Ha! Damn true!

After getting dumped by boyfriend

Expectation:

Reality:

Repost from: http://expectationsreality.com/post/8546200541/after-getting-dumped-by-boyfriend

Snow-skin mooncake

Ingredients: Lotus paste; Walnuts; Cooking oil; Hong Kong flour; Cooked glutinous rice; Icing sugar; Banana essence; Shortening; Cold water; Hot boiling water

Three people + Ingredients + Five hours = 120 mooncakes + Aching shoulders

(I'll put the pictures soon!)

The five year motivation plans!

My five year plan (2011-2016), in no order of priority:

1. Obtain driving licence.
2. Be a certified yoga teacher.
3. Learn how to cook.
4. Travel to Africa, America and Antarctica!
5. Buy my own house!

• Driving Licence: Just aiming for auto licence, hopefully I can pass on my first attempt by November this year. I just get so drowsy when I am on the road. My body somehow just switches off when I am on the road, which makes me a pretty good at travelling long distance. That also explains how I do not get jet lag on a 33 hour journey from Singapore to Brasilia :)
• Yoga teacher: Am quite addicted to yoga since December last year. Unfortunately, with a screwed right knee and a strain hamstring I am not able to advance as much as I hope. At the beginning, my hamstrings are really tight but it is really so much better. The sense of achievement of being able to do a new move every few weeks is quite exhilarating. Last month Ash threw down the gauntlet: By end of October, I was to do splits. Ouch! Secretly, I love the pain from the stretching, as what my teacher always say: "Enjoy the sweet pain".
• August 2011: Marks the first month where I will learn how to cook properly. Hence, for the next five years, I will be learning a new dish every month. Maybe I will document some of the process here. The first dish learn this month is Snow-skin Mooncakes! Awesome! :)
• Complete my seven continents travel by the time I am 28! Oh My Gosh, I need a travel partner! Please leave a message if you are interested to go to any of these three places! :D
• Assuming the end of the world is coming in about two years time (as analysed by the "planners") I think I may be able to save enough for the deposit. Woohoo can't wait to own my home! First step to independence! This gets me really motivated in life.

Desire earnestly

Today's conversation made me realise something. I am losing my focus. In the midst of trying to get in what I wanted, I was diverted by promises of other things. It is time to get it back. Explore and see the world. But what should I really do so that I will have a competitive advantage over others. In terms of leading a more quality and fulfilling lives, health is the most important thing and should never be compromised. Treat your body like it is a worthy temple for God. I had been working hard to achieve the certification. Yet, because of the rejections and the disappointments I had with looking for other opportunities I neglected on how I should move myself forward in my career. Must not forget that I have a dream in mind and now I have to really think of how I should go about achieving that. Have to stop micromanaging my life now.

Much

Many things come and go, many things happened this week too.

But anyway let's go back to the original purpose of today's which is titled "Five years from now."

When I read today's paper, I was astonished to find that a minister could mentioned in an interview that she was startled at how much resentment the people have on the government. Personally, I was simply shocked to find out that she actually has lost touched with the folk that much. Well, it seems that those issues repeated relentlessly in that nine days were pretty obvious. Then I realised something. There was this negativity suppressed within me. How so? Guess it was due to fear of being rejected by the society if I were to voice out my unhappiness. Especially so when you read about the outcomes of some members of the alternate parties. In this short nine day, people of all walks of life came together, all the issues were compact and compounded with emotions. On the streets, you hear talks about politics about who they want to represent them and about the pressures of life. It is disheartening to hear that people referring to the ruling party as the government and the rest as opposition. When there is a general displeasure among the people, regardless of how depthless the alternate parties are they will surely garner better support from the electorates. Thankfully, the education made us still rationale. Most voted based on the candidates present in their residential areas. Folks still are clear about who are versed, celebrity-like and air heads.

The state has evolved with times and her people. We have spoken and it is conclusive that we are thankful for the progress and stability but at the same time we yearned for a place that we are not second to others. We should not be slave to material needs but be protected by policies not short-changed to simple economic progression. So much voices erupted will they be heard? Let's see.

Pretty

All beauty comes from God. And I know I am beautiful.

How long will it take to have the light back in my eyes?

I dedicate this song to you

Who do you think you are? To break my heart like this, you lost the love I loved the most.

I know I can't take one more step towards you
Cause all that's waiting is regret
And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore?
You lost the love
I loved the most

And I learned to live, half-alive
And now you want me one more time

Who do you think you are?
Runnin' round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are?

I hear you're asking all around
If I am anywhere to be found
But I have grown too strong
To ever fall back in your arms

And I learned to live, half-alive
And now you want me one more time

Who do you think you are?
Runnin round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are?

Dear, it took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed
Cause you broke all your promises
And now you're back
You don't get to get me back

Who do you think you are?
Runnin' round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Don't come back at all

And who do you think you are?
Runnin round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don't come back for me
Don't come back at all
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?

Leviathan- by Thomas Hobbes

Introduction: Leviathan is a book written by Thomas Hobbes. (Click here to find out more)

Had a crash course in Yale Online on Hobbes and his ideology, it was interesting as this coincides with this year's election. Hobbes mentioned that we make decisions based on rational choice and we do not have absolute free will. Well, I feel that there is free will and it is absolute, no grey in this area at all. The idea of not having absolute free will just doesn't gel for me. Yet, I argue from the same point on rational choice, where we pursue our will and self interest. By pursuing our self interest we need to be free in our thoughts and not restraint or oppressed by others, and one can achieve but sometimes at a huge cost. This cost is how we weigh our decisions. Many times our fears (rational or irrational) decrease our desires to go after them. It is easy to see how we apply this in our daily lives.

A week before my father passed away, I was contemplating bringing him to church and helped him be closer to God. Yet, the fear of rejection was so strong, that when I asked him, there was not enough sincerity and hence it failed. Fear can sometimes not only decrease our desires but inevitably caused us to lose sight of what is important to us and not being able to get the best result possible. So proceed with your thoughtful plan, and do it without fear.

Hobbes mentioned that we are power seeking and I do see in many instances we want to win others over and gather them for our causes. Hobbes was a radical thinker of his times and he suggested "all men are equal" in the 1600s. What is really interesting is that the idea on social contract in which people exchange to preserves their rights. His idea was that good laws should serve the people not just the sovereign really hits the bull eye. It is like a realisation that all this time what I was looking for is whether the elected members are going to be able to serve the people well. First of all, I think they should do it by understanding the people. As we can't expect others to see eye to eye with us, if all we are doing is looking down at them. This does not only apply to the government though. In managing relationships, this is vital.

Sometimes, we are rude to others and we make insensitive comments. Actually, unbeknownst to us what we are really thinking is that the other party is stupid and we are superior, smarter. To us, it may be that we are trying to educate the other person but if we subconsciously doubt the person's intellect, our arrogance will flow through our presence and our tone. We may choose the wisest words to present our ideas, but our body language will betray us. Take a 15 minutes challenge and see if you can speak in this manner and not be betrayed by your actions. The other party might swallow his/her pride to listen to you, but if there is a third party present. It will only disgust them. It is difficult to change, but if we want real respect we have to speak to others not with such thoughts but cultivate a habit of humility and remember that we live in a vast world with many things to learn.

3 months from that day

Today you asked me how I was. I was emotional when I saw your message. You said you were wondering if I was doing fine. How could I? All I could do was to distract myself and pray that I forgive you everyday. As I tried to reply, I typed and deleted what I typed. The anger was lessened but the pain still bears in my heart. Alicia asked me to give myself three months. You said that church there said six months. But what did you do? One short week. Does what you said to me even make sense?!

Your love became a poison.

Every 5 years. (1st time)

This year Singapore's Election is really exciting. Amidst all the "celebrity" opposition candidate, the ones that really impressed are from a party I previously thought was led by a crazy guy. It is really interesting how the media and social media affects our mind. The emotions they create and the ideas they put in us fuelled our buried feelings and some disappointment.

The ruling party was flamed by many netizens by their choice of candidates and them not resolving some issues. I too have my issues and wish dearly that it can be properly addressed and resolved. In the rally, there were many proposals put up, some make sense some don't. Yet, some just choose to keep justifying with no resolutions made. I used to think that I do not care about politics, but this GE has really attracted my attention. The root stems in not discontentment but wishing to see my country moving forward and keep improving. Many tell me I have an easy decision to make, but how can this be so if the good candidate is openly gay?!??!?

The generation Y have led a good life, we grew up in a time of prosperity in Singapore (even with some crisis from time to time). The government handled countless issues so smoothly that sometimes I cannot foresee what will happen if things does not go well. Till date even though there were some blunders made, I truly felt that overall it was still a job done well. I live a sheltered and happy life.

Whenever I travelled and see the good and bad in foreign lands, Singapore is always like a basis of comparison for me. Yet, I felt increasingly out of place. My mother (I love you, Mum!) constant nagging at home doesn't help the situation either. I want to move out to live on my own, but the prices of the houses kept me back at my parent's home. In this materialistic and expensive city, people become brand concious, and many are always worrying about their bills. It is sad but there seemed to be a high proportion of people here always worrying and complaining. I don't think complaining is a genetic defect. It should be more of a society issue. Hopefully, someone can persuade me to vote for him/her by 7 May. If you want to get the 14k a month pay, you better do a damn good job in convincing me.

The lightning vs The rocket

Who strikes who?