Saturday, January 31, 2009

Keep working!

If you have a job, stick to it (unless you have an offer or two to choose from).

If you don't have a job, go look for a job. Or rather, make full use of your time, like helping out at home, take up new hobbies, improve your skills, etc.

For me, i'm thankful for the job that i have, and despite of the ups and downs i have, i'm loving it, and learning everyday!

Anyway, this is a piece of new i got a few days ago from The Star online:

Not the time to be choosy about jobs, says Abdullah

IPOH: This is not a time to be choosy about jobs.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said jobs were plentiful in the country, as shown in the number of migrant workers in the country.

“They are willing to come here to work although they are not well paid.

“I want our people to take over the jobs now held by the immigrants,” he said at the launching of the Rural Action Plan at Ayer Kuning.

Abdullah said people should not be choosy about jobs and hoped that factories would stop taking migrant workers.

“We have nothing against the migrants but the interests of our people must come first,” he added.

Abdullah said government agencies should show villagers the economic activities that could be carried out in their villages, adding that the agencies should facilitate the issuance of licences and permits to unemployed individuals who wanted to venture into business.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib said the plan was an extension of the Vision Effort Movement.

“The Government hopes to make villages into advanced, interesting and profitable places,” he said.

Abdullah later told reporters that there was no reason for Pakatan Rakyat states not to implement the plan.

“It is for the good of the people that the Government is coming out with the plan,” he said.

Well, keep working on finding a job, or at your job!~


Love & Peace!~

BC?

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Six months and more to come!~


Melissa D and i

Six months (or 184 days to be precise!) being with Melissa D has its ups and downs, good and bad times. But as we move as a couple, a team, we learn as we go. It's a life-long process, and we need God (and people around us) to teach us how to be better people.

I'm just feeling so darn happy!~ And i pray for many more wonderful and exciting days with her.

Melissa D, the love of my life, I LOVE YOU!~ And HAPPY SIXTH MONTH ANNIVERSARY!~

P/S wouldn't be doing this so often as it might be offensive to people as PDA does!


Love & Peace!~

BC?

Monday, January 26, 2009

Happy Chinese New Year!

For all you readers who ushered the Year of the Ox and collecting (or giving) Ang Pows, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!~

I spend the morning jogging with Melissa D and Aunty Moy, and had lunch in their place while watching Grey's Anatomy. And the night before, i was introduced to Melissa D's relatives and cousins at her grandma's.

The girls laughed when i was introduced, which i assume that they were thinking, "Oh, look how fat he is... *giggles*"

Hence, the morning jog was necessary... more is needed indeed!

And like every other Chinese New Year, it's pretty warm... no cool day like some newspaper reported.

Anyway, despite the economy recession, it's best to keep a positive outlook, do your best, expect the worst and pray for good things to come. That's all i can say.

As my friend wrote in an SMS message,

'may the ox provide food for our cute hungry tummies such as ox burger, ox tail soup, ox pau, ox char kuey teow... and Oxygen!"


Just breathe as you spend time with your love ones, ya? HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!~


Love & Peace!~

BC?

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Words do hurt (and they hurt bad).

I'm really feeling bitter and angry inside - and now i finally understand how Melissa D felt when someone told her that we were being a tad too lovey-dovey (though, i still find that advise a little ridiculous).

Anyway, a 'Weird-Jolly friend' of mine, who have not been talking to me for months, indirectly insulted me when she declined to respond to me while i sent her an instant message.

I really felt hurt inside when this fellow turned me away.

Honestly, i would like to know why this friend isn't happy with me, or at least why the fellow has been avoiding me.

Well, life is simple, and circumstances make it difficult.

I guess if she doesn't want to talk to me, then, i suppose the friendship we had was worth that much only?

If you do not want to be associated with me or talk to me when i tried to talk to you, then i'm sorry that it has come to this. I do not want to hate you; i'm just being ignorant now.




Love & Peace!~

BC?

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Good Ones Go Early.

Sara: What should we toast to?
Hitch: Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.


Taken from the movie Hitch


Early last December, my paternal grandpa passed away. I didn't get a chance to talk to him for the past five years, and my last grandparent just went off. Five years, and i made no effort to contact him.

A couple of weeks after that, before Christmas, my cell group member's brother passed away in UK due to pneumonia. Both my friend and husband, who's our cell leader, arrived there only to discover it was too late. He was a photographer in a Chinese daily in the past.

The memorial service was held in church on Jan 1, and we're happy that he accepted the LORD before he left us. Though, we all agree, that at the age of 28, it's just too young to go.

A few days back, a jovial counter-part of Melissa D and i passed away due to liver and kidney failure. After being in ICU in the whole of December, he was finally ready to let go and meet his Maker.

Here's the article about him:

A Tribute to the "Punny Guy"

By NG SU-ANN
ng_suann@thestar.com.my
Jan 6

HE was known as the ‘punny guy’ and he was proud of it. His tongue-in-cheek wit never failed to bring a smile even to the gloomiest face. Mine included.
Assistant chief photographer Lim Hong Leong who passed on at the age of 50, is fondly remembered for coming up with several quips. Instead of the usual “jom pi makan (let’s have a meal),” he would entreat us with “let’s go stuff our face” or “we go for CKT (char koay teow).”
When asked about his interests, he joked: “fast cars, women and wine but not necessarily in that order.”
Another of his mischievous remark was “God gave us relatives but thank God, we can choose our friends.”
Even in Facebook (a social networking website), his humour was distinct. He named his virtual pet which was a crab - “dinner.”
Reporters could recall him entertaining them while waiting for VIPs during assignments. One could say, he was the life of many events.
Lim, who joined The Star’s Penang office in the late 1970s, was described as a Jack of all trades. He worked as a driver, a paste-up artist and a clerk before joining the photo department in 1981.
A senior journalist said: “When he was a clerk in the Butterworth office, he showed a keen interest to learn about photography.
“So, we let him take photos for us when we went for assignments. He did this voluntarily on his own time and never claimed for the photos.”
Penang chief photographer Ng Ah Bak said he and Lim had a good working relationship throughout the years.
“He was never the type to bear grudges. If he was upset about something, he would have forgotten it the next day,” he said.
Ng added that Lim was like a beacon of sunshine in the photo room and this attracted many reporters to come in and have a chat.
He was a jovial father figure to rookies and trainees alike. His positive outlook of life made him easy to get along with.
When reporters wanted to know which photographers they were assigned with, he cheerfully sang out: “Me, you and a dog named Boo!”
Apart from his wit, this instance clearly outlined his passion for music.
In his church, he also played his guitar when leading praise and worship sessions.
And there was never a silent moment in his car because his trusty CD player often had to work overtime churning out everything from jazz hits to ballads.
Another colleague Ronnie Oh said he noticed how neat and meticulous Lim was when they travelled for a sports event in Terengganu.
“He would put his toiletries in one corner and his towels neatly folded in another. His car is also spotless,” he said with a smile.
And when The Star was suspended in the 1987, the never-say-die Lim worked in his aunty’s textile shop temporarily while waiting for the company to resume operations. His faith and patience paid off after five months.
And in 1984, he won a gold medal for taking a photo of a nude man! To this day, many old timers remembered this photo which was aptly called ‘Sunday Streaker.’ His photo was adjudged by the Kedah Photography Society as the best of many entries from the northern region.
His constant advice to young photographers was: “take pride in your work.”
Lastly, his strongest attributes were being a devoted husband and a doting father.
Lim would always place family above everything else. He referred to his only child, Hui Ling, 22, as “my sim kua (heart).” She was clearly the apple of his eye.
His wife, Ong Lean Bee, 47, said: “He did everything in the house from winding the grandfather clock to paying utility bills. When I wanted to watch DVDs, he would switch the player on for me and later switch it off for me. I’m so lost without him.”


During his wake, one of my counter-parts asked,"Kenapa semua orang baik mati awal, eh?"

Another the cuts in, and said,"So, semua kat sini jahat lah!?"


Well, i asked myself this question when my mom left us over a decade ago. Yes, it did leave a void in me; a special soft spot that no one can fill.

But what i do know is live is too short to waste. Too short for us to sulk over regrets and mistakes. Too short to complain and whine. Too precious to lose.

Everyone should learn to cherish and savour the moment and people around us.


"....Raise a glass for ignorance, drink a toast to fear
The beginning of the end has come that's why we all are here
Strike up the band to play a song and try hard not to cry
And fake a smile as we all say goodbye
Goodbye."


Taken from Jars of Clay's Goodbye, Goodnight


Love & Peace!~

BC?

Monday, January 05, 2009

Smile!

Taken from PostSecret.com

2009 is here to stay, and as many make resolutions, i hope one of it would be this one simple request - smile more often.

In a world where everything doesn't go your way, or work out as planned, one important thought is to keep smiling; keeping a positive attitude as you go through your day, either at school or at work.

Why worry about tomorrow, the way you look, or even what's ahead of you, when you have the present to savour. Carpe diem, take up the opportunities you have today.

Even if you have not made any resolutions for the year, i believe it would be important to learn to smile.

After all, why look at life half-empty when it can be enjoyed half-full, eh? Have a nice day.



Love & Peace!~

BC?