When life just seems to be filled with obstacles..

The other day,i was listening to 93.3fm when i heard this story over the air. It goes like this..

One day,there was this couple with a young son and they were out searching for a place to rent. Then,they came upon this house and after viewing it,the wife really loved it. They were about to settle for a payment when the actual owner of the house commented that he does not rent the house to those with small children. When the wife heard about it,she was very disappointed as she really loved the house alot. No matter how much she tried to persuade the house owner,he refused to change his mind about the terms and conditions. As such,the couple and their son could only leave in disappointment.As they were leaving, the couple's son suddenly turned around and headed back to the house which they had earlier viewed. He then asked the owner if he was willing to rent the house. The owner replied that he was willing to but once again only to those without small children. The young boy then commented that if the house owner were to rent the house to the young boy himself,then there would not be a dispute regarding having small children as the young boy did not have any small children with him. He only had 2 adult parents. The house owner thought for a moment and realised that the small boy was right. He had only stated that he would not rent the house to those with small children but had made no mention about not renting the house to small children at all.So in the end,the couple and their young son managed to rent the house with all the credit going to the ability of their son being able to see things in another perspective.

Now back to what i want to say...Ignore the part where the story seems unbelievable. What the story is trying to say is that sometimes,when we encounter problems in life that seems so impossible to solve,there is no harm in taking a step back for a moment and to see things in a different angle. We can never find the solutions to a problem if we keep seeing it in the same way. Similarly,if we were to always consider problems as bad,life will seem to suck no matter what. On the other hand,if we were to view our problems differently and believe that something positive can come out of it. Who knows,it may just happen! Even if it doesn't,i am sure that just trying alone can make us feel better. At least it took our minds off sulking about it and feeling so stressed out which i heard is bad for health,haha!

The strength of a father and son bond..

Dear all,i hope you guys would take a moment to view the clip i have below. It is a video clip depicting the bond that lies between a father and his son. And to see it in another perspective,it can also depict the bond between God and us. The clip is really touching. The main scenario portrayed in the clip is how the father actually completed a triathalon with his son,only problem is,his son is handicapped and unable to take part in the race "physically". Hence,the entire race relies upon the father's strength and perseverance. It is really heartening to see the dedication and will of the father as he overcomes all odds and completes the race together with his son. Just like how despite our inadequacies,God has always been there for us,through it all. If you aren't a believer,nevermind the linkage to God. Just focus upon the love of a father and even a mother for his or her son and appreciate what they can do for their child. The sacrifices that have been made and the amount of hardships they have overcomed to get us to where we are today. I believe we all owe them a great thank you. Hope u all will enjoy this heartwarming clip as much as i did.

Click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ

Whats left of us?

Recently,theres been more and more articles emerging regarding teen sex,pre marital sex and sexually transmitted diseases. The reports are alarming. With some comments made by those intereviewed shocking. Questions posted ranged from the morality of pre marital sex to views about having casual sex. It is disappointing to know that youths nowadays no longer view sex as something sacred. They view it as part and parcel of a social life. That friendships and relationships are built upon it. It is sad to see how things have become nowadays. Sex after marriage is no longer a goal. Rather,to lose one's virginity before marriage has now become a norm. If someone remains a virgin,he is considered as not being able to fit into the general society.Lose your virginity and you're considered normal. Go on sex romps and you become the admiration of others.It is weird to see how society has evolved. What happened to the "pleasures" of giving one's first time to their spouse? Isn't love supposed to be based upon feelings and emotions rather than physical lust? What happened to those promises of wanting to be together forever? Have they made way for the notion of "fire and forget?" One night stands are such common issues nowadays. Sadly,the situation is getting worse with every generation. What will happen in the generation of our children? Are we supposed to tell them to go outside and just engage in sex?For me,i have no qualms to admit that i am still a virgin and i will be glad to keep it this way till the day i am married. I will not crack under pressure despite people mocking me that i have yet to have my "first time". I'd rather not be a part of the norm than to have to live with regrets in life. I'd rather not get the chance to experience sex yet than to live with the horrors of having contracted sexually transmitted disease.Some say that you will never be so lucky to "get it" and better to experience sex now so that you can be a better lover for your spouse next time. But then again,i'd rather not take my chances and i'd rather remain a greenhorn if you get what i mean=).

Morning shift 22/08/06

Yesterday.i was assigned to perform counter duties for the morning shift. It may seem just like another day at counter but i had an experience that i felt was really rewarding. In the morning, an old man in his late 70's had came in to inform that he had wanted to lodge a report regarding some of his personal belongings being discovered missing. Seems like a normal report huh? Here comes the interesting part. Firstly,he does not understand a single word of english and secondly,he is deaf. This is a problem to me as i would not be able to gather the proper facts of the case from him to help facilitate my report lodging. As he had his purpose for being in the police centre clearly defined,he started telling me about the items he had found missing as well as other details without me even asking and he kept on going on,nevermind the fact that at certain points of time,i was trying to ask him to repeat some of the details as i couldn't really get him. His dialect is cantonese u see and i am really horrible at it despite my mum being one as well. I am more hokkien inclined,haha. Back to the issue,i could see that he was struggling to converse with me in chinese as earlier he had asked if i understood cantonese and i had shook my head. At the end of it all,i had managed to make a note of the items that he had mentioned were missing. I even managed to get hold of the time he had discovered the items missing. Then came one big problem. I was not able to proceed with the report if i did not have details like his place of work where the items were believed to have been missing from. Also,the items which he listed as missing were all very vague.He simply told me what they were but made no mention of their brand and estimated value which were necessary to make the report more detailed. I then tried to obtain these information from him by penning down my questions in chinese and thereafter asking him to read whatever i had written. Perhaps of the generation gap and the difference in olden writing as well as modern writing,he could not really make out some parts of what i was trying to tell him but nevertheless,he managed to get the gist of it right. However,to my despair,he had no idea as to the brand and value of the items and he informed that there were all given to him by his children. Thankfully he managed to keep a notebook containing their contact numbers in his bag and he then showed it to me. I tried all the 3 numbers that he had provided me with but all except one were not in use,that was the contact number to his son.I called up his son and briefed him about the matter and i told him that i had trouble obtaining the facts from his father as such i informed that i would still be lodging the report but it will be brief and simplified and if there is a need,he could relodge the report at any other police post.He acknowledged it. I was also able to obtain details of his father's work place and contact number from him.I was then finally able to proceed with the report but there were still several instances that i had to converse with him in written chinese. Finally the report was completed and there was a huge feeling of satisfaction in me because not only had i managed to help this uncle lodge a report against all odds,i had also managed to write in chinese despite me being so weak in it and having not touched it for almost 2 years.Haha! All in a days' work.=)

Update on 20/08/06

Finally the terrible green water in my tank is gone so the above are some updates=)

The constant,neverending search

There are times when we take notice of people we know who are constantly getting in and out of relationships or who seem to get reattached so quickly after a breakup.Some of us may envy them for being so popular amongst members of the opposite sex and that they are so fortunate to be able to get into a relationhsip so easily. I feel that such people do not require our admiration. In my opinioin,the reason behind their constant being in and out of relationships lies in the fact that they are in constant search for something that they have yet been able to find. They may be looking for a particular factor in a relationship or a partner with a specific character. What they are searching for is what will make them feel that the relationship is right. If they are unable to find what they are looking for,over time,they may end up feeling that the relationship is heading the wrong way and hence,the relationship may then end up in a breakup. The important thing in this matter is not whether the relationship ends up in a breakup or not. But rather,the actions of the person after the breakup. A person who is really commited to a relationship will take time to recover from the wounds of a failed one however,if one is just getting into relationships hoping to find the "right one", eventually what is going to happen is he or she will soon end up in yet another relationship just so that he or she could "try out" and hopefully find what they are looking for. These are the poeple who do not have a sense of security as they do not trust that the current relationship they are in may just be the right one. To them,all options are open and they are always in a constant lookout for greener pastures. When they come upon a bump in the road along the way,they assume that it is a telltale sign that the relationship is not the right one. Instead of looking for solutions to the problem,they choose to run away from it completely and simply move on to yet another relationship with yet another person. This way,there is going to be a never ending quest until the day they see that everything is certain ahead. To those who have never gotten into a relationship,are currently in a stable relationship or even those who are currently single but have been in relationships that lasted for sometime,i feel that we should be thankful for the state that we are in. It is always better to know what we are looking for than to be in a constant,neverending search for something we have no clue about.

Irony..

Sometimes,it is such an irony that when we are attached, we want to have our own space and yearn to be single but on the other hand,when we are single,we feel lonely and wished that there was someone for us to be with.I find that this is rather true,especially if applied to my personal life. Every now and then,i would be reminded of my past relationship,the memories i had and even the minor details during the period of time that i was attached.The entire relationship lasted about a year and 8mths and i recall how during the days leading up to the breakup,i had constantly lamented that the relationship had taken a toll on my social life,depriving me of time spent with family and friends as well as for my personal space. I had wanted out then,so that i could "be alone and do the things i really wanted to do". Looking back,2 years have passed since the breakup and having matured with time,i have come to realise certain important aspects of a relationship which otherwise i was unaware about then. I am now aware about the demands of a relationship and have since realised the mistakes that i had made. It is only times like these when i truly understand how much i had taken the relationship then for granted.I was self centered then and only spared a thought for my personal well being. It was always about me,myself and i. It didn't occur to me how much feelings my girlfriend had put into the relationship then.I never thought about the amount of pain i would eventually cause her if i were to ask for a breakup. I was too self conscious then.Just because i saw that things were not ideal ddn't mean that she was seeing things the same way. But i am glad that now,i have realised these mistakes that i had made so that i could share it for others to learn from it while at the same time,so that if i get attached again,i would not repeat them a second time. Truth is,now that i am single,there are times i wished that i was still attached. Lesson from all these is to consider your choices carefully and not jump into a decision hastily.

The day we said goodbye..

Today,i bid farewell to a close friend of mine,Sarah, as she left for the states to begin her 4 years studies stint there. Before i went to the airport to see her off,i was contemplating if i should get her anything. Decided not to do so in the end becasue i was uncertain if i should get her anything and i had no clue as to what to give her. Along the bus journey to the airport,i met Yufen and she had gotten Sarah a necklace. Decided to wait till later when i met the rest before deciding if a gift was necessary. Turned out that SL and Yiwen had also gotten something for her. I then informed JJ about the matter and we pondered for awhile before settling on some flowers as a farewell gift for Sarah. Well,the "some flowers" actually comprised only of a sunflower and 2 tulips. Bad huh? But well,like they say,it is the thought that counts. Quite a large group of Sarah's friends turned up to see her off. Friends from both her secondary school as well as poly days and not forgetting her family and relatives as well. In total,i think there were about 30 of us there. Both JJ and i felt a little left out during the entire time as we didn't really get to talk to Sarah the entire time.We were also not close to any of the other people who had turned up. I guess as guys,we were a little out of place when most of the rest were girls. No doubt we were rather close friends but then again,not that close in my opinion for us to communicate much. I was glad i had the chance to send Sarah off nonetheless. Afterall,i've really known her for alomost 8 yrs and our friendship really went all the way back. Alot has changed all these years and through it all,we've gotten to know one another better. She used to be the person i'd turn to for advice on BGR during my early secondary school years. Seeing how fast time flies really amazed me. In the blink of an eye,we've all grown up and are almost past our teenage years. As Sarah ventures into a new phase of her life,living life independent in the states,i wish her all the best and i'd hope to see her again soon,friends forever=)

NDP2006

I had the chance to be right where the fun was, at the national stadium,on 09/06/2006. It was the very last time that our national day celebrations would be held within the stadiums premises which would be torn down to make way for a brand new sports hub. I was not there as a civilian,but rather as a police officer on duty. My role that day was to watch the crowd at the stadium,to ensure that there wasn't any situation there and then. Thankfully,everything went along smoothly and most importantly,i had the chance to watch the entire event live. Although i had to brave the scorching sun and lose sleep,everything was made worth it just by having this chance to be at the location itself.

There were certain segments during ths show which moved me close to tears,segments that brought out a sense of nationality in me as well as loss knowing that we are bidding the very signature national stadium goodbye. Overall,the duty was tiring but being able to be a part of this memorable event is really an honour to me,at least i can proudly say that i was part of NDP 06'=)

CLICK and some thoughts..

Taken from: http://www.sonypictures.com.sg/sites/click.html

This is a story about the life of a man after he was given a remote control that could allow him to be in control of time. This unique "universal remote control" not only allowed him to control every single household appliance,it also gave him the power to control literally the universe.With the ability to traverse through time with just the click of a button, he chose to skip through the less colourful and trying periods of life,ranging from spending quality time with family,to quarreling sessions with his wife and even times when he was feeling under the weather.Never would he realise that there was yet another side to the story,that on one hand,he had the power to fast forward undesired phases in life but yet on the other had,those phases once passed can never be rewinded back again.A must see,this movie has spurred me to reflect upon my take on life. Is life really so undesirable at times till the entent that we would wish for time to fly so as to get over things as soon as possible? Have we ever stopped for a moment to really admire whats around us? When was the last time we appreciated the objects and people around us? When was the last time we said I LOVE YOU to the people whom we hold so dear? When was the last time we were thankful for being there and then and in that situation?Instead of dreading something,have we ever taken a step back and appreciated the beauty that lies beneath? We live not in the past or the future but in the present. Perhaps it's time we saw everyday as a gift and accept it with open arms.Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow?Instead of cursing and swearing at our inequities,shouldn't we be appreciative of what we have?We complain of people causing alot of noise but haven't we realised that the deaf long so much to hear.We complain of food not being nice,but have we considered the plight of all those starving african children?This movie just made me realise how lucky i truly am without me knowing it. Of course there's many more examples i could cite but then,i feel that watching the movie is best way of understand the true meaning it is trying to convey,the meaning of LIVING FOR THE MOMENT,so what are you waiting for,catch it now! Haha,that was yet another free advertisement,no strings attached.=P

The good will always be bullied,how true?

There have been times when people around me have said that i am a nice person and that i shouldn't be so nice because others will take advantage of it and bully me. Well,i have never felt that i am a nice person but the main focus here isn't about me being a nice person or not but rather,how true the statement is that the good will always be bullied. Well,i believe that it is true to a certain extent.Truth being that many a times,not only have i not been appreciated for doing something good,instead,there have been cases when people around just step over my head and expect that same form of kindness from me everytime.It is rather disheartening to see this,i mean,people are nice because they sincerely want to and all they expect in return is respect. Don't see their kindness as a type of norm,that definately,they will go all out everytime no matter what.Just like the way they do not expect anything in return,they also hope that those around will not expect anything out from them.Be grateful that they have actually gone out of their way to help you and be nice to you. Never cross the line and ask for more that they have actually given. Remember,kindness comes from the heart,if they want to and are willing to,they will help,just don't expect to get it from them.You will be suprised because these are the people who would gladly ask to have their assistance rendered to you rather than you having to ask them for assistance instead ! Haha

Disaster strikes..

This is a picture of my tank taken last night,notice how green the tank water is? The term for this phenomenon is called green water,also known as algae bloom. As the term suggests,the water turns green due to a sudden bloom of algae in the tank. This species of algae is microscopic and they remain suspended in the water,hence it's colour. Looks unsightly but this type of algae outbreak is actually harmless unlike other forms which will compete with plants for food. The presence of this type of algae is a signal that the nutrient content of the water is either too high or the lighting for the tank is too strong. Ok,enough of the biology lesson,just wanna post an update of the tank situation. Haha

For you cat lovers out there...

These 3 cats are actually siblings.They are always roaming around the community centre and NPC premises. Took this photograph of them huddling together on the community centre's mat after a stormy night. They sure know how to enjoy life eh? Haha..I think they look really cute like that,especially the sleeping pose of the brown spotted one.