It's the end of the year already?

Once again, I've failed to update my blog on a daily basis. And as usual, I've been busy with work, husband and family.

Small sister has recently been awarded for suspected dengue. Pitty her, she's already so skinny to start with, she's even skinnier now. She was awarded last Tuesday, on the basis that her blood platelet count was 38. It went up to 70 yesterday and hopefully it goes up again today so that she can be discharge by tomorrow.

Work wise, alhamdullillah, not too busy but not too idle oso.

Business wise, planning to open our second car wash outlet sometime in Jan '09. Insyaallah.

As usual, at the end of the year, I will close my "personal account" ie doing stock check on what I have achieved during the year, what I have not achieved during the year, is there anything I want to change etc. So far, apart from the incident with Hootie, I'm quite content with what I have so far. I've changed in a lot of ways and I'm happy that everything turn out for the better. Allah the Almighty sure has strange ways in making things happen.

I've got a wardrobe full of new clothes to complement my new look. I have a whole new, better attitude towards life and I'm more relax now. For this, I would like to thank my family, in-laws and great friends (macam bagi credit kat academy award je... :)...).

Sometimes, one drastic event is all one need to wake up and smell the coffee. Yes, there are moments where I break down and cry but I'm proud to say that I came out of it a stronger person.

So for those who thinks that it's the end of the world for you, don't. Every cloud has a silver lining and moving your cheese is not something bad. Always look for the hidden blessings and you'll be find. If not, can always come and talk to me.

Just in case this is my last entry for the year, thanks again guys for helping me out in my time of needs and have a better and more prosperous year ahead.

When the going gets tough, the tough goes shopping...

Revenge IS the sweetest thing. Don't get me wrong, not about to kill Hootie or harm him in any way. It's just that I have not shop till I go broke for the last one year. I do buy small items in between but having almost a blank cheque to go shopping is absolute fabulous.

Alhamdullillah, I had a small fortune last month. So, as a result, I went shopping. It all started out 2 weekends ago, with the Melium Group Clearance Sale. It continued to last Friday with FJ Benjamin Warehouse Sale and the launch of the Malaysia Mega Sale. And of course, me being me, must now spent and spent to my heart contents.

I know, I know, times are tough. I should really be savings instead of spending (or as I put it to my mum "Simpan Mak, simpan kat kedai"). But I really feel that I deserve this shopping spree. I mean, I work hard for the money, I spent only my money, I did not steal nor have I asked Hootie for his money. So, to conclude, it's my money and I shall spent it as to how I deem fit.

Hence, after 2 pairs of shoes, 1 pair of Crocs, 1 document bag, 18 pieces of working shirts, 8 pairs of pants, 3 sets of lingerie, 1 phone, 5 sets of cufflinks and other odds and ends, I'm one happy cookie with a wardrobe full of new stuffs.

Can Woman Have It All?

Man... it has been donkey years since I've actually written anything. There's a lot has been going on in life right now, juggling between work, business, Hootie, family, friends and personal indulgence.

Brief update, Hootie is still bed ridden but his movement are a lot more now. He can even belly dance in bed (just use your imagination). His right side of the body is getting stronger by the day and his left side is gaining strength.

Last Tuesday morning, I was watching the re-run of the re-run of Oprah. The topic which was talked about was "Can Woman Have It All?" It was rather interesting as different woman interprets it differently. Some believe that we can have it all and of course the others believe we can't.

To have it all, we need to sacrifice a few things (so, how is this having it all?). Talking from personal experience, I don't think we can have it all. For instance, in order to climb the corporate ladder, we need to sacrifice something, let it be family, friends or personal indulgences. Come on guys, answer me honestly, how many times do have to choose between work and spending time with friends/family? I've been in this situation one time to many.

Over the years (well, actually after my 3 years stint in the audit world), I have adopted an attitude that work is last (notice how I rate my work as the last priority in life). First priority would be myself (yes, I am a evil *&^@#), second would be Hootie, next in line would be my family and extended family, then comes my pet sis/god children, close friends, friends and last but not least work (I still need to feed myself, don't I?).

How can one have everything in life if one need to keep making sacrifices? I want a lot of things, let it be material or not but I am nowhere near having everything I want. I want to be there for Hootie 24/7 but someone have to look for money to pay for the bills. Even though I'm no longer working full time, the time when I'm out earning moolahs, I just have to close one eye and leave Hootie behind.

Some say we need to strike a balance between everything we do in life. Again, doesn't that lead back to the "making sacrifices" route? Spending more money for an Aigner bag means there's less money to spend on something else. Putting aside some money for savings means there's less money to splurge. Decisions, decisions... When will this end?

For me, not having it all is not as bad as it looks. The main thing for me is that I'm happy, hence everything else in life is secondary.

"You must have emphaty..."

"You must have emphaty..." said one of the few annoying extended family members of Hootie... Yeah right! Try taking care of a*$%^`#"!s, s?y, c^!$%*~g, sick husband and see whether you can have emphaty...

As usual, you can't run from such annoying relatives, where they have no clue what you have to go through. Can't really blame them and their existence always amazes me.

Between saving InLaws "waterface" and shocking extended family members on what a jerk Hootie is, I think saving InLaws pride takes precedent. But sometimes I just wish that these people just shut up and leave us alone.

Among the many, many family members, UncleChik is the only person who really helps out. Can't imagine how it would be if he isn't around. The rest of the relatives just visits whenever they are free. So, to me, they have no rights whatsoever to leave comments. Suggestions that does not add value is also not welcome.

Another family member is also nursing a sick person. Only the other day she poured out her heart saying how she is annoyed at people who keeps critising the way she's nursing her sick husband and how they keep giving her useless pieces of advice. She's much older than the InLaws and she's only have a maid to help her out. Her children can only help out so much as they are also busy with their lives.

It is always easier to leave running commentaries than actually contributing positively towards a situation. I sometimes fall prey to such sin. But now that I am having to go through with it, I do realise that things are always more than skin deep. There's a reason why God charter our lives as such. Take JabbatheHut for instance. He is filthy rich but he has no one to take real care of him. He's single, his sister is too busy taking care her two very young children and his mother is always away and not getting any younger. He spends thousands on medication each month due to having lots of health problems. So, just imagine if he falls sick and is bed ridden. For this reason, that's why God gave him tons of money so that he can pay for 24-hour nurses in order to take care of him.

I guess, Mr. Pink is right... If you don't have anything nice to say, you should just keep quite. You never know whose feelings you might be hurting.

Happy Eid ul-Fitr

Raya is just around the corner and madame is definitely in Raya mood already (well, actually more of a holiday mood and knowing that I'll be free as a bird after Raya). To all my friends, Happy Eid ul-Fitr.

Somehow I can't help reflecting how Raya this year will be. Of course, I'm bersyukur to no ends that Hootie is around to celebrate Raya, regardless of his state. But somehow Raya is not the same when you have a sick person to look after.

Saying that, I had my first taste of Raya with in-laws last year. And all I can say is that the culture is definitely different compared to mine.

I've been brought up in a family where Raya is the time where close family members get together and have a jolly good time. On Raya eve, everyone will get together at Tok Mat's family retreat and start preparing for Raya. My mother is a true believer in preparing things herself, so all the food are home made and all the baju kurungs are hand sewn by her. Raya morning is like a war zone. Straight after Subuh prayers, everyone must be up (or face the death penalty) and get ready for Raya prayers and visit to the GrandParents grave. After prayers, there will be a big raya do, where all of the Tok Mat clan will sit together, enjoy good food, ask for forgiveness, exchange Duit Raya and followed by family photos of respective families. We normally end this tradition with now leaving in a convoy to visit extended family members (ie the second cousins, third cousins and everyone else in life who are related to us).

Coming back to Hootie's family, my first Raya with them didn't leave me with a pretty picture. I had the shock of my life when I arrived at the InLaws and everyone is still sleeping. Yes, I was early (I was there at 7.30 am) but it's raya morning and to them it's as if it was just another holiday. Instead of the Raya morning rush that I normally had to go through, it was a rather quiet Raya morning, where it was just Dad, Hootie and myself going for sembahyang raya. And the real shocker was when I arrived home from Raya prayers and finding them still sleeping. I couldn't handle it anymore so I just told Hootie that I want to go see my family instead.

I guess, what I'm trying to get at is that every family have their own values. I know a few families that take holiday trips during Raya, leaving extended families behind and enjoying themselves elsewhere.

I find this sad because Raya is the only time that family members get together and catch up. I always get rather slushy around this time of the year. I fail to understand what sort of values are they teaching their young ones when they decided to go on holiday instead of visiting relatives. I know a few people who doesn't really know who are their cousins or how their cousins look like. No matter how modern one is, certain family traditions and values should be kept. I mean, there's 365 days in a year, can't you spare even 1 day visiting extended family members?

At the end of the day, I guess it is up to each individual on how they see Raya. To me, it's a time where I just want to be with my family members and surround myself with familiar faces, good food and great entertainment. I can take a trip to Bali at anytime of the year but family gatherings are always priceless.

Lock, stock and definitely more than 2 smoking barrels

There was an article in the Star yesterday talking about marriage and in-laws (can't remember who was the author but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless). She talked about how when we marry someone, we marry more than just him.

This is so true. From my own personal experience, I've definetely got more than what I bargained for when I married Hootie. Now that Hootie is sick, I have to deal with a lot more.

One of the things that was mentioned in the article is when in-laws start dictating one's family life. It's rather iritating but yes, it does happen in our society. My personal favourite is when they give you hand-me-downs. I do have few instances of this. For example, once I saw a really nice knife (but rather pricey) at Parkson and I mentioned to Hootie that I would like to buy it. To my horror, Hootie mentioned it to his parents and dad dearie said that "No need to waste money, we have ample of knives, you can take one or two". I mean, not that I'm not grateful but I would love to spoil myself once in a while.

Back to Hootie's condition, the emotional "trauma" is beyond Hootie being sick. I can handle him sick but what I can't handle is the whole in-laws situation thing. There are many instances where I suggested something, my in-laws will just ignored them. But the moment a relative mentioned the same thing that I've mentioned 20 times over, dad and mum will act on it. The best would be when the extended family member seems to know better than the doctors. In the beginning, these instances really get to me (for those who are close to me, you know what I mean). But as the days go by, I'm beginning to handle the situation better. I normally lash out my anger to really, really close friends, b*%^h about the whole situation to them until I feel better.

I guess, at the end of the day, fighting with your in laws is definitely a waste of energy. You know that it is a losing battle. So, would suggest you channel the energy to something more useful. Not only you'll be saving your relationship with your in-laws, you'll see that there is more to life than trying to win silly arguments.

Catching up with technology

I know, I know... Should have gotten a modem ages ago but hey, who's complaining?

Finally, I've gotten myself a laptop and a broadband connection (well, actually, I've gotten the laptop months ago, just never got round to getting myself connected). The intention is to enable myselft to stay connected to the world regardless where I am and blog more often (yeah right, we shall see!). Don't have to rely on limited office connection.

Well, things are looking rather rosy for Hootie. I'm slowly starting him on a soft solid diet such as porridge, jelly, baby food etc. He still can't move (ie bed ridden) but can move his right hand and right leg. He can drink water out of a cup now as well. He talks clearer and he definitely knows what he wants. However, most of the time we ask him to write what he wants.

Work wise, rather busy of late. Like I said before, when it rains, it pours. The manager at Kenanga is really taking advantge of my last few days there. I have to circulars to issue before I leave my mark in the investment banking world. Sad, but yes, my days are numbered. The worst part is, I have not left but already thinking of a come back. I guess, the blood of an investment banker is rather thick in me.

It has been a week or so of puasa but preparation this year is rather little. I mean, with Hootie's condition and all. But mummy deareast is kind enough to sew me a pair of baju kurung (and of course, material courtesy of mummy deareast as well). The Family is spending raya at the new pad and mummy dearest have also commanded that the rest of the Extended Family spend raya there as well (and by command I mean, she instructed everyone to come, no excuses).

Well, got to get back to work. Still have a few things to settle before I go, but it has never stopped me from leaving early before. Till then... Have a good Ramadhan ahead.

Welcome Home Hootie

Hootie has been discharge yesterday. For those who wish to visit, do drop by his aunty's house at Jalan Maktab. Give me a buzz and I'll direct the way.

Quick update, Hootie has started talking and saying more things by the day (for someone who doesn't talk so well, he is very good at complaining). He is still too weak to walk but can move his hands and legs. Still relying on feeding tube but can start to swallow liquid. Can write short sentences also. And he is very much aware of his surroundings and environment.

So, again, thank you all for the doas and wellwishes. It is still a long way to go for Hootie but he is definitely on the road to recovery.

Can you walk your talk?

As I was walking with Mr. Pink towards one of our favourite breakfast spots this morning, he spotted a girl eating orange while waiting to cross the road. To his horror, the girl decided to throw the orange skin by the road side instead of throwing it into the waste bin. The beauty is; the waste bin was not even a metre away from her.

Mr. Pink got really upset. He went on and on about the girl being such an "asshole". But he's got a point. It's not like there are no waste bins around, it was just a few centimeters away from her and there were several others nearby. Not that it bothers him, but her attitude gets to Mr. Pink.

As we continued our short walk, Mr. Pink spotted a car stopping at the traffic lights. It wasn't a big junction, just a zebra crossing traffic light. There was no one crossing but the driver stopped anyway. And Mr. Pink said "that's a rare occasion. Most drivers would have drove off, but this particular driver stopped nonetheless."

I have my fair share of experience with ignorant citizens. A few of them DOES get to me. Here's my list:-

• A driver taking his/her own sweet time once the light turned green but decided to ram the accelarator once the light turn yellow and of course, you're the one who's stuck with the red light.


• A driver who decides to just ran over the red light and expects you to stop for them even if it is your right of way.


• A driver who can't decide where they are going and kept changing lanes in the middle of a bad traffic jam. I mean, if everyone keeps to their lane, I'm sure that the traffic will still flow even though there are a lot of cars.


• Lift hoggers. They just decide to stand right in front of the lift's door and when it opens, wouldn't even let the people who is originally inside the lift to go out first. This also applies to people queuing for the LRT/Monorail/Star.


• People who queue at the fast check out counter with a basket, sometimes even trolley, full of groceries. Even an idiot knows that they have more than 8/10 items in their basket/trolley.


• People who haven't the faintest idea what to order at McDonald's/KFC. I mean, what were they doing while queuing? Can't they read the menu and decide while queuing? Besides, McD / KFC hardly changes its menu, so can order sometime today?

• Drivers who take their own sweet time to get out of their parking spot eventhough they know that you are waiting for them to leave and you have cause a 2 mile traffic jam in the car park.
  
  
• People who throw rubbish out of their car, while the car is in motion! Don't think other drivers are interested on whether you can multi-task while driving ie eat, drink, talk on mobile and drive at the same time.
  
  
• People with no toilet training. I think you know what I mean.

And the list goes on...

Is it so difficult to be considerate to others? If only everyone is conscious of their environment and play their role accordingly, the world would be a better place to live in. I guess, it is easier said than done. But what bugs me is that, not many people practice what they preach. They bitch about others' wrongdoings but at the same time do the same mistakes. They wonder why some people do not exercise patience but lose their temper and starts screaming/swearing when they are being put in the same position. It is also kinda hard to respect these type of people. How does one respect someone who doesn't walk their talk?

So friends, lets start being less selfish and be more considerate towards others. We might not be able to change the world but at least we are the BETTER ones.

Recycle... That's what you do... Recycle... Save a tree or two...

Madame had the opportunity to catch Wall-E yesterday. And yes, enjoyed it I did (hint: anyone for clone wars?). Although it is a love story between two robots which is set in an unrealistic world, but the issues potrayed are very realistic.

When Wall-E fell in love, I couldn't help but feeling touched. I mean, even robots know how to show their love and emotion. He was willing to do anything to please his new found love and protect her in every way possible (let alone help her). When he almost lost his "life" and lost his memory for a few seconds, I felt like crying for him. My heart really felt it. Poor little thing, so kind and sincere. Nonetheless, like any other Disney movies, it did have a happy ending (if not, "they'll burn down the cinema!" quoted from one of my closest friends).

Another issue that is so near to our hearts is "Save the World". It is rather important that we remember that everyone need to play their parts in making this world a better place to live in. So, I pledged to increase my efforts in going green. I'm already a fan of recycling (you get money out of it kay!). I've also started bringing my own shopping bag to the grocers and shop at places that encourages green shopping (to name a few would be cold storage and Jaya Jusco). I wish there are more environmentally friendly products around. I've also try to save electricity (at the same time, save some money). i don't have a bath tub at home and I've just switched to a top loading washing machine, whereby I can control the level of water to suit my washing load. And yes, if I can afford it, I would love to change my ride to a hybrid.

So, to all my dear friends out there, please play our part in making our planet a better place to live in. Not only we will be saving some trees and animals, we are also saving ourselves.

I FINALLY DID IT!!!

Well, it has been a while since I updated my blog. I know, I know, I did say that I'll update my blog daily but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I've been rather tied up with work and more work. But I do try to have some "me" time each day so as to keep my sanity in-check.

And, due to some unforeseen circumstances again, I had to let go of my career. I've decided to quit my job and pursue something else. For the record, I had no choice but to resign. It's either my desk job or running TheCompany. Yes people, I've decided to take up the challenges of becoming an entrepreneur.

After considering and talking to quite a number of people, I've decided to jump ship. Have to say, this is probably the most drastic action i've taken in my entire life (getting married doesn't count, kay!).

I do have some reservation and still having the same reservation even after I decided to extend my "love" letter to the head of dept. Can't help thinking, what if it doesn't work out? I mean, it's ok if it just involves me. But, like I said, I would love to have kids but if financially things are not working out, I have to reconsider this plan. (I'm beginning to think that I am destined to take care of other people's kids rather than having my own... I have a husband who doesn't want kids and I can't have any kids out of wedlock either!). And I still have financial commitments to meet. And how about my parents' reaction? My mother, who's old school by the way, will definitely flip and will definitely say I'm more stupid than she thinks I am!

In three months time, I'll be in a world where financial stability is no longer there. Scary as it might sound, I guess I just have to put on a brave smile and face the musis. So, Hootie, when you get better and read this, I really hope that this will dawn on you and I am making this sacrifce for you! I can be selfish and follow my mother's advice so as to let TheCompany fall but I guess some things are worth saving.

Cervical spond-what?

Have you guys ever tried multi-tasking? Man, it's tiring. And that is exactly what I am currently facing. I have to do several jobs at one go. Keep my day job and at the same time run Hootie's business, visit Hootie at the hospital, attend to my father's "unreasonable" requests and keeping my self sane at the same time.

BTW, I've been diagnose with having cervical spondylosis (check out http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068700/ for further details on this). Yep, it is rather mouthfull. But in layman's term, I'm aging gracefully. It all started last Tuesday (8 July 2008) when my fingers suddenly became numb. A very close collleague of mind gave me a good massage and suggested that I go see the doctor. So, I decided to follow his advice and had an X-Ray done the next day. And surprise, surprise, the whole reason I'm feeling the numbness in my hands and fingers was due to the fact that my cervical spine (ie the bones at your neck) is slightly out of place, thus pressing the nerves around that area. There are no medicine for this. I have to start seeing a chiropractor and just be very careful with myself, ie not to fall, do not carry heavy stuff, stop lugging my big, heavy handbags and everything else that could hurt me more. I also have to make sure that my posture is right.

OK, so it is not as severe as what Hootie is facing but I do feel uncomfortable. Sleeping at night is a hassle since I lying on my back is the only position that doesn't hurt my neck. I tried one of those conturing pillows, but it makes my pain worst. As for now, I just have to be extra careful and not hurt myself further.

Again, to all friends out there, thanks for taking good care of me.

Stuck in a rut and it ain't funny...

What to do when you find out that your partner is not what you think he/she is? What do you do when you find out the dirty linen of your partner? Do you forgive? Do you forget? Do you rage war so as to get even (the classic "I don't get mad, I get even" attitude)?

I am currently being greatly tested by God. However, I'm not so sure what is He trying to show me. It is bad enough that Hootie is sick, I have to deal with other issues that crops up from him being sick. (Sorry, not about to "buka pekung di dada" but just feels like I need to vent out my feelings and frustrations).

It is rather hard to confront someone who is currently in a vegetable state. I have so many questions which I want Hootie to answer. And knowing me, I will not get peace until I have found what I am looking for. Several scenarios that I can think off:-

1. He wakes up and confess to everything but I'm not sure I am ready for the answers and I am not sure whether I can handle the truth (that is, if Hootie tells the truth. He has told so much lies that I'm not sure which one is the truth or again another white lie).
2. He wakes up and totally forget about the whole ordeal and a bunch of other things (due to his brain condition), of which I will definitely not get any answers.
3. He wakes up, remembers everything but refuse to talk about it. Again, I will definitely not get any answers.

His parents and family will definitely side him so I don't even see the point of raging war with them. In their eyes, Hootie is a good kid that is not capable of such acts.

At the moment, I've decided not to go visit Hootie at the hospital but my dear mother keeps taking me down the guilt trip. So, I'm rather stuck emotionally. If I go see him, I'll get upset. If I don't see him, I have to listen to dear old mother's long lecture on how I should at least show respect to Hootie's parents by visiting their good-for-nothing son. And the guilt creeps in.

Talking about it with really close friends helps. Watching movies with friends also helps. But at the end of the day, I still have to face/deal with my problems. It was easier when I was single, I just walk out of the relationship. Pack up and go. But this time around, it is different, I can't just walk out. I know, I know, there are no kids involve so it should be easy, but again, it's the whole dignity, pride, family's honour, bla bla bla thing.

Trust is a very sensitive, fragile thing. Once it's gone, it is difficult to earn/give it away again. And for those of you who knows me very well, I can be a cruel, cold hearted bitch that you wished you didn't mess with me in the first place. I just hope, one day, I'll find it in my heart to trust Hootie again.

40 tips for a better life

It has been a while since I "cut and paste" something from the many, many emails that I get from friends. But there is one particular email that I received today, which I feel like sharing it with you guys.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to ___ today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of warm water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. GOD heals almost everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often.

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for _____. Today I accomplished _____.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

Update on Hootie (part deux)

Hi all,

Sorry for not updating you guys on a constant basis. But honestly, ever since he "woke up" not much progress has been seen/made.

BTW, he is now in Room 10, ward 4A (same level as ICU and Acute Cubicle). The beauty of being in a single bed room is that we can now nurse him 24/7. We are allowed to sleep over at the hospital. The nurse taught us some basic nursing stuff such as feeding him, changing his diapers, changing his positions (since he is still bed ridden, we have to keep tossing and turning him on bed in order to avoid bed sore) and even checking for his BP, pulse and respiratory rate.

So far, each time we ask him something, and if he understands it, he'll blink. He can't lift any of his hands/legs. But the doctors have started him on physiotherapy routines in order to avoid muscle cramps/spasms. The occupational therapist have made him a device called "splints" which we have to put on his hands and legs for 3 hours with 2 hours interval between each session (maybe i'll take some photos of this and show you guys how it works). Since his breathing is still not stable, they can't start him on speech therapy.

Yesterday, we tried giving him ice-cream to see whether he can react to taste. It seems that his tongue moved but he can't swallow as the ice-cream just melted in his mouth and came drolling out the side. The doctor said not to worry as this was the first time we are feeding him through the mouth for after about a month but we have to keep trying in order to teach him to swallow.

That's all for now... will definitely update when there are more exciting news.

Reflections

It has been 3 weeks since Hootie got sick. And it has been 3 weeks of travelling to and from the hospital.

What have I learned for the last 3 weeks? That life is too valuable to go to waste. I've seen accident victims, death and prolonged illnessess (there's a patient that has been in the hospital for almost a year!). And trust me, it makes me appreciate my life more.

There is an early 20s, young boy, who decided to get drunk and "merempit". He met with an accident and was badly injured. The doctor managed to save him but part of his skulls crashed to bits and for a while he had no bone flap in his head (Betty, Cik Tipah, Zaza, Hugo and several other friends had the opportunity to meet this boy).

Each time i pay a visit to the hospital, I can't help feeling grateful for the current state of health I'm in. Besides, it also made see certain things in life differently.

The truth is, what Hootie had could happen to anyone of us. As a muslim, I belief that God have certain ways in making us appreciate our life better and not let it go to waste (too bad the wake up call had to be brain haemorrage). As I see it, Hootie had a second chance in life and so did I. Can't stop thinking about all the bad things that I've done and maybe this is one of the many ways of God telling me to stop and repent.

As for my relationship with Hootie, this experience will definitely change our relationship. Hopefully, for the better. Maybe, we'll appreciate each other more instead of taking each other for granted.

I can definitely say that this experience is extremely mind and emotionally challenging. I can't stop thinking and reflecting about a lot of things, let it be the past, current and the future. The doctors did say that Hootie will not recover 100% to his original state of well being before all this happened. Will Hootie and I be able to have kids? Will Hootie be able to become the bread winner or do I have to wear the pants? How will Hootie cope with his emotions if he no longer becomes man of the house? How long can I persevere and hold my sanity? So many questions but no worries, I'm taking it one day at a time (thanks for all the morale support you guys!)

I guess, at the end of the day, I'm sure God have some plans in store for us and I just have to brace myself through these hard times.

Update on Hootie

Dear all,

Firstly, thanks for all the morale support, prayers, doas and wellwishes. Only God can repay all your kindness. For those who came to visit, thank you for your time and effort.

A quick update. Hootie is recovering extremely well. In fact, he is already out of ICU. He is now stable and breathing on his own (yes Eddie, he is no longer on life support!... hahahaha!). Now, it's a matter of time for him to wake up from his deep sleep.

For those who wish to visit/revisit, he is currently in acute cubicle, ward 4A (same level as ICU).

P/S: Would like to share my experiences staying at hospital with you guys, but i'll pen it down when I have more time.

To my beloved Hootie... I will always love you...

I think by now almost everyone that knows Hootie, knows that he is currently in Neuro ICU, General Hospital, KL.

The doctor diagnosed him as having cerebral aneurysm (google it up to find out more about this). The doctor suspects that he had this for quite a while but we had never suspected that anything was wrong since he never showed any symptoms. Unfortunately for Hootie, his aneurysm leads to rupture of the arteries, which in turn causes bleeding in his brain.

Don't ask me what had happened for I'm also in the dark. He was found by a group of good samaritans, already feeling sick and they sent him to the GHKL. According to the attending nurse in the emergency ward, the group of friends just sent him, explained that he was already in that state and left. No name or contact no. was given. And they were very honest as they did not taken any of his belonging nor a single cent of his money. The attending nurse at the emergency ward was the one who contacted me and my in-laws to tell us about his conditions.

He was brought in at around 10.30pm on Friday night and was operated immediately at 11.45pm. The first operation ended at 4 am, Saturday morning. They managed to remove all the blood and stopped the bleeding. At around 8.30 am, when the doctor was doing his round, he noticed that his right pupil was bigger that the left pupil. They did another round of scan and noticed that his right brain is swelling and this causes the face to bloat. So they did another operation in order to stop the swelling. And alhamdullilah, he looks better now although he is still unconscious.

To all friends who came to visit and to all the wellwishers, thank you for all the morale support and prayers. Will keep you guys posted on his conditions.

P/S: As cruel as it may be, please take Hootie's experience as a lesson. It doesn't mean that when we are healthy, we will not get what Hootie has. Also it doesn't mean that by having a healthy lifestyle, we won't suffer any other health problems. Do go for regular check-up and invest in "life saving" devices such as blood pressure monitor and sugar level monitor (which I found out will cost only a couple of hundreds and easily available at all the major pharmacies). Do not be such a cheapskate when it comes to your health for any amount of money can never replace your health and life.

When honesty is not the best policy

As a kid, I was told not to tell lies. But as I grow older, I suddenly realised that the very person that told me this, has somewhat tell lies, let it be big ones or small ones (what we call "a white lie").

I often ask myself, why do I sometimes have to lie or being lied to (yes, I am guilty of this sin people, but like I said, I have yet to find someone that is as pure as saint). I mean, is not that I want to lie, but sometimes, lying seems to be the best option around.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a liar nor do I condone to lying. But, there are instances where I feel that by not telling the truth, the outcome of the situation would be 20 times better. This is normally when I am torn between trying to please the other person or suffer the consequences myself. Take for instance, when I want to go out clubbing (during my single days), I admit that I had to tell a white lie to my mother so that I can spend sometime (and money) at clubs. Imagined if I had told her that I am going clubbing, I wouldn't even get to the front door of the house, let alone the front door of the club!

People lie for different reasons. Some are just are purely liars (yes, I have come across people of this sort). Some lie to protect the feelings of others, while some just want to keep peace. Many a times that I have been caught in situations where, in order to not let hell loose, I have to tell a white lie.

I guess, at the end of the day, we are given the option to tell the truth or to lie. Whether we choose to tell the truth or a little white lie, is entirely up to our conscience. As for me, the golden rule I always apply is that "Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others". Hence, most of the time, I will tell the truth, no matter how hard it is for me as I do not appreciate being lied to straight in my face.

Superb!!!

Seriously guys... go check out this movie... and don't be a cheapskate and buy pirated DVD because nothing beats the special effects that can only be experienced on big screen with surround sound.

Synopsis of the movie (quoted from rottentomatoes website)

For both comic book fans and those who can't tell the Green Lantern from the Green Arrow, IRON MAN is the type of summer blockbuster whose appeal lasts far beyond the season. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a billionaire playboy and genius who puts as much effort into chasing skirts as he puts into chasing his next big idea. A trip to Afghanistan to sell weapons quickly devolves into chaos, and Stark finds himself at the mercy of a warlord who wants him to build a missile. Instead, Stark creates a powerful suit of armor, turning him into Iron Man and allowing him to escape. When he returns to America, his assistant Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow), friend Rhodey (Terrence Howard), and right-hand man Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) all marvel at the change in the man they knew. IRON MAN is the first film to be self-financed by Marvel Studios, and they should be proud of their freshman effort. They didn't take any obvious routes with choosing the cast or crew, and it pays off. Director Jon Favreau, who also has a small role in the film, is best known for directing ELF, but his first action-driven effort is nearly flawless. Casting Downey was gutsy but inspired: this is his first big action picture as well, but the wit he displays in films such as the cult hit KISS KISS, BANG BANG works perfectly for the character of Stark. IRON MAN features nods to its beloved source material, as well as to the classic animated series of the 1960s. But even for the uninitiated, this film provides an interesting entry into the Marvel superhero's universe.

What I think of the movie? Excellent...

1. Robert Downey Jr. is soooooooo good looking and witty. I was literally drooling while watching him on screen;
2. The special effects are superb
3. The gadgets were all the latest, state of the art technology. Even the cars and accessories were to die for (you can really see that there is a very good product placement effort)
4. Apart from being another comic-turned-block buster movie, the issue that was brought forward in the movie makes one question his/her own conscience (well at least, I did)

Nonetheless, was rather disturbed by the potrayal of Afghans as the terrorist in the movie. In the movie, we can also see that actually Stark's company is the one behind all the terrorism. When Tony (aka Robert) had a "wake up call" and found out the truth, he tried to change the world he had created.

Some lessons to take home:

• Always be mindful that every action we make/take, there will be some repercussion, no matter how small or how big it will be;
• Giving up is not an option. Failure is also not an option.
• Always keep your friends close but your enemies closer. You never know who you can or can't trust.
• Have a heart. Trust me, this is the only thing that can keep you alive at the end of the day.
• True friends are the one who stays when you hit rock bottom and they never ask for anything in return.

Happy watching guys!

HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY

To all mothers around the world,

HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY!!!

(Note to self:- need to upgrade internet connection at home since currently IT SUCKS!)

Now, back to some serious matter.

Mothers are supposed to be God Sent. I'm sure majority of us have great mothers and special in their own personal way. Many of us have also expressed our love and ever lasting gratitude to our mothers and why we feel that our mother is the best thing on earth.

Nonetheless, can't help feeling angry and disgusted when reading/hearing about mothers who fail to be what they are supposed to be. We often read and hear about abusive fathers but there are many, many abusive mothers around. The most common would be "baby dumping". Too many of this story have been covered in the media. Babies showing up in garbage bag, get eaten by wild dogs/animals, flushed down the toilet etc. I mean, where is the maternal instinct in that? One might argue that it could be the father who is responsible, but as a mother, wouldn't you do anything to fight for the life of your baby? Why bother going through 9 months of pregnancy (not to mention the excruciating labour pain), only to dumb the kid at the end of it? I'm sure there are many childless couples out there who would die to get these abandon babies. Or the very least, abort the baby at the early stage of the pregnancy. (Note: I'm not condoning abortion nor am I a big fan of it, but I do believe that this is the better option compared to treating the baby as if it is rubbish and throwing the baby, after it being born, in a dumpster. Or better still, go look for adoptive family for the baby!)

Maybe it is easier said than done. I've never been in such position nor have I met any of the mothers who decided to "throw" their kids, hence I wouldn't know what they had to go through and why such action was done. There are always two sides to every coin. But, what I do believe is that mothers are supposed to be a comfort and safety zone for their kids.

Hopefully, when I am a mother, I will be a good one. Maybe not the best in the world, but in the eyes of my kids, the best in their world.

How time flies...

I'm still waiting for Hootie to pick me up from work and all of a sudden it occured to me. It is already May and almost half of the year had gone. I still remember clearly celebrating New Year's eve with friends and having New Year get together with the Gymfreaks (well, I spent the whole evening doing 160 small pieces of begedil and rush my ass to Wine Room to celebrate New Year's eve... And of course running out of gas while frying the begedil to be brought over to Kak Ani and Doc's new pad the next day, and the incident whereby Kak Ani has everything in the kitchen except for a bottle of soya sauce.)

I am not a person that do yearly resolutions so I have no resolutions to reflect upon. However, whatever I was trying to achive at the beginning of the year, seems to be miles away. Work wise, the IB team have been diligently forwarding deals for my team to execute. Hopefully we can justify to the Head of Department on why a hefty bonus should be paid to us next year. Family wise, there's still me and Hootie but I've stop worrying about it and instead, focus on enjoying our time together. I mean, if I'm currently pregnant, I would have to stop going to my favourite BodyJam class and obviously clubbing. Financial wise, slight improvement on my debt situation but still need to dicipline myself to not shop till I'm broke. Fashion wise, managed to expand my collection with whatever little budget that I allocated to myself.

Nonetheless, I've had many memorable get-together with the Gymfreaks and the rest of my other friends for the last 5 months (and many more to come, speaking of which, for those interested, bila nak karaoke nie?). Even managed to piss a few people off within the short period of time. But the one thing I'm looking forward to is my confirmation (due on 19 May), which would mean a very minimal payrise. But at least I'll get my pay on the 25th of each month, instead of the 30th.

So, what do I expect for the remainder of the year? Nothing much except good health for both Hootie and me and not forgetting my family, Gymfreaks and other friends out there, more wealth and blessing from His Almighty.

PEACE OUT...

Excuse me ma'am, but how do you pronounce Loewe?

To own a designer something, let it be shoes, handbag, clothes, jewellery and other fashinonable accessories, is a statement. It is a reflection of your financial status and fashion savvy (since certain designer labels are more expenses and more renown than others!)

According to Kimora Lee, one can never have too many LVs. However, make sure you know how to pronounce your designer correctly. There's nothing more embrassing than ostentatiously flaunting your Hermes Birkin bag and pronouncing it Her-Mes (is should be pronounce as Air-mez, mind you!)

Listed below are some of the common mispronounced designer labels:

(Should you still fail to pronounce it by reading the phonetics, you can always google up "pronouncing designer" for websites containing audio pronounciations)

Anya Hindmarch: Ahn-ya Heind-march

Atelier: ah-tell-ee-ay

Balenciaga: Buh - Lin - See - Ah - Ga
Bally: Bah-li
Balmain: Bahl-Mah
Baume & Mercier: Bom ee Mer-See-yay

Bebe: Bee-bee
Bottega Veneta: Bo-tega Ven-e-ta

Braun Buffel: Brohn Byu-furl
Bruno Magli: Broo-no Mal-yi

Bulgari: Bool-ga-ree

Burberry Prorsum: Bur-bur-ree Pror-some
Carolina Herrera: Caro-leena Hair-era

Chacharel: Ka-sha-rel
Chanel: Sha-Nel

Charriol: Sha-ree-ol
Chloe: Kloh-eh
Chopard: Sho Par

Christian Lacroix: Christian Lah-kwa

Christian Louboutin: Loo-boo-tin

Cartier: Kar-ti-yay
Celine: seh-lyn
Cerruti: Cher-Ru-tee

Dolce & Gabbana: Dol-cheh and Ge-Ba-na

Dries Van Noten: Drees Van Know-ten

Elie Saab: Eh-li Zahb

Emilio Pucci: Ehm-ee-lee-o Poo-chee
Emporio Armani: Em-Pohr-yo Ar-mah-ni

Ermenegildo Zegna: Er-men-a-geel-do Zen-ya

Etienne Aigner: Eight-Yen Ahg-neigh

Givenchy: Jhee-von-shee

Gucci: Jew-chih
Guy Laroche: Gee Lah-Rosh

Hervé Léger: Air-vay Lay-jay
Issey Miyake: Ees-say Mi-Ya-kay

Jaeger-Lecoultre: Yay-ger Leh-Koot

Jean Paul Gaultier: zhan paul Go-tee-Ay

Joeffer Caoc: Joe-fur Kay-ock
Lanvin: lon-Van
Loewe: LO-ee-Vay

Longchamp: Long-shum
Longines: Lohn-jeens

Louis Vuitton: Loo-ee Voo-ee-ton
Manolo Blahnik: Ma-no-low Blah-nick

Marchesa: Mar-kay-sa
Mainbocher: Maynbo-shay
Moschino: Mo-ski-no
Piaget: Pya-jay

Pierre Cardin: Pee-air Car-dain
Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren (as in Lauren the girl’s name, not Sophia Loren)
6267: Six-two-six-seven (not Sixty-two-sixty-seven)
Salvatore Ferragamo: Sal-va-Toh-reh Fehr a-Gah-mo

Sonia Rykiel: Sonia Ree-kee-eel
Sophia Kokosalaki: So-fee-a Ko-ko-sah-lah-kee
Swarovski: Swa - Roff - Ski

Thakoon: Ta-koon
Thierry Mugler: Tee-air-ree Moog-lay
Tocca: Toe-ka

Ungaro: Oon-ga-ro
Versace: ver-Sah-chay

So guys, all of you can now head on to Pavillion and shop till you drop.

There'e Gotta Be More to Life...

There's gotta be more to life...
Than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me
Cause the more that I'm...
Trippin' out thinkin' there must be more to life
Well it's life, but I'm sure... There's gotta be more
(More to life - Stacie Orrico)

Was listening to old tunes from my ever faithful IPod (where would I be without it?) and this song played on. There is some truth in it. Besides trying to be happily married, having an extremely patient and understanding spouse, wishing there are kids along the way, 4 adorable god-children, generous parents in-law, having the greatest boss on earth (trust me, where to find a boss where you can do what you like eg come to work at 9.30 am and leaving the office at 6pm), having a decent income so that I can at least splurge on a monthly basis, a wardrobe full of Nike stuff, I still wish that I have more that what I have now.

Like it or not, sometimes we DO compare ourselves with others, let it be career wise, family wise or even the way we potray ourselves compared to others. And when we start comparing, we normally ended up thinking "is this as good as it gets?" "If only I have more money to buy a Chanel suit, I'll look good" "How did he/she end up with so much money" "It's not fair, no matter how much she eats, she's still slim" etc... etc...

I'm not ashamed to admit that I use to be in this boat (or maybe I still am?). During my earlier career days, I used to get jealous when I see another person wearing a better suit than mine, carries an expensive, luxurious handbag, wear designer shoes. And what do I? I hit the store and bought myself all these, making sure they are more expensive than my rival. At that point in time, being seen in designer labels is all I care about, regardless of how big a hole my pocket is. Now, I am still paying for my lifestyle back then and wishing that I didn't bother competing with the Jones.

I've learned a lot and obviously, the hard way. I shouldn't spend money that I don't have (but I must have the limited edition Nike Shox!). If someone really loves you, they don't really care how you look, it's what in you heart (but it wouldn't kill if you try to dress like JLo or have a bootylicious body like Beyonce or Kylie Minogue). The ones that stay when the shit hits the fan are your true friends. Driving like a maniac DOES NOT get you there faster. And many other painful lessons.

Nonetheless, the very one thing I realise is that if we have faith in God and seek His guidance in times of needs, than life is not as bad as it seems.

All out of love...

Another one of my beloved friend has started blogging. Kudos Mak Itam! Keep up the good work. Finally, today, I got the opportunity to drop by his blog. His latest topic is about falling and being in love, which I was inspired to pen down my own views and experiences.

The first memory that I can recall, which I thought I actually fell in love with a guy, was when I was 17. Well, at least I thought I was in love. Then, I furthered my studies and we broke off. However, I don't recall being sad or upset about the break up. I went on with college life and uni life, meeting new guys and dating. When I was in my first year of Uni, again, I thought I had fallen in love. He was a senior in Uni. I spent two years of my life with him. Sort of devoted to him. I stopped going clubbing with friends and instead, I spent my many2 evenings and weekend with him. When I was in my final year, he was already back in Malaysia (he was my senior, remember?). Somehow the long distance relationship was not working for us and we decided to call it quit. Again, the whole breaking up thing didn't hit me. Luckily enough, six months after that I found someone else. Again, I fell in love. And this time, I knew it was real. I spent 8 years of my life with him and most of friends knew about his existence (I was proud of him, thus paraded him everywhere, even without his consent!).

During this 8 year - relationship, we fight, make-up, call each other nasty names when we are fighting and come up with cute names when we are feeling romantic etc. As both of us are now working in different industries (I was an auditor, he was a merchant banker), both of us never really had "us" time. I got frustrated and he kept working. To mend the relationship, I decided to change job and be in the same industry as he is. It was a good move, career wise. But again, both of us just got very busy with work. We never really paid attention to each other and we began to live separate life. I started going to the gym and hang out more with friends so that I wouldn't feel so lonely. At that point in time, I thought that whatever love both of us had was lost. There was no more passion.

To cut a long story short, I decided to end the relationship. However, this time it was different. I was really sad and taken aback by my action. This changed me into someone that I am not. I started clubbing and drinking again. I started going out with other guys too. But it was never the same. During this period, I had what I called "3 months contract" relationships with the guys I was going out with. I was a wild child. Thank god for the good friends who pulled me back from the path I was taking and made me realise that my life was worth more than just a Hermes handbag or a 1 carat De Beers ring from Habib.

I started my long journey of getting to know myself. During this time, I met Hootie and we decided to walk down the aisle. But like I said, this time it was different. Yes, I do love Hootie but the reason I married him was more than just love.

I guess, as we grow wiser, our view towards life changes. I used to think that love is the most important thing in making it in a relationship. The reality is that, once the passion is gone, we need more than just love to make it. A person changes throughout the years hence there is no way their feelings will remain the same. I learned this the hard way. Nonetheless, I am proud to say that I've had true love (or "cinta agung" as some puts it), even though it had a sad ending.

Regrets

Do you ever have days where you wake up and thought "why is my life the way it is?" "Is there something that I am doing wrong?" "Is there anything I should have done or shouldn't do, so much so that I am stuck with what I have?"

Yes, people, I have regrets. And sadly, of late, I kept thinking of my regrets. When I was younger, I never stopped to think about my actions. My alter ego always gets the best of me. Fed up of my audit work, I looked for a new job. Tired of certain friends/group of people, I just stopped seeing them. Men giving me headache, dumped them.

I am not regretting about moving job. It was probably the best decision that I made so far. My regrets are of losing friends and love ones. If only I took a step back and not be soooooo arrogant and stubborn, I could have save a few friendships along the way. Maybe I would not feel so melancholic.

Well, as they say, it is now bridge under the water. But how do one deal with regrets? Forget it? Act on it? Talk about it until one gets tired and eventually forget about it? Make up for it? Sometimes I wish that there is such thing as "Total Recall". Or the Haitian guy from Heroes exist so that I can erase certain memories.

Living in regret hurts but I guess it is what makes me a person.

Riding in the Rain

Hmmm... was on leave last Friday, hence a long weekend for moi. It was a much needed rest. But as usual, work piles up (how can work piles up so much over one day?) and spent the whole day clearing inbox, in-tray and other nick-nacks in the office.

Managed to read some of my friends blogs and the hot topic at the mo seems to be work rant. I mean, I can totally relate when some of my friends are complaining about work. It seems like the Bosses are united in making "execkulis's" (like moi) life a living hell. Take last week for instance, I nearly fell sick because I had to ride a motorbike in order to deliver a document before the deadline. It has been raining lately and driving around KL when it rains is NOT an option (unless one enjoys being stuck in flash floods and massive traffic jam). My boss knew damn well that the document has to be in the hands of the client by 5pm but still decided to change a few things at the very last minute. She finally signed the damn thing at 4pm and I have to rush out to deliver it. Almost had a heart attack when I saw the massive jam outside office. But in the spirit of not letting the client down and to save the Boss's "water face", I borrowed the Office Boys's motorbike and rode it all the way to the client's place. It's not far and I can actually walk, but it was faster to just ride (and also, thinking that the rain has subsided, so what the heck!). In less than 10 minutes I was there. After passing and explaining the necessary to the client, I rode back. And of course, Murphy's Law applied, it just had to rain while I was riding back. And I was so near office!!! Feeling upset, I instantly applied for leave. Luckily, the Boss approved it.

Today, the work load is not so bad, but I am willing to bet any money that it will be hell soon as the IB team has landed a job for me to execute and 2 IPOs coming. So, I guess I need to stock up on my midnight oil.

Einstein's Riddle

Another one of the many2 chain mails that I get in my mail box, which I feel is better off being posted here compared to "clogging" my friend's mailbox. Enjoy! I managed to solve it (within a couple of days). Alternatively, can always Google the answer!

There are 5 houses in 5 different colors. In each house lives a person with a different nationality. The 5 owners drink a certain type of beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar, and keep a certain pet. No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar, or drink the same beverage.

The question is: Who owns the fish?

Hints:
The Brit lives in the red house.
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
The Dane drinks tea.
The green house is on the left of the white house.
The green homeowner drinks coffee.
The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
The man living in the center house drinks milk.
The Norwegian lives in the first house.
The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats.
The man who keeps the horse lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
The owner who smokes Bluemaster drinks beer.
The German smokes prince.
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
The man who smokes Blend has a neighbor who drinks water.

Einstein wrote this riddle early during the 19th century. He said 98% of the world could not solve it. Its not hard, you just need to pay attention and be patient.

Seeing Green

There was a millionaire who was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted so many physicians and was getting his treatment done. He did not stop consulting galaxy of medical experts; he consumed heavy loads of drugs and underwent hundreds of injections. But the ache persisted with great vigour than before.

At last a monk who has supposed to be an expert in treating such patients was called for by the millionaire. The monk understood his problem and said that for sometime he should concentrate only on green colours and not to fall his eyes on any other colours.

The millionaire got together a group of painters and purchased barrels of green color and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall to be painted in green colour just as the monk had directed. When the monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire's servants ran with buckets of green paints and poured on him since he was in red dress, lest their master not see any other colour and his eye ache would come back. Hearing this monk laughed said: "If only you had purchased a pair of green spectacles, worth just a few dollars, you could have saved these walls and trees and pots and all other articles and also could have saved a large share of his fortune. You cannot paint the world green."

Morale of the story:-

Let us change our vision and the world will appear accordingly.

Me and Murphy's Law

I am one of those few privilege ones that always get tested by God. However, God is great. No matter how sticky a situation gets, God the Almighty will turn things around.

Ever been in a "Murphy's Law" situation? Ever been in a situation where you know that things can go wrong and eventually go wrong? I have been in such situations many, many times.

Several instances where Murhpy Law will apply to me:-

• I was rushing for a meeting. Exit carpark and realise that I have left the documents needed for the meeting in the office. Went back to get the documents and try to hit the road, again. Suddenly, stuck in a bad jam because everyone in KL decides to hit the road at the same time. However, was not considered late due to some other members of the due diligence working being late coz' they were stuck at the same traffic jam. Lucky eh?

• Once, I was already late to check-in for a flight to Brunei (don't get me started on why I was late to get my ass to the airport). I checked-in 45 minutes before departure. Since I was late, I was not allowed to check-in my luggage. So, I had to hand carry them all (one big suitcase, a handbag and a laptop. And for those who knows me, I don't travel light!). And of course the gate to the plane would have to be the furthest gate in the satellite terminal of KLIA (you guys know how taxing it is to get to the satellite terminal, let alone gate C31). Madly rush through immigration, took the train and literally ran towards gate C31, only to find out that the flight was delayed. Damn!

• For some strange reason, whenever I want to go to my gym class on Saturday afternoons, all the Ampang people decides to leave for town. The best was what happened 2 Saturdays ago. Hootie went out to buy some groceries at about 11 am and came back about 12pm. I asked him if the roads were busy, and he said no. So I got ready for gym and left my apartment at about 12.30pm. And of course, the roads WERE BUSY! How can it be? Within the span of 1/2 hour, the people of Ampang has decided unanimously to hit the road towards KL. We managed to get to the ever faithful elevated highway and I thought to myself, I can still make it to class. To my horror, Jalan Sultan Ismail was also jam. Again, I thought to myself, since the class instructor is an old friend, he wouldn't mind me making a grand entrance. Due to a miracle, I did managed to get to the gym on time, but only to find out the class had been cancelled because the instructor was admitted to hospital. Again, damn!

• This month, my car insurance and road tax need to be renewed. Now that I'm almost penniless (the car insurance and road tax has burned an additional RM1k hole to my pocket), the sliding door to the apartment decides to give way. Since I'm staying at my mother's apartment, I would have to fixed it before my mother decides to drop in unsuspectingly and nag me on why I have not fixed the stupid sliding door.

I have many more Murphy Law stories to tell. Nonetheless, I believe that things always happen for a reason, whether I realised it or not. As a saying goes, God works in mysterious ways.

The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. " The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him! When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. "Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO?" the others said. Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
If you plant hard work, you will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.