Shutting Down

Well, this is my last post. I won't be using this blog any longer as I think I'll just be concentrating on my studies and my other hobbies. It's been fun posting and maybe I'll set up another 1 again. Seeya!

Concentrating On Studies

Well, think I'll be devoting more of my time to my studies. So I don't think they'll be frequent updates on this blog...

Update On Life So Far

Well, it's already the mid of August isn't it? *sigh* Anyway, recently things aren't that smooth flowing as I would've liked. Too many things are just happening at the wrong time, wrong places and to the wrong people. Gosh...guess this just bumps up the meaning of "haywire" a few notches huh?

And, no, my troubles aren't school related.

This just leads me to re-examine 1 of my axioms of life, that being:

"We only live for a few decades anyway, why not enjoy life as much as we can?"

Sadly, being mortals, we are all encumbered by troubles that usually just comes with it. Humans, after all, are the wisest of all living organisms (so called) therefore, it isn't surprising that we are periodically given problems and hardship, or tests of faith, just in case we forgot how to use the lump of grey matter in our skull.

So, sorry Julian, that axiom of life of yours has gotta be put aside for the time being...

Hmmm...just hoping that there's a better tomorrow somewhere, someday, sometime...

Preferably tomorrow! :)

Now I Understand "Unfairness"

Currently in a red mist of extreme rage. I haven't been this angry all my life. And I don't feel like talking about it.

I'm seeing RED, RED, RED! And I resent this!

The term "unfair" kinda applies to almost everything you can name under the sky, isn't it? "Unfair! Her dress is red and mine's pink!" "Unfair! He got 10 bucks more than me!" Unfair this, unfair that... Believe me, after you've heard what I heard and seen what I seen, the word "unfair" just brings in a whole lot of meaning.

Amazing that some people's troubles can always seem to find a way to invade your peaceful little bubble. So there you are, happily minding your own business, suddenly, some bloody problem that isn't your sodding problem can just crash into your life headlong and leave a trail of piece of crap destruction!

Yes, that's unfair! Hell yea, it's unfair! And it's got me really, really worked up.

What's worse is...they expect you to help them pick up the mess!

Amazing, bloody amazing.

Hah! Helping. Yes, it's good to help. We're even encouraged to help, aren't we? But even then, there's a limit to how much we can help. You can't expect us to sit there and wait for them and provide solutions?!

To quote 1 of the 2 most important people in my life:

It is due to the actions of unscrupulous people that causes these
problems. For a little money, they can just ruin people's life.

Damn right.

"Why So Serious?"

"Why so serious?"

Isn't that like, 1 of the most uttered phrases recently? All thanks to the late Heath Ledger's fantastic potrayal of the manic, psychopatic Joker in The Dark Knight, I suppose. ("_) Hmmm...

Oh anyway, have you watched The Dark Knight? I seriously recommend you to watch it ASAP. If you're planning to only watch 1 movie this year (poor, miserable you) then let THIS be the 1 movie! If you've already watched a movie, I suggest you break this ridiculous principle and watch TDK anyway. It's that good! Seriously, and I'm not saying because of all the hype of a certain actor who passed away due to substance overdose. No sir, this is 1 helluva movie!

Well, what can be said of Christopher Nolan's 2nd take on revamping the Batman franchise? Hmmm...spectacular sounds appropriate. Nevertheless, TDK is really a fantastic original story, yep, it's not based on the comics! I believe that Nolan really managed to reflect the, um, limitations of the human civilisation in this movie. In Gotham City, it's really like a reenactment of how corrupt human can be, how faulty the administrative system is, how justice is never what it seems to be and of course, how can 1 man change the world. It just shows the futility of the modern society in a way.

Fantastic stuff.

Of course, kudos to Mr. Ledger for the fantastic and truly maddening potrayal of the Joker. He seems so real and fully epitomes the concept of "bad".

I especially enjoyed the scene where (spoiler alert!) he places a pencil on the table and asks, "Does anyone know how do I make the pencil disappear?" And he promptly slammed the nearest baddie's head on to the pencil. Cruel, but it sums him up: siniter but at the same time, darkly humorous. The Joker.

Anyway, I don't wanna spoil it further. Do visit the cinema would ya?

PS: Oh! Look out for the scene with the line: "You complete me..."
:)

It's Tomorrow...

...It's D-Day tomorrow! Yeap, time for the much awaited Presentation, with a capital "P". Oh well, wish us luck?

*shaking in anticipation*


PS: Oh yeah! Happy Belated Birthday, MOM! I know, it's late, but I didn't went online for quite awhile. Sorry...

We Made It To The Top 10!

We made to the Top 10! Oops, I meant "we" as in the International Trade Challenge team. Yes! We made it to the Top 10 and we are given the chance to present our piece next Thursday at AMCHAM HQ in KL for a chance to be 1 of the 3 teams representing Malaysia in the finals of the FedEx/Junior Achievement Malaysia International Trade Challenge 2008!

Yippee! This just shows that hard work pays, with interests too!

Anyway, Zean Shiung, Khai Hoe & I are just absolutely thrilled to be in the running. Totally, unexpectedly great news! Well, the preliminary slides are done, now it's just for fine-tuning & test runs. Fingers-crossed that this will go on as smooth as silk! *shakes fists* Yeah!

Oooh...it's the school's Harmonica & Guitar Club's concert this Saturday. Hope their performance is as good as the teaser they provided a couple of weeks back. They better be, cause I bought 3 tickets for the show! :p

Oh well, need a break. Tous!

The new Wimbledon champion is....

...RAFAEL NADAL!

...*gasp*...Would you believe it? The Clay Court King is now the Grass Court King! Federer, the defending champion was beaten 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 in an absolute thriller of a final. What an upset, as Federer was on a roll coming into the finals.

Well, this just shows that life is anything but predictable.

Oh well, at least Lewis Hamilton winning the British Grand Prix in Silverstone doesn't come much as too big a surprise. But he's also the underdog coming into the race. Must say though, his winning margin of 68.6 seconds is incredible.

Incredible day for sportsmen and the underdogs to achieve the improbable, not impossible. Just like Spain winning EURO 2008...anyone gave them a chance when they played their 1st game?

Life is full of surprises.

Beauty & The Beast

What an astounding and magical performance it was! Yeap, they did it right in the Broadway version of Beauty & the Beast the musical! Truly amazing, definitely worth every cent for the seats!

Well, watching the live play is like replaying the old animation by Disney in the early 90's all over again. Every tune seems like old friends that have been locked somewhere deep in the brain as they all come back vividly. Especially enjoyed the performance of "Be Our Guest" right before the interval, it's like a real life fireworks show as the stage is lit up and all the dancers and performers prancing around the stage! It kinda leaves you on a high as you go into the break. :)

Well, at least I got something from the stall right outside the hall. A programme book, in fact - which costs RM30! Well, at least it's a good read...

After the interval, it was just a straight shot till the finale. The climax has got to be the transformation of Beast, as you know, he turns back into a prince after learning how to love someone and in turn, be loved. The gig was fantastic as Beast was hoisted up into the air, flipped head over heels a few times, and literally tranformed into the handsome Prince is a flash of light! *Poof!* and "Hello, Belle!". Amazing stuff.

Of course, there're also the songs which are originally from the movie as composed by Alan Menken back in the good 'ol 90's.

Well, I got the lyrics for the title track, "Beauty and the Beast"!

Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly
Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast

Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast

Seriously, everyone should really watch it. Take my word for it. Just sit back and watch as 1 of the greatest fairy tales of all times comes alive in front of your eyes!

PS: Did I mention Gaston and his sidekick, LeFou? Those 2 really are funny!

Busy, busy, busy...

You may think that after the exams, life would be more relaxed. Wrong! In fact, it's gotten just a tad bit more hectic. Though it's not exam-related-hectic, thank God for that!

The International Trade Challenge, ITC for short, is part of the YE programme that is currently ongoing. The perk is: grand prize is worth US$2,000! Now, isn't that motivating or not!

Of course, prize money aside, the road to the 2K is quite a long and tedious journey. So better start sowing the seeds if it's a good harvest we are looking for. And we are!

Hmmm...speaking on the ongoing EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, I just can't believe that the Dutch got eliminated by the Russians! Let's see now, Germany kicked the crap out of Portugal, so they're in the semis, facing Turkey, who also outscored the Croats in penalties (3-1, would you believe that!). And now Russia will face either Italy or Spain, whoever that wins tonight's crunch match in Ernst Happoel Stadium, Austria.

Personally, I hope the Spaniards will make it throught to the semis. Let's hope that Torres, Villa and co. will bring their scoring boots along and send the Italians home! Fingers crossed!

PS: Christopher Paolini's last book (presumely) of the Inheritance trilogy is finally coming out! Yay! After such a long wait, this better be good, Mr. Paolini!

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Happy 18th anniversary, Mom & Dad. I know, it was supposed to be on the 6th of June. I'm sorry for posting this 8 days late. So sorry...

Oh well, to celebrate 18 happy years together, isn't it just fitting to enjoy a nice, really nice in fact, dinner at Le Meredien's PRIME? Mmm..mmm...delicious! Think I enjoyed the filet mignon the most though! Haha.

Anyway, it's beside the point. 18 happy years of marriage and many more still to come!

Happy anniversary again! Where to next year, if I may ask? Heheh... :P

Back To School...And To Exams......

The 2-week break is over. *grumbles* Just when it was getting fun... Alas! Nothing is perfect. We CHS-ians, however, have another reason to dread returning to school - exams part 2! *freak out!*

Yup, yup, yup, it's exams part 2. Poor CHS-ians... Well, at least it wasn't too bad today. Only Mathematics & Moral. There's just 1 thing though, it feels weird going back to school after 14 days away from it. Even the pen didn't feel right in my hand when I held it this morning. Haha! Holidays hangover, I suppose. (''_)

Oh well, another day of exams to be crossed off the calendar. Let's see...10 more papers/6 more days to go! That's......far to go...*sigh*

Anyway, people, keep going! ^_^

PS: EURO 2008 has begun! Think I'll root for Spain. Go Torres, go Torres!

Introducing......Amos

Well, I'm back from the little republic to the south of Peninsular Malaysia - Singapore. All in all it was a satisfactory trip. That is, when things start to get dull and boring from Day 3 onwards. *grumbles* On a happier note, thank God I'm leaving on Day 4! :)

Okies.

Well, the main gist for this trip wasn't entirely for fun, although there's the Grand Singapore Sale ongoing...an added bonus, I suppose. Hehe.

Zap.

Oh well, back to the subject. The main reason that Mom and I went to Singapore is to visit my new born cousin! Yeap! The kid staring out at the top of this post, that's my little baby cousin, Amos.

Wait a sec, lemme get his name right...yeap, it's Amos. So everybody, say "Hi" to Amos, and Amos, um...he can't talk yet, so, um, "Weah" at everyone then. Pffft...this is crazy.

Either way, I'm just introducing the newest member of my extended family network.

So, roll the curtains and here comes......Amos!

Bored......stiff!

Hmmm...a little short break in Singapore, with all the perks and shopping galore *gasp!*, not to mention pretty darn good food, what a life ey?

Well, technically, it is FUN here in Singapore, but after 3 days, I'm sitting here writing a little entry entitled "Bored......stiff!". Touche.
>.<

I guess spending a few days away from my computer and the Internet is really getting into my nerves. Thanks for borrowing the notebook, uncle! Well, I can imagine how hard it is for those big shot corporates to go on a getaway without their Blackberry or notebooks. I feel you, man, I feel you. It must be 10 times worse than what I'm feeling right? This thirst for technology...
Hmmm...seems like this thirst for the Internet has got me writing crap! Oh well, who's too complaint? Hehe... ("_)

I'll be looking forward to the trip home tomorrow! See my Dad, my bedroom, my bathroom and last but not least......my NOTEBOOK!
:)
*grins*
I'll see you all tomorrow! Yippee!

Ah......The Mid-Year Holidays!

Ah......the Mid-Year Holidays have arrived! *Yippee!*

*sigh* After a stressful exam week - it's barely half done! - at least an opportunity for us to take a little breather before racking our brains again when school reopens.

Pity, this won't be a totally fun-filled holiday...will it?

Well, I don't know bout the others, but I'm determined to have at least a few days of pure fun! *Yippee!* A few days of bookfree, school-related-free, jolly-free good time should do me some good. :) *Yippee!*

Oh well, better get started with my fun, fun, fun!

Cheerios! :p

Gosh, It's Here!

Countdown to CHS Mid-Year Examination 2008 : approx. 84 hours to go.

*sigh* It's finally arrived! After these few relatively relaxing weeks, the exams are back to haunt us! Aiks!

Oh well, my head doesn't feel that good now. It's jam packed with information and equations that I've been desperately cramming into that brain og mine for the past 2 weeks or so.

*f=ma; work=Fs; power = work/time; gravitational potential energy = mgh...*
*shakes head*
*jahiliah: bermaksud jahil dan tidak mengetahui/tidak mempunyai pengetahuan; kerajaan agraria; kerajaan maritim; Julius Caesar; Augustus Caesar...*
*shakes head, hard*

OK, I'm getting mad here...

It Just Occurred To Me...

It just occurred to me that sometimes we tend to contradict ourselves, don't we? To put it in simple words, we humans in general tend to be hypocrites, whether we want to or not.

Weird huh?

Well, I did a little reading up on Wikipedia and found this:

"Hypocrisy (or being a hypocrite) is the act of opposing or not purporting a belief or behaviour while holding the same beliefs or behaviours at the same time, or vice versa.
Hypocrisy is frequently invoked as an accusation in debates, in politics, and in life in general."

True. So in simple terms it means that being a hypocrite is not practising what we believe in, or taking certain actions that contradict our beliefs, at times. Well, that happens quite often, don't you think? But what we do to contradict ourselves are mainly small matters to ours and other people's eyes. Though it may seem as something trivial, the fact remains, we humans are hypocrites, to a certain degree.

Let's look at hypocrisy on a more serious note then.

Quoting Wikipedia again, linguist & social analyst Noam Chomsky defines hypocrisy as the refusal to "apply to ourselves the same standards we apply to others". Now Mr. Chomsky is no ordinary rambler, he is the professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusets Insitute of Technology (MIT), so basically, his definition of hypocrisy is not baseless.

According to Prof. Chowsky, hyprocrisy is also 1 of the central evils of society: it promotes injustices such as war. At the same time, also promoting self-deception, including the belief that hypocrisy is a necessary or beneficial part of human society.

In a nutshell, we are hypocrites because the world in all believes that hypocrisy makes us truly human, which is purely bullsh*t.

We don't have to be hypocrites to be human.

Bullsh*t, I'm being a hypocrite by saying that.

You know why? That is because the society nowadays is built not on trust, not on integrity, but, yes, hypocrisy. It is embedded in modern, so called civilized people, ie: us. So deep within us that hypocrisy does seem to be like a part of our genetic makeup. Haha, how ironic.

Based on current events, I don't think there's a hope for people to move away from life without hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is everywhere! We just need to flip through the newspapers and we can find HYPOCRISY virtually staring you straight in the face. *sigh*

The best we can hope for?

Keep hoping.

I Got My Exam Timetable Today...

I got my exam timetable today...

*sigh*

I checked my exam timetable and took a look at the calendar...

*sigh*

I realised that it's barely 2 weeks to the 1st paper....

*sigh*

But lucky for me, I've began to pick up my books...

*sigh*

Still, it's a whole sh*tload to read...

*sigh*

I wonder, why am I sighing? Mainly, it's because the exams are 1 of the main stress emitting factors in life. We all hate exams, don't we? And yet, we MUST take exams...it's part of the Educational ruling...live with it! *bleh*

Pity, don't we just wish that there is no exams? Don't we just wish that we only go to school to learn and study and not have any exams or tests whatsoever?

Well, keep wishing...cause it's NOT gonna happen, people! >.<

Sad case, huh? Well, think of it as extra exercise. Only these extra exercises comes with points and grades! *gasp* How horrifying!

Indeed, the grading system that our country's education system adopts is really giving out unneccesary pressure to students to perform. Yes, they might argue that the grades are supposed to spur the students to work harder or maintain their not-that-bad results. But come on, exams are now like F1 Grand Prix in schools. We see students comparing & competing results:

"You got 85%?"

"Yeah, what bout you?"

"Me? Oh, I got 85.5% only-ma."

"Whoa, such lenient teachers you have! Not fair, I'm gonna get extra marks!"

And the above scenario goes on and on...

So there we have it, are exams good or bad?

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I'm going back to my books...

Wish me luck! :)

Exams

Tick tick,

Flipping through the calendar.

Tock tock,

Oh dear, exam's here!

Panic,

Should I be?

Why should I,

When all is up to me?

There is time,

For ample of preparation,

There is time,

To gear up for perspiration!

It's just exams,

There's nothing to fear,

To test our comprehension,

Of what we learned this year!

So calm down I say,

To everyone in fear,

There's nothing worth a shiver,

For it's all in between your ears!

The best thing to do now,

Is to sit back and think,

Refresh our memories,

And please, please, ready your gear.

Exams, exams,

Here we come,

Heave ho, lads!

We shall blow it back in tears!

Exams is just to test our knowledge to see whether we gained from the last checkpoint. Don't be afraid, it's all in our heads!

I hope! :p

Good luck, people!

Knackered

Picture courtesy of jerryreynolds.com

I'm knackered,

So tired that I feel like,

Just dropping on a bed,

And sleep the hours away...

I'm knackered,

The past week has been,

Busy and sapping indeed,

24 hours a day just ain't 'nough.

I'm knackered,

My eyelids are heavy,

The bed beckons,

But I can't sleep just yet!

I'm knackered,

Hold on, Jules!

There's still work to do,

Sleep has to wait...

I'm knackered,

Rubbing my eyes I sighed,

Perking up I say,

"Here we go again..."

Is it possible to have more than 24 hours a day?

Well, so that we can use half of the time to sleep & recharge our batteries.

Wishful thinking, I know, still, it doesn't harm to wish... :)

Life Without Inspiration

What is life,

Without inspiration?

It is aimless,

Like a rudderless boat,

Driven by the wind and waves,

Uncertain without direction.

Steered by uncertainty,

An aimless person roams,

He stumbles in the dark alley,

Hoping for a brighter road ahead...

Hope remains hope,

If he doesn't seek it out,

And grasp it by it's neck,

Never releasing it again.

Grasp hope by it's neck,

And from it wring out,

All the inspiration there is,

To carry us on in life.

Inspiration only directs us,

While we tread alone to the light...

The Best Way To Manage Stress?

"You have to do..."

"I want this on my table by..."

"Have you washed the dishes?"

"What are you waiting for? Get your ars# moving!"

__________________________________________________
We face stress at almost everything we do, every single day, don't we? Stress is just such a pain in our behind, isn't it? Don't we just wish that we can crumple up 'stress' like a piece of waste paper and chuck it into a bin labeled 'Your Stress Here Please'? Ah, if only life is that easy...

Anyway, there IS a way to deal with stress. It's such a common thing that we do, and yet it never fails to work wonders. Have I got your attention now?

It's simple. Really.

The answer?

SMILE. :)

Yes, smile, people! Smile in the face of stress. Dare it to wipe that smile off your face. Trust me, it can never wipe it off. All the stress in the world will wilt in the bright radiance of a smile.

How you any idea how powerful is a smile?

Have you ever experienced this? Picture yourself walking along one normal day. Someone passed you on the opposite direction. You look up and met his/her eyes. Plain strangers and yet, he/she smiled at you. You felt something uplifting and you smiled back. You moved on and you thought: The day seems brighter, doesn't it?

There you have it. Even a smile from a total stranger can brighten up our day. And that's from a stranger!

So when you're overwhelmed by stress, just face the mirror and smile at yourself, at the same time telling stress: "Come on, I can take you on. You're not that tough after all!"

Or put down everything you're doing that's pissing you off, close your eyes and think of something that makes you happy for 30 seconds: be it your loved ones, your dog or whatever. It'll sure bring a smile to your face and you'll feel refreshed after that 30 seconds of recharge and continue tackling your task, but with more drive and determination now.

So who says that we should bow down to stress? Why should we give in when we possess the most effective counter-stress at our disposal?

All it takes is just 30 seconds and a nice, sincere smile.

It isn't that hard.

So what are you waiting for? Start smiling! :)

Earth Day

It's World Earth Day 2008

Hmmm...what do we do on World Earth Day? Basically, it's just the same as any other day, isn't it? The world doesn't grind to a stop on World Earth Day, life still goes on...and on...and on... :)

OK, what about Earth Day then? Discovery and Nat Geo has been talking bout April 22nd for the past few weeks. And HBO's airing Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' tonight! Gonna watch it, the reviews were pretty encouraging.

So, Earth Day. A quick check at wikipedia.org tells us that it was founded by a certain US Senator Gaylord Nelson (unique name, don't you think?) way back in September 1969. Gee...isn't that when the Americans first went to the Moon? Anyway, it was decided that Earth Day shall be held annually at April 22nd henceford.

What's the purpose of this Earth Day?

It is actually the day when we, Earthlings, stop and ponder about the state of our dear old planet Earth. The pollutions and destruction we caused in the name of development. The implications of Earth's severe condition and it's implications to our future. And of course, what can we do to save our dear planet Earth.

Well, ironically, are we only supposed to think of these issues on Earth Day alone? Does this mean that for the other 364 days that we have in a year, we can forget about Earth's deteriorating condition and carry on polluting and developing without giving a damn about the effects our actions might cause? Hmmm...that's not very eco-friendly of us, isn't it?

Therefore, we should always be aware of the perils that planet Earth is constantly facing, and not only being concerned for the sake of April 22nd being Earth Day. It is our responsibility and our obligations as dwellers in this beautiful planet to protect it from being destroyed by our very own hands. April 22nd is only to commemorate Earth Day as a day where we give an EXTRA thought to the well-being of planet Earth.

Protect Earth, my fellow Earthlings! For it is the only planet that's able to support life in this solar system. Yes, there may be traces of water in Mars that may be a potential dwelling for humans, but until further evidence is uncovered, there's just Earth. So let's not condemn ourselves to doom by ignoring the plights of Earth. Let us fix this mess we created and create a better future.

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children." ~Native American Proverb

We owe it to the future generations.

Thread to Clothes

From yarns of thread,

Cloth is spun and made,

Alas but with regret,

It will be cut into shreds!

On the shreds of cloth,

Needles and thread work in tune,

In and out they sew,

To form a shirt brand new.

And now for the pants,

It's not that different,

For they begin as shreds,

Connected by needles and threads.

That's clothes making, my friend,

So simple it seem,

Yet so noble are they,

The unsung heroes, ol' seamstresses.

Julian Wong

Clothes?!

"OK class, write a narrative about CLOTHES."
"What?!"
"Clothes. And I don't want any boring facts about designers and materials. I want a story."
"But, Miss..."
"No 'buts'. I want it TOMORROW."
"What?!"
"Yes, better start writing now."
*everybody grumbles*
________________________________________________________________

Clothes! My teacher actually wants a story on CLOTHES!

Oh dear...how am I supposed to write a story about clothes? Of all things to choose from under the beautiful sky, she chose clothes! Aaaarghh!!! *pulls hair*
Well, of course she chose clothes, everyone chooses clothes, no?
Good point.
________________________________________________________________

Right, the time of frustration & despair is over. Gotta start making sense of what am I gonna write. But CLOTHES is just mind boggling...

Well, come to think of it: I think we've been taking clothes for granted all this while. We see clothes as part & parcel of life. We wrap ourselves with clothes for, well obvious reasons. Modesty for one & protection from the weather, maybe? *shrugs*

Right, the thing is, nobody actually spared much thought about clothes. I don't mean the time we spend looking at out wardrobe trying to decide what to wear. What I mean was none of us actually sat down and think of clothes like, really seriously think of it. What am I talking about?

Bottomline: Noone actually thought of writing an essay on CLOTHES!

Hmmm...so the challenge is thus: how to make CLOTHES into a story-material?

Shall I humanize clothes? Like, give them voices? Or shall I just write from a clothes-wearer/dresser's point of view?

Hmmm...I need inspiration.

Morning

The morning Sun rises,

From far the early bird chirps,

In the cheery morning sounds,

Peace is just such a bliss.

The cockerel crowed,

With it the whole world awakened,

I opened my eyes,

And smiled at such gorgeous skies!

"Good morning, God!"

Said cheerfully did I,

"Oh God, morning?"

Groaned from the smelly pig sty.

A new day has arisen,

With it new challenges lie,

Tasks to be done,

And dreams to be set fly.

____________________________

Put on your boots then, my friend,

For it's a pretty long hike,

Quick, quick! Move fast we must,

If we want to catch a ride.

"Don't forget your breakfast!"

Mummy was quick to imply,

"Oh well, we'll just grab a toast!"

Was our eager quick reply.

Good morning, Sunshine,

How have you been?

I wish it'll be a good day ahead,

The morning just makes me keen!

Julian Wong

Promises, Promises...

How hard is it to live up to our promise?

Sheesh, that's a tough question, man!

And yet, how hard?

You want an honest answer? A seriously honest one?

Yes.

Well, it's a colossal task for some, and yet, it's as easy as snapping your fingers to others.

And what about those who can't snap their fingers?

Um, well...

I'm waiting.
It's easy, just plain easy, mate.

______________________________________________________

Fact: The difficulty of keeping a promise varies from person to person.

Well, OK...I guess I can live with that. But what bugs me more is that there are people that make up lame excuses in their effort to cover their, um, behind after being caught with their pants down for not fulfilling their promises.

Well, not with their pants down literally.

But still, isn't it annoying that at times we just find it hard to keep certain promises? Yes, we as in everyone in this rotating, spiralling planet Earth. Everyone's failed to deliver upon their promise before.

Everyone. I'm not proud of it, but i've done it.

The difference is that some do more, what should I say, frequently and in a greater scale than others. Well, mostly this applies to politicians or leaders of nations. Why am I not surprised?

It's really funny of human beings that they tend to be forgetful at times. Yup, forgetful is just the word to describe us. *sigh*

Question: So what can we do to avoid promising upon promising and failing upon upon to keep our promises? The solution?
Easy! Don't promise at all! As if that's gonna solve our problems.


Nope, we cannot NOT promise. You know why?

That's because promises bring forth hope. Promises bring forth faith to the people. Promises give people the strength to believe in you. Promises can do a lot of things, if used appropriately.

Therefore, we should harness the power of promises and use it to wisely, and not like a drunken who rattles on through the night about giving charity and yet, forgets about all of it in the morning.

Question: How do we fully utilise the power of promises?
Easy peasy.

1. We take a deep, deep and thorough look into ourselves.
2. We identify our strengths and weaknesses.
3. We identify our abilities and ask ourselves: "Can I really do this?"
4. If the answer is "Yes", we proceed. If it's "No", then we think of something else that's within our abilities and we are perfectly able to fulfil.
5. Now, only then, we make a promise.
6. And we deliver!

Now that is how we fully harness the wondrous power of promises. Doesn't it look promising already?
Think about it.