Yours a Bad Day?

Just as we think that we had a bad day going on (Daniel Powter song playing in my background), did we think about the others who are having a worse day than ours? If you have not, perhaps it's time to take it easy in life and breathe. We all have experience that, but at the end of the day. Heck! It's not my problem, why should I bother. (I know you agree with this, just admit it!)

A few days ago, a childhood friend of mine had lost her 34-year old husband due to a car accident. He left her behind with a barely a 1-year old son. I was left in a speechless mood whenever I talked to my other friend about this. I do not know what to say and react to this. I swear I'm not a good person to deal with sorrow things especially death. My eyes get teary easily even though it's from a TV show! Even though I have not met him before and the last time I met her was 12 years ago, I really want to contribute as much as I can. I might be the one you called nosy, but it's all for good. My status in the famous social networking draw some awareness from friends. Furthermore, my poor friend had lost her youngest brother in a car accident a year or so ago. This is hard to deal with. No one can imagine how much pain and sorrow she's suffering unless you are in her shoes. And yet we think that we are the unlucky and unhappy people on earth!

So today, cherish more time with your loved one no matter where they are. I can't be thankful for the wonder of internet. It had allow us to be so closed with the 3G, video conferencing and so forth. Another friend of mine spoke to her mother for an hour though they are 40,000 miles away! I shared my latest pictures and stories with friends around the world.

So today, before we make any judgment on the others, look at ourself. Be happy and be lucky. We have a job that pays. We have a family to go home to. We have a place under a roof that we called home. We have a loved one to love.

A decade of My 9/11 Memories

I still remember 9/11 when it happened. I was in the Student Union hanging out and I heard teardrops from my surrounding as they all watched the CNN. All I can think of is it a movie? No, it was not. Later on, they announced that all the classes will be cancelled that day.

The attacks have claimed so many lifes, not only felt by the Americans but everyone in the world. We were all stunned by how the terrorists have attacked the buildings in 3 different locations in its way. The planning did not happen overnight, yet a plot has been in place for months and perhaps years by Osama bin Laden and its followers. He had then became a most wanted person in the world until his death in May 2, 2011.

As a result of this tragedy, our "nightmares" in airplanes and buildings have just begun. Even after 10 years, we still go through a tight security clearance for each of our baggage.  This is to ensure that we do not carry knifes, liquids, and others which have tendency to carry explosives. Our check-in times for the planes have been extended.

Looking at different perspectives, I feel the pain on my Muslim friends faced since then. They have been tortured mentally and some physically by the society. The looks that they got is such a humiliation. Has it changed since after a decade? Honestly, I do not think so. Instead, it has create much more discrimination to them.

Few years after that, I finally got a chance to visit Twin Towers on a Christmas Eve. I felt that it is a sorrow place to be at when it should be a night for families to gather in front of a Christmas tree. Instead there was a teddy bear placed on this place to accompany those who have lost their lifes. The church in front of the buildings still have the notes for the loved ones, pictures and flowers were placed by the gates. I tried to be strong to hold on my tears, I cried inside. It was such a touching moment that I can never forget in my life. In the following summer, I went back there again for another visit. The notes, pictures and flowers either by the scene or church were no longer there. They have been removed ever since. I am sure the memorial which is expected to open sometime soon will be on my next agenda if I get a chance to visit New York City again. 

   

Change

 When I think about word Change, I always think about a inspirational book that I've read before,Who Moved My Cheese. Ms Nelson who had once taught me Human Resources Management insisted that we read this as one of our assisgnments. We have no choice but read it! :(  Luckily, I did.

The story line was simple, yet meaningful. 4 main characters are in this story line- 2 mice, "Sniff" and "Scurry", and 2 "littlepeople", "Hem" and "Haw".  Together they live in a maze, spending time to search,  find and eat Cheese. In the foreword, Kenneth Blanchard stated that Cheese is "a metaphor for what we want to have in life". It can be anything from a job, relationship, money, house, or business.

Does this sound like you and me sniffing for our Cheese in the real world? Everyone of us is looking for our piece. How do we get there is really depends on us. We all have our personality and characters. Nonetheless we have our own strentghs . We will be going round and around for the same path in life to achieve what we want. Or we can go on a different path and try the other way.

If you haven't read this, you should take a few hours to do so. It's about time for you to read. This best -selling books are currently sold over 23 millions worldwide and counting and has been translated into 42 different languages. 

Check out the video preview. It's really awesome! Enjoy it!!

My Great Teacher

I remember clearly during my times in elementary school, the favorite question to pop up is "What do you want to do when you grow up?" or "What is your ambition?". The normal response from a child would be a doctor, dentist or teacher. I keep changing my answer from one to another. Who would believe that a child nowadays dream even bigger than our generations. They want to be a president or prime minister. Nothing is impossible nowadays with determination.

Then again, are we forgoting the basic foundation for a child's education is teacher? Who would be a teacher when everyone keeps thinking to be the next leader of our country? Being a teacher sacrifices a lot of your time and effort. I really appreciate my teachers a lot especially one in particular. He is a true jewel that you can't find anywhere else. He's not your ordinary Mr Gentleman or Mr Handsome. He was an old man who has a lot of experience in teaching Mathematics. He taught my siblings who are 18 years apart from me! I was in a good hand.

He would make us all fear and shaking when he is in the class. All of us would not even make a noise when he's teaching next door, else he will come over and give us some extra lesson. No excuses were acceptable when a homework was unfinished. (He knew all the excuses, don't even try). He would call us by names and throw the books at your face. The best part was he would once in a while taught us when he was drunk. We smell the alcohol from his mouth! Yet, he managed to scare the shit out of 30+ and some 40+ students all at once. Once, my classmate had remind him that he forgot to zip his fly. He was so embarassed that he left the class right away. LOL... He had also lost his temper when we are unable to answer the math questions until he would smashed his hand into the blackboard and eventually became a reminder for us.

He had passed on for more than 10 years now, but we are still talking about the memories that we had. An unforgetable experience. Could you imagine having a teacher like him in this century? His ass would be fired by now and would be sue left and right from all the parents. But our parents didn't. In fact, we were so lucky that we had that opportunities to learn from him. He had produced the best students who has turned to be doctor, engineer, pilot, teacher and many more.

Teaching my 8-years old nephew in solving some mathematics equation reminds me of how grateful I am to have such a wonderful teacher! Mr Pang, you will always be in my heart for being such a good teacher. I am proud to be your student and without your lessons I would not excel in my math! Nonetheless, without a good basic foundation I would have no idea how great your profession is!

Have you fulfill your ambition when you were 8 years old? I think I haven't. I hope one day I will be. In the meantime, I will work hard on being a good teacher to my nephew. :)