Sunday, June 29, 2008

Inevitable

In Buddhism, man cannot escape 4 stages of life:
Birth, old age, illness and death.

(No racial offense intended)


Of the 4 stages, death gives the most impact on others.

Imagine, chatting happily with a person today and the next day that same person passes away...

It's an indescribable feeling. You can say that it's a mix of sadness, regret, emptiness, etc.

But to me, it's still indescribable.


Death can strike anywhere, anyone, anytime and in any way. But one thing is for sure, it will happen sooner or later. This time, it hit my cousin, Sek Jia Yuen.

Christmas 2002

Since birth, he had this disease which gradually degenerates his muscles.



Christmas 2002

When he was young, he could walk, but was extremely fragile as he would not be able to support his own body if he falls.


Mother's Day 2003

When he does fall, his body would sustain injuries that a normal person could avoid such as chin injury.



He also had to undergo X-ray scans just to make sure that his bones weren't fractured.


He always needed support, both physically and emotionally.



His mother would always be there for him. To care for him and help him cope with life.



Christmas 2003


His brother may sometimes bully him, but in fact, he loves him very much.


Everyone in my family likes him a lot, especially this one since little Yuen can beat him flat in any video game.


Christmas 2004

Chinese New Year 2005


No one ever thought of him as a burden of any kind. In fact, he was always a part of our family and will always be a part of our hearts.


As he got older, his body got heavier, but his muscles got weaker instead. So he had to use a wheelchair to move around.


Christmas 2005


My father loves him too. Even if it wasn't Christmas, he would always receive something from my dad.

Our family would never be complete without him in the picture.

And their family will never be the same again.

Chinese New Year 2007

He would always be smiling in the background. =)

A more recent photo of him. (Mother's Day, May 2008)


He was never brought down by his physical incapabilities. In fact, to make up for it, he was quite smart.

Among he and his brothers, they would always fight in order to play the computer. Little Yuen knew he would never win them physically.

So he set a password on the computer. And it was no ordinary password either. Without the password, turning on the computer itself was an impossibility.

Instead of fighting in the real world, he prefers to fight in the virtual world. He's pretty good at it too. I remember losing to him 10 times in a row... =p

At home, he was always the one who teaches his mother how to use techno gadgets such as the computer, handphone, etc.

Since his father and brothers were always at work, and his sister wasn't staying with them, little Yuen was always the one who accompanies his mother. One of the many reasons his mother did not take him as a burden, but her joy and happiness of having him as her beloved son.

I had never seen her sad face before. So I couldn't imagine how she was when little Yuen passed away.

Little Yuen's elder brother said this in the hospital:
*weeping* Let's burn him and let his ashes fly. Since he never had the chance to go places, now he can fly to wherever he likes.

During the funeral, his classmates came to visit too. Eventhough they knew each other for barely half a year, their tears did not hold back when they saw their friend in eternal sleep. The same goes for his teacher.

To me, he was always keen in learning, especially things related to computer and technology. I was very sure that one day he would surpass everyone in that field.

To my little cousin, for as long as I live, you will be living right in my heart.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Tagged by Jing Wen again...

1. Do you like chinese food?
Definitely... Can't survive without pork =p

2. How big is your bed?
Not big enough for my nightly gymnastics... =p

3. Is your room clean?
Clean, yes... Messy, yes also =)

4. Laptop or Desktop computer?
Tabletop =D

5. Favorite comedian?
If they can make me laugh, they're my favourite =)

6. Do you smoke?
Don't come near me if you do...

7. Does anyone like you?
No... I'm a sad fella... No one likes me =(

8. Whats the sexiest thing about Condoleeza Rice?
It's just normal for me to NOT know who the heck is that...

10. Sleep with or without clothes on?
Wait till I have my own house, then it'll be without... xP

11. Who sleeps with you every night?
My dreams... =)

12. Do long distance relationships work?
I've never had a relationship, so I can't really tell...

13. How many times have you been pulled over by the police?
Never and not going to happen!!

14. Pancakes or French Toast?
Pancakes with maple syrup... Yum! =D

15. Do you like coffee?
Nope.

16. How do you like your eggs?
Half raw

17. Do you believe in astrology?
Only when I feel lost...

18. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Tan Kee Peng

19. Last person on your missed call list?
Phang Chung Kent

20. What was the last text message you received?
It's a serial number... So I don't think I should reveal it...

21. McDonalds or Burger King?
Burger King

22. Number of pillows?
2

23. Last thing you ate?
Sunflower seeds (kuaci)

24. Last thing you bought?
A 3-hour play at Tbun.

25. What are you hearing right now?
Ni Shi Wo Lao Po - Richie Ren (You are my wife)

26. Pick a lyric?
I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss

27. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
Durian xD

28. Can you play pool?
Wanna play? =)

29. Do you know how to swim?
Yeap, don't forget me if you're having a pool party =)

30. Favorite ice cream?
Anything will do =)

31. Do you like maps?
Yes... I always get lost... =(

32. Tell me a random fact:
When I burp after eating durian, it's comparable to a stink bomb.

33. Ever had a hard on at work?
Used to... But studies always cut it short =)

34. Ever attend a theme party?
Yes, theme was black but I wore white! xD

35. Ever do a keg stand?
I think once or twice only.

36. Craziest place you've slept after a night of drinking?
I only drank once. I only got drunk once. And I slept at home =)

37. What is your favorite season?
Rainy =p

38. What is the first music video you ever saw?
I forgot =p

39. Pick few movie quotes
Bruce, why do we fall? So we learn to pick ourselves up.
- Batman Begins.

With great power comes great responsibility.
- Spiderman.

40. Favorite quote:
Live like there's not tomorrow, die like you've lived forever.

41. What is your favorite hangout?
Blitzone, mamak, 1 Utama, extreme park, cendol =)

42. Best friend's name?
I treat him as one, but does he?

43. How long have you known him?
4 years.

44. Last time you laughed at something stupid?
haha... it happens too often to remember! =D

45. What time did you wake up this morning?
1pm, and it wasn't morning anymore xD

46. Wake up next to anyone?
I'd freak out if that ever happens. =p

47. Best thing about winter?
Snow, snowballs, snow sculptures, and more snow! xP

48. Name a couple of favorite colors:
Blue, baby blue, sky blue, rugged blue =p

49. How old are you?
20

50. What month is your birthday in?
May

51. Do you think pirates are cool or overrated?
Pirates of the Carribean is cool =D

52. Favorite Dave Matthews Band song.
Yet again, it's perfectly normal that I don't know who that is... xD

53. What are you doing this weekend?
You wanna go out? =)

54. Who will take this survey?
Yuhhui, Yee Lynn, Shu Lin, Lee Quin, Vanessa

I know I know, they're all girls =)

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Decisions

Decisions are a fact of life. No one can avoid decisions.

Hot or cold, big or small, go or don't go, yes or no.

Sometimes decisions aren't as simple as it looks. Even if it only has 2 choices.

YES

or

NO

This came by today and surprisingly, I actually got a headache from thinking too much!!


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I was offered my first choice for IPTA!! (Institut Pengajian Tinggi Awam)
Yay?


I was tempted to accept the offer because

1) The fees was extremely cheap. 4 years at UTeM was cheaper than 1 semester in Monash.

2) I didn't expect to get my first choice after what they had given me after my SPM which wasn't even in my top 8 choices. So this was a boost in terms of confidence.

3) I had relatives living close to the university so accommodation and cost of living isn't a problem.


But I was held back because

1) I had already settled in Monash. i.e. paid fees, PTPTN loan approved, first semester done, friends, etc.

2) I had doubts that UTeM could offer me a higher standard of education compared to Monash.

3) In UTeM, they have very strict dress codes!!
(tuck-in, collar shirts, long dark pants, NO JEANS!! And everything that was in secondary school)

4) I already rejected the offer online. I don't think I can change that.

5) If my father was my employer, he emphasizes more on my attitude than my certificate.

6) I'm very afraid that I'll get brain-washed there.



So you see, the reasons to reject the offer is doubled compared to the former.


Therefore,

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Before a decision is made, think hard, think long.
After a decision is made, don't ever regret it!!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Still alive

Yes!! I'm still alive!! =D

Actually I got nothing much to blog about, which explains the non-update period.

So, this post is just to tell you guys what I've been up to the past week.

Last week:

Went out with Kee Peng, Chung Kent, Julian and Yeong Shan for dinner. But ended up injuring my leg when I tried to leap over a big drain. So it started to bleed and bleed, even during dinner, the blood flowed all the way to my slippers.

When I reached home, naturally I grabbed some dettol and cotton to clean my wound. Almost everyone who saw my injury say it would scar my leg. Well, I don't really mind having the scar, coz it's like a reminder of my mistake. I can even use it to pikat girls! =p

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Apart from my left leg, I also landed on my left hand, which was injured before. So it got worse. Now I have medicine wrapped on my wrist and I could only take it off on Saturday!!! So itchy...

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This week:

Kee Peng's girlfriend returned from Australia. Means 100% of his time is dedicated to her.

Me: Eh KP lets go Blitzone.
KP: Not free laaa!
Me: Why?
KP: I'm with my gf now, so cannot...
Me: ...

He also likes to "blow water" (chui sui in cantonese) if you get what I mean.

KP: Eh lets go paintball tomorrow!
Me: Where? When? Who's going?
KP: Dam fussy la u, ask Julian.

Next day afternoon,

Me: Hey Julian, where is the paintball place?
Ju: Err, I duno.
Me: But KP said you know.
Ju: I just got his message this morning.
Me: Wtf?
Ju: Typical Kee Peng lar... We do the work, he only enjoys.

He got ideas, but we have to organise it and sometimes we'll end up paying for him too.

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Today was hectic!!

I had to tail my mum all the way to Maluri to get her car repaired . Trust me, it doesn't matter who's fault it is, in the end I'm the one that suffers.

I don't usually rant but all the keeping-it-to-myself has taken its toll.

I tail her:
She doesn't use signals.
She drives at 40km/h on a highway.
She crosses lanes so often that I really give up.
She makes turning into junctions a last minute thing.
A lorry suddenly cuts in between us. I take the left lane. She didn't see me through her mirror and drives extremely slow causing cars behind us to honk.

When we reach our destination, guess who kena scolding?? ME!! @#$%^&*

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I was supposed to fetch my mum to her meeting then fetch my sis for a job interview. Both were in KL. After sending my mum, I had to pick up my sis from the LRT station. But being me, I always get lost on the road. So I drove aimlessly for approximately 20minutes before moving back on course.

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When I drove the Kancil borrowed from my aunt, I noticed the temperature gauge was already at H (hot). My mum told me to ask my aunt about it. My aunt said she told my mum to fill water into the radiator frequently. I thought she did.

But to avoid problems, we stopped the car by the side of the road and filled it up.

After my sis was done with her interview, I was supposed to return to my mum's office to wait for her. Again, I got lost and drove to Pavillion.

To make matters worst, the car engine died in the middle of the road!! I checked the temperature gauge and it was off the scale!! The engine was so hot, the meter ran out of the marked area!!

I waited for around 5 minutes for it to cool and started the engine again. Luckily I wasn't really obstructing traffic at that time. Then I made another wrong turn and the engine failed again. This time, I was in a traffic jam and the cars in front had already moved.

So obviously the cars behind started honking like mad!! It started up again in about 5 minutes and I drove to the road opposite to my mum's office. My sis had to walk across the pedestrian bridge, and all the way up to the 14th floor to get water.

Well what would you expect in KL? A public water tap? Not...

During that time, it was raining quite heavily. When the engine was considerably cooled, I drove into my mum's office building. The building's design caused its entrance to act like a wind tunnel. So all the cool air was blowing the car harder than any storm could. I think if I left it there any longer, the water would've froze!! xD

At last, the radiator wasn't making anymore steam. So, I drove home while constantly looking at the temperature gauge. When I finally reached home, I felt like kissing the ground... xP

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Physics is the my last exam. Friday is the day I shout: "Halleluyah!" That's also the same day we have our futsal session at 7pm. How I wish I had an all-cure potion that could heal my legs and wrist so I could be goalkeeper again. Well, I'll just have to settle for defender... =)

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Why do we fall?

Why do we fall?

So we know how to pick ourselves up.


From 'Batman Begins'.

Back to study now...

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Growing Up

Can you recall the time when you were young, you used to do many things which were childish, cute, funny, mean absolutely nothing, etc. But nevertheless, they were fun when remembered.

So why aren't you doing that now? Well, I guess you most probably GREW UP!! When we grow up, we tend to act more like adults. We stop doing things which were fun just because it's considered childish.

The fact is, adults, more than anyone else, wish they could act like children again. Just have fun without being bothered by all the frustrations and problems of life.

So what's holding them back? The mere fact that this is reality. I myself wish I could go back to the years where I could play hide n' seek with my siblings wherever we go! Especially when there's loads of places we could hide! =D

Even now, although I can't join in the fun, I still help find places to hide when my cousins are playing. How I wish I was smaller so I could fit in those same hiding places that I thought of. =p

Looking at my baby cousins grow up inspired me to write this post. Without them, I would probably have forgotten how much fun I used to have, and how it decreases every year.

May I introduce you to my cutest cousin, Nicholas Sek!!

When he was about 2 months old, we celebrated CNY at 2006!
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Yes, I was square-headed back then. =)
January 2006


Within that same year, you won't believe how much he's grown! =)
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December 2006


He uses his little finger to feel things after he got burnt while grabbing a hot light bulb. Ouch!
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February 2007


My smart little cousin actually posed when I took this picture! =D
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June 2007


So handsome even at his age... xD
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August 2007


Finally, a more recent photo of him:

His mood can really swing! One moment he's like this,
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And the next moment he puts on a big smile! =D
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March 2008


Since I have 2 baby cousins, I may as well show you the other one too ^_^




Introducing, Stephanie Lai!!
Borned just a month before Nicholas.


Dressed in red, what festival do you think it is? =p
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January 2006


Eventhough she's a girl, I'd say she's handsome in this pic! xD
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April 2006


I asked her to give me her hands, and this is what I got! =p
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October 2006


Being a little naughty, she insisted on keeping her father's shades. I used to do that when I was her age!^^
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June 2007


This was her symbol of 'peace'! =D
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July 2007




Now for the Finale!
Both of them in the same photo! =)




They were like this since the day they met! =D
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May 2008


A double peace sign! Stephanie's one wasn't ready =p
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May 2008


That's it for now folks! Hope you get what I'm trying to say here.

You're never too old to be young!

Cheers! (^_^)