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3rd October
constantly and sometimes involuntarily participating in the good and bad insanities of life.
lives in the 90's yet loves 21st century decadence.
fallenskies@hotmail.com
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aisha
valerie
vanessa
pamela
ernie
su yee
catherine
shirlene
angela
jean
yahui
kelvin
ben
sharon
brian
sean
ikram
marion
jianhao
geoffrey
eileen
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Wednesday, November 05, 2008
less than 24 hours to go.
will it be
"Country First"
or
"Change"?
no matter what side of the political fence one may stand on, let it be for only the right reasons.
don't let personal prejudices, racial or religious, have any part, no matter how small, in determining your choice.
God bless America.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
where were you when the world stopped turning,
that september day?
out in the yard with your wife and children
or working on some stage in LA?
did you stand there in shock at the sight of
that black smoke
rising against that blue sky?
did you shout out in anger
and fear for your neighbor
or did you just sit down and cry?
-alan jackson – where were you (when the world stopped turning)
a moment of silence, for the people who perished in the attacks on the world trade center on the 11th of september, 2001, and the brave men and women who gave their lives in the rescue efforts.
how many of us actually remember what we were doing on this day, seven years ago? many of us probably started that day, just like any other, a typical weekday. the smell of coffee in the morning, having a quick breakfast before rushing out the door, squeezing in with rush hour traffic, going about the daily grind as usual, preoccupied with our respective schedules for the day, things seemingly predictable and routine.
just who would have expected what was coming next? suicide attacks on aircraft seemed like something from a distant past, and even then, it was during a world war and they were using designated combat planes. the idea of hijacking civilian aircraft, to get close to one’s target, undetected like trojan horses, in peacetime, no less, probably never crossed most of our minds back then.
and thus, we were stunned, violently shaken, with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and fear, that a nation which seemed so indomitable at the time was brought to its knees in a relative instant. it was surreal, like something from a totally insane nightmare, and for what felt like a really long moment, it seemed like the world had come to a standstill.
the human spirit, however, is much stronger than we know. people from all ages and walks of life began to help out in each and every way they could, as much as they could, joining hands in what was probably one of the most amazing acts of solidarity. it didn’t matter what religion someone belonged to, or the color of someone’s skin, or how rich or poor anyone was. everyone became each other’s strength, tirelessly working to pull survivors from the rubble, treating the injured, donating blood, supporting the rescue workers, and so much more.
seven years on, we remember the day when the world stopped turning. and let us always choose to always pick ourselves up again, slowly and surely, no matter how hard we may fall.
how many of us actually remember what we were doing on this day, seven years ago? many of us probably started that day, just like any other, a typical weekday. the smell of coffee in the morning, having a quick breakfast before rushing out the door, squeezing in with rush hour traffic, going about the daily grind as usual, preoccupied with our respective schedules for the day, things seemingly predictable and routine.
just who would have expected what was coming next? suicide attacks on aircraft seemed like something from a distant past, and even then, it was during a world war and they were using designated combat planes. the idea of hijacking civilian aircraft, to get close to one’s target, undetected like trojan horses, in peacetime, no less, probably never crossed most of our minds back then.
and thus, we were stunned, violently shaken, with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and fear, that a nation which seemed so indomitable at the time was brought to its knees in a relative instant. it was surreal, like something from a totally insane nightmare, and for what felt like a really long moment, it seemed like the world had come to a standstill.
the human spirit, however, is much stronger than we know. people from all ages and walks of life began to help out in each and every way they could, as much as they could, joining hands in what was probably one of the most amazing acts of solidarity. it didn’t matter what religion someone belonged to, or the color of someone’s skin, or how rich or poor anyone was. everyone became each other’s strength, tirelessly working to pull survivors from the rubble, treating the injured, donating blood, supporting the rescue workers, and so much more.
seven years on, we remember the day when the world stopped turning. and let us always choose to always pick ourselves up again, slowly and surely, no matter how hard we may fall.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
新たな世界の入口に立ち (i'm standing at the entrance to a new world)
気づいたことは 一人じゃないってこと。。。 (and it isn't just me who realizes this...)
-レミオロメン - 3月9日
exhilaration, relief, joy.
just some of the many things that a lot of us feel after graduating. we’ve all faced the stress and the fatigue, the sleepless nights, the frustrating attempts at making headway through countless intimidating obstacles that loom over, daunting and imposing. every time it feels like there is some time to breathe a little, a new challenge comes our way, and we steel ourselves to face and overcome it.
the rewards at the end are worth the pain, and when we finally achieve them, it’s so much sweeter because we know we’ve given all we’ve got. the weight that has always hung heavily over us suddenly disappears, and it becomes so much easier to breathe. the world becomes brighter and the air sweeter. new and perhaps bigger crosses to bear definitely lie ahead in the winding, seemingly endless river that is life, but for a little while, at least, we probably deserve to be happy about the fact that we made it through one of the most important, defining periods in life.
looking back at the time spent, though, there were all kinds of good and bad experiences and perhaps some of the best memories we’d ever have. most of us would probably have things that we would have done differently had we been able to go back in time, but the author is pretty sure that we also possess some memories that we would not, by any means, have had any other way.
congratulations, people.
気づいたことは 一人じゃないってこと。。。 (and it isn't just me who realizes this...)
-レミオロメン - 3月9日
exhilaration, relief, joy.
just some of the many things that a lot of us feel after graduating. we’ve all faced the stress and the fatigue, the sleepless nights, the frustrating attempts at making headway through countless intimidating obstacles that loom over, daunting and imposing. every time it feels like there is some time to breathe a little, a new challenge comes our way, and we steel ourselves to face and overcome it.
the rewards at the end are worth the pain, and when we finally achieve them, it’s so much sweeter because we know we’ve given all we’ve got. the weight that has always hung heavily over us suddenly disappears, and it becomes so much easier to breathe. the world becomes brighter and the air sweeter. new and perhaps bigger crosses to bear definitely lie ahead in the winding, seemingly endless river that is life, but for a little while, at least, we probably deserve to be happy about the fact that we made it through one of the most important, defining periods in life.
looking back at the time spent, though, there were all kinds of good and bad experiences and perhaps some of the best memories we’d ever have. most of us would probably have things that we would have done differently had we been able to go back in time, but the author is pretty sure that we also possess some memories that we would not, by any means, have had any other way.
congratulations, people.
Monday, July 28, 2008
so why, tell me why the good die young, my old friend…
-hayley westenra – heaven
because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. and yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number really. how many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, an afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you cannot conceive of your life without it? perhaps four, or five times more? perhaps not even that. how many more times will you watch the full moon rise? perhaps twenty. and yet it all seems limitless.
-brandon lee
take some time to watch this, if you haven’t already :
what wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?
professor randy pausch finally had to make an exit, just a few hours ago, after an almost two year battle with pancreatic cancer. carnegie mellon university lost a good academic, but more than that, the world lost a wonderful person. how else would you describe someone who, despite his own personal suffering and impending departure, shone through all that by remaining positive, and, even more, inspired and motivated so many people by displaying such an admirable and valiant attitude in the face of something so overwhelming?
so many of us in a similar situation would probably crumble, become withdrawn, morose, and catatonically await the seemingly inevitable. professor pausch decided that he wasn’t going to go quietly into the night, that he would do as much good as he could and leave behind as many marks as possible for not just his loved ones, but so many people around the world.
how many of us could pull ourselves together so well and even laugh in the face of death? something or someone is trying to kill you, to turn you into just a memory (in professor pausch’s case, it was the cancer), do you just sit there, depressed and scared and wait for it to claim you? or do you stand up and face it with all the courage and fighting spirit that you have, and fight it tooth and nail, by living meaningfully and making the best out of life? if death is going to take you away anyway, at least do not let it also take your happiness, joy, and most importantly your raison d’ etre, because doing so is akin to letting yourself die a lot earlier.
adversity brings out things in us that even we ourselves probably knew nothing about before. it is in the face of great adversity that we realise what we truly are like. many of us might tend to falter, but there are also those among us who refuse to let things get us down so easily and so fight to rise above it all. adversity might bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best. it separates the truly good from the pretenders who simply attempt to imitate the good ones and believe that that is enough for them to consider themselves good. because, while the pretenders stumble, fall, and reveal their ugly sides in the face of adversity, the truly good ones shine, and come out better at the other end.
thus, even though the body begins to give up, at least not let the spirit do the same too, because losing that would be like losing everything. and there is no way that anyone would want that.
thanks, professor. just for showing us how to truly live.
"the brick walls are not there to keep us out. the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough."
"syl said, it took me a long time but i’ve finally figured it out. when it comes to men that are romantically interested in you, it’s really simple. just ignore everything they say and only pay attention to what they do. it’s that simple. it’s that easy."
"it’s not about how to achieve your dreams. it’s about how to lead your life. if you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. the dreams will come to you."
-professor randolph frederick pausch
-hayley westenra – heaven
because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. and yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number really. how many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, an afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you cannot conceive of your life without it? perhaps four, or five times more? perhaps not even that. how many more times will you watch the full moon rise? perhaps twenty. and yet it all seems limitless.
-brandon lee
take some time to watch this, if you haven’t already :
what wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?
professor randy pausch finally had to make an exit, just a few hours ago, after an almost two year battle with pancreatic cancer. carnegie mellon university lost a good academic, but more than that, the world lost a wonderful person. how else would you describe someone who, despite his own personal suffering and impending departure, shone through all that by remaining positive, and, even more, inspired and motivated so many people by displaying such an admirable and valiant attitude in the face of something so overwhelming?
so many of us in a similar situation would probably crumble, become withdrawn, morose, and catatonically await the seemingly inevitable. professor pausch decided that he wasn’t going to go quietly into the night, that he would do as much good as he could and leave behind as many marks as possible for not just his loved ones, but so many people around the world.
how many of us could pull ourselves together so well and even laugh in the face of death? something or someone is trying to kill you, to turn you into just a memory (in professor pausch’s case, it was the cancer), do you just sit there, depressed and scared and wait for it to claim you? or do you stand up and face it with all the courage and fighting spirit that you have, and fight it tooth and nail, by living meaningfully and making the best out of life? if death is going to take you away anyway, at least do not let it also take your happiness, joy, and most importantly your raison d’ etre, because doing so is akin to letting yourself die a lot earlier.
adversity brings out things in us that even we ourselves probably knew nothing about before. it is in the face of great adversity that we realise what we truly are like. many of us might tend to falter, but there are also those among us who refuse to let things get us down so easily and so fight to rise above it all. adversity might bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best. it separates the truly good from the pretenders who simply attempt to imitate the good ones and believe that that is enough for them to consider themselves good. because, while the pretenders stumble, fall, and reveal their ugly sides in the face of adversity, the truly good ones shine, and come out better at the other end.
thus, even though the body begins to give up, at least not let the spirit do the same too, because losing that would be like losing everything. and there is no way that anyone would want that.
thanks, professor. just for showing us how to truly live.
"the brick walls are not there to keep us out. the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough."
"syl said, it took me a long time but i’ve finally figured it out. when it comes to men that are romantically interested in you, it’s really simple. just ignore everything they say and only pay attention to what they do. it’s that simple. it’s that easy."
"it’s not about how to achieve your dreams. it’s about how to lead your life. if you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. the dreams will come to you."
-professor randolph frederick pausch
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
you cannot run away from a weakness; you must sometimes fight it out or perish. and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?
-robert louis stevenson
the above is one of the author's favorite quotes of all time. in the face of overwhelming adversity, when it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, when everything's threatening to fall on top of you like a house of cards, leaving you buried under fathomless depths of rubble, and when it seems like there's nothing left to do but to quit, gather yourself together, and make an unwavering stand. give it your all. at the very least, you'll go down fighting and with no regrets because you did your best. if you make it through however, a hard won victory always tastes very, very sweet. but either way, you are better off in some sense, because the lessons learned from adversity are priceless.
why do we fall down? so we can learn to pick ourselves up.
-thomas wayne, from batman begins
falling is never the end. life has an infinitesimal number of possibilities such that if one pathway doesn't take us to where we want to go, there is always another. but it should never be an option to choose the path of least resistance by virtue of its simplicity alone. we fall, we get up, and learn from our mistakes and refrain from making the same ones in the future. the lessons might be painful, but their importance can never be undermined.
if you weren't given the gift you can't get the gift so the best you can do – if your goal is important – is work as hard as you possibly can, pay attention every hour of every day and then maybe, maybe if you've done enough and been smart enough you'll emerge from the muck of mediocrity to shine a bit brighter than you shone before.
-mark twight
thus, even if it seems as if the odds are stacked high against you, face it with all the grit and resolve you have, and more. destroy those inhibitions and weaknesses that hold you back, push yourself as far as you can, further than you've ever been, and take on anything that stands in your way.
and hey you, if you're reading this from there,
一緒にがんばりましょうね。
Saturday, January 12, 2008
it’s something that probably applies to a large number of people. we think we understand the feelings of someone, and we say things or act in a manner in which we think is right. perhaps those actions and words are well-intentioned, but like the author has learned time and again from self made mistakes, never to be too presumptuous. it’s never as easy as we think to truly and fully understand how someone else feels about something, unless we have had a similar experience. even then, we still have to realize that everyone’s view of the world is unique, and someone else’s perception of the world is probably different from our own.
perhaps it is a monumental, maybe even impossible task to entirely understand another person, no matter how close to us they may be. but despite all of that, one of the best things that we could probably do is to be willing to listen, and to do our best to understand without being judgmental. we are only human: most of us don’t like to be judged, yet it seems so easy to judge others. we may not show it, but somewhere in our minds, we inevitably tend to form some preconceived perception based on our personal normative opinions.
yet, however hard it may be to refrain from making personal judgments, the most important thing would probably be to just do the best we can, to be a friend, a listener, someone who is by the other person’s side when they need it.
Friday, December 28, 2007
goodbyes are sometimes never easy. especially when those involve physical separation for a relatively long, indefinite amount of time, across a great distance that separates two very different places. "all good things come to an end." it's a phrase that almost everyone knows. cliched, but it's often the cold truth. however, the ending can be temporary, or it can be permanent, depending on how possible it is to bring back the good things that have gone, and how much the people involved are willing to make it happen.
the way time makes those happy moments flash by when you're enjoying yourself, as if everything that's happened was one brief, sustained instant, is unbelievable. they slip by, like water in a fast flowing river, rushing relentlessly downstream. how many times have any of us pleaded so desperately, in our hearts, for time to stop, or at least slow down so that we are able to do more, to finish what we need to, or perhaps to have just a few moments more with someone?
time has no nominal value, but it is also priceless. it knows no compassion nor reason. it is almost infinitely boundless, yet it binds us all. ever since the beginning, it is one of the few things that man will never be able to control. man is binded, by his own mortality, as well as the ever rapidly changing state of the world.
and thus, the best any of us can ever do and hope to achieve is to make the best of the time that we have, and to be as happy as possible, so that we never have to look back with regret.
げんきだね。
またね。
the way time makes those happy moments flash by when you're enjoying yourself, as if everything that's happened was one brief, sustained instant, is unbelievable. they slip by, like water in a fast flowing river, rushing relentlessly downstream. how many times have any of us pleaded so desperately, in our hearts, for time to stop, or at least slow down so that we are able to do more, to finish what we need to, or perhaps to have just a few moments more with someone?
time has no nominal value, but it is also priceless. it knows no compassion nor reason. it is almost infinitely boundless, yet it binds us all. ever since the beginning, it is one of the few things that man will never be able to control. man is binded, by his own mortality, as well as the ever rapidly changing state of the world.
and thus, the best any of us can ever do and hope to achieve is to make the best of the time that we have, and to be as happy as possible, so that we never have to look back with regret.
げんきだね。
またね。