Roses and Commitments

Marriage, bounded by two endless circles of commitments, is never a bed of roses. Think carefully, before you take the vows.

School visit with the 85mm f1.8 wide open

I visited a local school yesterday and I must say that I was impressed by the stuffs that are going on in the primary schools these days. The young ones are so cheerful, confident and reflective.

From Pavlov’s dogs to school bells

Pavlov has a bell,
When it rings,
His dogs salivate.

Schools has bells,
when they ring,
a thousand minds either shut down instantly,
or a thousand stomachs go hungry simultaneously,
or they happen concurrently.

Dark, Sinster, and Alone. (DSA)

Light days may be the heaviest.

Light days may be heavy. It depends on you would faced.

‘Some days it don't come easy, and some days it don't come hard
Some days it don't come at all, and these are the days that never end
Some nights you're breathing fire, and some nights you're carved in ice
Some nights you're like nothing I've ever seen before or will again’
(Meatloaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That))

Tuesdays are my lightest of days,
but they are my heaviest too.
1 hour of pure draining session with the most self centered group,
unloved and taken for grant,
sandwiched between 10 hours of administrative work.

No wonder that my Wednesdays are always short, ineffective, tired and worn out. Depending on the nature of Tuesdays, Wednesdays are always either running days or 'full body' massage days.

Err.... most of the time, massage days.

MadCat: Battles vs Wars

To be hard or to be soft is different from to be firm or to be unsure and wavering. Only when you have the end in mind, can you be sure of your actions leading to a greater cause.

Nurturing is such a delicate job that it requires one with green fingers to do it well. Developing the knowledge to care for plants not only takes time and experience, it also requires a heart that is willing to shower them with the tender love which they can flourish in. Being a gardener can be merely a job or can be more than a job. One has to decide his own path in impacting the future.

Hence, one has to decide if he wants to win a battle or to win a war.

A Full Life?

Some seek to live a full life by:
seeing the unseen,
hearing the unheard,
tasting the things that cannot be tasted,
smelling the nuances in the air,
and feeling the unfelt.

How can we be sure that we are living our lives to the fullest, if we failed to monitor what we consume?


The overloading of the senses simply drives the others crazy.

SEL

Mere words would not suffice in transferring:

1) The ability to be aware of our emotions and the emotions of those around us.
2) The ability to manage our emotions and the relationships of those around us.
3) The ability to be responsible for our decisions.

The process of internalization also includes listening with our eyes and our hearts.

Are you a role model?

Walk away from Darkness

Posting a poem written by an ex schoolmate with the gift of the pen.
Time files.
13 years since we left JC.
Our paths diverged,
but yet our struggles seem so similar at times.

Walk away from Darkness
(A poem by Ho Kum Hean, copyrighted, posted with permission)

'In the shortest of hours,
no time to smell the flowers.

In the busiest of times
no time to even dine.

Amongst the stormy clouds,
lies some doubt.

Do not despair,
for others do care.

In the face of adversity,
courage is a necessity.


With great perseverance,
and endurance.

Walk away from the darkness,
feel the brightness.

Awaits the sunshine,
leaving all obstacles behind.'

The hunting hunter

These are my reflections as I pondered on the wonders of God’s creations.


1) On Eagle’s Wings:
An eagle harnesses updrafts and soars freely in the sky. Its strong wings bear its weight as it glides freely in its hunt. A leader who 'fights fire' is one who flap his/her wings incessantly, ignoring the benefits of updrafts. A wise leader is one that takes off when he/she spots an updraft.

2) Bird Eye View:
Being high up offers a bird eye view. A leader who focuses too much on details may miss the big picture. Having a bird eye view also allow the leader to choose wisely from the buffet that is spread out. You can’t be eating every thing. Not everyone can stomach that, especially one who is chasing multiple awards and programmes.

3) Piercing Clarity:
An eagle is able to exercise piercing clarity in identifing and locating its target. It is the wisdom to say no to opportunities that may distract you from your goals. An eagle is able to judge the speed, the distance and direction it has to cover to grasp its target from the air. It is that clear!

4) The Dive, The Hunt:
Once committed, the eagle is willing to take that plunge, to dive from the sky, locking its tendons and ready itself to strike with precision. It does not hesitate. Do we have the discipline and commitment to take the dip once we decided to?

Too fast, Too furious: Good?

Fast may not be a good thing in a marathon if:

1) You are not sure of what you are running for.
2) You do not have what it takes at the current pace.
3) You do not have the stamina to sustain the current pace.
4) You do not have the ability to run at a faster pace if needed.
5) You are running the wrong route.
6) You do not have the potential for long distance running.

Blooper: Thank you for reminding me that fast may not be a good thing.

Empty

3 things I learnt today:

1) Blind obedience reveals our hedgehog mentality.
2) Giving praise at the expense of people who are supporting us, undermines the effectiveness of our limbs.
3) Raising the most resources may not be a good measure for a compassionate heart.

The absence of a thinking mind, an able body and a compassionate heart may be the signs of an empty shell. People don’t really care how colorful is the background.

EW: Elite Workaholics

Peacock are meant to be colourful,
How sad is it for one to be born white.

Children are meant to be cheerful,
How sad is it when colors are taken out of their lives.

Circles?

Life is a cycle.
The sun rises,
The sun sets.
A new cycle begins,
Another just ended.

Looking back,
Time files.
5 years, like that,
Gone.

And events in the past,
and those to come,
are liken circles,
laid out on the fabric of time.
Repeating and repeating,
never ceasing.

(Dedicated to the upcoming event this weekend)

How strong are you?

(Dedicated to that great guy I met for dinner tonight)

If you are strong,
you will be tested for your strength.
To find the extent of your capacity,
and fill the gaps of those who have left.
(or those who are going to leave)

It is a simple marriage of interests,
to see that the strong is rewarded with more responsibilities.
Everything can be work out,
if you are willing to bend your knee,
and take that dip.

School

It is important for schools to have a focus:
One that is highly engaging but not overwhelming;
One that is centered on 'feeding' the fishes.

Window of Opportunities

How can you be sure that a window is really open? Sure, the colors look bright, inviting and vibrant. How can you be sure that if you approach closer, the bars would not be there?

Is a window really open? I learnt not to judge a window by its colors, nor take what a person says by its face value. A seemingly open window can be closed.

To be contended is to be happy

Poor, native, sincere but happy.
Am I?

I have so much to learn,
from the ones who have little but are contended.

My eyes are the windows of my soul.
Is it shining with sincere trust and contentment too.

Having cold feet?

Who is having the cold feet?
The living or the dead?

A long way home - 2

Left work at 5.40pm and was faced with a dilemma. Should I try going home by the PIE, then into the CTE route (26km)? Sure it is shorter, but I don’t think that I would make through the gantry at CTE by 6pm given the usual jam.

Or should I attempt to go by PIE, and then head for BKE at Bukit Timah exit, and then into the SLE and out by Yio Chu Kang exit (31km)? The distance home is longer by 5 km, but I would surely miss the gantry.

Ha, in the end, I decided to go up PIE (Tuas), then down the KJE, and pass the BKE into the SLE, just to exit by Yio Chu Kang. The distance was 35km. Given that fact that I was cruising at the speed limit all the way, I discovered that I reached home much faster than the usual.

Lesson learnt: I realise that I am willing to travel the longer route and reach my destination faster. I am not willing to fight with others for a road space on the shorter route. My mood at the end of the trip was better, and due to the fact that I was cruising, I am also better off in terms of fuel consumption.

Nurture?

How do you undo a decade of influence, when you only have limited hours to do so per day?

How can you withstand the onslaught of those who cries for attention? Like relentless torrents, they strike to seek self affirmation; to secure a sense of belonging, and a crowd who would look up to them. Little ones, who have not known love for a long time, taught the ropes of manipulation, by the hungry gangs roving outside the gates.

How important are parenting skills, for the lack of these spell the demise of a society. A soul left unloved, is a soul condemned to hell.

Care?

How does one numb one senses?
By working very hard?
By focusing on pleasures?
By resorting to indifference?
By drowning in intoxicants?
By watching the days whizzed by?
By counting down?
By living only for himself?

Cursed is the man who is blessed with sensitivity to the needs of those around him. Especially one, who took on the responsibility to fill his soul with the cries of others.

Head?

Not every statue appreciates a head, especially not one that has been headless for a long time.

It is also not easy for the head to make the body complete, especially when it trying to locate its hands as well.

A long way home

Lonely.... is the walk home