Glorious Weekend

Time is getting increasingly impatient with mankind these days. It takes off like a speeding bullet train everyday and before you know it, another glorious weekend is here once again to lift our weary spirits after working our pants off. Saturdays and Sundays are like nurturing parents who sooth and caress your broken bodies from an abusive work week, sprinkling droplets of serenity and peace onto your body and soul, making you whole again. No heels, no ties, no power suits - just slippers, shorts and oversize tees. We leave our burdens behind in the office and unchain ourselves from the bondage of frustrations and stressors of corporate expectations. We wrapped ourselves in bed, allowing our bodies to heal and rest soundly, serenaded by the sweetness of morning rays. What a beautiful day. Life at its best, no?

Time to Ponder....

The world has yet to embrace the fact that MJ is gone and how sad is the truth that we will no longer see The King of Pop moonwalks up on the stage. I'm not exactly a big fan but I do admit that his sudden demise has brought a certain tear rolling down my cheeks. Such an icon, revered by everyone for his music and showmanship in every bit of his performance before his untimely death. It futher saddened me that MJ was only a simple child trapped in a grown man's body, yearning for a typical life as a normal kid which has eluded him in decades. His death has inevitably dawned upon me that life is...indeed, fragile. When destiny calls, we have no choice but to yield.

The fact that the Gloved One lived a glamorous life filled with loads of cash (before he plummeted into abysmal complications of debts) and had the world in his hands at one point of time, he could not escape his tainted destiny. Who could have thought that someone with a big fat, Swiss bank account would die a miserable soul, marred by debts and multitudes of scandals? Life is unpredictable. How true.

Can you foretell your future? What will happen 10 years from now? I believe that God was trying to show me that life is nothing short of complicated and it is entirely up to me to make my life worthwhile. In the end, I can look back and tell myself that I've owed to myself to seek out happiness, to lead a meaningful life, filled with pleasant memories instead of regrets and bitterness. MJ's death signalled that money does not necessarily bring happiness. No doubt, we need the moolah to put rice on the table but how exactly how much is enough to sustain our livelihood without destroying our sunshines in pursuit of our so called financial stability?

Till today, I've worked my ass off, looking forward to my paycheque every month but am I happy? The answer is very hollow indeed. One of my friends asked me if I've LIVED in the last 10 years. I could not answer him. The years come and go - 10 years, 20 years and now, am into my 34th year. Have I really lived? I can only remember how I spent a big chunk of my life in the last 10 years slogging away for a paycheque - to pay off the bills and satisfy my retail thirst once in a while. But the question - Have I been fair to my inner being? Doing what I loved most? Like MJ, we worked and worked for the dollar bills but ultimately, it is our inner self that reflects the real soul - the untainted self which is not dictated by mainstream behaviour - certainly not by money.

As I write, I feel compelled to change the course of my present route. I really don't want to end up regretting later in life that I've not done adequately to fix my bitterness in the corporate life. Before I know it, the big 40 starts creeping into my life and by that time, it'll be too late for me to look back and say to myself, "I could have done that".

Someone once told me - happiness is in my hands and I owe it to myself. After all, I've slogged my ass in school and uni - all in the name for a better future, not a regrettable one. I may have the opportunity to sit down now and blog this entry. However, with life so unpredictable, can you tell what is going to happen to you tomorrow? MJ certainly couldn't.

Of Lakes and Mountains

I'm finally back to reality after 6 days of bliss, serenity and peace - away from the hustle and bustle of life in KL. My holiday in Guilin, China was nothing short of spectacular with enchanting, picturesque scenery of mountains, beautiful lakes and rivers. Not forgetting the various ethnic groups and aborigines with their huts plying along the renowned Li River. Overall journey into the heart of Guilin has been charmingly unforgettable. Several days of heavy downpour did not damper our spirits in exploring this majestic land of beauty and serenity. Guilin is typically a famous holiday destination for the old folks. Hence, apart from accompanying my parents, I had little expectations of the place. My ideal adventures would be some countries steep in ancient history like Rome, Greece or Egypt. For this reason, I thoroughly enjoyed my previous trip to Beijing. Furthermore, Chinese love to serve porky pork...a disaster to me, needless to say....and oil, loads of 'em...eww...

Our tour made up of 22 members, majority old folks, of course. Surprisingly, they turned out to be pretty active and sporting for their age. We had awesome camaraderie with a couple of old folks - they were funny, chatty and made me feel at ease whenever we chatted. Unfortunately, there's always a rotten tomato in every tour group. This particular family man annoyed me to the skin from the beginning of the tour right till the end. Loud mouth and blowing his trumpet all the time. Crap. Apart from this nonsensical chap, overall tour had been a blast. Kudos to the tour guide who made us feel amazingly at home with her soothing commentaries and personality. A true professional. I'd definitely recommend her to anyone planning on a trip to Guilin.

The highlight of the tour had definitely been the Impressions of Liu Sanje. A remarkable piece of performance staged on a lake and the scenic mountains as the backdrop. The whole piece was choreographed by Zhang Yimou, the same man behind the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. The show was breathtaking with colorful depictions of the local ethnic groups and their livelihood. Everyone needs to watch it at least once in their lifetime. Left us gasping for more at the end.

Then there's the souvenirs...day by day RMB notes flying off my hand faster than I could say "ni hao"...souvenirs like the aboriginal dolls, bags and key chains are typically hand made by the locals. It didn't cost much to us - averaging from RMB15 to RM30 per set. Worth every penny since it's hand woven...painstakingly.

There's one thing that I've difinitely brought home which is more valuble that souvenirs - lesson in life to be grateful for what I have now. Blessings upon me have been abundant with the love of my family and friends. A good paying job, a car and a roof over my head. Chatting with the locals and observing their hardships in making a meagre living really made me ponder upon my complaints about stress and pressures of work life back in Malaysia. Most of them live in extreme poverty, earning less than a fraction of what's in my paycheque and their stress could level that of mine. So what is my daily problems? I was actually holding back tears when I saw this little girl carrying an unbrella and begging tourists to buy her roses for a mere RMB5 in the rain. Then there's these really old folks flocking to every tourist to buy their locally grown fruits and veggies. A heart wrenching scene. Everyone has their hard times, so they told me. I should remind myself of the blessings I have.

Despite the fact that all of our tour members were eager to return home, I could not get enough of the place. One week is definitely not adequate to explore more. Well then, I guess there will be another time. Until then, it's back to reality for me on Monday and sure hope no more complaints about my freaking job!

He Breathed His Last This Morning

My excitement in anticipation to rock Guilin dissolved like ice cubes in hot boiling water this morning as I took one or my pet hamsters to the vet. It looked as if some %$#@* bacterias have been happily chewing up part of his face. He looked terribly sick and could hardly move. Vet told me that the poor chap had to be put to sleep. Too painful for him to live on. I had no choice but to give in. My sister decided not to witness him breathing his last. She walked out of the room but I decided to stay on. He had his last meal pior to his fateful moments. The vet's assistant pinned the poor chap down to the surgical table to limit his movements. The vet then quickly injected some lethal solution into his beating heart. Within seconds, my poor little friend started vomiting blood and laid motionless on the table. After several faint heartbeats, it was all over for him. RIP. Needless to say, I was fighting back tears. Hamsie has been with me since last year and it is terribly heartbreaking to see him walk away like that. Age caught up with him but those freaking bacterias precipitated his demise. We wrapped him up in newspapers and took him home, along with an empty cage. My remaining 5 hamsters must be wondering the whereabouts of their pal.

No doubt, there's pain in witnessing the process. I could have walked away like my sister did but I just wanted to be there for him....his last moments on earth. Hamsie has been an incredibly gentle and cute to the core. Despite his size, he's never bitten me. We called him a gentle giant. Well then, I guess in every living, breathing being, there's a shelf life. Just like us. Death is constant, so they say. How true it is. We cannot fight it but we can at least live our lives to the fullest. I know Hamsie did, despite his last painful moments.

Rest In Peace, my friend.

A long Overdue Holiday - here I come!

I had a surprisingly energetic and relatively productive work week. Perhaps my pesky fever bug had given me much needed dose of steroids to bounce back to work with enthusiasm and energy. I felt like Popeye after a can of spinach. Visited as many clients as possible to make up for a horrible week when I was down with fever. I still sound coarse but sexy, or so my colleagues pointed out. Well then, I enjoyed my week, a relaxing one indeed. I didn't think much about my work. I just took one day, one challenge at a time. I'm just sick of worrying and it's high time that I set my feet firmly on the ground. Things haven't changed a bit at work - problems, service issues and of course, co-workers with rotten attitude to boost. I just need to embrace the fact that everyone has mental problems - imbeciles, more like it. As expected, the week passed by very quickly and of course, I was more than happy to greet the weekend, all so looking forward to a short but promising weekend. What's more, in another 7 days, I'll be visiting the land where the majestic Great Wall still stands proudly and prominently. This time round, I'm not visiting Beijing - been there in 2001. Instead, I will be a camera trigger happy tourist in Guilin. I've heard so much about its beauty and can hardly wait to soaked up in its serenity. It's a long overdue holiday for me and I'm just gonna leave behind my excess baggage at work and let my spirits soar high in the mountains. I'm definitely looking forward to recharge my body and soul....and of course, my bruised up mind.

Life

The past one week has seen the lowest point in my life. I've been sick and completely struck down by this hyperactive flu bug which has been making every soul's life miserable in this so called "fever" season. My whole body felt like shit from fever, cough and flu and felt shittier when my voice deserted me. I had no choice but to take a couple of days off from work. The entire week had been hell and totally, outrageously unproductive as far as hitting my work KPI is concerned. I had to stay away from my favourite grub and went to bed with a battered body and mind. Mentally, I was totally worn out worrying about my job and of course, what else - my future. I've been pondering about my future all too often. Damn it! Why do I need to worry sick? I don't understand. I just need to snap out of it. Life is just too short and what the heck with work anyway? I have another 16 years to my retirement and what's with a mere 16 years?? I don't need anymore grey hair than I already have with all those worries. Life is short, they say...if given a choice, I'd rather have spent my time travelling around the world and doing the things I loved but alas - money is the big hurdle and yes...I've been working my ass thin paying off all those freaking bills, bills and more bills! I just feel so incinerated at times - I just feel like a pre-programmed cyborg working my butt off day in, day out. Oh how I do feel envious of people who can enjoy their lives and making shit loads of money doing what they loved. Is this ever possible?!? Enjoy your work and earning a fat paycheque? Reality seems just too far off, I guess. Life is powered by battery? I'm beginning to feel like that little guy in the Energizer advert...a small tiny battery, running around...Oh well...life...if it's to be, it is up to me - to make it worthwhile....

New Toy and A Bad Cough

Hi there! I'm back. Yeap, been missing in action for awhile now. No interesting subjects to blog about apart from officially warping in to my 34th year not so recently and subsequently bought myself an iPhone. Yea...I've been eyeing on an iPhone for a long time. Apart from my new toy, it's work, work and more work. Weather has been going yo-yo these days. Must say, there's no better time to roast a lamb on the sidewalk without building a camp fire. It's just so freaking hot! Almost everyone I know has been strucked down by some feverish bugs. Needless to day, I did not escape the pesky bug and yep, I'm officially down with a high fever and really bad cough. Lost my voice in the process. Doctor said I should stay at home and rest, rest and rest. There goes my long awaited plan to catch Angels and Demons at the cinemas. Darn! Where's my army of antibodies? They have certainly deserted me when I needed them most. Bah!

Nothing interesting stuff these days as far as subjects for blogging are concerned. I"m just waiting for my trip to come knocking at my door soon. Yea - my week-long holiday in Guilin, China. Countdown has begun....