The Shrinking Ringgit Malaysia

The Shrinking Ringgit Malaysia

The Shrinking Ringgit Malaysia

How valuable is your ringgit these days? The inflation monster is definitely back like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator.

Case in point.

Yesterday night, I brought my family for dinner at Ah Fook’s in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. While waiting for the food to be served, I ordered a tall glass of ‘teh openg’.

When it arrived, I nonchalantly asked, “How much ah?”

“RM1.40”, the waiter replied.

“Huh? It was RM1.30 the last time?” I replied.

“New price-lah from the 1^st of November.”

Wow! Like a duke, I grudgingly paid up.

Ah Fook surely can cook up a storm of Thai-styled dishes this side of Petaling Jaya. We ordered sambal prawn petai; the 4 mixed vegetables all in one and fried beef. As usual, the waiting was agonizingly long. It was worth the waiting though as the food was delicious especially the sambal prawn petai. We cleaned up the dishes in no time.

We then asked for the bill. To our consternation, we found all dishes have gone up by a ringgit each in price. On top of that, per plate of rice was now 90 sen per plate, a whopping 20 sen increase.

I had to pay RM 4 more for the meal at Ah Fook this time around.

Why is this happening?

My wife tells me that fresh food produce at the market and the supermarkets has not really gone up. So was the excuse the new water tariff hike beginning November 2006? The rate increase was relatively miniscule. Did the restaurant owners take the opportunity yet again to increase the coffee shop rentals which subsequently forced the stallholders to up their prices?

I tend to see profiteering by many parties be it the building owners, stallholders and the main coffee shop tenants. Food inflation has reared its ugly head again! Customers are the suckers once more. Woe betide us!!!!

I guess if your food is as good as Ah Fook’s, patrons will still come-lah. But believe me- the other stall holders may just see a dip in their daily takings if they just provide average fare with new prices.

Given time I believe the pasar malam food stalls operating just outside Ah Fook’s will become the beneficiaries as customers migrate outside to have alfresco dining at the expense of the stallholders of the adjacent coffee shops.

Well, that is the way of business. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Survival of the greediest…

As always,the people most affected by food inflation will be the fixed income earners and poor students. If you want to save, it’s best to learn how to cook and then to cook for the whole family at home big time.

For bachelors and students, the mamak stall is the most practical option.

The other option remaining is to rebus Mee Maggie at home.

Bon Appetite!

Quote of the Day:

"llusion is the first of all pleasures."- Oscar Wilde.

Heartsong-Heartstrong

Two Bad Bricks

Ajahn Brahm, the current abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastery in Australia is a profound thinker. A pragmatist, he is humorous in the way he describes life, using simple analogies to drive home his points.

From his book, Opening the Door of Your Heart and Other Buddhist Tales of Happiness, I find the story of the two bad bricks most illuminating and instructive.

As the story goes, Brahm was building the first wall of his monastery in Australia. After completing it, Brahm noticed that his wall was imperfect in spite of his attention to details. All the bricks were nicely lined up except for two which inclined at an angle. He was very embarrassed by it and hated anyone seeing it.

One day, he was walking with a visitor who saw the wall.

"That's a nice wall," the visitor remarked casually.

Brahm was taken aback and pointed out the defect caused by the two bricks.

"Can't you see those two bad bricks had spoilt the whole wall?"

What the visitor said next was to change Brahm’s whole view of the wall, of himself, and of many other aspects of life.

He said, "Yes, I can see those two bad bricks. But I can also see the 998 good bricks as well!"

On hindsight, Brahm then reflected upon the two bad bricks in life.

Far too often, we have seen people ending relationships or get divorced simply because all they can see in their partners are "two bad bricks". Similarly, many people became depressed and even contemplate suicide because all they can see in themselves are "two bad bricks".

All we see are these mistakes; we are fixated by them and we want to destroy them. And sometimes, sadly, unthinkingly, we do destroy a "very nice wall".

We've all got our two bad bricks, but the perfect bricks in each one of us are much, much more than the mistakes. We should treasure them. We should appreciate them as they are God’s gifts to us.

So therefore, be an optimist. You are a 'nice wall' unto yourself, give or take two bad bricks.

Quote of the Day:

“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would rather have talked.” -Mark Twain

Heartsong-Heartstrong

Remembering Grandma

The phone rang loudly in the hall.

I answered the phone. “Yes?”

“Oh! Just to inform you that Grandma… has gone….” said Mother gravely on the other end.

I put down the phone.

I was neither surprised nor stunned. I just needed some time to recollect my thoughts.

A few minutes later, the phone rang again.

“No, she is still with us. The lung machine is still on.” Mother said.

A third call.

“Yes, it’s certain now. She has indeed gone.”

That was in 1992. It has been 14 years now.

This is my recollection of Grandma.

Born into the Lim clan in China, Grandma was short in stature. She had a pair of darting brown eyes and wore her hair pulled back and tied in a bun. She was not pretty but attractive in her own way. Not much of a talker. A quiet worker. She was always dressed in a typical pair 0f dark pants and shirt as if it was a uniform.

She was our housekeeper as dad and mum were always away at work. She cooked and took care of all the grandchildren. Yes, she bathed all of us in a large oval aluminum tub. We took turns in it and she kept on adding hot water when the water cools down. At night she will wash up all her grandchildren and put them to bed.

She loved me more than the rest of her grandchildren because I did personal chores for her ungrudgingly such as pulling out all those white hairs from her head periodically and also when she needed me to knead and rub down her back to soothe away the pains of the day. She taught me thrift and was my bank, as all my pocket money was kept by her in a square tin in her large brown chest.

I still remembered vividly that one day when I came home for a visit after I started working. She was so glad to see me. Her happiness was real. She told me that lately her eyesight was failing and she could no longer watch television, her one and only pastime. Everything on the telly was blurry.

Immediately I took her to the nearest town which had an optician to fix her problem. I can still recall the gratuitous joy on her face when she put on her new spectacles and saw everything in 2020 vision.

I did not have the luxury or opportunity to see her as much as I would like to because of work. The years rolled by and she contracted Alzheimer’s disease. She no longer remembered anyone in the family and was always forgetful.

Whenever I see her, I would tell her who I was but she just smiled sweetly as if in recognition. The look on her face was suddenly distant and she would then mumble to herself.

Well it has been sometime since her departure but I still remember with fondness the many hours of quality time we spent together as grandma and grandson. I will always treasure those moments. They are ours and no one can take them away from me!

Quote of the Day:


“Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple. Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love.” ~Author Unknown

Heartsong-Heartstrong

Marrying Younger Men?

An article in THE STAR dated 17 October stared me in the face! Its headline screamed out on page N3: Women over 30 prefer to marry younger men.

What? I can’t believe my eyes!

Reading on, it said one Aminah Abdul Rahman from the National Family Development and Population Board, stated that “educated woman above 30 years old were marrying younger men.” More astounding and incredulous was her additional revelation that the women married younger men even though these men were “financially unsound and are less educated.”
Apparently, she had based her conclusion on a working paper prepared by Associate Professor Tey Nai Peng of Universiti Malaya entitled, “Marriage and Family Development in Malaysia”.

I was shell shocked! Dumb-founded! Is this really happening? Here in Malaysia? Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher!

On further reflection, I do believe unmarried educated woman actually have fewer choices in getting a mate in their age group. This is so as those who would have met their criteria would mostly be married by then. Their next best option would be to look for a man in a similar age group, most likely a divorcee or a widower. The other possibility will be an older man looking for a wife.

To marry a younger man who is financially unsound and less educated is hard to believe! Very improbable and unacceptable in the Chinese community, at least. Family pride and honour will certainly get in the way. Any China man worth his salt will not want to play second fiddle in the family. It is mandatory for him to earn more to be able to take a wife. As such, taking a wife who earns more than him is a fat no! no! from the start. I would not comment on the other communities.

The conclusion that women actually preferred younger man for marriage partners may be questionable. Misleading. I think as age catches up, the 'field has become so much smaller with so few players' for unmarried educated women. As such it is more an issue of less choice.

Human beings need companionship and intimacy at certain times of their life; more so when they start working life. The society at large expects a woman to get hitched once she has secured a job. So these women have to take calculated risks if they desire marriage. At that age, they become vulnerable and would open themselves to all sorts of suggestions. The best and most respectable form is by way of introductions by friends and relatives.

I am of the opinion that women marrying younger men are an exception and not the rule. I believe it will not result in a trend. In this case, I think it just happens to be so because of the sampling group. If you should interview another group, you may just possibly come to another conclusion.

I also do not aim to question the methodology of the literati who did the study. Anyway, what I am saying here is that the result and conclusion of a study is directly related to the research methodology employed. I am not sure of how representative is the sampling group used or how extensive the sampling size is.

However, this is my take.

These women have little choice of selecting a mate after leaving the gates of their campuses. Being practical people,they have lowered their cross-hairs criteria-wise. Mind you; no toy-boy situation here. Definitely not a preference! We cannot draw that conclusion as yet. A further study may have to be done. We may need a time series to test this to ensure it is a sustainable conclusion.

Dr.Tey’s study also revealed that about 30% of the respondents in his study who were not married are Chinese girls. Least are the Malays at half that number. My say. Even genuine ugly ducklings find their equals. Look around on any campus ground and you will find this to be true. Water finds its own level. The average Joe finds the average Jane attractive. A sustaining relationship of the heart transcends physical beauty. Appropriacy and practicality must be the key criteria in finding a lover on campus.

I think on hindsight, few will disagree with me that many average Chinese Janes were too choosy. They thought they were all young and ravishing like a sultry Maggie Q or a charming Zhang Ziyi. And that they deserved much, much more. They dreamt of dating and marrying a Hollywood clone or a Hong-Kong star!

Then we have the other group who will not be seen out with a geek. It would seem that by going out with a geek will permanently devalue their ‘standard’ and damage their reputation. Open your eyes, my dear... There are more geeks than jocks on campus. Not every one can get those jocks. The more pretty faces with Baywatch figures, either on campus or off campus normally win hands down here. Also you must be able to bite the bullet when your virile looking lovers leave you for fresher faces! For your information, most of these jocks have been changing partners since SPM days. Go out on dates. You may love the geeks. They can be downright funny, enjoyable company and adorable beneath that bland veneer of normalcy.

Once you leave the campus, you would have the workplace to find a mate. Then, the networking route-customers and clients. A chance meeting at a seminar or workshop is a likely possibility. The e-mail and SMS will certainly be useful here.

If after all these opportunities have opened up and you still cannot find a mate, then go to those matchmaking events like the ones in which Wanita MCA hosts from time to time. Also, keh poh chee relatives and friends of your parents might lend a hand by introducing ‘a friend’s son who has just graduated some time back and (luckily for you) is looking for a life partner.’

Then there is the internet. That is available now.

If all fails, pray to God. He knows you even before you knew Him. Look to him...... He has the answer for you.

Quote of the Day:

“What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how
compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.” Leo Tolstoy

Heartsong-Heartstrong

We all need friends


The blog now pays homage to the friend…

We all need friends.

What is a friend? Do you have many friends?

In many parts of the world today, we see the ‘lonely’ crowd. They are the mass of humanity we see everyday at the LRT stations, at the supermarkets and on the roads. Many do not have friends. Relocation, loss of a partner and other life changes has denied them of a circle of friends. They are victims of the silent epidemic called loneliness.

In today’s society; we used the word ‘friend’ generally to label almost anyone we know, even superficially. We do not define what a friend is in a qualitative manner. A friend can range from a work-place colleague, someone you meet in church on Sunday to the jogger whom you exchange greetings at the park.

Let us try to define friendship in a precise manner or in some operational terms.

The basis of friendship is relating. Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning beloved, a friend is a person you know well and regard with affection and trust. Friends have in-depth relationship. Friends have similar values; they share common interests. Friends are equals. Friends interact and friends bond.

Friends confide in each other. Friends are trusting, supportive, loyal and understanding. They seek out each other's company and exhibit mutually helping behavior. Friends are relaxed and comfortable in each other’s company. Friends communicate all the time. They are intimate and empathize with each other regularly on private issues and concerns.

Is it easy to make friends?

Friendship does not come naturally. It must be carefully cultivated and maintained vigorously at all times.

Friendship begins when we start by confiding to someone new. We then have regular contact and continuous communication with that person. Friendship is strengthened through constant involvement in common projects and activities like having lunch together, going to the movies, discussion on mutual topics of interests and the occasional visit to one another’s house. Over time, two people can have an enduring personal relationship. We called this FRIENDSHIP.

Simply put, friendship is a function of constant contact and communication resulting in an enduring relationship. It oftentimes leads to love….

Is friendship permanent?

Friendship is dynamic. It can grow; it can die. Friendship fades the day you go separate ways; the day you develop dissimilar interests.

There will be decreasing communication and before you know it, it has gone…

In parting therefore:

Remember always that friends relate. Maintain friendship more than you would maintain your car. Together get involved regularly in mutually interesting projects and activities. At all cost, stay in touch with each other.

If you constantly treasure each other’s company, then you have got a friend…..

So do you have many friends? Really?

Evaluate again in a definitive manner.

If you do, count your blessings!

Quote of the Day:

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” John Donne

Heartsong-Heartstrong

A Tribute to the Actor


This blog now pays tribute to the actor.

What is the hallmark of a good actor?

A good actor passionately transforms himself to become the character he plays. To boot, a better actor inspiringly performs a wide and varied range of characters successfully. Every role an actor plays is different and equally challenging to him; truly demanding fully his heart, his mind and his soul. In fact, he has to give his altogether to meaningfully authenticate his role.

The actor is grand-master in what he does. A great actor ‘sees’ the persona in his mind’s eye every time. He imagines; he interprets; he then acts out. He breathes life into the persona. Then,he provides substance and breadth to the character; thereby enriching it.

Screen presence is the holy grail of every great actor. In whatever role he plays, the successful actor creates an aura of emotional reality – to conjure screen presence! Without speaking, Marlon Brando exhibited great screen presence. The same goes for Charlton Heston,John Wayne and Richard Burton. Such is the magic divide that separates great actors from the mediocre ones. These were giants in their times. Except for a few, the crop of actors today cannot hold a candle to them.

Here are the 50 actors and the films where I thought,they have performed best. Sadly,not all of them won the Academy Award in these movies but they all deserved it, nonetheless! I applaud them. They are more than actors. They are megastars in their own right!

The following are my 50 favorite actors and the films where they have performed consummately.

Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times
James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life!
Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront
Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur
Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady
David Niven in Around the World in 80 Days
Gregory Peck in Guns of Navarone
Richard Burton in Becket
Kirk Douglas in Spartacus
Rozzanno Brassi in South Pacific
Yul Brynner in The King and I
Peter O’ Toole in Lawrence of Arabia
Omar Sharif in Dr. Zhivago
Richard Harris in Camelot
Lee Marvin in Point Blank
Burt Lancaster in The Professionals
Steve McQueen in Pappilon
Jack Lemmon in Irma La Douce
Topol in Fiddler on the Roof
Sean Connery in From Russia with Love
George C Scott in Patton
Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Al Pacino in Serpico
Gene Hackman in French Connection
Roy Scheider in All That Jazz
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky
Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl
Bill Murray in Groundhog Day
Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Dustin Hoffman in Rainman
Christopher Walken in The Deerhunter
Ben Kingsley in Gandhi
Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient
Mel Gibson in Braveheart
Russell Crowe in Gladiator
Richard Gere in Pretty Woman
Denzel Washington in Man on Fire
Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs
Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear
Adrien Brody in The Pianist
Jim Carrey in The Majestic
Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves
Kevin Spacey in American Beauty
Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas
Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda
Jude Law in Cold Mountain
Jamie Foxx in Ray
Will Ferrell in The Producers

If you are a film buff, you will certainly have your own great list as well.

Care to comment on mine?


Quote of the Day:

“The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made.” Jean Giraudoux

Heartsong-Heartstrong

Salute to the Actress


Every good movie has its magical moments. All good movies bring enjoyment. They should be preserved for posterity.

I have always enjoyed the movies. They have given me a lifetime of enjoyment. Once immersed, we are transported into another world. We are embroiled in the plot. We live through the excitement. A truly wonderful experience!

It takes a lot of imagination and creativity to flesh out a role. The ability to do so realistically is the challenge posed to actors or actresses. Guided by the director, the translation of his direction into realistic actions can be difficult and daunting. Only convincing actions and expressions by an actor or actress will do justice to a role. We expect nothing less.

Today, this blog celebrates the actress. Female roles are not easy to act out. Passively, they have to show the right body language signals. Then there are those scenes where they would have to act realistically despite their reluctance. They have to cast aside their inhibitions and act or do scenes, particularly where sex is involved.

My list today includes 50 super actresses who have been able to move me emotionally. They have been enticing, seductive, sensuous, sensual, provocative, unabashed, amorous and heart-tugging. They have been naughty and they have been nice. Also no body double has been used to do the “difficult parts” for them. I salute them!

They are so adorable.I love them all.

The actresses and the films in which they have acted with distinction are:

Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca (hauntingly beautiful)
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday(adorable and sweet)
Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago (mysterious, appealing and sensitive)
Tippi Hedren in The Birds (sensuous and provocative)
Jane Fonda in Barbarella (provocative and eye-popping)
Faye Dunaway in Thomas Crown Affair (cat and mouse cheekiness)
Shirley Maclaine in Irma La Douce (naughty and nice)
Vanessa Redgrave in Blow-up (enticing and provocative)
Natalie Wood in West Side Story (sweet,charming and adorable)
Raquel Welch in 100 Rifles (revealing and seductive)
Julie Andrews in Sound of Music and Mary Poppins (lovable and attractive)
Jean Simmons in Spartacus (mesmerizing and sensual)
Katherine Ross in The Graduate (adorable and innocent)
Barbara Parkins in Valley of the Dolls (absolutely beautiful)
Angie Dickinson in Dress to Kill (sexy and naughty)
Cybill Shepherd in The Heartbreak Kid (naughty and provocative)
Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally (seductive and provocative)
Annette Benning in Being Julia (cheeky and naughty)
Jacqueline Bisset in Bullitt & The Deep (seductive and sensual)
Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge and Eyes Wide Shut (sensuous and sensual)
Uma Thurman in Dangerous Liaisons (innocent and unabashed)
Kathleen Turner in Body Heat (sensuous and unabashed)
Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (enticing and sexy)
Jennifer Aniston in Derailed (seductive and unabashed)
Diane Lane in Unfaithful (seductive and sensual)
Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (enticing and beautiful)
Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodbye (seductive and sensual)
Meryl Streep in Out of Africa (adorable and unforgettable)
Juliette Binoche in Chocolate (sensual and bewitching)
Angelica Jolie in Mia (sexy and desirous)
Jill Clayburgh in Unmarried Woman (provocative and sensuous)
Kim Basinger in 9 ½ Weeks (sexy and sensuous)
Helen Hunt in As Good as it Gets (adorable and nice)
Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs (sensual and challenging)
Penelope Cruz in Woman on Top (seductive and sensuous)
Demi Moore in Ghost (adorable and sensual)
Gong Li in Memoirs of a Geisha (sexy and cheeky)
Zhang Ziyi in Rush Hour 2 (nastily inviting and enticing)
Sylvia Kristel in Emmanuelle 2 (provocative and seductive)
Heather Graham in Killing Me Softly (innocent and seductive)
Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct (naughty and nice)
Aishwarya Rai in Bride and Prejudice (adorable and sensuous)
Shu Qi in So Close (seductive and desirous)
Charlize Theron in Sweet November (pretty and tempting)
Kate Beckinsale in Serendipity (lovely and adorable)
Keira Knightley in Bend it like Beckham (pretty and adorable)
Denise Richards in Wild Things (provocative and daring)
Kate Winslet in Sense and Sensibility (sexy and adorable)
Brittany Murphy in 8 Mile (innocent and naughty)
Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive (bold and beautiful)


Do you have your own list?

Quote of the Day

"Acting is not being emotional, but being able to express emotion." Kate Reid

Heartsong-Heartstrong

On a Lighter Note…


So, what is the best movie you have even seen?

For me, the best movie of all times has to be Ben-Hur!

A wholesome movie – brilliant, exciting and enjoyable and keeps one spell-bound throughout its entire screening time.

I have seen it at least 10 times and can even recall effortlessly the dialogue for most of the major scenes. A truly, truly wonderful movie. Love it!

The acting in Ben-Hur is superb even from the supporting cast. Charlton Heston takes the cake here for acting and exhibiting a full range of human emotions.

The music score by Miklos Rosza is hauntingly beautiful. Blissful and soothes the soul too!

Titanic, which also won 11 Academy Award, pales in comparison to it. There is too much frivolity in Titanic and the film editing is also second best.

Ben-Hur is the classic of all time.

Unsurpassed and still in pole position!

Care to comment?

Quote of the Day

“The character of a man is known from his conversations.” (Menander)

Heartsong-Heartstrong

An Adult Student....

I am an adult student. I am sensitive; so treat me nice or else…


Poem for Everyman

John Wood (1974)

I will present you
parts
of
myself
slowly
if you are patient and tender.
I will open drawers
that mostly stayed closed
and bring out places and people and things
sounds and smells,loves and frustrations,hopes and sadnesses,
bits and pieces of three decades of life
that has been grabbed off
in chunks
and found lying in my hands
they have eaten
their way into my memory
carved their way into my
heart altogether-you and I will never see them-
they are me.
if you regard them lightly
deny that they are important
or worse,judge them
I will quietly, slowly
begin to wrap them up,
in small pieces of velvet,
like worn silver and gold jewelry,
tuck them away
in a small wooden chest of drawers
and close.

Quote of the Day:

"Contentment is the greatest form of wealth." -- Nagarjuna
Heartsong-Heartstrong

Love,where are you now?


What is this thing called love?

A typical response would be that it is a positive emotion; one of regard and affection. Those enamored by it, romanticizes it. In this, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is the standard bearer for love. Here love takes the form of romance. Romantic love-the legendary red-hot lovers!

On a higher plane, love is more than just emotions and feelings. It goes beyond mere sex and intimacy. Love is projected to be patient, kind and not envious. It is neither boastful, rude nor self-seeking. It is not quick to anger and it is not deceitful. Love is forgiving, trusting and it perseveres. It is unchanging.
(I Corinthians: 13:4-7)

Such love is focused on always giving to the other person. Through giving love, we receive love in return.

If we are to hold on to this ideal, all encompassing definition of love, then can love be achievable? Is it sustainable as well?

The Christians believed that this is possible because they have the Lord deep within their bosom.

For our discourse, let us look at 5 dimensions of love.

These are the physical, the emotional, the mental, the social, and the spiritual dimensions. The first three are basically feel-driven; pertaining more to the physical domain.

The social and spiritual dimensions, however, are more in conformance with societal and religious norms and beliefs of the day.

The first three dimensions are visible and tangible. We can see and feel it. It is manifested by physical attraction, touching and holding, intimacy and love-making. It includes lust-sexual love. Herein, the mental processes are honed to conquer and to ravish. Love is romanticized. Highly charged emotions take over. Sex is one hot commodity. The good feeling is all important.

On a stand-alone basis, this kind of love is immediately gratifying,temporarily satisfying the flesh but unsustainable.

The only love that is sustainable will be one that is founded on the spiritual dimension-a commitment to keep the love going and further reinforced by a social dimension to maintain marriage and the family system.

The Malaysian society today has become complex. It has become confused. Traditional values have broken down. Globalization and Technology have made their imprints on our once cherished value system. Westernization particularly from Hollywood and MTV has influenced our impressionable youths. Cellular phones and SMS have made communication between the sexes so much easier. Sex is no longer sacrosanct.

Marriages are breaking down. Families have become dysfunctional and divorces are commonplace. Religions that once hold sway now lack appeal. The need to reinstate traditional good values has become more pressing. That is the general feeling.

Has the traditional concept of love been hijacked? Is the concept no longer relevant? Many have argued what has sex to do with marriage. The today generation manifests western values. As much as the elders want to preserve the good oriental value system, we are deceiving ourselves as if these efforts can be sustained. We are facing a tsunami of change. We are losing ground.

Today love is just a password to a short-term relationship. A fling - a roll in the hay. Have fun while it last. Let us enjoy our youth while we have the beauty, the body and energy on our side. Gratify, gratify, gratify! Let tomorrow take care of itself.

Love – a second hand emotion, where are you now?

Quote of the Day

" Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love." - Mother Teresa

Heartsong-Heartstrong

To Blog is to Learn


A blog is a tool. A space for you to write on. A thinking pad of sorts.

One can choose to write on topics to reflect one’s personal experiences. One can also enjoy an engaging discourse on universal topics on a blog. The possibilities are indeed limitless. In short, a blog can help ignite purposeful research and facilitate life-long learning.

With learning comes wisdom - the insightful and common-sense application of the knowledge gained. Wisdom will spawn tolerance, practical response and love for humanity and the world around us.


What is learning?

Learning is the process of gaining knowledge and skills. Learning - through study, instruction, practice and experience helps develop desirable behavior. Learning equals cognitive change.

What is Reflection?

Reflection is the process by which one eradicates uncertainty and misunderstanding through carefully thinking over a subject under study or review.


What is Meditation?

Meditation is the method utilized to gain direct insight into a subject under study through the application of that knowledge in one’s personal experience.

I think this is a fair opening - without much fanfare. It’s now time to lift off.

..10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..Lift Off!!

Quote for Today:

Children are the only people wise enough to enjoy today...without regretting yesterday or fearing tomorrow.( Anonymous)

Heartsong-Heartstrong

Beginning my Blog

So I have started this blog.
Should I now do a Snoopy hop?

More importantly,what should I do here?
Will the blog serve a worthy purpose?

Let me do a little thinking aloud.

Boy- always wanted to write. Yes, true- at some stage of my life.
But then, never went beyond a couple of pages.
Thought I was good at first.
But then second thoughts got in the way.

Back to fundamentals....

Firstly, writing on this blog reminds me
Of Shakespeare's Life's but a walking shadow........
And so - are we all fools trying to tell our life stories
On the world stage with sound and fury...?
When our hour is up i.e when life departs
Aren't we forgotten?
As if we were never here.?
To have but returned to dust?

Secondly, this blog can be the start of an enduring legacy,
A reminder or marker in blogosphere that we once were.
Existed, survived, lived.
Even if for the briefest moment in time.
Let this blog then be a chronologist and event keeper,
A pleasurable consolation for the writer's heart.

On a positive note......
I can certainly keep a journal here.
That which is significant from time to time
Can be posted here.
Perhaps I can showcase my inner thoughts
Put them into prosaic writing.
And then see how bloggers will judge my points
How many favourably
And how many otherwise.

Will this blog 'rose parade' my writing ability?
Will I succeed and be adored?
Or will I fail and have to slink away
and fade into the background of nonentity?

Come what may

This blog will become my testimony
Of my ups and downs,
Of my rise and fall
Of the times of my life...

Let time and the blog show.

Signing off Day 1.

Quote of the Day:

"Whatever the universal nature assigns to any man at any time is for the good of that man at that time." Marcus Aurelius

Heartsong - Heartstrong