Say Cheese!

Grandma is eighty-eight years old and still drives her own car.

Now this day she wrote a letter to her grand-daughter, sharing her experiences of an especially enjoyable day.

She writes:

Dear Grand-daughter,

The other day I went up to our local Christian book store and saw a 'Honk if you love Jesus' bumper sticker.

I was feeling particularly sassy that day because I had just come from a thrilling choir performance, followed by a thunderous prayer meeting.

So, I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper.

Boy, am I glad I did; what an uplifting experience that followed.

I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, just lost in thought about the Lord and how good he is, and I didn't notice that the light had changed.

It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus because if he hadn't honked, I'd never have noticed.

I found that lots of people love Jesus!

While I was sitting there, the guy behind started honking like crazy, and then he leaned out of his window and screamed, 'For the love of God!'

'Go! Go! Go! Jesus Christ, GO!'

What an exuberant cheerleader he was for Jesus!

I just leaned out my window and started waving and smiling at all those loving people.

I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love!

There must have been a man from Florida back there because I heard him yelling something about a sunny beach.

I saw another guy waving in a funny way with only his middle finger stuck up in the air.

I asked my young teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant.

He said it was probably a Hawaiian good luck sign or something.

Well, I have never met anyone from Hawaii, so I leaned out the window and gave him the good luck sign right back.

My grandson burst out laughing.

Why even he was enjoying this religious experience!!

A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that they got out of their cars and started walking towards me.

I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is when I noticed the light had changed.

So, grinning, I waved at all my brothers and sisters, and drove on through the intersection.

I noticed that I was the only car that got through the intersection before the light changed again and felt kind of sad that I had to leave them after all the love we had shared.

So I slowed the car down, leaned out the window and gave them all the Hawaiian good luck sign one last time as I drove away. Praise the Lord for such wonderful folks!!

Will write again soon,

Love,

Grandma

To a friend.
To one who'd been around.
Thank you.

It takes nothing to be submissive.
It is another thing, to stand tall, and proud, to be yourself, regardless the circumstance.
Regardless of what people say, or what they think.
To be yourself.

Deadlines, they come one by one, don't they? Never ending, never giving you a break. And as we're approaching them, we then realize, how short time is; and we realize then how we've actually spent our time. Was it worthy? Was it meaningful? And adaptations, they're hard. For knowing that it possibly could be, and would be, the last time there would be this level of emotions. Truly, many of the times, it is only we've lost something, that we realize it's value.

I'd remember, the wonderful first 5 days in junior college.
I'd remember, the times we'd went out for dinner (only once in a food center, though. (: ).
I'd remember, the moments as a group everyone bickered over the trivialities.
I'd remember, the kind of conversation we had about. Memorable ones.
And I'll get to know, the feeling of how now I won't get to hear your grumble, or your whines, from now on.
And I guess we'll all get to know, if it's the first, the feeling of someone leaving.

For when a puzzle piece is taken away, no matter how we try to fill in that gap, it never will be as perfect as before, would it?

All the best in your future endeavors, but don't you ever forget us. Haha.
You'd better come back.

And to the rest of us,
Can we see beyond the scars
And make it to the dawn?
Once the stars have faded?

We'll try, won't we? (:

To say that you are a part of us, it is insufficient
For, instead, we're a part of you.
It's not about who we are not, but instead, of who we are.
You'd better come back. XC
---

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.


Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told someone,
We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time
To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
Life is like an unopened gift....
Just thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower

Hear the music
Before the song is over..

Laughed, and smiled I did. Relating blocks to our everyday happenings. How great. (:

Know we're allowed to buy vowels in the Wheel of Fortune?
..
"Hey! I'll like to buy a vowel please."
" 'U' please."
..
"Sorry, we've ran out of them.."
..
"What about an 'E'?"
..
"Yeah, that too."

Fancy that..

---

Politics 101 (A little explicit, discretion needed)

Whether Conservative , Liberal or Labour, I think you'll get a kick out of this!

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, 'What is Politics?'

Dad says, 'Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I am the head of the family, so call me The Prime Minister. Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government. We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you the People.

'The nanny, we will consider her the Working Class. And your baby brother, we will call him the Future. Now think about that and see if it makes sense.'

So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said. Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his nappy. So the little boy goes to his parent's room and finds his mother asleep.

Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny's room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed.

The next morning, the little boy says to his father, 'Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.'

The father says, 'Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.'

The little boy replies, 'The Prime Minister is screwing the Working Class while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and the Future is in deep shit.'

---

Comparisons. Contrasts. Pitting yourself against another. Worth it? For what if one lacks against the other, in seemingly all aspects? Does it numb your aspirations, that you are not up to match? Does it extinguish your drive?
Or is there, hidden somewhere, a little spark unique only to you, only undiscovered? Are we too busy, to appreciate our individual strengths. Do we only live to triumph over the other?

And, are we, really still who we are? Or have we lost ourselves in the flurry?


Smiles are great, they always are. And believe that, everything is great, and that it'll only get better.

---

Probably the first pop English song I've enjoyed, back in '04.

Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway.

Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window

Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray

Trying hard to reach out
But when I'd try to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me

Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here
So I pray
I could breakaway

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes ?til I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget all the ones that I loved
I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean

Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane, far away
And breakaway

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Out of the darkness and into the sun
I won't forget all the ones that I loved
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Buildings with a hundred floors
Swinging 'round revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but
Gotta keep moving on, moving on
Fly away, breakaway

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway

Out of the darkness and into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change
And breakaway, breakaway, breakaway

Reality Check.

Wake up call. Alarm bells. Whatever irritating device that gets you awake.

Months, just barely months left.
Realize that time, is rather short. Realize, that time passes really quickly too. Realize that, soon, we're off to our individual routes, off to our individual goals. Too fast, too furious. They say: Life is but a song, written in many ways. More of chords, melodies, symphonies pieced together. Why, are we not allowed to stop for breathers? Why, are we not allowed to slow our hasty paces? Only to work harder, only with higher expectations.

Yeah. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Getting away with test results.

A mother passing by her daughter's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then she saw an envelope propped up prominently on the center of the bed. It was addressed, "Mom." With the worst premonition, she opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands:

Dear Mom: It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new boyfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Dad and you. I've been finding real passion with Ahmed and he is so nice-even with all his piercings, tattoos, beard, and his motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion Mom, I'm pregnant and Ahmed said that we will be very happy. He already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. He wants to have many more children with me and that's now one of my dreams too. Ahmed taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and we'll be growing it for us and trading it with his friends for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Ahmed can get better; he sure deserves it!! Don't worry Mom, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your grand children.

Your daughter, Judith

PS: Mom, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbor's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my report card that's in my desk center drawer. I love you! Call when it is safe for me to come home.

Probably one of the better ways to get off the hook for flunking your tests. Not advised, though.
(:

Pedro and Rosita:

It's a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

"Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.

"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon," replied Rosita.

"Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me.

"Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu.

"Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!" (:

---

I'll be there for you.
When the rain starts to pour;
I'll be there for you...
Like I've been there before;
I'll be there for you.
'Cause you're there for me too. (:

Highways. Expressways. Road medium for cars to pass through. Or are they anything more?


Blister past each other at terrifying speeds is what is common of the driver of today. Cars, they just speed past each other, don't they? Past, and never looking back. We get to know people, yet most of the time, isn't it just superficial, skin-deep? More of zooming pasts in our own individual pursuits than anything else, is it not? Are humans, in our daily lives, just like vehicles, on the expressway?

Somethings to share

Somethings to share

Old Age

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, 'How old was your husband?'
'98,' she replied. 'Two years older than me.'
'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented.
She responded, 'Hardly worth going home, is it?'

--
Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
'And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?' the reporter asked.
She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.' :D

--
The nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs.

--
I've sure gotten old!
I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes.
I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that
make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts.
Have bouts with dementia, have poor circulation.
Hardly feel my hands and feet anymore.
Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92.
Have lost all my friends.
But, thank God, I still have my driver's license.

--
I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising.
I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors.
I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour.
But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

--
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

--
It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

--
THE SENILITY PRAYER :
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway
The good fortune to run into the ones I do
And the eyesight to tell the difference.

---;

Now we've heard that if we're good kids, Santa will come to us in the night of Christmas to deliver presents. And here we have a brilliant girl, obedient and polite. So when granny asked her for her list of what she wanted for Christmas, this was what followed

Dear Santa,

If it were possible, I would like
1) Mommy and Daddy and Doggy and me to be happy
2) Lots and lots of beautiful dollies to play with
3) A new bone for Doggy

Lots of love,
Christine.

P.S.
Santa, could you also please send clothes for all those poor ladies in Daddy's computer too? Thank you!

:D

Thought of the wonderful days in the past where we'd use to get together, to talk, everything under the sun; break the rules, live our carefree lives. Thought of how "first times" came about. Your first smile, your first step, your first 'A', your first friend. What follows?

First move.
Our lives are like chessboards, don't you agree?



A king, centerpiece of the game.
A queen, 9 points.
A castle, 5 points.
A bishop, 3 point.
A knight, 3 points.
A pawn, 1 point.
And of these, which, are we?

In a game of chess, in a scale, of 1 to 10, pawns, are only worth 1. It's arguable, that they are of least value. Easily sacrificed, easily taken by any other piece, often the weakest piece. But unlike any other piece, the pawn, with its unimpressive stature, its dull outlook, it has, the potential, to become any other piece on the board, king excluded. 6 squares, all that it takes, to cross to board, to fulfill it's role. And what happens at the 8th row of the chess board? The pawn, the lowest ranked piece of the chessboard becomes the most powerful piece on the chessboard. At that moment, the pawn can be traded, to any other piece that had been captured by the other side. And yet, the pawn, like any other piece does, has the unspoken power, that is to checkmate the king, to define victory.

And of these, which, are we?
Do we start off big, or small and humble, like the pawn? Progress, by leaps and bounds, or a small step at a time? And filled in us, do we not, have potential, everyone of us, to succeed? Progress, at times, it might be sluggish, it might be slow. But do we, move on, a step at a time, or be consumed by the the oncoming tide, and give out, be relegated from this chessboard we call life? Everyone, everyone in fact, starts off small. Insignificant beings. We slowly get to know more people, climb life ladders, and slowly, we change, from diminutive figures, to ones of stature, power. The journey's long, but we'll get there, we'll get there.

And of these, which, do we aim to be?
On the chessboard, a pawn is a pawn. It has no control of its existence. But, as rational individuals, we can think and make decisions for ourselves. We might look of ourselves as pawns. We can choose to advance, we can choose to be taken by the troubles we face. We can choose to be successful. We can choose to fail. We might only move one square at a time. But we are in control of our journey. And we'll keep that in mind.

And until we reach our final destinations, row #8 of the chessboard, we'll not stop, we'll never give up. (:

Little Fascinating Puzzles:

Quirky pictures to set our brains thinking:


1) The middle column, where does it end? :D
2) Do you see a bunch of black splotches or the word "lift"?



3) See a man, or a liar (the word, l-i-a-r) staring at you in the face?


4) People or plain faces? (:


5) One deer, or many?

Cool, eh? (:

---

For success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is courage to continue that counts
- Winston Churchill

Go for it. (:

Story of the orphan and the little, crippled boy

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was raised in a orphanage.

The little boy had always wished that he could fly like a bird. It was very difficult for him to understand why he could not fly. There were birds at the zoo that were much bigger than he, and they could fly.

"Why can't I?" he thought. "Is there something wrong with me?" he wondered.

There was another little boy who was crippled. He had always wished that he could walk and run like other little boys and girls.

"Why can't I be like them?" he thought.

One day the little orphan boy who had wanted to fly like a bird ran away from the orphanage. He came upon a park where he saw the little boy who could not walk or run playing in the sandbox.

He ran over to the little boy and asked him if he had ever wanted to fly like a bird.

"No," said the little boy who could not walk or run. "But I have wondered what it would be like to walk and run like other boys and girls."

"That is very sad." said the little boy who wanted to fly. "Do you think we could be friends?" he said to the little boy in the sandbox.

"Sure." said the little boy.

The two little boys played for hours. They made sand castles and made really funny sounds with their mouths. Sounds which made them laugh real hard. Then the little boy's father came with a wheelchair to pick up his son. The little boy who had always wanted to fly ran over to the boy's father and whispered something into his ear.

"That would be OK," said the man.

The little boy who had always wanted to fly like a bird ran over to his new friend and said, "You are my only friend and I wish that there was something that I could do to make you walk and run like other little boys and girls. But I can't. But there is something that I can do for you."

The little orphan boy turned around and told his new friend to slide up onto his back. He then began to run across the grass. Faster and faster he ran, carrying the little crippled boy on his back. Faster and harder he ran across the park. Harder and harder he made his legs travel. Soon the wind just whistled across the two little boys' faces.

The little boy's father began to cry as he watched his beautiful little crippled son flapping his arms up and down in the wind, all the while yelling at the top of his voice,

"I'M FLYING, DADDY. I'M FLYING!"

; Well, this was really heartwarming. Acquaintances, they're made through the most interesting of ways, are they not? And through these, forged are pleasant, memorable experiences. Often we look not at what we already have, but instead, aim fruitlessly for what would highly be impossible. We choose not to involve ourselves with the plight of what others undergo, instead to chastise every little misdemeanor we face, grumble of what we might not have, and such. Isn't it time, that we'd begin to enjoy what is around us, and let what's definitely out of reach, to continue be a faraway dream? (:

Whoa, we really did it. We're amazing people, yeah we are. (:

Well, asked if there are people whom I hold high regards and respect for. Yea, I do. Many, in fact.

It's just the norm, it's understandable, it's fortunate, that we're able to meet such people in life. Them who offer us guidance in times of need, invaluable advice, anytime, selflessly.

For whom is one, without his parents? They who nurture, who mold, sculpt, make us who we are today. They, whom sometimes play the role of many; of an adult, a companion, of a close friend whom you could trust to confide in, role models in which our footsteps take off from, etc. And often do we not realize it, but : without them, what would become of us? Who, would we be? We grumble, (yeah you do, admit it) about everything, our restricted allowances, our given freedom, their seemingly over harsh treatment, everything we're unsatisfied with. Would anyone, just anyone, do things without reason?

And of everyone, some would be fortunate enough, to meet people, they who are just like you and I. But what they have to offer, what they represent, it's another thing. But most the times it's due to them that we're able to come so far, we're able to tide through hardships, only with their help. Age, it really doesn't play a big difference. Older, more experienced individuals, people of the same age group, mellowed and more mature, they vary. (:

For the help we receive, their wise words of wisdom, their unselfish and selfless kindness, love from your parents, have allowed us to be whom we are today. And are we reciprocative? Have we learnt, over the many years of evolution since the days of the caveman, to appreciate, and be thankful? Have we?

---

You can lose to your opponent, but never, do you lose your pride, for it is what that matters. (: (Translated a little from Chinese, Hokkien and English. Meanings don't change. True, right?)

---

what a cheery skin. (:

We're fighters, aren't we?

We fight, for what we believe.
We fight, for what we want.
We fight, for our own happiness, to forge our own future, to live blissful, contented lives.
We fight sometimes, for others, for ourselves.

Till we've reached our goals, nothing would stop us;
For there are no limits, no definite obstacles, no boundaries.
Just determination, and pure will.
Just, do it. :))

--

For we've used to swing high on the playground dreaming of growing up.
Now we sit here, staring at our feet thinking 'damn I wish I were little again...'