invitation

One reason I hardly go when I receive an invitation is because I do not like to be there alone. Which usually happened.

As it happened again on Saturday. Of course, if I get an invitation at all, which do not happen often.

Which is better. getting an invitation or not at all? Sometimes I feel I am better off not getting any. The only thing is, I will be disappointed if the person is important to me. I will really like to be there. Even if I am alone there ....

marathon a thorn

From STForum posted on 9Dec09(http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_464059.html)

Dec 9, 2009
Qualifying time will separate the runners from walkers

I REFER to Monday's report, "Next step in the marathon - a bigger people's event".

Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports, and Transport) Teo Ser Luck said he wanted the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon to be a bigger people's event.

I am all for having healthy events, but judging from last Sunday's run, I am against the idea of making it any bigger because it would inconvenience others.

Mr Teo mentioned other countries having smaller numbers for their marathons. Maybe it is because the participants in those events are real runners, unlike in Singapore. From what I saw, many people were just walking most of the way.

The organiser should allow only true runners to participate. Maybe having a minimum qualifying time would separate runners from others who are there for the walk. After all, this is a major event in Singapore.

Also, have the marathon in a place where there will be minimal disruption to other activities. I would not like to join an event that will be a nuisance to others.

Alan Lim

loving the cooking

When I mentioned I wanted to cook, my wife told me it was easier to go downstair to buy. It would also avoid to do the cleaning up. I wanted to cook, so I told her I would clean up. And it would not be a bother to me.

With the convenience of food availability nowadays, it is easy to dismiss cooking. Yes, some may choose homecook food for the health factor. But it doesn't necessary mean the person cooks because of the love for cooking.

Some people cook because they have to, some people cook because they want to. A person has to love every bit in the process, from buying, to preparing, to cooking and finally to washing up. That is me ...

By the way, she enjoyed the dish so much that she wanted the same the next day. I may not be a great cook. but to me, loving to cook makes it worth every minute I spend in the kitchen. If only I feel that same inclination to want to cook everyday, haha. I admit, I do feel lazy often.

Stalking facebook ...

Maybe I am a stalker ...

Recently there was an article in the newspaper about facebook stalker. Yes, there are people who are real stalker, out for mischieve. Facebook is a venue for people to watch people. And keep tracks of their network of families, friends or associates. Facebook helps me to do that too.

Maybe not for others who also are in contact with their friends in person, but for me Facebook is the only venue for me to know what is happening in their lives, those on my list. I don't get to socialise with them personally. So I can only check their facebook regularly to know how they are doing, what they are doing. To know if they are happy, or sad. If that is consider being a stalker, then I am guilty of being a stalker... because I care what is happening in their lives.

To me they are not victims, but friends. A friend that I can never hope to have in reality ...

Who is responsible?

"Take Responsibility"

Funny ... that I should just finished watching the company video about this, and the very moment that I came upon someone pushing the responsibility to others when I brought up a case.

People like to avoid doing things that they can avoid, hoping others will do it. In this case, others can always ignore it too, since they can get their job done using another way. So who will do it in the end? Who wants to be responsible for solving it?

I had brought up the incident a lot of times, this and other incidents, and being a common area of work, there isn't seem to be someone who wants to solve it, being not their "responsibility".

Maybe I should ignore it as well? Afterall, I am not responsible ....

But I know I will not ..... just plain silly me!

Ghost month

When I was young, I used to play with those small flags that they used for offering. Being young, I enjoyed playing with whatever I could get my hands on. There was also the getai, and the food accompanied the occasion. In a way, I looked forward to the hungry ghost month festivity. When I was young.

Now, I only find the smell of the burning of the papers irritating. The ashes also flew all over the area, making it dirty. Why can't these people clean up after their offering? Such irresponsible people. Some also ignore the bin provided and choose to burn on the pathement or grasses. At least clean up after the offering is over.

The smoke contributes to the already hazy sky.

Time of my Life

Patrick Swayse had many movies, including "Ghost", who can forget the memorable clay scene. But the movie that I remember more of him is "Dirty Dancing", for the movie came out when I was still an active dancer.

Many occasions, one gets lost in ones career. "Dirty Dancing" came when we needed inspiration, to motivate us to continue dancing. Seeing him danced, how could one not get inspired? The movie also touched upon the life of a dancer, that it is not all fame, that we are still human being, capable of making mistakes, in wanting to do what we are passionate about.

Thank you Patrick, for giving us "Dirty Dancing". I had the time of my life ... and to this day still passionate about dancing ....

friends and amusement park

In our daily lives, we meet and come across many people. Many are just transition in our lives. Many will disappear from our daily contacts, be it friends, colleagues, or people we have to work with as part of our work. Even family does not escape this transition.

If you have friends and family, treasure them. You will never know when you will lose them. Some may be lucky to have friends who are still in contact after many years, even lucky if they meetup once awhile. Treasure them.

I am not among the lucky. My world is empty of friends, as those I have at work, in reality are actually only colleagues. Once work is over, I don't get to see or socialise with them. It is like going to an amusement park, happy while you are there, but once you leave the place, you are left only with the memory. But I treasure those colleagues who have make my days more tolerable, and makes me want to come to work. To me, they are friends.

I wish my world can be an amusement park ... and I can have my friends with me always ...

Yet the truth is, people are leaving my amusement park. Someone is becoming a transition in my life. Another may already have. In time, like those before her, I will lose contact with her.

That will be very sad for me ...

Puasa

Ramadhan is here again. Will I be part of it? I want to ...

No doubt, I don't do it for religious sake, and those times that I did fast, I didn't follow the way it was intended to be. I didn't fast from dawn to dusk. I did on my own timing. I know, that isn't puasa as it should be. I don't expect any reward from God when I do fast, or do good deed. When I follow, I am just fulfilling myself. Yes, I had another reason. But that don't matter.

Puasa becomes meaningful, when one gets to celebrate at the end. But, it has been hard, not able to join those that I wanted to share the occasion with. It became all on my own. Yet ... isn't this puasa thing all about you and God? The act of communication between you and God? If one is doing it for religion sake ...

I am not religious, I believe in God .... but don't ask me which God haha. I can't answer that ... at this point in my life. I just believe ...

Ramadhan is not meant for me, but I wish to join the fasting ... though I may not do it everyday of it. Whenever I can, in my own way, I will try my best to be part of this special occasion ... even if it has to be alone, between me and God.

Give a second chance

What can we do if someone doesn't want to keep in touch? Nothing ...

It is not easy to find someone you want to trust, to be your best friend, to build a friendship. Yet, it is so easy to break any relationship that one has developed, over a simple matter. Through misunderstanding, or outside influence.

Time can be a help to build a strong friendship ... provided the relationship is given the time to do so. Without time as the factor, it is so easy for one party to end the friendship. No matter how much the other party wants the friendship.

A second chance? If only there is an opportunity ....

perfect relationship?

Someone I know is facing relationship problem. I wish I know how to help her, but there is no one fix solution.

We can't read another person mind, all we have is his/her words. Whether he/she means what he/she says we can't be sure. But I will like to believe. Trust is important in a relationship. If you treasure your relationship, and wants it to work, put your trust in him. Otherwise, the relationship is shaky. And that will not make a good relationship for you to begin with. It will only brings problems along the way. And heartache.

Everyone don't like someone else to keep nagging on the same issue. Don't put pressure on him, for it will only makes him get irritate with you. Give him space, as you will want him to give you yours. And he will appreciate you for that.

Yes, I know that nobody like to being the person to get dump. But if you give up too fast, you may lose a good person. As long as he doesn't illtreat you, or there is no evidence of unfaithfulness on his part, don't give up on him. Even for someone who did, through his foolishness, he deserves a second chance if he is a good partner before his mistake. A person has many characters and virtue, one should see the good versus the bad. See the person as a whole, and not be judge by a couple of incidences. That may not even be the truth.

We can't always force someone to do things the way we want. Nobody is perfect, relationship is not perfect. Life is not perfect. We can only hope to have near perfection.

Relationship is about growing and learning to be with the one we care ...

vampire with a soul, human without a soul

Before Twilight, another vampire, no two in fact, has captured some fans, one of them is me. Angel and Spike may be regular vampires who cant stand sunlight, but I will stand by them any day. Watching their television series, one experienced inter-friend relationships, love and good over evil issues, one cried and laughs with the stories. Most of all, it brings out the subject of having a "soul" as they were vampires with a soul, showing what it means having one. Which most people in real life doesnt seems to have.

Haiz ....