Strictly G.

Emergency Update

2012-01-30T00:47:00.001+08:00

From the very beginning, my intention of the GABLO Awards was to have fun among fellow bloggers and readers to vote for their favourite blog/blogger but unfortunately, I am extremely disappointed at how it turns out to be.

As a result of all the unhappy dramas, I am hereby to announce that GABLO Awards is terminated with immediate effect in order to prevent any further unnecessary misunderstandings and arguments.

Lastly, I want to thank you for those who took time to vote and also to my dear friends and loyal readers whom stand by me and concern about my feelings during this period.

Jealousy?

2012-01-28T20:00:00.000+08:00

Someone alerted me in Facebook to go and read tuls blog and this is what he wrote in his blog...

like totally unfair right?!?!?! strictlygay's blog has got like the YOUNG AND CUTE award and IM not nominated? thats an outrage...

like totally irrelevant!! hahahaha...im so cute and young!! why am i not nominated!?!? benci...

nevermind.. in my heart i sudah menang all of it.. so its ok.. first 4 awards , tuls apa apa pun tarak.. benci betul..

you can say that im jealous or whatever, like I CAREEEEEEEE!!!

GABLO AWARD by STRICTLYGAY SUXXXXXX!!! ahahahhahahaha...by the way, go vote for your favourite la although the winner is obviously me.. HAHAHAHAHAHA...

I didn't know he would react like that over a make-up award. Come one, everyone knows this is just a make-up award that I created for the fun of it only. There's nothing at stake and no prizes at all. One of my Twitter followers said, "OMG! Some bloggers are so childish!"

I do not know if he is seriously insulting me or if it's a joke but to me, I felt insulted when I read it. I would never say another blog SUXXXXXX!!! because I respect every blogger out there.

He may say it's a joke but if we examine it in terms of psychology, if he doesn't care about the award, he won't rant about it, right? He tried to put sarcasm in his words but deep down, you can feel that he is speaking from his desire of hoping to be nominated and win.

In addition to this, his loyal supporter by the fake name ooi2009 demanded that I give the 'Y.C Blogger of the Year' Award to him. Oh my God! So immature and unreasonable request! First of all, if you want your favourite blogger to win, you have to vote and the award goes to the highest votes not by threatening me to give it to him.

Initially, I have already nominated tuls for the next two big awards but since this is happening and ooi2009 is threatening me, the award committee is considering to pull out his blog from the nomination list unless a written apology is presented.

Who are you to threaten me like that? Show some respect and manners.

GABLO Awards... Part 4

2012-01-27T20:00:00.001+08:00

16 Types of People on Facebook

2012-01-26T20:00:00.000+08:00

I saw a picture with the following lines describing different characters of a person when dealing with Facebook. See which category you belong to. I can also see where my friends belong to.

1. The Lurker: never posts anything or comments on your post but reads everything.

2. The Hyena: doesn't ever really say anything, just LOLs and LMAOs at everything.

3. Mr/Ms Popular: has 4367 friends for no reason.

4. The Gamer: plays games such as mafia wars, cityville, farmville, etc all day.

5. The Prophet: every post makes reference to God.

6. The Thief: steals other people's status updates.

7. The Cynic: hates their life and everything in in as evidenced by the somber tone in ALL their status updates.

8. The Collector: never posts anything either,but joins every group and becomes fan of the most random stuff.

9. The Promoter: always sends event invitations to things you ultimately delete or ignore.

10. The Liker: never actually says anything but always clicks the 'LIKE' button.

11. The Hater: every post revolves around someone hating them, and they swear people are trying to ruin their life.

12. The Anti-Proofreader: this person would benefit greatly from Spellcheck, and sometimes you feel bad for them because you don't know if they were typing too fast or really can't spell.

13. Drama Queen: this person always posts stuff like "I can't believe this!" or "They're gonna make me snap today!".

14. Womp Womp: this person consistently tries to be funny but never is.

15. The News: always updates you on what they are doing and who they are doing it with,no matter how arbitrary.

16. The Rooster: feels that it is their job to tell Facebook "Good Morning" every day.

GABLO Awards... Part 3

2012-01-25T20:00:00.000+08:00

RULES & REGULATIONS
1. There will be six categories with five nominees each.
2. Everyone is invited and encouraged to vote.
3. Bloggers whose blogs are nominated will be notified.
4. Bloggers are NOT allowed to vote for their own blog. You may only vote for other blogs.
5. Every category will be given a period of two weeks to collect votes.
6. Any changes may be amended without prior notice.
7. All decisions are final.
8. A complete list of winners will be released after the last category has ended.

Category: Best Travel-Photo Post of the Year

Description: Take some time to view all the posts from these five bloggers on their writing of their holiday in another part of the world with its beautiful pictures. Vote for the one which excites you the most, influence you the most to want to travel to that same place. Vote by putting the code number in the comment. Remember to ask your blog readers to vote too.

C1: To Bangkok With Love - Part 1 by Takashi from I am who I am.
C2: Taiwan 1: Taipei 1: Busy City Streets Here We Go! by Vincent from stop, savor, smile.
C3: Middle Bay, Gay Beach Hong Kong by Simon Lover from Welcome To The World Of Simon Lover!
C4: Summary of Taiwan by Ryan L The Little Lion from Accretion of a Little Lion's Journey.
C5: Merry Xmas and Happy Boxing Day by malimo from runaway boy.

Inspiring

2012-01-24T20:00:00.001+08:00

I never thought of reading something so touching when I click on Tom's recent post. (to know what he did, click on the link)

I was moved to tears too and touched by what he did after reading my previous post. Not many people has the courage and compassion to apologise to another person, what more if that person is your parents.

No matter how bad we treat them, they will never stop loving us. To them, we're always their treasure in their hearts. They will always think of us first before themselves. Always try to give the best they could afford to us even though we always think it's not good enough.

When you always demand what you want from them, have you ever thought what did you give back in return to all those years they have cared, raised, loved you? Admit it. We are selfish. Think about it. We only know how to ask, to demand from them.

Have you ever asked what they want to eat? Where they want to go? What they want to buy?

From young, we only cry, "I WANT! I WANT!" but have you asked what they want?

If you don't get the toy you want or the college of your choice, you blame that they don't love you, that they don't care about you. Have you ever thought if they could afford it or not?

Whenever I go shopping with my parents, I always tell them to go and see what they like and if they want, I will buy it for them. Sometimes, I can tell by their body language and tone of speech that they want but they don't dare to ask for it because they don't want to waste my money. See? Parents can sacrifice of not having what they desire.

Therefore, do treat your parents good. Without them, who are you?

No Stock

2012-01-24T01:57:00.000+08:00

I saw a very good deal from Groupon on a hotel in Thailand but when I have decided to book, it's all sold out.

The smartphone I thought of buying also no stock, have to wait until next month. Well, it's fine since it's not like I need a phone urgently, but I'm quite disappointed on missing the hotel deal and angry at myself for not taking immediate action.

Well, maybe there's a better one coming.

On another note, how's your first day of CNY? Visiting relatives? Collecting angpows? Play cards/mahjong? Or rot at home and watch TV like me?

Since my family cannot celebrate CNY this year and it's not good to visit other people, so we just stay at home. The TV is switched on from the moment the first person in the house wakes up till past midnight.

2012 CNY Reunion Dinner

2012-01-23T02:16:00.000+08:00

What did you have for your reunion dinner?

Did you go back to your hometown? I consider myself to be lucky as I don't have to be trapped in the massive congestion on the road as everyone else is rushing home to reunite with their family on festive season.

My Mum cooks a lot. After dinner, we watched some CNY shows on TV while I chat with my friends over Facebook.

So, what did you have for reunion dinner? What did you do after dinner?

Treat Them Nice While You Can

2012-01-21T20:00:00.001+08:00

The demise of my grandmother made me realise something which I have known long ago but the impact is greater now.

Whenever I offer her favourite food on the altar, although it's her favourite food, I couldn't help but know that in reality, she couldn't take it as a real human being like us. So it made me realise it is extremely important for us to treat our parents good while they're still alive.

Once they're not here, no matter how much food you buy, they won't be able to taste it. So when they're still living, treat them nicely.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers who are celebrating Chinese New Year to have a safe journey home and take this time to bond with your family.

GABLO Awards... Part 2

2012-01-20T20:00:00.000+08:00

RULES & REGULATIONS
1. There will be six categories with five nominees each.
2. Everyone is invited and encouraged to vote.
3. Bloggers whose blogs are nominated will be notified.
4. Bloggers are NOT allowed to vote for their own blog. You may only vote for other blogs.
5. Every category will be given a period of two weeks to collect votes.
6. Any changes may be amended without prior notice.
7. All decisions are final.
8. A complete list of winners will be released after the last category has ended.

Category: Best Erotic-Photo Post of the Year

Description: Some blogs put pictures of men exposing the sexy abs. Which one do you think is the sexiest? Vote by putting the code number in the comment. Remember to ask your blog readers to vote too.

B1: Gods Work of Art by I am who I am
B2: Art of Nickie by The A.G.D.
B3: Chinese Male Model Exposed by Welcome To The World Of Simon Lover!
B4: Winter Porn by Alexander the Gay
B5: Beauty of Male Physique by Strictly G.

2012 Golden Globe Awards Winners

2012-01-19T20:00:00.001+08:00

Meryl Streep

Best Drama: The Descendants

Best Comedy/Musical: The Artist

Best Animated Feature Film: The Adventures of Tin Tin

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation (Iran)

Best Actor in a Drama: George Clooney - 'The Descendants'

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical: Jean Dujardin - 'The Artist'

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Christopher Plummer - 'Beginners'

Best Actress in a Drama: Meryl Streep - 'The Iron Lady'

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy: Michelle Williams - 'My Week with Marilyn'

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Octavia Spencer - 'The Help'

Best Director - Motion Picture: Martin Scorsese - 'Hugo'

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: Woody Allen - 'Midnight in Paris'

Best Original Score - Motion Picture: Ludovic Bource - 'The Artist'

Cecil B. Demille Award: Morgan Freeman

*For the complete list, CLICK HERE.

Appreciation Note

2012-01-18T20:00:00.001+08:00

I want to express the deepest and warmest gratitude to each and everyone of you whom have expressed your thoughtful sympathy and kind words during this period of time to me and my family. I am really touched and thankful by your words of encouragement in my blog, Facebook, Twitter, and SMS.

May God bless you all.

Don't worry, I'm fine. I believe my beloved grandmother is now at a place where there is no more suffering, a place filled with joy and happiness.

The Cremation

2012-01-17T20:00:00.001+08:00

After two days of prayers at the funeral parlour, the cremation is scheduled at this morning. We woke up at 5.00am to beat the traffic of those who will be coming out to work. Upon reaching at 6.45am, I served my grandmother breakfast.

Once all the other family members have arrived, the 'sifu' led us to do the final prayers at 8.30am. We were then asked to look at my grandmother for one last time before they close the coffin. As the eldest grandson, I was asked to cleanse my grandmother's face and to tell her whatever I wished.

I told her this, "Amah, you don't have to worry about us anymore. We are all grown up and able to take care of ourselves. Now, you just follow the Buddha to a place where you don't have to suffer anymore. There is only joy and happiness over there. Don't worry about us anymore."

Tears just kept flowing down my face as I talked to her. Next, we were all asked to kneel down behind the coffin and look down on the floor as the caretakers carry the coffin into the van. Kneeling down is to respect the elders in the Chinese customs.

The reason why we must look down is so that the spirit of the dead will leave without a heavy heart if she sees our faces. The moment we look down, everyone started crying. Once the coffin has entered the van, we were to walk behind to send her off.

Before that, we have wear the white socks provided by them. No shoes allowed until the body has been cremated. After that, we have change to red or coloured-shirts and those funeral clothes and the white socks provided by them will be burned too. That's why we are allowed to wear our own clothes because anything you wore during the funeral is deemed as bad luck so you're not supposed to bring bad luck back to your home.

After the body has been cremated, aall family members have to put the bones and ashes into an urn. We took the urn or another prayers before putting it into the designated place inside the memorial hall.

Goodbye, my beloved amah.

Note: Sifu is a title to address a Buddhist leader. Amah is how I address my grandmother.

The Funeral

2012-01-16T20:00:00.001+08:00

I would normally switch on my phone when I woke up in the morning even though I'm still lazing around in bed. The first two SMSes sent from Mr. A; the first one at 2.42am says his father was re-admitted into ICU, and the second at 3.57am to inform me that his father died.

I was shocked in disbelief. I tried calling him but he didn't pick up so I sent him a message. Not long after that, I received a call from my parents telling me my grandmother has just passed away. Two death news on the same day.

The whole day was busy preparing the funeral rite and making endless phone calls to inform close relatives and friends. There are three prayers sessions (7.30pm, 9.00pm, 10.30pm) by three Buddhist monks with all family members sitting and kneeling on the floor. All male descendants are required to be at the first row in front including me because I'm the eldest grandson.

I am in-charge to put three meals food on the altar table for my grandmother and I have to burn an incense stick and say, "Amah, eat." in order for her to know. The caretaker said we can buy her favourite food for offering. I know she likes to drink 'Kopi-O' so I quickly went out to buy and offer it to my grandmother. Each time I call her to eat, my eyes would automatically filled with tears.

As you read this, I'm already at the funeral parlour from morning for the second day of prayers. It will be another long day.

Two Losses

2012-01-15T20:00:00.001+08:00

I woke up this morning only to receive two shocking news through SMS. Both my hubby's father and my grandmother passed away early this morning.

May they both rest in peace.

GABLO Awards... Part 1

2012-01-14T20:00:00.000+08:00

GABLO is a combination GAY + BLOG. I just came out with this word. Hahaha! I will present one category each day.

RULES & REGULATIONS
1. There will be six categories with five nominees each.
2. Everyone is invited and encouraged to vote.
3. Bloggers whose blogs are nominated will be notified.
4. Bloggers are NOT allowed to vote for their own blog. You may only vote for other blogs.
5. Every category will be given a period of two weeks to collect votes.
6. Any changes may be amended without prior notice.
7. All decisions are final.
8. A complete list of winners will be released after the last category has ended.

Category: Best New Blog

Description: All the blogs started in the mid/late year 2011. Vote for the one you like to read the most by putting the code number in the comment. Remember to ask your blog readers to vote too.

A1: Tiny Bits of Moments in My Life (April 2011)
A2: The Asianboi (June 2011)
A3: Khai's World (somewhere 2011 but my latest check found out he deleted all 2011 posts)
A4: Ranting of the boy (May 2011)
A5: Evolution is my middle name (December 2011)

A Better Grip

2012-01-13T20:51:00.003+08:00

Today, my grandmother could open her eyes more times than last night and she could also grip our hands a little firmer.

I pray this is a signal of hope.

Emergency

2012-01-13T01:14:00.002+08:00

I just came back from the hospital. Let me tell you what happened.

As I was on my way to work in the morning, I received an SMS from that reads, "Your granny's heart is weak and blood pressure is down. I think is her time. Doctors are saving."

I decided to rush to the hospital to see my grandmother for the last time. I quickly call my boss to request to take the morning off and explained the situation to which he said, "Go! Go to see her."

The federal highway was extremely congested and I kept chanting and praying to Buddha to let me be able to see her for the last time. She couldn't recognise her family members and all she could utter is calling out to her mother (my late great-grandmother).

The doctor told us she might 'go' anytime.

Bad Start

2012-01-11T21:24:00.003+08:00

Do you notice quite a lot of people are falling sick this month?

I just came back from accompanying my mother to the clinic. She has been coughing for more than a week and she can't sleep well at night due to the phlegm.

My grandmother was admitted into the hospital and diagnosed with urine infection. Now, her condition is getting worse especially her heart is getting weaker and the doctor is afraid the heart might stop.

Facial Treatment

2012-01-10T23:23:00.003+08:00

Have you been to a facial treatment before?

How often do you go?

How much is it and do you see any difference or improvement in your skin?

I want to try so if you know anywhere which is good, do put the name of the treatment centre, address with contact number if you have in the comment. Tell me which one to avoid too if you or your friends have bad experience.

CNY Preparation

2012-01-09T20:00:00.000+08:00

CNY (Chinese New Year) is just around the corner. Have you bought new any new clothes yet?

Every year, my brother (biological one) never fails to do the following:

1. New clothes.
2. New pair of shoes and it must be white, usually Adidas.
3. Dye his hair into other colour.

As for me, I make sure my room is spotless clean and neat as you'll never know those nosy cousins and aunties (Mom's sisters) like to pop in to have an uninvited tour. And I have to hide all my cute little soft toys from being snatched by my cousin's kids, especially the one Mr. A gave me. Hehehe... I will protect 'him' no matter what.

Oh yeah, you guys haven't seen the teddy bear Mr. A bought for me. It's that Mr. Bean's teddy. Awww... isn't he cute?

Teddy is reading 'Jane Eyre'

So what are the preparation you would do for the coming CNY?

Prayers

2012-01-08T23:38:00.002+08:00

Mr. A is going through a tough time at the moment and all I can do is to say my prayers for him and wish God bless...

Ombak Rindu (2011)

2012-01-07T20:40:00.002+08:00

Directed by Osman Ali, starring Maya Karin (Best Actress FFAP49 Fukuoka, Japan), Lisa Surihani (Best Actress 23rd FFM), Bront Palarae (Best Actor 23rd FFM), and Aaron Aziz (Finalist of TV & Film Most Popular Actor), this film is adapted from the novel of the same title by Fauziah Ashari.

I have been getting a lot of good reviews from friends who have watched it and most of them cried. Even some of my Malay friends whom are skeptical about local productions admitted it was a good one. Last night, I received a feedback from a reader who replied on my Twitter status warning me to spend the time to watch something else, but I still want to watch it to judge it myself.

Thus, I sent an SMS to my brother whom I know is hanging out with his friends outside to help me buy the original DVD. He came back around 12.00am and without hesitation, I insert the DVD into my laptop and put on the earphones.

Yes, I cried. I've never cried so much watching a movie and I kept a roll of toilet paper by my side. When it has ended, I saw that my wastepaper basket was overloaded with tissue papers. I don't know if I'm too sentimental or too soft-heart but I must applaud the cast (including the supporting roles) for such good acting.

Maya Karin is no doubt a fine actress but I was most surprised at Lisa Surihani's powerful performance. Aaron Aziz, on the other hand is not bad either but I feel there were times when he's still a bit reserved in his performance.

Honestly, the entire film is touching more on the emotional side, so if you're hoping to watch drama or physical, you'll be disappointed. You have to immerse yourself the inner emotion of the characters to feel how they feel when faced with such situation.

Apart from the cast, I want to praise the cinematography for such beautiful scenery shots. The dialogue is simple,each scene is quite short. As a summary, I would say the story line is very touching but it may not be everyone's cup of tea, so don't take my words for it because I'm not sure you will like it or not.

Mobile Internet

2012-01-06T22:30:00.000+08:00

Do surf the internet with your mobile phone?

Login into Facebook, watch videos on YouTube, check emails, etc.?

I am currently eyeing on the Samsung Galaxy SII and Digi is selling in a package as follows:

Samsung Galaxy SII phone: RM 1,399
Digi Smart Plan: RM 48
Device Advance Payment: RM 250
Data plan: 1GB

Total: RM 1,697

What do you think? Some tell me that Digi's line sucks. Another way is to buy the phone off-shelf which is around RM 1,900 and then subscribe Maxis data plan. What is your opinion? Which option is better?

Hot Abs

2012-01-05T20:00:00.000+08:00

Which one you drool the most?

Top (from left to right):
1) Bradley Cooper
2) Choi Si Won
3) Kellan Lutz
4) Channing Tatum
5) Ryan Gosling

Bottom (from left to right):
1) Rain
2) Zac Efron
3) Cristiano Ronaldo
4) Taylor Lautner
5) Ryan Reynolds

Hi-Tea Like A Tai-tai

2012-01-04T20:00:00.000+08:00

Me: So long I didn't have Starbucks.

Mr. A: It's not good.

Me: But quite a few years already.

Mr. A: What for you wanna have Starbucks when I can take you to a Hi-Tea at Starhill like a tai-tai?

Me: Weeeeeee...... (smiling from ear to ear)

Note: tai-tai in Chinese means rich wife.

Twitter

2012-01-03T20:00:00.000+08:00

I'm sure many of you have heard of the name Twitter but how many of you know what it is?

What does a Twitter do? What is it for?

Let's put it this way. This is how I see as one of the purpose of Twitter. You want to tell your friends where you are, or what you're doing right now, or what you just encountered on the street, etc. but to send the message to so many people via SMS through your phone is just too many to send.

With Twitter (OK, I'm not paid to speak for Twitter and I'm not in any way promoting or advertising it. Hahaha!), let's get back to the topic, shall we? With Twitter, you can just post up your message on your Twitter wall and everyone who follows you on Twitter will be able to see and read it.

You may start to feel it's rather similar to Facebook where you update your status and all your friends in your friend list are able to see it and even comment on it, but there is a difference. With Facebook, you must accept someone's friend request before that person can see what you write but with Twitter, even people who are not in my friend list can follow my updates.

All you need to do is create a Twitter account and click to follow me. You can also go to the 'Settings' to put in your mobile phone number so that each time I update a message, that message will be sent directly to your phone like a SMS. In other words, it's like I'm sending you an SMS but without me knowing your number.

So with all my readers from all over the world, you can now get closer to me with Twitter. See the Twitter button on the top right column that says Follow@StrictlyCalvin? Just click that and create your Twitter account.

After you put in your phone number, remember to click the button which allows you to get my updates instantly into your phone or else you won't be able to read my message. If you do not want to get my updates in your phone, you can always login your Twitter account to read it later.

2011 in Review

2012-01-02T20:00:00.000+08:00

January 17: A series of flash floods and mudslides struck the Serrana mountain region near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

February 22: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand.

March 11: An 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit Japan resulted in 23-foot tsunami.

March 23: English actress Elizabeth Taylor, 79, died of congestive heart failure.

April 18: Hailstorm and thunder shower hit soouthern Guangdong province, China. Cities such as Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan and Zhongshan were affected.

May 1: Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden whom is believed to orchestrate the Sept 11 attack on World Trade Center, New York has been killed by US forces in Pakistan.

July 23: British singer Amy Winehouse, 27, died but the cause of death has not been released.

September 7: A Russian passenger airliner chartered by one of the country’s best-known hockey teams and carrying numerous veterans of the National Hockey League crashed during takeoff near the city of Yaroslavl on Wednesday, killing all but 2 of the 45 people on board.

October 5: Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, 56, died of pancreatic cancer.

December 18: North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il, 69, died of heart attack.

The year 2011 has too many natural disasters around the world and it's extremely scary. Let us pray, hope, wish the year 2012 will be safer and peaceful.

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-01T20:00:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Reviewing my 2011 New Year's resolutions, I managed to accomplished two out of eight. Wanna know what are the eight resolutions? CLICK HERE to find out.

This year, my resolutions would be as follows:

1. Travel to Thailand, Penang (again), and other countries too.
2. Sleep early. (I know, it's hard to curb this but I'll try my best)
3. Get a smartphone (eyeing on Samsung Galaxy S2)

Have you made your new year's resolutions yet?

I would like to wish all of you out there Happy New Year! May you have a ......

Fantastic JANUARY
Love-able FEBRUARY
Marvelous MARCH
Fool-less APRIL
Enjoyable MAY
Successful JUNE
Wonderful JULY
Amazing AUGUST
Romantic SEPTEMBER
Exciting OCTOBER
Beautiful NOVEMBER
Happiest DECEMBER

Have a VICTORIOUS 2012 people!

Compilation Posts of Year 2011

2011-12-31T20:00:00.002+08:00

2011 is closing its curtain soon, so how has this year been to you? Good? Not bad? Not good? Or great?

I would summarize mine as good for having the opportunity to meet some bloggers, get to know them in person other than just reading their wonderful blogs and the best part is getting attached to my hubby. I hope you guys have a wonderful year and don't forget to read tomorrow's post on my New Year's resolutions.

As usual, it's a custom for me to pick the best or the most interesting post from each month in a compilation on the last day of the year to share with you guys. For those who missed it, you can now just click on the link below to read. Enjoy!

January: Gay Translator

February: Confession

March: Are You The 3rd Party?

April: Straight vs Gay Men

May: When Love Dies

June: How Far Would You Go To Fulfil Your Desire?

July: Masturbation

August: What Do You Love In Him?"

September: Open Relationship

October: How To Be A Good Boyfriend

November: Face the Truth

December: U-Turn for Gay?

Books I Read This Year (2011)

2011-12-30T20:00:00.004+08:00

Reviewing my New Year's resolution, I remembering writing that I wished to read at least a book a month, so in one year, I would have at least read 12 books if not more. Thus, I made a list of books I read from the beginning of this year and was quite satisfied that I have reached my target of 12 books.

1. Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

2. Empress Orchid (Anchee Min)... historical fiction

3. Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)... classic literature

4. House Rules (Jodi Picoult)

5. Talk To The Snail (Stephen Clarke)... non-fiction

6. Deeper than the Dead (Tami Hoag)

7. Full Dark, No Stars (Stephen King)

8. Secrets to the Grave (Tami Hoag)

9. The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)

10. The Angel's Game (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)

11. Mein Kampf (Adolf Hitler)... autobiography/non-fiction

12. Sing You Home (Jodi Picoult)

13. A Path With Heart (Jack Kornfield)

14. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë)... classic literature

15. The Happy Prince and Other Stories (Oscar Wilde)... classic literature

How many books have you read this year?

A Living Angel

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000+08:00

It was during the Christmas or the day after it that I was extremely touched by a TV programme I watched. In the programme, the host interviews this wonderful lady by the name Clarine Chun (pic above) whom contributed so much to the society with her big heart and compassionate love.

She opens a restaurant by the name Soup Kitchen which provides daily free lunches to the urban poor and homeless people. Yes, free meal without having to pay a cent. After opening the first one in Alor Setar, Kedah, another branch was opened in Jinjang, Kuala Lumpur.

Soup Kitchen is only one of the non-profit projects Miss Clarine embarks. Under the organization name of FunGates Superflow Foundation which was founded in April 2007, she also set-up Rumah Superkids, a home for the orphans, neglected, abused, underprivileged children; SuperFun, a recreation centre for the senior citizens by providing a conducive and safe place for elderly people to meet and socialize, taking away their pain and loneliness being left alone at home; SuperHope, a training centre for the physically and intellectually challenged people by training them living skills on personal hygiene, housekeeping, cooking, handicraft; and even a dialysis centre.

CLICK HERE to see her website.

Foreign Lands and People

2011-12-28T20:00:00.000+08:00

I'm sure you have encountered foreign workers working in Chinese kopitiam asking you, 'what you want to drink' in Cantonese, right? Aren't you amazed by their ability to learn a foreign language in order to get a job?

I have to salute to those foreign workers who come to our country to work where everything, everyone, and everywhere is foreign to them. This makes me wonder if you are to live in a foreign country for a year, do you think you are able to learn their language without having to attend a class, or to read from a language book or website?

For those who have a maid, can she speak in any local dialect with you?

Kathy Griffin

2011-12-27T20:00:00.000+08:00

I just love this woman. She's not only funny in her stand-up comedy shows but she's intelligent and pretty. I just laughed so hard when I watch her shows.

She's an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights including same-sex marriage and many other good causes. If you think other comedians are funny, wait till you listen to Kathy talks.

I've watched her three shows 'Tired Hooker', 'Straight to Hell', and 'Everybody Can Suck It' where she talks about her encounters with famous celebrities.

You can watch all her shows I mentioned above in YouTube and do let me know what you think.

Where's the Bear?

2011-12-26T20:00:00.000+08:00

In gay community, you have the top, bottom, twinks, daddy, leather-type, S&M, and many others but where are the bears?

I'm talking about this country. Have you met any gay bear before? I don't see them on the street. Don't they shop or come out to eat? They don't go to cinema to watch movies? I wonder where they hang out.

I have a brother who likes matured bear type of gay men but even with his Grindr, you don't see bear among the many profiles. Is there any bear out there?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:00:00.003+08:00

I would like to wish all my readers out there 'Merry Christmas!'... may your holidays be wonderful and filled with joy and laughter.

Since Mr. A went back hometown due to some emergency in his family, I will be date-less for this week but don't worry, I will think of him more. Hehehe...

I woke up around 12.00pm, had my lunch, cleaned my room, washed my bathroom, dust here and there until my nose keep sneezing and now, I'm having running nose. Urgh!

Do tell me how you celebrate this festive season? Do you go travel with family? Do you exchange gifts among friends?

My Favourite Food

2011-12-24T20:00:00.003+08:00

1. Sushi (especially salmon and unagi)
2. Pasta
3. Pizza
4. Fish 'n' chips
5. Chicken rice
6. Char Kuay Teow
7. Nasi lemak
8. Hokkien mee
9. Dim sum (especially egg tarts)
10. Desserts (ice cream, cakes)

What's your Top Ten favourite food?

News That Made Me Angry

2011-12-23T20:00:00.000+08:00

Have you ever read any news that made you feel so frustrated and angry?

Whenever I read news about how some women being conned by their online lovers by sending or transferring huge amount of money to the man only to find out in the end that their so-called 'lovers' went missing always make me feel angry at the victims.

I mean, come on... how could they easily believe at a stranger's words? Are the female counterpart really that easy to fall for sweet talks?

How could they just send their hard-earned money to someone they have not met? I really wish to interview those women. Dear woman, if you pass-by a beggar, would you donate your money to them? If not, then why do you believe at someone whom you can only talk to online?

What do you think of such news? Don't they read similar cases on the news before? I wonder if they have any doubt at all towards the stranger? Some even went to the extent of borrowing from loan sharks to send to their lovers.

Urgh!

Panic Attack

2011-12-22T20:00:00.000+08:00

Remember Jay, the one in the post entitled Is It Wrong To Confess To Your Crush?

I got an SMS from him yesterday morning at 10.18am. This is just an excerpt.

Jay: I have a panic attack. What can I do? Do I need to consult doctor?

Calvin: What are you panic about? Where are you now? Do you know what causes you to be panic?

Jay: The class just ended. During my presentation, I just skipped it and ran out from the class. Almost fainted.

This is what I read about panic attack.

1. It usually begin abruptly and reach its peak within 10 minutes and subside over the next several hours.
2. For first-time sufferers, they fear they are having heart attack or a nervous breakdown.
3. The feeling from a panic attack is said to be intensely frightening, upsetting, and uncomfortable.
4. Sufferers complain a sense of dying, chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, feeling nauseous, dizzy, a numb sensation throughout the body, losing control of themselves.

Actually, a panic attack is a response of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) where the body's alarm system is triggered unnecessarily when there is no real danger. In normal people, we would feel panic and act to run or escape when our body feel the danger or from a threat but people who suffer from panic attack will be feeling scared and panic all of a sudden, just like a car's alarm went off in the middle of the night. Scientists don't know exactly why this happens but it runs in the family. People with no family history may develop it also.

By reading articles on this topic, I came across a link about social anxiety which I believe to be the cause of Jay's panic attack.

Social anxiety is an emotional discomfort, fear, or worry about social situations, interactions with others, and being evaluated or scrutinized by other people. The sufferers are scared to be the center of attention, worried what people will say or comment about him/her, fear of being judged, thus, their body alarm is 'ON' all of a sudden and all they want is just to escape the current situation, to be away from that place.It is much easier to spot social anxiety in adults because they tend to shy away from any social situation and keep to themselves.

Common adult forms of social anxiety include shyness, performance anxiety, public speaking anxiety, stage fright, timidness, etc. All of these may also assume clinical forms, becoming the anxiety disorders.The term social anxiety is also commonly used in reference to experiences such as embarrassment and shame.

Do you experience panic attack before? Do you know anyone (friends, family, colleagues) to have such experience?

My First Video

2011-12-21T20:00:00.000+08:00

I recorded myself singing 'Silent Night' as a tribute to all my readers and fans out there. Yes, it's for you. If it's not for your loyal support, my blog won't be so exciting and 'happening'. Thank you all for all these years.

Apology in advance if my voice doesn't suit to your liking and do excuse the image angle as I put my phone vertical just to capture the entire Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Apology in advance if it doesn't sound nice.

Digital Image

2011-12-20T20:00:00.001+08:00

Do you still send your film negative to the photo shop to develop your photos?

In this century, most people will just transfer the pictures they took into their computer and then upload it in the Facebook or other websites.

People don't develop their pictures anymore like it used to be.My mother complains about this matter as she is one of the few out there who still prefer to hold a real photograph just like how I like to hold a real book to read rather than reading an e-book.

What about you? Do you like to hold or keep a real photo?

Christmas Trip Cancelled

2011-12-19T20:00:00.001+08:00

Initially, Mr. A and I planned to go to Melaka this Christmas for 4 days 3 nights but due to a personal family reason, we have to cancel the trip.

If He Marries

2011-12-18T20:00:00.001+08:00

What would you do if one day your bf drops the bomb and informs you that he's getting married but not with you? He's getting married in order to fulfill his duty as a filial son to his parents but at the same time, he still wants to continue the relationship with you.

Would you continue the relationship with a married man? Could you accept sharing your man with another person? Don't forget that his wife gets to sleep with him every single day and opportunities to meet you would be lesser.

How would he explain to his wife for sleeping overnight with you? What excuse or lie would he tell his wife if the two of you are planning to travel somewhere for few days to a week? It would be even more difficult for him to stay away from home if he have children.

Things won't be the same anymore.

So what would you do if you're in this situation? Break up, move on, and bless the newly-wedded couple or continue your relationship underground with a married man?

Are You Perfect?... Part 2

2011-12-17T20:00:00.006+08:00

Body Massage

2011-12-16T20:30:00.003+08:00

For those who are or used to be attached, do you give your significant half an intimate body massage?

I am planning to give Mr. A a body massage during this Christmas holiday. Not just a normal type of massage but involves full nudity of both parties. Hehehe...

The reason I'm giving him this gift is not only to relax his mind and body but I want to pamper his body to let him know that I love him.

Love you hubby.

Are You Perfect?

2011-12-15T20:00:00.008+08:00

My friend showed me this website entitled 'Douchebags of Grindr' where the blogger post pictures of guys' Grindr profile with status that he thinks are offensive, rude with a high level of arrogance. Take a look, paying particular attention to what these guys wrote and tell me what do you think.

G6PD Deficiency

2011-12-14T23:00:00.002+08:00

I have a friend who is born with G6PD Deficiency.

G6PD stands for Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Most often found in males, it is a genetic disorder caused by abnormal X-chromosome which the condition affects the red blood cells. As a result, the lifespan of the red blood cells is shorter than normal people. In other words, their red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them.

A defect in an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase causes red blood cells to break down prematurely. This destruction of red blood cells is called hemolysis. The most common medical problem associated with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is hemolytic anemia, which occurs when red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them. This type of anemia leads to paleness, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), dark urine, fatigue, shortness of breath, and a rapid heart rate.

It may sound as if nothing serious until you read the list of food they have to avoid. Do you know people with G6PD Deficiency cannot eat all kinds of beans, especially broad beans (fava)? They also cannot eat peanut (so no peanut butter for them), soy or any soy-related products, and Nescafe. Yes, they CANNOT even drink Nescafe. My friend who didn't know, drank the coffee and found that he has rapid heartbeat and breathing like out of breath, not enough oxygen.

And because the abnormal red blood cells, they are advised not to donate blood because if they lose blood from their body, they will pass out, faint or fall to unconscious.

An estimated 400 million people worldwide have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. This condition occurs most frequently in certain parts of Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. It affects about 1 in 10 African-American males in the United States.

CLICK HERE to read the list of food they have to avoid.

Don't worry. They still can eat all vegetables and meat (chicken, fish, pork, lamb, beef, mutton, etc.)

Eternal Love

2011-12-13T20:00:00.002+08:00

If you want to know what eternal love is, do watch this clip. It's so touching. I've never cried so much watching a video clip.

Where Do Sissy Guy Go?

2011-12-12T20:00:00.005+08:00

"I'm gay because I like men, not men who act like girls."

What is your opinion on the statement above? To what extent do you agree?

Most gay men prefer to have a straight-acting boyfriend or straight-acting friends because they themselves are discreet on their sexuality and therefore, worried their sissy gay friends might expose his true identity to other people.

In other words, you feel intimidated, uncomfortable, and on high alert when you're hanging out with sissy gay friends especially in the public. You're worried you might bump into people you know from work or your relatives and you're sure they would look at you one kind when they see you're with sissy guy.

You don't want them to question you. You don't want them to ask you, "Is your friend gay? Why do you have gay friend? Are you gay too? What are you doing hanging out with gay people?"

It is as though they would somehow guess or know you're one of them too. That is why you don't go out or make friends with sissy gay guys.

Are you like that too? Do you have gay friends who are sissy or feminine-acting?

To me, I don't mind. So what if my friends are sissies? It doesn't mean you must be one of them if you hang out with them, right?

Bottom More Than Top?

2011-12-11T20:00:00.003+08:00

Do you think there are more gay bottom than top?

There is a research conducted in US where the author claims there are more gay bottom than top because the reason these men are gay is the fact that they are attracted to masculinity in men. It is also why gay men fall for straight men or straight-acting gay man.

When gay men watch gay porn, they put their focus on the top fucking the bottom rather than looking at the bottom. They like to see the penis of the gay top. Are you like that too? Hehehe...

Do you realise there is no feminine-acting gay in porn? There are no sissies. Only macho, muscular looking men who have big dicks. The porn industry knows what the market demands.

So, that is how the author got his result on which side of gay is more. What do you think? Do you believe there are more bottom than top in the gay circle?

Is It Wrong To Confess To Your Crush?

2011-12-10T20:00:00.003+08:00

Jay has a crush on Dexter whom they have met once and since then, Jay couldn't stop thinking about him. Jay wanted to confess but didn't dare to because he knows Dexter has feelings for another guy.

Few days later, Dexter saw Jay's Facebook status mentioning about falling for someone and couldn't stop thinking about that person. Dexter asked Jay who that person is and Jay replied, "It's you."

Dexter didn't say anything which makes Jay had sleepless nights worrying Dexter might avoid or even end the friendship as to what happened to Jay with another guy in the past. Jay told me that maybe it was a mistake to confess so soon to him.

I don't think it's a mistake. It's never a mistake to tell the person you like that you like him. Who knows? Maybe he likes you too and didn't dare to make the first move. And so what if your crush doesn't like you romantically, there's nothing to lose.

I don't think anyone would end a friendship just because you made a confession unless you're a stalker or a desperate type of person who keeps pressuring the guy to go out on a date with you or to try to like you, then most probably anyone in that situation would choose to stay away from you or take a drastic move to end the friendship.

What about you? Would you tell your crush your feelings for him or prefer to keep it in your heart forever? When would you confess?

Note: Names have been changed in order to protect the identity of the actual person.

Sexual Chemistry

2011-12-09T20:00:00.005+08:00

My friend Henry (not his real name) met this guy for the first time at that guy's place and one thing led to another, they had sex. The guy promised not to penetrate too deep into my friend but unfortunately, he penetrated all the way into it and won't stop even my friend was screaming for him to stop. (1st question: Is this considered rape?)

Henry has been asking this guy out for a meet-up but the guy kept rejecting by saying he's always busy and has no time to come out unless my friend goes to his house. So Henry decided to go to his house for a meet-up without expecting to be hugged, and kissed and ended in sex. (2nd question: Do you really believe anyone would be so busy until no time to come out? Do you trust what the guy says?)

The next day, the guy told my friend that he wants to be my friend's boyfriend. When asked for the reason, he told Henry that he felt the chemistry between them. He also said he likes the smell of Henry's cock. (3rd question: Do you believe this guy is really into relationship?)

The ironic part is when he told Henry that many guys whom he felt a great chemistry with them have rejected him to be in a relationship. Hmmm... I wonder why.

So, what do you think of this guy? My friend is now in doubts on whether to accept him or not. I advised Henry to make the guy to go on dates in order to know him more and for both parties to know each other better before jumping into relationship.

Do you think the guy is genuine in relationship or just using the term to keep my friend to him for frequent sex sessions? What would you advise Henry to do?

Planning For A Trip

2011-12-08T20:00:00.001+08:00

Ooo... I don't know about you guys but I love planning for a trip because I like to do research, like to read about information, like to think and consider from the available sources, and the excitement to end with a final decision is just so exhilarating!

Today, I have this sudden thought of visiting Melaka this Christmas and thus, I did some research on budget hotels there and from the many choices, I have come down with the top 5 that I will consider.

If any Melaka hometown boy out there who is reading this, I appreciate if you could recommend any good budget hotel in that historical state. Thank you in advance.

I'm Back!

2011-12-08T09:30:00.001+08:00

Since my modem was struck by the lightning, I bought a new one but then found out that the house phone is down so I made a report to TM yesterday. They checked and said everything on their side is fine, meaning the wiring in my house line is faulty.

My Dad bought a new splitter and the house phone works fine but then, the new modem still not stable. Then, used the adapter of the new modem to plug into the current modem and the power light is 'on'. So, my current modem isn't spoilt afterall, it's the adapter plug which is faulty.

This morning, I found out that my Dad plugged in the phone line into the wrong side of the splitter. Once I put it into the correct hole, 'tadaa!' my internet is back. And I'm back baby!

Post will resume as usual at 8.00pm tonight. Stay tuned.

Do You Want To Have Children?

2011-12-06T20:00:00.003+08:00

Have you ever thought of having your children?

Imagine if homosexuals are accepted by the law in your country and homosexual couples have the rights to have your own children either by adoption or by surrogate mother or by whatever methods, would you wish to have children?

Do you have the parental nature to raise your own children?

As for me, I won't. It's not that I don't love children. I love them. They're cute, adorable, and I would love to teach them, guide them to be someone good in future but I have my reasons.

It's undeniable that the cost of living is getting higher each year and we don't see our pay increase to balance out the incredible huge gap. It's not cheap to raise a kid. And in order to get more income, we work long hours, leaving very little time for you to care and teach your kids.

If I have kids, I don't want to put them into day care centre and I won't hire baby-sitter. I would prefer to raise them up by myself. I want to spend more time with them and let them be surrounded by love and care. And if I really want children, I will choose to adopt because there are so many orphans and unwanted babies in this world.

What about you?

Do you want your own kids? By your sperm or adopt? If you don't want kids, why so?

First Time Meeting Up J-boy

2011-12-05T20:00:00.002+08:00

Knowing that J-boy wants to watch Puss in Boots, and my bf wants to watch it for the second time, the three of us made plan to watch it together and I asked my brother to tag along. The initial plan was to have dinner before movie but since I only finish work at 6.00pm, we decided to catch the 7.00pm slot and then have dinner after the movie.

J-boy was already in the queue when the three of us arrived around 6.30pm but to our disappointment, it was totally sold out, so in the end, we bought tickets for Arthur Christmas which is on 7.45pm. Since we have some time to kill before the show, we walked to the food court to have our dinner.

The movie was funny and I love the fact that it’s spoken in British English. Hahaha! Yes, you all know I have a fetish on the Queen’s English and everything about queens too but that’s another story.

After the movie, we decided to hang around to chat and so we went to have desserts at Snowflakes. I don’t really like it and I don’t understand why so many people like it. Do you? I love desserts but Snowflakes is nothing to shout about.

J-boy, it’s nice meeting you and I’m looking forward to hang out with you for longer period of time the next time as I want to hear you rant about metrosexual guys. Hahaha!

Modem Default

2011-12-05T19:20:00.002+08:00

I came back home yesterday with my Mum telling me the lightning struck my modem and since yesterday until now, I can't go online. I posted this in McD.

Don't worry, there will be a complete post at 8.00pm tonight on where I went, what I did, and whom I met yesterday.

Do You Believe Ghosts Exist?

2011-12-03T22:20:00.002+08:00

Some say, "If God exists, so do ghosts. It's something like yin and yang, black and white, left and right."

Personally, I believe.

I have heard many true stories of ghosts encounter from my friends, relatives, colleagues which it's best to tell it LIVE directly to my listeners as you would get immediate reaction. Hahaha!!!

Talking about this, do you like to hear or read ghost stories? Do you like to watch horror films? I love the adrenaline-pumping with the excitement from the music. My Mum says, "Actually, it's not scary but the music creates the suspense to scare you."

I've posted a poll with the same question as this post title and the result is as follows:

YES 73%

NO 27%

Thank you for your votes.

Note: There is a new poll on the right column.

U-Turn for Gay?

2011-12-02T22:15:00.000+08:00

As I was chatting with a friend online, he asked me this, "Have you ever thought of turning straight?"

Well, I'm sure this question would eventually arise in every gay person at one point in their life, including me but I believe there are two (or maybe more) reasons as to why such question pops out in your head.

First, it's after you found out that you like the same sex but along your journey, you start to have doubts as to whether your preference is a choice or an experiment out of curiosity. At one point, you would say, "I started having fun with guys because I'm curious but now, I kinda like it. But now, I wonder if I'm really gay or I'm actually still a straight guy who like to have sex with other guys once in awhile."

The other reason is when you start to get bored of this circle and don't see any future in it. You feel like you're stuck in this never-ending cycle of man searching other men for sex. You have tried dating but you don't see where this is all heading to. At one point, you wonder if you could turn back straight, date a girl, get married, have kids, build your own family.

What about you? Have you ever thought of turning back straight? On what reason do you wish you weren't gay?

Holiday Plan

2011-12-01T20:00:00.003+08:00

24 more days and it'll be Christmas.

Have you made any plan yet? What will you be doing on that day?

Are you going away during the holiday? Where to?

I am still thinking of where to go with Mr. A during the Christmas week.

Any suggestions on where we could go? We just want somewhere within the country, somewhere quiet, calm, maybe out of the city, no beaches.

Some friends have suggested the following places.

Fraser's Hill
Cameron Highlands
Sekeping Serendah

I would appreciate if you could offer your suggestions.

Legendary Amazons (2011)

2011-11-30T20:00:00.001+08:00

Starring Cecilia Cheung (张栢芝), Richie Ren (任贤齐), Kathy Chow (周海媚), this Chinese film is based on the stories of the Yang clan Generals during the Song dynasty.

The one Mr. A and I watched is dubbed in Cantonese but the original trailer is in Mandarin. You will notice 95% of the actors are from China. Produced by Jackie Chan, the film is action-packed with no dull moments, you just have to keep your eyes locked onto the screen in front because every scene is just so good. The costume of the warriors during the battle is so impressive.

I don't know why but I like watching 'girl-power'-theme films or dramas. I like to watch girls who can fight. It gives a different impact but not when you see men fight. Do you feel the same too?

Just one reminder, do stay until the credit roll is over because you will see all the censored takes and shots from behind the scene. It's hilarious.

Sexual Intercourse Between Man and Animal

2011-11-29T20:00:00.003+08:00

CLICK HERE to read the article and tell me what do you think of people who have sex with animals?

Do you think they are sick in the head? Is it even legal? Is this considered as animal cruelty?

I'm wondering if the animal got pregnant, would the baby have the human's look? Would the baby be able to talk and the ability to learn like us? Well, I know it's bizarre. What do you think of such phenomenon?

Quality Time with Mr. A

2011-11-28T22:27:00.003+08:00

Since yesterday and today are non-working days for me and Mr. A, we have planned to spend it together.

He took me to Tarbush, a Middle-Eastern Lebanese restaurant in Starhill for lunch because I told him I've never tried Middle-Eastern food before. The portion was so huge that I couldn't finish it. The food was good, the environment very romantic and beautiful.

Next, we went to buy movie tickets at Pavilion GSC for Puss in Boots but the only available slot is very late which I don't want so we decided to buy the Chinese movie Legendary Amazons. As we still have an hour to kill before the movie starts, we went to the Times bookstore. After movie, we back to the hotel and spent a night together before shopping the next day.

After waking up, we went to have our complimentary breakfast and back to take a nap before checking out. Later, we went to The Curve to have lunch at the Marche restaurant with my reader whom we met two days ago at the MPO concert. We wanted to ask J-boy to join us too but then we both realised we don't have his contact. Well, next time, J-boy. Hehehe...

Note: Personal and private activities have been censored. Use your imagination. Hahaha!

Helping Hands

2011-11-27T20:00:00.002+08:00

Do you still remember the post where I shared with you guys quotes on how fortunate we are compared to many others?

If you think your problem is huge or impossible to be solved, take a look at this family in the clip below. This man, being the sole breadwinner of his family is now paralysed on bed after being hit by a car while on his way to work one morning.

The unfortunate incident happened when the eldest son was having his PMR examination. To take care of him, his wife quit her job as a baby-sitter. Their eldest son quit school to work in the kitchen of a restaurant to earn money for his family. Now, only the second son is still schooling.

Take a look at this clip...

Now, take a look at the changes and some improvement to this family.

A Night of Russian Music

2011-11-26T23:58:00.002+08:00

I just came back from attending a classical concert at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in KLCC with my bf, my brother, and a reader of my blog. This loyal reader is one of the regular who always comment and this is our first time meeting each other. Before the concert, we went to Kinokuniya and then had dinner at the Chili's.

The concert started off with Rimsky-Korsakov's A Fairy Tale, followed by the only non-Russian item in the programme, Dvořák's Violin Concerto, with the 20-year-old US-born violinist Benjamin Beilman as the soloist. After intermission, it ended with Stravinsky's Petrouchka.

I believe Beilman has the technical skill but unfortunately, he lacks the maturity in musicality. It's as though you're asking someone who has not experienced hardship and failure to portray such character.

Most of the time, it's difficult to feel the emotion from him especially in the first two movements. During the finale third movement, he's more enjoying the music and you could see that it's under control. Overall, he's good and I believe every musician grows through time and the journey in life.

STUD at MIFA 2010

2011-11-25T20:00:00.000+08:00

Do You Know?

2011-11-24T20:00:00.003+08:00

Here are some fascinating facts I got from my Australian reader.

1. In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'.

2. The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

3. The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer.

4. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David

Hearts - Charlemagne

Clubs -Alexander, the Great

Diamonds - Julius Caesar

5. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

6. In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase... 'Goodnight , sleep tight'.

7. It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

How Do You Type?

2011-11-23T20:00:00.001+08:00

Do you place your fingers as shown in the picture above or only type with two index fingers? Hahaha! I place my fingers like the one in the picture but I realise that I'm using my right hand's index finger to type the letter B instead of my left hand.

Hmmm... this is interesting. Oh! One more thing, I use my fourth finger to press the 'backspace' instead of the pinky finger as shown in the picture. So, how's your typing position?

Count Your Blessings

2011-11-22T20:00:00.000+08:00

You have stress either from exams, assignment deadline, meetings, work, family or relationship problems.

Who doesn't?

You're not the only person who has problem and stress in life but often when you are down, you somehow subconsciously believe you're the unluckiest person for you feel the whole world is tumbling down to crush you into pieces.

As I was browsing through pictures of quotes, I came upon the following quotes which I strongly believe that we all should know for there are many things we took for granted and these quotes serve as a reminder to all of us on how lucky, fortunate, and blessed we actually are.

Ready? Here we go...

If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.

If you have money in the bank, your wallet and some spare change, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the 10 million people who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation, you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.

If you can read this message, you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read it at all.

Top 10 Best Cities To Live (2011)

2011-11-21T20:00:00.000+08:00

I got an email from a reader in Australia who shows me the pictures and the ranking of the TOP 10 Best Cities to live in. There are so many beautiful pictures for each city but I only choose one to represent each here.

The list starts from number 10 to the top best city to live in according to a report made this year.

10. Auckland, New Zealand

9. Adelaide, Australia

8. Perth, Australia

7. Sydney, Australia

6. Helsinki, Finland

5. Calgary, Canada

4. Toronto, Canada

3. Melbourne, Australia

2. Vienna, Austria

1. Vancouver, Canada

Which city do you like best? Where do you wish to live if money and job is not a problem?

A Prayer In January (2007)

2011-11-20T20:00:00.002+08:00

I stumbled on this film trailer while browsing through YouTube. It's so hot that I have to share it with you guys. It's about a young man who is forced to choose between his gay lover and submission to his religion identity. Enjoy.

Is Your Shampoo Safe?

2011-11-19T20:00:00.004+08:00

Have you ever read the ingredients on the back your shampoo bottle?

Do you know if any of the chemical substance is harmful to you?

Well, most people don't read and even more wouldn't know about scientific names.

Some people would buy when they see words such as "All Natural", "Mild for baby", "No tears", etc. on the front label but don't assume it's all safe. Don't forget labels are marketing strategy to attract consumers to buy their products.

I don't think anyone would do this but I actually type every ingredient name on Google and read articles about it. I want to know what I apply onto my hair.

The reason why I post this up is after I read the following article where there is a research on a well-known brand shampoo and they found out chemical substance in the ingredients to be causing cancer in human.

So, do you know what is inside your shampoo? Isn't it scary to not know what you put everyday onto your hair?

CLICK HERE to read the full report.

Fetish On Men In Uniform

2011-11-18T20:00:00.003+08:00

I created a poll 20 days ago on the choice of uniformed men you have fetish on. The result is as follows...

doctor: 40%

policeman: 40%

fire fighter: 5%

construction worker: 15%

From the result, one can see that doctor and policeman are the two top kinds of uniformed men that would turn you on. Unfortunately, my vote would go to either one but doctor. I'm not saying there are no hot doctors out there but I associate the other three professions in equal to strength and the picture of a strong man with muscles turn me on.

I can understand those who picked doctor because some gay men are turned on by smart-looking man and the profession of a doctor equals to smart brain, am I right?

So, which one did you vote and why does it turn you on?

Face the Truth

2011-11-17T20:00:00.002+08:00

A relationship needs both sides to work on it. Don't get into a relationship just because you want one.... get into it because you love that person.

No matter how sweet and loving it can be... always remind yourself it will NEVER last forever.
Nothing is forever in this world.

Mr. A and I know this. So, we only appreciate each day as it passes. We try to stay grounded because we both know, there's no forever. That's why i told myself I'm prepared mentally if there's one day when he stopped loving me or vice-versa.

It's inevitable.

You can't help it.

No one can stop it.

If it's not love that died, it's death.
There's only 2 things that will end the relationship... death and separation.

It's not depressing.
It's the truth of life.

Don't see things with a coloured-glass.
Reality hits you hardest if you live in a dream.

Hearts may change.

Just like we always eat different food, pick different things, like different stuff.

Humans are ever-changing being.
That's why relationship is not easy to maintain.
What's more? When there's so many temptations out there.

This minute you like this hottie in your gym.
Next week, you bump into another hottie at the bus stop.
That is lust.

That's why never make a relationship based on lust.
It won't last long.
Once you got bored with him or he's bored with you, you wanna do it with other new guy.

Relationship should based on respect, understanding, love, feelings for each other.
Sex should be the act of love.

*Thank you J-boy for the inspiration. Hehehe...

Intimate Game

2011-11-16T20:00:00.000+08:00

Would you like to have this on your bed?

How To Annoy People At The Office

2011-11-15T20:00:00.004+08:00

1. Agree to organize the company Christmas party. Hold it at McDonald’s Playland. Charge everyone RM50 each.

2. Attach a sign that says "FAX" to the paper shredder. Sit and watch to see how many people fall for it.

3. Bring in dishes that you tried to cook but didn’t turn out quite right as special treats for your co-workers.

4. Email your boss the message: I know what you did last vacation.

5. Encourage your colleagues to join you in a little synchronized chair dancing.

6. Erect a shrine to your favorite sports team, holding candlelight vigils at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily.

7. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask them if they want fries with that.

8. Hide a rubber cockroach in inventive places.

9. Make up nicknames for all your coworkers and refer to them only by these names. “That’s a good point Sparky.” “No I’m sorry I’m going to have to disagree with you there, Chachi.”

10. Name all your pens and insist that meetings can’t begin until they’re all present.

11. Put a chair facing a printer, sit there all day and tell people you’re waiting for your document.

12. Put decaf in the coffeemaker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

13. Put on your headphones on whenever the boss comes into the office. Talk in a loud voice. Remove your headphones when he or she leaves.

14. Put shaving cream on your boss’s telephone earpiece. Dial the number. When he/she answers, say “Sqwish.”

15. Put up mosquito netting around your cubicle. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.

16. Put your garbage can on your desk. Label it “IN.”

17. Send e-mail messages saying free pizza, free donuts etc... in the lunchroom, when people complain that there was none... Just lean back, pat your stomach, and say, “Oh you’ve got to be faster than that.”

18. Sing “It’s a Small World After All” really loud in your cubical.

19. Talk to your mouse.

20. Whenever anyone comes in your cubicle insist they knock or don’t speak with them. When they knock, ignore them.

Home Alone

2011-11-14T20:00:00.004+08:00

Have you ever being home alone and all of a sudden, you heard a sound and your heart skips a beat on that instant? You stop doing whatever you're doing and your whole body just froze with your mind wondering the source of that sound.

You try to listen out to check if the sound reappears the second time but then there was none. You wanted to know but you're afraid to even walk around your house to find out where the sound came from.

I would be the opposite of what you just read above. Whenever I'm home alone and I heard a sound, I would go to every room in my house, switch on the lights and check behind doors, inside the cupboard, behind walls, to see if there's any intruder. I'll check the toilet, kitchen, living room, every corner, even under the bed. What if someone hides underneath?

If nothing, I would then walk from my house and stand on the street to see around. What someone is hiding behind a tree and to see if there's any unidentified car parked nearby the neighbourhood.

Only then I would be satisfied. Hahaha!!!

Malfunctioning Keys

2011-11-13T20:00:00.001+08:00

Is there any key on your computer keyboard which is malfunctioned?

There are five keys on my computer keyboard which just died on me recently. I don’t play computer games where you keep pressing the same keys repeatedly therefore I’m shocked that some of the keys have stopped functioning.

What I have to do is having my finger pressed on that particular key and wait for 20 seconds before the letter appear on the screen, and when it appears, it will be too many of the same letter that I have to delete it.

Sometimes, it is just not working even I bang so hard on the key that I have to resort to use an virtual onscreen keyboard to type the specific letter. I wonder if I blog too much. Hahaha!

Let’s play a game. Take a guess on which five keys are malfunctioned on my computer keyboard?

Special Date

2011-11-12T20:00:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was a special date with triple set of double ‘one’ (11/11/11) and some of my friends posted in their Facebook status saying they believe many couples would choose this date to get married. Would you choose a special date or festive day (Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Year) to get married or to get officially attached with your bf?

When I was still dating with Mr. A, he told me he was planning to get official with me on a festive day where it would make our anniversary more memorable and special but to me, I don’t really mind which date because personally, I think what is important in a relationship is the understanding and acceptance from both parties.

Many years back, I always regard Chinese New Year and my birthday to be the biggest events of my life but not anymore. When I have opened up my mind and started to realise how fragile human’s life can be, I no longer feel the same on those special dates.

After my 21st birthday, I don’t hold anymore birthday parties because I come to realise that without my mother, I won’t even be here celebrating birthdays. From then, I told myself that my birthday serves as a reminder of the labour my mother endured to give birth to me and be grateful to her for raising me up. I told her, “Mummy, today is not to celebrate my birthday but to celebrate the day you gave life to me.”

What about you guys? What is the significance of the special dates in your life?

Why Men Can't?

2011-11-11T20:00:00.002+08:00

There are few things that when it's done by the girls, it's perfectly fine but when the exact same scenario involves men, it's considered wrong or weird. Just read the following examples.

1. The ladies always love to accompany each other to the toilet but when two guys go to the toilet together, people will assume they're either gay trying to fulfill their lust in the toilet.

2. It's perfectly fine for a group of women (even mothers) to shout for the young cute male singer but when it's men who do that, they will think they are paedophile.

3. Girl A says to Girl B, "OMG! You're my best friend and I love you so much." But when it's said from a guy to another guy, the second guy would probably asks, "Are you gay?"

4. Some girls like to share food but when people see two guys sharing food from the same plate, they will assume this two men must be gay.

What other scenarios can you think of where the society tend to think it's weird for guys to do it together but it's fine for the female counterpart?

Man becomes gay after accident

2011-11-10T20:00:00.002+08:00

One of my brothers shows me an article about a rugby player who has a stroke after an accident but wakes up claiming he's gay.

The 26-year-old Chris Birch did a back flip in front of his friends when he fell, breaking his neck and suffered a stroke. His fiancée and family spent days waiting by his bed side before he delivered the shocking news.

Birch quits his sports career to become a hairdresser. He now lives with his 19-year-old boyfriend.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Forgetfulness

2011-11-09T20:00:00.000+08:00

I couldn't believe I missed her again. Upon realising it, I was so angry at myself. How could I forget the date?

I know the exact date she's coming since May and I even blogged about it, but I only realised I missed it when I saw the report in the Chinese newspaper my mother was reading yesterday morning during our breakfast.

How could I forget all about it? I kept remembering the 6th of November is Hari Raya Haji but I have forgotten it's also Faye Wong's concert.

NO!!!

Did you attend?

Sense of Direction

2011-11-08T20:00:00.004+08:00

After done with his grocery shopping at the mall, Brian went to the car park but couldn't remember where his car is. This is not the first time. Whenever he goes to even the same mall, he suffers from poor sense of direction.

Do you face the same problem when you're at the mall?

Note: All characters in this post are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Food Expiry Date

2011-11-07T20:00:00.003+08:00

Do you check the expiry when you buy your milk, canned food, yogurt, bread, butter, fruit juice?

Do you check it again whenever you want to eat it to see if it's still safe to be consumed?

Or you don't care about expiry dates at all?

I always look out for the expiry date and I won't even eat it if it's one day after the printed date. Some would argue, "you won't die that easily," but I can't help it. I know some would use their senses such as the nose and eyes to check if the food has gone bad. These people will only admit the food is stale if they notice unpleasant smell or see fungus over the food.

So which kind of are you? Do you live by the expiry date or the daring type?

The Silly Things You Do

2011-11-06T20:00:00.003+08:00

You may not notice this but when you read the following actions, you would realise how silly you are doing it, knowing the results would be the same.

1. What do you when your pen runs out of ink? Do you calmly put it down and get another one to write or you keep scribbling hoping the ink would come continue to flow?

2. When you heard the sound of the last drop you sucked from a packet drink, you suddenly start sucking it so hard to see if there's any left, as though you hardly believe it's finished. Sometimes, you would even shake it hard to hear if there's any more left inside.

3. When you turn the water tap and realise there's no water coming out, you try to turn it back and turn it again to see if it will come through.

Could you think of any other silly things you do that you know the results would be the same but just for the slight faint hope that it will come through?

Pricey Lesson

2011-11-05T20:00:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, my mother told me this news over breakfast while she's reading the Chinese newspaper. A married man with four schooling children has a marital affair with a married woman.

This man only gives RM1,000 to his wife every month for expenses on food, clothes for the kids, water/electric/telephone bills but he gave his ATM card to his lover. He told that woman to take whatever amount whenever she needs money.

On top of that, in order to have a better quality of lifestyle with this married woman, this man went overseas to work for higher income. When he came back after six months, he found out that the woman had withdrew four million from his bank account within that period when he's not here.

Then, the man lodged a police report accusing her of stealing his money.

I find this extremely funny. First, he's the one who gave his ATM card willingly and told her to withdraw whatever amount. So, why now turn around to accuse her? Furthermore, I don't pity the man at all. I believe this is karma, a lesson, a wake-up call to let him see and realise the wife who took care of the family, the home but got nothing more than a thousand.

In today's living standard, a family with four schooling children, a thousand is not enough for the whole family. I hope the man learned his lesson with this episode.

Sweet

2011-11-04T20:00:00.006+08:00

Awww... this is so sweet. What do you think?

Comic Fiesta 2011

2011-11-03T20:00:00.000+08:00

COMIC FIESTA 2011

17 & 18 December

9.00am - 6.30pm

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

Ticket: RM15 per day / RM25 for two days

Tickets available at the following participating outlets:

Cosplayer, Sunger Wang, 6th floor

Little Akiba

SunComics

AnimeTech

CLICK HERE for more information.

I'm definitely going to see my friend there because he's a volunteer at the event.

Kim Kang Woo

2011-11-02T20:00:00.005+08:00

Name: 김강우 / Kim Kang Woo
Profession: Actor

Age:
Birthdate: 11 July 1978
Birthplace: South Korea
Height: 180cm
Weight: 70kg
Star sign: Cancer
Education: Joongang University (Major in Acting)
Talent: Tap dance

We're Official

2011-11-01T20:00:00.002+08:00

After more than two months, Mr. A proposed to go official with me yesterday over our dinner. So, every Halloween will be our anniversary. Hahaha!

How To Be A Good Boyfriend

2011-10-31T20:00:00.004+08:00

I have been asked this question by not only one but a few friends on the qualities of a good boyfriend. After some research, here's what I can share with you but do keep in mind that there is no solid rules on being the perfect boyfriend. After all, we're only human and we're born to make mistakes but we must learn from our mistakes to improve.

1. Honesty

We all know the quote of honesty is the best policy but why aren't many people applying it in their relationships? Because the truth is not always something nice to hear. Sugar-coated words are nice and sweet but I'm sure you would rather want a boyfriend whom really mean what he says, right?

2. Communication

Both parties must adopt an open communication in all times to avoid misunderstanding in future and never make an assumption on your boyfriend based on your own imagination. Nothing is more accurate than to ask from him to clarify.

3. Good listener

Being a good listener is not just merely listen to all what your boyfriend says. You have to digest the information, analyse it, think about it, in order to understand how he feels. Listening without using your heart and mind is just listening without paying attention.

4. Respect

He is your boyfriend, doesn't mean he's yours. If you're trying to change him in many ways, then it's best you find someone else with those traits you're seeking. Why make your other half suffer to fit your ideal dream guy when he's not like that? When you start off going out with him, you should know whether he's what you like or not. Don't just simply date someone and then try to change him into what he isn't. That's not him. You should learn to respect the person for who he is. If you're not comfortable with him, then don't go on. Find someone else.

5. Responsible

Do not make promises that you cannot keep. Be responsible for your own words. No one likes the feeling of being disappointed with empty promises. How can you expect him to trust your words anymore if you keep failing to keep your promises? And don't try to think you can easily make it up with a romantic dinner or movie treat because once the promise is broken, it's broken. No matter how you patch it up, there will still be visible cracks.

6. Effort

This goes hand-in-hand in keeping promises but it also extends to making an effort to keep the relationship going on strong and progressively. Gifts or romantic dinner or holiday for two will enhance the intimacy.

7. Understanding

If you have been a good listener and adopt an open communication, you would understand your boyfriend more. You will know what are his likes and dislikes. When you understand him, you would know why he reacts or response towards certain issues.

8. Supportive

You support him by encouraging him to pursue his dreams. You be his pillar of strength when he's down, depressed, sad.

9. Loyalty

Do not cheat behind your boyfriend by dating or having sex with someone else. This doesn't apply to those who are adopting the open relationship.

10. Mutual Agreement

Lastly, both parties would eventually come to a mutual agreement on certain issues revolving how the relationship should progress.

Anime: Dantalian no Shoka (ダンタリアンの書架)

2011-10-30T20:00:00.003+08:00

Japanese title: Dantalian no Shoka (ダンタリアンの書架)

English title: The Mystic Archives of Dantalian

Alternate title: Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian

This is a light novel written by Gakuto Mikumo and illustrated by G-Yuusuke. The series started in the magazine The Sneaker on 29 February 2008. The manga adaptation by Chako Abeno started on 26 March 2010. The anime adaptation began airing on 16 July 2011.

This story takes place in England after World War I. After the death of his grandfather, Hugh Anthony Disward, also known as Huey, receives a mysterious key and according to his will, must take custody of the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian in order to inherit his estate and all his possessions.

Upon meeting Dalian, a child living at the estate, he learns that she is the guardian of the Archives which contain forbidden knowledge stored in thousands of magic books called "Phantom Books" (幻書 gensho?).

Upon agreeing to become Dalian's new Key-keeper, Huey joins her into investigating incidents regarding people misusing the power of the Phantom Books, most of them with tragic consequences, and using his power as Keykeeper to seal the power of the Phantom Books and restore order to the area.

I bought the DVD with 12 episodes for RM16.90. Oh! How nice to hear Japanese language being spoken. When I learn Japanese language many years back, I bought a lot of Japanese drama series to watch and listen to J-pop like Ken Hirai, Utada Hikaru and many others. It's been so long since I last heard the language. It's so nice to listen to it again.

Any anime fans out there? Have you watched this one? Do recommend me any good ones you know. Thanks in advance.

Double Date

2011-10-29T20:00:00.003+08:00

What did you do during the Deepavali holiday?

Mr. A and I went on a double date with my brother and his boyfriend. We had our lunch at Pastis Cafe in The Gardens Mall which turned out to be a total terrible experience. The bland taste of the food was not the main cause but it was the bad customer service.

First of all, our beverages only came an hour later after we have finished eating. We tried to get their attention with our hands but it was useless. We raised our hands, waved it in big motion, snapped out fingers, still no one bothered to look around.

When the waiter came to ask, we complained about the missing drinks and he dared to tell us, "Oh, I thought it was out already." No apology whatsoever.

When we pay, we asked the manager to come to our table and we complained to her but she just replied everything by saying, "OK... OK... OK... OK... OK..." It sounded so annoying that I dug my head low and tried to zone out. It's our first time there and would be our last. As I looked around the restaurant, I said to them, "Look... no wonder it's so empty in here even during lunch time on a public holiday."

After lunch, we parted our separate ways. Mr. A and I took a taxi to Starhill. We held hands in the backseat. Hehehe... how nice. He took me to an art exhibition as he knows I love paintings. Then, we went to Jogoya for dinner.

The variety of food could be better in my opinion but what I love the most is the dessert section with all kinds of cakes, cookies, and the heavenly Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I had the Belgian Chocolate and Vanilla flavours.

The date ended with a passionate kiss with our hands roaming all possible parts of our bodies, and he gave me a hickey. It was so red on my fair and lovely skin. Hehehe...

A Path With Heart (Jack Kornfield)

2011-10-28T23:59:00.000+08:00

Title: A Path With Heart: A Guide Through The Perils And Promises Of Spiritual Life

Author: Jack Kornfield

Jack Kornfield was trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India and has taught meditation worldwide since 1974. He is one of the key teachers to introduce Theravada Buddhist practice to the West. For many years his work has been focused on integrating and bringing alive the great Eastern spiritual teachings in an accessible way for Western students and Western society. Jack also holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. His books include Seeking the Heart of Wisdom; A Still Forest Pool; Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart; Buddha's Little Instruction Book; Teachings of the Buddha; and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry.

I got this book as a gift from my brother, the one who gave me the L figurine. I typed out the whole content for you to read what is the book about. I like it very much.

Contents

Part 1

A Path With Heart: The Fundamentals

Chapter 1 Did I Love Well?

A Meditation on Loving-Kindness

Chapter 2 Stopping the War

A Meditation on Stopping the War Within

Chapter 3 Take the One Seat

A Meditation on Taking the One Seat

Chapter 4 Necessary Healing

Healing the Body

Healing the Heart

Healing the Mind

Healing Through Emptinesss

Developing a Healing Attention

A Meditative Visit to the Healing Temple

Chapter 5 Training the Puppy: Mindfulness of Breathing

Establishing a Daily Meditation

Walking Meditation

Part 2: Promises and Perils

Chapter 6 Turning Straw into Gold

Meditation: Reflecting on Difficulty

Meditation: Seeing All Beings as Enlightened

Chapter 7 Naming the Demons

How to Begin Naming

Meditation on Making the Demons Part of the Path

Meditation on the Impulses That Move Our Life

Chapter 8 Difficult Problems and Insistent Visitors

Expand the Field of Attention

A Full Awareness of the Feelings

Discover What Is Asking for Acceptance

Open Through the Center

Five More Skillful Means

Chapter 9 The Spiritual Roller Coaster: Kundalini and Other Side Effects

Attitudes Toward Altered States

Some Common Altered States

Skillful Means of Working with the Energetic and Emotional Openings

Meditation: Reflecting on Your Attitude Toward Altered States

Chapter 10 Expanding and Dissolving the Self: Dark Night and Rebirth

Buddhist Maps of Absorption and Insight Stages

The Entry to Expanded Consciousness: Access Concentration States of Absorption

The Realms of Existence

Dissolving the Self

The Dark Night

The Realm of Awakenings

Meditation on Death and Rebirth

Chapter 11 Searching for the Buddha: A Lamp Unto Ourselves

Meditation: Becoming Simple nd Transparent

Part 3

Widening Our Circle

Chapter 12 Accepting the Cycles of Spiritual Life

Leaving Retreat: Practice with Transition

Meditation: Reflecting on the Cycles of Your Spiritual Life

Chapter 13 No Boundaries to the Sacred

The Near Enemies

Meditaation on Compartments and Wholeness

Chapter 14 No Self or True Self?

The Nature of Selfless

Misconceptions About Selflessness

From No Self to True Self

The Unique Expression of True Self

Meditation: Who Am I?

Chapter 15 Generosity, Codependence, and Fearless Compassion

Meditation: Transforming Sorrow into Compassion

Chapter 16 You Can't Do It Alone: Finding and Working with a Teacher

Chapter 17 Psychotherapy and Meditation

Chapter 18 The Emperor's New Clothes: Problems with Teachers

Naming the Difficulties

Why Problems Occur

Transference and Projection

How to Work with Teacher-Community Problems

The Place of Forgiveness

Leaving a Community

Meditation: Reflecting on the Shadow of Your Form of Practice

Chapter 19 Karma: The Heart Is Our Garden

Meditation on Forgiveness

Chapter 20 Expanding Our Circle: An Undivided Heart

Daily Life as Meditation

Moving into the World

Concious Conduct: The Five Precepts

Reverence for Life

Meditation on Service

Undertaking the Five Precepts: Nonharmingas a Gift to the World

Part 4

Spiritual Maturity

Chapter 21 Spiritual Maturity

Chapter 22 The Great Song

Our Individual Song Within the Great Song

A Hundred Thousand Forms of Awakening

Meditation on Equanimity

Chapter 23 Enlightenment Is Intimacy with All Things

366 pages

RM72.90

Publisher: Bantam Books

Borders Bookstore

Caption Game 1

2011-10-28T20:00:00.001+08:00

Every now and then, I will post up a random picture and you all are welcomed to put in your funniest or wackiest caption for that picture.

7 Dangerous Acts After Meal

2011-10-27T20:00:00.002+08:00

Recently, my friend shared a video in Facebook showing the seven acts which are deemed dangerous to do after you have a meal. The following are the acts and the reasons why it's not advisable to do. Read through it and tell me if you think it's all true or some are just myth.

1. Don't smoke after a meal because experiment from experts proves that smoking after a meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes. Chances of cancer is higher.

2. Don't eat fruits immediately after a meal because it will cause your stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore, take fruits 1-2 hours after meal or 1 hour before meal.

3. Don't drink tea because tea contains a high content of acid which will cause the protein in the food we consume to be hardened, thus difficult to digest.

4. Don't loosen your belt after a meal because it will easily cause the intestine to be twisted and blocked.

5. Don't bathe after a meal because it will increase blood flow to the hands, legs, and body, thus the amount of blood around the stomach will decrease. This will weaken the digestive system.

6. Don't walk about after a meal. People always say that take a walk after a meal and you will live till 99. This is not true because walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

7. Don't sleep immediately after a meal because the food will not be properly digested thus leading to gastric and infection in your intestine.

So, what do you think? So I guess, after a meal, we should all remain seated and keep talking to our friends for at least 1-2 hours before standing up to walk. Hehehe...

Sing You Home (Jodi Picoult)

2011-10-26T20:00:00.003+08:00

For those who know me well, you would surely know that Jodi Picoult is not only one of my favourites but she's my all-time favourite author. I can proudly proclaim that I'm her biggest fan in which I have all her books and till the extent that I even wrote to her once telling her how much I love My Sister's Keeper.

What I like about her is that she tackles controversial, if not sensitive subjects which surrounds our lives and with the dedication in her research in every book she writes, I know I'm reading and learning true facts rather purely fiction.

Sing You Home is about gay rights. Knowing that people fear of the unknown, Picoult hopes this book would open the minds of those who have them closed tightly shut. When she was researching for this book, her eldest son, Kyle 'came out' to her but she reveals in an article that she knows her son is gay when he's five years old.

For research, Picoult spoke to several same-sex couples, who shared their relationships and their sex lives and their struggles. Some of these people knew their sexual orientation in childhood; some had same-sex relationships after heterosexual ones. Then she spoke to representatives from a conservative Christian group, Focus on the Family, who oppose gay adoption, and support seminars to ‘cure’ gay people of same-sex attraction.

CLICK HERE to read her talk about her book, how she feels about her son being gay.

424 pages

(Price unknown as this is a gift)

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Sleeping With Teddy Bear

2011-10-25T20:00:00.003+08:00

Do you sleep with your favourite teddy bear?

Do you hug it when you sleep at night?

Some even have many different types of soft toys all over the bed when they sleep. So, how many do you put on your bed?

For those who don't have any soft toys, do you hug the bolster or another pillow when you sleep?

When I sleep, I will hug the bolster by putting my head on the top of the bolster and imagine I'm putting my head on a guy's chest. Awww... such nice and warm feelings. But I can't just sleep on one fixed position.

I will toss and turn around before I fall asleep. What about you?

Got Invited

2011-10-24T20:00:00.003+08:00

I got invited to attend a LGBT Pageant which will be held in Philippines on 5 November 2011 (Saturday). It's a beauty contest that involves lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender candidates in conjunction with Manila Pride 2011.

The event is from 8.00pm till 4.00am. Yes! You read it right. It's until four in the morning. Wow! There's going to be partying all night long, baby! Maybe I'll get a backstage pass too and get to see them change. Hahaha!!!

The tagline in the email reads like this... "It's not just a pageant, it's not just a party, it’s the beauty that sets at the end of the rainbow."

Four Words to Describe You

2011-10-23T20:00:00.002+08:00

Just look randomly around the words. The first four words you found will describe you. Write down the four words in the comment. Thank you.