Monday 31 August 2009

Unlikely coincidence

I have always thought that life is a miracle. Some unique DNA hidden inside trillions of cells, a seemingly ordinary body made up of flesh and blood, resulting in a living organism so complex as the human beings.

Fate is probably the only thing more inconceivable than life itself. Consider the odds of 2 people meeting at a precise place and time amongst 6 billion others. If this is not a miracle, I cannot think of how else to explain it.

I have probably been watching too many drama series lately, so pardon me if I have to get to my point in this manner. A common theme prevails in all of them: whether or not to pursue a relationship that will not blossom. In one, he had cancer. In another, it was extra marital affairs. Finally, there was a relationship that developed from misunderstandings. 2 out of the 3 have good endings. It seems nonsensical to try to reason story lines of drama series but they are intriguing enough to set me thinking about how we handle our relationships in real life.

Why do people conclude that relationships will not blossom before they even began? I guess it is because we are sub-consciously calculating the risks and rewards when engaging with another person. I remember that in our younger days, developing a relationship (of any kind) was much easier. Perhaps, our minds were purer and we knew less of malice. We opened our hearts freely, but not so anymore. As we grew up, everything became tainted. Now we know all about rejections and fear of being hurt. I do not know why we become irresponsible towards relationships, how we have learnt to be insincere and worst of all, let ourselves harbour ill intentions against another. Gradually, we have no choice but to close our hearts and skepticism looms around every possible relationship instead… at least until we are fully convinced. But who knows how long that will take.

It is a real pity to rule out possibilities between people because of their preconceptions. Not forgetting what an unlikely coincidence it is for 2 people to cross paths, I feel that such opportunities should never be wasted. How I wished people could be truthful in exchanging their feelings, be brave to take the first steps, be able to see through deceptions, be spared of any negative consequences from being true to their hearts. Let there be no more second guessings... but in the end, we cannot fight reality, can we? So, do we continue to accept missed opportunities and live with regrets? It is your call really.

Monday 24 August 2009

进退两难

难题。。。
下班前半小时,听到了不好的消息。一个棘手的任务落到了我头上。


疑惑。。。
直觉告诉我,空穴来风,未必无因。但是,就凭“感觉”完全经不起考验。


郁闷。。。
想找个人诉苦,却没有人在线上。又想不到好的理由为了这样芝麻绿豆的小事打电话给人家去说。


扫兴。。。
想到外面的交通比现在心情更阻塞,回家的兴致彻底的没有了。

Wednesday 19 August 2009

Cowboy's new love



The name is Dyson Baby. Cowboy is in love with a vacuum cleaner.

Sunday 16 August 2009

Are there not enough reasons to help?

What if the day comes, when we are no longer sympathetic of the sufferings of people in the rest of the world? Are we then relieved from the obligations to care or to help?

Many of us in this part of the world will never understand the true meaning of an earthquake or typhoon. Yet we have heard so much about them... without getting a scratch or becoming wet, without being blown away, without losing someone we loved. But I do wonder how badly the news of a disaster and the casualty report have an impact on us. We may have frowned, we sighed, made a few sympathetic comments, and then most of the time we resort to doing nothing. They are mere interludes in our comfortable and egocentric lives.

Sometimes, it may be that our cynicism towards the mass media got the better of us. News reports are often exaggerated, sufferings amplified and our sentiments toyed with to boost viewrship. I am not trying to use these as excuses to justify an indifferent attitude. But it is no wonder many of us would rather exercise more discretion and careful assessment before rushing into actions.

Typically, the first things to happen after news of a disaster is a fund raising campaign. I know it is hard to be convinced that donations raised for disaster relief will be fully utilised for the benefits of the victims, especially when the disbursments of funds are often not transparent enough. But I believe that there is hope, if we choose to do something now. We should not let our skepticism prevent us from doing good, even if we can reach out to those in need in only a very small way.

Like many others, I have been trained both in my personal and professional life to look at "the bigger picture". There are very few occurrence like Cyclone Nargis and the Sichuan earthquake, whereby the destructions were so devastating and casualty rates so alarming that they instantly got the whole world's attention. In this respect, events of smaller scale tend to be overlooked. It may seem that the 500 lives lost to Typhoon Morakot so far is small, compared to 70,000 deaths in Sichuan and even smaller in comparison with almost 150,000 fatalities from Nargis. But imagine you were one of those 500 casualties... wouldn't you ask, "Why me", if the chances are indeed so remote?

Last Monday, the death toll in Taiwan from Typhoon Morakot was 100. Today it is 500. Thousands of others are still trapped in villages in the mountainous area. Other than praying for their safety, a small donation might be a good way to start helping. Afterall, it is also a blessing that we have the ability and are in the capacity to help those in need.


Help with Typhoon Morakot's disaster relief now!



Saturday 8 August 2009

Wry Neck

Recently, my happiness has been greatly comprised by a sore neck. At one point, my neck was so bad that swallowing saliva caused pain. The doctor calls it a "Wry Neck", which is a condition where "patient complains of neck pain and is unable to turn his head, usually holding it twisted to one side, with some spasm of the neck muscles..." Some form of rheumatism, he said. At this age, I am already having such ailment. Can't imagine when I become 50.

The muscle relaxant and paracetamol I was prescribed with became my daily essentials, like drugs are to an addict. What causes a wry neck? Probably bad sitting posture (crouching) and no proper neck support when I sleep. I was advised by the doctor not to sit long hours at the computer, but to walk around. Walk around to relax my neck muscle, not skive.

A healthy body is a pre-requisite to a healthy mind. So stay healthy!

Monday 3 August 2009

Cowboy's 7th birthday

If there is one day in a year I wouldn't be absent, it is today. Cowboy turns 7!

This year, mum, dad and sis celebrated his birthday together.


Cowboy's pick on the favourite cheese cake of all time. Same cake as in the past but with more candles this year.


Cowboy is all smiley though he kept a safe distance from the cake with lit candles, as if aware of the fire hazard.


Dig in! His favourite part.



Hope he will stay healthy and cute all the time.