Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Decisions

In life I'm sure we make lots of decisions. Some we make it cause it involves surviving. Deciding what to eat, what to drink, when to sleep. Simple stuff we all know and well and not really a decision, more of a choice perhaps? But of course there will also be times when we have to make decisions that involve, life. These are the ones that determine our future, our life basically. What determines the outcome of the remaining journey of our life. Before we all reach our final destination.

Slowly, one by one, I've been telling my close friends about my decision. Some are not surprised, thankfully. Some are shocked, and some are sad. Some, normal. Well I guess I've been rooting to make this decision. I used to be confused of where to go. But then at the beginning of this year, I knew I have to make -this- decision. And somehow after making this decision, it makes my life feel better. Not only I don't feel confused anymore, but I feel things are... "straight" now.

You know how you feel when you have a plan.

Of course every decision comes with a price. There's nothing perfect in this world as we know it. In some decisions we get the better out of it. But then you realise that the other party, or any other party will not get the better of it. Well that's life I guess, you can't please anyone, everything. But we can always see things differently I suppose? Of course in this decision I've made, I have appeased different parties and so on. But there'll be others, whom I won't be able to.

Disappointments are one of them I guess. Another man's meat is another's poison. Everyone has different expectations of everyone else. Sometimes we do take their expectations but mostly, we don't. After all... This is our lives and we're the one that steer the wheel, set the sail and walk the path. Do take people's considerations of course, don't just throw them to the drains. But not necessarily that we need to adhere to them. We can take them for guidance, you know?

Today the thing slipped out of my tongue to someone... I'm not close with. On my way home I kept thinking, kept telling myself did I make the wrong choice? But then again, eventually everyone will know it right? In one way or another. So yeah that makes me feel better. Well yes I've decided to just tell my close friends. And I tell different people different things. White lies mostly. Cause I just feel it's not the right time for some people to know yet. So to play safe, I don't tell the truths.

I asked a good friend of mine. Did I make the wrong choice to tell people the truth? Especially to someone who sort of expects something from you? And she told me that I shouldn't feel guilty, nor is that a wrong choice. Her words always ring on my head.

"This is your life. And you only live once. It is important that you want to do what you want to do. They are not living your life, so why do you have to feel guilty for?"

Of course I totally agree with her, and she's totally right. There's however one particular person I really hope won't be disappointed by me. I wouldn't say she's someone close to me. But she's someone whom sort of gave me the chance. Who gave me the light back then. I truly sense she kinda expects a lot. And part of me knows she would feel disappointed with my decision, though I remember her telling me to do what I want. And about people who are sorta like me.

But well. Again, part of me know she will understand too.

Oh well this is life. You can't please everybody, and... You don't own anyone a living here. Your life is lived by you and not by anyone else. Let the words of others be roads that guide you along. But you should always choose the road that your heart chose. For I'm sure it will bring you to the road that you will enjoy walking on. A story you'll enjoy reading and reading again.

One life, live it to the fullest. If you don't, then who else will?

Friday, September 14, 2012

Pour your heart out

Hello! It's been such a long time since I'm here huh. Well been busy with work, experiments, and so on. So I couldn't blog here. Quite sad, to realise I didn't even blog in my personal blog as often either. But these days, I feel the longing to blog. I need some time, to just pour my feeling out. Be it through music or just simply writing. The good thing is though, I've been writing on my diary, which is good I guess.

Today is day 257 of the year. Was just talking to my friend of how far we've went through till today when we first started our attachment. Day 107 was the day we began. So... Yes, 150 days! And well I really can't wait for the end of year, where I would spend a good time reading through this diary of mine, looking back at the days. I will laugh, I will smile, I will frown trying to remember the day. But I will definitely have a good time looking back at these days.

2012 has been... Challenging so far. I guess what I can tell myself is that well, 2012 will make me a better person, definitely. So far though the days have been quite challenging, this year made me think a lot. And till now I've made decisions and also through these challenges I grow into a stronger and better person. I just still find it shocking at times, how 7 months of this year are taken for attachment alone. Leaving 5 months (which felt so much shorter than 5) behind for non-attachment days.

And so, why am I talking like as if it's the end of year already? -_-

Anyway I really can't wait for attachment to end. In a sense, I know I need a good break and I'm already planning for one. A couple of places in mind, still waiting for my friend to decide though hehe. But I know one place in mind already :) And I think I will most probably go there haha. Just wanna go somewhere and do nothing. Sounds like a perfect plan to me haha. Chill by the beach, relax and enjoy the sun with music in my ears. Oooh the sound of it already makes me feeling fuzzy.

To me... Well currently I'm just, or I think we all, are living life day by day. As the day goes by we live each and another day. A day passes and we move on to the next. To me, I know the end is there. Freedom is there waiting for me. I know the dates, how much weeks we're left and so on. But somehow, they seem so far, and the days never seem to end.

Freedom now, is like eating food when you're having cold. You can taste the flavour of the food. But you can't smell its aroma. Like that I guess. It's like so near, yet so far kind of sentiment. But well, I live in the Buddhist teaching of contemplation of impermanence. I know that everything, good or bad, will come to an end. That's definitely something that will happen so yeah. Slowly but surely, quickly but surely the end will come. I just have to live everyday to the fullest.

Alrighty. I guess that's all for now. I'll see you again soon :)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Dear life, how's life?

Dear life

How are you doing? I hope you are fine. I guess things are getting a move-on now, and the momentum is once again picking up. I'm no longer lost, no longer feeling confused about everyday but well, I just hope that things will get better and better. Though at times I know you feel tired and that lots of things are happening at the wrong time.

I'm sure you'll get through this. Soon you can take a break. I mean real soon. Like 14 more days or so you'll be on your way to a nice, short but hell of a deserving break. Then it will go back to work and things will get busy and stuff. But well I don't know. Maybe they will get better too.

Four months seem like a very very long time. How ironic that 7 months just went by like that. And it feels like those times we spent back in US 3.5 months ago felt like yesterday. I hope my intuition is right, that somehow it will be over faster. And you know a cancer's intuition is somehow -always- right haha. So well yup just hoping for the best I suppose.

It's pretty sad that I always tell myself to be positive, look on the bright side of things etc. But just feels so difficult to do it. You can be complicated at times, confusing and funny. But that's how you are. Without you being you, my world would just be different you know. Challenges and bumps are here to make me better, to make this world more interesting.

Sigh, alright I'm pretty much tired now. I should head to bed. The night's not young either. It's Thursday tomorrow. Cheers for that!

Yours Sincerely
Me

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Simplicity

Today is such an awesome day. Outside my window is the blue skies. So cloudless, just an endless stretch of blue with well patches of thin, fine, translucent clouds. Or precipitates. It's been such a long time since I see it. Somehow the past few weeks have been pretty much cloudy. Today is just different and I'm totally loving the weather right now. Lovely.

I just go back home, and I went for the temple this morning. It's the usual morning service, where we chanted. I went for the Puja as well. Which is totally something new for me. Never did it before, and it's very interesting. Weirdly it's my wish to come to the temple today. For the whole week I've been planning, I've been wanting, wishing and just have the urge to go there. And I've decided to go to the temple every Sunday. I love chanting, It gave me a peace of mind.

I'm not a strong Buddhist that follows a certain tradition or practice. To think of it, the last time I went to that temple was a year plus ago. Pretty long right? But I am a Buddhist and will always be one. I love the simplicity of its teachings and the philosophy behind the stories. After all I feel that Buddhism is a philosophy. And less of a religion. And I guess it's not entirely wrong to believe in the teaching more that the practice. Anyway I do still practice some of them. But that's when I'm back in my hometown with my mum haha. Going to the temple etc.

I just love the simplicity of Buddhism. Yes.

Today was a great day of course. I felt happy somehow today. Perhaps it's the weather. The fact that I fulfilled my wish of going to the temple. And perhaps, just a wave of endorphins rushing. Whatever it is, I'm happy. Happiness is never easy to create for one self. We don't find happiness I feel. We create it for ourselves and for others.

While having lunch today, I came up with something. Related about simplicity and happiness. It's kind of an accidental find. Something... I came across with, inspired by my simple lunch. Just a normal lunch of rice meat and veggies. And sambal not to forget.

Sometimes the reason why we're unhappy is not because we don't get what we want. But more of because we kept on searching for the things that make us happy, when the simple things are around us to make us happy. We kept on searching for perfections. Things that our mind make us believe would make us happy. But in reality, they may not necessarily do so. And in reality, there are other things that could make us happy. Simply. They are around us, but we ignore them. Our minds ignore them. The quest of finding happiness is never easy, equipped with our nature especially. Sometimes all we need to do is to stop searching. Look around us, and find it. Create it.

Wow! Hahaha.

Well yeah, I was just thinking of the lunch that I was eating. It was a simple lunch really. I even ate it at a hawker centre, alone. It may not be a lavished meal. Something expensive (it was rather ex though T_T) or grandeur. But yet it has the ability to make me full, to keep me satisfied and to make me happy. So then I think to myself, why would I want a lavished meal eh?

I just feel... Well I'm sure we all want to be happy in life. But what's life without the down moments? It will just be too perfect for it to be imperfect. And life is imperfect. I mean... If you want to be happy, start with yourself. Because genuine happiness comes within you. What you get from outside are not always genuine all the time.

Like me, getting a new notebook makes me happy. For a while.

Hahaha


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Mr Nice Guy

There are two kinds of people in life I guess. Out of the many. Mr Nice Guy, who is he? No he's not some hunky handsome guy whom everyone loves and would love to be with, would love to be their boyfriends (or girlfriends, Mr Nice Girl maybe). They're just people whom well... Love to be nice to people. They are not direct, they don't just shoot you when they're unhappy with you. They laugh, smile, and when people talk they listen even though they may not be interested with the topic.

Basically they're people who are nice. They don't shoot people directly. Usually just in a quiet manner. And perhaps to put it in a crude term, they still "give a damn" about people. At time they're the one at the loss. But it's their nature. People tend to take advantage of them. But I also realise they are the "unique" ones. Sometimes they have something on them that always surprises me.

Then comes Mr Straightforward I guess. Complete opposite. When they don't like you, they don't like you. enough said. When you feel they're irritated by someone they will show it. When they disagree they will say it in front of your face. When they don't like things they'll say it. So in a complete opposite, they "don't give a damn" about people. This is my life, that's yours. Deal with it and don't bring it into my life. Just... Yeah. Go away and don't "disturb" me.

Of course, both people have their pros and cons.

Mr Nice Guy - Friendly, easy going, cheerful, easy to clique with people. Cons? Well they're deemed "weak" for not having something to stand upon to. Sometimes people label them as "fakes". Oh you're just pretending to be nice to other people. Or you're not showing your true self in front of others. Some may say they are just "keeping their image".

My Straightforward - strong, determined, know where they stand, quick-minded, "not fake". Cons? They have to bear the fact that people may not like them for their attitude and behaviour. Or for their straightforwardness. People may think their cold and unfriendly. And so on and so forth.

And the funny thing is when people call you Mr Nice Guy, you try to say not really. When people say you're straightforward, you'll either agree or just say "not really" as well.

I'm considered as Mr Nice Guy I suppose. But when I don't like things, I will say I don't like things. And no I'm not a hypocrite. I'm not someone who act nice in front of people I don't like, trying to tell them I'm friendly to them when actually, nope. I will, as much as possible, try not to hurt people. That's one thing for sure. I'm not someone who's straightforward and tell people hey I don't like you, or I don't like this and that. I don't like conflict, so I'll try my best to put it in a as diplomatic form as possible. I just don't want to hurt people.

But when I get mad, I get mad.

It's good to be straightforward sometimes. To tell people, to have the courage to say no, to refuse and to tell your own opinion even though people may not agree with it. It's a sign you have your own view. And you have the courage to stand up for your own.

But to forsake and to give in to other's feeling? I'm afraid that's not my case.

I think it's important to strike a balance between being those two mentioned above. To both be Mr Nice Guy, and to be Mr Straightforward. I'm sure you can be both at different times. And not be one all the time. Too much of a good thing isn't good, just like having too much of a bad thing.

Sometimes I think to myself, I ask myself. Is it wrong to be someone cheerful, easy going, likes to talk, and just being friendly I suppose. And I ask myself too, is it wrong to be too-to yourself? To just don't really care about others. At times I feel I don't deserve this, then whenever I think of that, I'll tell myself how selfish I am as a person. Others have the right to act and to be who they want to be.

I'm confused by life. So lets just enjoy its bittersweet moments I suppose.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Only Yesterday

It's Sunday once again and yes I'm having the Sunday blues - to accept the fact that Monday is tomorrow and another week is facing me. Well of course I think everyone will have this in one part of their life, unless they so love their job or their weekend is horrible or... Many other reasons. It's normal I guess. I had a great weekend I suppose. I ran Sundown 10KM Marathon last night and it was awesome. My second marathon and yup it was great :)

Tomorrow will be the start of my 7th week of my attachment. Time flies to realise 6 weeks were already gone. But to know I have 22 more weeks feels like there's a long way to go. It feels like it was only yesterday that I began working. I just hope that time can fly away meaningfully and quickly and productively throughout the next 6.5 months. It feels like a long time but I know time will fly quickly and soon everything will come to an end. An end.

This week was the graduation week for my school, or in fact for polytechnics around Singapore. For the past three years, whenever I saw the graduation ceremony being held in school, I would tell myself the same thing. "I can't wait to graduate". This year marked the third year I'm saying this, and the last year I'm going to say this since it'll be our turn to graduate next year.

It's quite funny how we all would feel and share the same sentiment about graduation. Well I didn't feel that way when I was in secondary school - though I really wished that O Level could be over ASAP back when I was in secondary 4. I share the same sentiment now too. I want my attachment to end as quickly as possible, I want to be done with my FYP as quickly as possible (With good grades of course) but I don't want my polytechnic life to end so soon.

I miss being a student of course. Even now, when I'm "partially"  a student, I already miss it. Somehow I can't imagine what will happen when I grow up, after I graduate, when I start to work. I definitely will miss it even more. So that's the reason why I want to live my year 3 to the fullest. Cause when else will I be able to enjoy my poly life when now, I'm going through its final year?

Talking about graduation - yes sure we wish for time to pass by quickly for graduation.

In fact I wrote this both in my blog and diary:
I'm waiting for these days to turn into a memory. Something we can smile and laugh about, yet something rewarding that we can all look back upon to. And the only way to make that memory into something beautiful is to make these days, great days! Live the moment!

And I'm also waiting for the day where I will look back upon this post on my blog/diary and smile like an idiot. Remembering these days once again.

Well yup, I'm still waiting.

But well we humans are very funny people. At times we wish for time to fly more quickly. I want to be done with my attachment, to finish my FYP and to graduate. Then comes the day when I realise how much quickly time has passed me by and then I wish that time could have flown slower. I wish I can do this, do that and so on.

But who are we to wish to control time? All we can do is to just let time flow. And to always remember live the moment and live it without regret. So at the end of the day, when we feel that time is flying too quickly, we know we've lived those moments well, lived those moments without regrets and that we're glad that those days were over meaningfully.

It's pretty difficult to really live your life well. Sometimes here and there bumps would occur in your life and that these things make us feel that living the moment pretty difficult. The future frightens up sometimes, our doubts and negative thoughts haunt us. Whatever may happen, let life flow on its own. Whatever happened, happened. Whatever will happen, will happen. Simple.

Alright I shall end my post here. Here's to an awesome week 7 and for the rest of my attachment! Live the moment!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Roads

It's been such a long time since I wrote here. Almost a month and a half ago. Well I've been traveling and been busy, now that my ITP has started. Yes I just returned from the US back in April. Umm I went there from the 19th of March to the 6th of April. It's a long trip and I enjoyed it a lot. As usual, traveling to somewhere new opens up my eyes, my heart and my mind about this world. Which is something I like doing.

And always try to do.

I'm currently having my ITP now. Well yes I am supposed to go to Stanford actually for me internship but there are problems so I am not going in the end. Nevermind, I'm posted in school now. And I believe that things happen for a reason. I've accepted that.

Last week was my 2nd week of my attachment. The first week was horrible. Not in the sense of work and workload etc. But I find the transition of being a student and an internee something very difficult and challenging. But as time goes by and things got busier, I am now handling everything well. Handling - yes I'm still in the process. I hope I can make a smooth transition as quickly as possible. You can say, I'm not ready for work yet.

But come to think of it, it's a great experience, and it will be a great one to have an exposure to this at this time, when we're still studying and before we really step into the real working world. Not everyone have this chance of actually given the opportunity to do what we might do in the future for a given period of time. A try, is still a try. So I'm quite blessed to be given this experience. For 7 months.

In the first week I was feeling really homesick. After all I only returned from my hometown on Sunday and on Monday I went to internship straight ahead. And the difficult transition and so on, it was really tough to manage. And my aunt was here as well for a holiday and meeting up with her (after quite a long time) was really good. And one day before she went back I wish I could take that plane with her. But nope I couldn't.

Well thankfully now I received a piece of good news on Thursday and am looking forward to the start of my project with one of my lecturers. So I know I have something to do and that... I'll get pretty busy.

But what I know is, well. I don't think I want to be a researcher when I grow up.

I really don't mind working in the lab to carry out experiments to help out in a research. But to sit down on a desk to do research. Not my cup of tea apparently. I'm not talking about research only. Basically desk and office jobs. I want to well do something that involves me traveling or walking around or just doing something hands on. But less of sitting down etc.

This is life though. And a much as you own this life of yours, at the end of the day, life will never go on your way, your direction EVERY time. I feel that there's a first time to everything, but not everything has a second time. You can put this saying in two contexts. One in always trying new stuff like weird food, challenges, adventures and so on. Two, in doing something you may not like or you don't like. Well, like a job.

Say you're asked to try fried spider. You can choose to eat it, and not to eat it. If you eat it and you love it, eat it again. If you don't love it then don't have to try it again. But if you don't eat it at all, that may be the last chance for you to try a fried spider. Similar to life. You're given something you don't like. You have two choices of trying it and then see what happens, or don't try it at all.

As the saying goes, experience is your best teacher.

So now I've just been exposed to this job scope. I tell myself I don't like it. But my supervisors are nice and they tell me to try it. Cause you might not have the chance to do it at all in the future, especially at my age. That's when my mindset changes. Doing something you don't like, may not be something that will turn out horrible. Sometimes we're the victims of our imaginations.

Well of course I'm talking in the context of a job or an activity. Not like doing crimes and so on. That's a totally different story. I'm talking about things that only involve you and your choice. Crimes will involve others (if you think of it) so no. I'm not including that in here.

Well life is a road with many intersections. You can walk a road for 3 years. And then at the end you don't like it, and you choose another one. And you walk on a new road. But in life you can't just simply walk back to the opposite direction to go back exactly where you were at. You'll have to walk on another road, to find the road you once walked, and start the road on another point and not the same point as you started - and even the point where you left that road.

Life's filled with unexpected things. Surprises, changes and challenges. It's a long road. But as I said, it's not just a straight road. Sometimes you feel you'll do whatever you're doing now till you grow up. But that's never the case. Listen to your heart, and see what life offers you. Don't let education dictate who you are, let it support who you want to be and prepares you for the future. Studying engineering doesn't mean you can't be a chef when you grow up.

I guess I'm going to experience this when I grow up. It's normal for people of my age, students especially, to feel lost. We will start questioning ourselves, what will I do when I graduate? I don't know what I'll be doing. I don't think I want to continue doing what I'm doing. And the most common question:

Have I made the wrong choice?

To me, I will never regret a decision that I've made. I feel I only have the right to regret it if my decision is in one way or another affected or changed by other circumstances that is out of my control. For example I told myself that I regret choosing to go for an overseas attachment. Of course, cause at the end of the day I didn't go due to unforeseen circumstances. Which my lecturer and I have no control with.

But things like. Entering my course. No, I will not regret that decision even if I won't be doing this in the future. Because this is what I want to do. What I wanted to be. But we can't blame life for giving another, better route for us as we're growing up can we?

I'm not saying it's positively, rightfully alright to just go to a course and say "Haha it's alright for me to do another thing in the future". It's like similar to wasting your time and money. I'm saying is, if you ended up not doing what you are doing now in the future, don't blame yourself for that. Destiny and fate is there, giving the path to your life that we cannot choose.

Plus I believe things happen for a reason. Remember?

Even when we grow up, things may change and we might be doing what we are not doing now. I know some people, who took law and turn into an entrepreneur. A scientist who turn into a monk. Someone who studied in science and turned into an actress. And so on. Just live by one rule - be whoever you want to be. And do things you enjoy, you love.

We only have one life. After all.

Well, I've made my "decision". So... Well, we shall see.

Most importantly, live life to the fullest. And LIVE THE MOMENT!