Things I wrote a long time ago.... part 1

The Truth

The truth is
Love binds 2 hearts together
So tight
Yet not to suffocate them
But to nourish them
To make them tender
To make them stronger against all odds




The truth is
Love can be hurtful
If one tend to forget its meaning
Which is embedded
With care and responsibility
of one's action to the other






The truth is
Love is something beautiful
That surrounds itself with torns
Making it difficult to hold
But once sought
It is all worth it
 

From the web : 5 ways to exercise less and lose more

If you had a magic lamp would you use one of your three wishes to workout less whilst losing more? If you would then your wish is our command. Here’s how you can lose more and exercise less.

Put in some speed

Add a little speed to your sessions if you want to exercise less and lose more. Running steadily for a set distance over a prolonged period of time is all well and good, but your body will soon get used to running this distance and you will no longer progress or continue to lose weight.

Instead of running steadily for all of your run sessions you should do some speed sessions and include some interval work in your workouts. Interval work is great because when you work harder in the sprint sections of the interval session your muscles work harder too, producing additional chemicals in your body to process the extra oxygen in your body. To get this job done your body expends more energy and burns more kilojoules. Therefore you can exercise for shorter periods of time and lose more weight. Three cheers for interval training.

Eat an apple

Who knew that eating could help you exercise less and lose more? A recent study undertaken by US researchers at Iowa University have found that a natural compound called ursolic acid that is present in apple skins increased the amount of muscle in mice. The compound also increased the amount of brown fat in the test mice and these two tissue increases are known for their ability to increase the amount of kilojoules burnt.

The study found that mice on a high-fat diet that were given the ursolic acid compound were less affected by obesity than mice that were not given the compound. The researchers concluded that ursolic acid could help reduce obesity and help to burn more kilojoules. So, if you want to exercise less and lose more it might be time to stock up on apples.

Lift some weights

If you want to lose weight and do less then don’t skip weight training when you work out. Lifting weights is great because not only does it burn kilojoules when you are working out, if done correctly it will also increase your muscle mass. This is important because the more muscle you have the more kilojoules you will burn when doing an activity, compared to someone doing the same activity with less muscle. Therefore by doing some weight training you’ll be able to do less exercise but burn more because of your increased muscle mass.

If you’re a woman and you’re suddenly sceptical about weight training don’t worry, due to your oestrogen levels most women don’t build hefty muscles and won’t bulk up too much.

Cut down your exercise sessions

A study undertaken by Danish scientists discovered that doing shorter exercise sessions could help people lose more weight. These conclusions were drawn during a study that examined sedentary, unfit Danish men who were in their 20s and 30s. The scientists divided the male participants into three groups. One group were to return to their usual inactive routines (this group acted as the controls), one group were to exercise daily until they had burnt 300 kilojoules, whilst the final group were to do daily workouts where they burnt 600 kilojoules.

Surprisingly the group that did the moderate workouts and burnt 300 kilojoules ended up losing more weight (seven pounds on average) than the group that did longer sessions, who on average lost only five pounds. The scientists aren’t entirely clear why those who did less lost more, but they suggested that those who worked out for longer ate more to compensate and because they were tired from their workouts they did less and sat down for longer during those times when they were not exercising. So, if you want to lose more and exercise less then it might be wise to do shorter exercise sessions.

High-intensity workouts

A high-intensity workout may help you to exercise less and lose more. This is because high-intensity workouts can help you to burn more kilojoules compared to doing moderate exercise. The CDC suggests that we all do 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week or do 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week.

Other benefits of a high-intensity workout are seen from the American Heart Association, who suggest that a high-intensity workout can help you lose weight because after exercising your muscles need to have their glycogen stores replenished and this process also burns kilojoules. So if you want to do less and lose more it may be worth doing a few high-intensity workouts when training, such as interval training, swimming or skipping.

(Free Malaysia Today)

From the web : Where are your manners people?

Going for a walk in my neighbourhood the other day, I came upon a sight that we as Malaysians are all too familiar with – trash flung right under a huge but impotent signboard spelling out a nasty RM500 fine for anyone caught dumping trash.

That same evening, I encountered another familiar sight – dog poo piled in glorious abundance at random spots along the sides of the roads and on grassy banks. Was picking up after your dog too laborious or undignified a task? Better to let your neighbours manoeuvre the obstacle course themselves and for those less skilful, deal with the consequences in private. After all, what’s a little poo-smear on your shoes or bicycle tyres!

Here are some more ‘nasties’ that Malaysians never tired of…

Queuing - Why does the average Malaysian take such issue with the simple act of queuing? The train finally pulls up and the once office-weary crowd suddenly bursts into action, turning hostile and elbowing each other as they strain to be the first in. As a young student using the public bus years ago, I cannot count how many times the bus stopped right in front of me yet I was the last up as old ladies, young boys and even meek and mild-mannered school girls hissed, spat and jostled their way past me with umbrellas, school files and elbows jabs blocking my pathetic ascend. Sigh!

Flushing – I hate using public toilets only because Malaysians harbour an aversion towards flushing. It’s ridiculously painful to walk around with a bladder fit to bursting, then have to peek into the toilet bowl first before actually getting down to the business at hand. And yes, sometimes the mass that greets you in the bowl is someone’s unfortunate dinner the previous night. Absolutely sickening!

Squatting on toilet seats – Malaysians are an acrobatic lot. How else could you explain muddy shoe marks on a public toilet seat? Did it never occur to them to line the seat with tissue paper, then sit on it before taking a dump?

 

Throwing trash from the car – Soda cans, food wrappers, half-eaten food and cigarette butts. Yes, these and many more are often seen airborne before unceremoniously crash-landing on our highways. Once while waiting for a friend by the roadside, a speeding car comes hurtling along the bend. A well-dressed foreigner winds down his window and flings a beer can onto the divider, probably thinking nothing of it since many Malaysians before him did it too. 

Smoking in restaurants – So maybe they didn’t see the ‘No Smoking’ sign or maybe, just maybe they are inconsiderate and selfish. It’s positively annoying (and somewhat impossible) to carry on a conversation with your friend when the goon beside you is spewing cigarette smoke into your face and choking up your respiratory system with second hand smoke.

Spitting in public – When Beijing hosted the Olympics, the government invested money to educate its people from spitting in public. In beautiful Malaysia, we do encounter this disgusting habit every so often too. What really is more stomach churning is the guttural sound that precedes the act. 

 

Double-parking – A favourite among many Malaysians. Some even leave their business cards on your windscreen so you can call them to re-park their car once you’re ready to leave. Others just don’t give a damn and leave you honking furiously till they casually emerge ten minutes later. As far as they’re concerned, a curt ‘sorry’ should suffice. 

Since many Malaysians are daredevil thugs in corporate clothing, it would help if the authorities got serious about enforcement. Right now, most people do as they please simply because all those ‘no smoking’, ‘no dumping’, ‘no parking’ warnings are pretty much ‘all bark no bite’. 

(Free Malaysia Today : Sandra John)

Girl On Fire

She's just a girl, and she's on fire
Hotter than a fantasy, lonely like a highway
She's living in a world, and it's on fire
Feeling the catastrophe, but she knows she can fly away

Oh, she got both feet on the ground
And she's burning it down
Oh, she got her head in the clouds
And she's not backing down

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

Looks like a girl, but she's a flame
So bright, she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try but you'll never forget her name
She's on top of the world
Hottest of the hottest girls say

Oh, we got our feet on the ground
And we're burning it down
Oh, got our head in the clouds
And we're not coming down

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

Everybody stands, as she goes by
Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes
Watch her when she's lighting up the night
Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl
And it's a lonely world
But she gon' let it burn, baby, burn, baby

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

Oh, oh, oh...

She's just a girl, and she's on fire

- Alicia Keys

From the web : Diet blunders busted

 

Prepared to be shocked, dieters. Here we reveal 5 surprising diet myths and tell you the truth about losing weight.

If you eat less you lose more

If you want to lose weight surely you need to eat a lot less? Well, that’s not exactly true. By going on one of these ‘crash diets’ or ‘fad diets’ where you cut your kilojoule intake drastically you may find that you lose weight initially. However, when you eat a lot less than you need your metabolism slows down and once you return to eating normally again your body will not burn off the kilojoules as quickly as it used to do. Therefore when your crash diet ends normally dieters regain the weight.

Plus crash diets are bad for you because eating the same foods repeatedly means that you are depriving your body of other essential vitamins and minerals, which means your body cannot function as it should. This deprivation can also lead to muscle loss, which is bad news if you want to lose weight because the more muscle mass you have the more kilojoules you expend when performing physical activities. Therefore by losing muscle you’ll burn less and inevitably lose less weight too.

If you exercise lots you can eat what you like

Exercise is associated with weight loss and, although exercise will help you keep weight off in the long term, exercise on its own is often not enough to help you to shift the pounds you want to lose. This is because it takes a lot of effort, time and energy to burn off all of the necessary kilojoules to lose weight. For example, to burn 420 kilojoules you will need to spend around 60 minutes exercising. So that’s 60 minutes exercising to burn off a small snack or 50g of wholemeal bread – clearly then exercise alone is not enough if you want to lose weight.

The MayoClinic also support this theory, suggesting that studies show ‘an exercise regimen… is unlikely to result in short-term weight loss beyond what is achieved with dietary change’. So if you want to lose weight you need to change your diet and exercise.

Cutting dairy helps you lose weight

If you want to lose weight would you eat cheese or drink full fat milk? If you wouldn’t then you may need to reassess your diet. Researchers at the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville found that low-fat calcium foods can actually help to reduce body fat and that fat cells that contain more calcium will burn more fat.  The researchers believe that calcium can therefore help encourage the burning of fat opposed to the storing of fat.

Dairy products are also great for dieters because it is thought that not getting enough calcium causes your body to produce more fat, which would obviously inhibit weight loss. Interestingly, in the study held at the Nutrition Institute, it was found that taking calcium supplements did not produce the same benefits as actually eating dairy products. So if you want to lose weight it might be time to tuck into some natural yoghurt and honey or have a delicious fruit smoothie made from fruit, milk and ice.

Eating late at night will make you gain more weight

A lot of people believe that eating after a certain time in the evening will lead them to gain weight because they do not get the opportunity to burn off the food they’ve just eaten. According to a study conducted at Dunn Nutrition Centre though, this may just be another diet myth. To test this theory researchers gave participants a smaller lunch and a larger evening meal for a period of time and measured the amount of fat the participants’ bodies stored.  Then the researchers gave the participants a larger lunch and a smaller evening meal, again measuring the participants’ fat levels.

The results indicated that there was no link between when people ate and the amount of fat stored. Another study conducted by Oregon Health & Science University found similar findings, when they did a study on monkeys.

I put on all this weight over Christmas

Although we all like to indulge at certain points during the year, surprisingly weight gain is actually a slow process and it is unlikely that we put on a lot of weight during those times we indulge or splurge.

This is because in order to put on one pound of weight we need to consume an extra 14,700 kilojoules. Yet the average Christmas dinner, which is generally the most indulgent meal of the year, is thought to amount to around 6,300 kilojoules. For those people who feel like they’ve piled on the pounds the weight is more likely to be the result of fluid. So, if you have a diet slip up don’t feel guilty. That chocolate treat won’t sabotage your progress as long as you go back to a healthy diet and exercise after your little indulgence.

(Free Malaysia Today)

From the web : Tips to get fit and motivated

Let’s face it. When it comes to staying healthy and fit, we’re all battling our inner demons. We struggle everyday to get out of bed – or the sofa – and wonder in amazement at how others could do it. Staying motivated has much to do with the psychology of the mind and social support.

 

First, understand that we all are creatures of positive reinforcement. No one likes to be told to do something. So when it comes to workouts, choose something that you enjoy doing. Alina Kamaruddin speaks of her gym class, “When choosing a gym, I make sure that it has a variety of classes that fits my personality. I don’t do workouts that I dislike, in this case, zumba. But that’s just one class out of a week and my gym still leaves me with plenty of option to do something else.”

Rewarding yourself after a workout also helps get you committed to more workouts in future. Personal trainer Jonathan Quek says, “I encourage my clients to reward themselves after a good workout – whether they want that ice-cream or that burger bakar.” There is nothing wrong with indulging, especially in food, says Quek “because you have worked hard at burning off those fat, and so long as indulgence is done in moderation, it is a good motivator.”

Self-control is another way to motivate you to exercise more. Understand that every one has limited self-control, and that this resource thins out the longer the day wears on. For example, you have better self-control to plan your day if you start in the morning. As the day goes by, and more variables go into it, you will keep on losing control of what you can or cannot do.

This is why some fitness experts encourage us to exercise in the morning. This is when you’ll have less hurdles and excuses to overcome, for example an over-extended meeting at the office or running errands after work. If a morning workout is simply impossible, then come up with an alternative plan that can help you remove those hurdles or have you work around them.

 

Finally, embrace the concept of social support. Human beings are by nature, sociable. We like to feel we belong, and whether you admit it or not, we sometimes seek a group’s approval of our actions and behaviour. This is the reason why people who work out in groups fare better in sticking to their exercise routine than one who works out alone. MetCon X founder, Daing Daniel Fitri, explains, “In a group workout such as with MetCon X, you never feel alone. There are always people in your group to motivate and cheer you on, regardless of your fitness levels. Sometimes when you feel like giving up, you won’t because you see others marching on.” 

Another reason group workouts are great, he says, is they also motivate you to work harder. “You don’t realise this but in a group, when everyone’s doing it together, you’re more likely to go beyond your comfort zone.” So the next time you plan to workout alone, try roping in a friend or a group. Committing to a workout with others is the best motivating factor to get you out the door and onto the road of fitness.

(FMT : Free Malaysia Today - Anis Ramli ) 

From the web : ‘Harlem Shake’ shocks

 

WASHINGTON: The up-and-coming Brooklyn DJ behind “Harlem Shake” said yesterday he’s thrilled to see his cutting-edge electronic dance music (EDM) track going viral in a very big way.

“Honestly, (I’m) just happy to see people go crazy to my stuff,” Baauer told fans during a two-hour ask-me-anything session on Reddit.com as more and more “Harlem Shake” memes kept finding their way onto YouTube.

“It will definitely create lots of hype but thats not something i worry about,” he wrote during the online chat.

“The viral craze was something totally out of my control. I see it really positively. At the end of the day lots of new people are listening to my music. Im hoping that my music will speak for itself.”

Baauer, 23, the stage name of Philadelphia native Harry Rodrigues, released “Harlem Shake” last May, four months before a New York Times music critic identified him as a rising star on the underground Brooklyn EDM scene.

Few outsiders knew of its existence, however, until Feb 2 when a satirical blogger named Filthy Frank, who performs video skits in a pink body suit, posted a YouTube clip of himself and friends grooving to the tune.

 

Within 10 days, spinoffs by everyone from firefighters and Norwegian soldiers on cross-country skis to college students and cubicle-bound office workers were being uploaded at the staggering rate of more than 4,000 per day.

In every 30-second clip, the concept is largely the same: a masked or helmeted individual boogies solo in the midst of disinterested bystanders, until, on the cue of the words “Harlem shake,” the video cuts to the whole group dancing wildly.

Baauer’s single, meanwhile, leaped into the iTunes Top 10 charts in North America, Europe and Australia – happily coinciding with an ongoing tour with producer Just Blaze that will soon take him to Britain and the Netherlands.

“The last few months have cast him as the poster child of this contemporary US fusion of dance and rap music,” says Mixed Management Group, which oversees the business side of Baauer’s promising career.

More than a few EDM enthusiasts have embraced “Harlem Shake” as welcome relief from South Korean rapper Psy’s chart-topping “Gangnam Style” that similarly generated a YouTube sensation.

But Baauer is magnanimous. “I think that guy (Psy) is doing pretty good right now, so I’m not too upset about that,” he told Interview magazine a few days ago as “Harlem Shake” took flight.

Trivia lovers will recall that the Harlem Shake was originally an urban dance style that grew out of the eponymous Manhattan neighborhood in the early 1980s when hip hop was in its infancy.

But Baauer — a one-time Harlem resident who’s previously remixed tracks by the likes of No Doubt and Prodigy – told The Daily Beast his track is no more than a sample of Philly rapper Plastic Little’s 2001 song “Miller Time.”

“I just had the idea of taking a Dutch house squeaky-high synth and putting it over a hip-hop track,” he told the news website. “And then I tried to just make it the most stand-out, flashy track that would get anyone’s attention.”

Meanwhile, the man most responsible for all the euphoria seems to be having second thoughts. “I’m thinking of just deleting the harlem shake video,” Filthy Frank tweeted Sunday. “It’s just so pointless and attracts useless people.”

Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - PINK

White knuckles and sweaty palms from hanging on too tight
Clenched shut jaw, I've got another headache again tonight
Eyes on fire, eyes on fire, and they burn from all the tears
I've been crying, I've been crying, I've been dying over you
Tie a knot in the rope, tryin' to hold, tryin' to hold,
But there's nothing to grasp so I let go

I think I've finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much
I think this might be it for us (blow me one last kiss)
You think I'm just too serious, I think you're full of shit
My head is spinning so (blow me one last kiss)

Just when it can't get worse, I've had a shit day (NO!)
Have you had a shit day? (NO!), we've had a shit day (NO!)
I think that life's too short for this, I want back my ignorance and bliss
I think I've had enough of this, blow me one last kiss.

I won't miss all of the fighting that we always did,
Take it in, I mean what I say when I say there is nothing left
No more sick whiskey dick, no more battles for me
You'll be calling a trick, 'cause you'll no longer sleep
I'll dress nice, I'll look good, I'll go dancing alone
I will laugh, I'll get drunk, I'll take somebody home

I think I've finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much
I think this might be it for us (blow me one last kiss)
You think I'm just too serious, I think you're full of shit
My head is spinning so (blow me one last kiss)

Just when it can't get worse, I've had a shit day (No!)
Have you had a shit day? (No!), we've had a shit day (No!)
I think that life's too short for this, I want back my ignorance and bliss
I think I've had enough of this, blow me one last kiss.

Na na na na - da da da da
Blow me one last kiss

[Not in the music video version:]
Na na na na - da da da da
Blow me one last kiss

I will do what I please, anything that I want
I will breathe, I will breathe, I won't worry at all
You will pay for your sins, you'll be sorry my dear
All the lies, all the why's, will all be crystal clear

I think I've finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much
I think this might be it for us (blow me one last kiss)
You think I'm just too serious, I think you're full of shit
My head is spinning so (blow me one last kiss)

Just when it can't get worse, I've had a shit day (No!)
Have you had a shit day? (No!), we've had a shit day (No!)
I think that life's too short for this, I want back my ignorance and bliss
I think I've had enough of this, blow me one last kiss.

Na na na na - da da da da
Na na na na - da da da da
Na na na na - da da da da

Blow me one last kiss.

Na na na na - da da da da
Na na na na - da da da da
Na na na na - da da da da
Blow me one last kiss.

Just when it can't get worse, I've had a shit day (No!)
Have you had a shit day? (No!), we've had a shit day (No!)
I think that life's too short for this, I want back my ignorance and bliss
I think I've had enough of this, blow me one last kiss.

Lights everywhere.....

Last month i went to I-City, Shah Alam.

Been there few times but this time around, there was much upgrading had been done to the place. As you can see in the pictures below, it was livelier.
 

 

Some of the featured light statues i took at I-City.

It is beautiful. i believe this place have potential as 

tourist icon. They are currently upgrading the place

with more attractions. A waterpark had just been 

open there. plus there are several parks there that 

would interest children.

 I do encourage you guys to experience the excited with LED lights.

Yes, they might use a lot of electricity. Then TNB would be so happy...heh!

I love getting presents...

Just want to share it here....

It is never too late to extend my gratitude.

Thanks guys, i love all of you.

I appreciate all the birthday wishes and gifts!!!

More please..hehehe!!!

Collection of medals...

The above is my collection of medals. Impressive? Hehehe....

But really, am i that active ever since i moved to the East Coast? Well, i'd been playing badminton more here and participative in most if not all the events held by my office.

Truthfully, it is usually the same group of people in this office who active. So no wonder i could won some...hu..hu..hu..

and that's me being honest!

Dikalung Kasihan – Imran Ajmain

Tiada suara penantian tak bersudah
Sesalanku pun bermula
Sepadannya usia

Tiada cara membiaskanmu cahaya
Puisi tak berlagu
Beza dia ketara tanpamu

Menitis air mata
Dikalung kasihan padamu
Berbisik dengan hati
Apa erti cintaku

Memilih kata-kata
Berselindungkan yang ternyata
Lelah ku pun terbela
Terlerai kepedihan

Lama
Tiada kata terkilan terbatas asa
Detik pun kian berlalu
Ku tahu luka itu perlu

Menitis air mata
Dikalung kasihan padamu
Berbisik dengan hati
Apa erti cintaku

Memilih kata-kata
Berselindungkan yang ternyata
Lelah ku pun terbela
Terlerai kepedihan

Lama
Ku bertahan ku bersabar
Menyimpan rahsia yang sebenar
Percuma saja berkorban

Menitis air mata
Dikalung kasihan padamu
Berbisik dengan hati
Apa erti cintaku

Memilih kata-kata
Berselindungkan yang ternyata
Lelah ku pun terbela
Terlerai kepedihan

Lama
Lelah ku pun terbela
Terlerai pedih lama

Pampering oneself...

It was last weekend...

As usual every year, a group of friends would celebrate my birthday somewhere. This year, we decided to have a buffet at Golden Palm Tree Resort situated at Gold Coast Sepang. Yeah...it is the fancy name for Bagan Lalang beach near Sepang. Nowadays, people love to glamorised local names like in Banting, we have Gold Coast Morib and so on....

The idea was to enjoy the food while admiring the scenery. Alas, it rained a bit that evening and it was a bit cloudy. Didn't get much of the sunset....

But we did have fun that night and i stayed the night there. The next morning i took a walk and just had a relaxing day at the beach.....

A small crab

At times, we need to pamper ourselves.....

Ajari Aku – Anuar Zain

Ajari aku tuk bisa
Menjadi yang engkau cinta
Agar ku bisa memiliki rasa
Yang luar biasa untukku dan untukmu

Ku harap engkau mengerti
Akan semua yang ku pinta
Karna kau cahaya hidupku malamku
Tuk terangi jalan ku yang berliku

Hanya engkau yang bisa
Hanya engkau yang tahu
Hanya engkau yang mengerti
Semua inginku

Mungkinkah semua akan terjadi pada diriku
Hanya engkau yang bisa mencintaiku

Hanya engkau yang bisa
Hanya engkau yang tahu
Hanya engkau yang mengerti
Semua inginku

Hanya engkau yang tahu
Hanya engkau yang mengerti
Semua inginku

Ajari aku tuk bisa mencintaimu

Muara Hati – Hafiz & Siti Nurhaliza

Cinta terpisah ruang waktu
Tetap cinta bersatu dalam hatiku
Walau raga kita tak mungkin bersama
Ku yakini hati kan tetap setia
Ku percaya ke mana pun kau berjalan
Suara cinta menuntunmu kepadaku
Kerna bila cinta sudah bersenandung
Takkan terpisah hati

[Chorus]
Demi cinta dalam hatimu
Ku yakin engkau untukku
Meski jejak pisahkan kita
Cinta kan bawa kembali padamu
Aku ada kerna engkau ada
Tercipta hatiku hanyalah untukmu
Jalanku pertunjuk padamu
Ke mana pun kan pasti kembali

Demi cinta dalam hatimu
Ku yakin engkau untukku
Meski jejak pisahkan kita
Cinta kan bawa kembali padamu
Demi cinta dalam hatimu
Biarkan aku merasuk
Bersatu dalam hatimu
Hanya dirimu dan aku
Demi cinta dalam hatimu
Biarkan aku merasuk (merasuk dalam hati)
Cinta

Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys Featuring Nicki Minaj

She's just a girl, and she's on fire
Hotter than a fantasy, longer like a highway
She's living in a world, and it's on fire
Feeling the catastrophe, but she knows she can fly away

Oh, she got both feet on the ground
And she's burning it down
Oh, she got her head in the clouds
And she's not backing down

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

Looks like a girl, but she's a flame
So bright, she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try but you'll never forget her name
She's on top of the world
Hottest of the hottest girls say

Oh, we got our feet on the ground
And we're burning it down
Oh, got our head in the clouds
And we're not coming down

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

Everybody stands, as she goes by
Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes
Watch her when she's lighting up the night
Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl
And it's a lonely world
But she gon' let it burn, baby, burn, baby

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

Oh, oh, oh...

She's just a girl, and she's on fire

Life is like a glass of water...really!

Well, this is the topic i'd prepared for a public speaking competition earlier this month.

Just wanted to share it here...

' Life is like a glass of water'. 

 

 

Water is a free-flow entity which needs a vessel to contain them. Without it, well...you'll be wet! Some people had said life to a glass of water. It is interesting to know how they relate it together. There are few anecdotes which details this and below I'll share 2 of them.

A chemistry professor decided to teach his students a different lesson one day. Holding a glass of water in his hand, he asked the students,  “How much do you think this glass of water weighs?” 

“1/2 litre!” came a voice from the back. “1 litre,” said another student. 

“Well, even I don’t really know!” said the professor, holding the glass up to make sure everyone could see it. “And unless we weigh it, we won’t know.” With the glass still in his outstretched hand, the professor continued, “What will happen if I hold it like this for a few minutes?”

“Nothing!” came the reply. 

“Right, and if I hold it for an hour like this, what might happen?” 

“Your hand will begin to hurt,” said a student.

 “Indeed. And what would happen if I held the glass in my hand like this for 24 hours?”

“You would be in tremendous pain,” said one student. “Your hand will probably go numb,” said another.

“Your arm will be paralysed and we’ll need to rush you to the hospital!” said a student on the last bench.

“True,” said the professor. “But notice that through all this, the weight of the glass did not change. What then causes the pain?”

The class went quiet. The students seemed puzzled.

“What should I do to avoid the pain?” asked the professor.

“Put the glass down!” said a student of the floor,

"Well said!” exclaimed the professor. “And that’s a lesson I want you to remember. The problems and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. But think about it a bit longer and they begin to hurt.  And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralysed – incapable of doing anything. It’s important to remember to let go of your problems. Remember to put the glass down!”

We may not have been in that classroom that day, but it’s  a lesson we would all do well to remember. Put the glass down! 

Always!

It’s not just problems and worries. Sometimes, we feel hurt and betrayed by a friend. And we carry that grudge through our lives. It grows and causes us anguish and pain. Learning to forgive – and forget – is not just good for the other people, it’s great for you. 

It is the same with our fears too. A failure or an incident in early childhood becomes a deeply entrenched fear over time. Fear of public speaking, fear of rejection. You name it, and chances are, we have it. Someone gave us that glass to hold when we were little kids – ‘you are no good, you can’t do it’ -  and we have faithfully held on to it all our lives. ‘I can’t’ - becomes a thought that stays in our mind and grows – leading us to complete paralysis. Time to put the glass down!

Another anecdote is to compare my mind to a glass of water.

It’s small, mostly transparent, and limited in capacity. I can add water to the brim of the glass, but once it’s full it can no longer fit any additional water. Instead, it just spills over the side of the glass and runs all over the table. In the same way, my mind is continually filled with bits and pieces of information – thus when new information is added, the old tends to spill out.

Does this sound familiar?

A friend asks me to stop at the grocery store on my way home. I can do that. While I successfully make the stop to pick up bread and milk, I subsequently forget to stop at the bank and post office. It’s as if my mind was filled to full capacity and could no longer add anything additional.

Pouring out your glass. In order to truly relieve the stress on your mind, you need to empty the glass of water. In order to do this, you need to have a system you can trust. You probably can think of examples of how you do this in your own life. For example, have you ever put your keys next to the door at night just so you ensure they are not lost in the morning? By doing so, you have created a system you trust and probably did not add any “what if I lose my keys” stress to your sleep that night.

There are hundreds of ways you can structure your system to make it work for you. If you have a smartphone, learn to use the calendar or reminder features. Use posterboard to make a plan for specific tasks. Perhaps even buy and carry around a personal notebook planner. Whatever your system is – make it yours and learn to trust your system.

Hopefully by reading this you'll learn something relevant to your life. Stop stressing around. Instead, take your time and tend to it. It's better for your mental health.

One More Night - Maroon 5

You and I go hard at each other like we're going to war
You and I go rough, we keep throwing things and slamming the door
You and I get so damn dysfunctional, we stopped keeping score
You and I get sick, and I know that we can't do this no more

But baby there you go again, there you go again, making me love you
Yeah, I stopped using my head, using my head let it all go
Got you stuck on my body, on my body like a tattoo
And now I'm feeling stupid, feeling stupid crawling back to you

So I cross my heart and I hope to die
That I'll only stay with you one more night
And I know I said it a million times
But I'll only stay with you one more night

Try to tell you no, but my body keeps on telling you yes
Try to tell you stop, but your lipstick got me so out of breath
I'll be waking up in the morning, probably hating myself
And I'll be waking up feeling satisfied, but guilty as hell

But baby there you go again, there you go again, making me love you
Yeah I stopped using my head, using my head let it all go
Got you stuck on my body, on my body like a tattoo
And now I'm feeling stupid, feeling stupid crawling back to you

So I cross my heart and I hope to die
That I'll only stay with you one more night
And I know I said it a million times
But I'll only stay with you one more night

Yeah baby give me one more night

Well baby there you go again, there you go again, making me love you
Yeah I stopped using my head, using my head let it all go
Got you're stuck on my body, on my body like a tattoo
Yeah... yeah... yeahhhh

So I cross my heart and I hope to die
That I'll only stay with you one more night
And I know I said it a million times
But I'll only stay with you one more night

Yeah baby give me one more night

So I cross my heart and I hope to die
That I'll only stay with you one more night
And I know I said it a million times
But I'll only stay with you one more night

Oh baby gimme one more night

That old feeling...

Yeah...

That date has come again! It's my birthday....

I am turning 31 years old. Had yet to achieve anything significant. Not that i planned to do so but it would be nice to have something to tell my children and my children's children - 'You know what, when i reached 30 i had achieve this and that'...he...he....Well, that's the dream.

So, how would this year turn out to be? Lets just pray and hope i would endure through it all.... the good, the bad and the ugly.

Diamonds (In the Sky)

Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond

Find light in the beautiful sea
I choose to be happy
You and I, you and I
We’re like diamonds in the sky

You’re a shooting star I see
A vision of ecstasy
When you hold me, I’m alive
We’re like diamonds in the sky

I knew that we’d become one right away
Oh, right away
At first sight I felt the energy of sun rays
I saw the life inside your eyes

So shine bright tonight, you and I
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky
Eye to eye, so alive
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Palms rise to the universe
As we moonshine and molly
Feel the warmth, we’ll never die
We’re like diamonds in the sky

You’re a shooting star I see
A vision of ecstasy
When you hold me, I’m alive
We’re like diamonds in the sky

At first sight I felt the energy of sun rays
I saw the life inside your eyes

So shine bright tonight, you and I
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky
Eye to eye, so alive
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
We’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond

So shine bright tonight, you and I
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky
Eye to eye, so alive
We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Oh, yeah
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond
Shine bright like a diamond

What happened during the 6 month lull last year...

It is the truth.

I didn't post anything for the past 6 months because i am lazy.
Yeah...
lazy to type down anything....
lazy to download all the pics taken...
lazy to give my commentaries on the movies i watched... 
lazy to log on....
Basically and utterly......LAZY!!!!

So...what had happened during the last 6 months? A lot really. Went for a trip to Europe again. This time through Istanbul to Amsterdam to Athens.

Also i went to USS. Yup, Universal Studio Singapore and rode all the rides. It was terrific!!!

 Then, my office got restructuring as we headed off towards Wave 4 and SAP / SRM systems upgrade.

I'll try and post about them later.....however, i did tweet about them 'live'....hmmm......

Les Miserables and The Hobbit...

Two of the most awaited movies of the year 2012....

LES MISERABLES

What can i say about this movie but the distinguished non-stop singing from the beginning of the movie right till the end. Some might feel the movie a bit dragging.....and yes, it is!

A long story of a man's struggles in life after being harshly punished  for a small crime.When his sentenced was up, he was stamped as menace to the society. Thus was poorly treated when looking for jobs and things. He was bitter but alas, he found a savior in god and had since mend his ways to make to the top of the society.  He had also changed his identity.

However, he was hounded by the authority especially by an Inspector who knew him as a convict. Then he met a woman which was dying. He promised to take care of her child. When the child grew up, he didn't tell his past to her. The child had fallen in love with a young revolutionist. The man realizes that he had to let go the child to find her own life.

- It was a great movie. A snooze here and there but a beautiful story. Some parts are sad while some i don't think even needed singing. To truly enjoys the performance, you must see the act live in theatres. Obviously not in this country. In the beginning, you'll hardly recognise Hugh Jackman as the lead. Anne Hathaway was..okay..just a small part of the story but that small part is painful to see...in a good way! At the end of the movie, you just feel helpless at the injustices of the world. In conclusion, if you find god in your misery...he'll guide you all the way...   

THE HOBBIT
  

If you love LOTR series then you must go and watch this movie. I mean who doesn't want to know what adventure did Bilbo Baggins had before Frodo was even born? About how he met Gandalf the Grey and on how he was honored in Rivendale, the Elven country.

This is the prelude of the series. The book that Bilbo had written for Frodo. I like this movie. I had come upon critics who says it was boring. well, not to me. It was interesting all the way to the end though it wasn't really the end. 

I don't want to tell more. Just go and watch it!!!