Life through my eyes...

Monday, August 29, 2005

What is the meaning of life?

I remember being asked this question way back when I was just 14 years old. I had no answer back then, and 7 years later, I still don't really have an answer. Life... Do we actually know what life really is? Is it just that we were brought into this world by a loving act of two people? Or that we see the sun rise and fall everyday? Or that we go through the different stages of life - learning, studying, working, teaching, enjoying and then dying?

What is the meaning of life? I guess our objective would depend on the stage in our life that we're currently at, and our aim would be to prepare for our next stage. If we're in high school, it would be to determine what we're wanting to study at university. If we're at university, it would be to graduate and consider prospective jobs. If we're working, it would be to start saving for the future and consider the bigger picture - the ultimate job, a car, a house, a family.

Sure, we can have a pessimistic outlook on life... that we're always one step behind... What next after working life? There's the stage of starting a family and once they're independent, considering retirement... Then what? Choosing a coffin, a perfect plot in the cemetery and somewhere along the way, have your will prepared and then, just hope that you will die a good death. If you look at it that way, it all seems pretty pointless because it seems that life would be about survival.

Wouldn't it be better to be optimistic about life? To consider that progressive learning and education provides us with the tools that will give us the ultimate job, which will then give us the experience and satisfaction in applying the knowledge we have gained over the years. With that, we gain power to strive higher and achieve our dreams.

So then, a better way to look at it would be to think of life like a bank... how you can only take out what you put in. Therefore, I suppose, struggling to obtain what you want today, will enable a better life tomorrow. There's no point sitting around, waiting and hoping that your life will be filled with happiness, joy and satisfaction, when you're too scared to stand up and accept the challenge of it all.

Death is inevitable. It’s a promise made to each of us at birth. But before that promise is kept, we all hope that something will happen to us. Whether it’s the thrill of romance, the joy of raising a family or the anguish of great loss, we all hope to experience something that makes our life meaningful but the sad fact is, not all lives have meaning. Some people just spend their time on this planet just sitting on the side lines, waiting for something to happen to them before it’s too late.
- Mary Alice, Desperate Housewives

Don't be the person with the meaningless life. Strive for what is rightfully yours.

Saturday, August 27, 2005

City Life

There's one thing i realise about living in the city... it never sleeps!

In the mornings, the roads are jammed with cars and the pathways with pedestrians. The sound of emergency vehicles sounding their sirens and speeding through the busy traffic are no longer alarming. Vehicles seem to enjoy horning at each other too. Even after the morning rush, the roads are never empty. You can hear the engines of the heavy trucks as they struggle to climb the hill. The sound of speeding vehicles on the motorway accompany you throughout your day. Then 4:00pm hits, and you can watch as the jam starts to form which continues until who knows when because by that time, i'm sick of observing the traffic.

Even now, at 1:57am, when you would expect most people to be sleeping, you can still hear the odd person walking aimlessly in the night, intoxicated and shouting utter nonsense. Then cars with loud exhausts hoon past after their night out... and every now and then, the occupants of the cars like to share their taste in music with you as they blast loud and horrible music on their expensive sound systems from their cars. And of course, the cars on the motorway are still buzzing past...

Well, I do have the option of shutting the window which would lead to a lack of ventilation. *SiGh* Go home and sleep people... I'm tired.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Desperate Housewives

Have been watching Desperate Housewives on a daily basis. Getting quite addicted to it actually. Decided to visit the homepage today and took the online quiz to determine which desperate housewife i am or should i say, which one i will aspire to be. Results?

Gabrielle
You could say that life's just about pretty dresses and expensive gifts to you, but you're looking for something more. You'll find it someday, as long as you can stay out of trouble. And away from hot young gardeners.

For those of you who have been keeping up with this soap, you'll know that Gabrielle is the hottest housewife on Wisteria Lane! Woa mama! The series is interesting, and captivating. The five main characters are from all walks of life, and each have their own mysterious past... sometimes, their characters are a bit too extreme, but entertaining.

Something for you to think about...

Trust is a fragile thing. Once earned, it affords us tremendous freedom. But once trust is lost, it can be impossible to recover. Of course the truth is... We never know who we can trust. Those we're closest to can betray us and total strangers can come to our rescue. In the end, most people decide to trust only themselves. It really is the simplest way to keep from getting burned.
- Mary Alice, Desperate Housewives

Makes you wonder, huh?

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Hello from Auckland!

Hey guys,

Here's a shout out from me to you from the beautiful city of AUCKLAND! :P Just arrived here late last night and will be here for 2 weeks (for those of you that don't know). The weather up here is absolutely gorgeous today... the sun's out with a slight warm gentle breeze and the traffic is busy as always. It's just like summer up here. I'm loving it! :)

Anyway, i'm off shopping now! Muahahahaha!! Enjoy your day! :) Will update later. Miss yaz~!

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

What cartoon character are you?

Received a forwarded e-mail from Aveline titled: What cartoon character are you? Interesting... right? So at 2:00am, i decided to take this test... mainly because i was tired and sick of studying and this is what it concluded:

Danger Mouse
You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious about all relationships. You are a family person. You call your mom every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a few Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.

Haha... Is it accurate? Hmmm... Maybe. If you guys would like to try it out, give me your e-mail and i'll send it to you. Can't attach it to my blog because it's an excel file. Bleh. Good night y'all~! Wish me luck. I can't wait until tomorrow night! Then i'm FREE!! :)

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Masquerade ball everyday!

We don't need to attend a masquerade ball, we're living through one everyday! For those that disagree with my opinion, WAKE UP! If you think that everyone loves you... think again! If you dislike a person... there's a very high chance that the person dislikes you too! Just because you have a circle of friends, doesn't mean that everyone in that circle likes you.

Now, it makes you think, doesn't it? It makes you second guess everyone's intentions, everyone's actions, everyone's thoughts and decisions. What's their real perception of you? Deep down, what is their personal feeling towards you? likeness? hatred? Are their motives to see you rise or fall? succeed or fail? Is their behaviour towards you encouraged or influenced by other people? What actually goes on when you're not around?

Everyone parades around as if life is a masquerade. The worse thing is that, there is no way of removing the mask of deception because everyone's perfected it so well, it's unnoticeable. Then how do we know whether a person is being an honest, truthful, faithful and loyal friend? What kind of friendship is built on scepticism?

The most concerning thought is: who are your true friends? am i? are you?

Monday, August 15, 2005

40th National Day of Singapore

Attended the annual Singapore dinner on Saturday, organised by the Singapore Club Christchurch Inc. and University of Canterbury Singapore Students' Society, held at Chinatown Seafood Restaurant. It was a lovely 10 course meal, and the programme for the night was filled with lively entertainment and lucky draws. Unfortunately, our table was rather unlucky with only one lucky winner, Ah Hock taking home a $72.00 dinner for two at the Christchurch Casino. He has yet to reveal who his date will be.

Below are a few of the photos taken that night. Still waiting for more to be sent. Enjoy!
1. Me and Ah Hock
2. Me, Ah Hock & Melvin
3. Esther & I
4. Robert, Heather, Ah Hock, Esther, Andrew & I


Thursday, August 11, 2005

Happy Valentines Day

15 minutes until midnight. Valentines day is almost over.

Just wanted to wish all of you a very happy valentines day! :)

To the one i love: although we are not physically together, but you'll always have a place in my heart... the most precious gift you could ever give me is the knowledge that i have you.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Pathetic boys...

Let me tell you guys a pathetic short story...

Once upon a time, there were two "boys" . One was 25 years old and the other was 20. They each took turns to continually call a girl 20 times within a short span of 4 minutes while she was in class. Of which, she managed to answer 3 of the 20 calls in time (the 25 year old wasted 3 minutes call time --- admit it, YOU'RE SLOW BECAUSE YOU'RE OLD "KONG KONG"). The 6 missed calls were by the 20 year old, but amazingly, the other 11 were done by the 25 year old.

Gosh... the girl thinks to herself, you would think that the older one would be more mature and set a better example, wouldn't you? She shakes her head as she thinks about how they're both pathetic little boys... Shame on Mark for being a bad example to the innocent and young, Hock. Tsk tsk... Boys... they never grow up, do they? :P

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Another Great Weekend

Arrived back from Auckland an hour ago. I can say that it doesn't get easier. At least i can look forward to the next time though.

Had a fantastic weekend. Witnessed a friend bungy jump up close, which also made me conclude that i will NEVER attempt such a thing, especially with the experience i had. I'm almost certain that i'll die from a heart attack, but it was a very memorable moment especially when the guy was holding onto her front, as she was held tilting backwards and then decided to give her a fright by letting go early! 5-4-3 *aHhHHhhhHHhh!!* Whatever happened to the 2-1?! Haha... Awesome!

You guys would have been so proud of me because in order to reach the platform where they bungy jump from, I had to walk underneath the Auckland Harbour Bridge, until midway... that's a proud moment in itself but what's worse... in HEELS! *fAiNt*! Worse of all, my heel was a perfect fit for the gaps on the metal walkway. Perfect yea? But it was really awesome. Spectacular views of Auckland City, but unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take a camera... why? cuz otherwise how else would they make money?

Anyway, all in all, a really great weekend. Just wish that it was under different circumstances. Will post photos up sometime tomorrow.

I shall leave you with this song though. It may not mean anything to you... but it's been in my mind since church this morning... Though we may feel sad, lonely, lost or afraid... We're never alone...


Be Not Afraid
Bob Dufford

You shall cross the barren desert, But you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety
Though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands
And they will understand.
You shall see the face of God and live.

Be not afraid, I go before you always,
Come follow me, And I will give you rest.

If you pass through raging waters, in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amid the burning flames,
You shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow'r of hell
And death is at your side,
Know that I am with you through it all.

Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs.
Blessed are you that weep and mourn,
For one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked ones insult and hate you
All because of me,
Blessed, blessed are you!

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Decision of the heart... Justification of the mind.

So many of us have gone through the cycle of having or being pursued, succeeded, endured and lost. Though many of us will ignore the impact of love in our lives. It's interesting to sit down and reflect on how many of the decisions made are from the heart rather than the head. A reasonable question would be how much we are willing to sacrifice for the sake of love.

Undoubtedly, we have all succumbed to making impulsive decisions in the heat of the moment. But, do we ever appropriately consider the underlying consequences of those decisions? How do we realistically, make a life changing decision when our minds are clouded with emotions? Love is such a powerful force between two people, that manages to conquer our minds and impair our judgments and decisions. How then are we able to distinguish a right decision from a wrong one?

We all face pressures. I suppose it comes down to our principles, morals and weighing up the pros and cons. We just have to pray hard that somehow, it'll be the right decision in the end. I guess it will never be easy, or maybe impossible to distinguish between a decision made from the heart and the head because no matter how hard we try to ignore the heart, it always plays a contributive role in the decision we make. Then i suppose that the way we justify whatever decision it is that we make is from our mind.

I guess however it is that we come to our final decision... we just have to trust ourselves enough... and believe that we have chosen the right path to follow.

Monday, August 01, 2005

The Greatest Love of All

I had decided to have an early night but as i was lying in bed, i couldn't help but wonder what the lesson for today was, and if there was one. It is said that we learn a new thing everyday... but sometimes, it's just a reminder of what we already know.

I guess, what really stood out in my mind today was the concept of anticipation and prevention. No doubt, living your life anticipating and considering all the possible consequences in mind is tiring and sometimes unnecessary. However, i believe that it is better than regretting after the life-changing moment occurs. Though this may sound unrealistic, but trying your best to prevent something from happening when you have the opportunity of doing so, is a better option than ignoring it, and then being heartbroken as a result of it.

There is an inner voice within us all which also has an element of our conscience. We just have to learn to listen to it.

What is in the past should be kept in the past. Move on and concentrate on the future. Life is a garden, full of weeds if left unkept. Some have the deception of bearing flowers which are short-lived, others are dull which we ignore. But it is always wonderful to see when a beautiful flower blooms, and proves its desire and persistence to live in the garden. It is this, that we desire the most. There are lessons to be learnt with every failure we face, so too with success. This is what makes us a better person. Whatever it is that we lose, we will gain in other ways and we will learn how to treasure it more.

It is normal to question the reasons. It is normal to question yourself. Whatever you do, do not doubt the power of love. But ultimately, do not forget that learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all.


GREATEST LOVE OF ALL
written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed
performed by Whitney Houston
I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
Everybody's searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my need
A lonely place to be and so I learned to depend on me
I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow
If I fail, if I succeed at least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me, they can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all inside of me
The greatest love of all is easy to achieve

Learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all

I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us of how we used to be
I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow
If I fail, if I succeed at least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me, they can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all inside of me
The greatest love of all is easy to achieve

Learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all

And if by chance that special place that you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place, find your strength in love