Christmas.. Over?

Christmas just started, for me. Despite the fact that in Malaysia the shops immediately took down all Christmas stuff and hung up all the Chinese New Year decorations.. Even before Christmas, I went into a shop that sells Christmas ornaments yet plays lion dance songs.. hmm..

How's Christmas for you? I only had time to get into Christmas mood on Christmas eve. The tree was up just a day before, and presents were wrapped in a great hurry. My family did not open house (invite guests to come) for celebration, maybe because of the fact that we celebrate Chinese New Year, and opening the house twice would mean double stress! Ooh! BUT, we did have family dinner and everyone came back from far and near except one..still, it was a happy reunion because a call/sms completed it.

Anyway, Christmas for me was great and IS still fun-filled..for the birthday boy, Jesus' celebration must go on everyday! Not only during Christmas should we remember him, best if everyday he is exalted and lifted high! Without him, what would become of us...

Now that the country mood swings into welcoming the new year 2009, we can't forget that 2008 has been 'playing its role', be it a fruitful year or not. After all, we make the fruits happen!

So cheers to 2008, and welcome 2009~


-little cup-

Weddings...

Lately there have been a lot of weddings going on. Friends ..and especially my own uncle! Gosh that was a bomb for me. The wedding was on the day of my finals presentation and as we all know, weddings must come with wedding dinners.. Hence, the dinner was that night, with the next day final paper in the morning! ... Didn't know how I survived that night's sleep and the morning's paper. Prayer must have helped the most to keep me awake and alert.

Anyway, here's a little story about weddings.


Title: THE RING

"IF YOUR GIFT IS NOT PACKED THE WAY YOU WANT IT, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS BETTER PACKED THAT WAY!"

Hope you will enjoy and be blessed with this story.

A married lady was expecting a birthday gift from her husband. For many months she had admired a beautiful diamond ring in a showroom, and knowing her husband could afford it, she told him that was all she wanted.

As her birthday approached, this lady awaited signs that her husband had purchased the diamond ring. Finally, on the morning of her birthday, her husband called her into his studyroom. Her husband told her how proud he was to have such a good wife, and told her how much he loved her. He handed her a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, the wife opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the wife's name embossed in gold. Angrily, she raised her voice to her husband and said, 'With all your money you give me a Bible?' and stormed out of the house, leaving her husband.

Many years passed and the married lady was very successful in business. She managed to settle for a more beautiful house and a wonderful family, but realized her ex-husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to visit him. She had not seen him for many years.
But before she could make arrangements, she received a telegram telling her that her ex-husband had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to her. She needed to come back immediately and take care of things.

When she arrived at her ex-husband's house, sudden sadness and regret filled her heart. She began to search through her ex-husband's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as she had left it years ago. With tears, she opened the Bible and began to turn the pages.

Her ex-husband had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, 'And if you, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?'

As she read those words, a tiny package dropped from the back of the Bible. It had diamond ring with her name engraved on it, the same diamond ring which she saw at the showroom. On the tag was the date of her birth, and the words.. 'LUV U ALWAYS'...


How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this.

Credits to the anonymous writer of this story.


-little cup-

Free at Last

Exam just finished and all the 'clashes' went quite well. In fact, all turned out better than I expected, to my great surprise! Praise God indeed. He works in marvellous ways beyind your expectations.

Now that everything is over.... finally I can sit down and slowly sip my cup of tea. However, such freedoms will only last temporary. I just remembered, the moment I finished all these major concerns, more came into the picture and filled up my upcoming weeks.. so much for slow sippings of tea.

But all the same, the ones of higher priority should be attended to first, followed by those of less importance. To cut things real short this time, remember to prioritise!

Till the next post, I need to prioritise my work first. =)


-little cup-

Latest Christmas Carol for 2008

Sounds familiar?


You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

It's hitting you once,
It's hitting you twice
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise
Recession is coming to town

It's worthless if you've got shares
It's worthless if you've got bonds
It's safe when you've got cash in hand
So keep cash for goodness sake, HEY

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town!

Finance products are confusing
Finance products are so vague
The banks make you bear the cost of risk
So keep out for goodness sake, OH

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town..

-D.T.-


The latest version of 'Santa Claus is coming to town' adapted to current economic situation, created by a friend of mine. However, Christmas is always Christmas, so celebrate it with joy and peace... =)

Merry Christmas!

-little cup-

Listening

How many times have you encountered when we talked and the other person does not seem to be...listening?

I learnt from the course I was attending these few days that listening is essential and very important to have a good communication relationship between the speaker and the listener. Listening and hearing are two different actions. Listening involves more attention and some thinking whereas hearing is just giving the 'sound' attention and not more than that. Most of the time if the topic said does not concern us, we tend to shift our mode from listening to hearing. And this does not please the speaker, as much as he/she does not show it.

In order to have effective communication, there must be listening and speaking. Listening is not an easy task to do. Hearing is. Why do I say so? Think of the times when others ignored you while you spoke.. why did they hear and not listen?

Some of the tips I learnt are similar to these listed below; (taken from DrNadig)


Listening Skills:

--Usually it is important to paraphrase and use your own words in verbalizing your understanding of the message. Parroting back the words verbatim is annoying and does not ensure accurate understanding of the message.

--Depending on the purpose of the interaction and your understanding of what is relevant, you could reflect back the other persons:
Account of the facts.
Thoughts and beliefs.
Feelings and emotions.
Wants, needs or motivation.
Hopes and expectations.

--Don’t respond to just the meaning of the words, look for the feelings or intent beyond the words. The dictionary or surface meaning of the words or code used by the sender is not the message.

--Inhibit your impulse to immediately answer questions. The code may be in the form of a question. Sometimes people ask questions when they really want to express themselves and are not open to hearing an answer.

--Know when to quit using active listening. Once you accurately understand the sender’s message, it may be appropriate to respond with your own message. Don’t use active listening to hide and avoid revealing your own position.

--Clarifying. If you are confused and know you do not understand, either tell the person you don’t understand and ask him/her to say it another way, or use your best guess. If you are incorrect, the person will realize it and will likely attempt to correct your misunderstanding.

--Active listening is a very effective first response when the other person is angry, hurt or expressing difficult feelings toward you, especially in relationships that are important to you.

--Use eye contact and listening body language. Avoid looking at your watch or at other people or activities around the room. Face and lean toward the speaker and nod your head, as it is appropriate. Be careful about crossing your arms and appearing closed or critical.

--Be empathic and nonjudgmental. You can be accepting and respectful of the person and their feelings and beliefs without invalidating or giving up your own position, or without agreeing with the accuracy and validity of their view.

"We were given two ears but only one mouth, because listening is twice as hard as talking." - Larry Adan Nadig (Clinical Psychologist)

-little cup-

Reunions..Delayed.

It's summer in the western countries, hence holidays for college/university student there. Most of my friends have returned from their respective regions in the world, where as I stayed back home obediently awaiting their returns.

Holidays for them, great! No holidays for me yet...great.. (sigh) Still, knowing the fact that friends have returned is a very uplifting moment. That means more time together for drinks, to catch up on everyone and how life has been treating them in the past...one year. Waow, time really flies. Just a year ago we were together back in school then gone for good and now, back together again. In no time we'll be talking about children instead. (laughs)

Although reunions will be later for me this time since my time is rather different than theirs, there will still be a time to pass a smile to each of them or a call over the phone would do just as sweet. Reunion is always something nice to look forward to. Delayed as it will be, I believe there will be a time to be together again, just like the olden days.

How I wish reunions can be often. And family reunions too..


-little cup-

Packed

Lately classes have been very packed - for me is daily. Now with another course I'm attending, time is so closely arranged that I only have enough time for meals and night revision hours..

So tired.

I always thought life would be carefree, easy and relaxing. Indeed it never was and never will be. It is how we live our lives that will make it how we think it should be.

Although packed at times we may be with work etc, always remember to put priorities straight and maintain the One focus in mind at all times. Sometimes we need reminders for this sort of thing..and I am not excluded. =)

Will be off for a while from blogging. Thanks for patience!


-little cup-

Smoke?

It was a usual day to college, then went up to class to arrange seating arrangements then suddenly the 'idea' of the day came to me and I happened to miss marking it in my schedule book. So rushed with another friend to 'carry out the idea' then on the way...

Smoke?

Then a fire brigade dashed through, calling all drivers to give way. (We were walking at the road side) Then I looked again - fire!

Gosh, at first glance I thought the hotel under construction caught fire. Then as we walked further on, I heard the bystanders who stood at the roadside watching the smoke say, "It's the school..."

I gasped.

SMK Kuching High will sign the front page of The Borneo Post tomorrow. My friend took photos of the smoke due to 'sakai-ness' but I couldn't get hold of them. Here's another friend's blog which has the complete pictures. Check it out here!

I can only hope that the documents, especially the exam papers are safe and sound...since the building burnt is said to be the office block. Or else.. I can't imagine what would happen if i were the student whose testpapers were burnt.

Let's just take this as a precautionary advice to be careful when dealing with electric switches or anything that can cause fire.


-little cup-

Laziness

Lately classes have been hectic.. Assignments deadlines creeping up! Quizes just around the corner! And exams in less than 20 days! O.o

And above all these 'loads', laziness comes in slyly... ah procrastination!

I used to not be lazy, well I try not to be. Homework must be done in time, no late submissions or excuses whatsoever. Then motivation is important in order to keep the hands and brain working to finish the works..

Now..things have changed. The body seems to laze around more than it used to. And the brain has slowed down, more like decelerated. Oh blame the environment!

All the same, things that has to be done must be done. Assignments must be completed in due time... so NO procrastination! Only self-discipline can help oneself to be organized.

Somehow prayer helps when you lose focus while doing work. =)


-little cup-

Stunned

I was with two friends a year younger than myself this evening when they enquired on my age. So here goes the conversation:

L: Hey..just want to ask, how old are you?
Me: How old do you think I am?
L: Um..(and numbers start shooting out)
Me: (shakes head at every number)
L: Then what....?? (somehow frustrated)
Me: ** (age to be kept private)
L: WHAT????

And he just stood there staring at me with mouth wide open. Stunned.

And I laughed and laughed...and couldn't stop. I just shocked them too much for words. I even showed them my identity card to prove my age, yet they couldn't believe. In the end I had to get another friend who knew my age and is a good friend of theirs to convince them, which succeeded.

What a funny shock for the both of them. The other friend just stood there silent, trying to absorb my words. Speechless.

I guess I just made up their night - with a funny shock. I have a feeling even until now they still couldn't believe me totally. Praise God for jokes! and real facts!


-little cup-

The Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'

I laughed and enthusiastically responded; 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked. She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'

'No seriously,' I asked I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us.

She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.' As we laughed she cleared her throat and began,

"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do any thing I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.' She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it! These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

'Good friends are like stars........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.'

The lyrics of the song can be found here: TheRose


(From an e-mail)
-little cup-

Tagged

This is so sweet of my 'sister' to steal 15 minutes of mine..here it is for you. =)

1. What's your most favourite colour? -white

2. Who is the most important to you? -everyone actually

3. How often do you think of committing suicide? -nah.. life is so precious, why should I waste?

4. Do you think you have enough confidence? -:D

5. How many babies you want? -who created this question huh??

6. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain? -*nods*

7. What is your goal for this year? -finish my assignments on time.

8. Do you believe in eternity love? -hm...

9. Do you think that the person who tag you, like to play kidnapping?-er.. what kind of question is this?

10. What are you really afraid of? -hehe, for me to know, not for you to find out.

11. What is your bad habit? -you'll know if you know me

12. Do u have a secret crush? -ala...=.=" definitely no.

13. Do you cherish every single friendship of yours? -very.

14. What does flying means to you? -cool man!

15. What would you do if tomorrow your parents will be gone forever? -tell them i love them this instant.

16. Are you single/relationship? -single.

17. Describe the person who tagged you in 5 words. -small, cute, growing (up, not sideways), cute and small again. hehe! =P

18. What have you done to yourself to make yourself happy? -smile! it works!

19. What is your little wish? (as in little stuff like dying your hair orange and stuff) -ah? no more car accidents..yea.

20: What are you craving now? -ice cream.

I'm not tagging anyone...but if you are too free and bored, be my guest to answer these tag questions. (You may change any question you do not like, and replace with one of your own to make it complete 20)


-little cup-

Third Party

Just the other day, a friend of mine complained she couldn't see me online in the chatroom. I found it rather weird because I could see her everytime she comes online or leaves. She has been very frustrated since everytime she wanted to chat with me, she couldn't determine clearly if I was online or not. So a few days back, we sat down together and checked each other's account to settle the problem.

After a few blockings and unblockings, adding as new contacts over and over again, we still could not settle the problem..until another friend came into the picture and since she could see the both of us, she pulled us into a same conversation together. That was the first time my friend saw me online and she laughed in joy, and couldn't stop hugging me for she could finally see me. I on the other hand, was more than delighted to have her in my circle of conversations.

This incident made me think - sometimes in a miscommunication, there is a problem that neither party could see, so there is a need to have a third party to come into the circle and see (for them) that things are back in their own places. In this case, my other friend who pulled both of us into the same chat room was the third party.

Although many times most cases solve better if the afftected parties work out the problems themselves, most cases need a 'third person' who can be relied on, to sort things out.


-little cup-

Roads

We all have our goals in life. We aim for something, yet at times we can't seem to get it. It's too high, you might say.

I always have this motto: Aim High, but Go Further!

At the times we can't get what we aim for, perhaps we just missed it because we used a short-cut. What if we use the long way..and yet can reach it in the end?

This might sound confusing but think of a straight line which symbolises the short-cut you take towards your goal. When you almost reach the goal, there is a dead end. You end up walking back that same road to the starting point and then you use the long winding way around till you reach the goal, which you did.

This is only applicable for certain goals, not all. The long way can be considered as a lesson to teach us something new about life that we never knew about. So do look around for the long road to take (sometimes), and not only concentrate on the short-cuts in life. You'll never know what lies in front of you.


-little cup-

Leaving and Living

When someone leaves for good, we bid farewell. When someone leaves for life, we can't bid farewell anymore, instead we say 'goodbye'.

Losing someone dear to us is not an easy thing to cope with. When I lost my loved ones a few years back, I couldn't understand why they had to leave, and why couldn't they just continue living with me. I questioned - but found no answer. Life and death are determined by the Creator, we have no right to say how long more we will live.

It is a hard fact to accept when you are told of the news of the loss of a friend, or any blood-related family members. It feels as if yesterday you just talked to the person, and the next day.. he/she is gone.

Somehow, life on earth is just once. We live until we have 'completed our mission', and then we will leave. Sometimes the person who left before us might have completed his/her tasks. In other words, he/she was meant to teach us a lesson to appreciate others dear to us before they really leave one day. That is the mission.

Death does not wait for anyone. It comes, and once it arrives, you cannot hold back. Start appreciating those around you before they leave, and on your part, continue to live your live once they have left. You still have a mission to complete.


-little cup-

Many Talents

Everyone was born with talents - at least one that differs oneself from another. Some might have more talents, some might just have one. No matter how many talents we have, we need to discover them and put them to good use.

I once had a friend who is very talented, for she can't speak. She can dance, draw and paint, decorate.. as long as it has something to do with arts, she proves to be the best. Her talents were not confined to herself only. She danced for her school dance competition, and drew and painted lovely art to raise funds for the area's blind society. She practiced her skills and rose to higher standards where she sent a message to the world that despite being dumb, she could be as talented as the world's most well-known dancer and artist.

Another friend of mine has similar talents. However, she never bothers to find out what her talents are actually worth because she feels that being dumb, the world turns down on her and she is useless. For that, her talents remain buried in herself. The effect of that: she lost her talents and could never gain them back. She regreted after 10 years when she discovered the beauty of dance and art. She ought to have expanded her skills so that in mere future she would touch the lives of many others through her talents no others would own. Turning back the time was the only way to make up for it, but it was too late.

With these, no talent should be hidden. Every skill, every knowledge should be shared and make known to others. Take time to know your talents, and don't be shy to use them. you'll never know how it can make a difference in the lives of others.


-little cup-

Quotations

These quotations are taken from Barack Obama's life history through Pictures mail. I've seen the pictures (courtesy of Barack Obama) and towards the end of it, this was what I read:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Reflecting on our own lives, there is a message for everyone. What is it for you?
Credits to the person who compiled these words and the pictures.


-little cup-

Laughter

Heard of this before? "Laughter is the best medicine." How true is it?

Here's one story to share on the benefits of laughter:

I used to be very low and down. I was always unhappy. Because of my negative thinking about life, I got sick often. I never liked to smile, what more to say laugh. No one could entertain me, not even my close friends. They gave up on me in the end because I just would not 'lift up' my heart. I was abandoned.

One day came this friend, S, who noticed the unwillingness to smile in me. S tried to peep through the window of my heart to see what the matter was that prevented me from smiling. S even went to the extend of breaking the window glass and dug out all my past. That period of time was suffering.

S shared with me the goodness of life, how life is so beautiful and interesting to live in. At first I refused to accept what was being said, but slowly I learnt the benefits of happiness. How nice it is to be free, to be uplifted and encouraged through laughter. S made me smile. S successfully 'cured' me with an injection of laughter.

I am really thankful to S for bringing joy in my life. Now I know laughter is the best medicine. I hardly get sick now, and life is more cheerful to look forward to. I laugh so often now that sometimes those around me get influenced to laugh with me (and at me). It's not that hard to laugh, just a thought of hilarious memory can stir the laughing gas.

So start laughing guys, it cures. =)

~L.L.~

I agree that laughter is the best medicine. Life is funny if you know how people live it. Get your nerves tickled and start laughing!

-little cup-

Knowing Someone Truly Cares

Have you ever felt the sweeping tides brushing your feet and seems to drag you into the sea? Or have you ever noticed the hard rain falling on your head leaving deep marks as on the moon?

I felt that. I felt the rain falling hard and the waves pulling me into the sea. I stood hard on my ground, but I lost my balance and fell.

There was no one around when I fell. I tried to stand up again, but my legs were just too weak to stand on their own; there I fell back on the shore where the waves continued sweeping and the rain falling.

I called for help, but no one walked by. I scanned for any shadow from every corner of the beach..and I found one. I called out, but pride came over and I retreated from the call. The shadow's owner came and held out a hand, but ego refused to reach out to it. Finally desperation grabbed the hand and I stood up again.

Sometimes certain things rub against our shoulders and conflict happens. At other times, our emotions fail ourselves, causing great disappointments and crushed feelings. But above all, if we dare to put aside our pride and call out for help, someone will answer you. Someone will reach out a hand to lift you up from the pit. Someone will care.

To EF: Thank you for caring. =)


-little cup-

Too Busy For A Friend

I received this in a mail.. from an old school friend who suddenly thought of me. And certainly her thought of kindness touched my heart. Read on..

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard someone whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.'

Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.'

'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'.

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'.

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

The purpose of this mail sent to me was so that I should forward to as many friends I care for in my life. But I realized I have too many to send to, and the idea of posting it up here came to my mind. So here it is, friends. This is for you; Thank you for being my friend.


-little cup-

Life Conversation

This is an excellent conversation between 'God' and an unknown ' - 'Me'. I don't know as to who has been the composer of such an interesting and captivating conversation; but has he/she has definitely put in good amount of thought into crafting the same.

*Those who don't believe in God, may also find it worth reading once. Enjoy and Think!*

God: Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No.. Who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time.. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With thatexperience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken.. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing your road ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?God: When they suffer they ask, 'why me?' When they prosper, they never ask 'Why me'. Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not merely a process of discovery but a process of co-creation. You are my co-creator.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.

God: Well.. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me.. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. 'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!'

~by Anson~


This is a very interesting story that gives us an insight about life and how to live it. Although this may be a conversation involving God (in other words, religion), but it doesn't mean that it is targeted on those with faith or has religion only. It is for everyone. =)


-little cup-

Foxes on the Prowl..

I read my friend's blog yesterday about his house being broken into. Here is where you can read further. I got rather shocked because his house is around my area too, meaning it was fortunate for the thief not to attack my house; but it also means that my house could be next..

Thieves...'foxes' as I would term this kind of people. The media talks so much about them, and they gain all the attention they wanted, or not. But still, why? Why must they do such thing? Who are these people?

Money is the reason, as far as I'm concerned. Or else why would they rob a house? Not that they need household utensils.. I usually have nothing to comment on theft cases; be it the metal bars at the walkway stolen, or forbidden houses being torn naked. But there is a limit to this. Why is nobody taking any action to reduce this crime rate?

I pity those whose houses were being forced into, where valuables were taken and in some cases, those living in it being harmed or traumatized by the event. I really hope someone will start doing something. Someone who has the authority. It won't be long until those with authority find their own houses being ransacked, as we have heard in the news not long ago on a minister's house.

In the mean time, readers please take care of your belongings. Pray for protection and guidance. Play your own part by keeping doors and windows locked whenever the house is empty, and remember to switch on the lights at night. Above all, do not keep too valuable items at home (be it under the bed or in safe deposit boxes). Get your house insured if possible.

Let us wish the very best to those whose house have been broken into, perhaps there is a blessing in disguise. =)


-little cup-

Hi Jack!

Here is one story that will enlighten your day. Remember to laugh!
(Credits to my friend for sending this to me, and to the writer of this story.)

After a month-long holiday in the US , my wife and I finally boarded the plane in San Francisco last Sunday heading home. As the plane reached cruising speed with the seat belt sign switched off, a 6 ft 3" black man with the build of Mike Tyson in the front row got up from his seat, turned to face the back, raised his arm and yelled, "HIJACK!".

Everyone was frozen to the seat, expecting the worst to happen. And two stewards were about to jump onto this guy to overpower him when another voice answered from the back of the plane: "HI JOHN !".

The moral of the story is: If you have a friend named Jack, for heaven's sake don't ever call him in the plane. Otherwise you may land yourself in deep shit.

So everyone, please do not play this prank joke.. think of the consequences if no one replies to your call.


-little cup-

Special Dedication

This post is specially for my college buddies, dedicated to acknowledge their constant support and sibling-love! Thanks guys (and girls)!

Everyone has friends. Close, distant. Good, bad. Obedient, naughty. You name it. This group of friends I'm dedicating this post to, are my best college buddies. I dare announce this because they are really the kind of friends you want to have, yet wish they're not your friends. Hmm..I'll go straight to the point.

2 weeks ago I was in a sick state. I refused to accept the fact that I was 'sick', I wanted to be just 'not well'. These college mates of mine, mainly Allister, Grace and Soon, are tough older siblings to have. Continuous nag nag naggings came from elder sis Grace, repetitive news "you are very sick" from Soon, and everything else from Allister. Those days in college was 'suffering'; yet I saw above all, their caring heart.

Having lunch with Grace was..hard. "No, cannot la. Later ah..you get worse..." I always crave for fried food when I'm sick, which I wasn't supposed to eat. Typical as an elder sister, Grace was the obstacle for my food intake. =.=" Obediently, I had to obey.. but thank you, Grace. If not for you, I would have gotten worst.

Then during one conversation with Soon, he asked me how I was. I replied in a way not wanting to tell him because at that moment, I was in a very sick state and being stubborn, I never wanted others to care about me. But this typical elder brother of mine insisted I answer his question, and I had to give in. After knowing my condition, he gave me 'special' attention and even went to the extend of buying medicine for me (because I refused to visit the doctor). I can only say now, I really appreciate his effort of helping me accept the reality that 'I am not so sick' but actually 'I am very sick'. Haha, thank you Soon.

Allister.. my pillow. Haha. She provides entertainment during my unwell phase. Knowing that boredom creeps in for sick patients, she tackled all of them for me. Thank you! So blessed to have you all!

Not to forget, Jac and Adrian who are the 'jokers' in the family. Jac, who was the first to comment of me having 's.e.x.y' voice just because I had terrible sore throat and lost my voice. That was the first time someone actually said that to me. O.o Adrian...quiet little guy. But all the same, I think he got sick the same time I was sick. I wonder if I spread the disease to him..hmm..

There was once I asked them, "what right do you have to tell me to do this and that, and not do this and that??" They simply replied, "because we are older than you." Oh! I wanted to stand my ground but that was it. It was enough being a few months older to get me back on my own two feet and start walking again. There's so much to express, but one thing: Thank you guys for your constant care and love. I've never had such loving elder siblings. You guys are definitely one in a million, and I will never trade you for anything. =)

This post is for you all.


-little cup-

Waiting

Have you ever waited for something or someone..and the wait sometimes seems rather...long? Or at times we wait and wait.. and the thing or person we waited for never came?

Waiting is actually something good if you look at it positively. It trains you to be more patient - something the world lacks today. But waiting can be very annoying when the thing or person you're waiting for never arrives.

Think of the last time you waited (for something or someone) for soooo long, and in the end, nothing turned out. There was annoyance and anger I presume. But now shift yourself into another situation where you are the one making others wait for you. Have you ever done that??

Everybody does. Even I myself. I dare to admit it because I want to take a step to change for the better, in other words; to not make others wait. To be Punctual. Ready. On the Go. I regret the many times I made my parents wait for me. I regret the times when friends waited and waited yet I gave no response.. Now I know how they felt when I made them wait - because I have had the same 'waiting frustrations'!

So the next time you make plans with anyone, please do not keep them waiting. I am sure you won't want to wait, if you were to be in their shoes. 5, 10 minutes - still okay. But 30 minutes, think twice before going out with that person. (No kidding, unless there's a reason for keeping you waiting)

Do practice punctuality, the world does not wait for you. =)


-little cup-

Holiday Breaks

Time flies.. I could still remember sitting in that big hall with nothing but tables and chairs and a sliding door next to me (since my seat was the first row), and 'sitting' anxiously on my examination papers. The experience was just unforgetable.

Holidays are always looked forward to, especially by students - and adults too - finally a time to rest and shift every attention away from what we normally do. Holidays can be very interesting if we know how to make fill up our time. Some students might hunt for part-time jobs, others stay home and glue themselves to the computer/other electronic devices, and adults will just grab a bag of clothes and disappear somewhere quiet.

Indeed holidays are called "free-time" because there is freedom is what we do! Now that the school holidays are approaching, students will definitely rejoice since books can be left to dust for 2 months. Older teens might grab the chance to meet up with old friends and chat over a cup of coffee..but there is one thing we need to keep in mind while 'holiday-ing'.

Holidays will not last forever. At the end of it, we still need to get back to what we usually do. Students- start of new semester. Adults- back to work. During holidays, it is best not to think about the stress or worries we have on what we usually do. Just take time to relax..and chill. But we need to remind ourselves that we live day by day and we cannot stop the fact that the world is moving. All these worries or whatever stress we have, we need to face them. We cannot just tell ourselves that 'oh, it's holiday, it will go away soon..' No.

Get back to reality after your days of enjoyment. Take back up your responsibilities. You have a life to live, a heart to touch, a soul to save. Do not dissolve yourself into holidays.. Come back to reality when it is time.


-little cup-

Lessons in Life (Part 5)

This is the last part of the mail I received. Despite the stories being simple, all of them came with meaningful messages and thoughts. Following this is the final story, credits to the contributer.

Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will save her.'

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away?'

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.

Now what can we learn from this story? Such a young innocent boy, yet with a heart of gold. As I thought, when will we ever have a heart of gold like his?

We can actually start developing this heart through our daily actions. Think about the little little things we can do that will have an end result of peace and contentment in ourselves. Although at times we hesistate to do them, but in the end we had to do and why, you will feel satisfied completing them! Try it, this satisfaction cannot be earned anywhere else except in yourself.

If we all grow with this heart, the world will surely be a better place to live in. =)


-little cup-

Lessons in Life (Part 4)

This next story concerns a very common thing that happens in our daily lives. Credits to the writer of this story.

Fourth Important Lesson. - The Obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

It is true isn't it? Sometimes our roads are blocked with so many obstacles, but we never wanted to remove them because we had had enough load on ourselves. Most of the time, those obstacles can prove to be very rewarding if you dare to put down your current load and tackle that obstacle first. You'll never know perhaps that obstacle after being tackled, might lighten your own load.


-little cup-

Lessons in Life (Part 3)

This is another life story, shared by a worker in a coffee shop. Credits to this worker for sharing such a touching story with us.

Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked.

'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. 'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. 'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

I was speechless after I read this story. Emotions just overwhelmed me, and that waitress certainly learnt a new life lesson. I learnt from this story, and I hope you do too.


-little cup-

Lessons in Life (Part 2)

The following is the continuation of the previous writing on lessons in life. As always, credits to the contributer if this lovely written article.

Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..

It read: 'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away.. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Indeed from this story, the message clearly says that in whatever we do, we should have time for others. We may be in a hurry and someone stops us for a ride, but do think of it in another way. What if you were the one needing help and yet no one stops to lend you a helping hand? That is why people always say 'Whatever goes round, comes round.' If you do help others in time of need, you will have help at your doorstep in your own time of need.


-little cup-

Lessons in Life (Part 1)

I came across this beautiful mail sent by a friend of mine few days ago and I learnt quite a few things from it. Credits go to the contributer of each lesson learnt in their lives.

First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?' Surely this was some kind of joke.

I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. 'Absolutely,' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

So from this story, we should learn to appreciate everyone we meet in life and not just take those not associated with us for granted. Everyone is God's creation. We have no right to judge who is to have the higher acknowledgement. Everyone is equal.


-little cup-

Rest

Back from school, work or anywhere else, and just lie down on your bed. Your head touches the pillow and poof you're in dreamland. What a long day it has been, you thought. All I need now is rest. How I wish I can sleep.. and you hear your name being called for dinner or nagged to freshen up.

Tired as you are, you choose to lie down for another few seconds, until heavy knockings sound from your door and loud voices screaming your mind off its rest mode. You got up finally to avoid those disturbances.

As humans, when we work we need to rest as well. Sometimes we tend to work too hard and overwork ourselves till our body can take no more of the work tension. Hence, sickness comes in to signal us to rest. But that is a little too late already. We ourselves need to know when to rest and how to rest to the fullest.

Overworking affects our health. It deteriorates our body system and causes technical problems. Take for example, our body is just like a photostating machine. We print and print the papers till we run out of ink. Then when new ink is replaced, the machine runs smoothly again. But at times the current just won't boost us to function and papers get jammed. That's where the technician comes in to 'see what's the matter' and repair certain parts of the machine. Then you function well again.

Similarly, when we work and work, we tend to forget to eat or drink causing our body to dehydrate and go hungry. That's where we run out of ink. Then when we consume and drink sufficiently, the body gets enough energy to work again, as said ink has been replaced. But sometimes we eat too late or drink less, that is where we fall sick and end up lying in bed for an extra day or two - under medications. The body is then repaired by the medications prescribed by the technician doctor. Only after that, you get back to normal and your body can function effectively again.

So friends, work is important yes, but health is more important. Without good health, you cannot work well. So rest when you need to rest, and work only when you need to work.


-little cup-

Planning

In whatever we do, there is always a plan. We plan for family reunion dinners, friend's birthday party, house cleaning, cake baking, everything - as long as time is involved, we plan.

Planning, according to wikipedia is the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. In other words, as long as we have a goal to achieve and walk the journey towards that goal, we are in the planning.

Sometimes planned things do not turn out the way we hope them to be. However in those times, adjustments should be made instantly and effectively in order to shift the 'bend' on the road we planned. That is where our mind learns to behave intelligently - and this will improve our thinking for bigger and more challenging plannings.

Think of the many times we plan something; anything. Remember the times we look into every single detail while in plan and yet while achieving our goal, there is surely something missed out? Usually good planning results from proper leadership and detailed management of works. So the next time you plan something, try to be a little bit more organized, and get more brains to think together if you can. But take note that too many cooks cooking (carrying out action) will also spoil the soup.

Think smart, act justly. =)


-little cup-

Starting New

Today marks the new month my blog is in. I always hope to keep this blog alive and as interesting as possible but sometimes inspirations just don't come by, hence not-so-interesting topics were being talked about.

New month, more things, higher expectations. As always when we celebrate new year, we will have the 'oomph' that this new year, I want to ...(do something good at a better performance). So when this mentality is set, many things come in automatically to 'challenge' you of this oomph you have. Then greater expectations are expected from you. Felt something like this before?

Starting anew from the (not so good) past is actually a very daring step to take. Some do not dare to enter the 'new' world for fear they would fall back into their past. No, once you set your goal to be better, you will achieve it (with tireless effort). Easier said than done, but if you never try, you will never know what good it brings.

Similarly for me, this blog created 25 days ago was to serve a purpose of sharing life experiences. Now is the new month, so surely there will be more stories to be shared, more experiences to be written, and more lessons learnt.

So till then, may I thank each and everone of you readers for being loyal supporters of this blog. Hopefully I will bring in new things in this coming month for life is always something new to talk about.=)


-little cup-

An Apple A Day..

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.. a very well-known phrase to remind us of the importance of health and how we should pay attention to the signs made by our body for prevention is better than cure.



Being diagnosed with a certain sickness or disease is not an easy reality to accept. A patient might be living a healthy life, and yet get confirmed with diabetes, or high blood pressure, or any other common sicknesses most people have nowadays - this is not easy to adapt to - the new 'life'.

To learn that life is precious from there is not true for every patient. Some might blame 'god' for treating them 'unjustly', some might be putting the guilt on themselves for being too content with their health all those while.. but the fact is that, the patient has failed to take an apple a day, hence ended up visiting the doctor frequently.


In life, adaptation is crucial for survival. We should keep an open mind to see new things, and adapt to them whenever possible. If we refuse to open up ourselves to the outside world, we will learn very little about life and not know how beautiful it really is. So take time to smell the freshness of the morning dew, and take a step into the wild to see what has been blooming - the experience can never be found elsewhere.

So the next time you are 'thrown' with new news, think about adapting to it; your life will be more interesting after that. Cheers!



-little cup-

Cravings

Chocolate cheese cake..

Ais kacang..

Ice-cream sundae..

We crave for good food most of the time. Just suddenly you would think of chocolate cheese cake, others maybe ais kacang or even ice-cream sundae.. and wished for it to be in your hands, but most of the time, it never happens miraculously.

Cravings may not be only on food. It can also focus on electronic gadgets such as iPods, laptops, new computer games and so forth. Or for some others, nice assessories to wear and look cool etc. As long as it is something you want at that spur of moment, that's the thing you are craving for.

Sometimes craving is a healthy way of shifting our current focus of attention to something else. It can help the person not to think so much on what has been bothering the person's mind. Instead, it helps soothe the mind at some point. Experience it before?

Craving is good, when there is a purpose. Sometimes what we crave for cannot be obtained. At those times, we should just be content with what we have. If you can't get what you crave for there and then, don't worry! There will be another time for you to have it - when it serves to be useful/more appropriate (at that time) for you.

So relax.. crave for ice-creams on hot days, and you won't feel so hot after that. =)


-little cup-

Time

Time is stupid. It is so dumb that it can't wait when we want it to; and it won't reverse at times we hoped it to.

Time is always on the go. No breaks, no pauses..nothing. It goes on and on until finally the 'battery' runs out and everything stops, for good.

Time is something precious - it is for everyone's use and tends to bring life into our lives. Without time, we would long be dead; or we won't even exist in the first place! There are so many things now that we own; that if not because of time, will not be owned by us.

My question is; why are we always short of time? I fell this way very often nowadays. As the saying goes, 'Time waits for no one!' I agree fully - since in my life, time does not wait for me. I don't know about you..but to me, time is moving fast. Sometimes, a little too fast for me to catch up with. Perhaps you have felt similarly.

Time cannot be reversed, no matter how modern technology is to have time machine. The past will remain the past; the present will soon become past if we do not make full use of it; and the future is something to look forward to - but if not managed well will soon turn out to be a total waste and end up as the past.

Time management is essential for a person to live a well-organized life, a life that is lived to the fullest (as people would usually say). Do you know how to manage your time? I have been struggling to adapt to the way I manage my time, and is still under discipline training to do so. It is tough to manage your time, especially those with extremely packed schedules. But I realized discipline is actually all it takes.

Try it! Start managing your time today~



-little cup-

New Things

Recently I started my new semester in college, taking up 3 subjects. 2 out of them are new subjects, whereas the other one was exposed in high school before. I always think that new subjects means new lecturers. However, this thought of mine was crushed today as I found out my 2 new subjects are taught by my 2 not-so-new lecturers.

Facing the previous lecturers means facing the past. Why do I say so? The past here refers to the previous semester where we had these same lecturers in class - with all the 'happy' moments we had together as student-lecturer. And I dare say no one likes going back to the past, especially when it is not so memorable.

To cut the long story short of the past I had, I admit I don't really look forward to this semester's classes..perhaps due to the lecturers. But an additional thought came and said "Hey, they're humans too.. and it's not so bad.. Think on the really happy moments you had during their classes; it was fun, wasn't it?"

Well, there have been stomach-pain laughing moments and very pressuring assignment moments; but aren't all those part and parcel of life? As I write this, I not only educate myself to face the past - with hope that it will be different this time - yet I urge myself to strive to prove the best of myself for this new subject. Easier said than done, but..we'll see how things go. Perhaps different subjects have different styles of teaching. You'll never know what's new about the new subject, and the lecturer.


-little cup-

Courage

"Courage! Do not be afraid!"

When we enter a dark hallway alone, we take quick glances left and right, then walk quickly through (praying every second) until we reach the lighted area. Then we breathed in a breath of relief, glad that there was nothing eerie happening on the way..

This is one of the many times we need to have courage. There are other times where others will remind us to "Take courage, don't be afraid." It can be a wrong accusation against you for stealing, or any situations where you feel the fear surrounding you.

Not many people has the true courage where they fear nothing. One must surely fear at least one thing - own mother, phobia, and so forth. Each person has been afraid before. But in these situations, where does our courage go to?

Indeed it is in these kind of fearful moments that we need to find our lost courage and bring it back into our selves. If everyone were to let their courage run loose, fear will certainly take over everyone's lives. We must play our own part and bring courage back in our own midst.

How is that so? Remind yourself in those fearful moments that the fear is just something small. Then tell yourself that courage is something so big that you can't see it till you can't find where it is; yet you know it is there somewhere. If you have a religion, trust in what your religion teaches you about courage. God is BIG and He will always be there to crush the small fear. At times we can't find God because he is just TOO big for us to see! but we can be rest assured that He is there.

So the next time you face fear in life, call upon your courage and you will experience from there how life is not fearful after all.

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others. - Winston Churchill

-little cup-

House Warming

I went for a house warming party this afternoon. The party was for 'selected' people only and i was one of the 'selected' ones. As I thought about the party and how it got its name "house warming", a small thought crept up behind my head.

House warming is something to celebrate about because the owner of the house has got a new house! Everbody knows a house is a necessity in our lives on earth. Without a roof over our heads, where are we to spend the night?

Then I looked back and thought - what about those without roofs over their heads? How do they live their lives..without any means of shelter?

I am so lucky.. I thought. I have a house to live in and sometimes I complain this is not good, that is not good..or my room is too small, or the livingroom is so hot.. All these complaints are unnecessary. Why can't we be grateful that we have houses to live in, no matter how big or small they are, and not complain? Some people don't even have a place to shed during heavy rainstorm..and here we are, living luxuriously with air-conditioners and sofas, computers and televisions..

I'm not saying that we shouldn't have all these good stuff; by all means if we can afford, go ahead and enjoy life at home. But just a little note to keep in mind: appreciate your house as it is. Complain no more.. You have a little bit more than others do.


-little cup-

Friends again?

There are times when conflict happens between two person of the same kind; it can be you with your family, or you with your close friends..

I bought two new fishes two weeks ago and they couldn't seem to get along with each other despite being fishes of the same species. In the end I had to separate them though they stayed in the same aquarium.


Recently parents and children have not been getting along very well. Perhaps it was due to the 'old-fashioned thinking' of the parents or the 'modernized-thinking' of the children. But whatever reason it is, why can't we tolerate each other for their weaknesses?

We all live under the same roof, and if we don't get along well with each other, how can life be meaningful and cheerful? And if two person of different species can get along well, why can't those of the same species be good to each other too?

Now my two fishes become friends again, after adapting to the 'separation period'. If the fishes can get along, why can't you human beings?


-little cup-

What Lies Beneath

Each one of us has experienced situations where we’ve found ourselves lashing out at someone without meaning to.

We later berate ourselves for losing control and feel guilty for treating the other person badly. And while it is human nature that our emotions and moods will get the better of us from time to time, we can learn to navigate our feelings and negotiate difficult situations without losing our center.

Often, when we lash out, it is because we are having a difficult time containing the emotions that are coming up inside of us.

We may be feeling overwhelmed, afraid, frustrated, stressed out, or angry. Having these feelings boiling up inside of us can be very uncomfortable, and it is natural to want to release them. But when we release our feelings from our body by directing them outward and toward someone else, they inevitably impact the "innocent bystander" to whom we are directing this energy.

They not only get the brunt of our anger, frustration, or stress, but also they can actually experience this energy as a physical force hitting their bodies.

When you find yourself in a situation where you are about to lash out at the person in front of you, try to center yourself by breathing slowly and deeply. A few slow inhales and exhales can help dissipate the intensity of your feelings before they escape you.

Later, when you find yourself in a more reflective state, sit down for a moment; recall the feelings in your body just before and during your outburst; note where you feel sensations coming up in your body; and ask yourself if they are connected to any core issue or experience from your life. If nothing comes to mind, then revisit the situation again, exaggerating the details of what happened by indulging in outlandish "what if" fantasies. Exaggerating events after the fact can help expose the unconscious subtext behind your heated response. Understanding the motivation behind your reactions can help you avoid lashing out again when a similar situation comes up. In learning to navigate around your emotions, you are giving yourself the tools to feel better the next time your emotions start to boil.

In doing so, you will be taking care of yourself by alleviating your own uncomfortable feelings while respecting and protecting those around you.


-taken from Why We Lash Out-

Late..Again!

We weaved through the traffic and finally got to our destination. The car hit its brakes and the door went 'Slam!' as you rushed out with your belongings and yourself to class. You looked at the time - 10 minutes late. Sigh..Mrs Ling will bash me up this time for real..you thought.

"You are late.. again!" And the 'talking' went on and on until your face turned red, and you finally sat down full of guilt.

Who has never been late before in their lives? No one. Even the most punctual person has been late at least once, with good reasons I presume. But the fact here is that - everyone has been late.

We can avoid being late simply by being prepared early, and be at your destination on time. But we tend to say, "Not enough time to get ready.." Ya right, everyone has 24 hours. If your friends going for the same function can be there 10 minutes earlier, why can't you? "Because I have something else on before that..." you might reason with me. Again, I say "Ya right, as if your early friends are 24 hours shaking legs?"

No excuse for being late! Late means late and unless you have a good reason for being late, there's no excuse. Traffic jam is the worst excuse ever! If you could just leave your house at the time when there's no traffic jam, will you be late?

Most importantly - time management. How many of us knows how to manage our time well in order not to be late? If we are as busy as bees, then make time! Even the bees never got late for dinner, and what about us?

Being late for social functions is still not so bad. But if you're late for formal functions, don't hope to participate in the function at all. Might as well be absent for it if you are the 'late-person'. I'm saying this not to offend anyone but as good citizens, we should always try to be on-time and not be late.


-little cup-

Take Control

To take control of something means to have full command of it. There are so many things in our every day lives that we need to take control of - our intake of food, way of presenting ourselves to the society and so forth.

One thing that we as humans always miss to take control is ourselves. Try to think about the past few days where things have gone wrong, or things did not happen the way we wanted. We tend to overlook the fact that (most of the time) we let 'others' have control over the things that we were supposed to be in control.

Take for example; a little problem comes your way and you are aware that the problem is small and can be solved easily. But somehow or another, you take the problem for granted that it can be solved by itself and left it as it is without bothering to have any conection to do with it anymore. In the end, the problem is left unsolved and you fret over it not being solved as you wished it to be. Sounds familiar?

Well, that is not what taking control means. To have full command of the problem means there is a need for responsibility. In the first place when the problem comes, find out the root cause of it and think of ways to handle it best. Don't wait for someone to do it for you - you have your own brains and I trust that you can distinguish good from bad as easily as a little kid knows who is the father and the mother. You are old enough. You have the capability to decide for yourself, and take control of your own problems. You control your own life.

So friends, think outside the box. Do not constrain yourself to what is inside only, but look outside and open your minds to learn the differences. Learn to deal with problems yourself, and be independent. If you don't start now, when are you going to learn?


-little cup-

Burn Burn Burn...

Just the previous blog I wrote about the increasing heat around us. Then recently I saw my neighbors burning dead leaves in their house compounds..and I thought, what a BIG contribution they are making to our earth.

I mean, look at your surroundings! The air is so misty that those who have breathing problems breathe even more difficultly than usual. I have friends who now admit themselves into hospitals to grab hold of their dear lives for another few minutes just so that they can survive the night. Some others without problems have now developed sicknesses due to dirty air.

Why burn, when you can recycle? Why burn, when you can bury? How to burn, if your best friend or loved one has asthma? How to burn, if you yourself can't breathe well..?

Think about the damage caused from all the smoke..

Think about the people damaged by the smoke..

Think about your loved ones, damaged by the smoke from your act of burning..

Please, stop burning. Have a small pinch of consideration for those around you. It might not affect you now, but it will have effect on you later on. One day, you will regret. But please don't wait till that day..

-little cup-

Hot Weather

The weather is getting warmer and warmer each day lately in Malaysia, don't you think? Well for Asean country, this is very normal. The weather is either hot (very very hot that ice-cream melts in 5 minutes) or cold (cold but still can sweat at the same time). So in this hot weather, what is there to think about?


My brain is sweating so much that apparently nothing comes to my mind to write about. However, as I switched on the fan (instead of the air-conditioner), and fixed myself on this comfy 'hot' chair of mine, I realised we should be thankful for such a weather! "Be thankful for such...'burning' weather? You must be kidding me..." you might object, but why do I say so?

At some cold countries, they have never experienced this kind of hot weather where you just sit still under the fan and sweat at the same time (correct me if I'm wrong). We Malaysians on the other hand depend so much on air-con that we complain at the slightest hot air we feel, am I right?


Think about the time of our grandparents. They never knew what air-con was. They hardly felt the existance of fan. All they had was warm air on hot weather, cool air on cold weather. And have they ever complained? They lived with atap roofing and wooden floors, and was there any complications when it comes to weather change? Of course there was...but to them, "No big deal!" Don't believe me? Ask your grandparents (if they're still here), or any old aged people, and hear for yourself. You might get this in the end, "You people nowadays are soooo pampered." Don't blame me if you get that.

So friends, be thankful that you have sunshine and rain. Despite the many 'problems' we face due to the weather, at least we can tell others that, "Hey, I love the sun. It dries my clothes!" or "I love the rain, it cools the earth."


At the end of the day, we still live well enough for the next day...=)


-little cup-

I'm Dead....

We hear this so often whenever a problem creeps in or a situation where we think we can't handle comes our way. But after the problem is solved (somehow) or the terrible situation is gone, we're not dead yet! So why do we say we're dead in the first place?



No problem is without a solution. If we accept our problems to be something we can overcome, things will be different - on the outcome and our own perspective of looking at it. Problems come and go, and it's up to us how to make full use of it for our own benefit, instead of letting it destroy us. In the end, you either say "I'm dead.." OR "Problem, you're dead!"

Then you might say, "Hey, so easy for you to say...so hard for me to get it done!" I will ask you in return, "Have you ever tried? And have you tried hard enough?"

So do you use your problems as stepping stones? Or have you let your problems destroy you?

You make the choice.


-little cup-

Goodness

Everything around us is good. In the first place, they are all created good! But why are they now not as good as before? Do we appreciate the goodness in everything?

There are so many good things in life that we can appreciate - ourselves, family, friends, society, community..the list goes on. But have we forgotten something very important in our lives that we always forget to appreciate?

Air to breathe, light to see, water to drink and clean, food to nourish.. These are so common in our daily lives that we just don't remember to appreciate. The world provides us with so many good things, but above all these; the Creator is the one we must appreciate for being the generous giver.

How to appreciate the Creator for his creations? Realise the goodness in everything you do, have, and want. We tend to overlook these kind of things, because they are so common!..but it's never too late to be a little bit more appreciative of life and its goodness. =)


-little cup-

Name

Everyone has a name. It can be Chris, Sylvia.. as long as it's a "thing" your parents first called you with, that's your name.

Name is something very interesting. Many might have similar names, but there's is never a similarity in their characteristics. In my previous high school, we had 4 person with the name 'Michelle' and 3 with 'Stephanie', but none of them are duplicates of each other. I am sure in your school, you have come across those with same names, or you might be one of them too.

Sometimes I wonder, why are people afraid to tell others their names. Take for example, a name tag. Some would go to the extend of 'vandalising' the name on the name tag till it cannot be seen. Others might just hide the name tag (somehow) to "prevent further humiliation". It doesn't make sense, does it?

Our parents gave us nice, beautiful names. It can be as simple as 'Mary' or 'John', and you may say "Boring..." but hey, that's a name too! A name does not need to be high and mighty, or so extraordinary that nobody has it in the world except you. No, a name is a name. It carries your identity. It tells the world who you are, and how unique your life is.

So tell the world your name. It's not something shameful! That's your name, and no one else who can be the same 'you'. You're unique for who you are, not by your name alone.


-little cup-

Learning to Fly

Everytime we look up into the sky, we will see at least one bird flying across it. Have you ever thought of that bird as yourself?

Flying is not as easy as we think it is. It needs faith in one's self, strength from the wings, and determination to flap it strong and hard. Some times the strong wind might be blowing against us, so we need to be fully trained and skillful enough to use the wind as a 'stepping stone' to help us fly further instead of let it stop us. Are we prepared to head towards our destination?

Do you have what it takes to fly?

-little cup-

Apologise

"Sorry, I'm so sorry.."

You walked down the alley and bump, knocked someone off his shoulder. Seeing that he looked like a bad-kind-of-guy, you quickly brushed his shoulders clean and apologised as many times as you could until he walked away satisfied. You watched him move steadily away and breathed in relief..

When you got home, you ran into your younger sister who rushed to open the door for you. "Get out of my way," you said. She was hurt - not only did she tried to please you, she realised that she was a nuisance for you..


When we meet a stranger, how easy it is to say 'Sorry' when we have offended him/her. But how hard it is to apologise to our own family members every time we wronged them..have you ever realised this?

It is true; strangers are people not known to us, so we won't know how they will react if we do something wrong against them. For that we apologise. Family members are those we live with..but this does not mean that if we know how our family members will react, we can just wrong them any way we like, and not apologise. This is wrong! Our family memhers are humans too, they have feelings just like those strangers we meet.

Why is it so hard to say 'Sorry' to our parents, siblings or relatives..? Yet it is so easy for that 5-letter word to be said in front of those we do not know so well? We should not have this kind of thinking. Won't you want others to apologise to you when they have wronged you, especially if they are your family members?


We might have just hurt their feelings a few minutes ago too, have we apologised?



-little cup-

Short-Term Memory

In our every day lives, there will be times when we experience short-term memory lost. This short-term memory is a 'small factory' that receives information perceived and selectively attended to in the sensory memory, or just retrieved from long-term memory.

How is short-term memory related to you? Everyone has short-term memory lost once in a while. One second a friend tells you, "Hey, this is supposed to be like this - The chicken runs towards the chicks." The next second, you looked for a piece of paper and a pen, and you went, "What was it again? Chicken, chick.." and you went back to ask again. In the end, what you remembered was, "The chicks run towards the chicken" because you clearly remembered 'chicken' and 'chicks' but not 'who runs towards who'. Had this before?

I used to have this problem; causing a lot of "huh" and "what was it again" and scratching of head which was not itchy at all. So now I came to the conclusion that there must be a way to overcome this. I tried different ways..yet none worked. But there was one way that takes some effort, and despite sacrificing time to learn..it worked!


My style: Whatever the other person says, repeat after him/her immediately. If possible, have writing materials close at hand to make quick notes. Make sure you polish your listening skills so that you don't get the wrong information! I assure you, this is one of my best way to make notes while listening in class lessons. =)

So if you happen to be like me, try it out. If this doesn't work for you, think of your own style. Let your creative mind be opened for once. All the best!



-little cup-

Stop Running

I had a dream about being chased by a tornado. I ran and ran..but I couldn't get away from it. It seemed to know every path I ran through and every person I met on the way. It was trailing me like my own little shadow.

When I finally dropped down on the ground tired from all the running, I turned my back to look at the tornado. It wasn't that scary as I thought it was. It wasn't that big as I thought it would be. It was just a tornado, a baby tornado.

When I reflected on it, I saw all the problems I have been facing. All those rubbish which I thought was like dung heaps, but NO! Those rubbish are just in ONE bag, and the rest of the heap was its shadow! How silly of me!

Have you ever had similar experience? Thinking "Ohh...so many problems.." when the problem is only ONE - yourself! Many times we blame the problems, but like the tornado, we may think it is big, destructing, but actually it is just a small one, not destructing at ALL..it is just a gust of strong wind..

So I suggest to you: don't run away from your problems anymore. They are not as big as you think they are. Turn around and face them. After all, there will be a time when you get tired from all the running and drop down and finally take a look at your problems..

Remember that the problems are not chasing after you; you are running away from them.

-little cup-