Card 3: Completed in Style - Small, Sweet, Soulful

True Friendship (Revisited)

Once in a lifetime
You find a friend
who touches
not only your heart
but also you soul

One in a lifetime
You discover someone
who stand beside you
not over you

Very special people
we can be ourselves with,
talk with, laugh with,
hope with
and believe with...

Bamboo

An Attempt: Card 3 - The Best of Both Worlds

Tonight I am attempting Card 3,
With the accompaniment of The Last Samurai*.
Card 3 is going to be less compact than Card 2,
But with the best of both worlds.
It is going to be fantastic.

*Shakuhachi, flutes, koto, and taiko drums,
Make their presence known throughout the journey,
A reflective duet for flute and strings,
Swelling into an ominous but majestic melody.

Another compelling mix of beauty and violence,
With a delicate koto melody and rolling drums,
Before crashing percussion and sawing strings,
Turn the mood from bittersweet to battle-ready.

Bamboo

From A Junior

"The mind is like a parachute,
it works when it is opened."

Good eh? Ha! Wow...

~ PauLine

From A Senior

"Whatever I have tried to do,
I have tried with all my heart
to do well."

~ Charles Dickens

My Everything Friend

You magnify my happiness
When I am feeling glad;
You help to heal my injured heart
Whenever I am sad.You’re such a pleasure in my life;
I hope that you can see
How meaningful your friendship is;
You’re a total joy to me.

A friend

Friendship, or Fate?

A friend just said, "People come, and people go",
While my mind had never ever thought so;
People come, and people may go,
But friendship could stay, don't you think so?

The same friend replied "Leave it to fate",
That friends who care will sure to update;
Leave the worries and outcomes to fate,
That's for sure and it's for you to rate.

Is it fate or is it friendship,
That keeps the bonding of the relationship?
Or it's neither fate nor was there anymore friendship,
Only left memories that had well replaced the friendship.

Bamboo

"THIS"

In every judgement where we analyse the given, and where as the subject we place the term "this", it is not an idea which is really the subject. In using "this" we do not use an idea, and that idea is and must be universal; But what we mean, and fail to express, is our reference to the object which is given as unique.

Bamboo

Gladness

Am glad that the bending river
Allowed me to view enough.

Bamboo

Differences

There is little difference in people,
but that little difference makes a big difference.
The little difference is attitude.
The big difference is whether it is
positive or negative.

Bamboo

Card 2: Extended Version

... Giving someone a surprise ...
... Getting mail ...
Getting on the scale and having it read less than what I expected
... A new haircut ...
Reading good news in the paper
... Nature ...
... Hana by Satoko Ishimine ...
View of Silence
... Applause ...

Bamboo

Princess Mononoke Theme Song

Ashitaka and San
Simply beautiful music for the souls
Highly recommended.

Bamboo

Delighted

Happy, happy, happyyyyyy.

Bamboo

Glad that all are well

Thanks to all my friends who wished me well
Glad that all are well
Glad that everything's back in place

Thanks to Kak Azian for the good advice!

Bamboo

Happy Day

Today is Happy Day!

Happy, happy happy.......!


Bamboo

Horse To Run Fast And Far

"If you want the horse to run
Fast and far,
You must feed the horse
With enough grass"

Wow

Bamboo

Satisfaction

Be patient
+
dedication
+
wisdom
=
Dreams come true!

Bamboo

Carrot Cake

My Mama baking carrot cake at kitchen downstairs la..
The aroma so agghhhh~~~~~~
Wangi, harum, segar, nyaman.
Yum yum.. Ha!

Bamboo

Up To Them

Up to them...
Depends on how you want them to be
I won't be talking to anyone.

Alright, alright...
If that's the case, I'll keep away
I'm just strolling around, not what I used to be anymore

Alright, alright...
I'll just keep to myself
And continue as it is
If that's how things should be.

Disappointed.

Bamboo

Mindfulness

Tonight I enjoyed the beautiful music
By the maestro Joe Hisaishi
Of his performance - Ashitaka sekki from Mononoke
This is absolutely breathtaking...

Such a beautiful piece...and such a blend of instruments
Beautiful music, simply breathtaking!
My mind and body dwell
in the very here and now.

Bamboo

The Card 2

It's weekend again, cheerio
Thanks god, it's weekend again
Good to have some rest
Long overdue, especially for the last one week.

It's time for "The Card 2"
It's a new sub project
Thanks to the inputs
It's really meaningful in that sense.

Can it be done?
Of course.
Why not?

After all, this is life
The 'aroma' of the Coffee. *wink*

For You Only...
Till then.

Bamboo

Coffee or Cup

A big pot of coffee for your enjoyment
Assortment of cups for you to pick
Plastic, glass, porcelain, crystal
Plain looking, expensive, exquisite ones.

Most would choose the porcelain and crystal,
It's normal when one chooses the best
One would avoid the glass and plastic,
As they are as plain as their names suggest.

This is when the complications arose
For those who failed to look further
When you could see only the cups
Thus, the source of problems and stress.

What was really wanted was the coffee
Not the cup, however beautiful they could be
The cups are there just to hold the coffee
It's the coffee that's what you are to be.

Now if life is the coffee, positions, the cups
The latter are there to hold and contain life
If the cup is chosen over coffee
The quality of life does not change.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup
We fail to enjoy the coffee in it.
So, what drives you?
Coffee or cup? Think about it

And enjoy your cup of Coffee....Cheers!

Bamboo

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring

(SSFWAS: This is a Korean movie title that has its movie soundtracks so intriguing that I listen to them day and night, to keep me going through the difficult times)

It's around that corner of the year again.
This year it was earlier.
Brought forward to suit the changes.

Can we make it through this time?

Hope I would have enough strength to see it through.
It's like for the entire year, this is the only time
Life's been so difficult for me.

Work is tough
Wondered if things were sufficient
Does it depend on luck
Or real substance?
Whatever it is, just have to go on..

Bamboo

Reflection 2

Working hard, we feel the strain
The workload is ever increasing
We are like at a crossroad.

Like Hollywood actors
The show must go on

Work hard everyone
And good luck to all!

Bamboo

The Card

No title needed
A strong and humble beginning
A short intro at the inner side
Bamboo plants were there to welcome
Green yellow blue yellow green yellow blue
A colourful journey ahead
Words of wisdom to inspire.

An assignment for self
An accomplishment instead
An achievement indeed
A masterpiece from the heart.

An apology for work delayed
A learning opportunity for self
A discovery of new talent
A proud moment to cherish!

A self appraised producer
But proved to be quite good
Happy that efforts were fruitful
Delighted of being inspired!

The card was actually a letter
Thoughts jotted down by a chatter
Words just flowed without brake
As they freely filled up the lake!

The journey of thoughts continued
A humble question being asked
A nod was easily acquired
Bonding was quick to transpire.

Thankful to the knowledge shared
Appreciation for the guidance led
Though afraid in the very first place
Time was not ripe, what's more, a fearful face!

As moments passed, the truth prevailed
That was just the real beginning
It was food that drew the crowd
"I was fat because I ate a lot"

I like to eat and always admire
You get to eat all the home-cooked food
At home we eat as simple as it could be
Well, simplicity is the key to moderation.

Happiness comes from within the mind
Happiness attained through the culture of the mind
Is real and enduring

In every case, our happiness is rendered
More intense or more permanent
By being shared with friends
Therefore the best way to be happy
Is to make others happy too.

Was it bored going through all these
Apology if they were
Self introduction to the family
Moving on to self interests.

Bamboo

Personal Messages 2

The 0.2 marks were received in style.
Haha. Thank you.
It is possible when great minds come together.
With a heart full of faith and a dose of luck.
Thank you for the appreciation.
My pleasure.

Bamboo

Stay Strong & Never Give Up!!!

Hope is the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tunes without the words,
And never stops at all.

~ Emily Dickinson

Letter to Bamboo

Touch the sky
and in your reach
believe
achieve
and aspire.

May your tomorrows
take you to the
summit of your goals

And your joys
take you
even higher.

Bamboo's friend

From Big Brother

"We don't stand alone in this world
Without others to reflect on us,
who are we?"

"How can sound exist
if no one is there to hear"

Bamboo

Reflection

People progress in different ways
But no matter how, if we're facing the right direction,
All we have to do is keep on walking.

Bamboo

Enjoy Yourself

The simple pleasures in life are free
Not glory, glamour or a shopping spree
Across this great globe they spread such glee
Sample and enjoy them, please heed my plea.

I'd rather have fingers than toes
I'd rather have ears than a nose
And as for my hair
I am glad it's still there
I'd feel awfully bare when it goes!

For You Only...

The Bauble...

It's like another world
Inside a ruby red dome
It's like a balloon, just
Been blown up for
My party.
It feels like it is going
To explode like a bomb.
And the mirror images
Will jump out and there
Will be double-trouble.

Learning-To-Let-Go

Sharing what we have is a beautiful way of relating to others.
Our friendships are much enhanced by the quality of generosity.
Even more significantly, the cultivation of non-greed becomes a strong force for liberation.
As we practise giving we learn to let go.

Bamboo.

Personal Messages

Come to think of it, my blog has no date in the beginning of each blog entry. Why is that so?

Personal Messages huh. Ha...Hmmm..

That's calling for another project (scratching head) Is that possible?

Wait and we will see.
Till then.

Wishing all a happy weekdays.
Work hard everyone.

Bamboo

For You Only.

Why "For You Only"?
Everyone's unique.
It's tailor-made.
Specially for you only.

Bamboo

Wind So Strong

Today I had a quiet lunch, all by myself. As usual, I walked out and down the street as quick as I could, finally around the bend, suddenly, there was a strong gust of wind. Oh I thought, it could help me to reach my destination even faster. Holding on to my squeaking tummy, I hurriedly rush to my favourite stall, located within walking distance somewhere in between to my home.

I placed my order, and sat right in front of the giant tv that was mounted on the wall. The kopitiam was full of working adults at that time (Oh yeah, I am still a little bit younger than most of those uncles and aunties sitting beside me) so I used up the time with pleasure. I looked around, quietly observing how others gushed down their share of foods ferociusly to beat the jam later on while still could afford to scream their lungs out to each other in the busy shop.

I waited and waited, and ocassionaly the aunty Xiao Mei who saw me gazing at her stall thinking when would be my turn to try her specialty, she returned with a hand signal, I supposed it would be coming in no time.

I waited and waited, still not yet my turn lo, so I watched the TV instead. Alamak, Shuang Xing Channel la. Those who like the Taiwanese soap opera, this could be the moment, but not me.

When I looked around another time, I realised there were less people already. Only then I realised I have spent half an hour of waiting for my fav' meal to arrive. Why the wait, you may ask? Come to think of it, it goes back to when the shop was first opened in , ahem.. 1990 ah?

Around there la, 1990, wow time flies! It only cost a mere RM1.50 in those days, happy days. From RM1.50 it went to RM1.80, then RM2. At the time when Nandos came about, this fav' meal of mine shot up to RM2.50, a BIG jump! A 50 cents increase was a hoo-haa those days, anyway, you also want an increase in your annual income too, don't you?

Then later on, it jumped to RM2.80, then RM3, RM3.30 and finally today RM4.

HOWEVER, being a loyal customer and having the family loyalty discount card (my face la), i get 50 cents discount leh.. Ahem.. a real big Hoo-Haa for me nowadays..

As I 'imbas kembali' the good old times, suddenly my fav' meal appeared in front of my eyes, yum-yum, yummy, the Aunty Xiao Mei gave me so much of this, and that, a bit of those, and a lot of vege, yum-yum, yummy (Sorry, no pic taken, not so high tech yet).

Finally on my way back to office, there was another strong gust of wind, and I think you could guess what happened. For those who were still in doubt, i reached office faster than usual.

Bamboo.

Count all the things you have that money can't buy..

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes,their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers ofevery color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band – he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue:"There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations" "Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled" "If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy"

A Lesson from the Chinese Bamboo Tree

You take a little seed, plant it, water it,
and fertilise it for a whole year, and nothing happens.

The second year you water it and fertilise it,
and nothing happens.

The third year you water it and fertilise it,
and nothing happens.

How discouraging this becomes!

The fourth year you water it and fertilise it,
and nothing happens.

This is very frustrating!

The fifth year you continue to water and fertilise the seed and then... take note.

Sometime during the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree sprouts and grows NINETY FEET IN SIX WEEKS!

Life is much akin to the growing process of the Chinese bamboo tree.

It is often discouraging. We seemingly do things right, and nothing happens.

But for those who do things right
and are not discouraged
and are persistent, things will happen.

Finally we begin to receive the rewards.

Do you agree?

My Friend

You taught me the courage,
That life’s not just being fake or hate,
That life’s something to be made,
No matter how I expatiate,
It’s impossible to tell you,
How much in you that I appreciate.

Bamboo.