All About Me

My birthday was eight days ago. Life in general is good and I feel that I have truly come into my own. Do I have everything that I have always wanted?? Do I have all the material trappings that I always dreamed of? To be honest, No. And yet when I sleep at night, I am content because in general I have been blessed with good fortune.

The greatest gift that I have ever given myself is by being me, myself and I. By accepting my foibles and imperfections and yet still be grateful. I am comfortable in my own skin. I have a lot to be thankful for - I am here - I am healthy and I am finally at peace with my self.

I might occasionally suffer from insomnia, but when I eventually drop off into exhausted sleep, I find myself smiling in the dark of my great good fortune. My BBF tells me that I am the best thing since slice bread!!! Everytime we have a conversation, she tells me how much I mean to her and we share a sisterhood that biology never granted us. My other close friends share their hearts & lives and those of their children in such a beautiful and loving way that it makes me feel that I will never be alone. My family are not perfect and yet we all make sense. Idiosyncrasies aside, we genuinely love and support each other through thick or thin.

Have you heard of the "Last Lecture" by this dying cancer patient called Randy Pausch?? Truly inspirational and highly recommended. His lecture resonate with a lot of people - including moi, but there's something about what Pausch had to say that really touched a nerve. His advice; be real;if you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself; the dreams will come to you."

Live your best life people. You are in the driving seat.

1. Be positive -- good things will come to people who are positive

2. Take negativity with a pinch of salt

3. Dare to dream....I shall let myself love, hope and wish for the best.

Above all, be thankful - be genuinely, bone-deep grateful for all that we have.

Life Lessons

A friend sent me this interesting email on life lessons. The insights gained from the life lessons are valuable to everyone. Do take note as there are a bunch of life lessons to be learned here.

Life lesson 1

Evaluating Relationships: Our relationship is very important and yet it’s surprising we receive so little instruction on how to evaluate, prune, and nurture them. Start by asking yourself whether each of your relationships drags you down or lifts you up. Surrounding yourself with positive relationships is half the battle.


Positive Thinking: Attitude determines altitude. If you believe you can do it, most of the time, you really can.

Personal Accountability: Most success boils down to perseverance, determination, tenacity, and other products of personal accountability.

Life lesson 2

It takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it.

It's not what you have in your life, but whom you have in your life that counts.

You have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give you the right to be cruel.

Life Lesson 3

When I finished reading life lesson 3, I was laughing so hard. Jokes aside, there are things we all can learn from life lesson 3. Happy reading people.

A priest offered a lift to a Nun. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said,”Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest removed his hand. But,changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest apologized “Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.” Arriving at the convent, the nun went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.”


Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

A turkey was chatting with a bull “I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, but I haven’t got the energy.” “Well, why don’t you nibble on my droppings?” replied the bull. “They’re packed with nutrients.” The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it wont keep you there.

This entry is dedicated to I---- who collects life lessons anecdotes and words of wisdom. Hugs

Good Day

A very good morning people. Its a beautiful and sunny day!! What more can I ask for! Woke up afreshed and in an extremely good mood. :) I have had a very good night sleep -- reading dictionary helps!!

It's my hatch day today. Yipeeee!! I am one year wiser and one year younger. Its not a cliche or false modesty people. Tee hee hee. I do look years younger than my real age. (my secret -- good gene; being positive and drink lots of liquid). Rx will know what i mean -- i drink lots of water!!! :) har!har!har! As they say, age is just a number and mine is definitely unlisted!! hehehehe. I have been receiving well-wishes from my loved ones from all over the place. It's nice to be remembered!! Thanks people for your calls, text messages and emails.

It will be a wonderful day. BBF and I will be spending the day together. Its a day of being spoilt and pampered. It's my kind of day. I so love being induldged!!! Bliss!!

Have a wonderful day to you all. Enjoy the day folks -- its a beautiful day!

Stay tuned!

Are you afraid of F.E.A.R.?

Every one of us is afraid of 'something'. Fear can be described by different terms in accordance with its relative degrees. Fear comes in many shapes and forms. Fear = horror, paranoia, dread, anxiety, fright, panic and phobia. Fear is a very intense emotion. It is an extremely unpleasant feeling of perceived risk or danger, real or not. Fear can also be used and abused. Fear can motivate a person to achieve greatness. Fear can also cripple a person from doing something too. Some people enjoy fear because it gives them an adrenaline-rush. Example: I enjoy watching horror movies and riding on a roller-coaster. It's fun and such cheap thrill!!


Despite its bad press, fear plays a very important function in our life. We need fear because it can alert us and make us more cautious. We can't simply ignore fear. We have to have healthy respect for fear. Fear is a survival mechanism and this is one of our basic instincts. "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear." --- H.P. Lovecraft



The following are my list of personal fear;

Aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia: Fear of flying
Astraphobia: Fear of thunder and lightning
Belonephobia: Fear of needles
Claustrophobia: Fear of confined spaces

I am not going to discuss about my fear of thunder & lightning; needles and of being claustrophobic. The stories themselves will make you roll on the floor with laughter!!! I am not going to make myself the object of ridicule!! hee hee. Rx, D and moi suffer from intense aerophobia, aviatophobia or aviophobia. It's a very horrible feeling because on certain occasion we have to travel by air for professional reasons. Well, we discussed this phobia amongst ourselves. For the three of us, air craft + flying = very sweaty palms, panic attacks and vomitting. Rx and yours truly will be flying very soon and the following mantra will be extremely useful....

Mantra-o-mantra

"I must not fear. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"

This blog is dedicated with love to Rx and D.

Pillow Talk

It is a fact universally acknowledged, that we all need 7 or 8 hours of sleep in order to keep our minds and bodies healthy. Sleeping is just a part of life that we all take for granted. It can be a real problem if we can't get a decent good night sleep. There's a word for it - insomnia. I am one of those unlucky few who find it hard to sleep or simply just can't seem to sleep very well. When I am sleep-deprived, the people around me start to notice the effects. Well-known for being sweet as pie :) when I don't have enough of shut eyes, i am one very cranky, grouchy and stroppy woman!! Hide at all costs. I can eat you on sight!! har!har!har!

Family members, BBF and friends theorize that i suffer from insomnia because I think too much!!! That I must be worried or excited about something. Duh!!! As if!!! I am not worried nor am i excited about stuff -- i just find sleep elusive!!

What do you associate with the word 'sleep'? Well, I always conjure up restful images of fluffy pillows, comfortable blankets and depending on your preference a very cuddly and warm 'companion'. I sleep with my furry friends (Mr. C, Silver Tabby and occasionally Kebab). Do I sleep better with the felines around?? Well...., I just love having them in my room and they are ever so cute.... do look at the pictures below....

Pix 1. Mr. C is in slumberland

Pix 2. Silver tabby is having a catnap

Pix 3. Sleeping beauty - K.e.b.a.b

The pictures are so adorable, aren't they? I do envy the cats simply because they can just go to snooze at any time of the day or night. For my own sanity, I have to find a cure for my insomnia before I go really mental!! Sleep deprivation is a serious problem - it can wreak havoc on your health and general well-being.


The following are some simple tips on how to sleep better.

• Drink chamomile tea half an hour before shut eye
• Wear your most comfortable nightie
• Soak your feet in warm soapy water. Clean feet will ward off nightmares...so they say!!
• Have a mini massage
  
• Count sheep

If counting sheep doesn't work, read the same page of a book over and over again. It will put you to sleep in no time. Highly recommended, a dictionary!!!

Good Night Every one. Lights off now.

Temptations

temp·ta·tion:

1. The act of tempting or the condition of being tempted.
2. Something tempting or enticing.

Temptation is something that allures, excites and seduces someone to do something in spite of her/his better judgement. This 'forbidden fruit' (whatever it is) can be thrilling or appealing to an individual for various reasons. We can all be tempted/induced to commit an act out of curiousity, desire, enjoyment or simply for the thrill of it!!!

If you ask me, what make moi succumb to temptation, do see the following lists below;

• books
• shoes
• chocolate
• cats
• massage

Some temptation can not be put in the same bracket as sinful behaviours. The above listed are merely guilty pleasures. In some form or another, they can be very decadent, hedonistic or pure self-indulgence. I can definitely enjoy the enticements of guilty pleasure without any guilt or harm to self or other people ....may be some damage to my bank balance. heee heee

Temptation has negative connotations attached to it too. The following temptations are definitely total no-no and are not recommended;

• Having an affair
• Murdering your frenemies with your Jimmy Choo shoes!!
• Backbiting
• Stealing
  
• Non ethical behaviours

When we commit the above temptation, we will feel very guilty and we will regret the very action that brought us excitement/satisfaction in the first place. By the way, I vow not to soil my precious jimmy choo shoes for the likes of insignificant rodents as frenemies!!! However, its easy to say that we will never succumb to temptation because of our strong values. We all know that the spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak and we all can succumb to devil's enticement.

Temptation is a very interesting concept. Some people think that temptation is not the same as sin. Example: having an emotional affair with other person who is not your partner. Regardless whether its sinful or not, we all agree strongly that this is not right and morally wrong. This behavior becomes a type of game - seeing how much titillation one can 'enjoy' without falling into overt sin. The word temptation is rearing its ugly head again. Can we say in all fairness that we all will never succumb to temptation? Only time or right situation/condition can tell!

Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are widely used around the globe. They are cheap to produce, sturdy and easily available. They can be considered as convenient "vessels" to carry our purchases from a shop to a home. I don't know exactly how much we are using world-wide but i'm sure the number must be huge!!! We use plastic bags for a lot of things. They are so multi-purpose; for storage, to line our dustbins, carry our stuff etc. The sight of plastic bags is so common that it does raise questions about the impact they have on the environment. It has been suggested that plastic bags take hundreds of years to biodegrade. Their impacts on the environment have also inspired and sparked heated debates amongst scientists and environmentalists. Plastic bags thrown away as litter, dirty our public places and may even clog up drains. They are said to clutter landfills. They can be seen flapping from trees! They float in the breeze. It's official people,the totes are everywhere and plastic bags are here to stay!!! We can even see them drift on the high seas. Hello!!! I don't think any other product can beat the common plastic bags!!!

Plate 1. Colourful plastic bags

Plate 2. Totes-o-totes

Why the big concern??? I believe strongly that we use plastic bags in Brunei Darussalam indiscriminately and at a drop of a hat. They are everywhere and are so easily available. Their usage can be very wasteful too. There is this particular supermarket chain that will wrap your purchase in brown paper (don't let me start on paper wastage!!!) before inserting the item into a plastic bag. No matter how hard you protest over this waste -- the tellers always said its the shop's policy!!! What!!! :@ There's also this big retail company that will wrap your purchase into a small plastic bag before inserting them into another plastic bag!!! How daft is that!!! How wasteful!!!???


However, there's light at the end of the tunnel. I notice that there are now reusable bags made available for sale at some supermarket outlets. You know what would be great....aside from the sale of these biodegradable bags, retailers should train their cashiers to ask shoppers in a polite manner if they need a plastic bag for small purchases. However, at the end of the day... it comes down to us. We have the choice!! What can we do to reduce wastage on plastic bags usage??? As a start begin to limit and eventually stop consumption of plastic bags. Bring your own bag when you go shopping! Say ‘No’ to plastic bags when buying only a few small items. Do not throw away excess plastic bags as a waste item. Reuse or recycle them.


Mantra-o-mantra "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"

SnapShots

I was looking at some of the pictures that I took of the kids when I came across these glossies. They say "a picture paints a thousand words" -- these photos definitely illustrate kids, nature, enjoyment and serenity. Although, I must admit that I would never put kids and serenity in the same bracket!! har!har! :)

Plate 1. R & L at Tasek Lama.

Plate 2. L, R, A, Pkn & Pbs at Bukit Shahbandar.

Enjoyment of outdoor spaces has always been important to us. As such, Tasek Lama and Bukit Shahbandar are popular recreation parks in Brunei Darussalam. People visit the parks for various reasons -- leisure; to jog, hike, repose and so on. The relevant government agencies provide a range of activities and facilities for visitors to enjoy at the parks. However, I cannot help but notice that some of these visitors do not seem to appreciate the parks. A few minority litter, vandal and even deface the parks facilities. These are definitely appalling behaviours. This minority are a few too many!!!


That brings me back to the topic of this very post -- kids and nature. You might ask...is there a need to 'manage' people's leisure? Why the concern??? Nature provides us, in the natural environment with abundant resources for leisure and recreation. I think it is our utmost duty to protect, conserve and and manage our parks for our common future. Do join me in the following park codes in order to help protect our natural heritage;

• keep our parks clean
  
• respect nature
• keep wildlife wild - do not feed or disturb animals; or remove native plants
  
• keep to defined paths and trails
  
• be considerate of other park users

I think these guidelines are very simple to follow. If everyone abides by this code, then our children's children will be able to enjoy our recreation parks in their splendour.

10 Things We Waste

I was blog-hopping when I came across this very interesting entry -- "10 things we waste". The title definitely caught my interest. Now, the 10 items listed below may have religious connotations, however, I think we should take stock and benefit, of not only reading this but also reflect on its content.

10 Things We Waste

1. Our Knowledge

Wasted by not taking action with it.

2. Our Actions

Wasted by committing them without sincerity.

3. Our Wealth

Wasted by using on things that will not bring us ajr (reward from Allah). We waste our money, our status, our authority, on things which have no benefit in this life or in the akhirah (hereafter).

4. Our Hearts

Wasted because they are empty from the love of Allah (swt) and his Messenger (sallallahu ‘alahi wasallam), and a feeling of peace and contentment. In it’s place, our hearts are filled with something or someone else.

5. Our Bodies

Wasted because we don’t use them in ibadah (worship) and service of Allah.

6. Our Love

Our emotional love is misdirected, not towards Allah, but towards something/someone else.

7. Our Time

Wasted, not used properly, to compensate for that which has passed, by doing what is righteous to make up for past deeds.

8. Our Intellect

Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that are detrimental to society and the individual, not in contemplation or reflection.

9. Our Service

Wasted in service of someone who will not bring us closer to Allah, more on something that will benefit us in dunya.

10. Our Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)

Wasted, because it does not affect us or our hearts.

Source: Living Islam

Personally, the 10 items are relevant regardless of your religious belief or ideology (apply it to fit your particular interest) because unfortunately waste is so much part of our lives.

WATCH THIS SPACE

May Babies

Here's wishing the May Babies a very, very happy birthday. It is said that this month is named for the Greek Goddess, Maia. In some culture, May is considered to be the month of regeneration and growth. It also symbolises flowers and crops -- harvest time and it's time to party!!!

2 May
S--g

Famous People
David Beckham

4 May
L---a

Famous People
Audrey Hepburn

8 May
Favourite Aunty -- BFF's mum

Famous People
Enrique Iglesias

9 May
W--a

Famous People
Billy Joel

10 May
S--r--a

Famous People
Fred Astaire

11 May
S-f-a

Famous People
Salvador Dali

16 May
Y----n

Famous People
Janet Jackson

18 May
G--r--e

Famous People
Chow Yun Fat

21 May
N--s

Famous People
Mr. T


22 May
Z--a

Famous People
Arthur Conan Doyle


23 May
Me, Myself & I

Famous People
Mitch Albom
Jewel


26 May
H---i

Famous People
John Wayne


May symbol: The hawthorn and lily of the valley are considered the flowers of May
May birthstone: Emerald
May fruit or vegetable: Rhubarb or Gooseberries
May herb: Dandelion
May colour: Green

Motivation for the Month: Humility is not thinking less of yourself, rather thinking of yourself less.

Then came fair May, the fairest maid on ground,
Deck'd all with dainties of the season's pride,
And throwing flowers out of her lap around.
~Edmund Spenser~

Happy Birthday to all the May babies. May this month brings us good things in life: good health, happiness and peace. Hugs and kisses to all of my May babies. XXXX