What ails you, my friend?

If you are one of the six billion people on this planet then you would be suffering from at least one or several of the many problems that plaguing humans.
That is, you could be worrying about your health, you are frustrated over a stagnating career, marital woes, blues over your teenage children, the politics in your own country or a God who you think doesn't seem to be bothered with you.
First, you are normal. Two, easy it may seem, you should not worry too much because a lot of it are mirages and only about one per cent of the problems cannot be solved by you alone, and if you can't control the circumstances, why worry about it?
Ask yourself, what's the worse thing that can happen to you today, or tomorrow. Okay, you can drop dead. Well, if you are dead, then earthly problems should come to an abrupt halt for you.
If you are worried about the grieving people you left behind, don't. They will soon get over it. It's human nature. Human beings have a built-in mechanism for self-survival. After a while, they just lose any attachment to things or people who they love. Life, whether you want to believe it or not, does carry on, regardless.
If you are rich, you have no material worries, only those in your imagination or things you created for yourself. If you are poor, then you can help yourself by improving your financial situation.
There are many ways of doing it. One, you take on another job. Two, you work that much harder. Three, find people who can help you. If you desperate enough to want to improve your income, there are always ways to do it.
On health, nobody or very few people are born to be sick. It is one area that you can actually control. Unless you are hit by a flower pot while walking underneath an apartment building, then you will probably live out your long natural life.
If you follow a sensible path, you will live to a ripe old age. Happiness is part of the human package. Joy is inherent in every single person who walks on earth. Sorrow and misery are usually self-inflicted. If you do not allow yourself to be sad, nobody can make you miserable.
Tell yourself every morning when you wake up that today is another chance for you to do better. Tell yourself you are the captain of your own fate; that you steer your own ship; that you will henceforth make use of the winds to adjust your sails to go the direction you want.
Remember, your time on earth is limited. Go for the jugular as far as life is concerned. Aim for the skies, reach for the stars, dare to dream the impossible dream. I know these are all cliches but cliches are apt if they are applicable in life's situations.
You may, if you wish, chuckle at adversity and laugh in the face of sorrow. It is your right. Be crazy a little at times. It helps to alleviate whatever mental burdens that may be weighing you down.
Don't be intimidated by problems, Take them on. Heck, take them all on - just for the fun of it. Why go through life doing all the little things? Where's the challenge in that?
Aim high, think big and go for the No. 1 position - all the time. That's fulfilling your life's mission.
So what's ailing you? Think you are unlucky or being cheated of what's due to you? Blame God? Blame your parents? Blame your family? Take a trip to the nearest hospital and visit the very sick or terminally ill. You may change your mind after such a visit.
Yes, do count your blessings. Every single one of them. None is given to you without a reason. All that you have, you need. All that you were meant to solve, were there for a reason which you may later comprehend. You are to play your part in life and play it to the hilt.
Walk through the heart of fear, and feel the shadows slip behind you.

Living the life you want

Imagine a life that success is very much part of your persona. You are not only materialistically rich, good health is taken for granted and you are never short of friends and they all love you.
Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? All these are possible, if you dare to dream and dare to pursue your dreams. In this life, everything and anything is possible. But are you up to it?
Are you a dreamer or a doer? Perhaps a bit of both. There's really nothing wrong with being a dreamer, except don't be entraped by it your entire life. Dare to dream and dream big and then build on those dreams.
George Lucas was a dreamer of outer limits proportions. Look where he is today. Steven Spielberg was and still is a dreamer. If Spielberg had not dared to dream, you and I wouldn't be enjoying ET, Indiana Jones and Schindler's List in the cinemas.
Bill Gates and Steven Jobs are still dreamers. If they are not, you wouldn't be enjoying personal computers the way you are using them right now. This world needs dreamers because they are the stuff that realities are made of.
Take a long, hard look at your life as it is today. Are you satisfied? Do you think you can do better? Do you think you deserve better? Well, do something about it.
Nobody is asking you to act outside the law or something illegal. Do something that is well within your capability. Your capability is only limited by your imagination and your desire.
Leonardo da Vinci was a man of extraordinary talents. Yes, he was also a genius, you might say. But then, all of us are capable of achieving success similar to da Vinci.
We are our own greatest obstacles. There's no such thing as failure. Replace "failure" with "challenge". It is a challenge, nothing more, nothing less.
You are capable of doing much more, fantastically more. You want to be a millionaire? Who wouldn't? Set yourself a financial target and work towards it.
Hardwork?! That's just a word. Just do it, or rather begin making plans towards achieving such a target. Don't think that it's too far down the road. Don't bother yourself with the destination. Enjoy the journey.
That's the whole plan. Enjoy the journey. Take the road less travelled and you will find out more, learn more and feel more. Isn't that the nectar of life?
This life, depends on how you view it, is rather short. Some people live up till 100 and learn little. Some live just 30 years and have lived a lifetime. So Albert Einstein is right - it's really relative.
Consider yourself one of the luckiest persons in the world. You are here, reading this. There are others on earth who cannot read. There are those who have not even seen a computer, let alone use one.
Yes, you are lucky. If you think you are not, then let this be your first lesson. Do not let your fears be the walls that lock you in. Be the bridge that links happiness to peace of mind. Be like the eagle which soars high above the earth and sees the "bigger picture".
Everyday can or may be your last. If you have just 24 hours to live, how will you live that day, that 24 hours? Yes, write it all down. All the things you want to do, all the people you want to love, all the food you want to eat. You probably don't have time to sleep or rest.
You don't want to anyway. When your 24 hours are over, you will have eternal rest. Live your life that way and you will understand the meaning of the universe. You will "see" the purpose of life as it is divinely designed to be so.
All of us are meant for great things, do great deeds, or do small deeds in a remarkable way.
Yours is the heaven and the earth, and all in-between. God does not want anything less from you and you should not expect anything less from yourself.

Battle for Jerusalem

FOR two thousand years, Jerusalem has been the focal point for some of the world's most historic moments. It saw the emergence of a carpentar who Christians call the Messiah.
It is the holy place for Muslims. It is the sacred ground for Jews. And it is also the battle ground throughout the ages, and continues to be so today.
Geologically, Jerusalem is nothing but a piece of land no different from any other plot of land anywhere around the globe. However, it held and still holds some of the most poignant and momentous memories for the three great religions - Judaism, Islam and Christianty.
Today, millions of lives hang in the balance over this ancient city. It is described as the place where Armaggedon will take place. Why is there so much attention focused on this city? The answer seems obvious to the communities I have just mentioned. But to the rest of the world, it seems to be the silliest reason to be enemies over.
Will there be a world war over this place? Who knows. The solution lies in sharing the city with all concerned. Easy to say but darn difficult to carry out.
Politicians have sat down down the eons to iron out their differences. They have only arrived at temporary solutions. Warriors fought bloody battles over this piece of dirt, as they say, and after their passing, the city lives on amid rubble and ruins.
Prayers, devotions, sacrifices abound in and over this city of Jerusalem. How ironic that the peace that people crave for in this place cannot be found there. How ridiculous is the fact that the so-called holiest place on earth also turns out to be a place where hostility and hatred breed.
Is man to place? Probably. Where is the answer? In man, of course because the acrimonious bickering began in the hearts of men, and in their hearts lies the answer.
Until and unless man decides to share or give up what they love so that other lives may be made happier, their own existence will not be harmonious. Until and unless, man realises that his neighbour is also his brother or his sister, his life will not be prosperous as it should be.
And so the world continues to spin on the spindle that is planted in the city of Jerusalem. What do you think God has to say about all this? I bet you he thinks that Jerusalem is the place where man will finally learn the lesson that he has taught them through his son but the lesson had been forgotten over the millennia.
Perhaps it is time to remind the children of man again. That love is when you intentionally surrender what is yours so that others can have more of it. In return, you will find out that you have never really given it away. It was received, cherished and returned to you with interest and in abundance.
Jerusalem is the city of God. It was born in hope and built on the foundation of love. The synagogues, mosques, churches that were built there on top of each other through the ages are merely creations of men.
God founded the city on love and with love and that can't be destroyed or forgotten.
The battle for Jerusalem is not what it is defined to be by man, it is a battle to regain what was originally in the mind of God and in the hearts of man. It is the love that knows no time, sees no distance and unites all mankind.
This is the real battle for Jerusalem. It is a fight to return to the kingdom of heaven. It is the place that all men sought throughout history and found nothing or lost his way in the quest for it.
Well, heaven comes through another route, and Jerusalem holds the key. Amen.

Television - a modern scourge or succour?

NOT to own a TV set in modern times is to say you don't own a car. But television has been around for more than 70 years, or slightly more. It has become a source of entertainment and relaxation for hundreds of millions of people across the globe.
TV, claim the couch potatoes, is as necessary as the air we breathe. However, a lot of the air we breathe in is polluted. So it is the same for television.
Quite a number of TV programmes are not good for us but we still watch them. A bit like smoking. However, you want to look at it, the freedom to switch channels is always there.
Many years ago, I found myself in a situation where it was difficult to watch TV at the apartment I stayed in. So those who stayed in the same apartment agreed not to have any TV.
I went without any serious TV viewing for three and a half years. Now on looking back, I actually found the period of absence rather fruitful and beneficial in other ways.
I read books to pass time and I went out more with friends. I learnt to scrutinise other facets of life, whether professional or personal.
No doubt, TV has tremendous advantages, too. For example, breaking news reaches our homes about one minute after it breaks out. Nothing is concealed for long. Not when CNN is on 24 hours.
Then there are the educational and informative programmes. Children learn from watching these programmes like Discovery and National Geographic.
The bottom line is there are the good shows and the bad shows. It is just a matter of choice. If you want, you can watch wrestling mania, the nastiest accidents and the most gruesome murders re-enacted. Or, if you want you can watch travel, space or culinary shows.
Life is one big decision on making the right one, for yourself and your family.
But seriously though, if television would suddenly disappear from my life tomorrow, it won't be such a big deal. I will miss it, of course but I will survive.
I have come to the conclusion that books can more than make up for its absence. An overdose of TV watching can numb the mind. Watching TV is a passive activity. It does nothing for your mind and causes eye-strain.
Little children these days are beginning to wear spectacles at an early age. I attribute this phenomenon to too many hours in front of the family TV.
Will we ever turn the TV to our own advantage? I believe we can but first we must police ourselves. TV is an info, entertainment, educational tool. It's up to you how you want to use it.
If you use it wisely, your life will change for the better. If you engage in indiscriminate viewing or spend too many meaningless hours in front of it, it will only make you visually addicted to it.
Your life will then play out to the scripts on the TV shows. Too much TV viewing will distort your sense of reality.
Television should be used mainly for relaxation and entertainment. Don't make too big a deal out of television. It is an invention to amuse humans.
Like fire, it can either help you or hurt you. The choice is ultimately yours.

The Art of Writing a Best Seller

First of all, do you have the language that goes along with such a deal. Second, are you mentally disciplined to see it through? Third, can you tell a story with heart and a whole lot of continuity?
The art of writing best sellers normally does not begin with the notion of making money. It germinates with a seed of a thought that you have a story to tell and your strongest weapon in your armoury is your imagination.
To tell a story well, you must begin with an outline of the story. It must have a beginning, a middle and an end. There must be a clear thread that links all the chapters.
When you elaborate on a subject, make sure you have most of the facts. You can tell a tall tale but if it doesn't convince the reader, you as the author are clearly in trouble at the end of the sentence.
What readers love most of all is a story written with a heart that is pulsating with life. It must draw the tears, evoke passionate feelings and bring on the laughter. Can you do all that and still be convincing?
Almost everybody has a story to tell but to hold the reader spellbound is an art. Not everybody is cut out to be a first rate writer. Sure, all of us have tales to tell. To be successful at story telling, you must first have all the right ingredients.
Then you have to mix it up in their right proportions and cook at at different temperatures at different times. The climax would be a book that the reader can't put down. Now, that will be a best seller.
Even the thought of writing a book is rather daunting to 99 out of 100 aspiring writers. So to "dilute" the fear of embarking on such a gigantuan project (it's all in your mind), you should tackle one page at a time. Then, progress to one chapter at a time.
But you should have in time how many chapters you think your book should have. Of course, if you are in the company of Tolstoy, you can go on and on until you are totally exhausted and can continue no more. Otherwise, it would be prudent to set a cut-off point.
We don't want to ramble on and on until you bore the reader to death. There's nothing so ego-busting than to hear a comment like, "that guy has written rubbish".
Some of the little details that you should remember are the text size of the book. Don't let the printer print too small a body text otherwise, all those above the age of 40 will avoid reading your magnus opus.
Make sure you have a fairly attractive cover.
All best sellers do not have an insipid flavour. They have the bite of a really powerful tom yam soup. It tends to give you a kick after the first three pages and then it proceeds to throttle you until you desperate fight for air.
Put yourself in a good mood when you are penning your thoughts. Find an inspiring workplace. Work yourself up. Get into the zone, so to speak. And don't forget to have a couple of good dictionaries around the table. We don't want you to make any silly spelling errors.
There's nothing so irritating as wrong spellings. when you have finished writing the last chapter. Go and see a movie and the next day, read the whole darn thing. Better still, make members of your family read it. Be ready to accept brickbats. That's part of the game.
Some best sellers show their true colours after the sixth revision.
Make the book so exciting that even your grandmother wants to read it. If your book elicits no reaction, that means it has failed to lock in on your reader's feelings.
One last bit of advice, be prepared to accept the fact that your maiden effort could turn out to be a turkey. Don't be disheartened. Continue writing. Very, very few writers have successful first novels. Sometimes a bit of humiliation is great for character-building - yours!

So, here are some of the tips:

1. Do you research and do it well
2. Use the right words in all the right places
3. Let the characters in your novel tell the story. It is their show (actually it's yours but don't hog the limelight)
4. Flesh out the characters. Make them believable. Give them some flaws, too. If they are too good to be true, then they are unbelievable.
5. Make the reader see all the details in their minds. Thus, the necessity of details in the most imaginative scenario possible.
6. Touch the heart of the reader and you will fire his imagination.
7. Be ready to rewrite entire chapters. Look, even Picasso threw away some of his own paintings.
8. Don't give up. Tell the story well and then go to sleep.
9. Is there a moral to the story? Readers like to know where you are leading them.
10. Conclude the novel with a feeling of satisfaction on the part of the reader. Otherwise, you would have failed. Nobody likes to finish reading with an empty feeling.

Remember, write from your heart and you will touch the heart. Read as much as possible yourself. All those bits of information will act as fodder for future novels. Be interested in mankind, in individuals and children. These are the people with the most interesting backgrounds.
Most of all, be yourself. When you write a good book, it is as much a reflection of your own personality as it is a reflection of your writing skills.
Do not let your ego overshadow the mission of your novel. Be prepared to get criticisms. That's how you learn.

Much Ado About Nothing

THE state of emptiness is more profound than what ordinary mortals actually know.
It gives credence to the line: "Be Still, and know that I am God." It adds dimensions of meaning to the phrase (as uttered by someone who knows): "The Universe surrenders to the Mind that is Silent."
What do the Masters mean when they say, "in nothingness, thy shalt find yourself." It is the "soul" that we speak of. The ethereal link that hooks us up with your higher self.
It is the part that yogi masters at their highest level thrive on. It is what Zen masters try their entire lives to find, and sometimes they do. Only a few can or have achieved that level.
And yet it is within reach of the most ordinary among us. It is the jewel of our core. Once you have reached the core of nothingness, you find your pristine self and the window into the kingdom of heaven.
It is our true self. Our physical form denies vehemently its existence because it doesn't jell with everything we have learnt or have been told. For those who have glimpsed its perimeters, it is joy everlasting. It alters your perception of all that you have seen or can imagine.
It is the playground of eternity. The Zen masters call it satori. The Buddhists call it Nirvana. The Indian gurus call it Kundalini. It completes your understanding of all there is.
It is the eternally open door to the realm of love. It can and will alter the vibrations of your being. It is a dominion without words. It operates under no human laws or subjected to the principles of sciences as we know it.
It is called Tao long before the word became fashionable. It is a formless form. It is an echo not of sound. There is no time nor space in the nothingness that we speak of here.
If you can sustain its so-called energy, the universe and all there is is yours. Molecular structure, the world of atoms, the synergy that scientists discuss are all within your control.
It is beyond understanding, and yet you know. It is beyond experience of human passions and yet you "feel".
It is being in God's presence. It is being part of Being. It is being there and not going anywhere.
Your purpose on earth is to go as far as you can on this spiritual quest. Be the greatest that you can be, and in doing so touch the hem of the heavens and feel its Force, for want of a better term.
It is a journey without distance. A love without limits. An experience far beyond description. Go on, my friend, you are sent forth.

The Importance of Simplifying your Life

STRANGE as it may seem but you and I were probably happiest when we hadn't had a care in the world. It was a time that all responsibilities of life were left to mum and dad.
All our clothes, food and other needs were attended to by someone else. Our only "job" everyday was to amuse ourselves. We didn't care about what was happening on the far side of the street because mum said we couldn't venture that far.
We didn't really care how we look but almos everybody else thought we were cute in some way.
We were little toddlers then. Remember how simple life was then? And so it seems that the simpler one's life is, the easier it can be managed.
But as we grew up, something happened. We begin to put more importance on our appearance. We begin to think of a nice car, not just any old and second-hand jalopey but a real powerful "monster." It is as if we can't wait to have that extra attention.
By our very own supreme efforts, we have become vain. And if we earn more than our fathers, we may not even want to listen to him anymore. Sometimes in our "spoilt brat" mood, we may even come to the conclusion that mum is just too old-fashioned to keep up with us anymore.
Suddenly one day, we wake up and find that life is beginning to be quite a chore. We have to maintain certain "standards"; keep up appearances at social gatherings and parties; have a sizeable bank account so that others won't think too poorly of us, and think the word God is only reserved for those silly priests who have nothing better to do.
Son, at this juncture, I have something importance to impart to you. If the above description fits you, you are clearly in trouble. If you continue along this path, you will end up being very unhappy no matter how much money you have in your bank or how many exclusive clubs you are a member of.
When an individual loses sight of the finer qualities in life, he loses sight of what it's like to be a real human being. Meaning his purpose in this life has suddenly taken a deep detour and he's, simply lost!
The answer to your daily troubles, your lack of peace of mind and your life of quiet desperation is to simplify your life.
Here's how to do it:

** Try not to own a fancy car. Any car that can take you from point A to point B is deemed adequate.
** Don't keep up with the Joneses otherwise you are going to share their woes as well.
** Keep in mind you are a mortal and the frailty of your life is a daily and stark reality.
** Pray a lot and pray for others. Don't think that God is a stranger and that he's only communicating with saints in heaven. He's waiting for you to talk to him, even when you don't need him.
** Your personal appearance should not be an obsession.
** Give little credence to other people's opinions about you. For example, don't worry if you don't know about many issues of the day.
** Cut down on your plans to go on overseas holidays at least twice a year.
** Don't worry about what you have to eat tomorrow or next week.
** Don't be too caught up with other people's lives. Help them if they seek help but don't be a busy-body.
** Tell everyone you are not particular about food, where you dine and the condition of your sleeping quarters.
** Look upon the elderly as people who have more experience than you, simply because they have the advantage of being on earth longer than you. So maybe you can learn from their experience.
** Don't fish for compliments.
** Don't entertain thoughts of being nominated for some important post so that your name would be up in lights.
** Be kind to everybody, regardless of their social station in life.
** Never allow anyone to fuss over you.
** Don't be sad if nobody remembers your birthday. It's more important if you remember theirs.
** Volunteer to help others for no reason at all other than your sense of priority.
** Love the little children, for they have much to teach you, to remind you and to make you see that the greatest joy is to be an innocent, for such people will enter the kingdom of heaven.

The love of life, the joy of living, the pleasure of simplicity - all these are the natural results of profound thought. And when you have seen the light, gone there, seen it and decided to stay, come back to help the others who have lost their way. For in helping others, you help yourself. In spreading love, you gain it for yourself. In praying for others, grace naturally gravitates to your soul.
Be at peace, my son, for God is looking over your shoulder even now as I speak.

The 10 commandments of Mathematics

I lay no claim to this piece of infographics but it was so cute, I decided to borrow it from another website.



For those who wish to seek further information, I have provided the URL of the graphics which lends a clue or two.

http://www.mathteacherstore.com/middle/midlpost/5-8/titles/ctcm

What Money Can't Buy......................

IT WOULD BE WISE TO MEMORISE THE ABOVE TO ENSURE MANY NIGHTS OF PEACEFUL SLEEP.


After talking so much about becoming rich or how to, I talk I enlighten you a little on what money can't buy. Actually, these are not my thoughts. I saw them somewhere a long time ago.
It was something that got stuck in my head. Here they are:

Money can buy a bed but not SLEEP

Money can buy medicine but not HEALTH

Money can buy books but not WISDOM

Money can buy houses but not a HOME

Money can buy positions but not ABILITIES

Money can buy club membership but not FRIENDSHIP

Money can buy beautiful partners but not LOVE

Money can buy food but not an APPETITE

Money can buy rosaries but not SALVATION

Money can buy titles but not INTEGRITY

The 10 Commandments of Becoming a Millionaire

1. Be disciplined in everything you do.
2. Be frugal and thrifty.
3. Learn to save at least 30-40 per cent of your earnings.
4. Read a lot, especially books written by millionaires
5. Be an optimist. See the good side of everything.
6. Be determined, and unreasonably persistent.
7. Help others to succeed with no conditions
8. Fill a need - something nobody has tried before.
9. Remember to pray everyday for others as well as your family.
10. Money isn't everything but keep a sharp eye on your financial target nevertheless

The 10 Commandments of Happiness

1. Never hold a grudge
2. Learn to forgive, no matter what
3. Laugh often, and make others laugh, too
4. Think of God everyday. Talk to him. He won't bite you.
5. Love yourself first, then spread the love around. It won't run out.
6. Do random acts of kindness
7. Share what you have: knowledge, your time, money (not all of it), experience.
8. Surprise your parents by calling or visiting them, remembering their birthdays.
9. Learn not to worry. Better still, never at all
10. Live everyday as if it is your last.

In memory of my mother

MOST of us take our mothers for granted, until they are gone. Then, we start to think of them in a very nice way. We tell ourselves we should have done this for her, and that for her.
For those of us whose mothers are no longer with us, such thoughts are merely unfulfilled intentions. I happen to be one of these people. But I do have fond memories of my mum.
I remember the times when I was a little boy when she used to pat my back rhythmically until I fell asleep. She usually did that when I am restless or sick or had nightmares. Most mothers would do that same. I remember those times.
There were times when I was already an adult when I actually felt the tapping of her hand on my back as I skirted the fringes of deep sleep. Apparently, the memories of long ago had lodged in my mind and resurfaced at appropriate times.
Most children because of their zero experience in life and innocence actually knew how much grief we gave our mothers with our long absences and mischevious ways.
My mother was no different. When she couldn't take it anymore, I would feel the cane. Now decades later, the stings from the cane had long receded into the recesses of the mind, there are only left the dear remembered face of the woman who rocked my cradle, but in my case it was the sarong and the coils of spring.
The days and nights which I recalled seeing my mother cleaning up the house and washing the dirty laundry with her bare hands have stayed with me. I took very much for granted all the chores which a mother did.
On looking back, I feel a very heavy touch from the hand of long forgotten memory that her daily labour through the decades was very much taken for granted. We never said "thank you". That's the way, children are. I was no exception.
The times she worried about my performance in school. The day I finished my A levels and didn't know what to do next. Her advice was to proceed a little further - all the way to university and told me not to worry about the finances.
For all that, I am grateful. I recall she dipping into her own savings to buy me a motorcycle because she heard that I had to walk to campus and take the varsity bus and hitched rides from colleagues.
And even after I had graduated and didn't have a job, she took out from her meagre savings just enough pocket money to see me through the months when I was job hunting in another State.
My mum passed away about nine years old. About eight years before her death, she suffered a massive stroke and became a semi-invalid. Overnight, she was a shadow of her old self. She could hardly recognised any of her children. She could no longer talk and could almost never walk on her own.
It was a trying time for us the children. At first, I wasn't used to seeing her in that condition. My mother was always one of the most robust and cantankerous women in the neighbourhood. Just seeing her like that broke my heart.
I got used to it and the years passed swiftly. Fortunately, my dad was in fairly good health and my youngest sister was around to take good care of her. For my sister, it became a tremendous strain after a while.
On her death bed, my mother knew her time was near. We called upon our family friend, a priest, to perform the last sacrement. Then she slipped away but not before she left a beautiful smile on her face.
When I saw that, I knew all was well. Finally, her physical discomfort and pains were all over. On the other end of the rainbow, God and his angels were waiting for her. It had been a long ride for her on earth.
Mother's Day is on May 8. My thoughts are about her and the years of joy mixed with years of sorrow that she experienced surged to the fore as my mind is covered with flashbacks of my early years when she was around.
She had done a lot for all of us. It had been good for us all round. I like to believe it had been one good journey for her as well - with five of us siblings as her children. I believe she is smiling at all of us from the other side. We haven't done too badly ourselves - thanks in a large part to her gentle and kind guiding hand.
I remember my mum fondly when Mother's Day arrives, as I shall have wonderful thoughts of her for the rest of my life.

Books - Gateway to knowledge and wonderment

WHEN I was a little boy, I lived in a house that was fairly small. But since all the rest of the brother and sisters were hobbit-sized, the house looked big enough for all of us.
The years melted away and I soon entered my teenage years. Suddenly, I developed an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Since, television in my country Malaysia was still in its infancy, radio and books were the only two sources of information readily available.
My dad was not a reader, neither was my mum. The only things to read were the newspaper and an old set of Grolier encyclopedia and some children's fairy tale books. I recall really craving for more books of substance. My mind reached out and there was practically nothing.
I was frustrated. The years passed and I progressed to secondary school level. Things brightened up a little. There was a public library a couple miles away from my house. I quickly became a member because membership was free.
Every month, I borrowed four books. That was the maximum number the library allowed. I guess at that stage, I bit off more than I could chew. I picked books that were beyond my understand. I was that curious.
There were books on Chinese philosophy by ancient wisemen like Lao Tze, Mencius and Chuang Tze. I read some of these books but could only understand about 20 per cent of their contents. But I was contented with the little amount of knowledge I could absorb.
I recall one book entitled International Communism. It was so boring and dry that I almost choked on it. But being the stubborn person I was, I read it right till the last paper. If there was anything good about me, it was determination and perseverance.
The decades have passed. Now I have passed the half-century mark. My house is filled with books bought, some given and accumulated over the years from different towns, cities and countries.
I am beginning to realise that my house is running out of space for book storage. I am glad I have all these books. They have enabled me to journey to lands I have not step foot on. They opened my eyes and mind to wonders beyond my understanding.
Nevertheless, I am in awe because of the "windows" made available by books. I have read books that have made me cry. I have read books that have strengthened my resolve, warm my heart and brought joy to my soul.
Books truly are one of man's greatest creations and inventions. Now with the Internet, the world of knowledge has been dispensed with its borders. Now everyone and anyone can expand his mind and be educated - all within reach and all at the tip of his fingers.
Every child should develop an interest in reading. I still recall a saying:
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't ready them."
So read till the day it's time to leave this wonderful planet.

This one's for you, dad.

MY dad passed away about seven years ago. He was born in an era which was known as the Roaring 20s. By the time, he had just finished his education, the war in the Pacific had reached the shores of Malaya (now Malaysia).
My father survived the war but not before being shot at by a Japanese Zero fighter plane. It was obviously flown by a pilot who had plenty of free time in his hands. He spotted my father walking along a lonely street, tipped his wings and dove. Opened up his deadly guns and a rain of lethal bullets echoed in the street where my dad was walking.
Needless to say, my dad had the fright of his life and ran like Jessie Owens. He leapt across an impossibly wide monsoon drain and lived to tell the tale to his children. That incident was one of the highlights of his life.
The years that followed blended with the big band music that reverberated through the dancing halls of Penang, otherwise known as the Pearl of the Orient. My dad in his early adulthood had developed a passion for dancing and he was a fast learner.
His buddy at that time, a veteran of several night clubs, was a Malay guy nicknamed Tikus (or rat). He taught a couple of basic steps to my dad and my dad picked up the rest from other regulars at night clubs usually frequently by British residents who had returned to Malaya to run the rubber plantations and tin mines scattered all over Malaya.
In a few short years, my dad become quite nibble with his feet as he tangoed and waltzed through the cabarets and night clubs whenever finances permitted. That love for dancing never left him until the last couple of years in his life.
My dad died at the age of 74. He was a man of few hobbies. Nothing significant as I recalled. One of his hobbies, if you can call it a hobby, is mahjong. Basically, it is gambling.
The Chinese are very passionate about this game of tiles. This passion for mahjong also followed my father for the rest of his natural life.
One of the things that my father did which did rub off on me was collecting memorable phrases. When I was in my teens, I stumbled across an old notebook in my dad's drawer. I opened the pages and out sprung some of the lovely phrases ever written in English.
When I asked my dad about them, he told me that in his school years he met some interesting people who had an unusual command of the English language. Some of the things these friends had written so fascinated my father that he copied them for posterity.
Among the more memorable ones are:
Friendship cheers the faint and weary
Makes the timid spirit brave
Warns the erring, lights the dreary
Smooths the passage to the grave.

Another:
Sometimes in the crowded place, there comes the fleeting vision of a dear remembered face. It strikes some memory's golden strings and awakens the echoing music of the unforgotten things.

I too caught the English language "bug" and engraved it in the walls of my mind. And there the sayings stayed there until such times when I needed them.
My dad also had another passion. He loved clothes, especially new ones. Whenever he had money, he would make a beeline for the clothing shops. He bought them even if he didn't need them. Trousers, shirts, shoes, anything that will spruce up his image.
He bought them, brought them home and immediately put them on. He also had lots of perfume. He loved them all. He loved fragrances. The stronger the better. As a result, our house would always be enveloped by fragrances whenever he walked across the house to leave for an appointment.
His other hobby is being a very serious punter of most kinds of lotteries. After about 50 years, he developed a radar-like sense for winning numbers. I don't know if he was just lucky or psychic but he struck prizes rather frequently in his later years. So most of the time, he was quite cheerful, understandably so, because his wallet was constantly bulging with cash.
Even though my father wasn't highly educated like other people's fathers, his taste for music was world class. One of his favourite LPs was this sad-looking album which had only piano tunes.
The musical pieces were slow and tended to lull listeners to sleep. My dad loved the LP to bits. He used to sit in the dark in his sarong with a cigarette on his lips, eyes half-closed and slipped into dreamland with only the piano music in the background.
Now that I am much older, I am beginning to understand my dad's love for music. Some of his music choices have also left a deep impression on me. For example, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Chet Atkins, Jim Reeves, Pat Boone, Petty Como, Frank Sinatra and Chubby Checker.
I guess in this particular area, I am a bit like my dad. My dad lived life to the fullest he know how.
I have wanting to say all this in writing for my dad for a long time. Now, I have the time and the space. So this is for you, dad. Life is never final. The journey continues.

Call your mom or dad, for heaven's sake

MANY adults never really miss their parents until they passed away suddenly. This happens when you are living far away from them and you hardly phone home.
When your mom and dad are no longer on earth, you sometimes think of them and wish you had been a better son or daughter. There will come a time when you miss their company.
There may even be times when you reflect on those early years when you were still a kid and they worry about you incessantly. Now that you are a working adult and perhaps even a parent yourself, you suddenly realise how you had been a better child to them.
So my timely advice to the reader is: please phone home. Surprise your mom or dad, or both with your cheeful disposition. And tell them, you are coming home for a while, just for the fun of it.
I have now a significant number of decades to my name and in some ways I miss my parents. I lived for many years away from home after I graduated from the university. I went to the city to work and stay.
I hardly called home and I thought my parents wouldn't really miss me since there are five siblings in the family.
By the time, I realised that I should have done this or that, my mom had suffered a massive stroke and she was no longer her usual self. She could hardly recognise me. Her cheerfulness had faded with the memories she lost.
One night I cried in silence for all the times I had not been with her when she was at our old home; for all the times I had not called home; for all the times when I had not cheered her up; for all the times when she had complained about something and I had not listened attentively and for all the times when I should have shown her I loved her as a son should.
So now I am passing on an advice which I didn't adopt and practise. I do this in the hope that someone will hear me and lift the spirits of their mom and dad.
One day, if you are fortunate enough you will be a dad or a mom. You may be lucky enough to have children. And if you are really nice to them or have brought them up well, they will call you constantly and showered you with their love in so many ways.
This is why God created children and make these children parents later on in life so that life's lessons will be beautifully learnt and cherished.
And so the link between heaven and earth will remain strong forevermore.

Bill Moran - the Father of modern damascus steel

Picture: Bill Moran is on the left.


ANY knife collector who's worth the price of his blades should know a little about Bill Moran. He's the icon of the modern knife industry, especially in America. Moran is in his late 70s.
But he has left an indelible mark on quality custom knives. A long time ago, when Moran was starting out on his knifemaking career, his knives were sold at a tiny fraction of what they are worth today.
Bill has been reported to have said: "My knives are too expensive even for me to use now."
Bill started making knives about 60 years ago when he was 14 years old. He didn't turn professional until 45 years ago (1960). Like a lot of knifemakers, he grew up in a farm where his dad was a dairy farmer.
Bill wanted to make knives the old-fashioned way - through forging. That means fire and steel and that involves a lot of hammering.
Good knives and heat treatment go very much hand in hand. In the old days when Bill was just a boy, there was no one to teach him. So he went through the trial-and-error process.
Admittedly, Bill made a large number of mistakes. That's why he's gotten pretty good at it. Thomas Edison, the famous inventor, also went down the same road. Edison made thousands of mistakes. Each one was a valuable lesson. Moran adopted the same principle.
For someone who spends six to seven hours facing heat in the forge, Bill has become very familiar with all things steel. In 1973, Moran revealed to the knifemaking community his new discovery - damascus steel.
Needless to say, everybody was impressed and wanted to know how he did it. Moran gave credit to Hanford Miller as the first person who taught him about damascus.
Moran's virtuosity with damascus soon revived interest in art knives. Some of those pretty knives which you may have seen with silver inlay in their handles were probably inspired by earlier blades made by Moran or his admirers or imitators.
Moran said he makes about four to five damascus patterns. The twist pattern cuts the best, says Moran. And we all take that as Gospel truth because Moran's statement on damascus cannot be challenged, unless you have spent the same number of hours in the forge like he did. Unfortunately for all of us, Moran has decades of headstart ahead of us.
For someone whose early knives were practically not wanted by anyone, Moran has come a very long way. What he didn't foresaw was collectors' interest in his knives. Today, anything that has Bill Moran's mark on them are treasured as investments of the sterling kind.
Moran is also a co-founder of the bladesmith school in Washington, Arkansas. His personal ideals of creating a top-notch school for those who are interested in the fien art of knifemaking were not lost on the directors of the Pioneer Washington Foundation.

Why do you want to be a university graduate?

EVERY mother and father hope for their child or children to reach the highest in education. That would mean at the very least, a university education. God knows studying at the university isn't exactly cheap these days.
Students who come from a less than financially secure background need to do part time jobs or try their very best to obtain a scholarship or part scholarship so that they could fulfil their dreams.
University degree ensures that you are at least employable in the eyes of a number of corporations and companies. There will of course be a handful who were pursue knowledge up to PhD level. Good for them.
For the rest of us mortals, we are quite satisfied with our first degree. No need to remind me that Steven Jobs (Apple founder) and Bill Gates are college dropouts. They are more exceptions than the rule.
A university education guarantees that you have set a fine example for your children in future. You have paved the way for them to emulate your example.
You also have pleased your parents. They would want to boast to their friends and relatives that you have done good, thereby making them share in your glory, too.
If you are still single, and later when you get married and have children, you will know what I mean. Being in university and staying the course until graduation means that you have the foresight and determination to do something with yourself.
It also gives your dad a sense of purpose. It will show your mum how much you love her because you are doing your best to make her proud of you. That's the very least you can do. Afterall, she had washed your clothes and fed you for more than two decades and will continue to love you till she dies. Now, isn't that the best deal you have ever had?
Being a graduate also means you will develop some common sense along the way and be a good citizen and a fine gentleman or lady. That, you will one day, maybe, have the opportunity to help others achieve the kind of dreams you have achieved.
In university, you will learn to be broad-minded. You will find out that you know very little despite the number of books you have read and the countless number of hours you have studied.
With God's help, you may learn some humility. It will dawn on you that you are one of the lucky blokes on earth who has the opportunity to study thus far, while millions of others in the same age as you toiling away at meaningless jobs and living a life of quiet desperation.
There is a divine purpose for you to be a university graduate. It is usually to help others do as well as you, or even better. If you have done that well, then your time on earth is not wasted. Flowers will grow on the ground that you have walked on.
So if you have made up your mind to be a university undergraduate, go so with your heart full of joy and your mind a sense of purpose.
It doesn't mean of course that being a graduate that you have all the answers to the world's ills. Not so. It just means you are one of the chosen ones. Nothing happens by accident in life.
Set lofty ideals for yourself. Spread the good word to others that university education not only opens doors but windows to the world of knowledge.
Don't forget however that having an education doesn't mean you are a genius. It's always better to be wise. And wisdom comes from experience and spiritual enlightenment.
Go ahead, you young man and you too young lady. Strive to be best in your educational endeavour. Make something of yourself. This is a cliche, I know but it is so true that the phrase has survived the ages.
Make a fine example of yourself, so that when it's time for you to leave this world, others will sing praises that they have met you and can truly call you a good friend. Loved ones will talk positively about your great contributions to generations who will come after you and to those who will bear your name.

Winston Spencer Churchill

CHURCHILL is one of those kind of characters who emerged in the pages of history about one every two hundred years. His life is as interesting as any good Hollywood movie.
Churchill himself believed he had a date with destiny and he felt it very strongly when he was called upon to be Britain's Prime Minister when Britain declared war on Germany at the beginning of the World War II.
His early years in South Africa prepared him for a more demanding role in life about 30 years later. Churchill was incarcerated and then he escaped, the subject of which was chronicled into a book which became a best seller in Churchill's lifetime.
The Man of Half Century (Time magazine) has been described as the Last Lion of the British Empire. He has also been described as the man who marshalled the English language and led it to war.
Today, we know of Churchill's exploits in World War II and the stirring speeches he made that roused the entire English nation and fought like a lion with all its ferocity.
Churchill's stirring words at the height of the war still strikes a chord in me today: "Britain will fight on for years, and if necessary, alone!"
I have yet to read Churchill's famous six volumes on World War II. It is a master piece on the war. Only Churchill could have written it the way he saw it.
My Early Years was Churchill's book which initially triggered my interest in the great statesman. I am glad I came across Churchill because in some ways, his words and his speeches have brought positive changes to my life.
Everyman must have a role model. I have several. Churchill just happened to be one of my finest role models. Churchill's bulldog tenacity and his determination have been guideposts for much of my adult life.
Till today, Britons still recognised that Churchill had been one of their finest Prime Ministers in the English history.

The Force of Star Wars

ABOUT 25 years ago, when I was a little boy, there was this movie which everyone was raving about. It was making huge waves in America and soon across the world. Star Wars has since become an institution.
People have used the title of the movie and applied it on everything they can think of, like Car Wars, Company Wars, Sex Wars, Hair Wars, Money Wars, etc.
Next month, if I am not mistaken, the last instalment of a three-part prequel will be screen. It is Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
For those of us who are faithful followers of Star Wars and other members who prided themselves as earth-bound Jedis, this movie marks an end to a lifelong quest in relentless entertainment.
We have seen how Darth Vader was destroyed and now we have flashbacks to see how Anakin became the most dreaded warlord on the other side of the universe.
It is hard to imagine that a movie can be broken up into six parts and stretches over a quarter of a century. Even Lord of the Rings can't top that.
Star Wars has sparked the imagination of a generation of people across the globe. And what a movie it is.
According to the Hollywod grapevine, this sixth instalment of Star Wars is the most interest and the darkest. It is violent, too. But the Force will prevail as usual and we all are thankful for that.
Sometimes when my imagination goes on an overdrive, my fingers wriggle in search of a light sabre. What grown-up kid wouldn't give to possess a light sabre. It is the stuff dreams are made of.
The movie has turned its creator George Lucas into a billionaire and his good pal Steven Spielberg into a Hollywood icon. See what imagination can do for the world and two boys who happened to share the same dream.
I am happy there are people like George and Steven around. They serve to remind us that ordinary blokes can do the impossible if the passion in their hearts are strong and unshakeable.
May the Force Be With All of Us!!

Be nice - it costs nothing

Many people go through life trying their best to outdo others. In the course of doing so, they become nasty and mean without realising so until one day they find themselves sitting all alone at home and wondering why nobody ever calls them, not even their relatives.
There was a time in my life when I came very close to being a person like that. One day, I got lucky because somebody took me aside and gave me a major ticking-off. I was so psychologically traumatised that I was jolted out of my dysfunctional mindset.
From then on, I began to review my priorities. It didn't take me long to realise that I have been a bit of a pain-in-the-neck. Then, I found out that I am just a normal bloke who would prefer others to like me, just like millions of others around the globe.
Not long afterwards, I read with great fascination Dale Carnegie's book entitle How to Win and Influence People. It was such a great book. It was filled with nuggets of wisdom. I guess I was "ripe" for a "conversion". It was one of those life-altering experiences.
Like Paul travelling on the road to Damascus during biblical times, I was struck down and then I saw the light.
Of course, I have not attained sainthood but it was exhilirating to understand at last what life was all about and it costs nothing to flash at smile at strangers and friends.
That was decades ago. These days, I try my utmost to do random acts of kindness and promptly forget about them. Waiting to get credit for so-called good deeds only negate the very actions perpectuated. The idea is just to do it and then carry on with life.
So be nice. Be sincere about it. When you deliberately act like a nice person and you keep at it, soon enough it grows on you and your personality changes. Before long, you become what you have mentally commanded yourself to do.
You will be surprised at the reactions you will receive. People tend to reciprocate such acts of kindness, and they in turn will attempt to emulate you.
There was a movie called Pay It Forward some years ago. It had a theme similar to what I have been saying. It started a chain reaction and it went on and on. What a wonderful theory that translated into something very real on the practical level.
Be nice, I can't repeat that line often enough. Don't try to be nice. Just be nice. It is a quality that is in all of us. Why do you think there is so much untapped goodness in this world and in all people.
When you have nothing more to lose, be nice, for no reason at all; without a thought of receiving something back. Some people will be shocked but when they get over it, they will try it themselves and the process continues.
And it's all because of you. One man can make all the difference. There was a man like that two thousand years ago. They call him Jesus.

Chuckling at adversity

Ever heard of this phrase, "I snigger at misery, chuckle at adversity and laugh in the face of sorrow". A long time ago, I cam across this line and thought it was pretty funny.
After I had composed myself, I realised how wise it was, so I kept it close to my heart. These days when I am in any situation that mirrors the above, I recall the wise counsel of that line and pick myself up.

Blessed are those indeed who see the common thread that links happiness to joy to anxiety to sorrow to pain and to peace of mind. If you can see that these are the faces of a common entity then you would have conquered the ills that have plagued man since the dawn of time.
Treat all these imposters as the same and they will have little or no effect on you. Imagine, if you are suddenly laid off by your employer and on your way home your car suffered a puncture. Just when you pull out the cell phone to call the AAM, the cell phone battery dies on you. When you reach home, you discover that your house has been burgled and hours later your son tells you that he has done badly in his exam. Later, your wife scolds you for no reason at all.
Would you laugh then? Crazy, isn't it? But there's no better time than then to laugh and snigger at the "mad" things that come like an avalanche at you. The person who can chuckle at all these happenings which take place on the same day is a leader among leaders.
And yet anybody can achieve that state of mind. All you need to tell yourself is the thing is only important to you if you attach importance to it. See it in the wide scheme of things.
Fifty years from now or maybe even sooner when Death pays you a visit, all the impermanent things on Earth will be insignificant all of a sudden. Only those who live after you will place any importance to material items. As for you, you will be too busy looking forward to your "new" life elsewhere.
Therefore, learn to laugh at misery and poke fun at sorrow. They can only make you feel blue if you allow them.
Develop the mindset of treating seemingly difficult challenges as imposters. See the lighter side of life. Put on a funny DVD and laugh with all sincerity and watch your troubles melt away.

When is it a good time to retire?

ACTUALLY, never. Man was not made for inertia. I reckon when we talk of retirement, we think of leaving our jobs and live on our pensions, go fishing, read books and travel around the world indefinitely.
Retirement in the real sense of the word, in reality, is bad for us. I have a number of friends who retired and then promptly died soon afterwards. You could say they have given up on life. They saw the pointlessness of a continued existence.
When a person makes up his mind to die, his body obeys accordingly. We can "programme" our bodies to do whatever we want them to do.
Therefore, my friends, don't ever retire. It is bad for longevity. We are created to live out every minute of our life - be it long or short. Every second that is given to us must, hopefully, be put to fruitful use.
In other words, somebody somewhere has benefited from their association with us. We will indeed have made this neighbourhood, this community, this society and eventually this world a better place with your presence.
Retirement is for those who have failed to live up to their potential. Do something that makes you happy. Engage in some activity so as to while the time away. Your work must make the day seem short. The hours become mere minutes to you in the course of your work.
If it is the kind of work that you enjoy, then it will cease to be work. It will be a joy. It will be happiness. Such a state of mind will be reflected in your face, in your very being. You will begin to treat others as you yourself want to be treated.
Your happiness will soon become infectious. You will laugh more. You will dance. You will sing. You will touch heaven while your feet are firmly planted on earth.
Don't retire from life. Be active till it's time to slow down but continue to do the things you love. It may be painting, it may be tending to your garden, it may even be writing things of no particular importance. Do it all and do it with joy in your heart.
You know who are those who have really retired? The people in the cemetery. Don't be like them before your time. You are made for living. So live it up!!!

God looks at me and smiles

IT IS common knowledge that most people will admit to never FEELING God's presence their entire life. Yes, people of all creeds and religions pray all the time. They usually pray when their needs are most urgent.
Mothers prayer that their children will enjoy trouble-free lives. A mother prays most earnestly when her child is gravely ill.
But if you ask them, "do you at any time think or feel that God is near?" They will most probably answer: "God has no time for people like me. I feel I am tested all the time."
How wrong they all are. God, the Almighty, the Old Man Upstairs, the Big Man, The One in Heaven, whatever you want to call him, is always with us. He's nearer than you think, and he's there with you in your every breathing moment.
How do I know? I know because every morning when I am riding my bike to work, I see the sunshine across my path. I feel the cool breeze on my cheeks. It is God smiling at me, like the sunshine. The rushing breeze is like his breath.
Whenever, I hear a beautiful song whose lyrics make me cry with joy or nostalgia, I know it is God who has inspired the songwriter to pen those words. He knows for many of us, the words in songs will remind of all that's good, soothe our tired souls and bodies, rejuvenate our minds, gladden our hearts and remind us that life is beautiful all the time.
Your children are little reminders by God that you have many chances to correct your ways. Even if you are a scoundrel, you would not want your offspring to follow your footsteps. The mere act of wanting your child to do better and be better than you is an act of paying homage to God.
Your loved ones are his constant assurances to you than you are not alone in your hour of sorrow or moments of joy. He shares them with you through them.
Life is for enjoying. Live life to the fullest. God says all these to us through the beautiful sceneries he played before our eyes. He makes you appreciate the wonders of his creation. The beautiful things in life or in the landscape are his whispers in your ear that you owe it to yourself to be happy.
And when you believe he's not around to lend you a hand, he sends a friend to you to lend you money, or even a shoulder to cry on. Everyone who helps you, anyone who crosses your path and helps you in a positive way are his messengers.
He sends angels to help you to your feet - that's why he gives you strong legs. He gives you the ability to make others smile and laugh because he wants you to share all that he has given you.
The Laws of Heaven dictate that in order to have more of what you want, you must first give them all or share your gifts and treasures with all concerned. For example, to receive love, you must first give it all, unconditionally. If you want happiness for yourself, you must make others happy.
I see God winking at me in the evening with the setting sun. I see God greeting me in the morning with the first rays of the rising sun. I see God pulling my legs when raindrops fall on my head on a bright sunny day.
I feel his presence every second of every minute in every hour because I feel the spark of his being in my soul. He is part of me, just as he is part of you.
The next time, you see a beautiful child smile at you, rest assured that it's just God smiling at you. Chin up, he says. Life is great, see it in the eyes of the beautiful child and be awashed with love in the smile of the innocent, for that is what heaven and God are all about.

Pick yourself up NOW!!!

For too long now, you have been whining and wallowing in self-pity. It's time to dry those tears and get on with your life.

Everyone cries now and then. And there may be very good reasons for doing so. But tears while they may be therapeutic at times do not solve problems.

The idea is to make up your mind to keep on trudging and plodding along as long as there is breath in our lungs.
Life is short. Everyone knows that but how many of us really, really take heed of that cliche. If you are now in your 30s, wasn't it that long ago when you were in your teens?
So what has happened to those glorious ambitions of yours? Have you started learning those three foreign languages which you so wanted?

Some people (there are very few of them) just get up and do it, once they know what they want. Several years down the road when you bump into them again, that look of shock will register on your face. Hell! This guy actually went ahead and did it, you would tell yourself silently. Admiration then becomes you.

You too can do it - whatever you set your mind to it. I have done it - repeatedly. Of course, I didn't set goals that were unrealistic. I know most of those things which I believe I can do - I have done.

People talk about going to the real Moulin Rouge (top notch night club in Paris). Well, I have been there, seen it, done it. I am not bragging. It is not something spectacular. It's quite do-able.

I have also been inside the Monte Carlo Casino. Didn't win anything but the memories of being inside that fabulous place are priceless. The memories are as fresh today as they were on that night I walked into the casino.

Travel Europe? Done that, too. Across the continent? Yep. Absolutely magnificent. Anyone can do it. Travel and learn. Cherish every moment.

I love those lines from the Sound of Music - a song sung by the Mother Superior to Maria.
"Climb every mountain, cross every stream, follow every byway, till you find your dream."

It is God's greatest gift to us all. You have the freedom of choice. Make up your mind about being adventurous, going ahead and do it all and do it well. Don't let the losers or whiners wear you down.

Pessimists love company. Don't tally too long in their company. You are a lion, not a sheep. Behave like a lion, move like a tiger and fly like an eagle.

BE THE GREATEST VERSION OF THE GRANDEST VISION OF YOURSELF - and you have fulfilled your mission on earth.

Mother Nature Strikes Back

There have been some very disturbing climatic phenomena over the past 10 years. What is alarming now is that the weather is moving to the extreme level.

Blizzards in parts of Europe; tornados and hurricanes in North America; tsunami in south Asia, earthquakes in the Pacific; and the ice is melting at the Artic. What do all these portend?

You really don't need to have the IQ of a rocket scientist to realise that our Earth is on the brink of some major natural catastrophe. Without being an alarmist, I shall take the risk of predicting that another tsunami is well on the way, except that nobody knows where it is going to happen and how it is going to take place.

But it will take place and it will be soon - perhaps some time this year or even next month. The strange thing is that scientists seem to be pretty cool about the whole thing.

Mother Nature is obviously trying to tell us something. Clearly, man has been abusing the soil, the land and the air he breathes in. All of us who have studied geography or even a bit of biology to know that nothing stays the same after a living organism has been abused, misused and blatantly trampled upon.

Well, visualise the entire scenario on a global basis and you will know that Mother Earth has had enough of all that abuse.

What will be the dire consequences in the event of Mother Earth losing her temper? Nothing much by her standards but by man's standards, it means floods for all the low-lying regions around the world, severe tremors for some countries and irreparable structural damage in a number of others.

A very rough and conservative estimate of human casualties in a series of earthquakes measuring more than 8.9 on the open-ended Richter Scale would be about 3 to 5 million.

In a worst case scenario, we are talking about one billion. Hundreds of millions of years ago, Mother Earth also underwent some traumatic changes. The result was the disappearance of dinosaurs and other animals that simply couldn't fit in the new environment.

I believe we are rapidly careening down that road. Will our science and intelligence help us to avert or avoid such a major disaster? I am afraid not. Humans have the propensity of revisiting the mistakes of their past.

And what is the solution, if there is one? Yes, there is. Pray and lots of prayers.
Prayers are the final frontier for us. Without sounding like a lunatic, I would like to suggest that we get in touch with our inner self. Our inner self is spiritual in essence.

Being in touch with our core can alter the course of things. Mother Earth only opens to that which is powerful enough to reach her. God knows it but we humans don't because most of the time, we are into selective hearing.

This time in the epoch of earth-changing phenomena, I think a lot of people will heed this advice. I only hope it won't bee too late.

Of course, there will be those who will party on. But for the rest of us who are on a constant quest to seek that divine spark, we will find it.

Love and prayers are a powerful combination. Try them when you have nothing more to lose. Soon, it will come to that.

Crazy over Digital Cameras

Recently, I fell head over heels in love with digital cameras. I have been lugging one around for about two years. It is the Panasonic LC20. It has two million megapixels.

For most instances, it is sufficient but like all digital camera lovers, it has become "inadequate". My needs have overgrown my digital camera's capability. Rigth now, I am eyeing the Panasonic FZ20.

Its digital zoom is 12X. What is so amazing is its built-in OIS or Optical Image Stabiliser. In other words, if I zoom in one an object 300 metres away, I can freeze it in an instant and print it in the camera's memory banks. What a mechanical wonder.

Right now, it is about Ringgit $2250. It is not exactly expensive but I am hard put to cough up the money because I have better and more urgent use of those funds. But still, I feel the need to possess one of these Panasonic wonders - this model just captures my imagination.

For a better part of these 24 months, I have been taking pictures locally and abroad. I have learnt so many things. The era of negatives and film is practically over. Step aside, you lowly negatives. Digital is the way to go.

Digital cameras enable one to send pictures over great distances in a jiffy. The Internet has made it possible for anyone to send pictures of happenings across vast stretches of waters.

This is one of the greatest inventions in photography over the last 100 years. I am glad I was born in this period when digital photography has made all our lives so much more pleasurable.

I have long loved photography. I have taken two photography courses during my university days. Those courses have benefited me immensely. Photography has opened my eyes to new ways of looking at things, objects, scenery and people.

For too long, ordinary human beings have taken their eyes for granted. Now through the camera, we are learning a new way of looking at things. And through digital photography, we are able to translate our imagination into pictures for others to appreciate and to view and love.

Three cheers for digital photography and the technology that goes with it. Hallelujah! Keep a sharp lookout - always!!!!!

Do you do the work you love?

Not many people on earth really enjoy the work they do. The majority do it because they have to put food on the table. It is reality.

However, there are a select few who break out of this mould to do only those things they love. These are the ground-breakers, so to speak. They dare to risk. They dare to be different.

When work becomes a chore, it slips into a life of quiet desperation. When you love the work you do, life becomes a holiday. So now and then, you need to ask yourself, am I bringing meaning to my life?

Some people learn to love the work they do, even if in the beginning they had no special feelings for it. This feeling can be cultivated.

The other question you need to ask yourself is: am I fulfilling my destiny on earth by NOT doing the things I love. If your life comes to an end tomorrow, then what is the purpose of your life thus far?

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Therefore, we must try to live the greatest version of the grandest vision of ourselves!! It is our duty. It is our spiritual responsibility.

Too many people think too little of themselves to venture around the furthest corner because they are afraid of what they might find. I say, banish such thoughts. Grab life by the jugular and hang on for your very dear life. Walk on the wild side, once a while and experience what you were born to experience. And that is, life at its most thrilling, most exciting and most tasteful.

So my dear readers, take a chance, you owe it to yourself and your children. You must let them know that if you are able, they are able. Now go ahead and taste the nectar of life!

The Folly of Trying to be Clever

EVERYONE at one time or another wants to be acknowledged as being clever. It is a human trait. The need to look smart and the desire to be on the receiving end of compliments can be overwhelming at times.

So where's the catch? Trying to be clever is dangerous and unnecessary because all of us are unique in our own way. If you are proclaimed as "clever" by your boss in your work place, there is a chance that others may not like it. It is called envy. On a darker side, it is called jealousy.

It's not your fault, of course but human nature is not so tolerant of smart alecs. Being praised once too often can lead to an unjustified impression of one's good-self. It is an easy passage to vanity and you may walk unwittingly into the pitfall of arrogance.

Sometimes, efforts at trying to be clever can be at the expense of others. For obvious reasons, this should never be done. Nevertheless the human ego tends to overlook such "trivia" (not to others though).

Most bosses or even members of your own family are not so obstuse that they are not aware of your attention-grabbing antics. If it happens once, they may think it's cute on your part. More than twice, it will rub them the wrong way. Nerves can be raw and sore after numerous blatant display of such acts.

False modesty does not cut it, too. The best thing to do is always to downplay your intelligence (if you have lots of it). Do it sincerely. That shouldn't be too hard. Actually, the more you know, the more you find out you don't know. It's not Socrates' philosophy. It's common sense.

So be yourself. Everyone is clever on different occasions and at different times of their lives. On that note, I shall leave you with this wonderful phrase.

THERE'S THE WISDOM OF THE FOOLISH
THE GRACEFULNESS OF THE SLOW
THE SUBTLETY OF STUPIDITY
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF LYING LOW

I take no credit for those lines. They were the creation of one of my favourite philosophers, Lin Yu-tang.

Be Happy Always Without Really Trying

A lot of people think it is a dreadful chore to be happy. Talking to them, you would think that these people would be much happier if they are sad. A contradiction in terms but for some morbid reason, this scenario applies for such folks.

For the rest of us ordinary mortals, being happy is matter of luck. NOT TRUE. You can be happy at any time and any day of the week or month. Heck, you can be happy as long as you live.

Here's how to do it:

1. When you wake up tomorrow morning (actually you can do it immediately but tomorrow morning sounds so much more dramatic), mentally order yourself: "I will be happy today no matter what happens to me.
2. Be happy for no reason at all. There's really no need to find a reason. Just be happy that you are alive, that you are not suffering from any serious illness.
3. Tell yourself that you are lucky you are not born in a country torn apart by strife, plagued by famine or in the path of an oncoming tsunami!
4. Be grateful that your friends like you. Be glad you don't have that many enemies like Saddam Hussein.
5. Remind yourself constantly that happiness is jus a matter of choice. The state of perpectual happiness in innate. It exists within your heart, in your soul. The key to freeing that happiness factor is to tell it to come out and take over your very being.
6. Really help others to succeed. Take no credit for it. Believe it or not, your happiness rests on the joy that others feel BECAUSE of you.
7. Say kind words to others even if they don't deserve it. Find something genuinely nice to say. Look for qualities in others to praise.
8. Give money to that vagabond on the street. The amount doesn't really matter. Even if that tramp doesn't deserve it, give it to him.
9. Call up relatives and tell them you miss them and mean it.
10. Surprise old friends with small gifts and expect nothing in return.

P.S. Baby, if you can do all that and not feel as if you have been cheated or violated, you are on your way to that wonderful road called HAPPINESS.

How to go to sleep like a baby!

Many, many people around the world experience difficulties falling asleep. It is actually not that hard. Here are a few tips:

1. Leave all your worries outside your bedroom door.
2. Wear loose clothing in bed
3. Make sure the sleeping quarters is well ventilated, neither too cold nor too hot.
4. Lie on your back, take a couple of deep breaths and exhale slowly. Please enjoy doing it. If you feel comfortable with seven deep breaths, do so.
5. Think happy thoughts. Imagine happy scenes of your life. I mean really revel in them.
6. Don't worry about not sleeping fast enough. The idea is to relax, regardless
7. Don't harbour murderous thoughts of your enemy while lying in bed.
8. Think of a bright, blue, cloudless sky. Imagine your body floating up to the blue yonder. Now, imagine your body merging with the sky and it is dissipating into the blueness. You are becoming one with the sky. Floating, expanding, totally relaxed.
9. Think of your loved ones. How happy they are because of you. How happy you are because of them.
10. Pray for everybody you know, everybody you love and everybody you hate.

The greatest miracle of the 21st century

You will be glad to know that that kid from Kracow, Poland, has pulled off the greatest miracle of the 21st century and he has done it by dying in the flood of lights from the media.

Right now, even as I speak the TV networks, from terrain to outer space, are broadcasting Christianity across the world. And hundreds of millions of people, regardless of their religious beliefs are watching it.

The message of Christ has never been so strong and so clear. The Church of Rome has thus been brought into the living rooms of all who can see. The hymns usually confined to the Italian churches are now heard from corridor to bedrooms.

The cross, banned in some countries, denounced by the fearful, is seen in its brightest glory - a symbol of the the message laid down two millennia ago by a carpentar from Nazareth.

Tele-evangelising has never been used in such a proactive and positive way. It is as if heaven has opened all its doors to people of all colours, young and old, sinful and saintly.

This indeed is the miracle of the ages. Pope John Paul II has done it again. Good for him. He's probably having a good laugh in heaven. I bet Jesus is smiling, too!!

Pope John Paul II - Vicar of Christ

This one is for the Lord's number one servant until recently. I am glad Karol of Kracow, Poland's mission on earth is over. He has done so much in his 26 years as the supreme head of the Catholic Church.

It had been a long journey for him - from Poland to Rome. The legacies he left behind are many. Since his passing a few days ago, people, not just Christians, remember him in so many kind ways.

His hundred over visits to places across the globe; his words of encouragement, his prayers for the poor and the needy; his concern for all regardless of their creeds and colour, and his relentless passion for peace on earth.

Pope John Paull II's entry into Rome broke all kinds of records, among which was the fact that for the first time in about 455 years, the Catholic Church had a Polish Pope. The centuries that went before had only seen Italian popes. So it was a breakthrough of some kind.

The holy father was also remembered for his devotion to the Mother of Immaculate Conception. He credited his survival from an assassin's bullet to her intervention. He made no secret of it and for decades, had proclaimed her love and concern for everyone on earth and how we can show our love for others and in turn for God.

The idea was to save us a lot of pain in the future which she said was coming if the future is not altered by our prayers, sacrifices and concern for others.

The fall of Communism was credited to the tireless efforts of Pope John Paul II. I recall that there were two consecutive years when he proclaimed that those years be devoted to the Holy Mother. In doing so, he urged Catholics the world over to pray the Rosary constantly, continuously and fervently.

Russia today is testimony to the power of prayer, to the promise made by the Virgin Mary and to God's major domo Pope John Paul.

Even as I pen these words, I can hear the singing of Latin verses over TV. The sounds of the Church are coming from the Vatican as preparations are being made to bury the late pontiff and also for the election of a new pope.

The Catholic Church has been at the crossroads for years over several controversial, burning issues. Among them are celibacy of priests, ordination of women priests, birth control and errant priests who have been found guilty of child abuse offences.

Pope John Paul II had wrestled with these issues in the last years of his life. He had done much but the work is not over and is left for his successor.

Leaders of the world from Russia to Palestine have acknowledged the sincerity and holiness of the pope. None has any unkind words for him. Non-Christians have confessed to loving him for his passion for peace. US President George W. Bush has not hid his admiration for the pope. Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, Tony Blair of Britain and John Howard of Australia have all spoken well of him.

But the most important is the respect that youths all over the world have for the head of the Catholic Church. During his reign, the Pope travelled hundreds of thousands of miles to be with the youths. When he met them, he urged them to realise their potential for good. Obviously, his advice has worked on many of them.

Today, tomorrow and years ahead, we will all remember Pope John Paul II as a man who had made the difference. It may be a cliche but one man can make all the difference. The Pope had done it and he showed us all it is not that difficult.

Already, some people are calling him Pope John Paul the Great. In the history of the Catholic Church, there is only one other Pope who has been bestowed that title.

I am sure even now as I write, Pope John Paul II is praying and interceding for us all in heaven. He had walked in the way of the light and peace. May we all follow the path that he had blazed for us.

Rabindranath Tagore

I HAVE always been fascinated with the wisdom of India and there's no better person to reflect this than the late poet/philosopher Rabindranath Tagore.

I don't know what drew me to Tagore. I guess it must have been during my teenage years. I happened to come across a picture of this man with a long white beard. His appearance is one of a man who has seen and experienced much.

In his eyes, I saw the wisdom of the ages. In later years, I discovered the wonder and mysteries of his Nobel Prize winning poem, Gitanjali. Upon reading the poem of epic proportions, I discovered to my delight that it lived up to expectations after hearing and reading about the lavish praise heaped on it by Tagore's contemporaries.

Personally, I feel Gitanjali would be better appreciated in its native language, Bengali. If the reader or fan of Tagore is familiar with Bengali. Very often, excellent works are seen digested in its original medium. For example, War and Peace (Russian) by Tolstoy.

There's an excellent book on Tagore entitled Tagore - The Myriad Minded Man. It is one of the better books available on Tagore's life.

Tagore has also written a series of books on love. The depth of his understanding on this much loved universal subject must be read to be appreciated in full.

Rabindranath Tagore is a rare gem on India's crown. Such a person comes every hundred years or so. India is privileged to have Tagore as one of its illustrious sons. His name and fame live on decades after his demise.

Fortunately for all of us who admire his works, his legacy remains intact in the form of books and other writings.

Surfing Eternity

All great yoga and zen masters know what it is like to enter a zone without boundaries. It is a realm where the only passport in is Being.

It is a world that defies description, a place where enlightened souls dwell. It is a state of grace where judgement is absent and love is the foundation and also its atmosphere. You can say it is a place where time forgot, because it genuinely cannot exist.

You don't have to journey out of your earthly abode to find this place. It is in your mind and yet not part of it. It is a state of nothingness and awareness and yet no laws on earth or in heaven govern it.

The point where you are to where it is cannot be measured. It is a journey without a distance.
Its echoes sometimes touches your heart, awakens your soul and emits a signal of love that reverbrates across eternities.

Those who have surfed this state of being have caught glimpses of divinity. They have chosen to remain on earth to guide the others and teach others to be teachers so that more will follow a path that lights the way for countless others.

Every child knows what it is like to catch its ray. But by the time, they grow up, the door closes on them unless their mission on earth has been predestined.

It is a window to God's world. It shines for all eternity where words cannot exist. Once you have entered this world, there's no going back. Your life is forever changed. Your perspective has been altered forever. For it is deemed, you are one of the chosen ones.