Dictionary Word of the Day - kvetch: to complain habitually.
Monthly Archive for November, 2007
KennethK invited me to a mens group that he hosts at his place every Tuesday, and yesterday .. I joined them for the very first time. It’s been such a long time since I’ve sat down in a group where people shared honestly about their lives. Honestly. Such a fresh change from the masquerade I formally attend once a week.
The workbook is one by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King entitled “Experiencing God : Knowing and Doing His Will“, and the challenge is not to be discussing the principles, values, and be equipped with 5 quick-n-easy-steps-to-know-the-will-of-God but rather, to share about what thoughts and decisions the workbook has incited, through the spending of time with God on a personal and intimate basis.
Again, a good change from having a facilitation of fixed agenda read word for word that is printed on piece of paper. Not that I am against it, but it’s a breath of fresh air.
The group consists of guys at different ages, stages, and wages but yet go through situations that I’ve once encountered.
For once, I feel like these are people I can relate to.
For once, I feel like these are people who can relate to me.
Well, maybe not all them.
Ah. The end.
PS: Sorry if you found this entry a little less coherent throughout. Feeling under the weather.
I’ve heard so much of Tommy Emmanuel, but never have heard his music. I know there are some people who idolize him, worship him as the guitar god or something .. but not this skinny little guitarist.
But I am convinced. Check this video out. It’s amazing how the song as a whole just extends a soothing touch, reaches out to your emotions, caresses your feelings, and lullabies you to a state of ease.
Worth the watch.
Amazing stuff. I’m gonna try and learn this song.
Bid me all the guitar luck in the world.
If there is such a thing.
I went out to meet a client yesterday, and at first sight .. I knew I had seen him somewhere before. One, he’s big-sized so he’s harder to miss than I am .. secondly, I remember faces quite well, so if I’ve seen you before .. I’ve seen you before.
So I shook his hand and commented that he looked mighty familliar. He reciprocated the same sentiment, and we sat down for a bit .. bouncing common interests/places to find out where we’ve met.
Found out that he’s a Christian, so chances are, we’ve seen each other at some event or something, and laid it to rest. Talked business, which then went on sharing about Christianity in the workplace. He gave me some interesting insights about the pre-sales line of work, since both of us have a similar job description.
Then he mentioned that he’s from Penang and suddenly, the picture was complete. We were from the same school, and he’s my brother’s age. He then went on to comment,”I thought you sounded familliar. Almost Xaverians speak the same way.”
Interesting how someone can tell if you’re a Xaverian.
Small world.
… holding her in your arms.
There are times when you’ll never be able to fully grasp what’s happening within someone, but an assuring hug would make things a whole lot better.
I just realized something.
When I say,”You decide ..” it really means that at the end of the decision making process .. you decide. I think people get most irritated when I tell them to decide .. and when I provide negative feedback on their suggestion.
Especially when it comes to ..
FOOD PLACES.
I’ve got an exceptionally large brain which accommodates exceptional opinions when it comes to food and food places. Not that I know a lot of places to eat, but I know where I DON’T wanna eat.
So .. don’t get me wrong when I provide negative feedback. I’m just helping the decision making process with feedback and opinions which need or need not be taken into account.
But trust the Penang tongue. And wallet, for that Hokkien matter.
Beowulf? At first thought, the title of the show sounded like a the offspring of bear starring in Matrix which mated with a wolf who has an identity crisis, unsure if it a wolf, or a wuff (dog).
Corny.
Yeah, the show was kinda corny. Well, certain parts, at least.
Or should I say, certain repetitive parts like when Beowulf repeated,”It is .. beautiful ..” on two separate occasions .. and with an almost similar “camera angle” at his face. Gah. but as corny as it was .. the movie addressed some of the age old issues that plague men and humanity.
Pride.
His downfall was his thirst for glory, power, riches and fame. And his boasting was almost unbearable. While most of us today do not have such ability nor capacity to speak of our OWN greatness - pride in who we are, and what we can and have achieved are issues that needs to be dealt with.
Lust.
All the strong men in the movie lusted and fornicated. Oh, the movie is definitely not for underaged .. so irresponsible parents .. even though this is an “animated” movie, it doesn’t mean that it’s safe for children and underaged. Please do your research on Focus on the Family’s Plugged In Online, where movies (among other things) are reviewed from a Christ-centered point of view. Great resource to check if you should bring your eager-beaver child to the latest animated movie out in the cinemas. Like Beowulf, which had extremely provocative scenes and Angelina Jolie fully naked. Malaysian Censorship Board clipped just one or two scenes, but couldn’t over all the parts. (pun intended)
I have to admit that I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t struggle to keep my attention on the Angelina Jolie’s character’s face when she was talking.
So guys ..
If you don’t want to be tempted, don’t watch the show.
If you do want to be tempted, do watch the show.
Oh, there was a LONG scene where Beowulf was fighting naked .. so girls …
If you don’t want to be tempted, don’t watch the show.
If you do want to be tempted, do watch the show.
Lies.
I thought about this. Lying is such a trivial thing .. even to so many Christians. I hear of it, I see it .. but many do not realize the extent of the destruction, and carnage (well, not the literate sense of the word, but I used it in reference to the movie) the act of lying can bring.
Adultery.
The movie is centered on the sin of adultery, and its consequences. It reminds me that irregardless of how strong a man can be, he is still human and has fleshly desires which when tempted, does not flee .. will most likely fall. Beowulf was tempted, and though he went with a totally different intention when facing the creature .. he was distracted and succumbed.
Of course, being a hero movie, there were moments of brilliance kept right before the end. The queen, despite going through the similar situation with the previous king, knew about his adulterous ways which he kept from her, and yet .. when he proclaims his love for her, she forgave him.
The movie portrayed her as a wise, enduring, self-sacrificing queen who stood beside her man. For me, this line saved the movie.
Keep a memory of me. Not as a king or a hero but as a man, flawed and fallible.
So .. go watch it. Or not.
I pulled up thestar.com.my today, and to my grief .. a 12 year old hanged herself because she didn’t do as well as expected in her .. UPSR exams.
What have we become? What are our attitudes towards our children?
How, in the first place .. does a 12 year old child know how to set up a self-hanging contraption with a BLANKET? At 12, I was cycling all over the kampung in Klebang Besar, Malacca.
This really reflects how bad our society has deteriorated, and what sort of parents are out there. The pressure of a minor examination certainly has taken its toll on the little girl, and the parents .. with their dumb explanation, blaming the results for not being what they expected it to be.
I mean, I don’t know what really happened, and all I can gather is from the paper so I don’t mean to judge them .. but something is really amiss. Could they be so distant to the point where they don’t even know that their child is going through depression? Are they not confident enough in their child’s capabilities and confidence in her exams, that irregardless of what the results are .. that she still has plenty of exams to shine in, not to mention decades of her life to prove her worth?
Where was the encouragement? Or have the parents been so passive that even if they did offer encouragement, it had no effect on the child? She was crying from Thursday onwards, for crying out loud. [pun definitely unintended]
Parents, couples, young adults: What values are you taking on today? What books are you reading today? What guidance are you receiving today? All of these will be reflected in the way you bring your children up in the future.
If this continues, we’re building a self-hanging contraption for our society.
Ripped the title from NickTay.
Back from his Bangladesh business trip, Nick and I planned for dinner one night and I said to him that I wanted something hearty .. when he asked,”What’s for dinner?”
Then he suggested Carl’s Jr. at 1Utama, and we braved the LDP jam (more like the .. growling stomachs) to get there. And we were not disappointed. The portions are mouth watering, big and satisfying. The price wasn’t though. I had the double portabe-so-much-meat-and-mushroom-and-vegetable-llo burger, and a combo of a drink and fries to go with it and it cost me RM28.XX!
Didn’t stop me from going there a second time though, a couple of days later. Muahahaha.
Free flow of drinks, better-than-McDonald fries, big portion .. what more can you expect? Oh .. TABLE SERVICE!!! They send the food over. Fab.
My recommendation?
Girl: Order a normal burger, small combo.
Guy: Order a double burger, regular combo.Girl + guy : Order a normal burger, small combo and a double burger. Share the drink, and guy should pay for the meal.
2 X Girl + guy : Order 4 burgers, 2 with regular combo, and the beef chili fries.
Ah .. traits of a Hokkien Penangite oozing. Recommend good food, while thinking about saving money.
… if you ALREADY know how to get there.
Duh.
I decided to trust the little rectangular cuboid thing with my directions this morning to the office, and my journey was painfully prolonged TRIPLE the time I take to get to the office.
I’ve got a Garmin Mobile 10X GPS receiver, paired with my O2 Mini running Garmin Mobile XT Windows Mobile software and a Malsing Open GPS Malaysia Map. I’ve used it on my usual trips around town, just to see whether it actually leads me on a proper route and it actually does! Though it usually re-routes many times, because I take all the shorcuts. Smart aye?
But .. this morning, I was stuck at Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Jalan Kg. Attap, Jalan Mahameru, Jalan Loke Yew, and Jalan Cheras. Totalling up to 1 and a half hours on the road. That’s when it’s .. NOT SO SMART. Go round and round and round. I usually take 30 minutes to arrive at my office, without much .. frustration and traffic jam at that.
Don’t feel very smart today.
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