Eve Notebook - The Kite Runner

I am truly blessed this year to have received wonderful gifts of great books from friends this year. The latest gift I received, The Kite Runner, had been on my mind and fate would have it to bring this book to me from a friend who didn't know.

The author, Khaled Hosseini, was born in Afghanistan thus you can trust that a lot of the things you read about in this story is probably as raw and true as it can get.

This overview was taken off Bloomsbury's website:

"Unfolding against Afghanistan’s destructive history, from the fall of the monarchy to the oppression of the Northern Alliance and the advent of the Taliban, The Kite Runner is a story of fathers and sons, friendship and betrayal, and the casualties of fate.

At the heart is Amir, whose childhood betrayal of his closest friend alters the course of his life until he discovers that ‘there is a way to be good again’. "

Frankly, I think this description does the story no justice. You have to read it for yourself to see how richly the author has told this story. It is a story about family, kinship, brotherhood, friendship, honor, righteousness, forgiveness and perhaps above all, redemption. It is amazing how the author brings you through all these themes without imposing them on you.

I love how the author introduces elements which allow the reader to peek into what a peaceful Afghanistan might have been. I love how those seemingly irrelevant and unimportant details tell so much about each of the characters and eventually bring you into the whirlpool of the story. The story starts so simply, brings you through an unsuspecting ride to finally finish off with an ending that makes you come all round and say "wow". I felt shivers of joy at the ending.

This story will move, provoke and shake you.

Now I can't wait for the film!

About The Kite Runner at Bloomsbury site:
http://www.bloomsbury.com/Authors/microsite.asp?id=480&section=1&aid=1763

The Author's website:
http://www.khaledhosseini.com/

Movie Trailer:
http://www.bloomsbury.com/flashvideos/video.asp?vid_id=kiterunner.flv&vid_sz=5

End of Yet Another Year

Ah it has come to the time of the year where I sum up the year that is going to pass. If you care enough to read, thank you :)

There was once upon a point in my life where love was all important, where weekends were best spent partying and where dressing was more flamboyant.

Today, I prefer to spend time at home or with friends in cosy settings. I drink little if not none at all. My ideal gift (other than money haha) would be good books or CDs because they help me in writing. I prefer laid back and casual. I don't try hard to impress. Yeah maybe I am not a social animal but at least you know I am being sincere. Socialistic hypocrisy ain't my thing.

Overall, I would say this is a better year than 2006. There are many things for me to feel happy about. As I wave goodbye to the year that gave me a really cool birthday date on 20.07.2007, these are the things that made my year:

1) Writing

I really can't possibly dismiss how important this discovery has been to me. You probably know by now that I love writing and there have been people who have encouraged me to pursue writing more.

It is by pure accident that I started writing fiction. I really have to thank DBSK for that, for giving me inspiration, Hei Bi who started me on fanfics and the many readers who have accompanied me along the way. Without that, I would not have started writing on a whim of fancy to discover how much I enjoy and how this may turn out to be a serious calling for me.

Writing gave me reprieve and brought me joy, not to mention the many friends that I have since known. They come from all over the world - Canada, France, Venezuela, Korea and so on. Never mind that we have never met, their heartfelt words and encouragement have touched my heart greatly. To these many strangers and a handful of real life friends who have shown their support for my work, read, commented and regularly stayed updated - they have made this path so much less lonely.

If you are one of them, thank you. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate the support because it is simply such an important part of my life now. For being part of this important part, thank you.

2) Yoga

I have been wanting to do Yoga for the longest time. I held it off until I finally decided to try to improve my flexibility. It turned out to be one of the most important fitness discoveries I will ever find. I was so impressed that I even cancelled my gym membership and signed up for a yoga membership instead.

In yoga I found peace. I also believe it to be responsible for improvements in my flexibility, patience, health and energy levels. I didn't believe it until I tried it and like they say, I have never looked back. I always look forward to Yoga every week now.

3) Happiness

I remember once writing about happiness and the pursue for happiness. We often find happiness in other things but at some point I started to wonder about the possibility of pure happiness - happiness that does not result from owning something, but exists just because one is purely happy.

I can't say that I have found it. But I can say maybe I experienced a little of what it may feel like.

For a long time, I could not bring myself to say I am happy. I had too much to be unhappy about. Thus, you can imagine my surprise and joy when I recently started saying to people that "I am generally happy with my life."

Folks, I have not achieved financial independence and some woes continue to plague me. My health is not at its best even if it has recovered so much. I am not at my slimmest and neither has my skin finally reached my dream porcelain state. Like many others, I have many things I still want or want more of.

Yet, I can surprisingly bring myself to say I am happy. Happy to be on my own, happy that I don't need another person to feel complete, happy that I have friends, happy that I have a roof over my head and just so many mundane things - but to sum it up, it isn't so bad. I am sure discovering writing has a big part of play but still...

If you wanna know how much this means to me, try telling another person that you are happy. There are not that many people I know who are capable of seriously saying that. If you can, I truly from the bottom of my heart, congratulate you.

4) Sotong family

Oh yes, we shriek and shrill over the silliest things but I have found true friends in sotong family. They have made this year so much more fun and I am truly thankful for their friendship.

5) Connecting with friends

I must say I have connected more with some friends whom I really should have connected more with. For that, I am thankful.

Now, for the wishes for the new year ahead...

1) I hope to met good clients, hit my targets and for the studio to do well = more money heh heh
2) I hope to keep writing and to polish my writing to make it good enough to publish or film.
3) I hopw my writing project comes through and it gets published.
4) I hope to stay in good health and good shape (yes, vain).
5) I hope to be even better at saving money (hey I made improvements this year).
6) I hope to improve in Korean and visit Korea this year.
7) I hope to connect more with my family and people that matter.
8) I hope to meet Leader-shi kekekeke

The list goes on...I will try to add on :)

And as always, Thank you to God and all the nice people I have met who have made life wonderful for me this year.

Eve Notebook - Bangkok Dec 2007

I just went to Bangkok last weekend for five absolutely hot guys.

No, not a dirty weekend. Sorry to disappoint you.

They are...

Dong Bang Shin Ki, The Rising Gods of The East

Ok I shall not try to digress from the objective of this post which is to talk about Bangkok.

Bangkok traffic is still bad as ever. A bad jam can drag out what may be an hour trip to two. I stayed at Dusit Thani hotel which was situated just outside Silom train station. It's proximity to the Sala Daeng BTS station also made it convenient to get around.

Being a major hotel, Dusit Thani came with the full works: pool (a tad too small), gym (which was very impressive by the way), restaurants and spa. The rooms were nicely furnished though there wasn't much of a view frankly. The service was pretty helpful though I really would have expected their frontline staff to have a stronger command of English.

I didn't get to shop much or walk around much this time but I did find a very nice little joint a few minutes away from the hotel.

Unfortunately, I was down with possible infection of the intestines just before the trip. Thus, I had to avoid overly strong food during the trip. Thus, you can imagine my joy when I found Wai Thai.

Using a modern open kitchen concept along with cool jazz music in the air, Wai Thai was cool and clean. Claiming to serve healthy Thai food made with fresh ingredients and no oil, no salt, no sugar and no MSG added, I must say I was curious. Is it even possible?

Apparently it is.

My mushroom noodle soup came looking very decent. So it looks good, but does it taste good?

I must say I was suitably impressed with the taste. The dark soup was sweet with a tinge of mushroom. The vegetables were fresh and the mushrooms were succulent. The noodle was cooked to yummy softness. If they had managed to achieve such a taste without adding all that, I must say I have to be impressed. Even my drink of Carrot with Ginger was refreshing with just enough of ginger to not kill the drink.

I liked it so much that I went back for a second visit with my friend and she also found favor in the joint for its cool and cosy interiors along with healthy Thai food. The only thing I thought strange was that Paad Thai is cooked differently in Bangkok compared to here. The Paad Thai is actually sweet there compared to the salty ones here.

In terms of shopping, I went to MBK and nearby where I found a lot of cool t-shirts going for less than $10. Yes no prizes for guessing what I bought. Of course you do get people trying to get you into one of the sleazy joints where the ladies (maybe men too) with heavenlly bodies in bikinis will make you regret your sumptuous dinner, but hey it's all part of the charm.

I sure hope to see more of Bangkok next time :)

Eve Notebook - Pret A Manger

I found this place call Pret A Manger along busy Shenton Way by accident and may I say it was a wondrous discovery indeed.

All too often we have frozen food, MSG, too much salt or additives in our food when we eat out but the food served at Pret are made fresh daily with good health in mind. This is not to say they compromise in taste. Indeed, the light and tasty fare at Pret is a refreshing breeze compared to the much heavier food found in its neighbours.

The menu ranges from soup to salads, wraps and sandwiches. The ingredients are always fresh and the combinations are lovely. The price is a little higher than hawker fare but honestly I don't mind it for the freshness and how light it is on the waistline.

What keeps me going back again and again is one particular item that has caught my heart and stomach. It comes in a little pot like this:


THE Raspberry Granola Pret Pot

Hidden in this little pot is a little serving of light yoghurt (little because I really can possibly eat two of it) along with raspberry and granola. Do get the ones with granola in them. It just makes the taste so much richer. The light sour of yoghurt sweetened by fresh raspberry compote and natural granola....ahhhh what can I say....absolutely heavenly~~

The best part is they have inhouse wireless internet and and lovely music played all day. You can sit there and read or do work because it is not too noisy for most of the day except lunchtime. Cool ambience, healthy and nice food and friendly service...honestly what more can one ask for in busy Shenton Way?

短发

短发

不需要长发的抚魅
不需要过去的影子


放开

三千丝沉重的记忆
为过去的篇章划号一句

剪去

换取自由的轻盈
踏上天边无限的彩云

找到

全新而熟悉的自己
一个适合现在的自己

Way to Go Epik High!

I love this performance of tradition meets new world pop...awesome!

Fan
Epik High
Golden Disk Awards

Tears For A Stranger

Today I was watching a funny video and I laughed till I saw the end "By Kayem7289".

I never knew.

I must have watched so many videos by her and laughed to it, not knowing it was her work. I must have read so many of her posts and saved so many of the pics she gave without knowing.

I never knew her and yet I felt like I saw so much of her around and how she continues to leave all these pieces of her behind.

This is a tribute made by Kay's sister, containing the excerpts of the words she wrote 2 days before she died.




Kay's Last Letter

-November 30, 2007! Woot!

Well, hey girls. If this entry is being read at this moment, then that means that fate has finally gotten to me. (It's about time, fate! *Shakes fist angrily at sky* LOL)I am writing this last entry today because I am not feeling too well at the moment, and yes, I know, we all get a little sick once in a while, but I just feel...Different this time. It sounds a little pessimistic, but I know, know, know that my time is coming, and any day now...I will back in my appa's arms, catching up on nearly nine lost years.

It's been 8 days since I said goodbye to the cyberworld, but this time, I'm saying farewell and good luck to everyone here in the real world. Or in other words, you earthlings xD! Sounds like an alien, huh? Just remember that this is Earth that we are talking about, our first life, our hardest life, and that the best is in store. Technically it's already December 1st because it's 2:04 am right now and I see the snow falling from the sky, and it makes me feel all jittery all of a sudden. I don't really like to play in the snow, but seeing the land covered in bright white, makes such an ugly world, look so beautiful and calm. It makes me forget about all the sadness and pain out there, just for a second as I gaze into the purified world. However, just like life, the beauty is only temporary, and before you know it, spring comes and new flowers bloom. What does this tell us? Life that seems like it has ended, is still there, just sleeping and waiting for the right time to reappear. I might not be here physically, but my thoughts, my wishes, my abandoned hopes; all still linger here, waiting to be fulfilled.

I dreamt of becoming a mother, a wife, an employee for a big company (lol), and even though none of them were probable, I still lived a wonderful, beautiful life. Who says fairy tales always have a happy ending? Who said beautiful movies or stories always had to end the way everyone wanted it to? The beauty of life is that it is mysterious, it's unfair, it gives us exactly what we don't want! It is all of a matter of how you look at it. Are you going to cry and sulk about how life is treating you unfairly, or live it to the fullest and rub it all in life's face [if he/she had one, that is].

"Hey, life! You're being an bubble gum, but I'm still happy! HAH!"
There's a greater prize waiting for us, but you'll have to earn it.

Please be kind to my sister, Cindy. She is just a 15 year old gal, trying to live a normal life, and is probably an emotional wreck by now.

I know that I always rely on her to bring the bad news, but remember, she's just my messenger, don't harass her for anything...Or bring up perverted thoughts! *Stares at perverted girls at the corner* Oh Cindy, my little naive dongsaeng, unnie is going to miss calling you every week...But try to stay strong and just remember that I'll always be your awesome unnie lol. I know that all the times we've seen each other recently, have been rather sullen, but the next time you see me, I'll be healthy! No more tubes connected to by nose, no needles in my arms and no wheelchair! I'll be that unnie you grew up knowing, the one who was never afraid of anything, the one who told you to live your life on the wild side! This goes out to everyone as well. Anticipate our next meeting, neh?

I'm so sorry, girls! I know that I am supposed to come back in ten days, but I guess I was dreaming too far ahead.

I really wanted to make it through one more Christmas, to spend with you all, and to make New Year's resolutions as well.

I guess I'll never have the chance to indulge in chocolates during Valentine's Day, or chug one or two beers for St. Patrick's Day, but at least all my wonderful girls still have that opportunity. Celebrate on my behalf, leave a cup of soda for me, buy me a box of chocolates lol, or maybe not...Your parents might get a bit weirded out about it all.

"I see dead people." OMO!

You know what I mean though...Don't take all these little things for granted, or you'll regret it when you get in my shoes one day. "I wish I would've eaten more on Thanksgiving last year," or "I really should've bought my mom that gift she wanted for Christmas." I beg of you, girls, please, life is not a game where you can just go move by move hoping for the best. You must think everything through and through, make all your decisions count!

No tears! You guys are lucky I wasn't able to bash all your heads in with my plank lol. I don't want to see all those tears when I'm gone, just think about all those great times we've had.

As long as you don't erase me, or my existence, I'll always be alive.Keep living, keep dreaming, keep wishing, keep hoping, keep breathing and keep waiting...For me.

Before you know it, we'll be having conversations again like nothing ever even changed. I'll be waiting for you guys up there, don't keep me waiting too long, okay?

Holy crap this is long! My last message and it's so asdjklasdf long lol, sorry if I bored you to death!

Peace out homes! Lol, I'm a gangster now, apparently.*Blows everyone kisses*

<3>



This part really got me crying...

"Life that seems like it has ended is still there, just sleeping and waiting for the right time to reappear. I might not be here physically, but my thoughts, my wishes, my abandoned hopes; all still linger here, waiting to be fulfilled."

I cannot begin to imagine the dreams that the 18 year old Kyung Min had...all abandoned.

People, life is really too precious to be lived in any way that is less than the most we can and want to be, in any way that is less happy than what it deserves...

May your days be lived to the maximum of your dreams and hopes.

Goodbye Kayem7289

Cancer has taken another young girl's life.

Some of you may remember me writing about a girl who died of cancer sometime back. Now, another girl from soompi has also passed away from cancer.

It's so sudden isn't it?

I didn't know her at all but I have seen her nick so many times on one of the threads I frequent. I remember her nick, her posts and the long farewell she wrote when she decided to leave the forum due to all that was going on in her life.

She's only 18 this year.

I would like to share some excerpts from one of the last posts she wrote and I hope it will give you some perspective from someone who truly was on life's border. If you are her family and wish me to remove this, please let me know. I will gladly do so.

"Last year on August 18, I was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma after going to the hospital for a bruised hip. If you don't know what Ewing's Sarcoma is, it is a form of bone cancer that usually occurs in males more than females. For every five males diagnosed with this illness, one female is affected, and I was that lucky candidate. Which gives me the urge to find the five guys before me and give them a good shaking lol. What happens to the bones is that a chromosome moves out of place and into the wrong...Well, DNA strand. Which is why it's more common in males, when they go through the growth spurt, it forces the bones to adapt and change too rapidly, causing the [already corrupt] chromosomes to go out of whack even more. I grew from 5'2 in freshmen year to 5'8 in junior year, and I also went through a dramatic weight loss, so if there were any contributions to my illness, the blame is all on me and my body. Actually, information about this cancer is still limited so any information I give out, is what I've either been told by a doctor or researched.

The survival rate for bone cancer is usually moderately high, ranging from the 50-70's, UNLESS the cancer metastasizes (spreads), and then your chances of survival dramatically dive...Which is what happened exactly in my case. When I first was diagnosed, I was a stage two patient and the cells were stabilized in my right leg and hip...However, after my last checkup in September, I became a stage four patient (stage five means you are literally on the deathbed waiting for Death's call) because the cells had metastasized into my lungs, pancreas and liver (although I was told that I was getting better). Once you become a stage four patient, there is not much more the doctors or medical staff can do anymore to improve your condition, literally, they can't do anything for you anymore except attempt to perform surgery or intense chemo/radiotherapy (which would still provide just a placebo effect). Like I mentioned above, people diagnosed with bone cancer usually live for years and years because of the high survival rate, until you get to my case...I have approximately six months to live and a 34% of living my life to the fullest.. So right now, I'm in the acceptance stage; I've accepted what is already coming and have fully prepared myself for what is to inevitably come. Now, it's time to fulfill lost dreams and say all that I have left to say so that I can leave peacefully with no regrets. My dad died of cancer when I was nine as well, so I will probably succumb the same way he did. However, I am not angry about dying, in fact, I am looking forward to it [mildly] just because I will be able to be with him again.

I also know that some people must be wondering where I have been for the past week or so, on my so-called trip lol. Well, first and foremost, I apologize about deceiving you all about saying that I was going on a trip when in fact I wasn't. It was actually my first operation, to remove benign tumors from my pancreas and liver, as well as getting a part of my hip replaced. I KNEW it was not going to improve my health at all, but it was for my mom. I knew that undergoing the surgery would at least re-assure her that I was trying harder, so I did it for her. My mom, how I will miss her so much. Her cooking, her crazy stories, her love...I'm just glad that when I pass, such a burden will be lifted off her shoulders and she can live peacefully with my siblings. I am so proud of my mother, having to go through TWO loves of her life dying of cancer and still striving for the best in life. "

"What I've Learned:

Take what you can, and leave what you can't. Seriously, that saying is just...Too true. I've tried as hard as I could to be nice to everyone, as well as being on good terms with whomever I met, but I guess the world just doesn't work that way. You win some, and you lose some. I spent SIX months trying to befriend a member here at Soompi, showering her with replies and compliments, only to discover that she had been talking mini cooper about me all this time. Not only that, to her friends as well. Which brought in new insight: it's THEIR loss, not mine. Why would I want to be friends with someone who talks crap about other people anyway, and without justifiable reasons at that? She knows EXACTLY who she is, so no need to bring up names, but all I know is that I tried, and when someone dislikes you for no apparent reason, then there's nothing else you can do about it...Except, move on. She and her little friends can say crap about me all they want because well, I'm not going to let the comments of such 'high-class' ladies effect me ('monkey-faced', seriously, that's the best you could come up with?). I was pissed at first, but now...I could care less, in fact, I encourage more trash talk, it's entertaining when strangers hate you!

Just be yourself and say whatever the hell you want, well...At least in a tasteful manner. I make no apologies for any of my "essays" because I honestly don't feel like they were offensive enough to have to redeem myself for. In fact, I'd rank them as controversial, but hardly offensive in any way, shape or form. I DO, however, apologize for the times when I deliberately tried to argue with people just so I could gain an ego boost. If you didn't like what I wrote to begin with, why do you bother reading my works anyway? Ever heard of the ignore list or skipping a certain post? Also, I firmly believe I wrote everything as tastefully as possible, so I feel no guilt for what I wrote. Take it or leave it, simple as that.I've also learned that there are more good people out there, than bad. I may have stumbled across a few nasty girls here and there, but overall, people are generally more warm than critical and condescending. It seems the good are usually overlooked because of just a few people, but when you are in my shoes and have no time to analyze what is what, you take what you can and cherish it. If people are going to respect me, I will reciprocate, and if people choose to be negative, then it's better to just move on. It's always better to assume the best in people whether first impressions result in hat judgment or not.

Finally, the last, extremely cliche saying...Live life to the fullest like there is no tomorrow. You don't really fully take that line into consideration until something so drastic forces you to change. I believe we all still take life for granted and don't strive for the best, well...This is KAY speaking from the heart, please do not take your life for granted because it is a precious gift that you should cherish and hold on to for as long as you can. Life, for me, is trying to escape from the world and I am hanging on to it by a thread...I don't know how much longer this thread can hold or support my will to keep living on until I grow old and gray, but I WILL make it work to my best ability...I hope that you will, too, no matter what situation you are in."

May your soul rest in peace, Moon Kyung Min otherwise known as kayem7289.

Once Loved

Everyone in love hopes for love to last but sometimes it doesn't. When that happens, it is often not the fact that love ends that hurts. It's when love doesn't end properly that it hurts.

There were 2 men in my life that I never found peace with. I was fortunate to find one of them after a long time and it really made me feel happy to be chatting with him once again. Perhaps that was what led me to contact another past love again.

I had met this past love a few times. We had chatted normally and all but I felt something about this meeting was different.

We finally managed to talk about the past.

You know you have found peace with each other when you can actually talk about the past with no hard feelings. Strangely enough, I have been fortunate to have ex-es apologise whenever we reached tha stage. They would say sorry for having been mean to me. The best part is, most of the time, I don't remember the things they apologise for.

Isn't that a good thing?

After all, if you have once loved that person, why would you want to hold on to the bad memories? Love is beautiful and if that is the case, then I would rather remember love and the people I have loved to be beautiful. Isn't it painful to know that when you see a person you once loved, you can't face him, talk to him or even say hi?

Frankly, I would prefer to be rid of all the baggage while I am still single and clear-minded...start the next love (if any) anew. Given the nasty circumstances the last one ended, I am not sure if we will ever be able to make peace.

So now it's one down and one more to go. It's okay, I will wait.

Will You Marry Me?

Before you start picking up your phones excitedly to call me, I am not getting married. *laughs*

I was watching this commercial of the brilliant rose diamond which I thought summed up what made marriage such a dreamy concept to women. The commercial went something like "There's only one thing he needs to win her heart...Forever." The lines were of course accompanied by visions of a man proposing to a woman who happily accepts the ring...BIG diamond ring may I add.

Yes women want stability and all in a marriage but if you were to strip it all down to the basics, women want the promise of forever, the promise that her man will love her forever, be with her forever and cherish her forever. Forever is a concept too romantic for most women to resist.

I also watched another program which brings me to another section of marriage. The program was called "I Propose", in which a man will show the world how he will plan and propose to his girl.

Now, a common question that will pop up after one announces one's marriage plans would be "So how did he propose?!"

Men, do not underestimate the importance of this event. It is equally as important as the ring, the wedding and the dress. Why is it so?

There's a princess in every woman who lives through her in different ways. It could be the clothes she wears, the jewellery she adores, simple mannerisms who personify the princess within. The epitome of that would naturally be that perfect wedding dress in that perfect wedding with that perfect prince or knight in shining armor and of course, the perfect proposal.

When I saw how the girl totally melted at the sight of her man getting on his knees to ask for her hand, I understood the meaning of the event.

The truth is even in this age of independence, most women have a submissive role to their men in one way or another before and after marriage. Yet it is during proposal that for once, the men do the unthinkable and get on their knees *gasp*, just for you! There is something very romantic about a man willing to put aside his pride and kneel for you while asking you to spend forever (hopefully) with him. It symbolises a man's desire to cherish her as his queen. This can only happen once in a lifetime (with the same man at least) and it is often a memory that still makes any woman blush at any age.

I recently saw a video of a friend's friend's brother who stopped traffic in orchard road, got down on his knees and proposed to his girlfriend. Crazy? Yes. But it's definitely something that she will be able to talk about for the rest of her life.

Guys, you don't have to stop traffic in Orchard Road to make it special for her. Make her feel cherished and important...I think that should do the trick :)

Harudal

New MV for Midnight City :)

Love From The Air

These are some of the things that have made my day recently...

"ps, hey i'm serious when i say you can write a book!! i don't know about publishers but if you post certain outstanding chapters to the newspaper and they get printed, someone might notice them and assist you towards publishing!! you just gotta get your stuff together thanks for the pm!! "


"i was snooping around the fanfic thread, looking for something to read because i was procrostinating....and i got hooked by your trailer---that trailer is definitely working in publicizing your awesome fic.i started reading... and wow. i'm taken by the characters,,the way you explore the human nature, the light and dark of personality that each person has.it is such a beautiful study of people. of raw life and dark depths of human relationships and human condition."


"Another amazing chapter, and those ppl are right...you should publish your work, especially this one, I'd definitely buy it =]"


I have never met these people but I definitely felt a lot of love there! I will be working on writing better and praying that a good opportunity comes along!

Thank you, my dear readers :)

Self-everything

Eve has to apologise. She has been spending so much of her writing brain cells on fiction writing that she has not written that many thoughtful entries here.

Recently Eve talked to a couple of friends and found a few things recurring.

Eve has always felt people don't love themselves as much as they should. Perhaps it is due to the fact that we are bred in a culture which respects humility. Self-love may thus be mistaken for an ego trip.

Of course there are such ego trips. Yet, sometimes Eve wonders if we have forgotten to draw the line?

Eve knows many very wonderful women who subject themselves to lousy relationships all in the name of martyrdom for love. Yes it is all very noble. But happy? It is almost like we wear our scars as badges of honor. Why do we think it is okay to be in a relationship that hurts or will hurt? Why do we allow ourselves to live in situations of less than what we may truly deserve? Why do we allow ourselves to accept anything less than what should make us happy?

In Korea, plastic surgery is widely accepted. Eve cannot totally comprehend this. Yes we all love to look good but except in extreme cases, Eve believes in cherishing what God has given you.

Unrelated? Eve begs to differ.

Eve believes it all comes down to a matter of self-perception, self esteem and self-love.

A woman who finds it hard to leave a harmful relationship may have a few reasons. Amongst them is the common "Will I find someone like him again?" even if she is not happy. Yet, if you look deep enough, you will likely find a voice that says "I don't think I can do better. This is as good as what I deserve to get."

Hard to believe? Think again.

Let's turn the tables around. Assume there is someone you really love in this world, be it a sibling, a friend or a partner. Would you want the best for that person? Probably yes. If you saw that person in a nasty situation, would you want him or her to get out of it? Probably yes.

If that is the case, why is it so hard to do so for ourselves? Do we not deserve anything more than true love for ourselves too? And how can one claim to love another or even know what love is if one cannot even learn to love oneself?

We live in a culture where we are made to believe that beauty is equivalent to porcelain skin, an impossibly slim figure, perfect hair and so on. Why do we (including Eve herself) continue to spend so much money on physical enhancements? Social etiquette aside, Eve sees this as an instance where insecurity is at work. The root of such behavior goes deep into an underlying insecurity and fear of not being accepted, not being enough. Eve finds it hard to embrace a culture where people focus so much on achieving perfection that people forget to work on growing the person within.

Talk about perfection.

From young, I am sure everyone has an ideal image of what we hope ourselves to be. As we grow up, that becomes the road map that guides us. Yet all too often, Eve realises that life often has plans of its own, choosing to take the person in another path. That path may well contradict what the person had originally planned. In fact, he or she may find that he or she had changed into the person he or she despised. The result? We blame ourselves and bash ourselves up thinking "Why did I do that?", "What kind of a person have I become?" and "I hate myself."

Eve is not saying we should not keep ourselves in check. We should!

However, there are times whereby one has to realise there may be a difference between what one wants and what one is able to have. The same goes for the person we wanna be versus the person we really are. Sometimes, maybe all we need is to accept that person and life will open its doors in miraculous ways that would not have happened if one had not allowed it to happen.

All we need is love...not for just other people, but ourselves too.

The Locket

The Locket

I wear my precious locket on my chest
The symbol of all that is me
The centre of existence
The giver of life

I wear my precious locket on my sleeve
Too pretty to hide
Yet too precious to give away
Waiting for the right piece

I wear my precious locket deep within
Too perfect to not be complete
Yet too fragile for all the world to see
Behind high walls is where it sits

Mar my locket not with frivolity
Unless it is frivolity my locket seeks
Seek not when it seeks not to seek
Only the right piece


A sudden burst of insipration led to writing this :)

Midnight City

New! First trailer for my current story :)

Tag Fic Trailer

I started a tag fic on soompi recently where one author will write one chapter of the story...so nobody knows how it will turn out :P

So far it's been really fun and exciting and the story is moving along really nicely....much to my pleasant surprise :)

So I made my virgin attempt at a trailer and here it is:

High Society...Again

I was at That CD Shop today and found new albums added to the High Society series.

When am I ever going to have the whole collection like this??

I honestly love the sound and mixes they compile and I seriously hope to own more of them.

Right now, I only have Mansion, Passion 1 -3 and Eldissa. There are still so many to go!

Any nice friend wanna buy me some to add to the collection? :P X'mas is round the corner you know....hahahahahha

Rendition

Ah it's been a while since I watched a powerful and thought provoking movie. Thus, it delighted me greatly to have watched Rendition.

I am honestly surprised that someone dared to make this movie because one stands to offend a lot of people even if it's probably the bloody truth that everybody knows but no one wants to admit.

The story centers around a few families whose lives are intertwined and yet separate through the common theme of terrorism; The innocent man wrongly accused of being a terrorist and the trauma of his family on his mysterious disappearance, the angst of a Muslim family on losing their daughter when she runs away from her home to be with a boy who turns out to the protaganist terrorist of the movie.

The main theme in the movie poster is "What would you do if your loved one suddenly disappeared?"

I love how the storyline explained how seemingly different innocent people are affected differently by terrorism and yet stay very much within this theme. Instead of focusing on the cliche angle of innocent killed by terrorism, the movie went into the wrongly accused, the terrorist and the innocent in the other side of the world.

The imagery in the movie is provocative. The way the director directed the flow of the story is also excellent. I won't say how, just watch it for yourself to know the nice twist in the timeline towards the end.

I felt a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle sarcasm and questions in this movie. I applaude the director for first filming this in possibly a dangerous location. I also applaude the courage to pose the questions through this movie. It offers a very real look at terrorism, not just the violence, but also the very human aspect of it.

i will not go into too much of the thoughts it gave me. Do watch it and let the questions come to you. Definitely goes down as of my most memorable movies ever.

http://www.renditionmovie.com/

5am

I hope I won't spook you with this story that I am going to tell which happened to me.

I stayed up till 5.30 am the other morning as I couldn't get to sleep so I wrote. At about 5 am, I heard a loud thud.

Now, I have stayed up late very often. Yet, something was different that morning. I felt the chills after that loud thud. I felt shivers down my back and I felt very uneasy. I was a little surprised at why because I couldn't find a reason to.

Later when I came home, I found out a guy jumped from my block in the morning...

....probably during the time I heard the loud thud.


Oh gosh.

People, I can't tell you how spooked and cold I felt hearing the news. I had to watch a lot of mindless TV to get my mind off it.

When I think about it, I wonder how he felt at that instant he decided to take the step off the ledge.

I remember once, when I had also stared out the window and contemplated jumping out of it. The reasons for it? I don't want to go into it here. It's over but let's just say I was young and depressed.

We all say it takes more courage to live than to take your own life.

I agree.

Yet, I can also tell you...to take that step off the ledge takes a world of courage too, for that instant at least. I didn't have that courage and that's why I am here today. I am grateful for it.

I heard he's Malay. For him to choose to end his life on Hari Raya...he must have had great sadness.

May his soul rest in peace.

Eat Pray Love

A friend of mine was recently kind enough to buy me a book because she liked it so much and she believed I would like it too.

I LOVE this book.

The title is "Eat Pray Love - A Woman's Search For Everything" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is an account of the author's love as she tries to find answers after a failed marriage and more importantly, find herself. The journey takes her to Italy, India and Indonesia where she slowly rediscovers happiness.

I found myself laughing at the healthy dosages of humour, tearing at moments of emotion and inspiration, learning through tidbits of information and fact - This book is truly marvellous as the author takes us into the world she sees and the world that evolves from within.

Perhaps more than anything, I love this book because I saw so much of myself in it. Everything from how she fell apart, how she admitted her weaknesses, how she loved travelling, how she loved writing...everything. It's like my own voice speaking in so many ways.

I truly recommend it for anyone, not just female to read it if you have questions inside, not just about romantic love, but more so the love for life. If all that fails, she really has good bits information about the places she has seen :)

An excerpt:

"The Bhadavad Gita - that ancient Indian Yogic text - says it is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection. So now I have started living my own life. Imperfect and clumsy as it may look, it is resembling me now, thoroughly. "

http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/eatpraylove.htm

I always believed and still do, that books come into people's lives (at least mine) for a reason. If there was a book angel, she is definitely being nice to me. She always gave me the right books at the right time. I always found the answers at the right time. This book has come to me at a right time too, just as I contemplate the person within.

I also found a truly encouraging paragraph on her webpage:

"Here’s another thing to consider. If you always wanted to write, and now you are A Certain Age, and you never got around to it, and you think it’s too late…do please think again. I watched Julia Glass win the National Book Award for her first novel, “The Three Junes”, which she began writing in her late 30’s. I listened to her give her moving acceptance speech, in which she told how she used to lie awake at night, tormented as she worked on her book, asking herself, “Who do you think you are, trying to write a first novel at your age?” But she wrote it. And as she held up her National Book Award, she said, “This is for all the late-bloomers in the world.” Writing is not like dancing or modeling; it’s not something where – if you missed it by age 19 – you’re finished. It’s never too late. Your writing will only get better as you get older and wiser. If you write something beautiful and important, and the right person somehow discovers it, they will clear room for you on the bookshelves of the world – at any age. At least try."

That's for the writer, artist, dancer, poet in you.

In Loving Memory of Yoona

I have never met you.

I have never spoken to you.

You told me you liked my story and that you had read up to Chapter 20.

You said you liked the music and asked me to send it to you.

You said you would check out out Midnight City when you had time.

We only exchanged two messages.

I told myself I would send it.

I told myself I would read your stories soon.

But time ran out for both of us.

I am sorry Yoona.

God must have loved you so much that he had to take you away.

He must have loved you so much that when cancer couldn't take your strength to live, a car crash and a cold had to come to take you away.

What was in your mind when you wrote?

It doesn't matter if we have never met.

I hope you are in somewhere pain free and happy now...knowing that all your readers are saddened by your absence.

R.I.P Jung Yoona
July 5, 1990 – September 13, 2007

Her story is now posted on Soompi. It is called: "Her Name was Han Sarang"

Dear readers, First, I want to apologize if you see any grammar mistakes or spelling mistakes or typos. As a sophomore in college, I should know better, but I’m still shocked…and sorrowed about this whole ordeal.

My sister, Yoona, was diagnosed with cancer when she was fourteen years old. She’s been fighting a hard battle ever since. During some good periods, it’d be like she was a normal kid again. She’d come home from school, do her homework, get ready for practice for her traveling soccer team ,baby sit, hang out with friends. But as she entered her junior year…things became worse. She would get faint and have to sit out during many soccer games – eventually, she was named the “honorary” manager. She had started chemo when she was diagnosed, but there started to be worse effects as she got older – she became weaker. It was hard seeing someone as energy-filled, someone as active as Yoona to meet this kind of fate.

But as her junior year ended, the symptoms started to lift – she began to improve immensely. She became less tired and exhausted and she was the active Yoona again. She even took it upon herself to start writing a story (The Dictionary) for the days that she had to stay in bed on the doctor’s orders.

And then came the car crash.

Really, that was just like a nightmare on the side. It was already enough to have to deal with Yoona’s cancer…but her in a coma? I found it ironic; it was like God was taking her away not for the cancer that we thought would be the reason but for some stupid drunk driver. But we were lucky; Yoona woke up a week later.

She woke up a week later, but she was weak again. Her return post may have fooled you, but Yoona was exhausted. She was allowed back home for a week only and then she was back in the hospital as a permanent resident – her cancer had elevated to that horrible of a level. But, she didn’t let that stop her. She still studied her hardest, she even started to study before the school year started, and she even started new stories on Soompi such as (We’ll Sing that Lullaby and Who’s on Soompi?!) and she still talked to friends and on very good days when she was feeling healthy, the doctors would let her leave and hang out with her friends for a little while.

But while she was on one of these little hang outs, she caught a cold. Now, to a regular person ,a cold may be just something of a nuisance. But to someone who has cancer, a cold can be deadly because cancer weakens the body immune system.

Yoona became so sick and the doctors became so worried that they ordered her to stop studying. One of her doctors, a kind Korean woman who read Yoona’s stories (and even contributed ideas to TD), told her to stop writing stories – even that could exhaust Yoona. That is why Yoona went on hiatus.

But no matter how much of a fighter Yoona was…she lost in the end. After about four days of extreme pain and sleepless nights, Yoona passed away peacefully in her sleep on 9/13/2007. If it makes you feel any better, she actually had a smile on her face when we checked up on her…

…Yoona told Kim and I (her sister, Yoomi) not to tell the soompiers about her condition and we respected that. I think she liked soompi because she had many friends and it was a place where she could momentarily forget about her cancer. And everyone was so kind to her…I love you all for that. I’m only telling you guys now because I think you guys deserve to know…no matter how painful it may be…you guys deserve to know instead of just leaving you guys clueless when Yoona did not return around thanksgiving…

…I’m only on Kim’s soompi username because I didn’t think it’d be right to go on Yoona’s. When she was sixteen, Yoona started to write a story…a story that was based on her own, but she used different characters. She left me a note asking me to post it…it broke my heart. The way she wrote her note….it was almost as if…she knew that she wasn’t going to be alive any longer. And the story itself…it’s heartbreaking. And it just goes to show how big of a heart she had. In her note she stated how she felt bad for leaving her readers without any closure to any of her stories. She also told me to thank all of you readers for supporting her and that she loves all of you for taking your time to read her story, even though she felt it was disappointing at times. And what broke my heart is that on the note…there were actual tear splatters…the ink was running where her tears had fallen.

Please everyone, please wish that Yoona has found peace and please…please wish well for my family. Especially my mother…she’s…she’s taken this the hardest out of all of us. Yoona was basically the light of everyone’s world.

Thank you,
Yoomi.

Yoona, you’ll be missed.
Even though I’m not sure you can read this..
But Yoonie, I love you.
You never wasted a minute…you always always told me you loved me.
And when did I tell you that?
I cried all of Friday knowing that I rarely ever told you I loved you.
But you knew.
Even though I didn’t have the courage to say so, you knew.
And I love you for that.
Jung Yoona.. .. RIP. <3

Fragile

I always hear this song when I go dancing and I always thought "What a nice song!"

I never knew this is a really meaningful song...

Fragile
Sting

If blood will flow when fresh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrows rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay

Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetimes argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are

The Dancer

I could and can always just watch him the whole night.

A dancer whose love for dance took him away from home and to many foreign countries...Sol is someone Gary and I really look up to.

We always felt he should be more famous than he is now. Maybe it is just his easygoing personality but we really feel he is comparable to many of the big names in Salsa today. We have had the honor to see some of the biggest names in Salsa this year on our little island. Everyone comes with their personal style and no doubt, the skills that have earned them their reputation.

Sol, is a little special.

Maybe because he's a friend? Maybe because he's easygoing? Maybe because he's so passionate? Maybe because he dared to do the things many of us don't have the courage to do? Maybe because he's Asian?

Dancing with Sol brings out the smile, sparkle and potential in his partner. I have seen many a female dancer show sides of them I had not seen before while dancing with him. I know because am one of them. Mnay have agreed with me...watching him dance and dancing with him is really different. It's the feeling he gives you that cannot be felt or comprehended when you dance with him. Even his students who have danced with him for 2 years say they still feel the same excitement when they dance with him.

We guessed that if he were here, the floor would clear for him and it did happen. It was nice seeing our visions of him dancing in Singapore finally come true after months of waiting.

I am going to make the best of his stay here *laughs*

Superwoman

The message she wrote in the first part is so heartwrenchingly familiar...we know it's stupid but we just do it anyway... this is the song the women in such situation will want them to sing but it hardly ever happens...

Words You Wanna Hear

I recently started watching a new show called Coffee Prince, which often reminds me of Que Sera Sera which I reviewed sometime back. I love the modern love angle it has, sweet but with doses of reality and angst. Overly dramatic, happy or sad stories bore me. I like some realism.

I will do a proper review another day along with some pics but I would like to share some things that the male lead, Han Gyul, said:

“It seems to me that your hundred reasons not to go can’t hold up to the one reason for going. Am I right? I don’t want you to go, either. Thinking of this cafe without you makes me not want to come here every day. It makes me not want to work. I don’t even want to think about not being able to see you. When I was planning to leave for New York, there were times I thought I couldn’t because I’d be haunted by your memory. Do you think I want to send you away? But I want to show you a bigger world.”

“I’ve realized I can’t be responsible for your life. But I can be by your side, watching over you. I’ll take that instead. We may be separated now, but later, much later… when you hold the hand of your first child… when they go off to school… when you marry your children off… Ah, proposing is so embarrassing.”

Credit: www.dramabeans.com

This part of the story is that the female lead was offered to go overseas to study but he didn't want to let her go initially. After fights and self contemplation, he finally came to terms with it.

The words are sweet isn't it? I think these are the words most women would want to hear as they hope for their partners to come to terms with their own desires and dreams besides maintaining a relationship.

This is something the modern woman faces. Along with greater education and freedom, many women have come to find themselves in the quandary of wanting to pursue dreams of their own but being prejudiced for being so. Women are still very much expected to give it up for the family, even subtly.

No I am not saying women should give up family. I would love to have my own home too.

Yes, there are aruguments and people who admire the successful career woman. If the woman can balance both, even more wonderful. She would be the epitome of achievement and envy for most women.

No doubt there is a lot more freedom, but in the subtle subconscious layers of societal thinking, it is still a woman who can tend to the home who is more revered - a "proper" woman?

The Eve Notebook - Bella Figura

As we are working on something more contemp recently, I started to appreciate contemporary dance more. A friend introduced this to me...it's such an amazingly beautiful piece of work. You don't notice the nudity at all...so amazing

The Eve Notebook - Fireworks Festival 2007

I went to take the pics for a project and had to wait 2 hours before. But it was worth it :)

The Eve Notebook - Sunrise 20.07.2007

There could be many other more beautiful sunrises but there could only be one birthday in this life that reads 20.07.2007.

What better way to start the day with some beautiful sunshine?

Letter From A Widow

I came across a short story today that I took notice of because it kinda reminded me of one section in my new story even if it wasn't exactly the same. I was so moved by it that I nearly cried on the train while reading it. Thus, I am re-typing it here to share with you.

LETTER FROM A WIDOW

By Dr James Dobson

At Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, we receive about a quarter-million letters and phone calls every month, and we take every one of them seriously. I want to share one of those letters with you today, which could have been written by any number of people who have faced a similar problem.

A woman writes, "I was married for 30 years, but my husband died recently.Now I need your help.

"Tell me how I'm supposed to act as a single. I need to learn how to have fun alone, to know what to say, what to do, and not do. Tell me how to come home to an empty house, not being needed, having no one to take care of and no one to share life with.

"How do I learn to enjoy life again? I married the second man I ever dated, and he was my best friend, my lover, my companion. How do I find love again? Any man I would date would not want to talk about my husband, but I just can't put 30 years behind me, and deny that they ever existed. Tell me, where fo I go for answers? And do those answers exist?"

And then she signed her name. Well, this woman will learn to live again, but it'll take a little time for her wounds to heal and her heart to mend.

I shared this letter today to heighten the sensitivity of all of us to the plight of those who have suffered the loss of a loved one through a death or a divorce. It's one of the most traumatic experiences in living.

Excerpt from Today newspaper 13 Aug 2007

27

It is now 11.52 pm, just 8 minutes away from being another year older. It's time for the annual post that looks back on the past year.

Wow 27 feels so old.

I just got a call from a friend who asked me to join her at Con D. I decided not to because I was too far away. Moreover, I had sunrise to catch tomorrow.

She asked me what my plans are for tomorrow.

"Don't tell me you are spending it alone again!"

I laughed. It surprised me this year how the people I didn't expect to remember did while those I thought might remember didn't. It doesn't really matter.

Ever since my 25th birthday, I have preferred to spend my birthday quietly and alone. Last year, I spent it painting. This year, I would go see sunrise, paint, think about my story then catch Harry Potter. Sounds ordinary? That's how I like to spend it these days. In fact, my birthdays felt less and less special as the years passed. I often don't remember it until near the date.

Everytime it comes to this day, I am filled with happiness and a little sadness. Well, a woman will always feel vain about getting older. My birthday was also the day I loved most and hated most in the year. Love for obvious reasons because I would give myself the day to do the things I like. Hate because it always reminded me of things that I don't think I will ever forget. For 364 days I will not remember, but for one day of the year, I will relive the scar that day wears. Thus, I chose to spend it alone ever since. It is that one day of the year I would feel happy and sad at the same time.

Looking back on this year....what a different year it has been.

Notable things include:

1) Love for all things Korean - language, food, Bi, DBSK blah blah
2) New friends like imp, my sotong clan and so on
3) En Motion team
4) Fiction writing

Thanks to writing and my readers, I have been feeling happier. Perhaps because of that, I have been more cheery and looking better as well. Who knows where this path might lead? Sometimes I do wish the people I thought were really important in my life could share a little more of this love but strangely again, it's the people whom I didn't expect who have showed me more support in my loves be it dance, singing or writing.

As I stand at yet another crossroad, I couldn't help but wonder, where now from here?

This year, I would just like to ask God to keep me in his blessings and show me the way.

A little happy birthday to me :)

A Surprise

I got a little surprise that warmed my heart tremendously the other day.

While I was returning home last night from dinner with the girls, my buddy commented that as we get older the gifts get lesser. Most of the time, it just ends with dinner.

In a way, she's right. That is why I was so surprised to get a gift through the mail.

I came home to find a postpac on my table. I wondered who could have possibly sent me a postpac. Upon opening it, I found a really pretty necklace inside.

That was surprise number 1.

I reached in and found a card inside. I realised it was from a newfound good friend. That was surprise number 2. I was surprised to get it from her because for a long time, we were what people might call acquaintances. It is by the twist of fate that we discovered we were more than what we thought about each other initially. Now, she's someone I turn to for advice and she never fails to give me good perspective and constant encouragement.

Thank you for constantly giving me doses of encouragement.

Thank you, I really like the necklace as much as I like our friendship :)

Loved

I know my writing is raw and has so much more room for improvement but these are some of the hundreds of reasons that has kept me going and kept my spirits up...

"Wow.. your writting is just so captivating! You were able to articulate exactly what you wanted the charcters to be PERFECTLY.The way you described the girls were the way i saw them as characters. Everything from their development as people and their small mannerisms that make them who they are... just wow!

btw, you're welcome about being recommended!(you really deserved it)"



"heh heh. i sat down earlier, and read through the whole story so far, beginning to now, barely stopping for dinner.it was delicious. (the story, that is)it's ridiculously beautiful. and fantastic. and rad. and i want to be your best friend forever. hahahhahahaanyways, thank you for giving me something to do while I hid in my room pretending to do some summer studying. T_T"



"OHMYGAW, I cried so much T_T..Jaejoong's confession is a confession only in my dreams!I wish someone could do that for me.. it's so sweet.AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!*CRIES LIKE CRAZY* TT^TT...T

HANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK!!!I can't wait to see the special chapters!I will tell my friends to read your fanfic (:And tell them it's one of the best ever~ XD!

YIPPIEYEAH, SARANGHAEYO~~~ "

And for some reason, this one really touched my heart...

"okay.. so first of all i'm gonna introduce myself. my name is vanessa peace and i'm a good friend of ana ari's. she let me use her account simply to read her story and i couldn't help but post some sort of a reply. i literally stayed up all night to start and finish this story. yes, i am not joking.. i believe it went from around 1 in the morning to around 8. but, i regret not one moment of it. i enjoyed reading your story A LOT. i love the story line and the the main actress's character. i don't know much about these korean hotties but i do know that the way they were used in the story was amazing. and the posters accompanying each chapter are amazing too. thank you so much for making available such a story to the public. you've got amazing talent, keep it up.

again, I ABSOLUTLY LOVED YOUR STORY.

thank you so much. it was worth the loss of sleep. "

How do you not love the readers? :)

Crossing Borders

Remember I said someone had offered to translate my fic into French?

The first page is finally up!

It was such a moment to see it all in french :)

It's comforting to know that something a Singaporean gal writes a story set in Korea will be liked by a French gal on the other side of the world. Talk about crossing international borders LOL

Colored Rhythms is known as Rhythmes Colorés in French and can be found at http://rhythmescolores.wordpress.com. It is linked back to the English version as well :)

A Wish

There were times I wondered if I could have one wish in the world, what would it be?

I thought maybe I would want to wish for immediate financial freedom so that I can do anything I want?

I thought maybe flawless skin and a body that will stay slim and healthy always?

Never-ending good luck?

Perhaps a look at my previous lives?

There were so many things I could wish for but I believe that everything in this world has cause and effect. A sudden wilful wish may well change the whole course of events that was meant to be and not always to best effect. Greed doesn't always lead to more.

I don't know why but somehow I always ended up with this answer:

I would like to meet God.

I have never been an extremely religious person but I am a God-believer...I am just not sure how much I believe of what people claim God to be. This is dangerous and sensitive territory so I will leave it at that.

But I would like to meet God. I would like to ask him what he had in mind when he created the world and Man. I would like to ask him what his hopes and dreams are. I would like to ask him the meaning of life.

Perhaps after the little chat with God, there will not be much change. I will still have to work and slog it out. I will still have age and have nasty skin. I will still need to diet. But somehow, I do believe that something will change inside which will make that universe of difference.

Yes, I think if I had one wish, I would like to have a conversation with God.

Your Birthdate: July 20

You may watch someone from afar before you finally decide to make your move. It takes a long time for you to develop an attraction to someone. Generally, you prefer to pick who you love. Anyone who tries to rush you is in for some heartache. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 4 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 4 You are most compatible with people born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th, and 29th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

It's extremely disturbing that my number of true loves = my number of heartbreaks...does that mean no true love for me in the end? *bleh*

I am not sure if I have finished the four heartbreaks...What do they define as heartbreak anyway...a little ambiguous :)

Quotes

I saw some nice quotes today that set me thinking...

Dance like nobody's watching; Love like you've never been hurt; Sing like nobody's listening; Live like it's heaven on earth.
~Mark Twain~


The most rebellious thing anyone can do is to be themselves.