"ANTHEM"

This is one of my favourite songs. I especially love the chorus (Highlighted in Yellow).

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMasuK9OvYQ

The birds they sang at the break of day
Start again I heard them say
Don't dwell on what has passed away or what is yet to be.
Ah the wars they will be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again bought and sold and bought again the dove is never free.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

We asked for signs the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood of every government -- signs for all to see.
I can't run no more with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places say their prayers out loud.
But they've summoned, they've summoned up a thundercloud
and they're going to hear from me.

Ring the bells that still can ring ...
You can add up the parts but you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march, there is no drum
Every heart, every heart to love will come but like a refugee.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.
That's how the light gets in.
That's how the light gets in.

What will people say at YOUR funeral?

My mum's cousin collapsed and passed away on Monday night. I attended her funeral yesterday. The church service ended with her brother Rohan's eulogy. Some of the words he and many others used to describe his sister were as follows:

KIND

GENTLE

HONEST

SINCERE

GRACIOUS

RESPECTFUL

FORGIVING

LOADED WITH FAITH (IN GOD AND IN PEOPLE)

COMPASSIONATE

My uncle (Dato Dr Charles Vijayan David) once said 'She is close to being the perfect person'.

Rohan said as far as he remembered, his sister only ever displayed anger, or a semblance of it once. And even that was a feeble attempt! She simply could not get upset or angry about anything or with anyone. She lived her life in service to God and to the people around her. She was a qualified Pharmacist and a person of high standing in the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP). She travelled the world and attended international conferences as well as spoke at them. Her voice might have been soft and gentle and her personality humble and reserved; but she left a huge imprint on the world and on the lives of the people she touched.

My memories of her are of a lady who always smiled. Smiled like she cared and like she herself didn't have a care in the world. She was calm and reassuring. Always asking how you were and very interested in what you had to say. She took the time and she took the trouble. She was a devoted mother, a loving daughter and a wonderful friend.

It was a lovely funeral. Very sad but everyone with so much good to remember her by. And for those of you who believe in heaven (I know I do), she is definitely there right now, feasting and dancing. Another angel to watch over us.

Her passing got me thinking. What have I done that's good in my life? Whom have I touched? What worth will I leave behind?

What will people say at my funeral?

Kireen Marion Marshall was 45 when she passed on. She leaves behind her husband - Peter Louise and their darling son, Joseph - 6 years old and with a smile just like his mother's.

Christian the Lion - the reunion of a Lion with his owners!

I will reserve my words. See for yourself.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc&feature=fvst

Kenny Sia probably thinks I'm a retard!

Don't you think?

I'm the hot indian chick on the left btw. :P

This was taken at a Prudential event weekend before last and it was at this very nice spa in town. Villa Manja. You know the kind with indoor water features, Balinese music, wooden furniture that would look scary outside of a spa... and warm lighting. The stuff of heaven.

Kenny Sia, Cheeserland, Chan Lilian, Red Mummy, Sixth Seal, KY Speaks, Saimatkong, Snowxwhite, Mariahlc. - all there in full force and ready to get healthy ... or at least listen to see how Prudential can help!

As usual I was babbling about something which for some reason required my arms to be outstretched - coffee cup thankfully empty! And the expression on my face! wtf was THAT all about! Kenny must have tried so effing hard to pretend to be amused. haha. officially Mr. Nice Guy. Ok lah I promise I will change my mind about overused bloggers and attempt to read your blog every now and then :-)

Jamie (http://www.jmeei.net/blog/) is looking at me as if I'm highly entertaining. Either that or she just wants to layan her very cacat boss! 10 points for you, Jamie!

OMG!! David and Victoria Beckham are splitting up!!

Hah! Gotcha! Did you get fooled by the title on my blog? So sorry but I didn't start this blog with the intention of gazillions of people reading it, but Tim mentioned innit to me when a friend of mine told me he wanted to drive traffic to his blog, so I've been quite curious about this whole innit game that everyone seems to be playing.

I realise it's a bloody game because of several things:
1) Post titles are misleading for the sake of grabbing attention and totally conning people into reading your post.

2) People nang your post to get noticed so that you will (hopefully but very likely) check out their blog in return.

3) I can't remember right now but when it comes to me, I'll continue with this rant.

WTF.

Now I'm gonna add this post on innit. wtf. I didn't say I wouldn't try it out for myself.

The SWINES!

A colleague of mine has been sick as a dog for the past few days! She has seen a doctor, taken meds buy progressively got worse. Yesterday we found out that someone she was exposed to had been diagnosed with H1N1 so chances are, she might have picked it up too.

So she dragged herself to UH (University Hospital) and spent a good 4 hours waiting to see a doctor to get tested. Guess what? THEY REFUSED TO GET HER TESTED FOR H1N1!!!! WTF WTF WTF!!

Apparently she needs to be like dying or something to warrant a test. So instead of testing her to be sure, they sent her off with a pat on the bum and an MC and had the gall to tell her to monitor herself and if she got worse, then go back for a test! WT BLOODY F!

I called my aunt this morning and she confirmed that my other aunt as well as her son both came down with horrible flus, bodyaches, high fevers and sore throats. Both had just come back from Melbourne. Guess what? NO TESTS!! What the docs did was say "Let's just ASSUME you have it and we'll send you off with some meds". What they DIDN'T say was "We don't give a rat's ass if you definitely have it and then we can trace a line back to the people you have been exposed to and get them all tested to avoid it spreading even further."

So let's review the situation:
- Malaysians are dropping like flies from this disease (so far the death toll is 16)
- The WHO has warned everyone to be extra cautious as this flu has affected every single country in the world and is unstoppable.
- Our own beloved govt has issued warnings for people to get tested as soon as they feel they are showing symptoms and ESPECIALLY if they have been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with H1N1.

So what is the problem, people? Why don't they just put signs up to say "Don't bother coming in to get tested unless you're on the verge of getting your tombstone carved! And by the way - you'll have to wait 4 hours to see a doctor to begin with! So HAPPY INFECTING!"

3rd World Mentality. CLASSIC.

Pick a card, any card!

A good friend once asked me if I could live everyday of my life solely on what card I picked each morning. Literally - wake up in the morning and pick a card out of a deck of 365 cards and live that day exactly as the card dictated. No questions asked.

Think about it.

Simba and Lola - The Saga begins....

My husband (KP) and his bundles of joy (which would soon become bundles of poo and pee!)

Our little furballs

Lola, our resident DIVA

Simba, Mr Blur extraordinaire

Names: Simba (Male) and Lola (Bitch)

Breed: Cocker Spaniels.

Country of Origin: England.

Character: Energetic, Cheeky, High-spirited, Sensitive, Loyal and extreeeeemely MANJA!

Earth Mission: To destroy newspapers, poo 5 times a day and pee on all things pillar-like in nature (this applies to Simba only). And then give you puppy-dog eyes afterwards so you can't possibly be mad for long.

It was love at first sight. We couldn't resist. Planned on just Simba but we couldn't leave his sister behind. So Lola moved in with us too. This was in November 2008. They were 2 months at the time.

Enjoy the pix. More to come as the drama unfolds...

Tribute to my Dog - XENA.... Gone too soon.

It will become inevitable that at some point soon, I will start talking about my dogs - Simba and Lola. But before I do, I'd like to pay tribute to my first dog and the love of my life, Xena who passed away on the 16th of July, 2008.

I remember the pain I was in when I wrote this slightly more than a year ago.....

"Xena was everything they say a dog is, and then some. She came into our lives in November of 2005 already suffering from a life-threatening lung infection. Her first week with us was spent at a vet, with KP making daily trips on a motorbike taxi to visit her. She fought hard as was her nature to and came back to us the bouncy little cocker that she would continue to be until the end.

Xena lit up every room, every place and every person she came into contact with. She was a little dynamo of boundless energy and abundant love. When in Bangkok, her trainer, our maid and all our friends totally fell in love with her at first meeting – dog lovers or not. After an overnight stay with a friend’s friend when we had to go away, we got a personal, handwritten note from him, saying how lovely Xena was to have around the house and how gentle she was with his children.

She didn’t know how to be unhappy. It wasn’t in her nature. She found joy in the simplest of things. My dirty socks, toilet rolls, a cheap ball KP bought her and her favourite – a kiss on the top of her forehead. She could also spend hours chewing happily on her rawhide bones. She was always ready to play – on the condition that she gave the command, and you fetched!

Xena was part of our family. Family hugs, meant ‘family hugs’. She would poke her head between KP and I when we were cuddling and try to wiggle her way between us. She was a strong force in our marriage, teaching us the true meaning of love and bringing us closer as a couple. We could never fight when Xena was around – she would never stand for it.

To me, she was a confidante, a trusted friend and a loving and devoted child. I shared my deepest feelings and thoughts with her everyday, and she listened patiently and was always there when I needed a cuddle. She celebrated my joys with me and was kind and understanding through my sorrows.

To KP, she was his little girl. Naughty as she was, she always melted his heart. His proudest achievement in life came in the form of toilet training her. The day she dropped the bone she was playing with and skipped to the bathroom to pee for the first time was the happiest day of his life.

They took walks almost daily and it was their special time together. She would be up to no good and kept sniffing her way thru everything but that’s just our Xena.

She never judged, never complained (except when we slept in too late!) and was happy with her lot in life, as long as she has her 2 favourite people in the world by her side, and a pretty collar around her neck. Each time she saw us, she would leap up and celebrate as if it had been years..even if we had just gone into our room for 5 minutes and come out again.

Xena was almost 3 when she took her last breath. In the last week before her death, even as her fragile and weak little body was melting away, her strength and spirit never left. Even walking was an enormous feat for her, but she tried. As sick as she was, she always walked all the way to the toilet to relieve herself (even when she temporarily lost her sight). She was dignified and a good girl even until the end.

On her last day on this earth, as I lifted her in my arms, she turned her head to look at me. I knew what she was telling me, and I told her it was ok. It was ok to let go. I would be fine.



Xena,
Thank you for giving us 2 and a half of the most wonderful years anyone could ever ask for.
Thank you for loving us so fervently and unconditionally.
Thank you for being our little bundle of love and joy.
Thank you for giving us the pleasure of loving you.

Xena girl,
Now that your suffering is over; run, little girl. Run with the wind in your face as your beautiful ears flap behind you. Know that we will always, always love you and we will see you again in heaven, with kisses and cuddles that will have no end.

Goodbye, our little angel. May you rest in peace."


Wednesday, July 16th 2008

Biggest (Balls) Loser Asia

My sister auditioned for the Biggest Loser Asia this morning. I am in awe of her.

She has always struggled with her weight ever since I could remember. As a little girl, she was chubby and got away with it cos she was georgous. She was the life of the party and my parents' pride and joy. She had this sparkling smile and deep set dimples that made you melt. Quite the performer, I remember the time we dressed her up as a Hawaiian dancer for a fancy dress contest, complete with grass skirt! She hoola'd her way right into the crowd's heart.

As she got older, her heavier side didn't seem quite so adorable anymore. And more than anything else, it ate into her self-esteem and chipped away at her confidence.
I always felt very bad and wished I could do something but I think I only made it worse. I should have stopped my father's taunting and my mother's need to love with food. I should have told I loved her more often and included her in my life more. I guess I had my own struggles. Oh well. Regrets are a waste of time.

Fast forward to the present.

My sister is happily married and is managing a company. She is a good daughter and a great sister. Not to mention a doting wife. Her move to audition for the Biggest Loser Asia must be the strongest act of courage and bravery I have ever witnessed in my life. I know my sister. I know how she battles with shyness and issues with esteem. To have her weight problem thrown into the face of the world takes balls. HUGE balls. I would never have the guts to do what she has done.

My dearest darling sister. It doesn't matter if you make it through the auditions for the Biggest Loser Asia. As far as I'm concerned, you have passed the most important audition of all - the one where you say 'I am taking control of my life because I know I can'.

Love,
Your number 1 fan.