What do you want to be known?

A promise - 10 years late

Mr Chong was my lecturer back when I was in college. I couldn't really appreciate his classes, what with the subject of taxation. I never really got to know him then. I can't even remember how I came to make appointment and had dinner with him after I left college. It was then I discovered his passion for wisdom and sharing. His kindness to me was not something you encounter everyday. He gave me many things. CDs of soothing music, books on living, and most precious of all - his own compilation on words of wisdom. His dream was to be able to share those wisdom with as many people as he can. I remembered telling him, I would love to help. I had initially planned to produce it in words file, and send to him. Then I left for study in overseas. When I came back, I had some personal issues to settle. Then a job, then another job, and another and another. Life just kept moving at a momentum that I myself has lost track of the pace. The thought of not keeping this promise struck me once a while, but new things never failed to crop up and occupied my mind. There is always something new, something interesting, something captivating.
Then I had a baby. The day I held her close to my heart, world around me stopped for a while. I retraced my foot steps and learn to stop and smell the roses again. And this is one of the roses, passed on to me by Mr Chong, that I would like to share it with you:

"Every beauty and greatness in this world is created by a single thought or emotion inside a man" ~ K. Gibran

Don't let go...

My fellow human dwellers of the earth;

Is the current economic situation hogging your mind, bringing your spirit down?

Are you feeling hopeless and wished you have more?

I am thankful that I can breathe easily now.

My fellow human dwellers of the earth;

Is the cold and unfriendly world giving you shivers, tearing your heart apart?

Do you think the world has no more hope?

I am thankful that I can see clearer now.

There are many things that could happen to me any minute now,

But I am thankful I am still able to source my own supply/happiness.

Things may look gloom,

But even if there is just a glimmer of hope,

Don't let go...

Coco Wang is a comic strip artist that has created a blog on http://earthquakestrips.blogspot.com paying tribute to many heroes and sacrifices that we were not sure we were capable of.

The incidents in China is heartbreaking, and at the same time inspiring. Thank you for giving me hope. May you be well and happy..

Uncle Choong

If you have seen my previous post on Uncle Mun, you would know that Uncle Choong is another friend of Ben's dad.

My first impression of this man is that he looks like Choy Sun Ye (Prosperity God) for Chinese or Santa Claus for Christian. He is generally round with full long beard. He has got bright eyes and bushy eyebrows. For a person like me, who is really bad at studying a person's features (because I am shy by nature, ek eheh..), I thought I did quite well by capturing their faces. I had to. I spent the whole hour++ sitting there studying them.
Anyway, Uncle Choong is an entrepreneur and similar to Uncle Mun, he too has limited education. He knows no English or Malay. His bills were written by qualified engineers under his instruction. Projects that are deemed not do-able by many has been proven successful under his hands. His name is so famous within the industry that graduates/scholars wanted to be his apprentice. Need I say more?
But from what I could discern, I don't think you can learn how he does things. It is more like applying his spirit. The never say can't and never give up spirit. He would stay up all night thinking of a solution to his problem. He would knock on your doors at 4am to tell you he found the solution and hope to get it done. That's what differentiate him from the scholars. You can't acquire this from books. You have to apply it.
Uncle Choong's favourite quote since the 70s : "People has already managed to travel to the moon, what else can't be done?". Can you?

Uncle Mun

It was raining on Saturday night. I followed Ben to fetch his father from a gathering with his old friends. Friends he had known and worked with since 1972. When we were there, we were told to join them for a drink. Sitting beside Ben's father was Uncle Mun.
Uncle Mun is not an engineer. Neither is a degree holder. But do not underestimate Uncle Mun. He may not have been well educated, but back then, the general public all over Malaysia may not have the opportunity to taste soda crackers without him. No, he is not a baker. He is the man that engineered machine that could mass produce soda crackers. There is no formulated calculations, nor is there blue prints to build the machines. Everything was done through trial and error. Resources and technology back then was limited, but what he possesses were homo sapiens basic creativity and determination. Traits that all of us possessed but failed to develop. As we sat there drinking and listening to them lamenting about all the knocks and bruises they tackled along the walks of life, I kept asking myself 2 questions.

1. Did we ever asked the elders in our family about their story?
So many things we could learn from people so near us, but why are we looking so far away from them?

2. How have we digress?
How many times have you heard people lamenting their fortune and destiny instead of fighting for their goal?

I kept studying their faces, Uncle Mun, Ben's father and Uncle Choong. They may not be the richest tycoon or most famous celebrity, but you see their pride and integrity as clear as the sun. I wish their legacy could be passed on to the next generation. Not the machines, but their spirit.

There isn't really a need to buy books to learn about philosophy and life, as long as you are willing to sit and have a drink with the golden citizens.

To Anita With Love

<noembed>

"I wonder how many people will remember me after I leave the business for good. My hope is that when they feel bored and look at the stars in the sky, people will think of my name."

--- Anita Mui

Dear Anita,
I would like to tell you that you will never be forgotten. The spirit and bravery you left behind will live on for many many years to come.
I have always wondered how did I fell for your music, when I am not a strong follower of pop songs. I would like you to know that I was and am a fan of yours. I heard you on the radio when I was in primary school. And your image and music stuck with me ever since. Your music is catchy and lightening. Your music is also soft and heart wrenching.
I have always found your performance prowess unmatchable. Your singing, acting and performances were full of feelings. Your daring attitude in singing, performing and facing life is incomparable.
I hate it when many people felt sad for your life. I think that everything happens for a purpose. If not for this life, then I hope for your next life. Of course it would be even better if you do not have to go through another cycle of life. Let just bygones, be bygones.
My only regret is that I have never met you in person. I have not attended any of your concerts. But I truly want you to know that you will be remembered for all the greatness you have done.
I will remember your generosity to all your friends and young singers. I will remember your strong sense of responsibility for your family. I will remember your brave fight with all that life throws at you. I will remember all of you inside out from your music. The place where you seek solace and lash out.
With this, I celebrate your legacy!

The empress dowager of China - Tzu Hsi

Empress Orchid

I have recently bought a book on the well known empress dowager of China named "Empress Orchid". I love history, so I have read quite a number of accounts over this well known empress that had been blamed to have caused the downfall of China's monarchy, or more specifically the Ch'ing Dynasty. This book shows a totally different aspect of Tzu Hsi. It basically humanized her and rationalised her actions. I find this a good read as it gives me a fresh perspective. After lodging my mind with all the accounts of her tyrannies, viciousness and superficialities, this book refreshed my ideology that people are not born good or bad, but moulded and perceived as what they are. And what anybody else think will not matter except to the person himself/herself. All things said and done, there is no way to judge or really know a person. How many of us know our ownselves? She may be a victim of circumstances, or she may be a fighter in situations. All I know is that it certainly needs a lot of character to be where she was. Histories changes as people and ideas evolves. If looking backwards really help us to move forward, I think 1 simple lesson learnt here is that although things may be dampen if 1 person do not proceed with the chain effect of the environment, things will not stop just because 1 person stops.

We are all but a grain of dust in the revolving universe...