You Never Know...

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You never know when someone
may catch a dream from you.
You never know when a little word,
or something you may do
May open up a window
of the mind that seeks the light
The way you live may not matter at all...
but you never know - it might.
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And just in case it could be
that another's life through you.
Might possibly change for the better
with a broader brighter view.
It seems it might be worth a try
at pointing the way to the right.
Of course, it may not matter at all,
but then again, it might.

Living in Vain, or Finding Life?

Life is vanity that is the life we think matters. All our striving and building and self-satisfaction is an illusion. Illusions get us through the day, but every now and then something happens. There we stand naked and dripping wet in tears and laughter.

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We don’t find life’s meaning in the barns we build or fields we harvest or accolades we receive. All that is just gloss. We are merely seekers of the Life. And at the end the best that can be said of any of us is that we loved well.

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Every now and then the clutter of our living parts and God peeks through reminding us what really matters and the meaning or purpose of our existence. We aren’t the makers of life. We don’t create meaning. We are the messengers. We are the instruments through which God has voice. This is our purpose, our task, and, yes, even our risk. This is our destiny. Everything else is but vanity.

Contentment...

The world can be a much better place if we humans can learn to be content with the simple blessings of life, instead of competing with one another for that illusive prize of pride and prestige.

Cat on left: I'm so glad to have a friend like you. Purr...

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Cat on right: The feeling is mutual. Purr... purr...

How Do You Measure Love?

It takes 3 seconds to say "I love you," 3 minutes to explain it, 3 hours to demonstrate it, 3 days to appreciate it, and a LIFETIME to prove it.

Lion Heart (Food Fight)

This is the ending scene of the TV series Food Fight starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, one of the member of the famous Japanese group SMAP (stands for Sports and Music Assembled People). I did mentioned the song Lion Heart twice in my earlier blogs, but now you finally got to hear the song. (well, at least the first part of it) Hope you like it!

What Really Matters

Something written by an American girl (j.s.) which I find quite profound but simple, philosophical yet meaningful, succinct yet on the mark:

Not where you live, but how you live.
Not what you say, but what you do.
Not what you take, but what you give.
Not what you own, but what you share.
Not what you avenge, but what you forgive.
Not who you know, but who you help.
Not how you play, but how you pray.
Not how you enjoy, but how you endure.
Not how you look, but who you are.
Not how much you work, but how much you love.
Not what's in the bank, but what's in your heart.
Not what others think of you, but what God knows.

Neko no Uta

The title means Song of Cats. Well, it's a collection of photos of cats that's put up as transitional slides, played to the tune of Teruu no Uta. Hope you'll like it!

Mid-Autumn Festival

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival in the Chinese lunar calendar. This is a time of reunion and renewing of bonds and friendships. Below is a poem written by a Chinese poet of the Song dynasty (Shu Shi):




Reminiscence in Song over Water

Bright moon, when was your birth?
Winecup in hand, I ask the deep blue sky;
Not knowing what year it is tonight
In those celestial palaces on high.
I long to fly back on the wind,
Yet dread those crystal towers, those courts of jade,
Freezing to death among those icy heights!
Instead I rise to dance with my pale shadow;
Better off, after all, in the world of men.


Rounding the red pavilion,
Stooping to look through gauze windows,
She shines on the sleepless.
The moon should know no sadness;
Why, then, is she always full when dear ones are parted?
For men the grief of parting, joy of reunion,
Just as the moon wanes and waxes, is bright or dim:
Always some flaw-and so it has been since of old.
My one wish for you, is long life
And a share in this loveliness far, far away!

Work, Work, Work...

Work: something that not many people really enjoy doing (I mean the eight-to-five regiment kind), and yet we can't do without it (after all, there are the bills that have to be paid). I heard someone remarked that if there's something worst than meaningless existence, it's working for the sake of working. And I can't agree more...

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I've been in my present company for over sixteen years (yes, you read it right, sixteen years!). They say as the world gets smaller with globalisation, the thing about an iron rice-bowl will be a thing of the past. Maybe. But in my case, if I should throw in my resignation letter now, it'll probably create a great ripple (I wouldn't use the word 'tsunami', which means 'harbour wave') that'll unsettle not just my department manager, but another one or two level high up. I'm not kidding (or exaggerating). A few years back, I stated in my appraisal that I wanted to transfer to another department just for a change of job scope, the next thing I knew, the divisional manager was persuading me to change my mind.

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To be frank, I'm not that indispensable as my managers would have me believe; it's just that with me around, it seems to instill a certain confidence or sense of security when they wanted to make some business decisions. After all, they reasoned, if Hachiko can't do it, it is doubtful anyone else can. Give me a break! I mean, being recognised by the boss is a good thing, but to let them work you to the point of breaking, that's a different story altogether, if you know what I mean. Sigh!

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Lately, I'm beginning to develop a great dislike for the work I'm doing. Gone are the satisfaction that I used to have, and with each passing day, the sense of fulfillment grows lesser and lesser. Even my colleagues are noticing that I'm no longer my usual self anymore. Perhaps it's time for me to pack up and go do something else.

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Yuutsu ni narimashita.

Friends Are...

Well, I guess people who have certain things in common, but not necessarily everthing in common...

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but one thing is for sure: they enjoy one another's company even if words are few and far in between... it's just being there that counts!

Over the Hedge

Just watched the movie Over the Hedge by Dreamworks, and thought it to be a hilarious but enjoyable piece of animation work. Come to think of it, I've not stepped into the cinema since the Godzilla debut (and that's a long time), though I've watched quite a number of such animation works by Dreamworks, Pixar and Walt Disney on TV.

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It was a reminiscence of the good old days, but I really wondered how the cinematography and picture animation have improved over those years of absence. Apart from the few "rude humor" that contributed to the PG rating, this movie was generally fun to watch. I liked especially Ozzie who played dead whenever he is in a tight spot, and the porcupine triplets were really cute!

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If the movie comes to town, go watch it with your kids. I'm sure they'll enjoy it as much as you do, too.

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(Picture inset: Vernie the turtle, Hammy the squirrel, Stella the skunk, Lou and Penny, the porcupine parents, with their triplets Quillo, Spike and Bucky, and Ozzie the oppossum with his daughter Heather. Missing is one of the main character, RJ, a racoon, who does not belong to the group above, but tried to make use of them to steal a list of grocceries from the suburbia to pay back a bear named Vincent, whose supplies he tried to steal unsuccessfully earlier.)

Humorous Religious Bearing (Literally)

A priest, a Pentecostal preacher and a rabbi all served as chaplains to the students of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk shop.

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One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't really that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear. One thing led to another, and they decided to do a seven-day experiment. They would all go out into the woods, find a bear and preach to it.

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Seven days later, they're all together to discuss the experience. Father O'Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has various bandages, goes first. "Welll," he says, in a fine Irish brouge, "Ey wint oot into th' wooods to fynd me a bearr. Oond when Ey fund him Ey began to rread to him from the Baltimorre Catechism. Welll, thet bearr wanted naught to do wi' me und begun to slap me aboot. So I quick grrabbed me holy water and, THE SAINTS BE PRAISED, he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is cooming oot next wik to give him fierst communion und confierrmation."

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Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory he proclaimed, "WELL, brothers, you KNOW that we don't sprinkle... WE DUNK! I went out and I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to him from God's HOOOOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. I SAY NO! He wanted NOTHING to do with me. So I took HOOOLD of him and we began to rassle. We rassled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we come to a crick. So I quick DUNK him and BAPTIZE his hairy soul. An' jus like you sez, he wuz gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the week in fellowship, feasting on God's HOOOOLY word."

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They both look down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with IV's and monitors running in and out of him. The rabbi looks up and says, "Oy! You don't know what tough is until you try to circumcise one of those creatures."

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Lessons from Noah's Ark

1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float awhile.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11. No matter the storm, have faith ... there's always a rainbow waiting.

~Author Unknown

Stone Pot

Not exactly the pot of gold you'll find at the end of a rainbow...

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But it contains all the best wishes of a friend to you, my dear readers.

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Ganbatte kudasai!

Nihon Ryori - The Cutesy Way

Talk about making food looks so good you can't bear to eat 'em. Take a look at these Japanese dishes with a touch of artistic appeal:

Now that's what I call authentic artistic ryori!

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(Hmm... thot I saw imouto-san's taste-bud twitching just now.)

This One's for Daijoubu...

Bunny Story

Once upon a time there was a man who was peacefully driving down a windy road. Suddenly, a bunny skipped across the road and the man couldn't stop. He hit the bunny head on. The man quickly jumped out of his car to check the scene. There, lying lifeless in the middle of the road, was the Easter Bunny.

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The man cried out, "Oh no! I have committed a terrible crime! I have run over the Easter Bunny!" The man started sobbing quite hard and then he heard another car approaching. It was a woman in a red convertible. The woman stopped and asked what the problem was. The man explained, "I have done something horribly sad. I have run over the Easter Bunny. Now there will be no one to deliver eggs on Easter, and it's all my fault."

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The woman ran back to her car. A moment later, she came back carrying a spray bottle. She ran over to the motionless bunny and sprayed it. The bunny immediately sprang up, ran into the woods, stopped, and waved back at the man and woman. Then it ran another 10 feet, stopped, and waved. It then ran another 10 feet, stopped, and waved again. It did this over and over and over again until the man and the woman could no longer see the bunny.

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Once out of sight, the man exclaimed, "What is that stuff in that bottle?" The woman replied, "It's harespray. It revitalizes hare and adds permanent wave."

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(You like it, imouto-san?)

A Little Humour...

Cat: "I'm on a seafood diet - when I see food, I eat it!"

Koi: "So what kind of food do you prefer?"

Cat: "Well, the four basic food groups - breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper..."

(I think I just got bitten by the humour bug. Ouch!)

Imouto-san

I have a friend whom I've always regarded as my younger sister. Although we're not blood-related in the biological sense, I must say that we share a certain bond that surpasses that of any earthly ties.
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Sensible and affable in nature (though at times she may throw a little tantrum, perhaps just to gain her goshujin's attention, ha-ha!), for the most part she's quite an engaging person who's not afraid to speak her mind (you can read her like an open book).

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But what I really like about her is the tenderness that underlies her cheerful personality. How tender can her heart be? Well, her friends described her as a leaky tap (but at least she's not a toilet flush, so that's a consoling thought), and I really got to see it first hand close up (heh-heh). If you don't believe me, just watch a touching movie (preferrably Hachiko's Story) with her and you'll know what I mean. Maybe that's one reason why her goshujin loves and dotes on her so much...

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Anyway, for all these years I know her, she sure has grown quite a bit (not only in stature, but also in character). Most of the time she looks up to me as neesan (an elder brother, not to be confused with a japanese car brand) and sensei (teacher); but she's beginning to learn to show concern for me as someone who's just as frail as anybody else. And I gladly let her, knowing it is part of her maturing process.

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What I want to say in this article is: there's so much to share of one's life to another, if you'll allow yourself the opportunity, whether to care or be cared for. In the process, both the giver and the receiver will grow in depth of character and appreciation for this 'thing' we call 'friend'. It's really not complicated to begin with; you just need to open up and simply reach out and care (or even love).

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Right, imouto-san? (Hope I don't get you teary eyes again... gomen gomen ne)

The Thing About Me...

I'm a person who thinks a lot (though not as much as I used to in the past; maybe as one grows older, the grey matters starts to slow down... well, not sure if that's true either).

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I'm also a person who loves to write (personal letters, usually; but nowadays I hardly touch the pen, er I mean keyboard, except for work-related matters; maybe the people I know, most of them that is, do not like to write letters or feel that it's a chore). Or maybe I'm an oddball who's still living in the bygone days; who else writes letters given the convenience of emails and SMSs? Well, that's also something to think about too. Hmm...

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When I started blogging last year, I thought it was a good idea to write what comes to mind, or whatever's happening to me. Somehow the novelty seems to be wearing off, and I'm beginning to find it kind of hard to write even a line. The funny thing is, when I chance upon some other people's blogs, and their articles so inspire or intrigue me, words just flow naturally.

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I don't know if I'll continue to blog or just call it a day. Should I decide to stop, I'll post a notice here so that you, my friends, will know. Meantime, feel free to pop in and leave a note or two, just so I may keep tabs of your well-being.

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And to those who have visited and left kind comments, I wish to say...

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o-ai dekite tanoshikatta desu. domo arigatou.

Lion Heart Revisited

Have not been writing my blog for a long, long time. Not just because there's a lack of inspiration to pen my thoughts; just feeling that many of the normal things that's happening around me seem so meaningless and lacking in depth, that nothing seems worth mentioning.

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Maybe I'm suffering from some kind of mid-life crisis or something. Or perhaps I'm getting tired of my present job, and contemplating a career switch as the sense of restlessness is beginning to get on my nerve. Workload is still pretty heavy, though I wouldn't mind if the challenge and the enthusiasm is there to sustain me; but it looks like I'm fast losing that edge I once had.

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At such a time as this, one strange phenomenon kept surfacing: the song 'Lion Heart' by SMAP seem to play in my mind more often than I care for. I did mention in one of my earlier blog that I'd learnt this song by heart, and could even sing it in my dreams. As the song implied, maybe there's someone I so much wanted to love and protect, but somehow this desire is unfulfilled, or not meant to be in the first place. I think I'm going nuts...

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anata ni ae nakute totemo sabishii

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A birthday that wasn't...

It's two days past my birthday. Kind of strange that these days it's the insurance agents who send birthday cards. Not that there were no well wishes; at least there were two SMSes, and a gift from a colleague of ten years - a wallet (haha! Fancy that I've never carried one all my life, and I got one for my birthday. Well, got to start somewhere, you know).

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Being born on the second day of the year isn't a very great feeling, really. It's too close to the New Year and everybody's busy celebrating the countdown on New Year's eve till the next day. Then it's back to work or school, so usually my birthday is largely forgotten by my friends and passed over silently.

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So what do I wish for the year 2006? World peace? The world seems to be going into pieces, judging from the increasing natural disasters, diseases, and ethnic violences (and that includes terrorism). So it's unlikely that a year will ever pass by peacefully. We like to say that children always make a mess of themselves, but we adults are no better. Look at the world situation and you'll agree: pollution, de-forestation, nuclear testing, and so on...

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Maybe I should wish for another flood (like that of Noah's day) to clean up this whole big mess we humans had made. Nah, that's not going to happen. The rainbow is God's guarantee. But if we don't wake up from our folly, I'm sure God has something far bigger in store for us. And I can assure you it's definitely not going to be a pleasant birthday surprise.

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*Sigh*

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