the air was filled with a sense of heaviness.
the rain kept hitting against the windscreen.
it was dark.
the wipers continued to move back and forth, ensuring that the driver could have a good view of the road.
sitting by the window, was a girl.
a girl, who was staring out of the window as the van drove along the road.
the van passed by the beach.
"bye beach!" said her heart.
she didn't want to leave, neither did her friend want her to leave.
she held back her tears, keeping her composure.
she put on a little forceful smile on her face.
look deep in her eyes and i'm sure you could see small droplets forming at the tearduct.
but no, she didn't want to let it show. she fought back.
it was hard to leave someone.
it was really hard.
her friend kept silent throughout the journey.
anything talk of the departure would surely trigger a flow of tears from the young girl.
to see a friend leave was devastating, knowing they won't meet again, not in near future at least.
the brakes screeched. the car came to a halt.
the sign above the door read... A-I-R-P-O-R-T
the rain continued to pour. there was no sign that it was going to stop soon.
luggages were unloaded from the trunk of the van.
she walked towards the door of the airport. her tears were already coming down.
she turned back, and rushed to the van's door and hugged her friend.
tears wet each others shoulders.
they cried and cried, knowing that this could well be the last time they saw each other.
the rest of the group looked on.
they knew nothing they said would soothe the hearts of this two girls.
3.12.07
2.9.07
28.8.07
a night with the lions III
continued from part II
instead of feeling excrutiating pain and blood oozing out from the wounds-to-be, he felt a slimy, soft, springy object rubbing against his face. it smelled bad, he thought. slowly, he opened one side of his eye, and then the other, expecting to be in heaven.
seeing darkness all around him, he came to his senses that he was very well alive and unhurt. "that's weird," he thought. a light filled the cave. looking at the light source, he saw a man of God sitting on a rock, patting the lionness beside him that was fast asleep.
"thus saith the Lord," the voice of the angel boomed. "Daniel, my servant. today you will live to see daylight again. for i have chosen you out of the multitudes to be a testimony of my existence to this ignorant nation. you will be my witness to kings and queens. fear not, for i am with you always."
a smile cracked from the side of Daniel's lips.
"God is good, all the time," said Daniel, as the lion continued licking his face.
instead of feeling excrutiating pain and blood oozing out from the wounds-to-be, he felt a slimy, soft, springy object rubbing against his face. it smelled bad, he thought. slowly, he opened one side of his eye, and then the other, expecting to be in heaven.
seeing darkness all around him, he came to his senses that he was very well alive and unhurt. "that's weird," he thought. a light filled the cave. looking at the light source, he saw a man of God sitting on a rock, patting the lionness beside him that was fast asleep.
"thus saith the Lord," the voice of the angel boomed. "Daniel, my servant. today you will live to see daylight again. for i have chosen you out of the multitudes to be a testimony of my existence to this ignorant nation. you will be my witness to kings and queens. fear not, for i am with you always."
a smile cracked from the side of Daniel's lips.
"God is good, all the time," said Daniel, as the lion continued licking his face.
22.8.07
a night with the lions II
continued from part I
under the faint moonlight, something moved. yes. he noticed two pairs of yellow-greenish eyes staring dead into his eyes, full with the killing intent. they made eye contact with him like lovers would, just under different circumstances.
fear gripped every part of his body. he would have been choked to death by his own fear if he didn't come to his senses that God was with him. every strand of hair on his body stood straight. goosebumps mushroomed on his arms. his shirt was soaked up with sweat.
"never will i leave you, never will i forsake you."
the saying of the prophets that he knew so well. it was the thing he held on to throughtout his stay in Babylon. he fell on his knees crying as the pair of eyes closed in on him. he looked up towards the tiny crack on the ceiling of the cave and shouted, "Lord, Lord. Forsake not thy servant. If this be thy will, i commit my soul and spirit to you... into your hands... everything i am...."
the echoes of his prayer bounced on the walls of the cave.
he knew his God listened to his prayer. he let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. he put his trust entirely on God. the slight hissing from the lions became a deafening, thunderous roae. he could feel the lions pouncing towards him.
"this is it..." he thought.
under the faint moonlight, something moved. yes. he noticed two pairs of yellow-greenish eyes staring dead into his eyes, full with the killing intent. they made eye contact with him like lovers would, just under different circumstances.
fear gripped every part of his body. he would have been choked to death by his own fear if he didn't come to his senses that God was with him. every strand of hair on his body stood straight. goosebumps mushroomed on his arms. his shirt was soaked up with sweat.
"never will i leave you, never will i forsake you."
the saying of the prophets that he knew so well. it was the thing he held on to throughtout his stay in Babylon. he fell on his knees crying as the pair of eyes closed in on him. he looked up towards the tiny crack on the ceiling of the cave and shouted, "Lord, Lord. Forsake not thy servant. If this be thy will, i commit my soul and spirit to you... into your hands... everything i am...."
the echoes of his prayer bounced on the walls of the cave.
he knew his God listened to his prayer. he let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. he put his trust entirely on God. the slight hissing from the lions became a deafening, thunderous roae. he could feel the lions pouncing towards him.
"this is it..." he thought.
12.8.07
one night with the lions
darkness.
darkness was all around him.
it was the only thing he could see as he tried to find his way in the cave.
he couldn't even see his own hand.
he had to depend on his other senses to survive.
his nose could only smell fermented, foul smell produced by rotten bodies.
echoes of water in a distance was the only thing he could hear.
his hands felt the rough, uneven surfaces of the walls around him.
unable to see where he was walking, he tripped over a rock and stumbled.
his slight cry echoed around the cave.
he began to rub the parts that hit the floor.
he leaned back against the wall behind him and began to think for a while.
"what did i do to deserve this? i have done no wrong."
as he continued thinking, he felt silence creep upon him.
yet, he could still hear a few barely audible sounds admist the silence.
his heartbeat, his blood circulation, his nervous system.
yes. he could hear it all.
he could hear his heart beating faster and faster as time passed.
chills ran down his spine.
he began to look around, in search of a way out.
gradually, he began to see light.
moonlight.
"that's not bad." he thought to himself.
he started to make his way towards the light, unaware that he was walking into a certain death.
his death.
food to the lions, famished after staying in there unfed for days.
to be continued
darkness was all around him.
it was the only thing he could see as he tried to find his way in the cave.
he couldn't even see his own hand.
he had to depend on his other senses to survive.
his nose could only smell fermented, foul smell produced by rotten bodies.
echoes of water in a distance was the only thing he could hear.
his hands felt the rough, uneven surfaces of the walls around him.
unable to see where he was walking, he tripped over a rock and stumbled.
his slight cry echoed around the cave.
he began to rub the parts that hit the floor.
he leaned back against the wall behind him and began to think for a while.
"what did i do to deserve this? i have done no wrong."
as he continued thinking, he felt silence creep upon him.
yet, he could still hear a few barely audible sounds admist the silence.
his heartbeat, his blood circulation, his nervous system.
yes. he could hear it all.
he could hear his heart beating faster and faster as time passed.
chills ran down his spine.
he began to look around, in search of a way out.
gradually, he began to see light.
moonlight.
"that's not bad." he thought to himself.
he started to make his way towards the light, unaware that he was walking into a certain death.
his death.
food to the lions, famished after staying in there unfed for days.
to be continued
10.8.07
9.8.07
power of praying for another
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing the first man prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that his wife and he could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered.
"His prayers were all unanswered, and so he does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!
The first thing the first man prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that his wife and he could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered.
"His prayers were all unanswered, and so he does not deserve anything."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!
1.8.07
only you and me...
"the art of losing myself, in bringing you praise."
"take me to that place Lord, where there's no one else but me and you."
"when it's all about you Lord."
those sound so familiar eh?
yes. they are the songs we sing...
but do we ever mean it?
have you ever been seriously lost in God's presence as you worship?
or are you still the self-concious you that worries about what people think of the way you worship, how you sing, how you dance, how you jump around...?
you may sing like a diva.
you may sing like a toad.
but does that really matter?
God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance.
sometimes, your hands may be in your pocket yet your heart is lifted up to God.
that's is what God wants.
God doesn't want someone who can sing like superstars, with arms high and on your knees and yet not coming with a right attitude and not having a heart of worship.
you think God cares about how well you can sing?
don't say you have sorethroat or whatever excuse.
although born with a broken voicebox, one guy still opened his mouth and sang his heart out to God, not caring about how bad he sounded.
because in his heart, all he wants to do is worship.
because " for a song in itself, it's not what you have required."
don't say you're soft spoken and can't sing out loud. imagine you're in the middle of the ocean. drowning, that is. suddenly you see a boat passing by. wouldn't you scream with all your might to be saved?
likewise God has saved you from the flames of hell. shout unto God...with a voice of truimph.
"take me to that place Lord, where there's no one else but me and you."
"when it's all about you Lord."
those sound so familiar eh?
yes. they are the songs we sing...
but do we ever mean it?
have you ever been seriously lost in God's presence as you worship?
or are you still the self-concious you that worries about what people think of the way you worship, how you sing, how you dance, how you jump around...?
you may sing like a diva.
you may sing like a toad.
but does that really matter?
God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance.
sometimes, your hands may be in your pocket yet your heart is lifted up to God.
that's is what God wants.
God doesn't want someone who can sing like superstars, with arms high and on your knees and yet not coming with a right attitude and not having a heart of worship.
you think God cares about how well you can sing?
don't say you have sorethroat or whatever excuse.
although born with a broken voicebox, one guy still opened his mouth and sang his heart out to God, not caring about how bad he sounded.
because in his heart, all he wants to do is worship.
because " for a song in itself, it's not what you have required."
don't say you're soft spoken and can't sing out loud. imagine you're in the middle of the ocean. drowning, that is. suddenly you see a boat passing by. wouldn't you scream with all your might to be saved?
likewise God has saved you from the flames of hell. shout unto God...with a voice of truimph.
30.7.07
stupidity knows its master.
looking at the pimples on her forehead as she sat opposite him in the bus, he finally came to his senses.
this was not love.
love is blind.
love sees through the outer look.
this was not it.
he was no longer attracted to her as she had blemish on her face.
to think he would never love a person because of looks
to think how stupid he thought were the people that dated with another because of looks and not love
now...
he was part of that stupidity.
"sigh," he thought. "how could this be happening to me?"
he looked at the girl but he knew his heart was no longer after her.
he couldn't even look in her eyes anymore.
it was over.
to think that he once thought they would last forever.
to think that he thought he'd continue to love her even if she was horrifically disfigured.
he finally awoke to his senses.
"i'm just so stupid."
plain stupidity, otherwise known as puppy love.
that's what it was all about.
he was going to break her heart.
the heart of someone who had put so much hope in their relationship.
he could take it no more.
he stopped the bus and got off.
he sat forlornly on the bus stop bench with his head hung low.
tears started to drop on the handphone he held in his palms.
"i'm sorry... so sorry..."
keep that guy in your pocket.
SK-II...available in stores nearest to you. =]
dedicated to samuel ong and elena lai.
this was not love.
love is blind.
love sees through the outer look.
this was not it.
he was no longer attracted to her as she had blemish on her face.
to think he would never love a person because of looks
to think how stupid he thought were the people that dated with another because of looks and not love
now...
he was part of that stupidity.
"sigh," he thought. "how could this be happening to me?"
he looked at the girl but he knew his heart was no longer after her.
he couldn't even look in her eyes anymore.
it was over.
to think that he once thought they would last forever.
to think that he thought he'd continue to love her even if she was horrifically disfigured.
he finally awoke to his senses.
"i'm just so stupid."
plain stupidity, otherwise known as puppy love.
that's what it was all about.
he was going to break her heart.
the heart of someone who had put so much hope in their relationship.
he could take it no more.
he stopped the bus and got off.
he sat forlornly on the bus stop bench with his head hung low.
tears started to drop on the handphone he held in his palms.
"i'm sorry... so sorry..."
keep that guy in your pocket.
SK-II...available in stores nearest to you. =]
dedicated to samuel ong and elena lai.
18.7.07
isaiah 49v15
An icy cold feeling rushed through his body. He could feel his limbs under him wobbling. He clinged on to the railings of the corridor for support as he struggled to make his way to the classroom. Images in front of him began to blur up. Fatigue crawled into every inch of his body like Venom over Spiderman. Suddenly, his legs gave way and on the spot he lay motionless.
“Teacher, teacher!” blurted John as he interrupted Mrs Foo’s class. He took a moment to catch his breath before continuing, “Andy has fainted!”
A few of us rush out to carry that 74kg being. Finding out that the resting room with the beds were lock, the five of us took him to the prefects’ room and laid him on the floor. Miss Lee, our physical exercise teacher came to check on him.
“He must be dehydrated. Go get him some warm Milo.”
We took off his sweat-soaked shirt and covered him with a blanket. His forehead showed signs of fever, yet out from his trembling lips were, “Very co...veh...very cold...”
“How are you feeling now?”
“Cold...cold...very numb...can’t feel...can’t...”
His fingers began to tense up and as though it was experiencing a cramp. Mark and Miss Lee began to rub his fingers and asked us to elevate his legs above his heart. Using John as a back support, we made him slowly sip the Milo to recuperate his energy.
“I think we need to call his mom.” Miss Lee said. “He isn’t doing too well.” Another teacher then went off to the office to call his mom. The now relaxed body of Andy started to tense up again. His eyes still shut; he shook around like he was having a nightmare.
“Don... don’t call he...her.... don’t call my mom to come.” His breathing started to grow heavy. Cold sweat broke out from his forehead. “Don’t....call.”
“Why?”
“Don’t call....”
He continued to squirm around in this nightmare mode. We held him as Miss Lee calmed him down. All of us there were puzzled. Why doesn’t he want his mom to come? We looked at each other, but inside we knew that question was not going to be answered anytime soon.
“Why?” Miss Lee went again. “Why don’t you want your mom to come?”
“Don’t call my mom.”
That was the only reply that came out from his mouth. His eyes were still shut. And by now he had finished the Milo we bought. We all sat around him and waited for his mom to come. The only sounds that could be heard was the creaking of the old ceiling fan turning at the speed of two on top of us and the panting of Andy. His fingers began to loosen up and he looked more relaxed compared to when he first came in. That momentary silence was broken by a voice only familiar to a few of us.
“Son. How are you son?”
We all looked up. There was his mom. There was no mistake as they closely resembled each other. He had her eyes, her mouth, and her cheeks. She had wrinkles on her forehead and we could all see the worried look in her eyes as she took of her shoes and walked towards Andy who was still lying down in the centre of the room. She knelt down and picked his head up and hugged him. “Son, how are you?” she said in a gentle voice.
Andy, eyes still shut, said in a soft voice, “Don’t call my mom.”
His mom looked surprised but continued to stroke his head. “Don’t worry. Mommy’s here. Good boy.”
“I told....I told you not to....not...not to come...” he was breathless, yet he tried to push her away with every bit of strength left in him, but to no avail. “Go...go away. I told you not to...come...”
She held him tighter in her embrace.
“Sa gua (silly in Chinese), mommy’s here. Why don’t you want me to come?” she said as she continued to comb his hair with her fingers.
His eyes were still shut as tears began to flow. It was a touching moment. Anyone could tell in his heart he was glad his mom came, yet he continued, “I told...you not.... I told you....”
His lips trembled even further. He failed to finish his sentence as he lay in his mother’s arms. It was a mother-son bonding session. Andy’s mom wiped the tears from his face with her palms.
“Sa gua, don’t talk like that.”
Isaiah 49
15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
“Teacher, teacher!” blurted John as he interrupted Mrs Foo’s class. He took a moment to catch his breath before continuing, “Andy has fainted!”
A few of us rush out to carry that 74kg being. Finding out that the resting room with the beds were lock, the five of us took him to the prefects’ room and laid him on the floor. Miss Lee, our physical exercise teacher came to check on him.
“He must be dehydrated. Go get him some warm Milo.”
We took off his sweat-soaked shirt and covered him with a blanket. His forehead showed signs of fever, yet out from his trembling lips were, “Very co...veh...very cold...”
“How are you feeling now?”
“Cold...cold...very numb...can’t feel...can’t...”
His fingers began to tense up and as though it was experiencing a cramp. Mark and Miss Lee began to rub his fingers and asked us to elevate his legs above his heart. Using John as a back support, we made him slowly sip the Milo to recuperate his energy.
“I think we need to call his mom.” Miss Lee said. “He isn’t doing too well.” Another teacher then went off to the office to call his mom. The now relaxed body of Andy started to tense up again. His eyes still shut; he shook around like he was having a nightmare.
“Don... don’t call he...her.... don’t call my mom to come.” His breathing started to grow heavy. Cold sweat broke out from his forehead. “Don’t....call.”
“Why?”
“Don’t call....”
He continued to squirm around in this nightmare mode. We held him as Miss Lee calmed him down. All of us there were puzzled. Why doesn’t he want his mom to come? We looked at each other, but inside we knew that question was not going to be answered anytime soon.
“Why?” Miss Lee went again. “Why don’t you want your mom to come?”
“Don’t call my mom.”
That was the only reply that came out from his mouth. His eyes were still shut. And by now he had finished the Milo we bought. We all sat around him and waited for his mom to come. The only sounds that could be heard was the creaking of the old ceiling fan turning at the speed of two on top of us and the panting of Andy. His fingers began to loosen up and he looked more relaxed compared to when he first came in. That momentary silence was broken by a voice only familiar to a few of us.
“Son. How are you son?”
We all looked up. There was his mom. There was no mistake as they closely resembled each other. He had her eyes, her mouth, and her cheeks. She had wrinkles on her forehead and we could all see the worried look in her eyes as she took of her shoes and walked towards Andy who was still lying down in the centre of the room. She knelt down and picked his head up and hugged him. “Son, how are you?” she said in a gentle voice.
Andy, eyes still shut, said in a soft voice, “Don’t call my mom.”
His mom looked surprised but continued to stroke his head. “Don’t worry. Mommy’s here. Good boy.”
“I told....I told you not to....not...not to come...” he was breathless, yet he tried to push her away with every bit of strength left in him, but to no avail. “Go...go away. I told you not to...come...”
She held him tighter in her embrace.
“Sa gua (silly in Chinese), mommy’s here. Why don’t you want me to come?” she said as she continued to comb his hair with her fingers.
His eyes were still shut as tears began to flow. It was a touching moment. Anyone could tell in his heart he was glad his mom came, yet he continued, “I told...you not.... I told you....”
His lips trembled even further. He failed to finish his sentence as he lay in his mother’s arms. It was a mother-son bonding session. Andy’s mom wiped the tears from his face with her palms.
“Sa gua, don’t talk like that.”
Isaiah 49
15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
17.6.07
life is not about stress.
the world is no longer how it used to be. everything is moving so fast. humans are facing so much pressure, striving for excellence. the human race no longer enjoys a slow, relaxed life in the city. even panadol™ has come up with a painkiller, namely Panadol ActivFast to suit the face-paced world.
much of the cause of all these pressures are due to the kiasu syndrome that has crept into the minds of us. being the thick-skin people, we always want to be better than our neighbours, not wanting to be left behind... these result in the big S word, stress.
stress. not something uncommon neither an alien to us. with the push of the people around us to achieve more, we suffer from stress. students nowadays face so much stress til they start getting white hair, sometimes pimples and even dandruff (in jasmine's case). some even suffer from emotional breakdown etc.
we should overcome stress and not let it overcome us. like samuel says, consumeth the crap, but don't let it consume you. stress can lead to alot of other symptoms or disorders like depression, mental disorder, suicidal thoughts and many more. it can also lead to drug addiction and alcohol if the person is not educated well on the dangers of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.
there are many ways to overcome stress. a time-table will help us. it helps us to divide our time properly and help us to focus on what we are to achieve. having a timetable will help you lead a more systematic life and take one thing at a time.
a good studying habit is vital for us. many people tend to burn midnight oil before exams (wasting the earth's resources.sigh), but that should not be the way. a good night's rest is very important to us as we are in the growing stage. we should study on a regular basis with breaks in between long study hours. do not wait for the last minute.
exercise can reduce stress, according to world-renowned psychologists' reports. therefore, we should inject a zest of sports into our daily life to help us relax. eating habits also affects us. as the saying goes, we are what we eat. we should avoid foods that are junk.
once in a while, we should seek time-out for hobbies, leisure, entertainment and the like. if we keep studying without a break, our mind will not be able to intake everything. other than that, if we cannot take the stress of life any longer, we should seek help from more experience people, namely teachers and counsellors.
we should not look towards drugs to overcome stress. instead, we should use healthy habits to live a stress-free life. say no to stress, say no for a better future.
guided writing. english paper 1 may 2007.
much of the cause of all these pressures are due to the kiasu syndrome that has crept into the minds of us. being the thick-skin people, we always want to be better than our neighbours, not wanting to be left behind... these result in the big S word, stress.
stress. not something uncommon neither an alien to us. with the push of the people around us to achieve more, we suffer from stress. students nowadays face so much stress til they start getting white hair, sometimes pimples and even dandruff (in jasmine's case). some even suffer from emotional breakdown etc.
we should overcome stress and not let it overcome us. like samuel says, consumeth the crap, but don't let it consume you. stress can lead to alot of other symptoms or disorders like depression, mental disorder, suicidal thoughts and many more. it can also lead to drug addiction and alcohol if the person is not educated well on the dangers of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol.
there are many ways to overcome stress. a time-table will help us. it helps us to divide our time properly and help us to focus on what we are to achieve. having a timetable will help you lead a more systematic life and take one thing at a time.
a good studying habit is vital for us. many people tend to burn midnight oil before exams (wasting the earth's resources.sigh), but that should not be the way. a good night's rest is very important to us as we are in the growing stage. we should study on a regular basis with breaks in between long study hours. do not wait for the last minute.
exercise can reduce stress, according to world-renowned psychologists' reports. therefore, we should inject a zest of sports into our daily life to help us relax. eating habits also affects us. as the saying goes, we are what we eat. we should avoid foods that are junk.
once in a while, we should seek time-out for hobbies, leisure, entertainment and the like. if we keep studying without a break, our mind will not be able to intake everything. other than that, if we cannot take the stress of life any longer, we should seek help from more experience people, namely teachers and counsellors.
we should not look towards drugs to overcome stress. instead, we should use healthy habits to live a stress-free life. say no to stress, say no for a better future.
guided writing. english paper 1 may 2007.
16.6.07
an memorable experience
0431 hours. tossing and turning on my bed, i just can't get my eyes to shut tight and my brain to rest. must be the lousy caffein kicking in at the wrong time. just something in me made me fiddle around with my phone. scrolling through my inbox, i saw a message that had me thinking about the past.
it was half a year ago. i was then a high school sports jock. my school life was all about sports, sports and more sports. studies, that can wait for later, maybe even never. my academic performance was so horrible, it looked like vegetable. ok. maybe not. but it was so bad til i was called to be lectured by the principal. it was that moment then, that my parents were aware of my results and had me enrolled into for tuition. i was forced to take up every subject, including the killer for me, additional maths.
normally, i would go for badminton training before heading of to the centre. the training would go on for a few good hours and would burn me out. tuition was my sleeping place. not to mention the fantastic air-conditioning that allowed me to enjoy the trip to dreamland.
til one day. she had a face of an angel, hair of a sunsilk girl, and a smile so sweet that i knew i caught diabetes. figuratively, that is. the moment she stepped into that room, the whole atmosphere in tuition changed.
like caffein, her presence just knocked out every bit of tiredness inside of me. everytime she asked a question, her voice would melt my heart like an ice cube in a cup of coffee.
my buddy, noticing that i was attracted to her, challenged me to ask her for her phone number. being the usual me, i would not reject dares because of the thick skin on my face. maybe it's about time i get olay regenerist serum. okay, maybe not. we set a deadline, and also prize money.
however, circumstances stood in my way, and many a times i had to see her leave class early without getting to talk to her. sometimes, when it was finally "the chance", i busted it by shying away.
time and tide waits for no man. to prevent me from losing the bet and a good amount of money, i said to myself. today is the day. the day her phone number would be saved in my phonebook.
i went to class early to get her number so even if she went back early, i wouldn't miss the chance.
pacing back and forth in front of the class, my heart pounded at 136 beats per minute. cold sweat broke from my forehead as i glanced at the clock. it's two more minutes. where is she??
that anticipation and suspense was broken as a person opened the door. she stepped inside of the class and i duly followed her. why? because the "she" was my tuition teacher. sigh. "why?" my heart screamed out. why isn't she her? why can't the person that walked through that door be her? why must it be the teacher?? throughout class, my mind was all about her. nothing else. could barely hear a word the teacher spoke, let alone understand it.
after class, i inquired of her whereabouts from the clerk in charge. yes, the most beautiful thing in the world just had to happen. she stopped tuition. my heart skipped a beat or two as i slumped into the chair behind me, nearly breaking it under my weight. to think that she actually passed me by. for a moment or two, i swear i could have torn my hair off.
that was half a year ago. about a month ago, i managed to meet her again at a shopping mall. this time, i made sure there were no banana peels on my pathway, that is, no slip-ups. and as they say, the rest is his story. oops. history.
0734 hours the clock reads. come to think of it, i already miss her sweet voice although it's only a week i haven't met her.
am i obsessed? we'll find out. i hit the call button and we had a good 4 hour chat.
(687 words)
dedicated to him. in case you thought i sounded like a desperado, this is not my creation. the main idea is done by my friend for his english exam and a little snipping here and there and poof, it became koko krunch.
it was half a year ago. i was then a high school sports jock. my school life was all about sports, sports and more sports. studies, that can wait for later, maybe even never. my academic performance was so horrible, it looked like vegetable. ok. maybe not. but it was so bad til i was called to be lectured by the principal. it was that moment then, that my parents were aware of my results and had me enrolled into for tuition. i was forced to take up every subject, including the killer for me, additional maths.
normally, i would go for badminton training before heading of to the centre. the training would go on for a few good hours and would burn me out. tuition was my sleeping place. not to mention the fantastic air-conditioning that allowed me to enjoy the trip to dreamland.
til one day. she had a face of an angel, hair of a sunsilk girl, and a smile so sweet that i knew i caught diabetes. figuratively, that is. the moment she stepped into that room, the whole atmosphere in tuition changed.
like caffein, her presence just knocked out every bit of tiredness inside of me. everytime she asked a question, her voice would melt my heart like an ice cube in a cup of coffee.
my buddy, noticing that i was attracted to her, challenged me to ask her for her phone number. being the usual me, i would not reject dares because of the thick skin on my face. maybe it's about time i get olay regenerist serum. okay, maybe not. we set a deadline, and also prize money.
however, circumstances stood in my way, and many a times i had to see her leave class early without getting to talk to her. sometimes, when it was finally "the chance", i busted it by shying away.
time and tide waits for no man. to prevent me from losing the bet and a good amount of money, i said to myself. today is the day. the day her phone number would be saved in my phonebook.
i went to class early to get her number so even if she went back early, i wouldn't miss the chance.
pacing back and forth in front of the class, my heart pounded at 136 beats per minute. cold sweat broke from my forehead as i glanced at the clock. it's two more minutes. where is she??
that anticipation and suspense was broken as a person opened the door. she stepped inside of the class and i duly followed her. why? because the "she" was my tuition teacher. sigh. "why?" my heart screamed out. why isn't she her? why can't the person that walked through that door be her? why must it be the teacher?? throughout class, my mind was all about her. nothing else. could barely hear a word the teacher spoke, let alone understand it.
after class, i inquired of her whereabouts from the clerk in charge. yes, the most beautiful thing in the world just had to happen. she stopped tuition. my heart skipped a beat or two as i slumped into the chair behind me, nearly breaking it under my weight. to think that she actually passed me by. for a moment or two, i swear i could have torn my hair off.
that was half a year ago. about a month ago, i managed to meet her again at a shopping mall. this time, i made sure there were no banana peels on my pathway, that is, no slip-ups. and as they say, the rest is his story. oops. history.
0734 hours the clock reads. come to think of it, i already miss her sweet voice although it's only a week i haven't met her.
am i obsessed? we'll find out. i hit the call button and we had a good 4 hour chat.
(687 words)
dedicated to him. in case you thought i sounded like a desperado, this is not my creation. the main idea is done by my friend for his english exam and a little snipping here and there and poof, it became koko krunch.
29.5.07
spidey...
"one man can make a difference" - peter parker.
yes.
one man.
tim elmore talked about 1% of the population is all it takes to make a difference in this word.
are you willing to be in that 1%?
are you willing to step out?
to be like the famous people who have written history?
like william wallace, joan or arc, martin luther king junior, adolf hitler?
or do you want to be history?
do you want to make a change in this world?
a small act,a small dream, as long as you're willing to step out, you can be that difference in this world.
change doesn't come from the things around you.
change must start from inside of you.
change yourself, and you may influence your family to change.
it may lead your neighbourhood to change, your state, your country, and maybe even the world.
don't wait for people to make changes.
you start it.
take the initiative to be different.
to stand out.
but not by wearing some lala shirt la.
lalas are meant to be eaten not fashion.
yes.
one man.
tim elmore talked about 1% of the population is all it takes to make a difference in this word.
are you willing to be in that 1%?
are you willing to step out?
to be like the famous people who have written history?
like william wallace, joan or arc, martin luther king junior, adolf hitler?
or do you want to be history?
do you want to make a change in this world?
a small act,a small dream, as long as you're willing to step out, you can be that difference in this world.
change doesn't come from the things around you.
change must start from inside of you.
change yourself, and you may influence your family to change.
it may lead your neighbourhood to change, your state, your country, and maybe even the world.
don't wait for people to make changes.
you start it.
take the initiative to be different.
to stand out.
but not by wearing some lala shirt la.
lalas are meant to be eaten not fashion.
26.5.07
the pits of death
"it's over..."
"cross paths again we will, but of us together, a full stop has been put.
a devastating text message.
exactly 0217 hours.
it seemed like april fools had dawn upon september.
just a week ago, they seemed like romeo and juliet.
just a week ago they were seemingly couple of the year.
just a week ago, they were imseperable.
they had smiles on their faces that could caused diabetes.
"wake me up when september ends" started playing in the background.
misty droplets started forming at the corner of her eyes, slowing oozing out from her tear duct.
she sobbed in the arms of her one and only.
his shoulder was more comfortable than a pillow could ever be.
the cinema was so cold, yet his arms offered the warmth she needed.
THE END.
the wet blanket that was formed the screen signaled the movie was over.
as she dried her tears, she thought: this is surely worth my eight bucks.
walking along the mall, with hands clasp, they were the envy of many bachelors and spinsters.
suddenly, a furry object caught her attention. it was a cute brown bear. a soft toy, mind you. it had the three loving words sewn on its belly. now, if only he would notice it...
it is my birthday in one weeks time anyway.
it seemed like he read her mind. straight into the shop he walked and bought it, not hesistating a moment to look at other things the shop had to offer.
a few moments later, it was all hers to embrace tightly.
out of the mall they went, home-ward bound.
cars whizzed past as they made their way to the bus stop.
it didn't matter that dust was flying everywhere.
they were already in a world of their own.
"robber!!!"
they turned around.
a ninja-like figure ran towards them, hugging a purse he just obtained.
into the mini gap between them he went, like an american footballer holding on to the ball and making his way to the touchdown.
she fell backwards, and the bear flew from her arms and onto the streets.
the robber didn't bother to turn back, as though fearing he would turn to a pillar of salt if he did.
she got up and stared at the poor teddy bear that sat forlornly on the streets.
spongebob like, he ran onto the road to rescue the poor bear whose life was at danger. oncoming was a huge lorry, going at 90km/h. the driver didn't notice about the man as a vibration from his cell phone took away his attention from the road. he picked up the teddy and turned around to return it to the girl's arms.
but, fate was not on his side.
a pot hole on the road chew on his leg.
he tripped and fell, still hugging the teddy in his arms. (kinda like mr. bean)
the lorry driver finally looked up after replying his text message.
but it was too late.
he slammed his brakes as hard as he could, yet the man on the road was crushed under the gigantic wheels of the lorry.
"no......!!!" she screamed in tears as she ran towards him.
the tyres had already crushed the lower half of his body.
he swallowed hard to give his last words.
" i lov...love you...promise m..me..me that you'll...."
that was it. no more.
she picked up the blood stained bear and sobbed in despair and sorrow.
the aneh that drove the lorry tried to console her yet to no avail.
it was over.
he was no more.
though it was still clear in the skies, rain started pouring down.
" and all of my tears, will be lost in the rain...."
"oh why...?"
++++++
amazing how many lives has potholes taken away yet are still so frequently seen on malaysian roads.
it's as though the roads were to built together with potholes and are inseparable.
"cross paths again we will, but of us together, a full stop has been put.
a devastating text message.
exactly 0217 hours.
it seemed like april fools had dawn upon september.
just a week ago, they seemed like romeo and juliet.
just a week ago they were seemingly couple of the year.
just a week ago, they were imseperable.
they had smiles on their faces that could caused diabetes.
"wake me up when september ends" started playing in the background.
misty droplets started forming at the corner of her eyes, slowing oozing out from her tear duct.
she sobbed in the arms of her one and only.
his shoulder was more comfortable than a pillow could ever be.
the cinema was so cold, yet his arms offered the warmth she needed.
THE END.
the wet blanket that was formed the screen signaled the movie was over.
as she dried her tears, she thought: this is surely worth my eight bucks.
walking along the mall, with hands clasp, they were the envy of many bachelors and spinsters.
suddenly, a furry object caught her attention. it was a cute brown bear. a soft toy, mind you. it had the three loving words sewn on its belly. now, if only he would notice it...
it is my birthday in one weeks time anyway.
it seemed like he read her mind. straight into the shop he walked and bought it, not hesistating a moment to look at other things the shop had to offer.
a few moments later, it was all hers to embrace tightly.
out of the mall they went, home-ward bound.
cars whizzed past as they made their way to the bus stop.
it didn't matter that dust was flying everywhere.
they were already in a world of their own.
"robber!!!"
they turned around.
a ninja-like figure ran towards them, hugging a purse he just obtained.
into the mini gap between them he went, like an american footballer holding on to the ball and making his way to the touchdown.
she fell backwards, and the bear flew from her arms and onto the streets.
the robber didn't bother to turn back, as though fearing he would turn to a pillar of salt if he did.
she got up and stared at the poor teddy bear that sat forlornly on the streets.
spongebob like, he ran onto the road to rescue the poor bear whose life was at danger. oncoming was a huge lorry, going at 90km/h. the driver didn't notice about the man as a vibration from his cell phone took away his attention from the road. he picked up the teddy and turned around to return it to the girl's arms.
but, fate was not on his side.
a pot hole on the road chew on his leg.
he tripped and fell, still hugging the teddy in his arms. (kinda like mr. bean)
the lorry driver finally looked up after replying his text message.
but it was too late.
he slammed his brakes as hard as he could, yet the man on the road was crushed under the gigantic wheels of the lorry.
"no......!!!" she screamed in tears as she ran towards him.
the tyres had already crushed the lower half of his body.
he swallowed hard to give his last words.
" i lov...love you...promise m..me..me that you'll...."
that was it. no more.
she picked up the blood stained bear and sobbed in despair and sorrow.
the aneh that drove the lorry tried to console her yet to no avail.
it was over.
he was no more.
though it was still clear in the skies, rain started pouring down.
" and all of my tears, will be lost in the rain...."
"oh why...?"
++++++
amazing how many lives has potholes taken away yet are still so frequently seen on malaysian roads.
it's as though the roads were to built together with potholes and are inseparable.
28.4.07
I have a dream
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
26.4.07
emerald green...
"hey guys, guess what?"
"what?"
"he told me he liked me."
"serious mo?"
"yeap. over the phone."
her smile became a sideways banana as she spilled this happiness to her friends.
yet amongst them, one shared not her happiness.
a strong coffee taste filled her heart.
bitterness.
"how could he like her?"
"i'm far more better than her."
"he must be out of his mind."
jealousy grew in her heart.
"no way..!"
"i will not let her get him."
suddenly, a a shipwreck started floating on the sea.
their friendship just hit an iceberg.
her heart started feeling cold towards her.
hatred grew in her heart like flowers blossoming in the spring.
she did everything she could to make people hate her.
she tried everything to drive her out of her mind.
she made her suffer.... psychologically.
yet on the other end, she acted innocent infront of that guy.
she put on her best behaviour.
she tried to grab every attention of his.
doing everything to please him.
polishing his apple.
trying to be the apple of his eye.
yes. indeed she did it all.
just for a moment to be with him.
to get his love.
she spread rumours about the other girl.
her character had became the green goblin.
she went great lengths to take her down.
she told lies.
she made people believe her.
being the influential figure she was, she made people believe that that girl said this and that about them.
hatred grew more and more.
that girl, zee, cried out as the torture was too much for her.
she had almost nothing left.
she lost it all.
the guy didn't trust her anymore.
her friends left her.
they all made her an outcast.
she cried til her tears dried up.
there wasn't a single night whereby her sorrow didn't fill the air.
she had noone to turn to..
no shoulder to lean on.
nothing.
sad she was.
and sad she is.
the smile from her face was gone.
her eyes were swollen from her tears she cried out.
her sleepless nights didn't do any good to her.
looking at her now, you wouldn't imagine she was once a girl with a sweet smile.
it was all gone, never to return.
one night...
as she wet her pillow again,
crimson flow poured out from her eyes.
unknowningly...
as she wiped her greatly moisturized face, she felt the heat of the blood.
time just stopped as she stared at her blood covered hands.
without a blink for hours.
memories just reflected on the blood.
"oh why....?" cried her heart.
"what?"
"he told me he liked me."
"serious mo?"
"yeap. over the phone."
her smile became a sideways banana as she spilled this happiness to her friends.
yet amongst them, one shared not her happiness.
a strong coffee taste filled her heart.
bitterness.
"how could he like her?"
"i'm far more better than her."
"he must be out of his mind."
jealousy grew in her heart.
"no way..!"
"i will not let her get him."
suddenly, a a shipwreck started floating on the sea.
their friendship just hit an iceberg.
her heart started feeling cold towards her.
hatred grew in her heart like flowers blossoming in the spring.
she did everything she could to make people hate her.
she tried everything to drive her out of her mind.
she made her suffer.... psychologically.
yet on the other end, she acted innocent infront of that guy.
she put on her best behaviour.
she tried to grab every attention of his.
doing everything to please him.
polishing his apple.
trying to be the apple of his eye.
yes. indeed she did it all.
just for a moment to be with him.
to get his love.
she spread rumours about the other girl.
her character had became the green goblin.
she went great lengths to take her down.
she told lies.
she made people believe her.
being the influential figure she was, she made people believe that that girl said this and that about them.
hatred grew more and more.
that girl, zee, cried out as the torture was too much for her.
she had almost nothing left.
she lost it all.
the guy didn't trust her anymore.
her friends left her.
they all made her an outcast.
she cried til her tears dried up.
there wasn't a single night whereby her sorrow didn't fill the air.
she had noone to turn to..
no shoulder to lean on.
nothing.
sad she was.
and sad she is.
the smile from her face was gone.
her eyes were swollen from her tears she cried out.
her sleepless nights didn't do any good to her.
looking at her now, you wouldn't imagine she was once a girl with a sweet smile.
it was all gone, never to return.
one night...
as she wet her pillow again,
crimson flow poured out from her eyes.
unknowningly...
as she wiped her greatly moisturized face, she felt the heat of the blood.
time just stopped as she stared at her blood covered hands.
without a blink for hours.
memories just reflected on the blood.
"oh why....?" cried her heart.
++++++++++
jealousy.
hurts the soul, and the people around you.
stop.
turn back before it's too late.
hurts the soul, and the people around you.
stop.
turn back before it's too late.
25.4.07
behind those hazel eyes
there she stood.
staring at the shadow before her.
it was of the figure she knew so well.
it was him.
there was no mistaking it.
she could only watch from afar.
there was no way it was going to be how it used to be.
there was no turning back.
they were just not meant to be.
he walked past the door and stood there trying to take out something from his pocket.
she found herself moving closer to the door.
she couldn't control her feet.
it was moving...
slowly yet surely, uncontrollably...
a few girls came to talk to him.
suddenly she stopped.
she told herself, " what on earth am i doing?"
she watched on as they laughed while chatting.
his smile was ever so sweet.
sigh...
"why?" she asked herself. "why couldn't things be as they were?"
so close yet so far.
the distance betweene their physical bodies were just a mere few feet away.
yet, their hearts were nowhere near each other.
she stood there envious of those girls.
her hazel eyes were smeared with the colour of nature.
crystals formed at the tip of her eyes.
she took a step back.
hung her head low and turned around.
"sigh, i guess fate's not on our side. those were the days...."
the stone in her heart grew ever so big.
it weighed her down.
sorrow overflowed from her body.
she ran.
she ran and she ran.
til she found her secluded and isolated spot.
there was no holding back.
streams of tears wetted her cheeks.
she sobbed as she remembered all the times they had together.
the happy times, the hard times, the arguements they had, the time at the coffee shop...
the time at the bus stop, the day she looked into his eyes...
it was all so far away.
it was only....
memories...
a blurred picture..
suddenly she felt a tap on her back.
"jo."
she was stunned.
could it be?
her heart beat accelerated.
"why are you crying?"
there was no mistake.
it was him.
no one else had that voice.
she slowly turned around and.....
depicted from a true story, this is fiction and just for viewing pleasure.
if you think this reflects you, my apologies.
the end is for you people to use your imagination and complete it.
do write down your thoughts on the comment page as it is opened to anybody, regardless whether you have a google account or not.
staring at the shadow before her.
it was of the figure she knew so well.
it was him.
there was no mistaking it.
she could only watch from afar.
there was no way it was going to be how it used to be.
there was no turning back.
they were just not meant to be.
he walked past the door and stood there trying to take out something from his pocket.
she found herself moving closer to the door.
she couldn't control her feet.
it was moving...
slowly yet surely, uncontrollably...
a few girls came to talk to him.
suddenly she stopped.
she told herself, " what on earth am i doing?"
she watched on as they laughed while chatting.
his smile was ever so sweet.
sigh...
"why?" she asked herself. "why couldn't things be as they were?"
so close yet so far.
the distance betweene their physical bodies were just a mere few feet away.
yet, their hearts were nowhere near each other.
she stood there envious of those girls.
her hazel eyes were smeared with the colour of nature.
crystals formed at the tip of her eyes.
she took a step back.
hung her head low and turned around.
"sigh, i guess fate's not on our side. those were the days...."
the stone in her heart grew ever so big.
it weighed her down.
sorrow overflowed from her body.
she ran.
she ran and she ran.
til she found her secluded and isolated spot.
there was no holding back.
streams of tears wetted her cheeks.
she sobbed as she remembered all the times they had together.
the happy times, the hard times, the arguements they had, the time at the coffee shop...
the time at the bus stop, the day she looked into his eyes...
it was all so far away.
it was only....
memories...
a blurred picture..
suddenly she felt a tap on her back.
"jo."
she was stunned.
could it be?
her heart beat accelerated.
"why are you crying?"
there was no mistake.
it was him.
no one else had that voice.
she slowly turned around and.....
depicted from a true story, this is fiction and just for viewing pleasure.
if you think this reflects you, my apologies.
the end is for you people to use your imagination and complete it.
do write down your thoughts on the comment page as it is opened to anybody, regardless whether you have a google account or not.
19.4.07
breaking the limits
this is just pure randomness. enjoy.
sweat broke out from his forehead...
he could feel fatigue crawling over him.
tiredness filled every limb of his.
his body cried out, "stop"
it hurt him every inch as he continued.
no, no. i will not stop here.
i will go the distance.
i will.. I WILL SUCCEED.
i will prove to them, that i'm not a failure.
panting as he went on step by step, he had covered a great distance.
but he knew it wasn't enough.
blood broke forth from his nose.
he could feel it dripping down as he continued.
the crimson flow ran over his mouth.
he could taste the fresh blood with the tip of his lips.
but it was not going to deter him from continuing.
nothing was going to stop him.
his shirt was weighing him down with the amount of fluid accumulated on it.
he ripped off his shirt.
half-naked, the setting sun on the west gave his body a nice colour tone.
but that served as no disturbance to his focused mind.
he had the tunnel vision. focusing only on the finish line.
he used his shirt to wipe his nose and flinged it to the nearby bushes.
car by car went past him.
the carbon just made breathing more difficult for him.
every inch of his muscle was tortured as he went on.
but he had set in his mind not to stop.
he started picking up his pace.
"run, run, run"
his mind cried out to him to move faster.
his vision blurred as sweat covered his entire face.
he looked worst than a person who had just bathed.
he was soaked.
more than soaked.
he pushed on along the pavement. he could feel the dizziness in his brain.
something deep down somewhere just gave him the power to push on although he had virtually no more strength.
he ran and ran.
there. the mark of the finish line.
"it's just inches away." he told himself.
he broke into a sprint.
"push......"
he ran and ran.
he could hardly breathe.
everything inside him was gone. totally depleted.
he was not going to give up before he finished.
suddenly everything around him blurred out.
he felt like the matrix.
s-l-o-w motion.
a loud, deafening horn was the last thing he heard.....
sweat broke out from his forehead...
he could feel fatigue crawling over him.
tiredness filled every limb of his.
his body cried out, "stop"
it hurt him every inch as he continued.
no, no. i will not stop here.
i will go the distance.
i will.. I WILL SUCCEED.
i will prove to them, that i'm not a failure.
panting as he went on step by step, he had covered a great distance.
but he knew it wasn't enough.
blood broke forth from his nose.
he could feel it dripping down as he continued.
the crimson flow ran over his mouth.
he could taste the fresh blood with the tip of his lips.
but it was not going to deter him from continuing.
nothing was going to stop him.
his shirt was weighing him down with the amount of fluid accumulated on it.
he ripped off his shirt.
half-naked, the setting sun on the west gave his body a nice colour tone.
but that served as no disturbance to his focused mind.
he had the tunnel vision. focusing only on the finish line.
he used his shirt to wipe his nose and flinged it to the nearby bushes.
car by car went past him.
the carbon just made breathing more difficult for him.
every inch of his muscle was tortured as he went on.
but he had set in his mind not to stop.
he started picking up his pace.
"run, run, run"
his mind cried out to him to move faster.
his vision blurred as sweat covered his entire face.
he looked worst than a person who had just bathed.
he was soaked.
more than soaked.
he pushed on along the pavement. he could feel the dizziness in his brain.
something deep down somewhere just gave him the power to push on although he had virtually no more strength.
he ran and ran.
there. the mark of the finish line.
"it's just inches away." he told himself.
he broke into a sprint.
"push......"
he ran and ran.
he could hardly breathe.
everything inside him was gone. totally depleted.
he was not going to give up before he finished.
suddenly everything around him blurred out.
he felt like the matrix.
s-l-o-w motion.
a loud, deafening horn was the last thing he heard.....
13.4.07
the torture of missing love
"the grass is greener on the other end"
"no, you're not supposed to do this"
"you know it's wrong"
"don't"
"just do it. it's not like they care much"
"just think about it. how much attention have you gotten around here?"
"does anyone ever bother about what you wanna say?"
looking out the window. the sky seemed so blue. the grass seemed more greener on the other end of the fence.
suddenly the whole view turned blur as droplets filled his eyes.
as time passed, as cars went by, he sat hugging his legs, staring out of the window, pondering upon his next move.
how would the world look on that side? would i find what i have been missing all these years? would someone pay more attention to me? how can someone actually smile so wide?
time stopped as he turned around and took a moment to stare at his badly and sloppily packed rugsack. it was stuffed with everything he needed, or at least he thought he needed. yesterday was the last straw. he couldn't bear it anymore. the hurt on the outside could be cured. but not even time could heal the wounds inside which tortured every second of his life. as time flew past, the wounds got infected. by hate. it crept, like nightfall....slowly but surely. his heart slowly became harder and harder.
the drops in his eyes wetted his cheek. it brought forth moisture to the pale and dry cheeks, like a creek flowing through a barren land. he waited and waited as the moon dimly lighted up the roads outside his house.
it was now or never.
silently he made his way downstairs and tip-toed across his garden. then he sprinted, as fast as his legs and knees could carry him, like an olympic runner, full of determination, but without the record breaking speed. he ran and ran. til he was out of breath. not a single backwards glance. aimless, pointless running. an unrelentless pursuit of nothing. he knew not what life has install for him, but he continued.
he could feel his innards coming out from his mouth as he stood on the cliff of nowhere. he looked down, down into darkness, a seemingly endless length that travelled downwards. the moon was now covered by clouds. his heart pumped like never before. he could even feel the blood travelling around his head.
he took a deep breath and let out the loudest scream he had ever done. frustration, anger, hate, dissatisfaction. arrrgggghhhhh..... he crumbled to his knees. his lips tasted the bitter soil that he stood upon a moment ago. tears poured forth like a tap that could not be turned off nicely. in the forest over the hills, only his wails could be heard. there was no echo to be heard, no owls hooting, no sound of nature. virtual silence. only the sounds of sadness and frustration.
silence. often we hear only the echoes of silence, in the midst of our screams.
who walks with us in the times of loneliness like this?
"no, you're not supposed to do this"
"you know it's wrong"
"don't"
"just do it. it's not like they care much"
"just think about it. how much attention have you gotten around here?"
"does anyone ever bother about what you wanna say?"
looking out the window. the sky seemed so blue. the grass seemed more greener on the other end of the fence.
suddenly the whole view turned blur as droplets filled his eyes.
as time passed, as cars went by, he sat hugging his legs, staring out of the window, pondering upon his next move.
how would the world look on that side? would i find what i have been missing all these years? would someone pay more attention to me? how can someone actually smile so wide?
time stopped as he turned around and took a moment to stare at his badly and sloppily packed rugsack. it was stuffed with everything he needed, or at least he thought he needed. yesterday was the last straw. he couldn't bear it anymore. the hurt on the outside could be cured. but not even time could heal the wounds inside which tortured every second of his life. as time flew past, the wounds got infected. by hate. it crept, like nightfall....slowly but surely. his heart slowly became harder and harder.
the drops in his eyes wetted his cheek. it brought forth moisture to the pale and dry cheeks, like a creek flowing through a barren land. he waited and waited as the moon dimly lighted up the roads outside his house.
it was now or never.
silently he made his way downstairs and tip-toed across his garden. then he sprinted, as fast as his legs and knees could carry him, like an olympic runner, full of determination, but without the record breaking speed. he ran and ran. til he was out of breath. not a single backwards glance. aimless, pointless running. an unrelentless pursuit of nothing. he knew not what life has install for him, but he continued.
he could feel his innards coming out from his mouth as he stood on the cliff of nowhere. he looked down, down into darkness, a seemingly endless length that travelled downwards. the moon was now covered by clouds. his heart pumped like never before. he could even feel the blood travelling around his head.
he took a deep breath and let out the loudest scream he had ever done. frustration, anger, hate, dissatisfaction. arrrgggghhhhh..... he crumbled to his knees. his lips tasted the bitter soil that he stood upon a moment ago. tears poured forth like a tap that could not be turned off nicely. in the forest over the hills, only his wails could be heard. there was no echo to be heard, no owls hooting, no sound of nature. virtual silence. only the sounds of sadness and frustration.
silence. often we hear only the echoes of silence, in the midst of our screams.
who walks with us in the times of loneliness like this?
10.4.07
ponderment #3
should we be punished for something we didn't do?
if you said no, then why did Jesus die on the cross?
he was pure, innocent..
he never commited a crime.
not a single sin.
yet he died, so that we may gain eternal life through him.
he paid a debt he did not owe
he paid the debt at calvary
he died for our sins.
OUR sins.
he was righteous in every way.
the Son of God.
he could have stayed in heaven.
yet he said, " Not my will but Yours be done."
CROSS OF LOVE
Blood and sorrow flow from the languid brow of Jesus dying;
and tears from Heaven's eyes are the anguished drops of a Father crying,
"Oh, why?"
Emblem of his pain, oh splintered wood of my transgression
I'll never comprehend how an act so great gave love expression--"Oh, why?"
And the people jeered at Him and mocked His holy name,
for they knew not who He was, nor why it was He came.
Some had come to offer help to soothe a mother's pain,
but as she watched her wounded Son, the comfort never came,
Oh, why?
This must be a cross of love
for God to bruise His only Son.
Jesus, what a sacrifice to reach us,
it had to be a cross of love!
he died on the cross, ±2000 years ago, for you and for me.
the cross was an emblem of suffering and shame, yet he took upon his shoulders the sins of mankind.
isaac watts described it as, " love so amazing, so divine. demands my soul, my life, my all."
he was crucified, laid behind the stone.
lived to die, rejected and alone,
like a rose, trampled on the ground.
yet he was willing...because of his great love.
at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Jesus died for the ungodly. very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. but God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, He sent his only son to die for us. since we have been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! for if, when we were sinners, we were recoinciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
if you said no, then why did Jesus die on the cross?
he was pure, innocent..
he never commited a crime.
not a single sin.
yet he died, so that we may gain eternal life through him.
he paid a debt he did not owe
he paid the debt at calvary
he died for our sins.
OUR sins.
he was righteous in every way.
the Son of God.
he could have stayed in heaven.
yet he said, " Not my will but Yours be done."
CROSS OF LOVE
Blood and sorrow flow from the languid brow of Jesus dying;
and tears from Heaven's eyes are the anguished drops of a Father crying,
"Oh, why?"
Emblem of his pain, oh splintered wood of my transgression
I'll never comprehend how an act so great gave love expression--"Oh, why?"
And the people jeered at Him and mocked His holy name,
for they knew not who He was, nor why it was He came.
Some had come to offer help to soothe a mother's pain,
but as she watched her wounded Son, the comfort never came,
Oh, why?
This must be a cross of love
for God to bruise His only Son.
Jesus, what a sacrifice to reach us,
it had to be a cross of love!
he died on the cross, ±2000 years ago, for you and for me.
the cross was an emblem of suffering and shame, yet he took upon his shoulders the sins of mankind.
isaac watts described it as, " love so amazing, so divine. demands my soul, my life, my all."
he was crucified, laid behind the stone.
lived to die, rejected and alone,
like a rose, trampled on the ground.
yet he was willing...because of his great love.
at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Jesus died for the ungodly. very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. but God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, He sent his only son to die for us. since we have been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! for if, when we were sinners, we were recoinciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
30.3.07
of homosexuals..
ever wondered how gays came about?
i shall show you the equation.
gays = Arab Jahiliah + China Chinese.
know why?
due to the over population and shortage of food, the chinese government introduced a one child per family rule to make sure the country doesn't overload.
in the eyes of the chineses people, males are very important. they are the pole of the family, the pride, the joy...females are just people that stay indoors bla bla bla...sexist right?
therefore due to the one child rule, many parents 'murder' their baby daughters in order to give way for sons which whom will continue the family's name etc etc.
the result: a lot of boys, no girls.
in history form 4, we learn about the Arab Jahiliah society. females in their society are of virtually no value. they get no inheritance whatsoever. in those days, the women were extremely embarassed to be told they gave birth to a daughter. a daughter is viewed as "menjatuhkan maruah keluarga". they bury the female babies alive with their head sticking out of the ground. a man can marry as many wives as he wants in their society, and without the child limit.
the result: boys polluting the earth, still no girls.
when there's too many boys and no girls, the boys will needs partners in life as it is in the mindset of humans to love (lazy to elaborate).
therefore without girls to mate with, they...*cough cough*..you know lar...
and especially when the Arab Jahiliah guys get drunk to prove they are true man, things get a little bit crazy.
result: gays.
mind you, the word gay here means homosexuals, not hapiness.
therefore we can confidently do a quadratic equation of gays with the roots of China Chinese and Arab Jahiliah.
*disclaimer: this was intended for humour purposes and not to insult anyone. apologies to anyone i have offended. this is not facts, but just a result of boredom in class. if you do not understand this post, go study form 4 textbooks.*
i shall show you the equation.
gays = Arab Jahiliah + China Chinese.
know why?
due to the over population and shortage of food, the chinese government introduced a one child per family rule to make sure the country doesn't overload.
in the eyes of the chineses people, males are very important. they are the pole of the family, the pride, the joy...females are just people that stay indoors bla bla bla...sexist right?
therefore due to the one child rule, many parents 'murder' their baby daughters in order to give way for sons which whom will continue the family's name etc etc.
the result: a lot of boys, no girls.
in history form 4, we learn about the Arab Jahiliah society. females in their society are of virtually no value. they get no inheritance whatsoever. in those days, the women were extremely embarassed to be told they gave birth to a daughter. a daughter is viewed as "menjatuhkan maruah keluarga". they bury the female babies alive with their head sticking out of the ground. a man can marry as many wives as he wants in their society, and without the child limit.
the result: boys polluting the earth, still no girls.
when there's too many boys and no girls, the boys will needs partners in life as it is in the mindset of humans to love (lazy to elaborate).
therefore without girls to mate with, they...*cough cough*..you know lar...
and especially when the Arab Jahiliah guys get drunk to prove they are true man, things get a little bit crazy.
result: gays.
mind you, the word gay here means homosexuals, not hapiness.
therefore we can confidently do a quadratic equation of gays with the roots of China Chinese and Arab Jahiliah.
*disclaimer: this was intended for humour purposes and not to insult anyone. apologies to anyone i have offended. this is not facts, but just a result of boredom in class. if you do not understand this post, go study form 4 textbooks.*
12.3.07
grades...
how many more suicides does it take for the world to awaken?
how many more deaths must there be before parents are aware of the pressures they lay on students?
how many more millionaire stories must there be before our country starts realising that students don't need straight gila banyak A's to succeed in life?
better grades does not prove that you're smarter than the person sitting next to you.
getting straight A's is just so that you can have your name on newspaper.
if you say i'm wrong, then why are there so many jobless graduates while school dropouts are sitting on the peak of the money charts?
why waste time studying biology when you aspire to be an accountant? does dissecting a frog help you in any way to count faster and more accurate? will learning of organic stuff help you do your accounts more neat? it'll most probably load your brain with unneccessary stuff and make you even more forgetful.
have you heard anymore of the girl whom obtained 16A1's in her SPM?? rumour say that she is on the brink of being warded into Hospital Bahagia.
if anyone is talented or gifted in one way, why pressure them to divert from their talent to get straight A's? Beckham didn't care much of his studies cause he can't even do his son's kindergarten maths. yet, he earns like few thousands per second. that is one good example of why studies doesn't matter much in life.
find your interest in life and pursue it. samuel l. jackson said find something that puts a smile on your face when you do it. for passion is the fuel that drives you forward. no point doing something you don't like and being forced to then end up making headlines for yet another creative way of commiting suicide.
there once was a person who failed miserably in maths yet had the talent for designing and now is designing websties for others even though he hasn't started college.
in a nutshell, grades are just for show. if you think you need the spotlight and want to make headlines, go ahead. ignore this post and study till your brain goes wacko...
how many more deaths must there be before parents are aware of the pressures they lay on students?
how many more millionaire stories must there be before our country starts realising that students don't need straight gila banyak A's to succeed in life?
better grades does not prove that you're smarter than the person sitting next to you.
getting straight A's is just so that you can have your name on newspaper.
if you say i'm wrong, then why are there so many jobless graduates while school dropouts are sitting on the peak of the money charts?
why waste time studying biology when you aspire to be an accountant? does dissecting a frog help you in any way to count faster and more accurate? will learning of organic stuff help you do your accounts more neat? it'll most probably load your brain with unneccessary stuff and make you even more forgetful.
have you heard anymore of the girl whom obtained 16A1's in her SPM?? rumour say that she is on the brink of being warded into Hospital Bahagia.
if anyone is talented or gifted in one way, why pressure them to divert from their talent to get straight A's? Beckham didn't care much of his studies cause he can't even do his son's kindergarten maths. yet, he earns like few thousands per second. that is one good example of why studies doesn't matter much in life.
find your interest in life and pursue it. samuel l. jackson said find something that puts a smile on your face when you do it. for passion is the fuel that drives you forward. no point doing something you don't like and being forced to then end up making headlines for yet another creative way of commiting suicide.
there once was a person who failed miserably in maths yet had the talent for designing and now is designing websties for others even though he hasn't started college.
in a nutshell, grades are just for show. if you think you need the spotlight and want to make headlines, go ahead. ignore this post and study till your brain goes wacko...
18.2.07
CAUTION: may cause tears...
got this off friendster...quite interesting...
Once upon a time, there was once a guy who was very much in love with this girl. This romantic guy folded 1,000 pieces of papercranes as a gift to his girl. Although, at that time he was just a small executive in his company, his future doesn't seemed too bright, they were very happy together. Until one day, his girl told him she was going to Paris and will never come back. She also told him that she cannot visualise any future for the both of them, so let's go their own ways there and then... heartbroken, the guy agreed.
When he regained his confidence, he worked hard day and night, slogging his body and mind just to make something out of himself. Finally with all these hardwork and with the help of friends, this guy had set up his own company...
"You never fail until you stop trying." he always told himself. "I must make it in life!" One rainy day, while this guy was driving, he saw an elderly couple sharing an umbrella in the rain walking to some destination. Even with the umbrella, they were still drenched. It didn't take him long to realise those were his ex-girlfriend's parents. With a heart in getting back at them, he drove slowly beside the couple, wanting them to spot him in his luxury sedan. He wanted them to know that he wasn't the same anymore, he had his own company, car, condo etc. He had made it in life!
Before the guy can realise, the couple was walking towards a cemetary,and he got out of his car and followed them...and he saw his ex-girlfriend, a photograph of her smiling sweetly as ever at him from her tombstone... and he saw his precious papercranes in a bottle placed beside her tomb. Her parents saw him. He walked over and asked them why this had happened. They explained, she did not leave for France at all. She was stricken ill with cancer. In her heart, she had believed that he will make it someday, but she did not want her illness to be his obstacle ... therefore she had chosen to leave him.
She had wanted her parents to put his papercranes beside her, because, if the day comes when fate brings him to her again he can take some of those back with him. The guy just wept ...the worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them but knowing you can't have them and will never see them again.
The End."
A tragic story that perhaps happens only in the movies. At the end of the day, money is money is money but love is divine. In our quest for our material wealth, take time to make time for our loved ones. There will be a time when we have only memories to cling to
.
Once upon a time, there was once a guy who was very much in love with this girl. This romantic guy folded 1,000 pieces of papercranes as a gift to his girl. Although, at that time he was just a small executive in his company, his future doesn't seemed too bright, they were very happy together. Until one day, his girl told him she was going to Paris and will never come back. She also told him that she cannot visualise any future for the both of them, so let's go their own ways there and then... heartbroken, the guy agreed.
When he regained his confidence, he worked hard day and night, slogging his body and mind just to make something out of himself. Finally with all these hardwork and with the help of friends, this guy had set up his own company...
"You never fail until you stop trying." he always told himself. "I must make it in life!" One rainy day, while this guy was driving, he saw an elderly couple sharing an umbrella in the rain walking to some destination. Even with the umbrella, they were still drenched. It didn't take him long to realise those were his ex-girlfriend's parents. With a heart in getting back at them, he drove slowly beside the couple, wanting them to spot him in his luxury sedan. He wanted them to know that he wasn't the same anymore, he had his own company, car, condo etc. He had made it in life!
Before the guy can realise, the couple was walking towards a cemetary,and he got out of his car and followed them...and he saw his ex-girlfriend, a photograph of her smiling sweetly as ever at him from her tombstone... and he saw his precious papercranes in a bottle placed beside her tomb. Her parents saw him. He walked over and asked them why this had happened. They explained, she did not leave for France at all. She was stricken ill with cancer. In her heart, she had believed that he will make it someday, but she did not want her illness to be his obstacle ... therefore she had chosen to leave him.
She had wanted her parents to put his papercranes beside her, because, if the day comes when fate brings him to her again he can take some of those back with him. The guy just wept ...the worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them but knowing you can't have them and will never see them again.
The End."
A tragic story that perhaps happens only in the movies. At the end of the day, money is money is money but love is divine. In our quest for our material wealth, take time to make time for our loved ones. There will be a time when we have only memories to cling to
.
15.2.07
you'd never imagine....
"he had the widest smile on his face, the loudest laugh...wherever he went, he brought joy to the lives of others with his laughter and crazy antics. on the outside, he seemed to be very 'bahagia'..
But....when the crowds leave, he would be in his room, sitting...alone...his mind would go blank...
the surrounding lights just seem to fade off, his room just seems to shrink..."
no..if you thought i was talking about a clown, you're seriously wrong...
"he never understood love, cause he never felt loved...
he never had trust, cause he was let downed too many times...just too many...
he tried to fit in, but never felt welcome...
he tried to attract attention, but that was only temporary..
there was something missing inside...his life was just incomplete...."
"being the youngest in the family, he couldn't relate to his elder siblings as they were to old for him. he couldn't go to his parents for they were too busy with work. he had noone to turn to. even from a young tender age, he had to learn to walk the road of life himself...soon, he realised no one cared about him. it was no use trying to feel self-pity. he learned to put up a strong face and faced the world with a smile, hiding all the sorrows, all the brokenness inside of him."
"no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fill up the void in his life. and it was getting bigger and bigger and bigger. he turned to relationships... being a person not understanding true love, he fell for girl after girl...everytime he'd be dumped, he would coop up in the dark corner of his room, just thinking...wondering if the girl had actually liked him...if true love existed....if he was just being used again....he just couldn't run away....
one fine day, suicidal thoughts just crossed his mind. he was thinking off ending his problems, his sufferings, his sadness once and for all..."
you'd never imagine...this could be a friend close to you....a happy face may not mean a happy inside....you'd never know the day one of your friends just decide to give in to the pressures and stress of life...many celebrities have done it....you'd never know when depression takes control of their life. just maybe....one day...you may wake up finding your friend asleep for good...
valentine's just passed...its the celebration of love. not just to the person you're dating....not just to your wife...but to everyone...take time out and appreciate the people around you...a hug, a handshake...even a smile could brighten up someone's day... make a change in the lives of people around you..
But....when the crowds leave, he would be in his room, sitting...alone...his mind would go blank...
the surrounding lights just seem to fade off, his room just seems to shrink..."
no..if you thought i was talking about a clown, you're seriously wrong...
"he never understood love, cause he never felt loved...
he never had trust, cause he was let downed too many times...just too many...
he tried to fit in, but never felt welcome...
he tried to attract attention, but that was only temporary..
there was something missing inside...his life was just incomplete...."
"being the youngest in the family, he couldn't relate to his elder siblings as they were to old for him. he couldn't go to his parents for they were too busy with work. he had noone to turn to. even from a young tender age, he had to learn to walk the road of life himself...soon, he realised no one cared about him. it was no use trying to feel self-pity. he learned to put up a strong face and faced the world with a smile, hiding all the sorrows, all the brokenness inside of him."
"no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fill up the void in his life. and it was getting bigger and bigger and bigger. he turned to relationships... being a person not understanding true love, he fell for girl after girl...everytime he'd be dumped, he would coop up in the dark corner of his room, just thinking...wondering if the girl had actually liked him...if true love existed....if he was just being used again....he just couldn't run away....
one fine day, suicidal thoughts just crossed his mind. he was thinking off ending his problems, his sufferings, his sadness once and for all..."
you'd never imagine...this could be a friend close to you....a happy face may not mean a happy inside....you'd never know the day one of your friends just decide to give in to the pressures and stress of life...many celebrities have done it....you'd never know when depression takes control of their life. just maybe....one day...you may wake up finding your friend asleep for good...
valentine's just passed...its the celebration of love. not just to the person you're dating....not just to your wife...but to everyone...take time out and appreciate the people around you...a hug, a handshake...even a smile could brighten up someone's day... make a change in the lives of people around you..
10.2.07
faith...
you wanna see a miracle?first you must have faith....believing without seeing....
because:
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Matthew 14:31
God won't do miracles if you doubt in him..
Matthew 9:29
"According to your faith will it be done to you"
seeing miracles would be cool...how about doing them?
Matthew 17:19-20
19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
its is emphasized yet again...
Matthew 21:21
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.
healing through faith
Matthew 9:2
Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
Matthew 13:58
Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
because:
And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Matthew 14:31
God won't do miracles if you doubt in him..
Matthew 9:29
"According to your faith will it be done to you"
seeing miracles would be cool...how about doing them?
Matthew 17:19-20
19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
its is emphasized yet again...
Matthew 21:21
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.
healing through faith
Matthew 9:2
Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
Matthew 13:58
Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
8.2.07
in your opinion, .....
sound familiar?
ever came across this question in your exams?
i find this to be the dumbest question anyone could ever ask in an exam...
since they are asking for our opinion, how could we get it wrong?
and yet, they have the cheek to mark us wrong many a times.....
sigh....the brilliant examiners....
ever came across this question in your exams?
i find this to be the dumbest question anyone could ever ask in an exam...
since they are asking for our opinion, how could we get it wrong?
and yet, they have the cheek to mark us wrong many a times.....
sigh....the brilliant examiners....
4.2.07
the craving from the inside..
"she had always been in the limelight. being the rich man's girl, she had it all....fame and fortune...her boyfriend was the hottest hunk in school...her friends' green eyes were all over her. she had the biggest group of friends around school. she always stayed outside house, for her house was no more then a hotel to the family. the house was only used for sleeping. her parents worked their hearts out every hour of the day.
as the saying goes, everyday isn't sunday. her dad loss his job, went bankrupt. her mom had a heart attack and was admitted to hospital. seeing she was of no value anymore, her boyfriend dumped her, her friends left her....she lost everything in a blink of an eye. she tried so hard to win back her friends...the 'cool' group despised her, squeezing everything out of her, making her do stuff for them. but everyday, she put on her sweetest smile and tried to be part of them. but time and time again she was ask to do their donkey work. exhausted, she left them and tried to make it up to the so-called nerds in her school that she had snub while she was "high and mighty", hoping to find someone who would care for her. but sore hearts don't cure overnight, and she was left out in the cold and dark corner of her life, alone.
it was new to her. she had never felt this lonely in her life. 'lonely, i'm mister lonely, i have nobody, all on my ownnnnn....' the lyrics of the song kept playing back in mind, driving her crazy.
one particular night...she sat in her dim-lighted room, staring blankly at the reflective window on her wall....sorrows filled her heart..thoughts filled her mind.
she had been taken advantaged of....she was used, abused....push to the limit....inside of her screamed, "i can't take this any longer, its just too much...." tears flowed on her cheeks and wetted her pillowcase. she screamed as hard as she could. she walked slowly towards the balcony. as the wind blew against her tear soaked face, she stared at the garden below her with the 'for sale sign'. it had not been taken care of for months. she decided to let out another shout of frustration. she climb onto the railing. she paused and closed her eyes, thinking for a moment....pondering on her decision. as her eyelids shut tight, images flashed past her mind. faces of her friends just came into picture again and again and again.
"no..."she screamed. "they never loved me, they never cared for me, they were never there for me. my friends only cared about my money. when i needed them, they were nowhere to be found. if they really cared, why am i here?i would never have needed to stand here..."
the next day, she was on the newspaper...."
as the saying goes, everyday isn't sunday. her dad loss his job, went bankrupt. her mom had a heart attack and was admitted to hospital. seeing she was of no value anymore, her boyfriend dumped her, her friends left her....she lost everything in a blink of an eye. she tried so hard to win back her friends...the 'cool' group despised her, squeezing everything out of her, making her do stuff for them. but everyday, she put on her sweetest smile and tried to be part of them. but time and time again she was ask to do their donkey work. exhausted, she left them and tried to make it up to the so-called nerds in her school that she had snub while she was "high and mighty", hoping to find someone who would care for her. but sore hearts don't cure overnight, and she was left out in the cold and dark corner of her life, alone.
it was new to her. she had never felt this lonely in her life. 'lonely, i'm mister lonely, i have nobody, all on my ownnnnn....' the lyrics of the song kept playing back in mind, driving her crazy.
one particular night...she sat in her dim-lighted room, staring blankly at the reflective window on her wall....sorrows filled her heart..thoughts filled her mind.
she had been taken advantaged of....she was used, abused....push to the limit....inside of her screamed, "i can't take this any longer, its just too much...." tears flowed on her cheeks and wetted her pillowcase. she screamed as hard as she could. she walked slowly towards the balcony. as the wind blew against her tear soaked face, she stared at the garden below her with the 'for sale sign'. it had not been taken care of for months. she decided to let out another shout of frustration. she climb onto the railing. she paused and closed her eyes, thinking for a moment....pondering on her decision. as her eyelids shut tight, images flashed past her mind. faces of her friends just came into picture again and again and again.
"no..."she screamed. "they never loved me, they never cared for me, they were never there for me. my friends only cared about my money. when i needed them, they were nowhere to be found. if they really cared, why am i here?i would never have needed to stand here..."
the next day, she was on the newspaper...."
two things. popularity and fitting in.
fitting in. the want to just be in a crowd, the want to just fit in and not be left out.
popularity. the society lives on it, craves for it, goes completely loco for it etc etc etc...
people today are so wanting acknowledgement, recognition, and attention...
that's when people don't act themselves anymore. always trying to be someone they aren't.
doing crazy things just to impress their friends, taking drugs, smoking and alcohol just to act cool, partying til midnight just so they won't be called wussies. putting their lives in danger just to receive recognition, just to be the "cool" guy, just to be mr. popular, just to fit in....
many are scared of being left out, of being lonely in a dark corner, trying to fill the emptiness that is in their heart. even if its hurting them every inch inside, they still put on a smile and act happy on the outside, acting like nothing is wrong. yet they cry out in their hearts, in their rooms, feeling the emptiness that can never be satisfied with worldly things.
yet over and over again, they find out no matter what they do, the emptiness and lonely feeling stills lives inside of them. when the lights and noise fade, tears soak up their room. as the night goes on, they begin to give up on themselves..thinking this life is not worth living anymore. suicide.the only way to end the suffering inside of them.
[did you know that suicide is on the rise?
suicide, is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.]
if only they knew....that someone loved them so much that he died for them willingly. for greater love has no other than this, that he lay his life down for his brother. this guy died for the entire nation, for the entire human race, not just that moment, but for generations to come...
his sacrifice was done out of love for us.
if only they embraced his love, the emptiness inside of them would have been filled.
if only they had a chance to hear about his love, they wouldn't have walked in the path that they did. if only they had the chance.
++++"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. that whosoever believed in him shall not die but obtain everlasting life." John 3v16++++
24.1.07
Life
life only passes once; today's moment becomes tomorrow's memory.
enjoy every moment, good or bad, cause the gift of life is life itself.
enjoy every moment, good or bad, cause the gift of life is life itself.
live life to the fullest, never hold back then later regret. its just not worth it.
many people tend to be scared or shy to try new things... too many a time we get scared of leaving our comfort zone. that shouldn't be the way of living. that's called boredom... life is how we perceive it to be, and how we live it.
it isn't boring or not worth living if you learn to live your life in a fun way.
many people tend to be scared or shy to try new things... too many a time we get scared of leaving our comfort zone. that shouldn't be the way of living. that's called boredom... life is how we perceive it to be, and how we live it.
it isn't boring or not worth living if you learn to live your life in a fun way.
16.1.07
the road not taken
two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
and sorry I could not travel both
and be one traveler, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;
then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim,
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that the passing there
had worn them really about the same,
and both that morning equally lay
in leaves no step had trodden black.
oh, I kept the first for another day!
yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.
and sorry I could not travel both
and be one traveler, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;
then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim,
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that the passing there
had worn them really about the same,
and both that morning equally lay
in leaves no step had trodden black.
oh, I kept the first for another day!
yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.
LIFE. its all about making choices. the choices we make write our own destiny. a person once said, "life is a sum of choices we make"
one wrong step and there's no way back. many a time we tend to get rash in making decisions, thinking we can always turn back again and take another route. but as this poem states that way leads on to way, we may never be able to travel the other paths of life.
therefore, we better take a moment to think carefully than saying if only i had.... with a sigh.
one wrong step and there's no way back. many a time we tend to get rash in making decisions, thinking we can always turn back again and take another route. but as this poem states that way leads on to way, we may never be able to travel the other paths of life.
therefore, we better take a moment to think carefully than saying if only i had.... with a sigh.
12.1.07
Of science and arts streams...
many people are fighting to get into science streams....just for biology so that they can get a shot at medicine.
what's the point of doing so?
everyone thinks that doctors are successful jobs. hmmm....try naming me a doctor? and i don't mean Ph.D holders.. took a while??
now name me a artist....da vinci and picasso comes to mind in an instant . again...try naming me a musician... beethoven, mozart etc.... how about a footballer..none other than beckham will come to mind...
what do these people's carreer have in common? they don't need to study biology or chemistry to excel in their jobs.
science stream has always overshadowed the arts stream. arts stream in malaysia have always been for those who can't score in PMR. people always look down on those in arts stream. but how many are actually aware that arts stream actually offers business etc etc subjects... take a look at business people....they are one of the highest earners....they bring in the country's income....so why look down on arts stream?
beckham can't even solve kindergarten maths questions(british syllabus). mind you, this isn't any beckham on the road, its the one and only david robert joseph beckham. and he can't even do his son's maths homework. malu you may say, but take a good long glance at his bank account and probably your jaw will drop the whole day.
so why push yourself so hard and stress to get into science stream?
what's the point of doing so?
everyone thinks that doctors are successful jobs. hmmm....try naming me a doctor? and i don't mean Ph.D holders.. took a while??
now name me a artist....da vinci and picasso comes to mind in an instant . again...try naming me a musician... beethoven, mozart etc.... how about a footballer..none other than beckham will come to mind...
what do these people's carreer have in common? they don't need to study biology or chemistry to excel in their jobs.
science stream has always overshadowed the arts stream. arts stream in malaysia have always been for those who can't score in PMR. people always look down on those in arts stream. but how many are actually aware that arts stream actually offers business etc etc subjects... take a look at business people....they are one of the highest earners....they bring in the country's income....so why look down on arts stream?
beckham can't even solve kindergarten maths questions(british syllabus). mind you, this isn't any beckham on the road, its the one and only david robert joseph beckham. and he can't even do his son's maths homework. malu you may say, but take a good long glance at his bank account and probably your jaw will drop the whole day.
so why push yourself so hard and stress to get into science stream?
10.1.07
why bother so much?
---It's who you are not what you know that matters in life, so why bother studying?---
how sure are you that if you study hard and get straight a's now you'll succeed in life? if yes, then why are there so many jobless graduates? even wondered what all rich and famous people have in common? none of them are doctors, or scientists or most of the job related to malaysia's science stream. rich people are mainly movie directors, business people, IT company owners etc etc...why stress yourself to go into a stream that has more pressure and yet less pay next time?other then surgeons and bankers, not much earn 10,000+ a month...
many shows portray about aspiring pianists or artist being forced to focus on studies instead of whtat they like, but just can't understand a single thing to do with maths and science, then end up getting red marks not just on their report cards, but also on their body. they get beaten up for failing in their exams. but beating them will never help. we should let every kid get a chance to pursue their interests, their passion....focusing on studies only will just ruin the hidden talent inside of them. many artistic talents have been overlooked no thanks to today's kiasu society.
how sure are you that if you study hard and get straight a's now you'll succeed in life? if yes, then why are there so many jobless graduates? even wondered what all rich and famous people have in common? none of them are doctors, or scientists or most of the job related to malaysia's science stream. rich people are mainly movie directors, business people, IT company owners etc etc...why stress yourself to go into a stream that has more pressure and yet less pay next time?other then surgeons and bankers, not much earn 10,000+ a month...
many shows portray about aspiring pianists or artist being forced to focus on studies instead of whtat they like, but just can't understand a single thing to do with maths and science, then end up getting red marks not just on their report cards, but also on their body. they get beaten up for failing in their exams. but beating them will never help. we should let every kid get a chance to pursue their interests, their passion....focusing on studies only will just ruin the hidden talent inside of them. many artistic talents have been overlooked no thanks to today's kiasu society.
8.1.07
VISION
vision this vision that, people always talk about having vision....even our country has this vision, WAWASAN 2020 which was declared during year 1991.
why is vision so important?the bible explains it well.
--- "where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29v18a ---
what exactly is vision? oxford dictionary defines vision as the ability to think about the future with imagination or wisdom. John R Molt said in the American Magazine that vision is a capacity.... to see what others do not see; to see further then they see, to see before they see
it has been said that people of vision can see the invisible, hear the inaudible, believe the incredible, think the unthinkable, and do the impossible.
vision has played a important part in lifes of many famous people. alot say dare to dream, don't just think narrowly, dream big....
the people who have shaped history have always been great visionaries. Martin Luther King was one such visionary who made history with his "I have a dream" speech. Walt Disney, long before he became famous, said, "all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. if you can dream it, you can do it."
---what the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can acheive---
many people always have visions or dreams. but most tend to forget the important part of a vision. that is vision with no action is merely a daydream. walt disney has become the perfect excuse for people who love to daydream. but walt disney wouldn't have acheive what he had if he just sat back and dream big. what he did was striving to achieve his dreams. now mickey mouse is globally known.
___dare to dream big, but strive to acheive it.be strong and courageous to pursue your dreams and visions___
why is vision so important?the bible explains it well.
--- "where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29v18a ---
what exactly is vision? oxford dictionary defines vision as the ability to think about the future with imagination or wisdom. John R Molt said in the American Magazine that vision is a capacity.... to see what others do not see; to see further then they see, to see before they see
it has been said that people of vision can see the invisible, hear the inaudible, believe the incredible, think the unthinkable, and do the impossible.
vision has played a important part in lifes of many famous people. alot say dare to dream, don't just think narrowly, dream big....
the people who have shaped history have always been great visionaries. Martin Luther King was one such visionary who made history with his "I have a dream" speech. Walt Disney, long before he became famous, said, "all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. if you can dream it, you can do it."
---what the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can acheive---
many people always have visions or dreams. but most tend to forget the important part of a vision. that is vision with no action is merely a daydream. walt disney has become the perfect excuse for people who love to daydream. but walt disney wouldn't have acheive what he had if he just sat back and dream big. what he did was striving to achieve his dreams. now mickey mouse is globally known.
___dare to dream big, but strive to acheive it.be strong and courageous to pursue your dreams and visions___
Studies..
since school just opened, what better topic to start then studies ?
many people dread at this particular word. students just hate to study.
do studies actually matter so much? our country has already got the kiasu syndrome from our neighbours down south. straight a1's is a must. one less and you won't be notice like a grain of salt in the ocean. our country is so blessed, with resources, climate, no natural disaster....yet why are we so far behind other countries??
talents in our country aren't little. but our education system has been greatly blinded by society. getting 12a1's and you'll be in papers headlines....getting 12a1's and a b..most probably you'll end up in a small columm....scholarships are mainly offer for straight A students only....there's this college that only offers scholarship for ten A's and above....other then INTI, almost all the rest only provide scholarships for top scorers..my school's art stream only offers 8 subjects. how do you think those in that class can get scholarships??
study, study, study....that's all we know about....that is why malaysia is so far behind in sports etc.. and our educational syllabus requires us to take all sorts of useless subjects...we should have right's to choose subjects we have interest in..without passion there will be no success...
there was a moment when a 7 year old maths genius turned headlines for being able to solve form 6 ad maths...a few days later there was a story about him playing truant....when interview, he just said, "standard 1 maths is too boring for me." that proves that the education department badly need to revise the syllabus in order to curb anymore "kes ponteng".
i really agree...it gets very frustrating when you already know something yet the teacher keeps repeating it just cause someone in class can't understand..
ever wondered why people ponteng?because the things being taught at school just doesn't relate to them. for example, someone good at basketball would't careless about maths or geography. a doctor needs no information about history before they treat patients. neither does a pianist need know about the phytagoras theorem etc....
one good example would be beckham. he came out in world news for admitting to be baffled by his son's elementary school maths. yet look at his bank account and fame.. he is literally worshipped in Japan. that pretty much proves that we don't need to be good in studies to succeed in life.
many talents in many sectors have gone down the drain because of school life. even many top scorers have no idea what they want do in life cause they don't have the freedom to pursue their interests...many just study for the sake of studying.our country is so full of jack of all trades because we are set to be all-rounders in studies to be the top. sports, art and the like have no longer been focused on. that is why our country's sports is nowhere near the top of the world. not even in doha did they acheive the 9-gold target.
that is serious sad case.
many people dread at this particular word. students just hate to study.
do studies actually matter so much? our country has already got the kiasu syndrome from our neighbours down south. straight a1's is a must. one less and you won't be notice like a grain of salt in the ocean. our country is so blessed, with resources, climate, no natural disaster....yet why are we so far behind other countries??
talents in our country aren't little. but our education system has been greatly blinded by society. getting 12a1's and you'll be in papers headlines....getting 12a1's and a b..most probably you'll end up in a small columm....scholarships are mainly offer for straight A students only....there's this college that only offers scholarship for ten A's and above....other then INTI, almost all the rest only provide scholarships for top scorers..my school's art stream only offers 8 subjects. how do you think those in that class can get scholarships??
study, study, study....that's all we know about....that is why malaysia is so far behind in sports etc.. and our educational syllabus requires us to take all sorts of useless subjects...we should have right's to choose subjects we have interest in..without passion there will be no success...
there was a moment when a 7 year old maths genius turned headlines for being able to solve form 6 ad maths...a few days later there was a story about him playing truant....when interview, he just said, "standard 1 maths is too boring for me." that proves that the education department badly need to revise the syllabus in order to curb anymore "kes ponteng".
i really agree...it gets very frustrating when you already know something yet the teacher keeps repeating it just cause someone in class can't understand..
ever wondered why people ponteng?because the things being taught at school just doesn't relate to them. for example, someone good at basketball would't careless about maths or geography. a doctor needs no information about history before they treat patients. neither does a pianist need know about the phytagoras theorem etc....
one good example would be beckham. he came out in world news for admitting to be baffled by his son's elementary school maths. yet look at his bank account and fame.. he is literally worshipped in Japan. that pretty much proves that we don't need to be good in studies to succeed in life.
many talents in many sectors have gone down the drain because of school life. even many top scorers have no idea what they want do in life cause they don't have the freedom to pursue their interests...many just study for the sake of studying.our country is so full of jack of all trades because we are set to be all-rounders in studies to be the top. sports, art and the like have no longer been focused on. that is why our country's sports is nowhere near the top of the world. not even in doha did they acheive the 9-gold target.
that is serious sad case.