Cold Thursday

It's still raining outside and hubby still asleep. I wake up and make breakfast for us. I've decided to stay at home today as I've done with the works in the office. Dad has asked me to get ample of rest as I had a few OT last week. While waiting for hubby to get ready, I'm watching this funny Andy Griffith's Play The Game. A very funny movie about the ego between man and woman.

A few slices of Pandan Pudding Cake, and a glass of fresh orange juice for breakfast. It's pretty cold outside, anyway. Hubby has asked me to make Chicken Soup for dinner. It feels so nice to cook for hubby. It makes me happy when he had 2 bowls of rice last evening. I'm going to make Chicken Soup, and Vegetarian Shrimp for dinner later.

Chicken Curry with Potatoes

I went browsing to get some ideas for today's dinner and I stumbled upon a blog which has lots of recipes. That's why I love the month of Ramadhan! Banyak makanan dan masak-masak di TV. As for dinner, I make Chicken Curry with Potatoes. Here's the recipe which I got from Dapur Tanpa Sempadan. By the way, bahan-bahan kasi kurang sebab 2 orang saja bah kami ni makan. I also omit and replace some of the ingredients.

Raspberry and Blackberry

My mini bubble bath creme and body butter cream set is here, and I cannot wait to try it at home later. It has yummy raspberry and blackberry scent. I hope it would leave my skin fragranced. Gonna deliver the other 2 sets to Rita, and Hazloria later. ^_^

It's my half day in the office today. Have a nice day! ^ω^

Ginger Chicken in Black Soy Sauce (酱油鸡)

This has been me & my hubby's favourite, and I'm going to cook this for our dinner tonight. It's a very simple recipe, tidak terlampau susah. I found a simple recipe from a blog, and decided to replicate it with my own touch. Habis semua diubah untuk ikut sedap lidah sendiri. Sedap atau tidak itu belakang kira.

Ginger Chicken in Black Soy Sauce

For 2 pax (no need banyak-banyak unless you're a Godzilla)

Ingredients

4 Chicken Drumsticks

2-inch ginger (skin peeled and lightly pounded)

1/2 small bowl Black Soy Sauce (Thick)

1 tablespoon tomato sauce

2 tablespoon chillies sauce

1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce

1 red onion

1 brown onion

4 cloves garlic

Salt/Chicken stock

Sugar/Honey

Water

Cooking oil

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with soy sauce, ginger, red and brown onions, garlic, tomato sauce, chillies sauce, oyster sauce, honey/sugar and salt for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Place the wok over medium high heat and add water, ginger and the chicken pieces
3. Bring to boil and simmer until chicken pieces are tender and the gravy is thick, about 30 minutes. Top up with more water if the stock dries up.

Ya. Ni malam mau masak. Hahahaha!

Ted Baker's Floral Printed Dress

We were watching E! when suddenly my hubby asked if I would like to go to the Church this Sabbath. I was so glad that he finally raised that 'Sabbath' issue, and remind me to go to the Church. I haven't been to the Church for months, and I'm so happy that he's willing to accompany. Thank you so much, dear. Hubby then asked me if I have a new dress to be worn (as he always see me wearing the same dresses to work).

"Let's get a new dress for you. No more mustard or pink dresses. My eyes can't bear to look at those colors anymore." 

Puji-Pujian

I had a conversation with my dear friend a few days ago. So, adalah ni satu cerita pasal pujian ikhlas, pujian 'epidermis', dan pujian 'berduri'. We use 'specific' terms to describe these kinds of pujian... Pujian ikhlas tu memang yang pujian lahir dari hati, memang tidak tipu dan pure macam cinta ikhlas kenen... Pujian 'epidermis' pula yang di kulit-kulit saja, yalah, pujian yang tidak ikhlas dan sekadar untuk kasi jack up supaya tu orang perasantut, or manusia yang memuji ni jenis puji di depan tapi di belakang dia umpat. That's Pujian Epidermis. Untuk Pujian Berduri pula, bagi definisi kami, this one is the most dangerous one. Why? Because pujian ni yang jenis menyindir atau mengejek, and very straightforward. Contoh-contoh kenen...

Situasi

Terserempak sama kawan satu Gereja/Office/Kuliah/Kelas yang makin lawa badan dan muka pun halus.

Pujian Ikhlas

Depan Kawan: "Eeee... Sia tinguk ko sekarang makin lama makin lawa tu body oh, tu muka pun makin halus ni..."

Dalam Hati Sendiri: "Eeee... Lawa oh badan dia sama muka dia... Sia mau oh ada badan macam dia & muka halus macam dia..."

Cakap Sama Kawan Lain: "Si anu punya badan sekarang lawa oh... Muka dia pun halus ni... Sia harap-harap sia ada badan lawa macam dia and muka halus macam dia oh..." OR ni orang diam saja inda kestau sepa-sepa (kalau dia jenis inda suka bergossip)

Pujian Epidermis

Depan Kawan: "Eeee... Sia tinguk ko sekarang makin lama makin lawa tu body oh, tu muka pun makin halus ni..."

Dalam Hati Sendiri: "Jangan perasanlah ko saja bulih dapat body lawa dan muka lawa begitu. Masih juga bah sia lebih lawa dari ko."

Cakap Sama Kawan Lain: "Si anu bah... Perasan konon dia makin lawa! Macamlah sia tidak tau apa dia guna. Dia pigi Botox baitu! Dia talan Slimming Pills lagi ah... Manada orang yang dari berjerawat tu muka, body pula macam babi terus tiba-tiba jadi lawa gitu. Fake! Betul-betul Fake! Sia tidak suka body dia. Macam walking skeleton! Ko tinguk tu pipi dia, masuk dalam. Ceh! Bagus kalau bulih manang ratu cantik macam sia. Sia masih lebih lawa dari dia bah!"

Pujian Berduri

Depan Kawan: "Wah Wah Wah! Sia tinguk muka sama badan ko macam berubah sudah ni. Ko pakai botox untuk kasi runcing tu dagu ko kah? Slimming Pills apa ko talan sampai dapat body begini?"

Dalam Hati Sendiri: "Ko fikir ko lawa lah sekarang? Ceh! Masih juga bah sia lebih lawa dari ko."

Cakap Sama Kawan Lain: "Si anu bah... Perasan konon dia makin lawa! Macamlah sia tidak tau apa dia guna. Dia pigi Botox baitu! Dia talan Slimming Pills lagi ah... Manada orang yang dari berjerawat tu muka, body pula macam babi terus tiba-tiba jadi lawa gitu. Fake! Betul-betul Fake! Sia tidak suka body dia. Macam walking skeleton! Ko tinguk tu pipi dia, masuk dalam. Ceh! Bagus kalau bulih manang ratu cantik macam sia. Sia masih lebih lawa dari dia bah!"

Memang lumrah manusia ada yang suka bagi puji-pujian kan? Tapi, ada kalanya orang yang bagi pujian tu sekadar di kulit saja. I'm sure kamu pun ada pengalaman kena gitu punya pujian. I wonder kalau masa menyanyi lagu puji-pujian di Gereja tu, adakah dari hati yang ikhlas atau sekadar menunaikan kewajipan sebab semua orang pun berdiri untuk menyanyi dan memuji Tuhan. Kita kasi general sikit lah kio, adakah anda berdiri tegak sambil menyanyikan lagu Negaraku, Sabah Tanah Airku tu hanya sebab memuji di kulit saja ataupun memang dari hati yang ikhlas? Wakakakakakak!

Kuat Komplen

When you're attending to a dinner, and the tickets are paid by your boss or sponsored by your family members, you pula sana complaint because the foods tidak sedap. Bersyukurlah sebab someone bought for you the tickets.

When someone offered you the dinner tickets, you asked the price, bila you know the cost, price, and menu, you complaint the price MAHAL. Don't complaint, when you know the harga ticket begitu, you know begitu laitu costing for managing an event. Orang bodoh saja yang complaint walaupun dia sudah tahu dan ada experience managing an event. Bersyukurlah because you have that knowledge and information, orang lain tu bukan semua ada tu knowledge, and ada yang minghahali tau semua benda.

When someone invited you to a wedding reception di hall or rumah, you tidak datang because you bilang jauh or 'no class'. Be grateful because ada kana invite. Jangan sampai nanti tidak kena invite lagi then you komplen sebab tu orang lupa kawu sudah. When you attend a wedding, please lah bawa angpau. At least show respect to the families, kalau ko rasa itu bride and groom rapat betul sama ko sampai ko inda perlu malu-malu kestau warna santut ko. *heheheheh... Saja*

When someone tidak invite you to a wedding reception di hotel, or ballroom, or luar negara, jangan terus-terus merajuk lepas tu mengumpat atau komplen. Maybe you previously pernah kena invite but you tidak datang (and tidak kestau pun sama the family), you tidak pernah bagi angpau (at least RM50/pax for hotel/ballroom, pigi google utk mau tau 'market price' orang bagi angpau sekarang supaya tidak kana kasi malu), ko mengumpat di belakang itu families/bride/groom, or the invitation list kena urus by the parents. Remember that itu cost is very high, and space is very limited.

Jangan sebab tiada aramaiti (which you're expecting ada dalam setiap wedding reception), trus komplen the wedding tidak siok... It shows you have no respect towards other people punya religions.

Jangan terlampau kuat komplen, nanti kamu jadi kuat kantut... K.K kan...

Respect is Earned, not Given

When someone passed away, we should pay respect. It's not because that person has more contributions that yours, or achieve higher than you. It's because our religion taught us to respect the life of that person in which one has no power to control. Our 'mohoing/molohing' also taught us to bow down, and pay our last respect to those who 'walk' earlier than us. We cannot actually do anything but put 'off' death, so we ritually acknowledge that we, too, will someday join the dead, Rest in Peace, Respect to my dead Homies, etc.

Article: 11 Types of Popularity

Without further ado, here they are in no particular order. Some types lend themselves to be popular within closed circles and others more broadly.

The Fun Type

You are always fun to be around. You transform any party with your humor, wit and just by being jovial. You are popular and people will miss you in a party. It is never the same. However, if that is the only reason you are popular, they will not miss you outside the party halls.

Tiada Cuti

Bila Malaysia kalah, di sanalah banyak memaki pemain Malaysia.

Bagus jangan kasi umum dulu tu cuti kalau begini mentaliti Malaysians. Kita patut bersyukur Malaysia mampu ke final. Walaupun sekadar mampu berada di tempat kedua, memang tidak dinafikan pasukan kita harus memperbaiki kelemahan mereka. Bayangkan berapa banyak kos yang dibelanjakan untuk melatih pasukan badminton Malaysia untuk sampai ke tahap ini.

Yang kita ni pula, tau mengharap cuti saja. Bila tiada cuti, di sanalah ramai yang mengutuk sebab satu-satunya ayam tambatan terpaksa akur sama Jepun. Tapi, pernahkah kita fikir berapa banyak beza ranking Jepun dan Malaysia tadi? 25 & 66, ingat dekat kaitu ranking BWF? Berabis juga bah dia tu sampai jatuh tertiarap atas gelanggang. Ingat siok kaitu jatuh gitu? Try minta kawan ko tolak ko sampai ko jatuh tertiarap, ko rasa oren sadap stim stim atau sakit pedih pedih macam kana tukul tu tulang? Kita duduk-duduk di sofa saja dan tau lompat-lompat bila pihak lawan kena net or out. Yang tu pemain pula berhempas pulas di gelanggang perlawanan. Ya, sia nampak dan kamu nampak banyak kali kena net. Itu kelemahan dia, tapi bagilah bah tepukan sikit walaupun cuti tiada... By the way, berapa kalori kamu buang dengan sekadar berteriak?

Kalau bising sangat, pigi kasi train tu anak-anak kamurang atau kamurang sendiri pigi train to be next badminton players who will bring back the cup. Kalau you or your anak-anak kalah, korang rasalah apa perasaan yang pemain sekarang terpaksa hadapi bila diorang bermati-matian di gelanggang tapi bila tidak dapat bawa balik Cup, and tiada cuti, terus kana maki-maki di social media, di newspaper, di forum, etc. Punyalah sandi eh~ Fuuuhhh!

Memang siok dapat cuti tambahan tapi siok juga bah ingat balik pa mcm kita berteriak tadi... Berjam-jam juga teriak kan? Berbubut bubut tu point... Hahahahah!!! By the way, betulkah tweet PM pasal cuti sebab tiada dalam twitter PM pasal cuti pun... In other words, memang takda cuti dari awal lagi, sebab itu cuti hanya dibuat-buat oleh pihak tertentu... PM ada masa kah main Twitter? PA dia yang tolong tweet tu...

Foreign Exchange = Forex

Jangan bilang Forex tipu duit kamu. It's either you tak reti main, or you're too tamaha, or ko terlampau pintar sampai simpan Stop Loss untuk minimize kerugian ko (hahahahahah!). Pigi dulu ambil kelas Forex baru main. Bukan sekadar ikut cakap kawan atau baca artikel saja. Dan teda strategy atau software yang boleh menjamin ko akan untung sampai berpuluh-puluh pips!

Yang sioknya main ni barang, pa macam sekalipun ada orang mau kasi buruk ko, income masih masuk dalam poket sebab ini bukan melibatkan you and orang lain, but between you and how you respond to the change of market. Orang cakap ko teda guna kah, sombong kah, mulut tiada insurans kah, harap duit bapak mamak kah, etc. you still earn income. Padulilah sampai muntah darah pun diorang cakap pasal ko, you're going to shine~

If there's someone yang pigi bagitau other people yang you harap duit mak bapak you, just ignore it as long as you takde hutang sama tu manusia. It's a blessing kalau kana bagi Nissan Skyline atau Mitsubishi Evo X from parents (itu kalaulah kana bagi). Apa sahaja yang kena bagi dari parents, itu laitu rezeki ko, mau tolak pemberian dari molohing adalah sama dengan ko kasi luka hati diorang. Selagi bukan ko minta, selagi itu terima saja apa-apa pemberian dari molohing. Just be grateful, bukan banyak 'buts'...

Kaki 'Jual Nama' Orang

Sometimes bikin hairan ada orang yang suka jual nama orang untuk kepentingan diri sendiri. Selalunya di kalangan kawan sendiri dan paling teruk bila orang itu adalah kawan yang kamu selalu bawa untuk pigi makan. Sia bagi situasi, dan kamu nilai sendiri sekiranya kamu berasa dalam situasi tersebut, apa kamu akan lakukan.

Gelaran Teruk

Jangan menggelar orang yang rupanya tidak seberapa cantik itu 'babi', 'wogok', 'kunta kinte', atau orang yang bersaiz besar itu 'gajah', 'wogok', 'gemuk', 'bakas', etc. Remember that God is there, manatau balasan daripada mengejek, mengulu, dan menyindir rupa paras dan bentuk badan adalah to turn you into yang lebih teruk daripada diorang. Yalah, kecantikan dan ke'slim'an itu rezeki dari Tuhan. Kalau sembarangan saja salah guna, satu hari nanti diri sendiri jadi macam tu gelaran yang kamu bagi sama orang lain. 

Contohnya (perlu contoh juga kah?), kawan kamu tu ada masalah jerawat dan kamu pula mengejek kawan kamu (yalah, muka sendiri kan halus mulus) dan tulis di FB atau cakap sama orang lain begini, "Sudahlah muka berjerawat, perasan cantik konon! Cermin lah bah dulu tu muka sendiri!" Trust me, one day God will give her kulit yang cantik dan halus mulus, dan you pula dihiasi dengan jerawat yang susah mau sembuh unless you go minta maaf sama orang yang kamu cakap begitu (mesti dari hati yang ikhlas, kalau tidak, itu jerawat tidak akan sembuh). 

Contoh kedua (perlu juga kah? Hahaha!), kamu tahu kawan kamu tu berbadan besar dan kamu pula berbadan slim atau average sahaja. Janganlah kamurang pigi gelar macam-macam sama orang tu. Macam biasa, Tuhan itu kan adil. Dia cipta ko, dan dia cipta tu kawan juga. Mungkin kawan kamu tidak akan slim, tapi God will make you susah untuk slim pa macam sekali ko berabis sampai terkapus-kapus, atau separuh mati, dan sini sana try workout (Insanity la, HIIT lah, Gym la, Zumba la, Tae Bo la, etc.)... Dan paling teruk, bila ko berabis beli slimming pills or fat burners (sebab ko ternampak kawan-kawan yang lain consume itu barang), ko pula inda pandai slim tapi makin 'Larger Than Life'. Bila semua tidak berkesan sudah, maksudnya kamu kena minta maaf sama orang yang kamu gelar dengan gelaran yang tidak bagus. Mesti dari hati yang ikhlas. 

p.s. Tiada kena mengena dengan mana-mana status yang muncul dalam Timeline sia. Sia buka FB saja turus baca notifications sia saja. Cuma, sia teringat kes dulu-dulu yang heart to heart sama kawan-kawan. Tulunglah bah kawan-kawan kalau diorang ada masalah, dan bukan mengulu'. 

Monday

It’s Monday and I’m in the office just to get all jobs done before sending them off to ‘somewhere’ later. I deal with numbers, and I investigate any discrepancies in ratios, percentage, and record. Forex is just another playground as I view it as a long-term investment; not a ‘get-rich-speedy-fast-scheme’. Economics is just a place for me to get new vision if any suprises might tick me to do SL or TP. The jargons may only be understood by those who are in the same wagon as saya. Blessed Monday.

Life as We Know It

Love is what binds us, respect is what unites us. To have love and respect for all life forms guarantees you an excellent quality of life because you will be walking around in sheer reverence to all you come across. There will never be a dull or uninspired moment.

In life we do things. Some we wish we had never done. Some we wish we could replay a million times in our heads. But they all make us who we are, and in the end they shape every detail about us. If we were to reverse any of them, we wouldn’t be the person we are. So, just live, make mistakes, have wonderful memories, but never ever second guess who you are, where you have been, and most importantly where it is you’re going.

We can never turn back the pages of time, though we may wish to relive a happy moment, or say goodbye just one last time. We never can because the sands of time continue to fall and we cannot turn the hourglass over.

Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that & living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You’ve to love & feel. It’s the reason you’re here on Earth. You’re here to risk your heart, to be swallowed up & when it happens that you’re broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree & listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.

Fernanda Brum – Há Um Rio (There’s A River)

Há um rio

Fernanda Brum

Há um rio cujas águas,

Alegram a cidade de Deus, 

O santuário do altíssimo.

Onde o Rei está 

Assentado a destra do Pai 

Poderoso pra derramar 

Águas que saram 

Águas que lavam 

Águas que refrigeram 

Águas que quebram maldições 

Águas que moldam 

Águas que purificam 

Águas que santificam 

Água de paz

This one is translated from Portuguese into English. I’m not really sure if it’s accurately translated but the lyrics sounds a bit like this lah… Correct me if I mistakenly translated it as I used Google Translate bah. One of my favourite Christian song.

There’s a river

Fernanda Brum

There’s a river whose waters

Cheers the city of God

The sanctuary of the highest one

Where the King 

Is seated on the right of powerful Father 

For the spill of 

Waters that heal 

Waters that wash 

Waters that refrigerated 

Waters that break curses 

Waters that mold 

Waters that purify 

Waters that sanctify 

Water of peace

Identity in Christ

So, I was at retreat last weekend for my sorority, and I had such an amazing time bonding with my beautiful sisters. I was so blown away listening to such a Godly woman talk about what it means to have an identity in Christ, that I felt like I should share her message with you all:

The dictionary defines “identity” as the condition of being one’s self. As we experience the hardships and struggles of life; we are so desperate to know who we are that we start grasping on to things to save ourselves. There are so many adjectives that we describe ourselves as, but sometimes we forget to describe ourselves as “daughters and sons in Christ.” Why is that? How is it that we can easily rile off twenty adjectives that describes who we are, yet we forget that our only adjective should be that we are Christ’s sons and daughters?

How is that we label ourselves as:

• Accomplished
• Busy
• Hip
• Well-known
• Attractive
• Smart
• Girlfriend/Future wife/Wife-in-training/Wife (or Boyfriend/Future Husband/Husband-in-training/Husband) (<—I love the “wife-in-training” saying for some reason..)
• Daughter (or son)
• Camp counselor
• Girl (or Guy) with a plan
• Beautiful/ Handsome
• Dreamer
• Wealthy
• Super-Christian
• Loyal Friend
• Gifted

…but yet, when we were in high school, we absolutely despised being labeled as being preppy, geeky, nerdy, freaks, and jocks?

Whether you think that one, some, or all of these adjectives perfectly describes you, you have to realize that the day these adjectives work for us, is the day that you become prideful.

1 Corinthians 4:6-7 states: “Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”

The theme behind 1 Corinthians 4:6-7 is that you shouldn’t be prideful. Pride is past it’s proper size and has been blown up into proportions.

When you’re prideful, you become empty, painful, busy and fragile. Pride lets us focus on something OTHER than God. Pride gives you a sense of “specialness.”

Are you prideful towards God? Prides makes for a busy life. If you compare pride to a pendulum, you’re either boasting about what you have or comparing what you don’t have to someone else. We tend to say “I’ value her (him) and I’m worse than her (or him).”

But see, the greatest thing of all is that we’re more wealthy when we don’t boast. These adjectives are temporary and they will strip through your fingers.

• Accomplished: there are always going to be people who are more accomplished than you. Other people’s accomplishments have a way of making you feel like you’re not measuring up (like if one of your friends gets accepted into Harvard Law School and you’re still finishing your Bachelor’s degree.)
• Busy: School and stress makes us busy worrying about things that don’t matter.
• Hip: Is it worth having expensive clothes and shoes to outshine others?
• Well-known: Being well-known isn’t the greatest thing in the world. Sometimes, having a few close friends instead of a lot of friends is a hundred times better. (:
• Attractive: There are always going to be people who are more attractive than you. Attractiveness is a the devil in a sense- it causes you to compare yourself with other people. Just be yourself.
• Smart:  Like accomplishments, some people may be smarter than you (Einstein, anyone?!) Sometimes not being as smart allows you to think through things more clearly.
• Girlfriend/Future wife/wife-in-training/Wife (or Boyfriend/Future Husband/Husband-in-training/Husband)): this adjective is a pet peeve of mine.  I feel like this is the adjective that people use to define themselves before they rattle off any other adjective. It may just be me, but using this adjective to define yourself means that you’re making yourself somebody else’s “property” in a sense. There’s nothing wrong with being somebody’s boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancee/husband/wife, but be yourself, and be who you are. You don’t need anyone else to define you.?
• Daughter/Son: Yes, we all are sons and daughters, but you know what’s so great? We are sons and daughters of Christ. I can’t think of a more humbling adjective than this.
• Camp Counselor: So, I know that being a camp counselor is a milestone for college kids. Personally, I’ve never been one. But then again, I’ve never really been a camp person. I feel like “camp counselor” is a popularity adjective- as in if you’ve never been a camp counselor, you’re just not “cool.” We should strive to be counselors to people everyday, not just during the summer season.
• Girl (or boy) with a plan: I’m completely guilty of this adjective. Growing up, I had this long list of things I wanted to do (and who I wanted to be). I was a very strong headed child- I wanted to go one college for all four years, go to medical school, get engaged at 24, get married a year after, and have lots (and lots!) of children. College has a way of telling you that your plan that you have for yourself never works. I’m going in a completely different way than I wanted to. I think at a certain point, you have to be content with the plan God has for you. Only God knows how you’re supposed to live your life. It’s terrifying trying to distinguish the plans that you have for yourself, and the plans that God has for you. Sometimes you just have to ask yourself, “Is this my will or is it God’s will?”
• Beautiful/Handsome: I’m a strong believer, that as a society, we’re extremely guilty of this. We use this as a place marker for who we think we are. We unconsciously compare ourselves to other people every day. The media is partly to blame for this phenomenon too. As women, we look at stick thin (and obviously unhealthy) models in Vogue and strive to be like them because we think that’s what attracts men. And men are obsessed with going to the gym to get bigger and stronger so they can look “manly.” We allow our comparisons to other people to affect our self-esteem- that maybe if we looked better, then we’ll be liked more. Maybe looking beautiful or handsome is a survival instinct that has been primed into us from the beginning of time. Or maybe it’s because society has made us so self-conscious that we can’t feel better about ourselves until we’ve “beaten” out other people by looking like Miss America or like a model on the cover of GQ magazine. It’s not a competition. You are beautiful and don’t let anyone tell you any differently.
• Dreamer: I feel like this ties into being a girl/guy with a plan. It’s not necessarily bad to be a dreamer, but are our dreams exactly what God wants? Are you dreaming to make yourself happy or are you dreaming for others as well? God knows you better than you know yourself.
• Wealthy: I’m sure that you’ve all heard the saying that “you can be rich and a be poor, and you can be poor and be rich.” You can be rich and desert everyone around you if money is a priority. And you can be poor and be rich in love because there are so many things that are important to you than money. Our character shines a lot more when we don’t let meaningless things control our life.
• Loyal Friend: Part of being a loyal friend is being open and sharing concerns, as well as celebrating the wins and being there to support the losses. But, in being a loyal friend to others, don’t lose yourself. Learn that sometimes, every friendship doesn’t go smoothly. Sometimes, you have to force yourself to stop caring when the other person doesn’t anymore. You deserve more than giving your life up for someone who doesn’t care.
• Gifted: I feel like “gifted” is such a bad word. We’re all good at different things. Some of us are better at school and getting good grades, and others are good at playing sports or an instrument. We’re all “gifted” at different things, but you shouldn’t let it define you.

Jesus gives us the right questions. God decided you were so valuable to him. YOU ARE WORTH IT.

“Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say, John the Baptist, others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘God’s Messiah.’” ( Luke 9:18-20)

Source: Life is a Beautiful Struggle

Marriage Isn’t For You

“You don’t marry to make yourself happy, you marry to make someone else happy. More than that, your marriage isn’t for yourself, you’re marrying for a family. Not just for the in-laws and all of that nonsense, but for your future children. Who do you want to help you raise them? Who do you want to influence them? Marriage isn’t for you. It’s not about you. Marriage is about the person you married.”

Marriage Isn’t For You

Behind the Camera

Dayve Rampas' photostream on Flickr.

Left Without Turning Back

Life is pretty busy these days as I have to juggle between works, and studies. I'd like to thank all who have wished me on my birthday (and 'after' my birthday). Thank you for spending a few minutes (or seconds) to write a nice birthday message. I hope I've replied everyone, I really appreciate all the wishes, and even printed them out to put into my scrapbook.

It doesn't matter if the birthday wishes come from a total stranger, as long as it's sincerely wished. Friends are blessings from God, but those who are just mingling around to knock you down are lessons that not all people can be your friends, because some of them would come and teach you about life. Yet, being sincere and honest can sometimes misunderstood by some people. Being misused is another issue, yet, this taught us a very good lesson of who to trust, and who are worth to be ignored. This reminds me of the advices from my late grandpa (before he passed away), "Apa macam sekali orang lain kasi ketuk ko sampai jatuh, ko jalan terus saja." (Never looked back when people knocked you down.)

For people who have called me as one who have mental problem or crazy, I'd say 'Thank you' for addressing me like that. I'd like to quote an article (shall I post journals or research, too?) for people who love to address me (and the others, who knows?) as 'crazy'...

"...You could make a very long list of all the supposedly “crazy” business leaders who accomplished truly great things. That list would have to include people like Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, Howard Hughes, Richard Branson, and Ted Turner. In the world of literature, that list would have people like Allen Ginsberg and Sylvia Plath and Vladimir Nabokov on it. In politics, your list of crazy people would have to include Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi..."

The 'wrecked' ship may shrink and pollute one part of the ocean, but that won't turn the whole ocean into a place that cannot be wondered and awed by others who still appreciate the mysteries of the ocean. And over time, the 'wrecked' ship may just stay down there, deep under the ocean, admired by a few, and a home for the others. The ocean, on the other hand, will still be awed, amazed, and feared for its beauty, and power to destroy.

Last but not least, never looked down on others... If you're the one who brought them up there. Why? Because you never know what you've taught them, and you never know what are their SWOT. LOL! Once again, thank you for all the birthday wishes, and I pray that God showers you with blessings and happiness. I got birthday wishes from Whatsapp, LINE, WeChat, Private Messages, Twitter, SMS, and calls. Last but not least, to the one that never fail to lend his shoulder, I love you so much, Mr W.

p.s: Wine and cheese get better with age. Yet, some people get better and others get wiser. Growing old is inevitable and one has to learn by themselves through their experiences.

Beneath the Façade of Friendship

A true friendship is a feeling of love, sharing and caring. Friendship is not a façade for someone to play 'hide-and-seek'. It is a feeling that someone understands and appreciates you as you are, without any exaggeration, flattery and pretensions. Moreover, a true friend stands by you through thick and thin, and they will never stab behind you.

Friends don't do things like lovers usually do. They don't kiss passionately. They don't have sex. They don't do things 'romantically'. Yet, some people are squeezing out the advantages out from their friends, especially those who have close friends of opposite sex. It cannot be blamed when one has the fear of losing his or her close friends. We all have that 'fear'. It's not novel, but sometimes we are unconscious with the actions taken due to that 'fear'. For instance, some guys would tell others that they had sex with his best friend. The reason is obvious - Either because he doesn't want to lose her, or it's because he wanted to keep his ego or pride on the line. The consequences of such action might be intolerable as this involves downgrading the dignity of a woman, and a friend. He might have a 'temporary' winning cup, but once the secret is revealed then the game is over. A 'true friend' would forgive and forget, but does that still make a friend to stick with you after all the trusts have been broken into pieces? It happens around us, everyday. Sometimes, we do hear this thing happened to our dear friends, yet, we are unable to help them. Instead, we would keep distancing ourselves from this kind of people. The disappointment is there as the trust has been broken. Think thoroughly before you say a thing or even share the stories of your close friends to others. You might need to consider that not all of us would love to listen to the story, but having a juicy gossip is enough to make us considered as updated.

What would you do if you heard when one of your friend badmouthing or making a false statement of his or her close friend? Who would you trust after you've listened to both sides of the story?

Beneath the Covers

It has been a long time since I stopped blogging as life has been pretty busy when the age is crawling up. I missed blogging so much that sometimes I 'tweet' nonsensical things over my Twitter and Facebook. I don't know how long this would be but I hope this space won't be left unattended for aeon. I will start soon (when?). Perhaps, a few days after all my works are done? Yet, I'm adding another 'time-consumer' into my 24-hour lifeline. I hope it won't go wasted. It's 4am and I really need to get my forty winks or I might get a lecture from 'the-love-of-my-life'. Will be back later.

Belajar English itu Mudah

Buku fizikal ENGLISH ITU MUDAH ini adalah merupakan satu buku yang mengupas semua yang berkaitan dengan grammar English dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Ia mengandungi 18 topik setebal 129 halaman mukasurat.

Panduan lengkap belajar Grammar English, disampaikan sepenuhnya dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Penerangan yang sangat mudah difahami dan disertakan ilustrasi menarik. Harga promosi termasuk penghantaran RM30 bagi Semenanjung Malaysia. Tambahan RM5 untuk penghantaran ke Sabah dan Sarawak.

Buku ini ditulis bagi memudahkan anda membaca, memahami, dan menguasai English, kerana ia adalah amat penting pada masa kini. Keunikan buku ini adalah segala penerangan adalah dalam Bahasa Malaysia !! Ini bagi memudahkan anda memahami fungsi-fungsi setiap topik grammar tersebut.

Buku ini amat berkesan kerana semuanya ditunjukkan dengan ringkas serta disertakan dengan contoh dan maksudnya dalam Bahasa Malaysia.

Buku ini juga sangat efektif untuk dipelajari dalam masa yang singkat kerana penggunaan pendekatan warna bagi setiap patah perkataan dan juga ilustrasi gambar, yang pasti akan menarik minat anda untuk mempelajari setiap topik grammar English ini.

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Buku Fizikal English Itu Mudah - Belajar Grammar English Dalam Bahasa Malaysia

I'm unworthy; You still love me.

1. All relationships have one law: Never make the one you love feel alone, especially when you’re there. 
2. Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you. 
3. Yes, I am a Christian. Yes, I can be the biggest hypocrite ever. I backslide, I stumble. I fall. I stray onto the wrong path. But God is working in me. I may be a mess, but I’m His mess. And He is slowly straightening me out. And the day will come when I will be by His side, His work in me completed. And until that day, I will take His hand, and let him do in me whatever needs to be done, no matter how painful it will be for me. When He is finished, it will be all worth it.
4. Hundred weeds or a hundred wishes!
5. You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter.
6. The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you.
7. And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you. Because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.
8. What defines us is how well we rise after falling.
9. Love this angle on "not enough"
10. In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.
11. Sometimes, God lets you hit rock bottom, so that you will discover that He is the rock at the bottom.
12. If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.
13. Our lives are storybooks that we write for ourselves; wonderfully illustrated by the people we meet.
14. No matter how many times you’ve blown it, God’s grace is bigger than your mistakes and His plans for you are perfect.this is a truth.
15. We are the silver lining in any and every dark cloud we could ever find. There is no need to go looking for the light when you bring it with you.
16. Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, and don’t put up with people that are reckless with yours.
17. Keep your head up
18. People think that being alone makes you lonely, but I don’t think that’s true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world.
19. I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.
20. You’ll meet only a few people in your whole life who are truly abandoned houses- rundown, worn out, collapsing at the seams. I’m not asking you to take a hammer and nails and pin up their rafters, fix their leaky faucets, or put new panes of glass in their broken windows; I’m asking you to simply open their door, and spend a little time memorizing their floor plan. Get to know them. And when the time comes, I want you to draw back their curtains and, once and for all, let the light in.
21. Guys should have to touch your heart and mind first, before he touches your body.
22. Religion is man, searching for God, but Christianity is God, searching for man, which is why salvation is freely mine, forgiveness is my own. Not based on my efforts, but because of Christ’s obedience alone.  In every other aspect of life, you know that logic is unworthy. It’s like saying that you play for the Lakers, just because you bought a jersey.
23. Constant reminders are sometimes necessary...    "Remind yourself that it's okay not to be perfect."
24. God doesn’t love a future you, He loves you today. Because our whole lives, we’ve feasted on sin, and we couldn’t pay the tab. Yet, Jesus walks over to our bill, and says “I’ll take care of that.”