Make the Best of It!

"Things didn't turn out the way they were supposed to, but what can you do? You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it."

~ Yann Martel, 2001

The quotation above is very meaningful, even more so if you have read Martel's 'Life of Pi', especially the account on Pi's adventure and survival, being in the same life boat with the Bengal tiger for more than 200 days. Martel wrote a fantastic story about how man and beasts co-habit with one and other in a limited space surrounded by water. You might think it's an island, but no, it's a life boat, where they ate and slept together. They have even survived together upon reaching land!

I used to complain, and sometimes, still do, when I face difficulties in my life. After certain difficulties were solved, only I wonder... why had I complained at all in the first place where there's solution for most of everything when what I need to do most is to think, yes, t-h-i-n-k! From those days onward, I've started to label all my 'difficulties' as challenges and smile when I face them. Hmmm... you may say, it's easier said than done! True, I'd agree with you. Therefore, start thinking about the people around you who have more difficult 'challenges' to face, how are they facing them? Complaining? Sitting at one spot by doing nothing would not chase the challenges away...

Who's to blame when things don't turn out the way they suppose to be? Blame no one but self? But what on Earth have I done to earn the blame? So, stop blaming and complaining, but start thinking of solutions, make the best of life, the way it comes to you!

As for now, forget about what you want to complain, follow me, inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale... ahhh... don't you feel much better now?

At Home on Tuesday ~ A Haiku

Nice cooling weather,
peaceful surrounding it is,
great to be at home.

The sound of drilling,
constructing and hammering,
these will stop at lunch.

Everywhere's quiet,
Only the sound of the fan,
the lunch will end soon.

It's already two,
the noise has come back again,
searching for ear plugs.

The drilling goes on,
covered my head with pillow,
still can't take a nap.

When will this thing end?
the sky's dark and stomach growls,
long to rest at home.

My Days at the Hostel

Desasiswa AD is the hostel where I stayed for the first year I did my Bachelor's degree. This is the place where wonderful memories are knitted from different yarns of happenings. There were ups and downs, laughter and horror, yes, you name it, we have most of them...

Fast forward from year 1998 to year 2010... here I am, in a different hostel, or it is known as a Guest House. It is called Rumah Tetamu KAB. I will spend about nine days here working on the daily bulletin for the 2nd ASEAN Schools Games 2010, most of the time doing editing and proofreading the reporters' drafts. The is the view from the guest house I'm staying for these days.

I guess most of the public universities' hostels look quite alike. That's why when I reached here, seeing the buildings brought me back to the time when I had the opportunity to stay at a place where I use to called it my second 'home'. At my hostel lat time, they have a few rooms in the building, common bathrooms and toilets, and the place where we can dry our laundry. At least, the basic necessities are there. As for the basic facilities, we have an activity room, a TV room and a cafe.

Hmmm... no, we don't have washing machines where we can just slot in our coins and let the gizmo do our laundry. We were the machines washing our clothes ourselves. So, we usually felt the heartache whenever we saw the sky was getting dark or cloudy. Our hearts would shout out loud, "there goes our laundry!" if it rained.

The room... It is a basic room with a single bed, a cupboard, a study table and a chair. Since three students share one room, there would be enough furniture for all three of us. All except for the bed -- as there will be one bunk bed and one single bed. I could still remember my roommate who slept on the upper part of the bunk bed. You could find her things on the floor next morning when you wake up. I guess she must have done some pushing and kicking through the night that had caused all her stuff to fall. Thank God, she did not fall...

The room could be small, but being at your own corner, sitting at the study table, the comfort is still there. We could study and do our assignments till late at night. We would use our study light and switch off the common light if anyone of us would like to sleep earlier. We would decorate our mini notice board with stuff and reminders and timetables and quotes. Did I mention a MINI notice board?

One of the best moments besides sleeping and studying in the room is non other than friends/coursemates who come to visit you. For this, it all depends on your roommates. If they know them well, they would be as happy as you seeing them. If they don't know them at all and when noise is made, you could feel that their looks from their eyes could pierce through your body. We could be chatting and laughing hilariously or whispering and gossiping, well, it's laughing most of the time.

Have I missed any other stuff to share here? Spooky encounters at the hostel, you may ask... Let me know if you want to read about it... I might just blog about it here...

The Stage

The stage has never been synonymous with my name. I would run away or hide if there would be a chance for me to go on the stage. I was not a familiar face to be on the stage ever since I've started schooling. I couldn't remember if I had stood on my kindergarten's stage, but I could proudly say that I have conquered a few stages in my life =).

I remembered the first time I stood on the school stage was the time I received multiple prizes for the competitions that I won and the exams that I excelled in. However, these chances have become fewer the older I grow. I mean the chances of receiving prizes on the stage.

During school days, I would usually got a chance to be on the stage, either to assist the teacher during prize giving or certificate presentation ceremonies. The one that I could recall was the ceremony when my fellow Interactors and I received our certificates on the stage (thanks to the photograph I was tagged in FB).

However the best one ever that I could recall was in the year 1997. I would say that I have broken any prefects' record in conducting the school assembly. I was put to manage the school assembly. I had to arrange a prefect to lead the assembly every week. I would or should I say that it is truly a blessing in disguise, whenever my fellow prefect was not available, I would always be the one standing on a metal-made podium facing a sea of 600 faces, I meant students. We sang the national anthem, the school song, and recited the Rukunegara and/or the Anti-dadah oath. Then, I would invite teachers to give their speeches or reminders. Otherwise, I would be representing them reading out all the announcements given. I think at that very moment, I have developed the love of speaking with the microphone and to be stage-fright free. I thanked my discipline master for the opportunities given to me, and of course to my fellow prefects who were not there to take the task assigned =). Some had had the guts of telling me that they chose to chicken-out on the duties given.

For the next few years, when I was studying at the varsity, I didn't have much or maybe no opportunity to be on the stage at all. Yes, not even once. Oops, there goes my experience being on the stage down in the drain with only memories left in my mind. I didn't have the opportunity to speak or sing or even dance and perform on any stage those years. It is sad, isn't it?

Well, most probably my prayers were answered, that I was posted to a secondary school to teach in year 2001. And the old faithful stage fright had come to visit me again the day I was asked to lead the assembly as a teacher on duty for that week... I couldn't speak clearly as I was shivering... "and hey, I'm a teacher and I'm shivering on the stage at this very moment???"

Fast forward to the year 2010, 17th May... I was seen on the stage along with my 6 colleagues singing a medley of songs. Unbelievable but it's true, try to pinch your own arm, sorry, my arm... We had barely less than one hour of practice and there we were performing or you may say we were enjoying ourselves on the stage during a special assembly for teacher's day celebration. All the 'praises' and compliments given by the audience have made me ponder... if there is another opportunity given, should I take it?

Driving When There's A Jam

A red Savvy played her right signal light indicating that she wanted to move into the lane I was driving. Seeing the light blinking, I didn't hesitate but to slow down and let her move in. I could feel myself grinning. Why? The moment I saw her hand raised and waved at me, I could feel that she is thanking me. I do have the same habit and I call it 'giving five ringgit', especially when you raise your hand with all your five fingers shown upright. Sometimes I do get a 'fifty cents', but not to worry, it's not from a road bully showing me his/her fist. I would say most probably s/he has a small hand.

Jam, it's sweet when you can spread it on bread and cakes. Jam, it's bitter when you are stuck in one. It's even more bitter when you are in your car, observing other drivers around you having one thousand and one facial expressions. After a long day of hard work at the workplace, do we deserve to be stuck in a jam, you may ask. Everyone is longing to reach home and may be trying their best to reach their destination as soon as possible. I think at this very moment, if there were snails or tortoises walking beside us, even Kancil, Rusa, Kenari would have to raise a white flag.

There was this moment where I called it coincidence, when my hubby told me to look on my left. Lo and behold, this lady driver in a car next to us was singing the song I was singing too! Well, I could read her lips, hehe... Obviously, we were listening to the same radio station, enjoying the same song! How often can you have such coincidence? It's very rare indeed. I felt happy at that moment and could see myself grinning from my reflection of my car's side mirror.

Back to the signal indicator... Is it so difficult for the drivers to provide a sign whether they have decided to turn left or right or to more into the left lane or into the right lane? Is it so tedious to lift a finger and push the device? I've tried not giving any signs and what I got was stares of anger. Giving a signal is sort of asking a permission. It doesn't show that you are a weak driver or an uncool one. Most of all, it reduces unwanted problems and everyone is able to head for home safe and sound... well, minus the heart attack given by some drivers who are fickle-minded.

Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

It was last night. We've brought our parents to a restaurant in Uptown to have a dinner to celebrate Mother's Day. As we were all quite hungry, we hurried into a restaurant. As soon as I entered the eating outlet, I looked around for a comfortable place to be seated. Having chosen a table nearest to the entrance of the restaurant by majority, I just agreed.

At first, I found a bit difficulty of getting into my seat that I mumbled, making a little remark on the customer next to our table under my breath. Why couldn't she sit properly by occupying the whole chair? Such inconvenience to us all... Anyhow, I sat on the other side and kept asking if my parents were seated comfortably despite the narrow gap in between the chairs.

Half way through having our dinner, the customer was lifted by another two in order to vacate her seat. That was the time when I felt my eyes welled with tears, not too obvious to be seen by my family members though. I felt apologetic and kept on praying for her.

It has never crossed my mind the difficulty and illness that she is facing until my mother uttered 'Parkinson's disease'. My heart sank deeper. That should teach me a lesson! From then, I keep on reminding myself to never judge a book by its cover, especially to this poor sickly lady and her close friends, who are kind enough to bring her out to see the outdoors. I ate silently and chanted a prayer for her seeking for her forgiveness and wishing her all the best.

My Owlie

This is the owl that I've made some time ago. I used pieces of printed cotton fabric and a few different colours of felt. The pattern was taken from the craft magazine 'Get Creative' (page 78-79) that I've bought for only RM12.90 as it's a past issue. I was supposed to enlarge the pattern image to 300% but I didn't have enough material for such a big owlie. 300% is big enough for you to hug! Maybe someday when I manage to scavenge a big piece of cloth...

I hope I'll be able to sew more cute toys and trinkets in future and share them with you here in my blog. Have a nice day, everybody...