Christmas Moods.

Although 2007's Christmas is over, the moods still remain within us. I must admit that this is not my best Christmas without the presence of son, Chris, Amy and Zoey, our little cute grand-daughter who is a little over two years. Chris called on X'mas night when we spoke to Amy and we enjoyed the X'mas songs rendered to us by our little Zoey. I wondered how she could keep herself awake as it was well past 11.00 pm. Jenny, my eldest daughter, called from Singapore to greet each and everyone a Merry X'mas. We really missed them but there was a small consolation from Josephine and her hubby, John who celebrated X'mas to their fullest satisfaction.

John, usually had to fly back to work each time after the Christmas celebrations but not this time as he was transferred back to KK which is about fifteen drive to his hometown in Penampang. They invited a few close friends to their house. They put up the lightings, decorations and wrapped-up presents around the X'mas tree. They ensured that those who were present left for home with at least a X'mas present. I could not imagine their tired- looking faces but they really enjoyed themselves buying presents and goodies. The most tiring moments of the day when John had to purchase those fishes and prawns from the wet market at 6.00am for the barbecue on Christmas eve. To save time for other preparations, they ordered some foods from the nearby restaurant. Josephine was rushing back to our house to get some stuffs for the barbecue. With all those excitements here and there, I regret for not joining them. Due to my immobility, I did not spend the X'mas eve in their house but my wife Elsie took the trouble to bring back some foods for me in between the celebrations. We must also thank our family friends, both Francis and his wife, Kah Choo for having contributed some assistances towards the success of the barbecue party. The most difficult part of the day was to clean and tidy up the mess being left behind. They did a marvellous job by taking care of it. For Josephine and John, it was a time worth spending.

Next to come is the Chinese New Year celebration which we will be looking forward to it.

UNBEARABLE PAINFUL EXPERIENCES.

Due to my stubbornness for refusing to heed the advices of my parents and friends, I ended up having hypertension which was just the beginning of my fate. To make things worse, high cholesterol also found its way to my blood streams as the result of too much intake of red meats, fatty meats and oily stuffs. The pleasure of consuming them went on and on until one fine day, when my blood pressure reading soared up to 210/120 which was abnormally high for my age. In fact, I could never believe that my blood pressure would catapult to such a height. I felt very panicky.

The hospital dressers in the hospital accused me of not taking my medication regularly. I didn't want to argue with them and let them said what they liked. However, I asked myself what really triggered my blood pressure to such an unbelievable height even though I was on regular medication. The doctor at the hospital asked me about my sleep. Do I usually wake up at night? That was the answer which I could not deny, 'yes'. For the past few weeks, I had numerous sleepless nights by waking up as early 1.00 am and sometimes between 2.00 am and 3.00 am and I could not continue to sleep. Well, the doctor prescribed an additional medicine to curb the blood pressure to normalcy. I should thank the doctor for helping me to control the blood pressure. After what the doctor advised me to get as much sleep at night, I tried not get disrupt my normal sleep but only to get up once during the night and then continue my sleep until 5.30 in the morning. This morning, I had my monthly review with the Specialist at the Clinic who was very pleased with my blood pressure reading of 130/70. I am happy to learn that my blood pressure is very much under control. I have been put on two weeks' trial with some changes in drugs. I am required to see her after the trial period.

The second part of my health problems is the never-ending GOUT. I contacted it at a very young age and it has followed me for so many years. I had reached an very embarrassing stage that when I had a severe attack of gout at my right toe and ankle, I literally could not stand up but to the extent of crawling to the toilet. The pain was so unbearable with every movement restricted as the result I just had to lie down and did nothing but rested. I realised that after taking too much meat and seafoods, I would be doomed by the attack. These days, I drink at least 7 to 8 glasses of water to 'replenish' part of the 80% of water in our bodies and 'detoxify' the toxins in my body system. Literally, I have no choice but to refrain from taking excessive meat, seafoods, beans and nuts and 'cooling' certain type of leafy and stalky vegetables. Although the doctor had prescribed for me 'Allopurinol' to check further attacks of gout but I must ensure that I stay away from those 'evil' stuffs even though there is a an urge and 'temptation' of eating them. So far, at this stage, I am free from GOUT but now I am more prepared to face the next onslaught if it comes to 'haunt' me again?

CHRISTMAS IS ROUND THE CORNER.

I could remember very vividly that as a youth, I was selected as one of the altar boys serving the Sunday masses weekly. From an altar-boy, I was recruited as a member of the choir. I was overjoyed as I have a passion for singing especially the Christmas carols. We had to stay back after each mass to practise singing the Christmas carols a month before Christmas as we were required to visit the houses listed in the iterinary. I felt so excited about singing. When the time was drawing near, we were asked to dress smartly during the rehearsals. We had a few more practices to near perfection before taking off. There were about fifteen boys and girls in the choir. As I was short, I was asked to stand in the front roll. My goodness, I felt a bit nervous and shy but I braced myself by remaining calm. Those standing in front were very noticeable so I could not afford to make any mistake.

We visited the first house belonging to Mr, Chong. The whole families and relatives were waiting for us to greet them with Christmas songs. We belted out our best performance but to our surprise, Mr. Chong and the other members of the family and relatives joined in. After the carol-singing was over, we recited a short prayer requesting the Lord to bless the foods which we were about to eat. Mr. Chong must have spent sometime preparing the foods and drinks before-hand. We were cautioned by our Choir leader (Jim) not to fill our stomachs too much as we had about four more houses to visit. Jim was right, a good thing that most of us were small eaters so we ensured that we did not filled our stomachs until we reached the last house where we ate to our satifaction. Jim collected the red packets for our efforts from each of the houses. In fact, I never felt better as Jim was beaming with a smile, each we left the house. He told us that he was mighty proud to work with us and was anxiously looking forward for the next Christmas.

When we reached home, it was almost midnight. My parents were worried about me as it was late for my standard as I usually sleep at nine at night. I could not sleep as both my mother and father wanted to know how I felt and whether we enjoyed ourselves. I told them that we were feeling so excited for next Christmas to come. I was tossing in the bed with my eyes wide open and felt happy that we sang to our level best. The Christmas carols which we sang kept ringing in my ears. Merry X'mas n a Happy New Year.

VALUE OF GOOD REPUTATION

It was on a fine day when I travelled in a train, one burly- looking guy, out of the blues, started cursing and swearing aloud. We could see from the facial expressions of the other train passengers that they felt offended by the distinctly foul language of this particular passenger. There was a brave gentleman who tried to pacify him by asking him to tone down his voice but to no avail.

When this offensive passenger got off the train, one of the passengers put his head out of the window and called out:

'Friend, you have left something behind you.'

'What is it?' the man asked, hurrying into the coach.

'Merely a very bad reputation,' said the caller.

So, when it comes to influencing people a good reputation is imperative.

There are people who give little, if any, importance to the value of good reputation or name but yet a good name is rather to be chosen than a hoard of riches.

In the political arena a good name is a rare commodity but in the business world, it is as good as CASH. You may go about with an empty purse and still get what you may want if you have it.

In the family, a good reputation may be considered the most precious heritage.

In school, it means a high standard. In the government, the good name of its employees means efficient, contented and peaceful citizens.

'The two most precious things on this side of the grave are our reputation and our life,' but it is rather sad that the most compatible whisper may deprive us of the one and the weakest weapon of the other.

'A wiseman, therefore, will be more anxious to deserve a fair name than to possess it and this will teach him so to live as not to be afraid to die.'

HIGH INTAKE OF SALT.

When I was young, my mother used to caution us not to take salty stuff or to add sauce to our foods. I was quite stubborn then and did not heed her warnings. I was thinking to myself that salt is added to make the foods taste better. No salt, the foods do not taste nice. Later when I discovered that the chicken blood when added with a few drops of salt would coagulate or clotting the blood in a bowl. Then I realised that the same theory applies to our blood vessels as sodium excess leads to abnormal fluid and electrolyte balance and also causes high blood pressure.

In reality, salt is not necessary at all. Several foods have salt content in them and deliberate addition during cooking and processing pushes salt use to the indiscrimate level.

In fact, every cell in the body needs salt. Salt, as we call the common cooking salt, is sodium chloride. Sodium is an ion. Excessive sodium is bad to blood vessels and heart. Indian diet makes one consume about 4 to 9 grams of salt every day. It is indeed preferable to restrict salt intake to 2 to 3 grams a day. In most Malay and Indian restaurants, the foods taste very salty as excessive salt is added to preserve them from turning bad. Usually, after dining in an Indian or a Malay restaurant, I would feel very thirsty due to the addition of excessive salt in the foods.

Some processed foods with added preservatives contain high quantities of sodium. Most preservatives contain sodium in some combined form like sodium benzoate, sodium alginate and sodium bicarbonate.

Thus, one must remember that salt adds nothing except taste, so it should be added in foods indiscriminately.

I then recalled that what a foolish person was I for listening to my mother's advice. I have no one to blame but myself for not heeding to my mother as the result, I am now suffering from my hypertension and high chloresterol. I consider myself to be very lucky though I had two minor strokes in a space of fifteen months. I just cannot afford to ignore taking my medication regularly but to refrain from taking excessive salt for fear of having a third deadlystroke.

LET SLEEPING DOG LIES.

It is widely acknowledged that never ever disturb a sleeping dog which goes to say that "let sleeping dog lies". As a matter of fact that if a dog is well-fed, bathed and well-looked after, one will notice that it is always in a good mood. If it was not fed yet at the same being instigated then hell will break loose. It will snarl by showing its teeth, a warning sign of anger, so that is the time when one should run for cover. Somehow, one has to start looking for a solution before things get out of hand. The same saying applies to all human beings.

Recently, more than 10,000 Malaysian Indians staged an uproar and demonstration known as the Hindu Rights Actions Force (Hindraf) rally against the Government for the demolition of a temple and some policies which prevented the poor ones from getting decent jobs or good education for their children. Himdraf thinks that the Indians are marginalised. A certain political party called on Samy Vellu to step down to pave the way for a younger Indian. If one could remember the May 13, 1969 incidents where there were clashes between the Chinese and the Malays which resulted to many losses of innocent lives, loved ones and the properties. Although all of these fightings are mainly for their survival and dignity yet they could be avoided if the Government is fair to all races. With all these demonstrations going on, it does not look good to unity and tolerance in this country. There are many more other incidents which are worthwhile to mention but it is best not to relate.

If the Government feels that a certain race is stirring up the racial conflict, then the question should be thrown back at them by asking themselves whether what they practise is fair and truly looking after all the citizens. It is no use by just lip-saying but nothing has turned out of it. Be it Indians, Chinese, Malays and the rest of the races are all flesh and blood and each of us has to live. So for what good reasons should the Government be bias?

The above is just a general opinion and illustration with no political bearing at all.

LAND BELOW THE WIND

• Sabah known as the"Land Below The Wind " is located at the northern part of the Borneo Island, the third largest island in the world. It has much to offer not only to the foreign visitors but also the local visitors as well. Much of Sabah is yet to be explored as it is being richly endowed with pristine rainfalls, wildlife and cultural heritage.


• For those who like Scuba- diving and snorkeling, we have places like the Sipandan Island and Gaya Island (just to name a few), for the mountain climbing, one can climb the Mount Kinabalu which is the highest mountain in South East Asia, for lovers of white-water rafting, one can have it at the Padas River, for golfers, we have places like the Sutera Golf Club, the Sabah Golf and Country Club, the Kinabalu Golf Club, by and large, the Borneo Golf Club is of World standard designed by Arnold Palmer and last but not the least, for place of visits, most foreigners will not bypass the Orang Utans and the Crocodile farms in Sandakan. It has also lots of other places of visits and eating places where one can taste the fresh fish, lobsters and prawns at every nook and corner in the towns of the West and East coasts of Sabah.


• The lifestyles and beautiful colourful costumes of the many ethnic groups coupled with their hospitability and friendliness will not only make the visitors feel like guests but will also bring back home their fond and unforgettable memories of the "Land Below The Wind".


• Incidentally, this year is the "Visit Malaysia Year" where we have lots of other interesting places to visit and enjoy as well in our neighbouring State of Sarawak and other States of Malaysia.
  
  

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS FROM MY BELOVEDS.

My 65th birthday is the most memorable one in my life and it will go down to my memory lane. My daughter as usual was the first to greet me "Happy Birthday, Pa" on that early morning. In the birthday card, there were the names of my beloved wife, children, their husband and wife and would you believe it, the names of our four pets which did not miss the greetings too. It was a Sunday when our regular " rummy kakis" were playing at our house. Out of the blues, this little girl known as Huong Huong greeted me with the birthday song followed by her parents too. "Houng Houng is the pet of our family and a favourite to my daughter and her husband. They will never fail to bring her out for some bites. "Houng Houng was particularly impatient this Sunday, so she called and asked my son-law's whereabouts but she was shocked to hear that he was in Kuala Lumpur attending to his company's conference.

My daughter represented the rest of the family members treated me to a wonderful "Birthday" dinner. Well, she does it every year on behalf of the family members who are scattered all over the world. To top it all, I received a most memorable call from my son, his wife and my two year old grand-daughter greeting me "Happy Birthday" in Cantonese from San Deigo the next day as it was the 25th of November there. Can you imagine, my grand-daughter who is only two years plus greeted me in Cantonese after her father and before mother. She could pronounce so accurately. To be frank, I have never felt so happy in my whole life. Lastly, I received another surprise e-mailled greeting from the "Badminton Central Forum" on the same day.

With such lovable families and friends around me, I am looking forward to more birthdays similar to this year to come. I am so, so proud as a father, father-in-law and grand-father to know that these people always care for my well-being.

Happy Birthday

THE SYMPHONY OF YOUR LIFE

An alcoholic found himself in a hospital, a case of psychopathics. He was placed in a room with three other patients who did nothing but scream. When night came he prayed to be able to sleep, but the screams continued.

Then suddenly he began to pray for his three room-mates. 'May God give you peace,' he said quietly over and over.

The screams stopped.

'Not only that,' the alcoholic reported later, 'it was as if something broke in me. Praying for them released my own tension. I was free.'

As it happened, at the next examination the doctor smiled and pronounced him well enough to go home. He was truly a free man.

Prayer is like a symphony and in it none of the instruments plays the whole composition. Each has its part, each being part of the whole.

'The prayer of each individual is prayer by one who is only part of a great whole. It can, therefore, be understood and seen in its true perspective only when linked with other prayers,' says Gaston Courtois.

STAMMERING.

Everyone is having a problem one way or another. It may be the need of this, that or the lack of certain things. These problems may be natural or created by circumstances. If a person is having a stigmatism or a paralytic limb, it is natural but if one has lost a purse during a travel it is because of circumstances.

In my case stammering is the biggest problem. I don't know how it has occured but it is there and I have to grow with that. I am growing more and more conscious of it as I grow in age. Since I stammer, I am unable to mingle freely with others of my own age. They react differently, most of them mock at me and very few have sympathy. While the ideas roll, words do not at the same speed. So very often I blink which means I am taken for a muff. Since I stammer, I cannot retort and my contribution in a company will be so little; so I have to be very often an idle spectator. It is not because that I cannot give my ideas but I am unable to speak fast enough.

So it has developed in me an inferiority complex and nowadays I shun company.

How to overcome it, is the most biggest liablility. I have heard of a great Greek Orator, Demosthenes who was once a stammer, as a child he was able to overcome it with some form of exercise. It was told that he put pebbles in his mouth and stood on the seashore where he used to cry loud. As a result of it, he overcame his stammering. But in my case, I have not tried that. What I would normally do nowadays is to gather ideas and slowly put them without repeating a word. I am successful to some extent but I cannot say that I have overcome it completely. One thing for certain is that this stammering of mine has blocked certain employment opportunities for me, for instance, I cannot become a lawyer nor a platform speaker. Though I like music and enjoy it, I will never become a singer. It is a pity that I am deprived of all these opportunities.

I have come to the wise conclusion that one must put up with that which one cannot improve. Since Mother Nature feels that I should be in this category, I have no choice but to live with it for the rest of my life.

A LONG VACATION

Once in the stream of life, we ground to paste as it were by the pressures of work coupled with anxiety, apprehension and doubt. So the senses are benumbed and we become a cog in the big wheel. That is the price we pay for modernity. Ask any office and factory worker, he will have a story to tell. The same dull routine for five days a week. Very often he has no time to talk to his parents, to look after his children. To take the edge out of it, there must be periodical vacation.

But the vacation to be of any meaning must be long enough. Ideally speaking it is not to idle away one must seek a vacation. It must be an occasion when something useful could be done. Of course it may not be out of compulsion or pressure from outside but one chooses the vacation so that a good thing may be achieved.

What I have in mind is something like this. When someone chooses a long vacation he must have a plan for spending it. One must go on a long pilgrimage visiting places of historic or religious interest or for the Muslims to go on Haj pilgrimage. While others may want to spend their time with their children, married children and grand-children who are now staying in a foreign country. There it is best that they travel in a leisurely way. Seeing places and perhaps getting into the spirit of it, unlike a modern tourist. A vacation spent on tour must be different.

Again, some vacations are utilised for some useful study. It may be specialising in any branch of the discipline in which one is interested. For instance, if one is interested in archaelogy one may visit the places of interest. This may take him to the libraries, familiarise himself with the thoughts on the subject. Those who prepare a dissertation do that way.

May be the vacation is taken for some constructive work. One may go to the village and look to the repairs of the ancient family house.

While the vacation may be worthwhile it must be free from constraints or restraints otherwise it loses the spirit of vacation. It is the mental attitude which is very important. When one returns after the vacation one must look fresh and full of life and not jaded like a storm mariner returning home.

After what all has been said and done the outcome must be a happy one.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FARMER

Ahmad is a farmer by profession and feels proud of being one. Although his holdings are small but he feels they are enough for him.

He owns a few acres of good land, two pairs of bullock and a small cottage. His fields are fed with water from a stream. As a modern farmer he has a pumpset for pumping water so that his fields do not go thirsty. He grows mainly paddy, in a small patch of land he has the vegetable garden. He has a milch cow.

He gets up in the early morning when he starts his pump and waters his fields. He goes round to see that the water does not overflow. He removes the weeds from the plants and later goes into the vegetable garden to see if there is any pick of he day. He trims the hedges, digs the plots or dresses them up for the next planting. He is fond of his flower pots of which he has a few. He takes pride in them.

After these morning rounds he takes his breakfast. He meets others and takes part in the village gossips. Even though he cannot read, he learns about the morning news. As is common nowadays, he discusses with his friend about the day's politics. Sometimes, the commission agent will come and our friend will talk to him about the market prospects.

In the afternoon after the wash and a lunch, he stretches himself for a mid-day siesta. He gets up and after a cup of tea, goes to the fields and sees everything in in order. Then he takes a stroll in the bazaar and makes some purchases for the house. That is also the time for him to meet friends and exchange views.

He returns home and has an early dinner. He plans for the next day. Sometimes, it may be taking the grains to the market, it may be transplanting and other times it may be taking the bullocks to the blacksmith to be shod. Thus he leads a simple life of which he is contented.

MALAYSIAN DILEMMA

Malaysian Dilemma -

- Get Vietnamese workers, dogs and cats missing,

- Get Bangladesh workers, Malay girls missing,

- Get Indonesian workers, money missing,

- Get Indian workers , jewelleries missing,

- Get Chinese workers, husbands missing,

- Get Malay Advisor, Mongolian missing.



The Prime Minister is getting endless headaches

SLEEP STOPPERS?

I have this bad habit of getting up in the middle of the night, not because that I wanted to. My wife often asked me "must you always get up in the midst of my sleep? You know what, once I am awake, it would take me a long while before I could fall asleep again?" Sleep seemed to elude me ever since I changed my medication for my Hypertension. Before the change of medication, I could sleep quite often than not until morning without much interruption. When I asked the doctor whether I was suffering from insomnia, he reaffirmed that certain medication could compromise sleep but not serious enough to keep a person awake throughout the night. He further asked me whether I had done some light exercises and kept my mind free from problems before going to bed. With that note, I accepted his opinions. I scanned my brain by recalling what I had done and should not do before sleep. I discarded the habits of drinking too much water, turn off the bright lights, stop watching my favourite TV programmes and meditate before sleep. During those moments of sacrifices, I had less urge to rush to the toilet so often as before. I could sleep without much interruption, most probably, due to physcological changes.

Among the other reasons, we may observe the followings:-

Lower the thermostat. A warm office will make you sleepier. Keep the temperature in your bedroom consistent. Variations in your environment can interfere with sleep.

Steer clear of the onion rings. When your body is busy digesting a fat-laden meal, the stomach is full, nutrients are absorbed, and hormones are released. Result of all this activity: zonkiness. Eat healthfully, and you will be alert as well as lean. You would also do well to avoid foods and drinks high in salt (water retention can disturb sleep).

Catnap. Even a 15- to 20-minute daytime nap can increase alertness, revive memory, and reduce the symptoms of fatigue. Limit your sleep to less than an hour, or you'll awake groggy and compromise your nighttime sleep. If possible, you should schedule your snooze for sometime between 2 PM and 4 Pm, when your circadian rhythms are most condusive to slumber.

Difficulty falling asleep. Stress is the most likely culprit. In the 1998 Women and Sleep Poll ( WSP) 34% of women said that stress affected their sleep. Caffeine or nicotine close to bedtime may also be to blame.

Wake up repeatedly. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. Liquor-induced sleep is not as restful as natural sleep, and when the alcohol wears off, you are likely to waken suddenly.

LIFE IN A HIGH RISE FLAT

In an industrial area, space becomes scarce as more and more families pour in as they cannot find space for houses. Not only the space but also the cost becomes prohibitive. So the average workers cannot have the luxury of owning houses. Still they want some shelters to lay their heads down when they returned from their office and factory. The answer has been the high rise flats of several floors. They are either built by the Building Society or by the Housing Boards of Government.

These flats are provided with basic facilities like water, lights, good drainage, airy rooms and the like. Flats which are above five storeys are provided with lifts to take people up and down otherwise they will have to use the walk-up stairs. Undoubtedly, those who live in the flats may be independent. .

There are more disadvantages in living in a high flat. The movements will be restricted and conditioned according to the circumstances. It is a pitiful sight for those people, living in the walk-up flats where there are no lifts provided for. Some of these people have to struggle, with the loads of their monthly requirements, their way up the stairs of these flats. It is an unimaginative and a pathetic sight to see those elderly, sick and crippled tenants inching their way up to reach their units and vice versa. One may have to live with all kinds of people, the homogenity which was the rule rather than the exception will be wanting. One does not know who his neighbour is, so though living in the midst of many, one may be lonely. Since all the facilities are artificially controlled, any breakdown would paralyse those living there . A good example is the supply of water, if there is any defect in the plumbing, life will be upset. For want of space, one must plan carefully what one must own. Whereas in the older days, people had enough space to entertain guests and realtives but a modern flat dweller shuns at them. It is the children who would suffer most for there is not enough space for them to play and run about. Unless one has the facility to take them out, they will develop complexes of closed space. Since they cannot easily mingle with other children, there may be blind spots in their character as they grow up. Living in such artificial surroundings may be even tell on their health and growth. They will feel like caged birds. This may be true of even grown ups.

In the event of any fire breakout or the spread of epidermics, the high rise flats will suffer most. From aesthetic point of view, the flats do not add to the beauty of the city.

In short, one may conclude that life in a high rise flat is a necessary evil in the life of a big city.

CHRISTMAS TIME IS NEAR

Christmas day is such an unforgettable and eventful time for the youngs. As I remember quite vividly, my brothers and sisters were all excited yearning for the Christmas day to come. All of us had to help in the spring-cleaning of the house which was given a spruce appearance. The drawing room was made attractive with buntings, Chinese paper lanterns and fig trees. We went about sending greeting cards. There would be a lively discussion as to which picture could be selected. Then we sat to draw up the list of invitations. The major part of the season was taken up in getting our new clothings ready. Since the season was busy there was the trouble with the tailor who never kept up his promise which meant knocking at his door.

Then we planned how to celebrate. We started with carol singing. On the eve, we set up the X'mas tree and illuminated it. X'mas gifts were hung. Though we got good stuff like cakes from the best bakery in town, some delicacies were prepared at home.

We never failed to go to the Church in our best clothings and took part in singing. At home it was all singing and dancing for hours. Aunty once in a way, played on the old paino though she was out of tune because she has been out of touch. We pretended to enjoy it for fear of displeasing her. The best of the day was the dinner. Cakes and pastries, jams and marmalades and other nice things were freely gone around. We had visits throughout the day and we returned the visit. Older people talked of the good old days. Children were happily counting the gifts they had received. They heard good stories related by the older people.

Of course the X'mas ended up with the New Year. The New Year service in the Church was a solemn affair and we all prayed for the prosperity of the world. Then there was stock taking. Our parents found time to go leisurely through the greetings sent and we replied to them where we had not already sent.

I feel that such celebrations have become a part of institution namely the family and these celebrations cement the love and affection and make everyone feel belonging to the family.

THINK POSITIVELY

'Jimmy, why are you looking so down, it's not the end of world, yet,' asked his Grandpa. Jimmy replied,"I know, Grandpa, but the trouble is that I have lost all my directions. I could not get a proper job for almost a year now.' 'C'mon, young man, look at things POSITIVELY. Set yourself a goal and work towards it. Never just give up so easily,'said Grandpa.

Very often, failure is only the red signal pointing to the culprit, 'negative thinking.' 'It is a psychological fact that we tend to travel in the direction we are looking. Whether you are a success or failure in life depends to a large extent upon which way the eyes of your mind are focussed. If you keep them continually focussed upon failure and obstacles and negatives, you have the tendency to travel in that direction.' One cannot think of fear and act courageously or be bent on failure and achieve success. A lot of trouble and suffering for ourselves and others could be avoided if our thoughts were a bit more on the positive side. Petty grievances, pessimism, hatred and such other feelings are good only as far as one's destruction is concerned.

If you want victory over fear, anxiety, worry and depression, develop control of your thoughts so as to gain that poise which conquers these tendencies.

The need to think positively is to fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.'

Look for the positive in every person, work and situation.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Joseph was watching Grandpa putting on his shoes. 'Why do you always turn your shoes over and shake them before you put them on, Grandpa?' he asked. 'Do I?' replied Grandpa. "Why, yes, you shook them just now but I didn't see anything coming out. I have to shake my shoes sometimes to get the sand out.' Grandpa laughed. 'I didn't know that I shook my shoes, Joseph.'

'I must have formed the habit of shaking my shoes every time before I put them on when I was in the military service in the jungles.' 'Why did you do it there?' 'Oh, to shake out any scorpion, centipede or other vermin that might be hiding in them.' 'But you don't have to do it here. We don't have such things here.' 'I know,' said Grandpa, 'but I had formed the habit and now I do it without thinking.'

'Habit is a queer thing, isn't?' said Joseph. 'It is a very strong thing,' Grandpa replied. 'A habit is a chain that grows stronger and stronger every day. A bad habit will grow just as strong as a good one. If you want to have good habits when you are old, you would better form them when you are young.'

'When we have practised good actions a while, they become easy; when they are easy, we take the pleasure in them; when they please us, we do them frequently; and then by frequency of act, they grow into habits.'

TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION

Surveys show that suicide rates in 60's age group are four times as much as in others. Loneliness ranks as the first cause in this unfortunate toll.

Loneliness is the chief misery anyone getting old dreads. Added to other problems - like inability to clean and repair, to shop and cook - comes the main complaint of oldsters: 'No one knocks on my door any more."

'It is easy to forget an older citizen in all this urban upset. They cannot fend for themselves, fight or push. They must be helped."

Young men and women, you can do a lot to help your elder brothers and sisters pull on cheerfully to the end by giving them the much-needed company and understanding. You will win from tears of gratitude besides deserving aptly to be called by them blessed:

Happy are they who understand my faltering step and palsied hand

Happy are they who know that my ears today must strain to catch the things they say.

Happy are they who seem to know that my eyes are dim and wits are slow.

Happy are they who looked away when coffee is spilled at the table today.

Happy are they with a cheery smile who stop to chat a little while.

Happy are they who never say, 'Your have told the story twice today.'

Happy are they who know the ways to bring back memories of yesterdays.

Happy are they who make it known that I'm loved, respected and not alone.

Happy are they who know I'm at a loss to find the strength to carry the cross.

Happy are they who ease the days on my journey Home in loving ways.

Age is a quality of the mind.

If you have left your dreams behind,

If hope is cold,

If you no longer look ahead,

If your ambition's fire are dead,

Then you are old.

IT IS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

All of us are living on "borrowed time" in this world without knowing when our time will be up. So, make the best of it all while we can. There is a saying which states that "prevention is better than cure". As a matter of prevention, we should consume more vegetables, fruits, grains and fish with less intake of Salt and meat and end up with regular daily exercises to dispel the toxins in order to promote better blood circulation in the body. Like an old Chinese saying that "HEALTH IS BETTER THAN WEALTH." It is indeed very true if we look down deep inside us. I know of an unfortunate rich person who was crippled by a STROKE which restricts his physical movements is always confined to a bed or in a wheel-chair. Even though he has so much wealth yet he is unable to enjoy it.

Coronary Heart Disease which is known as the "SILENT KILLER" is now the leading cause of death in many Asian countries and is the KILLER of some seven million worldwide each year.

Just a few words of awareness shared with us by Jim Hutchison.

SEVEN WAYS TO AVOID HEART DISEASE.

!. Quit Smoking.
Cigarette accounts for 20 per cent of all cardiovascular deaths. But if you quit, your risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) drops by a whopping 50 per cents within 12 months. In 15 years, risk of dying from CHD drops to nearly the same as non-smokers.

2. Eat more vegetables, fish and grains.
Foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol can raise levels of cholesterol in the blood and plug arteries. For every ten per cent above acceptable levels, risk of CHD increases by 20 per cent.

3. Reduce the intake of SALT.
Foods high in sodium (such as soy sauces and monosodium glutamate) contribute to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke. High blood pressure is often symptom-less, making it crucial to have a simple blood-pressure test.

4. Get Active.
Two million deaths a year are attributed to physical inactivity. People who exercise - even as little as three ten-minute bouts of vigorous activity a day - can decrease their risk of heart attack by 40 per cent.

5. Reduce stress.
Mounting evidence suggests that job-related stress is a risk factor for heart disease. Find time to relax.

6. Don't forget your kids. "Heart disease does not happen overnight - it takes years for coronary arteries to block up. That means parents are the first line of defence in protecting their children from heart disease later in life by serving healthy food at home and limiting junk food. Helping children maintain a healthy weight by encouraging physical activity instead of letting them sit in front of the computer ot TV means they are likely to carry healthy habits into adulthood.

7. Get a checkup.
This is an advice which is valid for everyone - especially if you have a close relative who died from heart disease or stroke before age 60. You, too, could be at RISK.

ARE DIAMONDS THE GIRLS' BEST FRIENDS?

There was a movie which entitled "Diamonds are the girls' best friends" starred by Marilyn Monroe and was shown at the theatres ages ago. Back in the old days as a child I was too inquisitive asking too many questions as the result my father would scold him. I asked my father why diamonds were the girls' best friends but not for the males. He laughed at me and said that I was too young to understand but perhaps when I grew older, I would know the real reasons.

I would not want to dispute that diamonds are the girls' best friend. In my opinion, I would say that the dogs are the men's best friends. They will wag their tails to greet their masters who come home from work. Not only will they run round and round, expressing their cheerfulness but also smiling and licking their masters.

We have a mixed Japanese dog who has been with us since she was a tiny puppy for more than ten years. She is called Micky and likes to show herself off. After being with us for a couple of years she gave birth to six puppies but we gave four away and keep Daisy and Spot. All three of them are our body-guards stationed at the backyard of the house. Whenever there are strangers moving in the vicinity of the backyard, they will never stop barking and leaping against the fence.. They will bark at other dogs passing by. We have to clean the tiled flooring of the backyards every morning not because of their droppings but their foot marks on the floor. Initially, we had a hard time pulling them one by one into the cage situated at the end of the compound before the cleaning up. They were so pampered and stubborn at first but they are so obedient now. As soon as they hear the sound of water spraying from the hose, they will run to the unlocked cage waiting for us to lock it until we have finished cleaning up the floor. They are so disciplined 'cause they have never wet nor left the droppings on the floor as they will finish their business on the grass. We seldom left them to run on their own for fear of losing them. It was perculiar of Micky that each time when we brought her to Veterinary station, she would do her business by leaving traces of her droppings in the compound as a mark of her presence there. Funny thing about her is that she would leave her droppings in the Animal Centre, a private veterinary, without fail. We felt bad but there was nothing we could do as the clinic is inside the building where there is no place for her to do her business. Micky, the grand old lady likes to travel in a car. She behaves like a human being by looking out the windows impatiently. They seem to be able to distinguish people. They will never bark at nicely dressed friends but they will never stop barking at the people who send the cooking gas cyclinder and strange gardeners.

There is no name given to our pet "cat". My son brought this mixed Siamese cat all the way from Singapore a decade ago. She was quarantined for one month before she was allowed to join us. When she was small, she gave us lots of problems leaving her droppings at any convenient place like the corners or underneath the cupboards where it was so difficult for us to reach. Whenever she urinated, the whole house would stink. So far, she has never left the house except waiting at the garage to catch birds. She is quite destructive as she will sharpen her claws by scratching on the sofas damaging them and doors leaving some undesirable marks behind. There were times when we locked her in the room accidentally. She would scream at her highest voice, crying for help. She would draw our attention by scratching on the door leaving visible marks on it. She still follows my wife like a leech and wait for her inside the loo. Sometimes, when she misses her timing to join my wife in the loo, she will wait outside patiently for my wife to come out. It is her duty to catch lizards and cockcroaches at night. We would expect cats to catch mice but not this one. We cannot accept the fact that she is afraid of mice. On one fine night, there was a small mouse running about in the house. My daughter and her husband watched her movements closely. Instead of pouncing at the mouse, she stayed at one corner, watching the tiny mouse running about in the house. However, there is one good about her. She has replaced the alarm clock. She would make loud noise at about 5.30 in the morning to wake us up. Sometimes, when the door of our room was left opened slightly, she would push the door open and wait there until I left the room. Like a good watch-dog, she would wait until all of us left our room upstairs. Would you believe that cats can also act like weather-cocks? There are many a time when she would curl herself up and sit beside me looking frightened. Her action would prompt to us that it was about to rain. True enough, there was either a slight rainfall or a heavy downpour.

All three of them are our faithful companions. They are a very friendly lot for without them the whole house will remain very quiet. My conclusion is based from our experiences that our dogs and cats are our best friends.

Is money the root of all evils???

"Is money the root of all evils"???. Well, I agree to a certain extent but if it was properly managed then it could be the contrary. Most attractive distractions normally would not escape the eyes of the rich 'cause there was always the tendency to pick up things randomly which would later add to their collections of "redundant things" found lying in the house collecting dust. I know of a rich friend who would lavish and shower the kids with branded clothes, travelling first class, eating at the posh restaurants and staying in the five-star hotels. His passion for earning fast money to meet the undying demands and maintain the rich status for his family drove him to invest his extra money with a Swiss bank initially "promised" quick returns. As a family man, he thought that he was doing the right thing after being pestered coupled with much persuasion from his friends who assured him that the scheme was not a SCAM. He was very much impressed by the testimonials shown to him that some investors earned ten-folds of the amounts invested. He waited for almost a year, hoping against hope, for his handsome returns but it never come. Suddenly, he realised that it was a SCAM by then there was no turning back. He entrusted that huge investments to those friends/introducers. When he tried to locate them, they had disappeared into thin air with his money. His greed turned him into almost a pauper and is living on a very tight budget with no more frills like before for the family.

There were several top government servants and some rich people whom I have heard of even borrowed money from the Banks to participate in the "become rich overnight" schemes. They too were conned by the SCAM and had lost thousands and thousands of dollars. These people might have the means to repay the bank loans but those middle-class borrowers charged their land titles as securities just absconded but later faced the legal actions from the Banks.

During the weekends, the punters could be seen at the Horse Racing ground looking for tips from the horse-owners and jockeys. This is one place where even the labourers and low-earners could try their luck. The reason is that even punters with as little as $10.00 can place their bets on their favourite horses for five races as each ticket costs at $2.00 only. In order to discourage the punters from betting, I would suggest that each ticket be sold at a minimum price of $10.00 to prevent some die-hard labourers and low wage-earners from placing their bets.

This is another place where not only the low wage-earners, labourers but the rich as well would frequent the betting counters most for the "4-Digits bettings". The bet per ticket is only $1.15 including the government and service taxes. I heard of some house-wives pinching part of the daily allowances for buying foods to try their luck on the 4-Digits bettings which are held three times a week. One can read in the newspapers that these organisations are reaping in millions of dollars yearly at the expense of the punters. The Government should address this issue by not only allowing special draws to be held during the week-days but also to reduce the number of draws per week. Just like in the case of the horse racing bettings, they should increase the betting to $5.00 per ticket which may not be within the means of some punters as a means to check them out.

All these boiled down to all forms of gambling like playing the slot machines, buying shares in the stock markets, placing bets on the horse racings and 4-Digits numbers, etc. A few millionaires, middle-class working people and even politicians spent almost 24 hours addicted playing the slot machines (known also as the one armed bandit) in the Recreation clubs throwing away their "easy come and easy go money" whereas there are some who threw away their "blood" money earned with sweats. Most of them lost so heavily in the matter of days thus forcing them to dispose of almost everything in their possessions. For some rich gamblers, they would dispose of their few big bungalows and expensive cars but the poor ones would have to borrow money from the illegal money-lenders who would charge them with very high interests to pay off gambling debts. This was not the end of it, if they were unable to repay the debts to the "Alongs", some would end up committing suicides leaving the trails of unaccountable debts behind as legacies for their poor families. These so-called illegal money lenders or "Alongs" would continue to harrass the victims and their family members by hurling abusive languages, throwing red paints on the cars, painting huge vulgarish words on the walls of the houses. Some of the victims were beaten up physically for failing to pay daily/weekly high interests to the Alongs on time. There is always a question which remains "unanswered". Why have the local authorities never stopped issuing nor renewing permits/licences which would act as a deterrent to check but instead allowed new applications for more slot machines to spring up like "mushrooms growing overnight" in some towns. Another source which contributes such MENACE is the "Alongs" or illegal money lenders. No doubt, one may say that the prerogratives lie with the borrowers. If there were no "Alongs" or so-called "financial assistances" providing "easy to borrow money" to these people then the ideas of re-couping the losses would not arise. When the gamblers are in the heats of losing money, they could not think straight thus exposing themselves to irrational, irresponsible and selfish thoughts and actions..

The Local Government Ministry should tighten up controls to eradicate such illegal activities deployed by the Alongs from causing more destructions to the lives of those bread-winners (some to the extent of committing suicides) and the break-ups of some innocent peace-loving families. Stern actions should be taken to eradicate the existence of the "Alongs" who are lending out "easy money" on the spot with or without securities (as the Banks would take a few weeks to approve the loans after sighting the securities only), to reduce the number of slot machines at the Recreation clubs, to impose more strict and stringent restrictions by allowing ONLY THE TOURISTS to enter. Then, at the end of the day, I believe the families will live in peace and harmony. These illustrations are based on actual facts.

Money could be said is "not" the root of all evils provided it is managed well and proper but compulsive gamblings such as investing in "get rich overnight schemes" frequenting the horse racings, uncontrollable bettings on 4-Digits, playing the slot machines (one armed bandits) and the likes are the ones responsible for destroying many happy and innocent families.

"Slow thinking may cause permanent disability".

Things would not have been the same after two mild strokes. Most of my friends told me that I was very, very lucky to be able to survive the second stroke though it was considered mild but on that very first day, I was partially paralysed on the right side of my body, right from my face down to the feet. I was unable to hold a comb, a ball-pen nor any object then. It was very visibly that the right side of my mouth was slightly uneven thus causing my speech to be slurred. I could feel the numbness on my right leg as the result that I could not even stand up let alone walk. After the first stroke, my son told me if I ever experienced the second stroke don't ever delay but get myself admitted soonest to the nearest hospital before the conditions turn for the worse. With that in mind, I asked my wife to send me to the General Hospital. My son called from the States warning me not to wait any longer but get immediate medical treatments without fail. Initially, I was kind of stubborn, not realising the urgency and danger of the deadly stroke. I thought that it was like the first time when it would slowly ease off but later on I realised that it was unlike the first time where there was a pain in the chest only. This time, there was not only pain in the chest but also numbness on the right side of my body.

I told my wife that this time, I felt like going to hell. Only with God's blessing would I be able to pull through. I was admitted to the Emergency ward that late morning, when I was put on a drip. My blood pressure reading was very abnormally high with 185/130. Even with some solution dripping for the night, the blood pressure reading remained the same the next morning. For a moment, I thought that God was taking back my life. However, after the specialists gave another two injections, followed by one daily, my b.p. reading had returned to almost normal.I was on the drip for another two days before I was discharged. During the short stay in the hospital, I went through the brain scanning, ECG and MRI (though it was done very much later). Thank God, the results were normal. Today, with proper medical assistances and regular intake of medication, massages and physical therapy, I felt the sensation on the right side of my face, mouth and hand was coming back though I am unable to walk normally.

If not for their encouragements and sufferings endured by my wife, daughter, her husband, my son and his wife, I believe that I would still be bed-ridden, perhaps, for the rest of my life.

From these experiences, I would like to share with my fellow brothers and sisters not to wait any longer when the stroke strikes. Go to the nearest hospital for immediate medical attention. NEVER FAIL TO TAKE THE MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBED BY YOUR DOCTORS.

Relaxation is a skill

"Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives the test first, and the lesson afterward."

"Relaxation is a skill that requires practice over and over again until you achieve mastery. Relaxation techniques can be learnt through constant practice. If you find yourself unable to relax, you may need to practise more to gain the above prerequisites before you can master certain relaxation techniques. Relaxation must also be differentiated from recreation. Recreation is a means of relaxation, but it never offers complete relaxation. Being relaxed is not a natural occurrence. It is a skill that must be learnt. Neither is it a waste of time, nor is it laziness to be functionally, skilfully or consciously relaxed. To master conscious relaxation, you need to learn and assimilate the 3 Rs, which are:

1. Reducing mental activity (aiming for a blank mind),
2. Recognising tension (aiming for awareness of bodily sensation),and
3. Reducing Respiration (aiming to promote relaxed breathing).

Conscious relaxation requires conscious effort that has to be applied in order to learn and master the following set of prerequisite skills:

1. Induce passivity
2. Induce a calm mind
3. Scan for bodily tension and
4. Breathe properly."

Coat of Many Colors

Keep On Believing

I found this wonderful poem by Regina Hill. Whenever I am down, I would read it and it uplifts my spirit. I would like to share this with you.....

Keep believing that you have
what it takes
to make your dream
into a reality.
Keep thinking positive thoughts,
and know that you have the ability
to do anything.
Find the encouragement
inside yourself
to know that you're worthwhile
and distinct -
someone who deserves
the very best there is.
Keep on trying.
Accept those things that you must,
change the things that are the worst,
and learn to find security and peace
within your heart, your strength,
and your self-assurance.
Keep on being the person
that you are -
the one who gives those around you
such a feeling of reassurance and hope.
Keep on believing, because you deserve
the joy, peace, faith, hope, and love
that you're seeking.
You deserve every fulfillment
and satisfaction in everything you try.

What a wonderful world

That's what I tell myself every morning I wake up. Life couldn't be better. Here's why...