All the Best

Right after writing all about giving thanks and being good, a test came along and there goes the "safety pin". No, I didn't reach for the steering lock.

There were parking spaces available but the driver had to park right in front of my car and went off somewhere. People do this all the time without sparing a thought for others.

I couldn't sleep thinking about the incident which occurred at Danga Bay, Johor Bahru.  So when a prominent and well-respected individual sent a message via Telegram Messenger wishing us all the best for the day --- the message came at 1.34am --- I quickly responded with a "Thank You". Not because "nak bodek" but simply because cannot sleep. Now I'm feeling sleepy.

In Buddhism, it is believed that we go to different worlds in a single moment. When we are envious, we go to the realm of the hungry ghost, when angry, sad, happy, we visit different realms.  So keeping our emotions in check is very important. Always remember "This, too, shall pass" whatever your emotions and thoughts are.

Today is a busy day for the media world nation-wide as we await the return of the 20 remains of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 who will later be laid to rest. 

All the best, People. May the operations run smooth, and that all goes well. The one minute of silence for the victims will be anytime between 10.45am and 11.15am.

Give Thanks And Be Good

I was having tea with a friend just now and was telling her about all the things that seemed unfair in life.

The world is filled with braggers, backstabbers, munafiqs, liars, and these people really test your patience, doesn't it? We all have our flaws. But people have their good points, too. If you look hard enough, you will see the good points. And even if you can't see any noble quality in them, there is no need to hate or get even with them because at the end of the day, we are all going to meet our maker.

Let's not taint our own soul.

The goal is not to live in the most luxurious condominium, drive the most expensive car or acquire more properties than you can live in. The goal is to do all the good you can, giving more love than receiving.  Spreading joy instead of misery. Of course, all easier said than done.

I am getting all philosophical because of the chat with my friend, and also because tomorrow (August 22) is the day when the entire nation mourns for the victims of  Malaysia Airlines MH17. A minute of silence will be observed anytime between 10.45am and 11.15am.  The first 20 victims identified by international experts from the 43 Malaysians who were onboard the ill-fated flight, are coming home from the Netherlands.  Another plane is expected to arrive in  Kuala Lumpur on August 24 with eight more remains.

All 298 people aboard were killed on the Boeing 777, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17.

If you lament that life is unfair, be thankful that you are not in a war-torn nation. And give thanks for the time that you have with your good friends and family.

Water 爱人

Just came back from a place that holds fond memories for me.  Saw an amazing sunrise the last time I was there.  Today, it was rather cloudy, so the rising sun was partly hidden.  Nevertheless, it was a beautiful dawn.

My overnight stay at the Lotus Desaru Beach Resort made me want to pay homage to water.

The resort's executive chef Long Thean Liang --- seen here serving the authentic Thai seafood tomyam soup (touted as the best in Desaru)  --- revealed that the water quality can make a difference in cooked food or beverage.

The freshness, texture and flavour of the chef's tomyam dish is exquisite, by the way.

"If you were to make a cup of Nescafe using boiled water sourced from a tap in Johor and a tap in KL, for instance, the two cups of Nescafe will taste different," he said.

He said he didn't realise this until he got together with some chefs from up north one day. They were in Johor trying to cook a dish that they specialise in.  Even after getting all the freshest ingredients and authentic paste, they found that they still couldn't get the flavour of the dish right.  Finally, they concluded that the water was the cause of this.

Dining with Shella at the Rhu Seafood Restaurant, one of the three F&B outlets in the resort.

Water also keeps our spinal cord in tip-top condition.  A traditional massage therapist told me this. 

Ayop, who later joined Chef Long, Shella and I,  told me that one's spinal cord can go out of alignment due to insufficient water consumption.   Drinking too much cold water can also cause an array of health problems.

He said he only needs to concentrate on certain points in the body and not massage the entire body for the treatment of health disorders.  And the massage may take from five minutes to 15 minutes per session.  One will only feel excruciating pain when Ayob presses these points if one has health 

problems.  Dare to try?

Finally, Desaru has a host of water sport activities ranging from jet ski to bungy jumping to parasailing, among others.

I wish I could say that was me up there.  But no, I was on the ground taking the picture.  The girl up there is

21-year-old Wong May Xian from Yong Peng who paid RM100 for the parasailing experience.

For more info, please click  Lotus Desaru Beach Resort

Do I Still Want To Be A SAHM?

It was always a dream of mine to be a housewife or a Stay-At-Home Mom (SAHM). Well, today I was with a SAHM and her children, JS, aged four and JE, who is turning one next month.

The 37-year-old mother shared with me that if a couple are having marital problems, having children is not going to make things better.

It was hard for me to digest that because I have always been told that children will strengthen the family bond.

My friend Gladys then elaborated: "When my hubby comes home --- tired and frustrated and wanted to share with me about his day at the office --- and I'm all ears, but then JS comes up to us, eagerly showing us his new toy or he's curious about a new discovery.

"After we have answered all his questions, his sister may start to cry and I can't focus my attention on my husband anymore."

"Sometimes my husband and I can't even enjoy a TV show together like we did before. And when we go out together, the kids may vomit in the car. Or if we're eating in a restaurant and the children start to throw tantrums ..."

Gladys also said that a wife should always try to look neat and presentable no matter how tired she is.

"I used to work in an office.  Even after JS was born, I was working. My former boss told me I would never get used to staying at home. I quit anyway because I wanted to learn how to be a Mom".

"I do miss my former workplace and there were times when things got a little overwhelming. But I tell myself this. This is my job. My job is to be a Mom and I'm going to be one hell of a Mom," said Gladys. 

There are many nice pics of Gladys and the kids, but Gladys said not to show their faces so much, so I've chosen pics of me with the kids instead.

In the picture above, we were just warming up. After a while, it's playtime.

Do I still want to be a housewife and SAHM? 

(Shrug)

Gladys has her own blog at http://sotayoutlet.blogspot.com/ where she writes about her activities with her kids.

Retail Therapy 2

(Updated)

Managed to get a full refund today for my purchase at H&M without much of a hassle.

At first the cashier charged my credit card again instead of refunding the amount, but the manager quickly took care of that by giving me a double refund. I'm very sure the cashier had no intention to charge my card again. It was a genuine mistake. If I were shopping in China, then I won't be so sure.

There was no question asked as to why I was returning the coat.

The manager said that I would get back my money from the credit card company within 30 days from today. 

I'm glad that went well.

   


           

pictures by Norbaiti Phaharoradzi 

Retail Therapy

While the political satire in Selangor continues ...

While some were sunbathing on the beach ...

I was at H&M where I bought a coat on a whim. Now I want to return it. The retailer did say "buy now, decide later". 

Let's see what happens when I bring it back to the retail store. I have 30 days to return or exchange it, according to the receipt.