“Death is the destination we all share, no one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be because death is very likely the single best invention of life.” ― Steve Jobs When there is life, there is death. Every new life that comes to this world is guaranteed nothing but death that will ensue, albeit it being just a far-off concept that no one ever thought of at the present moment. But of course. Why would anyone think about that when they’re too busy rejoicing in the beauty of this bundle of joy in their arms, their…
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Imagine Super Mario running the last ten yards, hit a mushroom, grew bigger, took all the coins and ran as fast as it could, and then he jumped! — and successfully caught on to the pole, that brought him to the next level. Yassssss. Moving on to the next level. That’s how I feel now. Next milestone. That said, as exciting as it is, it’s also scary. Because now Mario is back to the minion-size moustache’d boy-man, down in the dungeon, can hardly see, and has to grope in the dark until he figures out his way. For those…
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Happy New Year to all. I haven’t been writing much since last year, partly because I was busy, but also partly because I had no words to convey how I felt about recent current affairs. I still don’t, unless I want to spill my guts out about it, which would just be messy and ugly and not something I want to do right now. So while I wait for the wound to heal, I’m just going to avoid that topic for now, and share some pics, and talk about anything else but those that really matter. This year is the year of…
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“For every decision you make, every path you choose, you create a parallel life in which you relinquish your rights to. You cannot think of the what-if’s and could-be’s, for that life is no longer yours. All you can do is this: wherever you choose to go, go with all your heart.” ~ friend Thank you, friend. I needed that little reminder. No matter how tough things are, how it might seem impossible to get through those things, how exhausted you feel, you just have to believe that it will all work out. A little faith, a little self-hug, and…
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If you ever had that passing thought that “things couldn’t go any worse than this right now“, my advice to you is: please, stop. Stop that thought right now and switch it to something else, whatever that may be. Think of mockingbirds, ice-cream, the cute guy/girl you saw yesterday, your pet. Anything. Anything but that. Experiences prove, time and again, that every time that thought comes into mind, things will inevitably become worse. You may say, well maybe that’s just my selective recall bias, an anecdotal fallacy, and not truth. Fine. Have it your way, but don’t say I never…
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When I was 7, I was told that it’s a good thing to have chickenpox at that time because once I got it I’ll never get it again, for the rest of my life. I did a mental calculation, comparing the body surface area that I’d have to suffer the itch, pain and scars between the smaller-size me and the adult-me, and I thought this was the better deal. That was pretty much the one thing that got me through the horrendous days of chickenpox. Fast forward many years later. To 2016. About a week ago to be exact. I…
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Been gone for a while, that’s because I went searching for the cheerful, bubbly self who seemed to have lost her way. That go-getter, optimistic, fighter self went missing, and was replaced by a melancholic self. Seems rather childish to be quoting a children’s film, but it felt almost as if the Sadness in Inside Out had been occupying the whole of me, and all I saw was blue and grey. Occasionally there were glimpses of rays but they didn’t last, and then it was back to blue, grey and black. Today, though, something happened. Don’t know how, don’t know why, but…
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The last stop of my Australian trip was Brisbane. There is so much to see in Queensland, and I only caught a glimpse of it. I’d have to come back another day, no doubt. My aunt and grandaunt were kind enough to host me, bring me around, cook for me, make me feel at home. But the highlight of the trip, other than spending time with family, was the unexpected encounter with my aunt’s friends at the community garden. Every Tuesday they go there to tend to their vegetable crops and some fruit trees, and they’d bring tea and cakes…
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I used to reflect on the year before, and making new resolutions for the ‘new’ year, either here or in my journal. But for the past few years I haven’t really been keeping track of whether I checked off the list of stuff to do. Part of it is because it’s been the same resolutions, and they’re more about self-building than a concrete thing to achieve. So this year I wrote myself a note on the eve of New Year’s Day, and I thought I’d share it here, mostly just as a reminder for myself if things get tough this…
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As years went by, I find it harder and harder to meet true friends who are willing to work on keeping the friendship going for as long as it can be. Not that there aren’t people I can call friends, but most of the time it’s usually with strings attached, or they’re just not that interested in being true friends. It’s understandable- most people at this age would already have their own family or have their own clique of friends; or they just want something from you, or it’s just a fleeting encounter that couldn’t be solidified into true friendships.…
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It’s what they call the warm days in between the colder fall days. We had a little less than a week of indian summer last week, but now it’s over. It was just a wet, wet day today. Even as I type, I can hear the ruffling of tree leaves outside my window, and the splashes on the street every time a car passes by. I wonder how people back home are coping with the awful haze. It’s been close to two weeks since I got here. Things have been great, I’m so grateful for the people who have helped…
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On one of the days that I roamed the city by myself, I found myself checking out the ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) where they have two free exhibitions on the ground floor. Because it’s free and who doesn’t love free stuff, I decided to check them out first before I explored other exhibits. Most of the visitors there were mainly school children- probably another school excursions, and that made me feel younger by being around them. Found myself stopping at each section to learn more about movies- the history, the cinematic effects, the color schemes and the…