonchalant towards it, I slowly got caught up with the excitement from all the boys, even if those aged above 30 years old, around me.

I guess it was pretty cool. Ok fine, I loved it!

I loved it so much when I got into my car after the movie, I looked at the steering wheels and asked, "Hey Wira! Any chance of you turning into a cool robot?"

Darn. First it was the Silver Surfer. Now it's Transformers. I soooooo need more excitement and jazz in my life.

Labels: Random things

Wahh... sure boh...


Laughter still the best med

About 25 years ago, Norman Cousins, editor of the respected literary magazine Saturday Review in New York City, was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an incurable and fatal spinal column illness of unknown cause.

He tried all sorts of alternative remedies, including Vitamin B-17 or laetrile, large doses of Vitamin C and several others, with little or no effect on his condition.

So, one day, against the advice of his doctors, he left the hospital and closeted himself in his apartment for one month doing what he enjoyed most—reading humorous stories and jokes, watching comedy movies and reading his favourite comic books.

He did nothing but laugh and laugh each day for one whole month. He also wrote original jokes which he would read aloud to himself then laugh like crazy. He noticed that every time he laughed, his pain was eased.

At the end of one month, Cousins returned to the hospital for a checkup. To the surprise of the medical staff who examined him, they found no trace of the dreaded disease. He was completely cured!

So they asked Cousins what medicines he took that cured him. They would not believe him when he replied he had not taken any medicine since he was told his ailment was incurable.

They said, “You must have done something you never did before.”

He finally replied, “All I did was to laugh myself to health.” He became known as the man who cured himself through laughter, and was even appointed a faculty member of the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, although he was not a doctor.

Later he told his incredible story in a book, Anatomy of an Illness, which was made into a movie.

At that time, medical science did not believe there was any connection between the mind, the emotions and the immune system. The immune system was thought to be independent of and not subject to the directions of the mind or the vagaries of human emotions.

In the early 90’s, I met Leonard Ponath of Dallas, Texas at a YPO (Young Presidents’ Organisation) regional conference in Cebu,Central Philippines where we were both guest speakers.

Ponath told the story of how, 18 years before the Cebu meeting, he fell buttocks first from a two-story building, broke his pelvic bones and was paralysed from the hips down. Doctors told him he would never walk again.

While recuperating in a circular bed in the hospital, he began to visualise 100 construction workers reconstructing his pelvic bones. His visualisation was aided by healing sounds used by the medicine men or shamans of Nicaragua’s Mesquito Indians. He did the visualisation morning, noon and evening.

On the third month of his confinement, he developed a sensation in his toe, which was medically impossible. On the sixth month, he developed a sensation in his legs. Another impossibility. On the 12th month, he was able to sit down. When I met him in Cebu, he was jogging. Ponath told me, “If the people you (tell) this story to do not believe you, tell them to go to the Museum of Natural History in Dallas, and there they will find my story.”

There are many other stories I can relate here about extraordinary healing that occurred using mental imagery or some other natural means or techniques.

But Western-trained medical doctors and scientists normally ignore and even frown upon such stories for several reasons.

First, they happen at random and quite infrequently. Second, they cannot be explained scientifically or rationally.

Third, they seem to happen mainly to people who are suggestible and therefore highly subjective.

But neuroscientists and other specialists in the last 20 or 30 years have begun to unravel the mysterious connections among our nervous system, emotions and the immune system.

They have discovered and are still discovering the vital role our minds and emotions play in the emergence of disease and its possible management and cure.

In the near future, more progressive physicians will be asking their patients not only about the symptoms they have but also the following: “How do you feel about your job? Your wife or husband? Your mother-in-law? What upsets you or makes you angry? Do you get enough sleep? Etc.”

They may prescribe not just drugs or surgery but also meditation, visualisation, yoga, Qui Gong, Tai Chi or even laughter to fight disease.

Labels: Random things

We had another visit to Rumah Hope today. And we had a Ice-Cream Party! I was in charge of buying toppings. My eyes bulged a little when I saw Hershey's chocolate and strawberry syrup while buying the toppings. And floral sprinkles besides just the normal rainbow sprinkles!

Okay, I've come to realise another weird trait of mine. I must have my food colourful or I will not be interested in it at all. This is part of the reason why I like salad. I need the red colour tomatoes add to the food. And this is why I like capsicums. I like the vivid colours of the red, yellow and green capsicums. This is why I go bonkers when I see colourful cupcakes.

At the orphanage, while waiting for the rest of the people from BLC to join, I was showing Michelle and Wei Lian the toppings I bought. Wei Lian and a few others went to leave the ice-creams they bought in the freezers in the kitchen when Michelle suggested, "You want to go put the stuff you bought in the fridge as well?"

My pupils widened just a little. Clutching the Hershey's syrup tighter and pressing it closer to my chest I asked slowly and cautiously, "Why?" It was as if a primal instinct to protect one's territory kicked in.

Michelle must have sensed a snarl building up in me. She held her hands up and took a step back. "Okaaaayy... you just hold on to those. No one's going to take that from you."

Still eyeing at her suspiciously I quickly put my treasures back into the Cold Storage plastic bags and placed it on the table behind where I stood. No one was going to take away my Hershey's syrups and pretty colourful sprinkles.

No. One.

Except the actual kids of course, since I bought it for them. When the ice-cream party started, I was happily pouring chocolate syrup over the kids' ice-creams. After a while I realised half of my chocolate syrup was gone while Michelle's strawberry syrup was only a quarter gone. While she continued being her level-headed self in ensuring all the kids had just enough and not over-indulging into sugar highs, I was happily drowning the kids in chocolate syrup.

After a while, Michelle declared the kids had more than enough. She sent me away to wash the dripping syrup from the bottles and when the kids saw me, they were all crying, "Sister! Some chocolate please sister! Please! Please!"

Just as I was opening the caps to oblige, I saw Michelle standing in front of me looking at me with disappointed eyes. She grabbed the bottles away and said a firm No and went to wash the bottles herself and lectured me about being firm with kids or they would walk all over me.

Ahhh... see, that's where the problem starts. When I'm with kids, I tend to revert to the kid in me. It's not that they walk all over me, it's because I'm on their side. Hehe.

One thing I like about kids is when you win their hearts, their adoration and friendship is sincere and whole. When that happens I always feel a rush of happiness and wonder. When the child sees you and smiles at you and you know you're not just anyone part of the crowd. It's that the child singles you out and sees you as special. It's an incredible feeling.

As we were playing games with the kids, Yu Chiet had to partner one of the kids who didn't have any partners. Yu Chiet's daughter, Darlene, broke out crying and screaming for her dad, and without a thought, I swept her up in my arms and held her as I gave my instructions to the other kids in playing the game. I was a little surprised she didn't object to me holding her because I never approached her before this. And after a while she just sat in my arms quietly while the games went on.

Just as I was leaving, she ran to the fences to wave goodbye to me. And I fell in love with her then and there. Seeing her lock her eyes at me and wave at me as if she was sorry to see me go... awwwww.

But no, mind you, it isn't my motherly instincts kicking in. It's just aunty instincts.

Labels: Random things

"AaAaaaaaHhhhHHHHHH!"

"Eeeeeee!!!"

"Aah-AAh-aAH!"

"Eep!"

"Hehehe."

"AiyooOoOo..."

"NNgggGHh!"

"Hehehe."

"Ooooooo..."

"Ooo Hoo Hoo Hoo..."

"Ow."


The sounds above are me squealing in pain like a pig about to get slaughtered by my physiotherapist. The word bolded in green is him snickering at my pain. Sadist.

I've been feeling a bit of a strain on my back lately, and upon a friend's recommendation, visited this dude in Sea Park. His working hours says until 6pm, but he works way past 11pm throughout the weekdays. He's worse than an I*Mer.

And he's so prominent with so many visitors he doesn't even bother to make any records of them. The modus operandi is to give him a ring in the morning, he'll give you a number and roughly what time it means you should get into the clinic. Twice I called him in the late mornings and I was already number 70 something.

And he's like a one-man show ok. Doesn't even have any nurse or anyone helping him out in the clinic. And he charges very reasonably, RM 39 per visit. If he has an average of 70 patients a day, charging each of them RM 40 a visit, and opens from Mondays to Saturdays, how much do you think he earns?!

D*mmit. I'm working in the wrong industry.

We get along really well and he's a very pleasant guy. Last Thursday night when after our 3rd session, he asked:


Dr. C: So when are you going to come in next? Sunday or Monday?

Me: Err... Sunday what time do you open until?

Dr. C: Oh, I don't open Sundays. Hehe.

Me: -_-

Dr. C: So that'll have to be either Saturday or Monday. *Goofy grin*

Me: Err... Tuesday?

Dr. C: Ok!


Well, so far so good! I've been feeling much much better each time I see him.

Labels: Random things