Reflecting

Everything that happens to you.. is a reflection of you..

A good friend enlightened me with this concept.. I was shocked.. how can that be.. I am perfect.. so what if you were imperfect.. that is not my problem..

But the concept is.. as long as it triggers your nerves.. then it is a reflection of yourself.. good or bad.. all the same..

The past 3 weeks has been quite a hell ride for me with me spreading myself so thin.. well.. it’s the past now.. and I hope to move forward eventhough some areas have left some unleveled stamps deep within..

Emotions welled up over these weeks.. getting me riled over the smallest triggers.. I am only human.. trying to live a saint’s life.. but it’s a tall order for someone as short tempered as me.. :)

Then I got into the office this morning, and I saw this purple coloured framed words my good friend Sharon gave me.. and the click happened yet again..

The framed words read as below:-

MIRROR

The good you find in others, is in you too..
The faults you find in others are your faults as well…
After all, to recognize something you must know it…

The possibilities you in others are possible for you as well..
The beauty you see around you is your beauty..
The world around you is a reflection,
a mirror showing you the person you are..

To change your world, you must change yourself..
To blame and complain will only make matters worse..
Whatever you care about is your responsibility..
What you see in others, shows you yourself..

See the best in others, and you will be your best..
Give to others, and you give to yourself
Appreciate beauty, and you will be beautiful
Admire creativity, and you will be creative
Love, and you will be loved
Seek to understand, and you will be understood

Listen, and your voice will be heard.

Thanks Sharon, for such wise words.. jolted me and woke me up again..

I am imperfectly, perfect...
dhena

The State of Our National Lingo

I met a bunch of 13 year Malaysian kids of Chinese origin last evening.. What interest me was not their clothes, not their raging hormones either.. but rather their inability to communicate in our National Language.. All they needed to translate was B-13-10.. from their mother tongue to our National Language and they had a good 10 seconds discussion before they translated it correctly..  

Hhhhmm that scenario could have been by chance.. could have been because they were engulfed with excitement.. but the question is.. even in the chinese medium school Bahasa Malaysia is taught and students are required to master it.. 7 years or more and still we are struggling... it dawned upon me at that point, why the ATMAH Kids find it difficult as well..  

I could be wrong.. but the pathetic state of affairs prevails.. the question remains.. if the Education System is ever going to change.. if vernacular schools are going to continue producing equal or more amounts of drop outs as to 18As in SPM.  

What can we do differently.. i ask.. and am still asking..  

disturbed by the incident  

dhena

Teacher gets custody of children who were converted by hubby

I am certain all of us have read this in today's STAR..

Whilst many see little successes with the verdict.. my question is genuinely the welfare and social lives of these kids forward.. We might be deluded into thinking that the nightmare just ended.. but has it.. In my view, the nightmare is yet to end.. it has just begun for the children.. from today onwards these kids will have to live through this nightmare at every occassion of their lives.. it will be the topic of discussion.. the psychological impact is another story..

I sit in my little living room wondering, who are we to create such impact on anyone.. any children.. who are we to decide on a child's life.. i am at crossroads.. at one end.. i believe everything happens for a reason.. then on the other hand.. i see something like this and am so itched to do something.. then of course i have another school of thought that thinks it is karma.. whichever the case maybe.. the kids are the ones who are going to face everyday today onwards..

I pray for strength and sanity for them..

wise or otherwise
dhena

Nudged One Step Closer to Over the Hill

For the mature adult.. you may continue to read this..

About month ago, I turned wiser.. nudged one step closer to over the hill.. it feels weird.. feels only like yesterday when I started going to school.. such is life.. but for me

Realisation hit home when I:-

• need to shop for clothes that don’t expose too much
• was bursting through the seams of my clothes
• noted the silver lining is already a permanent feature on my head
• can’t party through the night without waking up with a hangover
• witnessed what’s to point forward, now points south

Realisation hit home too when I:

• became more reflective than reactive
• stop fretting over little things
• let other’s take the lead / win
• enjoy spending time with I, me and myself,
• accept people for who they are

It is not so bad after all, nudging one step closer to over the hill.. infact, I am looking forward for the roller coaster life for sure..

wise or otherwise you decide..
dhena

Close encounter with the ‘indecisive’ kind..

What does indecisive mean.. unable to make up your mind, irresolute, evasive, two minds and the list goes on... We, the sibling sisters came in contact with a close encounter with the ‘indecisive’ kind..

Looking back, my sister was excited meeting an old friend and she made all the arrangements to meet.. mua just followed this time around because of the ‘headless situation’ I have been in at work.. and all I did was suggest where to meet for dinner..

Now when you read the adventure, you may ask.. why did you suggest a place with so many options.. well.. I did because of those options as well.. The theory of Perfect vs Imperfect..

Anyway, it was raining ‘phiphants’ and rhinos just seconds after we got there.. We proceeded to the ground floor and first got our bearings then I recommended Divino.. an Italian restaurant.. cosy, quiet and food okla.. we got there, seated ourselves.. stared at the menu.. and kinda decided what to eat.. our friend suggested we look around first before we decide.. so here my polite sister and I scooted for a looksie-looksie (little did we know what was in store)…

So from Divino we went to Brisik (Indonesian), Kinnaree a Thai place but it was full, then we headed to Brussels Beer Café there was pork on the menu, so no go.., Cubes menu not appealing, Frontera Grilled Food - charred food not preferred either.. or by the way did I tell you that it was raining cats and dogs and this place is not so rain friendly…

And then we saw Secret Recipe.., but it was not something we fancied.. then.. we headed to Santini and decided any food that was too difficult to pronounce might not be as edible as well.. and we headed to Simply Fusion, Tappers Café, Two Monkeys.. yes, we went in, sat down and we had 2 waiters for a table of 3.. but they only had 2 types of set dinners available so we decided no go.. and walked out again.. we were back to square one.. Divino and the question that baffled me.. ‘do they serve rice with their grilled salmon’.. DDDUUHHHHH..

Finally our friend decided what he wanted to have for the night.. As our friend headed to the restroom, my quick thinking sister suggested I run over to Kinnaree to check if they have space.. and space they did have.. and the preference was clear.. so for the 2nd time that night we walked out of Divino heading to Kinnaree..

And finally sitting at Kinnaree at 9.15pm.. we had our meals.. fried rice for my friend and me and my sister the adventurous one.. the Pad Thai.. with stunted conversations amongst us.. finally the night ended..

Surprisingly my claws were well in check that night.. Considering the objective lost its course along the way.. The minute we had time on our own.. I growled like a frustrated lioness.. now, the objective was to meet over dinner.. so why did food take the centre stage.. I wonder.. wise or otherwise.. you decide..

A couple of things I learnt from this adventure

• Decisions like ‘what to eat’ should be the easier one..
• Need to identify the areas where I am indecisive as well
• Too many options gets you confused..

Overall, wise or otherwise.. it was quite a close encounter with the ‘indecisive’ kind…

Just a thought..
dhena

Vegetarian Paradiso..

Here I am, all decided to have lunch at mid valley food court on a hot afternoon.. i knew where i could get some grass and all i could hear was my croacking tum tum..

I can have my lion’s share of vegetables for the day.. I order half rice.. with 2 vegetable and 2 mock meat.. (oink oink.. I was a pig that day).. and as I head to the counter.. I got prepared with RM6.. thinking that’s how much it will be.. to my horror.. after some punching in.. the Indonesian cashier told me that the total was RM8.95.. I thought I heard her wrong.. and she probably thought I was stupid and repeated 'lapan sembilan puluh lima'. I was in shock.. RM8.95 for a meal that only crows eat.. hhhhmm.. wise or otherwise…

Moving on.. its funny how we grew up all your lives with Nestle’s Maggie Mee Curry Flavour.. I remember the days my mum used to make them for us.. Another horror awaits those vegetarians when you pore through the ingredients you find Traces: Crustacea, Fish, milk, celery and mustard.

Yes yes.. go home and check your pack of Maggie Mee.. be it curry or any other flavour.. When I first read it.. I went on a denial mode.. how can that be.. though eventually the truth did sink in.. but it was too late.. the world came crumbling down already..

Its been my comfort food.. its been something that you eat when you are lazy to go out or prepare something for yourself… Its every single person’s gastronomic meal.. it takes 2 minutes to prepare and it has 3 steps..

Step 1 – Throw everything into a pan with some water (Optional to add eggs or vegetables).

Step 2 – Wait for 2 minutes for the noodles to cook..

Step 3 – Chomp your way..

Now all my hopes dashed what I thought was vegetarian is not anymore.. Deception it creeps in when you least expect it.. I would now be doomed if I don’t look at the ingredients of every item I buy at the supermarket.. Only God knows what else they will be putting inside..

Wise or Otherwise.. I am still wondering now….

in love, light and bliss.. slightly confused as well..

dhena

Let Me Take the First Step.. Let It Begin with Me

2009 is here… and let me take the first step.. let it begin with me to

• Thank you for the lessons brought forth that I would have never learnt elsewhere
• To make the change that I want to see in the world..
• Say I love you to all of you..
• Wish my friends and foe good health, love and joy 2009 forward..

Thank you everyone in advance.. for the love, joy and happiness you bring to me..

let it begin with me..
dhena

p/s thanks dehyana and aaron for the perfect new year message that triggered this note..