She
May be the face I can't forget
The trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay
She
May be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day
She
May be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell
She may be the mirror of my dreams
The smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell
I have a friend. Her name is Peggy. I knew her for about 3 years. We met through this wonderful but collasping workplace at Raffles Place named Ananda Travel. At that time, her friend who just quitted introduce her into the company. I remember vividly how our friendship started. I dont usually approach people first. I used to wait for people to come to me instead. On her first day though, i approached her and ask her if she want to join me for lunch. There's how our friendship began... A simple "do you want to lunch together?" started it and since then, she had been my lunch buddy till now (after being in 2 same company).
Im sure many of you close friends have heard me mentioned about her before.. the lady who nags too much but have a very kind heart. :) Peggy will be going back to M'ysia to venture into a new phase of life and i wish her all the best.
Last night, we had a farewell dinner for her. 'We' refers to Bernie, Pris and myself. Our weird and unusal group.. A bunch of very different ladies who became close-knitted friends and enjoy each other's company tremendously. It's funny how fate turns out and well, this makes me smile. Us. So it's all a very good thing.
It will probably be a very long time before we get a "complete" group outing but well.. hope it wont be that long away.
Cheers to *Friends *New Beginnings *Promising Futures *Happiness *Love
I just finished reading a book - a million little pieces.
It is a memoir by James Frey and in it, the author depicts how he fought through his addiction for alcohol and drugs with his determination and self-beliefs. Though it is not something that i usually read and that, the stuff about drugs and alcohol addictions are all in an unknown world far far away from my safe haven.. i find the book compelling and it just pushes you to read on and to find out: did he succeed in the end? It makes you believe that with conviction and self-belief, one can actually work the impossible and that one should believe in themselves. I know it doesnt work that way for eveyone but i like to believe that if one had made the best effort that he/she could, then.. a difference is made and maybe wonders will happen. Is that naivety?
Well, anyway, I would highly recommend this book and i am planning to read another book of Frey - My Friend Leonard.
Meantime, below is an excerpt from the memoir:
"The Young Man came to the Old Man seeking counsel. I broke something, Old Man. How badly is it broken? It's in a million little pieces. I'm afraid I cant help you. Why? There's nothing you can do. Why? It can't be fixed. Why? It's broken beyond repair. It's in a million pieces."
I had updated most of the zoo photos onto FaceBook so do got there for collection else u have to wait for me to burn it into a CD for u okie? We had a wet/sunny/sad/joyf ul/interesting day at the Zoo!
With dearies going on a boat ride
More to come!
My birthday surprise from Yilin, Julie & Phoebe dear
I haven't met up with these 2 dearest ladies for quite sometimes... Thank you both for loving me still, i love ya..:)
Lyn Dearest
George Clooney's look-alike
My Princess Yin
Touching sweets.. Behind every bag of sweets come a story.. Sighs.
Pretties
Missed you so!
Twins? Nope. Not alike, not alike. (For this pic.)
I thank you god for letting me ever connect with 2 of the most wonderful persons in the world. I thank you god for the friendship that WG has created and maintained. I thank you god for this miraclely, fateful kinda karma that revolved around us for the past 12 years. I thank you friends for always worrying and caring about me. I thank you friends for always being there when i turn around and look for you. I thank you friends for loving me always and allowing me to love you.
Hoi An Old Town This amazing red clay figurines are whistlers! *blows*
Hats for sale - Any takers? These hats are amazingly great for protection against the bright sun rays! Though its monsoon season, the sun's still powerful!
Fishermen in action!
Lanterns for sale. The Viet celebrates Mid Autumn Festival too, but for them, this festive season is more like - "Children's Day". A day dedicated for children. :)
On the Road - Early Morning Drive Sunrise along the way to My Son - Holy Land.
My Son - Holy Land My Son - Beautiful Mountains In the past, this place was known as a paradise for the king and God (they are one) to stay. Over here, they worship the Indian God "Siva". Unfortunately though, the ruins are a result of bombing and war.
Looking out of the window We were hiding out in a restaurant while it suddenly seems like the storm is coming.. with electricity being cut off, water in river rising quicking, strong wind causing sand on the ground to fly! In the end, the electricity did came back and we managed to have dinner with a new friend.
That's Peggy and our new friend, whom we met during the My Son tour. :)
At the tailor It was raining and i was lazy to take out the poncho that made me looks like a green monster. :"S Anyway, 70-80% of shops in Hoi An old towns are taliors so do make some clothes when you are there. It only takes one night to complete clothes request, amazing!
At Victoria Beach Resort & Spa - The Beach I finally get to go into one of the basket boat but not out on sea! Basket boats are used for fishing - a tradition for centuries! In the past, it's used in warfare - Reminds me of the movie "Red Cliff".
Cua Dai Beach Nice weather~
See the Mountains at the back? Beautiful!
Peggy and Me
Romance...
At Cafe - Waiting for cooking class to start
Market-ing Before cooking, of course we need to go to the market to understand the ingredients! So love markets. :P
Chickens for sale, any takers?
Boat Ride to cooking school @ Red Bridge
At cooking school Peggy & her pancake. The pancake is yummy btw!
The infamous Hans Market Level 1 - Groceries / Dried food stuff and daily Necessities Level 2 - Clothings + Bags Very much like our chinatown market:)
Sandy Beach Resort The place have nice gardens n swings along with many shady trees and pretty flowers before u get to the beach!
Marble Mountain Things to note when going to marble mountain 1. These are the first slab of steps - 127 steps (much more to come to our horror) 2. After some time, in order to ascend to a place called Heaven - there are no steps: Just footholds, just like mountains do 3. Many praying and statues of Buddhas.. think my mum would love it but the climbing is a prob for me even! 4. Please never ever wear s dress or skirt (note point 2) - bad choice.
Heaven I was supposedly in Heaven already ... but the route up just killed me. No wonder they say its not easy to get to Heaven.. beside doing good deeds, i think one needs to be very fit! ... ... I was enjoying not Heaven but worrying how i would go back to Earth/Hell. The descending part was "interesting" as well.
Motorbike Rides Saw peggy and myself? No we were not hijacked! I finally got on a bike and i totally love the feel for it! One of these days, im gonna go rent a bike when i go to Vietnam again!
Marble Shopping Lovely figurines, ye?
SunRise On the day i was returning... btw, this is not a portrait!
Today comes early for me as i woke up and reality blows up straight in my face the moment i woke up. What am i gonna do from this moment? I really have no idea at all. My options? a) Do nothing b) Find a job c) Go travelling d) Start my own business
The reason why im not doing any of the above (except maybe (a) but im fretting coz i do wanna work) is beacause the mindless me have no idea what i wanna do. I openly admit that i dont know what i want. A'int that the prob all this years?
Well anyway, on a happier note, i am glad to be back though i do have the urge to rush off somewhere else and not return for a while. Another contradiction. I am babbling and that's like such a taboo on this beautiful morning so i guess i will just upload some of the nice pics that i took in vietnam and stop babbling.
Okie, so it's not really as intense as it sounds like my title but here i am, in Hoi An. :) It's my last night here and while the msn message boxes blink away furiously while i type and connect with friends back home, i realised i havent been away for that "long" but somehow it just seems that way. I feel like im in another world here. Could it be due to the fact that i am very much attached to people or stuff back home? Or is it just the very very different environment?
Hmm.. so, it's been 4 days.. This trip to Hoi An have been... interesting to say the least. Soul searching.. maybe that's not so much of why i started on this trip but i do realised quite alot and im not that sure where this is going.. what my thoughts are to be. The past year had been a long one with many changes in my life and well, i have to admit that i had changed alot. For the better or for the worst, i guess i shall not comment. Anyway, yesterday we were going for this My Son Holy Land tour and we got to know this very sweet lady who was travelling on her own. Like Peggy and myself, she had also quitted her job because she realised it was not what she want to do. She reminds me alot of how i used to be.. and the person that i used to want to be so much a period not so long ago.. Interesting, isnt it how looking at another person can actually bring certain perspectives into place?
Oh well... anyway, my trip's not all dreadful or serious with life-boggling thoughts.. It has been fun too and we took lotsa great pictures! We even went to cooking school today! Wel,, i will post the photos when im back. Till then, take care!
So here i am now: Jobless again, looking forward to my next trip which will be commencing in about a few hours time.
Many people asked me about my last day at work: "How do you feel?" I gave them my utmost honest answer: "I dont feel anything". (Many do not understand why.) I can't comprehend what i am supposed to feel either.
Anyway, my friends, i am off to Hoi An & Danang, Vietnam until next week! :) I hope the weather would not turn out to be as bad as the weather reports (its supposedly monsoon season with heavy storms).
You guys take care, have fun and be safe!
The Old Guitarist, 1903
If thou must love me, let it be for nought Except for love's sake only.
Do not say, I love her for her smile, her look, her way of speaking gently, for a trick of thought that falls in well with mine, and, certes, brought a sense of pleasant ease on such a day.
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may be changed, or change for thee- and love so wrought, may be unwrought so.
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
A Rare Talent: Artworks~
She
May be the face I can't forget
The trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay
She
May be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day
She
May be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell
She may be the mirror of my dreams
The smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell
Lyn Dearest
George Clooney's look-alike
My Princess Yin
Touching sweets.. Behind every bag of sweets come a story.. Sighs.
Pretties
Missed you so!
Twins? Nope. Not alike, not alike. (For this pic.)
