Happy Independence Day, Malaysia

"I didn't know you are so patriotic" - a friend quipped.
Another sarcastically commented that my beloved country is not paying for my livelihood today.

I won't claim to be a patriot but no matter how far I have traveled and moved on to, a part of me will always be rooted in my homeland. I am who I am today because of my roots. So, on this day, I am proud to shout out to the world : "Merdeka!"

Not forgetting my all-time favourite Independence Day song. It is blared from speakers across the nation on this day every year, without fail.


Go here to listen to the YouTube and sing along.

Love you loads, my beloved Malaysia.

Restlessness + Tiredness

 Mind running at 100 mph but body wants to stop.

When the bombshell was dropped late last week, that's how I have been functioning since then. Wanting to do a million things all at once. Thanks to experience, I now have a tiny voice at the back of my head that goes "Stay focused. One task at a time. Filter out the noises. Keep goal in mind."

Fruit, as much as I dislike you, I guess we are in this together.

Couple more weeks and the roller coaster ride begins.

Divine Intervention

Just when we thought we've come to the end of the rope.
Just when we're fighting so hard to keep it all together.
Just when we believed that we're truly trialled.

The pieces just fit together, somehow.
Our smiles reaching the corners of our hearts.
Your excitement tickling me inside.

And as temporal as we may be,
we do believe that something has fallen into place.
And finally.
We see the light.

Because we never stopped believing.
Because we soldiered on relentless.
But most of all, because we deserve it.

You and I.
We definitely deserve to be happy.
Together.

What doesn't kill, strengthens

Instead of worrying too much about how I am able to carry the added responsibility placed on my already-tired shoulders, I guess I should be thankful to be presented with the opportunity to go further than most folks are allowed to venture.

So, thank you to a dear someone who sent me this today.

The fun part starts after 0.52 secs.

So stronger we will grow! :D

Of love and family

When we commit ourselves to another person, we are actually committing ourselves to the family as well. By extension, that is.

Sometimes I wonder, do folks really get this?

Do they really think that they can be happy if their other half tells them "I love you and I don't care what my family says/thinks about it. Heck, I will disown them if that's what it takes to be with you!" Or "As long as we love each other, what our families think of/behave towards us is of no importance"

Years ago, I used to believe Love is the Almighty that yields above everyone and everything else.

Years later, I still believe in the power of Love but I also learnt to believe that family plays a pivotal role in the health and happiness of the relationship. And I also learnt that to be truly happy, one must learn to manage the entire combination in order to obtain the best equation.

Easier said than done, for sure.
But absolutely necessary, I believe.

Maybe it's a culture thing with us Asians.
Or maybe it's just me.

Cutting the rope

A recent late-night conversation with a dear friend reminded me of something.
A very important life lesson.

Go here and here to read about how Batman reminded the writers of this important lesson too.

For as long as our comfort zones are there for us to fall back on, we will always be limiting ourselves to a certain degree. Only when we let go of that fear of failing, that we will truly succeed. Either succeed or die.

So book that one way ticket, baby.

For as long as you don't keep looking back, the only way is forward, yes?

New experience

Most times, we sail through well. 
Sometimes though, it gets tough and on those tough days, each hour seems to crawl slowly by.

And as time inches on, I feel frustration tear at my every cell. I know you feel the same too.
Yet, we keep up a brave front. To others and to each other.
Focus on the positive and push away the negative.

"I'm not used to this, you know. I don't usually hold on to something that hurt me. I usually fling it out and move on", I told a good friend today.

"Take it as a new experience. Give it time and something spectacular will happen that'll make you realize that what hurt you is no longer important", the good friend said to me.

Well, I am not sure if I am liking the new experience.