Thursday, January 10, 2008

I Believe

This is another piece posted to an e-group I subscribe to. Sorry again for it has no credit but I am sure the original writer would love to have it shared [I pray this is not a trojan horse for some malicious virus]

Some very interesting and true statements!

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born; A Death Certificate shows that we died;
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat and Relax - And read this slowly.

I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe - That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe - That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with howmany birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe - That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I believe - Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe - That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I believe - That the happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have .

Monday, January 7, 2008

Get a Life and Live It

Salaam all,

This piece of speech by Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD posted on an e group is so beautiful that I simply have to share it here.


"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life.

Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul. People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.

Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre at my job if those other things were not true.

You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast?

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned.

By telling them this:

Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived".


Thursday, January 3, 2008

F.R.A.N.C.E

Salaam all,

Remember the acronym? I was first introduced to it in 1973 when I got to attend SMSP [the very first boarding school in Pahang] by the 'English Medium' students when they exchanged their fancy autograph books and me and other 'Malay Medium' girls went gaga over all the FRANCE, PARIS, *I have a pen, my pen is blue, I have a friend, my friend is you*, *forget me not* and other standard autograph acronyms and phrases. Those were the days ...

The pleasure of the company of old schoolmates at the recent gathering still lingers. We have had such a gathering before, initiated by S now an expatriate in Brunei. That was my second participation. I missed the first one.


I happened to sms J whom I have not met since we left school three decades ago. He made it to the gathering and after a couple of reintroductions, he was again the ‘ketua kampong moyok’ he was back then in the classroom.

The bunch of us had such a great time helping each other to finish the food on the plates [just like when we were thirty years younger] amidst laughter that broke out often and lively chatters. I marveled at the coziness and the ease we didn’t have when we were at school. I wished I could capture that moment and never leave. The camaraderie and joy of being together were beyond description. After three decades the only issue was trying to catch up with details about what we have been doing with our lives.

I had this article in my saved folder on “True Friends” written by Pn Sri T D Ampikaipakan, 23 Nov 2007, Winning Ways, Star Online.

Friendships should last and not fade with the passing of time.

“Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up, and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it’s just enough to know that they are standing by.” – Anonymous

"… So what kind of a friend are you? What kind of friends do you have? Are you one who will only make friends with people of your kind, or are you one who look for kindred spirit? Do you have great friends at the workplace or are the colleagues you think as friends quite happy to stick a dagger in your back?
Parents are often terrified when their children come back from school and talk about their “best friend”. They want to know who they are, who their parents are and where they come from. Parenting concerns often centre around “friendships” which the children make as they go though school and university.
A person is shaped by the environment around him. It follows that the friends he has will ultimately mould you.
We also know that our children would rather talk to a friend about things that worry them or of concern to them. Experts tell us that children need to connect with other children and form friendships, which in turn teach them a lot of social skills. They learn to share, understand each other’s interests and accept that everyone is different despite shared interests.
What makes a good friend? Let’s make a list:
· Anyone who is not judgmental but will tell you the truth about you and your actions.
· Someone who does not compete with you unfairly.
· Anyone who is thrilled when things go brilliantly for you.
· A person who cheers you up when things look down.
· Someone who defends you bravely when people are vicious.
· Someone who is there to boost your morale and motivate you when you have failed.
· Anyone who will laugh with you, cry with you, and act silly, when the situation requires it.
· Someone who befriends you irrespective of who you are or where you come from.

Good and lasting friendships are always a blessing. Some friendships formed at school last a lifetime. Some people have friends but as they grow older, they change, their interests change and they move on and make other friends. That’s okay, too.
People say that when you grow older, like-minded people come into your life and friends who envied your success will move away. It is also a fact that you will eventually outgrow some of your friends.
Then there are those who have lost friendships because of a jealous spouse/ relative/ sibling/ peer. The death of a good friendship is often the hardest to deal with. It is sad and tragic. …
There is a pattern to every friendship: we hope that it will endure over time and distance, mistakes and misunderstandings … "

To my friends, my eternal gratitude for making my days sunny. Thank you.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Happy New Year


Mini gathering at Secret Recipe Mid Valley. Senah's treat. Senah [kiri sekali] came home for holiday. Hassan [kanan sekali] has joined our crowd during AGM EXSAS 2007 last April. Jalaluddin made it for the first time after 1977 ... that was 30 years ago. He is Jalal the ketua kampong moyok we have always known. Thank you Jalal for making time for our little get together. Tim [third from right] also joined us for the first time. Yati [second from left] joined us for the second time.

Hope many more will join the regulars for our next one. It was well worth it. The hours spent were unnoticed. It was truly comforting to be in the company of friends . Thank you and Happy 2008. I pray God to keep me in health for the next one. Here's wishing a good one to each of you who share this virtual space and read my stories. Thank you.