Being Inspired When You Least Expect It

My futsal shoes needed fixing yesterday. Making a quick dive out during my late lunch, I drove along Jalan Ipoh trying to look for a cobbler and was thankful as it didn't take me long to find one right outside one of the many wedding gown shops in the area.

Securing a parking spot right in front of the stall, I took the shoes to the Pakcik at the stall, who looked no younger than 60 years old. The usual show of shoe and explanation occurred, and Pakcik said that he'd be closing at about 3:00pm. It was then 2:20pm. Needing the shoes that same night for my regular Monday game, I decided to wait. Pakcik told me to sit down in the brown plastic chair right next to him, and we sort of started a casual conversation.

I asked him what his business hours were like, and he told me that he usually operated from 8:30am to 3:00pm. Figuring that he probably had other obligations after 3, such as picking up grandchildren etc, I further clarified if the case was such. He then explained that usually after 3, the sun starts shining into the corridor, and it usually gets too scorching and hot for him to bear. Watching him struggle a little with the sewing of my soles, I was overcome with sympathy, recalling that Pakcik was sitting there doing nothing, merely waiting for customers before my arrival. The six pairs of shoes that he had at his stall were all fixed and ready to be picked up.

This Pakcik had a very kind smile. As he worked, he also told me that he used to stay in the shop lot above the wedding gown one, but recently moved to Chow Kit area. I inquired as to why he had to have his stall all the way at Jalan Ipoh and he said that competition was great in Chow Kit. I was curious as to how he got to work daily, and he explained that he took a public bus. He did not need to lug his tools around daily, as he leaves them by the stairway leading up to his old residence.

Sitting around for the next 15 minutes, I thought about how difficult life must be for Pakcik to make a living. Each day, he would just sit there waiting in the hopes that someone's shoe requires fixing. On days of crazy weather (like how it's been recently), he might just not be able to keep his services available. As I watched Pakcik work, I realized how blessed I was, and how I had life so easy. Sure enough, I was far from being a billionaire, but I was blessed with a proper education, a good family and a comfortably challenging career path. Despite all the uncertainty that Pakcik deals with daily, you could tell from his smile that Pakcik was contented, and his sincere smile said it all.

As he finished up, I paid Pakcik and told him to keep the change. Happily receiving the money, I again saw the same glimmer of hope that I noticed when he first received me to his stall. As the saying goes, 

"Life lies not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well." - Josh Billings 

And this day, Pakcik showed me just that.

 

Michael Buble

The world's super-est duper-est crooner was in town last Sunday. And managed to keep a stadium-full (9,000 people to be exact) of audience happy, if not having left them even bigger fans.

Sure enough, the evening seemed pretty dampened before the concert due to a heavy downpour, but it did not deter two solid world-class sensations from picking everybody's spirits up.

The show started about half an hour late due to the rain, but when Najwa, who did the opening act for Michael Buble at 8pm took the stage, everyone's mood got set just right. I personally found her first song off her debut album, Got to Go very catchy and memorable.

At about 8:35pm, we caught glimpses of the one and only Michael behind curtains, and the crowd went wild. Dressed in a light grey suit, Michael looked sharp and typically suave. He opened the show with Cry Me A River, which I never really liked until that night :)

Michael did a wonderful job engaging the crowd the whole night. He was funny and of course, had an AWESOME voice. He wasn't just your regular run of the mill singer. This guy was a true entertainer. The highlight of the night was when he just sat down in the middle of the stage, introducing his 13-men band. One by one he narrated fanciful and hilarious introductions for each of them. Scripted or not, you could tell that this guy's not all about his own fame, he gave each and everyone of his team members a good opportunity to shine.

Other than belting out a whole list of songs that I loved - Everything, Crazy Love, Georgia, Home (which he did it acoustic), Haven't Met You Yet and a chain of others, he did his usual twirls of the microphone and slid across the stage. There was even a part of stage that was slightly tilted, such that he could slide up and down throughout his performance.

The show ended when he returned to the crowd's cheers for encore, closing with Feeling Good, Me & Mrs Jones and lastly Song For You. He sang the final verse acappella and without a microphone. The crowd was silenced and burst into a standing ovation after he ended.

It was truly a memorable concert. One of the best I've been to in my lifetime. If Michael Buble ever makes a trip here again, I'm sure J & I wouldn't mind forking out that few hundred dollars to go see him once more.

Our home-grown jazz sensation -- Najwa

Buble on the big screen (it was the only way we could make out his face)

Buble on the tilted stage

Check out the stage layout

Really couldn't get very good photos due to all the spot lighting

Bel & I at the entrance

Shaken by the Ground that Shook

I know it's cliched to have an entry on one of the hottest topics around the world at the moment -- the Japan earthquake, but reading up on it has left me tear-filled. Well honestly my chords weren't tugged as hard yesterday, but as I woke up to the aftermath of it today, to see how Japan has been torn apart, and picturing how so many lives have been broken, it shattered me. 

It all happened when my brother sent me an SMS saying that an earthquake had just struck north of Japan, and that he was unable to reach my sister-in-law, Connie, who had left for Tokyo on the 10th. Worried sick, he tried to call her again and again, and also contacted her colleagues here to see if they were able to get hold of any of their Japanese counterparts. I tried reassuring him that after a disaster of such scale, phone lines would usually be affected. Sure enough, about half an hour later, he SMS-ed me back to tell me that Connie was ok. THANK GOD.

As family and friends of mine follow up on this catastrophe, one that's labeled the fifth-largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and was nearly 8,000 times stronger than the one that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, it really isn't hard to imagine how scary and painful it is for any of the victims who is going through this first hand. We just have to magnify that imagination by like a million folds. I keep telling J that the thought of being caught under a rubble, without having any water, food nor company is simply depressing. Or how about those whose houses were uprooted by the Tsunami, leaving them with no home, and a majority of them with few or no family members left? The thought is just so painful, isn't it? Now with the explosion of the nuclear reactors at Fukushima, it can only get tougher.

Connie is still stranded in Tokyo. The situation there is under control, but since flights are still cancelled, and the airports closed, she can only depart early Monday morning (hopefully with no further changes). This incident has left her a little shaken too, as it is her first time experiencing an earthquake, what's more it being one of the worst. But my dear sister is a toughie, all she's hoping for now is that she comes home soon, and that McDonald's reopens ASAP :)

I really pray that by the grace of our dear Lord, the sufferings of our Japanese friends will be minimized, and that through this, the world is able to see the light behind nations joining hands. So what if you have the world's most powerful firearms or nuclear plants? That may be able to win us mortal wars, but it certainly will not put us in God's mercy books.

God bless Japan.

My BFZ is Back!

I think it's been almost a year since I last saw her... the brilliant girl who excels in every.single.thing that she does.

No kidding.

Ok, so maybe not sports nor her sense of direction, but I think God definitely spent like forever and a day on her brains, because this girl is a super genius! Every exam she sits for, she aces it. This hot doctor's a specialist in the making. Upon completion of her housemanship, she recently went for a whole bunch of exams and interviews to try her luck in various specialty right before her visit back. And surprise surprise (not!), she was selected for all of them!

I think what might have been more shocking was that she was chosen for all but one. That would have been life's greatest mystery. Well anyway I was at her place when she got the notification SMS, and yes, I was definitely proud of my dear ole BFZ. I mean, who wouldn't? She's always been the straight A student, but never just a nerd. She parties, she flirts (yes you do my dear so admit it!), she drinks and she dresses.. what is there not to like in a friend like that? Even her Greek beau, Dimitri, was utterly impressed, and I'm not the least bit surprised.

So, after such a long long time, we did a little bit of catching up. Chatting and getting to know the man in her life, and her getting to know mine (well she already knows a lot about mine but there can never be too many "updates", can there?). I playfully teased her about not being able to attend my wedding, and could tell how bad she felt (she had to start her new attachment in a new hospital then).

Well, all that said, I hope that we'll be able to spend a lot more time together before she goes back to London.

Great friendships are hard to find. This is definitely one of them.

Our VERY MUCH younger days

The Wannabe Fashion Editor

Was playing around with fashion layouts for a coming project *keeping my fingers crossed* and managed to put together the below. Very new to this and needing heaps of skill-brush up, hope you like it!

Earth and Its Corals

When Popeye Meets His Match

We're Going Home!

I’ve been getting the shake up lately, by some friends who complain that I don’t update my blog often enough. Well it’s not exactly my fault, is it? YOU are supposed to make my life more interesting so that I have more to write about! Hahaha… Kidding! You guys are great! :)

Anyway, fret not, you can now do that more often coz J and I are moving back to KL for good! Due to some changes in business direction, they are moving part of the business back to Peninsular, and with a little bit more of heavy travelling to and fro the east and west of Malaysia, I will just stay put in KL while catching glimpses of my husband over the weekends.

Not one to favour long distance relationships, I guess I don’t have much of a choice, considering I seem to have been thrown at it time and time again. Oh well, to look on the bright side, that means I’ll have more time for my family, friends and hopefully, a new career start up.

With that, it’s time to put on my thinking cap, to plan ahead and decide what I need to do next. Then again, spontaneity seems to have been smacking me in the face since forever. Till it decides to go for a holiday, I’ll just have to pluck up my guts and learn to go with the flow.

The V-day Entry

Heart shaped chocolates, red roses, candle-lit dinners...... seem pretty rare in T-eeny town.

Returned here early this morning. J went for his final CNY money-throw session (or at least to me they are... haha!) last night, and that sort of kept me awake. What's more, the first flight out to T-eeny town this morning further robbed me of my beauty sleep as we had to get up at about 4:45 am to get to the airport.

I've always believed in celebrating Valentine's Day, or at least acknowledged it, until I started dating a guy who didn't. Till this day he stands by the school of thought that V-day was marketed and commercialised so that people could make money out of it, and that if every day was spent lovingly, every day can be Valentine's day. Haha, I think I've been too gullible, because he's been off the hook despite that in the past 5 years!

Well, to be fair, J takes me out for nice dinners round the year, and he buys me things that I like from time to time, so to make him spend any extra on a day like that would be pretty unreasonable of me :) Thing is, it's always nice to receive sweet gestures here and there like a card, a cooked meal etc.

This year, J probably felt a little bad that he's been depriving me of this little romance for years, hence he's wished me those 3 little words at least 3 times today. He also told me to pick a place for dinner, anywhere that I liked, and I settled for crabs in the end. Hahaha... at first he was like, "Wow, romantic choice... I'll get the seafood restaurant people to light candles at our table ok?" Yeah right. That place is so bright from all the fluorescent lights that you probably need to start a fire before it gets noticed :) Well, at least he tried to leave his Beng ways behind and attempted to be romantic! :)

After a good dinner, we went to do some grocery shopping together.

It's been a simple night, but I'm happy. We're now both at our own laptops, one's happily "bitching" about the other, and the other's happily blasting someone else's allies on Starcraft.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone :)

Maldives

4 days, 3 snorkels and a tan later, I'm back in KL from our Maldives trip. Short but well-planned, it was an effective business trip, yet still a relaxing getaway for J and I.

Quick background on Maldives for those of you who do not have a clue just yet:

Officially known:

Republic of Maldives

Location:

Southwest to India

Population:

400,000

Currency:

Maldivian Rufiyaa (Mrf)

Time Zone:

GMT +5:00

Official Religion:

Islam

Official Language:

Dhivehi

Known for:

It's unique and beautiful geography -- a country formed by 1,192 islands on atolls composed of live coral reefs and sand bars

* * * * *

So we departed KL and arrived in Maldives on Tuesday night. Upon arrival, we took a ferry across to the Capital of Maldives, Male. It being 3 hours behind KL time there, we were very much exhausted after a round of quick drinks with our very kind and hospitable host, Mubah.

The next morning, we headed to Sea House by the ferry terminal for a good round of Maldivian breakfast before work.

A good view of Male's seafront

J with hospitable Mubah

Roshi (their version of roti canai) Mashuni (minced tuna, onion and chilli)

Areca nuts with varying leaves are commonly consumed as a snack

We then spent the rest of the day having meetings, field studies etc. Come evening, J was dead-on wanting to go fishing, and thus it was arranged.

J working on his hooks on the dhoni (bigger version of a sampan)

J's first catch of the evening! He was the third person who managed to hook something

Corals viewed from the dhoni

Some resorts a distance away

All of our catch for the evening, at least 20 fishes (unfortunately I never contributed any)

Wednesday morning, we excitedly packed our bags and readied ourselves to head to the resort once work was done. Breakfast was utterly delightful at Seagulls Cafe, a nice cafe owned by a Maldivian who believes in all things imported. This place is usually packed in the evenings, when boat loads of tourists drop by for some good home made gelato and coffee.

Once everything had been settled, Mubah saw us off at Jetty 1.

Posing on the speedboat

Approximately 50 minutes away from Male by speed boat, Vivanta by Taj is a small resort that houses 32 water villas, 30 deluxe villas and 2 family suites. As per our previous experience, as soon as the boat dropped us off, we were at awe by how clear the water was, and how serene we felt.

We were dropped off at this jetty

They call this the Moonlight Deck. You can have special dining arrangements here in the evenings.

The water villas facing the island

Where you see the shadow of the coconut tree is the swimming pool. Notice the same shade of blue as the ocean? The turquoise part is the sea too.

Checking into our water villa, we knew that there was only that much time we had to chill and to enjoy the resort.

Our room with the sea view. The steps after the sliding door leads you into the sea as well.

That's the bathroom with a sea view too. The only thing about it is that people from the outside can easily catch glimpses of you showering or bubble bathing.

These are the steps that lead you into the water

A lovey dovey shot for the album!

This resort was a lot less bustling as compared to others that we've previously seen or visited. But as it was built on a fairly wide lagoon, and its corals were well protected, there was a lot more fish hence snorkelling was a blast. We didn't even have to swim far, there were already lots to see right below our water villa.

However, the highlight of our trip was that we got to see a whole school of stingrays come to shore in the evening. We were told that 14 years ago, one lone stingray came to visit, and the people on the island gave it food. Subsequently, more stingrays came and it then became a pattern. Everyday at 4:45pm sharp, the whole school of stingrays (at least 15 of them) would circulate near the shore (we were snorkelling then and chickened out, quickly heading back to the beach! Haha!). Guests would touch them and take photos with them and at 5pm, the hotel staff would bring out a full bucket of fresh fish and everyone would feed the stingrays. It was an amazing experience seeing these creatures upclose and feeding them. It made me wonder how and why such a gentle and graceful species would take the life of Steve Irwin.

That's J snorkelling. So into it was he that he got burnt!

J with one of the stingrays

They were making loud snorting sounds when they struggled for air out of the water

Me trying to feed the stingrays after a few attempts

 The rest of our time at the resort was spent chilling and soaking up the sun.

Chillock-ing (chilling on a hammock)

Beautiful sunset. Didn't get to catch the sunrise because it was at the other side of the island.

Trying out an artistic shot on J

Maldives is the first country in the world that uses its own desalinated sea water for aerated drinks. This one here is Coca Cola bottled in Maldives. Real Coke, no joke!

After a short but sweet trip to the island, we headed back to Male on Thursday heavy-heartedly. Looking forward to be back again sometime soon!

Heading back to Male in the sunset

Ang Pau-rina Greets!

Gong Xi Gong Xi!

Very quickly, the rabbit year has taken its place again after a 12-year cycle. Just as how the little creature is timid, the new year has been pretty gentle on me so far. This year’s celebration has been different but adaptable :)

My first year as Ang Pau-rina (the Chinese Santarina), I’ve been giving out a decent amount of Ang Paus. Still not too used to it, it’s hard to keep track of who might have received, how many packets to bring along with me each time, who’s married and who’s not etc. You know occasionally you come across people who are that much older than you, but are not yet married? Haha, those moments make me feel quite “old”.

CNY eve dinner was spent at home with my in-laws. We did some simple cooking but man, there was so, so, so much food for just us 8 adults. The 10-seater dining table was filled from front to end! I know I shouldn’t be complaining about the abundance of food. Afterall, being well-fed is definitely a blessing :)

New Year’s morning saw us going to church first thing in the morning. J had to interpret in church, so pretty much everyone was well dressed and ready to usher in the new year. The afternoon was quiet, with many of my in-laws’ church visitors over. We did a little bit of socializing (show face, we call it, hehe), then adjourned upstairs. Later in the afternoon, J decided to take me for a massage. Yeah odd I know, to go for a massage on the first day of CNY, but hey, giving out Ang Paus can be quite tiring! :)

After another round of home cooked dinner, we went over to Joe’s for a session. The boys as usual did it the hard core way, but few of us girls put our hands on a few rounds of Gin Rummy. Haha, remember how I said that the rabbit year has been pretty gentle on me? Well, I made RM30 from it! I know, I know, RM30 to most of you must be a laughable amount, but a rare gambler, that’s already a blessing! J also has been pretty blessed so far, up in his games of Black Jack and Poker. But I hope that he has taken his forewarnings seriously, it better be just for CNY fun-sake! Well at least he has made enough to cover some of our new year costs, firecrackers/fireworks and all, haha.

On the second day of CNY, relatives and some of our friends came over to visit. This time it wasn’t just show-face, I did the full-on entertaining bit! Fun, but tiring, I was pooped by the end of the night.

Third day was rather impromptu, but because of some changes in plans, I managed to visit my brother and my parents. Nice afternoon spent with Ollie and back home for a little bit. Never thought that we’d go clubbing during CNY too, but we did! Zouk was pretty full for such an occasion, but not as packed as usual.

Finally on Day 4, went home for CNY dinner with the Kwoks. Have been missing Mom’s cooking for the longest time and was really glad to finally taste it. After dinner, we met up with some friends at Bangsar, then headed home in preparation for work today.

CNY’s gonna take a back seat for J and I. Heading off to Maldives tonight. Fill you in when I get back ok? Who knows, there might be some dong dong chiangs and lions dancing amidst that clear blue sea. Have fun everyone! :) 

Temporary Home

Came across this song recently and thought of sharing it here with you guys. I first heard it when it was sung by one of the American Idol 10 participants, and subsequently chanced upon it again on the radio.

Basically, the song tells of three very different characters -- one of a young foster child who’s sent from home to home, another of a single young mom who’s struggling to bring up her child, and the last of an old man going through his last days in a hospital bed. All three scenarios tell of how life is just but a temporary trial, and that life on earth is just a through road to get to where our real home is. Delivered with so much true emotion, I think Carrie Underwood did a brilliant job.

As a Christian, I’m often told that life on earth is just a passing experience in preparation for our life in heaven. Then again, if heaven was really perfect, is there really such a need for us to be trialled and trained in preparation for it? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I am in doubt of my faith, but as a young Christian, I do still have my questions about Christ. Will look this up and speak to more mature Christians and share this some time. Meanwhile, do enjoy this song. I’ve also included the lyrics for your reference. I think Carrie totally nailed it, vocal, emotions and all.

Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood

Little boy, 6 years old
A little too used to bein' alone.
Another new mom and dad, another school,
Another house that'll never be home.
When people ask him how he likes this place...
He looks up and says, with a smile upon his face,

"This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know this is my
Temporary Home."

Young mom on her own.
She needs a little help, got nowhere to go.
She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out,
Because a half-way house will never be a home.
At night she whispers to her baby girl,
"Someday we'll find our place here in this world."

"This is our temporary home.
It's not where we belong.
Windows and rooms that we're passin' through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going.
I'm not afraid because I know this is our
Temporary Home."

Old man, hospital bed,
The room is filled with people he loves.
And he whispers don't cry for me,
I'll see you all someday.
He looks up and says, "I can see God's face."

"This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This was just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know... this was
My temporary home."

This is our temporary home.