hello 400d.

due to the demise of my digital camera, i recently blew the dust off my beloved. i've missed you. haha. it's not dusty, just that it has been a long time.

1st floor view.

funny how many satellite dishes are there while i don't even have a television in my home. nor do i need the distraction.

hello to my old buddy and my new short hair do, which i <3.

it's rather much like <3, started with hate and now I love it.
isn't that profound? ;)

if you lost your way, this may be a good film for you

and for people who is looking for an alternative direction in living your life. I must say I was really up for the What's in your backpack philosophy until I felt disappointed with Clooney's character change of mind at the end.

The feeling was like how you admire a public figure or someone's image from the outside until you know that they're human. Timely example: Tiger Woods.

Up in the Air tells you there's no perfection in life even if you're looking as good as George Clooney in his 40s. Or as bright-eyed graduated-top-of-the-class, dynamic like Natalie (Anna Kendrick) or as a seemingly strong, gorgeous, middle age woman like Alex (Farmiga).

Perfection is different at every age or person. Perfection is acceptance of human flaws.

One thing you do really learn is to travel light and always line up behind Asian businessmen.

I enjoyed journey-ing with Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham. He was a cold and insensitive character with all the wrong reasons for being detached from the world. He surrounds himself with a lot people but always not available.

He's the character you will envy at first because you have all this relationships, work, money, debt issues and you see a guy with a career, glamor perks with American Airlines, a fast paced life, no rental to worry about, no wife no kids; well, no responsibility.

Then you see the subtle loneliness but a lot of justifications or self-talk was needed to keep him "sane" until two characters came into his life; Natalie(Kendrick) and Alex (Farmiga).

And then came his sister's wedding, and he found himself in a whirlwind marriage where he was given a reality check about what life is all about? For a man that does not believe in attachment like marriage, it was the beginning of his turning point.

You see more marriages failing, more people losing their jobs than getting a bonus, and then you hear people telling you that is life because you are meant to go through it, all; study, get good grades, work, have a family, till 65, retired, and die. And then you start wondering, is it worth it? Is this life? Is this how it's supposed to be?

Up in the Air is a movie that covers all aspects of life. It's timely, funny, dramatic, reality with the exception of really good looking actors in it. It talks about success; and success is going through failure to failure without losing the enthusiasm.

Malaysia, only you

You know you've read one of those 50 things you learn in a Korean drama etc etc. I think by now, we should have 50 things you learn in Malaysia or from Malaysians.

Here's to name a few:-

When you try to give a better direction to the taxi driver because you're obviously want to reach your destination on time, he suggest the normal way by giving an excuse it will be okay. At the turning point, he turns to you with a *evil* smug and say "Oh, maybe it won't be the same when it's raining". At that point it is raining cats and dogs.

Data Entry seems to be the "only" way to make extra income. Why? #earnwhatyou'reworth

Forget Chivalry. Courtesy is dead. That's the least people can do. Thank you? Received with thanks? Noted? Hello?

Taking a chance. Betting on the fact that your life is longer than a cat's. For instance, rushing through the traffic light even when it's turning red. Green=Go, Yellow=Go faster, and Red=Take a chance.

Gratitude is also dead. There may be political issues going on like Royal London Circus, the once upon a time where you get rebate coupons to go as a student (how exciting it twas!), it may be a bad timing at the moment, but the more complaints, the less smiling how-are-you? , the i'm-having-a-bad-day or F off on your forehead, it's not going to get better. Really.


What exactly Malaysians need is:

1) More Personal Development

Stash those horror, mystique, voodoo, gossip magazines away and start picking a book, or an audio or watch a movie that inspire you.

2) to Feel better.

Gratitude list. Hello? Law of Attraction, The Secret? What you focus more, will become bigger. So more #Ithankyoufor, the more positivity you're going to attract. Geddit?

3) Solidarity

Kinship and shared social values. Taking up responsibilities as a unit, community of feelings and purpose.

4) Be more of a decision maker.

Either you make your own choice, or someone else will dictate yours (read:your life). If you're not happy, then don't stay that way. We are people, we can change. If you don't like your shape, change. If you don't like your hair, make an appointment at your fav saloon. If you don't like your job, do something you like. The only reason why we suffer so much is that we give up. Dreams and Aspirations and Passion is what make of us, our core right down to our 100 trillion cells, which can think. How else a person with a terminal illness can recover? Can you imagine how dynamic our body is? 60% is in the mind, the thinking, decision.

We can do better. Definitely.

Taken with Mr. Koon Yew Yin @ Perak Academy's Talk Series: The Conquest of Happiness

"If you're doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, that's insanity"

two major subjects

that you need to know and master. Everything we do revolves around these two things. It's true when they say, "You can run but you cannot hide" *adds the cliche evil laugh*

of life and people.

"Sharpen your interest in two major subjects: life and people. You will only gather information from a source if you are interested in it." —Jim Rohn

pic by shahril @ gentleman who taught me my first salsa steps

for instance, maybe take up a new hobby: salsa anyone? ;)

It's not the "How", it's the "Why"

I stepped into the business quadrant exactly a year ago and constantly finding there's so much to learn because when you learn so much, you just realize that there's so much more that you do not know.

The only thing lacking with a lot of people is that they focus on the "how" hence the thinking-too-much syndrome and not "why" the reason they're doing for in the first place.

Many people worry about the ending, when they should be starting. If the Wright brothers worried about landing, they wouldn't think of flying and we wouldn't have airplanes today.

For starters, I would recommend this, Vision Board. There are many things I've achieved with the Vision Board. I have a little scrap book that I pasted pictures on. You wouldn't believe how many things I've achieved or experienced because of it. If you didn't know me, you would just pass me off as lucky. But little did anybody know, my little success comes a lot from my strong belief on the Vision Board.

There are four types of believers:

I want to believe...
I like to believe...
I hope to believe...

and

I believe...

Which one do you want to be? Success begins with a choice to believe.

Change begins with choice

Your choice. Like success or knowledge which only comes to those who seek.

Funny, how the other day I was with my dad and he asked me a rather amusing question. "How do you know so many things?" Without thinking, I answered, "Knowledge didn't fall from the sky for me, I seek it, and that's how I learn".

I don't understand a lot of things, I only seek.

and why do people change? you might wonder. Like how we garner knowledge, we make a choice. Most people are too scared, even I get the anxiety to change but it's the only permanent thing. Like how I saw a quote posted by my friend, Jamie who posted on Facebook, "What's the biggest room?" "Room for improvement!" Aye to that!

I get agitated when I don't agree with other people's thinking simply because I have different values and principles. So, morale of the story is, "Don't get angry when someone has a different perspective, because not everybody adopts the same values or principles as you"

Take the simple approach, and stop analyzing too much. You would age more gracefully, that's for sure.