Sprained Muscle... Ouch!!!

I sprained myself yesterday between my shoulder blades while I was about to take a shower. Can you believe that?

I never thought that one could sprain the muscles in between the shoulder blades. But if Dumbledore could be gay, and Harry Potter coming back from death, I guess anything's possible, right?

I took the day off, as I was not able to drive properly with my neck unable to twist at an angle of more than 30 degrees. I am wondering what my boss would be thinking about me taking my day off. But what the heck, he did not think about me when making stupid decisions and asking me to execute them. I felt so foolish.

I'll be home resting.

Annoying

Miss, welcome to R***!!!

-Nod to the attendant.-

Hair cut?

No, just a hair wash.

Please be seated here.

-I walked over and sat down.-

The shampoo boy got busy with the shampoo and the water.

Miss, we have a special promotion for hair treatment, it's only RM35.00 only. Would you like to try it.

No, thank you.

Miss, why don't you curl your hair?

No, I like my hair the way it is.

Miss, the curl is the fashion now.

No, I'm fine as I am.

Miss, you could try to dye your hair.

No, I'm fine.

Miss, you should try the hair treatment, your hair seem a little dry.

No, thank you.

Miss, it's not expensive, only RM35.00....

Hurgh........!!!! *Roll my eyes*

...........

I am not coming back to this saloon ever again.

Miss, this is your bill.... RM 22.00 your wash.

What!!!

I am SOOOOO not coming back to this saloon EVER, EVER again!!!!

To Love A Selfish Lover

I am down, and I am back in life.

A friend text me this evening and asked if I wrote that post "Selfish Lover". I said yes.

He said that he knew how that felt like, for he, too, was going through the same process. He then asked if there was any advice for such relationship.

I said I did not know any.

The one and only way to make a relationship work, is for those involved in such relationship to really want it to work.

Nothing can really work if there was no heart (sincerity) and effort.

In any relationship, the most that one could do, could only make up to 50% of the total effort, though that might take 100% of one's effort. The other 50% would depend on the other party.

This is why most that are involved in such relationships will constantly feel insecure. When one's effort exceeds the other, there is an imbalance in the give and take of the relationship, tipping the balance over. The one that gives will eventually get tired of giving, and the one that was given will feel the burden of the giver heavier and heavier.

We can never be sure of our partner unless they truly love us.

Loving someone who only loves him or herself is always and will forever be painful.

Please bear the pain if you truly love that person.

For, if you did not give up, there would still be 50% of chance for success.

Good luck, my dear friend. I hope that you will never abandon the love and hope that keep us all moving forward. May love and hope be with you throughout your journey.

Blog on the Riot in Myanmar

CNN had reported from London a blog that told about the inside stories of the clashes between the monks and the military juntas of Myanmar.

(Click here for the story by CNN.com)

Ko-htike is a blogger that moved from Myanmar to the United Kingdom seven years ago for his studies. Now, he wakes up at three o'clock in the morning to view through e-mails and photos sent out from Myanmar telling the violence and inhumane treatment suffered by the Burmese people.

Ko-htike said that these people were putting their lives in danger just by doing that.

Few foreign media are allowed in the country. The latest news was that the internet had been cut off in Myanmar.

(Click here for Ko-thike's blog on the Myanmar situation.)

The blog is now calling for the action of foreign aids to help the people and stop the violence in Myanmar, which has been for more than one week now. The monks and the burmese have suffered much.

Selfish Lover

You know how it is like to be in a relationship, where one of you is always the one to take one step back and let the other has his/her way?

Em-Hmm.. (Sorting through my documents)

Whenever there is a problem, you just do not want to say it out, for you are afraid that he/she would be unhappy, and you fear losing him/her.

Yeah... *I know, I've been through that,*(continuing with my work)

But keeping the problems inside does not solve the problem. Instead, it only adds tension to the relationship...

Mmm... (looking at my documents, *these numbers are wrong*)

With all the problems inside you, you are rigid when you are around him/her, or very quiet, or uneasy, or unhappy. And when you are like this, he/she will be affected. And he/she will feel like running away from you.

(Look up, then look down at my work again)

If you say it out, then he/she will say that you are giving them a lot of burden, and he/she will use that to break up with you.

Sigh...

So, the conclusion is, this is not a healthy relationship. He/she just does not love you that much. Not even enough for you to be yourself, to say whatever it is that you want in front of him/her. Given the chance, he/she will use every little reason to leave you, even petty ones.

These are the people who love themselves and only themselves.

Just let it go, bro.

Repentance

Does she still call you?

Nope!

Why? What is the problem?

I don't know.

Hmm....

Right. Hmmm...

There will be times in your life, when you meet with people who will become your friend, then your good friend, then you close friend, and all of a sudden, for certain reasons, the two of you become enemies.

Now why would that happen?

It could have been due to those certain reasons, something that you said or did had hurt him/her. It could have been a misunderstanding. It could have been anything.

But whatever the reason is, whatever the mistake is, there will always be a way of resolving and amending. Nothing is unsolvable. And nothing can't not be forgiven. Even the death of Jesus.

I like the part of the bible, where Jesus asked the people who wanted to stone a sinner to death, and Jesus said, "Whoever has not sinned, can throw stones at this woman." Nobody in the crowd dared to throw the first stone.

I know that I have done many wrongs in my life, and that I am still unknowingly (sometimes knowingly, like sleeping in the afternoon when I am supposed to iron my clothes and cleaning my room ;P) making many of the mistakes known to mankind. But I also know that I am not a perfect person, that making mistakes is part of my journey in life, from the beginning to the end. I try to be good, and learn the good. I try to practise them in my daily life, though in many ways it brings a tougher journey than the other.

But I am bound to make mistakes, for I am still young and naive in many ways. There are many things that I am not taught right in the beginning, and I have to suffer on my way with that. For those things that are dark and nasty inside me, life has a way of cleaning it out. Through life itself, it presents difficulties and trials. Through difficulties and trials, it brings growth, cleansing and betterment.

We are a better and stronger person because of what life has to offer to us. Both the good and the bad, they help us to learn and grow strong. I am a better person because of what happened to me in the past. I may not talk about them to anyone else, but they stay in my heart, and I cherish those experiences.

My wish is to do right by my loved ones, my family and my friends. I may make mistakes, and I am bound to, and I will always take responsibility for what I have done wrong, and bear the consequences.

But please do not give up in me. For all the wrongs that I have done, that is the worst punishment.

I am not the best, nor the holiest. I am a commoner, and I am learning, and trying to be good.

Please forgive me for what I have done.

How Can It Be Wrong?

There are a few things in life that I resent.

One, it is to be taught the wrong values in life.

Two, it is to be taught the wrong attitute in life.

Three, it is to suppress my original self and be forced to become someone or something that fits the "proper" way or behaviour of the community.

There are more, but these are the only ones that I can think of for the time being.

Many of us are brought up not knowing how to think for ourselves. We are taught that if something pleases, then that is the right thing.

We are not taught to stand up or stand by for what is right, but to think about our own benefit and stay the h*** away from any thing that could bring trouble to yourself, even if you know that there was something that you could do to help. Helping is troublesome.

We are taught to be selfish. When there is an accident on the road, slow down only to look, but don't pay any mind to that man laying there on the ground. If you gave him a ride, his blood might just dirty your back seat.

I believe that helping can never be troublesome. How could helping an old lady or a blind to cross the road be troublesome? How could slowing your vehicle for a pedestrian to pass be annoying?

When there is a break-in in your neighbour's house, should you just close you windows and pretend not to see it?

We are afraid of getting involved. We are afraid that if we tried to be the hero, we would get ourselves into greater trouble in the end.

No one is asking you to be the hero. Heroes only exist in the stories and the movies.

I believe that there is always a way of helping people, and turning things around.

Helping will only bring trouble if you did it the wrong or stupid way. Do it right, and you will minimize your risk of getting trouble.

But there will be incident when you help, you will have to pay a little, like letting your back seat being messed up with blood.

There will always be a way to help and contribute, as long as it is done right. If you do it the smart way, the effective way and the productive way, you will never go wrong.

Harmonious

This is one picture that I love from Madonna and her three children/adopted children.

Each individual is unique, yet there is a sense of comfort in the presence of one another.

Even with differing skin tone or hair texture, love can make us all live harmoniously together.

Happy Birthday!!! Shun!!!

It is the birthday of a friend, Shun, and I am writing this post to honour this day in which he was born 25 years ago.

He likes to photograph himself. Not a bad hobby, eh?

This is the Shun with the "executive look"

He can be cute at times...

His "specky-look"...

His "poster-look"...

And, His, erm..., "Greek-God look"....

:D HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Shun!!!
May your days be as bright as the sun shines!!! :-)

Pom Pom Island: The Group

9 guys + 4 gals = 13 in a group

This is us!!!

Pom Pom Island: The Introduction

Last August, I was very lucky to join the "expedition" group to explore the reefs of Pom Pom Island. Pom Pom is near the Sipadan island. From Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia, it took only forty minutes of boat ride to reach the island.

Pom Pom is an island undergoing the process of being developed into a holiday resort. The owner of the resort, Mr. Peter Tiong, bought 30 acres of land on the island for such development.

The resort is still under construction, and Peter gave us a good price to put up in his luxurious resort, with minimal facilities. Though minimal, we had all that we needed to survive, even hot showers at night (but only at night).

Pom Pom island is absolutely beautiful. A haven for all who seeks the tranquility and serenity of mother nature. White sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, smooth like a mirror, and the soft quietness of the island land habitat. This is absolutely the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, to have a moment of peace.

We came here to dive, to explore the reefs all around the island, and we were all in for some "surprises". We did not initially have thought of such situations to be.

The view from the chalet that we spent our nights in. We were having a blissful time as a nature seeker.

There will be more updates of my Pom Pom trip in my following posts. For now, this is only an introduction of what mother nature has kindly and generously offered us. Please stay tuned for more. :)

All pictures in this post are contributed by Monsieur L. Longeau, who takes the most wonderful pictures I have seen. Thank you.

Kudat's Diver Down

While I was hanging out in Edward's dive shop last night, I heard them talking about one particular diver who was sent to Labuan for decompression illness's treatment. Sources said that this man suffered from decompression illness after an one-hour dive in Kudat. It was believed that he stayed too long at a depth of 50m.

After starting diving myself, I have always being asked this question, "Diving? Is it dangerous?"

When I first attended classes for my "Open Water Diver"'s license, I was told that diving was one of the safest sports in this world. Statistically, there are more deaths and injuries in driving than diving. :) As long as the diver practises all safety precautions necessary, and have respect for the nature, I doubt that anything worse than a coral bite or a cramped muscle would happen.

To me, the only danger in diving is the STUPIDITY and ARROGANCE of a diver.

Teresa's 150th Dive Celebration

Last night one lot of us gathered in Edward's dive shop to celebrate Teresa having done 150 dives!!! That was just incredible!!!

Congratulations, Teresa!! Hope you keep up that good work, and keep on diving.

Diving is living, living is diving!!! (That's her tagline...) :)

Oh, and she operates the smallest hostel in town...the BORNEO SEAHARE HOSTEL. Only online reservation is entertained. No walk-ins.

The Yoo Couple

Dr. and Mrs. Yoo C. Y. came visiting 13 September 2007. I was able to take this picture of them in Cafe Cino, Hilton, while having a cheese cake and cappucino. This was the second night of their stay. They left on 15 September 2007.

I was able to ask some questions, which helped me in clarifying some of the issues that was bothering me for a while. It was good to have someone experienced to guide you.

Always respect your elders, even though they may not be as strong as before.

UNIMAS Snorkelling Session (16 Sep 2007)

I hardly blog nowadays. I could say that I was busy, but in actual fact, not so busy that I had no time to blog. It was just that I was very occupied for a while with other aspects in my life, and when I finally got home, I was just too tired to turn on my PC and start blogging.

But here it is:

Sept 16, 2007

Edward was having some UNIMAS students coming over to Talang-Talang islands for snorkelling session. I went to help out. Most of the students that came were really young, I guessed less than twenty years in age. Both races of Chinese and Indians were there, and like our society, they tend to stick to the group that share their common appearances.

There were not too many divers this week. Just five of them, including one Kenny Sia, a famous local blogger. He came with Lawrence and his wife, both of whom I had not met before. Peggy was friendly, and she was easy to talk to. Lawrence had an underwater camera, but it suffered a leakage on his first dive.

The bunch of UNIMAS students, most of them were girls. Some of them were not very comfortable in the water, and tend to freeze while I took them in turn to snorkel around the area. One such girl told Edward that there were not many fishes, and Edward took her down diving in a coral patch just beside Talang Besar. Girl was stunned by the variety of fishes and their traffic down there. Ed was pretty smug after that.

Clare, David and I climbed to the roof of Adi's boat to boat jump. I just had my snacks and was feeling rather full and lazy. But Clare insisted on going up, so I went with her, with David following. When we jumped, I had a hard time burping myself.

I notice that whenever I was asked to do things that I did not really want to, yet was harmless doing it, I tend to complain like an old lady. I would keep on rambling until the task was finally done. I am just such an old "Lor-sor" (i.e. Someone who talks and reminds people about things endlessly).

The water was clear, thankfully. Visibility was about 5 to 7 metres. But I wonder for how long it would stay like this before the rainy season set in and brought the silt up from the bottom. The climate this year was very unusual. It had been raining really hard during the dry season. No one really knows what to expect for the end of the year.

Alwin

Dr. Alwin Lee Kim Peng
(1981 - 2006)

Six months has passed since Alwin passed away last Christmas.

I was lazing on the couch on Christmas noon, easing my hangover from the rowdy night before, when I received this sms:

"Dr Alwin just pass away 25/12/06 @10.44am...Thank you. Fr: family"

For two heart beats, I just laid there staring at my phone screen, before it finally dawned on me.

Alwin was really gone.

The few months counting down to Alwin's last moment, I sent him more sms's and called him more times than any other times in college. He was still the same him. A little naughty, and being himself. I guess I regretted a little for not making the trip over to KL to visit him when he was hospitalized. At least WM did make it on one trip, after I told her that Alwin was suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). My case, I had to fly over to his place, and that was not something I was willing to do at that time.

So, I made that up by calling him often, though not everyday, and prayed for him in the nights.

Alwin did a bone marrow transplant sometime in April or May last year, and was for a period at a slightly better condition. He even went home and had supper out in the market place with his family once. But AML was no easy disease. Every single effort was needed in order to fight it. It was one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancy that killed young people who was diagnosed with it.

Eventually, Alwin stopped replying my messages. He was getting too weak to even type a message on his cell phone.

I was getting more and more worried as the day passed by.

I kept another of his sms in my phone:

"still having discomfort & in hospital! will email u my progress later! dun call me now! can pray for me?"

It just broke my heart to read it.

Then, at 23 December 2006, I remembered another sms that told of him going into a coma. It was then that I knew that it won't be long.

Two days later, Alwin passed away.

Rest in peace, Al, and I hope that your stay here was good.

Heat

I looked to the sky, and saw that it was greyish blue. I guess it would rain this afternoon.

I hoped that it would rain.

I had been having some heat spells for the past few days. My voice had changed due to that, and I kept feeling lazy and tired in midday. I never liked that.

During the days when I was in the U.K., Summer was the time when I spent the least time sleeping, for the day was long in summer. I could be up at six in the morning, and kept going on with life until eleven in the evening, yet not feel the slightest bit of tiredness.

Back here in Kuching, the heat really got to me, especially during the dry season.

One other thing that I did not like about the dry season, was that the neighbouring country would burn their jungles at this time. That was to prepare their land for a new year of planting. Burning of the land at such big scale, caused the whole region to be enveloped in smog and haze.

I hated that. Still do.

Let's just hope that I'll survive through this period once again for another year.

Talk

I know that this is a little bit out of the blue, but.. I'm MARRIED!!!

Nah~

Never mind what I just said, the thing is, I'm happy. A little bit bordering blissfully happy. Well, may be not there yet, but I'm working my way there.

I have taken some of my weights off my shoulder and out of my heart. So, that gives me more freedom to move around. Or, should I say, I am just glad that I got what I wanted to say off my chest now.

Previously, I had been burdening myself with all my own thoughts and my emotions. With everything bottled up in me, I give myself no space and no air to breathe in. Not talking is most certainly not healthy, the same goes with talking too much. :)

But now, I have had my chance to talk, and to get those things of me, I am most definitely feeling absolutely happy.

I like to talk. It keeps the relationship healthy. But only with a few conditions that you are able to speak the truth, with no emotional or any other form of biases, and that you speak from your heart. Put the person you are talking to in front of you, and think about that person when you talk. Remember, the purpose is to get your point(s) across.

Talk and try to make that person understand, but don't expect him or her to fully grasp your meaning or your heart in one moment. Sometimes, we all need sometime before we could fully recognize another's journey and heart.

Thank you for talking to me, or should I say, letting my talk?

The Truth

This was a blog that I had written on March 11, 2007, in my friendster account. Enjoy reading, people!!!

I have been reading the blogs of my friend, and I am quite surprised by the things that he/she writes.

There are blogs where people will just complain and complain, and there are blogs where people will just talk about their emotions with no concrete details. These are the blogs that won't usually attract any readers, apart from their inner circles.

I like blogs where people talk honestly about their lifes and their thinkings. Everyone is entitled to their own feelings. As long as one talks honestly, that would still be better than the sweetest lies in this world, though most of the time, the truth is a bitter taste worse than that of a bitter gourd. The truth would sting. But it would always be a thing that push a person to better himself.

I opt for the honest truth, brutally honest. I like to believe that people like Eminem succeeded because their songs were the real life painting of the society that he lives in. Although ugly, it is still the truth, and that is what all of us is looking for. The truth.

Oh well, I guess the other thing that turns me away from a person's blog, is that those blogs are written in English so bad, that it just hurts to read them. No offense to all, but I just cannot stand it when people would just ignore the simple rules of grammar and go, "I is..."!!!

Forgive me for saying it out loud, but this is the truth, and it is better than the sweetest lies in this world, is it not?

Sibu

So, I had been up and into the town of Sibu. It was not all that bad. I mean, I did get to see my friend, the one from KL, and see another friend, that one was from Kuching, and finally, I got to make myself a new friend.

The story went like this.

It was finally Saturday morning, and I was all packed to go to the airport. It was silly of me, though not unfortunate, to think that my flight leaves one hour before the actual time, and arrived at the airport two hours earlier. I rushed to the check-in counter thinking that I was late, yet was absently wondering to myself why were there not more people checking in.

It was only when I went down to the lobby for a cup of coffee and some breakfast, that it hit me. My flight was not until an hour and a half later!!!

I took my time having my sandwiches, and reading the free "Eastern Times". They had it at the AirAsia check-in counter in the Kuching International Airport. Nothing very prominent or outstanding for the day. After a while, I got bored reading it.

I roamed around the area for some time, and took some effort to find the Mandarine fish in the tropical aquarium set in the departure hall. I could not see it. Morning was not their time of daily outing.

I was walking down the corridor towards my boarding gate when a girl seated to my left lifted her arm and waved enthusiatically at me. I looked at her and registered a familiar face, yet recognition failed me. She had a big smile, and a girlie character. I sat down beside her, out of politeness, and started talking.

The wonder of small talks, is that it allows you time to search through your mind the net of people connections, finding that one key name or identity, yet not offend the very person that you are having a animated converstation with, as though you know her from the very first minute your eyes are set on her. Ah, the art of communication, it never fails to save relationships!

Anyway, We were talking, and she found out that I was alone on my trip to Sibu, with no car to take me into town. This kind little lady offered me a ride down to town with her father. I was absolutely blessed!!! Why, thank you very much!!!

So, down into town I went with her family, in her wonderful white Toyota. It took her parents some effort to find the place where I was supposed to stay for the night. But we finally found it. And her father was absolutely kind and helpful, even reminded me to call them if I ever needed anything. Thank you, again. :)

The teacher of my friends came to the door and let me in. I looked at her and raised my eye brows. Teacher in her teacher's outfit. It took a little getting use to.

We sat around for a while, and she took me out for lunch at one of those kopitiam in the town centre. We ordered, and talked about life and people back home. It was nice, sometimes, to be able to just talk, a little deeper, a little more quietly.

We went for a hair wash later on. It was her favorite way of passing time. Oh, no, to her, hair washing was not a pass time for her. It was a neccessity. It was a part of life itself.

We were bewildered though, for that particular saloon that we went to, had their customers laid down for a hair wash. Imagine that.

The girls that did our hair talked to us, and asked us where we were from. I said that we came from the jungle. Teacher started to shake her head when I started my story. I told those girls the very details of my home origin, and Teacher would just sigh with a laugh and shake her head. Later on that evening, Teacher would tell me that I was really fooling people around. I retorted, asking her whether there was one word of a lie that I told those girls. Teacher was silent for a moment, and finally said no. I did not lie to those girls. I was just merely having some fun of our own with them. Harmless little fun.

That evening, we had dinner at a restaurant near the bus terminal. It was good, but the meal was too large for just two. We did not complain. Teacher was happy eating. I was just being careful not to overeat and had myself a stomachache later.

On our way back, my other friend, this one from KL, whom I came all the way down to meet, had finally called. She wanted me to come to her hotel to spend the night with her. And I was glad later that I did not, for I had to share a single bed with her, and a room with two other women.

Furthermore, it was late, and Teacher was tired. I could not possibly ask her to send me back into town just to meet her. That would just be too unfair and inappropriate.

I mean, respect me a little. I had come all this way, and you had not spare a single minute for me, nor the effort to arrange for the meeting, even accused me of not making the effort to meet up. What do you expect? Me to be your on-call friend and come to you only when you please?

So, We got back, showered and changed, and sat lazily in front of the TV. Teaher was sleepy. So, I asked her to go to bed.

We went to bed. I slept on the floor in a sleeping bag. I could not sleep the whole night. I listened to the dogs howled thrice in the night. The third time they howled, I knew that it was morning.

I spent only an hour an a half with my other friend the next day. Then, I asked Teacher to send me to the airport. So, there, my Sibu trip ended.

But it was not a lost. I spent quality time with a quality friend. I met another friend on my way back, and I totally allowed myself to relax during this whole trip. I mean, since I was there, might as well make it into a holiday!!

I was happy. Things may not alway work in your favour, but learn the art of turning the stakes around and make things work towards your advantage. Be open, and be smart. Life is beautiful.

In the end, I gained more than I thought I would lose.