Happiness 幸福... Part 1

Everyone defines happiness differently. How do you define them in your own context?

Spend a few seconds thinking about it and let me know in the comments section ;-)

As a warm up, I have a few pictorial representation of heart warming happiness, that i would like to share.

No. 1:

Rice cooker nia... what is so special about it? See below...

It is all full of goodies... Emperor Chicken Herbs, Bakuteh Herbs, Greens, Vitamin C, etc. etc....I got the parcel on Christmas Eve 2007, guess this is the best present I had received so far :) 里面装的都是满满的爱心。爸爸妈妈，还有丽莹丽芳的努力和关心，我全部都能感觉得到。

No. 2:

07 December 2007, afternoon. It was raining, wet. Unexpectedly, this beautiful arch outside of my Gleann Dara house caught my eye, before I leave for grocery shopping in town. I have to admit, it was really, a breathtaking sight...

No.3:

When this...

Became this...

On 1st September 2007.

It all started with a long wait at Dr. Chong's clinic, then 4 healthy premolar extractions, followed by 4 miniscrew implants (all painful and bloody), more long waits, more travels to-and-fro (KL-Tangkak-KL) on weekends, recurrent gum abcesses + ulcers, antibiotics!, endless thorough toothbrushing everyday, for 10 months. Treatment was not all perfect nor complete, but the removal of the 4 miniscrews, and the Damon braces was absolutely relieving. No more braces!!

No.4:

Good food

Great companion

Picturesque scenery

for a holiday trip :)

Cry of The Sea

This is the lyric of the English Version of 张惠妹- 听海。I stumbled upon this song on Youtube..really nice cover by a girl, Julia Abueva (11 years-old).

Cry of The Sea

Speak to me I want to know
the colours of the sea
The sea that holds in its arms each passing night
Colours of grey and blue
Please share with me
Sometimes my mind wanders too far
Where can you be?

Speak to me I want to know
What fills your thoughts tonight
I close my eyes and reach for you
Are you trying to reach me too?
Trying to understand
Questions I longed to ask of you
Wondering if you are near my friend listening to me

Hear the cry of the sea
A song of pain with the sad refrain that whispers to me
Echoes in the dark
Can't explain what went wrong
I hear the tears I share these tears
And cry silently

Hear the cry of the sea
Sounds of the night makes my heart take flight
Then you whispered to me
This night will turn to dark
bringing hope to move on
Turn to me
Are you here my friend
And I'll set your heart free

Turn to me
I am here my friend
And I'll set your heart free

SAD? Why? What's that?

SAD?

Well... before u guys pick up the phone and start calling me asking me why i am sad...
I would like to explain what the story is all about.

SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder, a.k.a. SAD, Seasonal depression, Seasonal mood disorder... meaning that the seasonal changes in a place can actually cause changes in human mood and behaviour. Usually depression, according to friends and seniors here. One of them even said that suicide rates during winter is exceptionally high...

Well, the first week when i arrived here in Galway, i have heard a senior said,"...when winter comes the day gets so short that by the time it's 3p.m. the sky is as dark as 9p.m. in Malaysia, that can really be DEPRESSING..." Since then, i have heard similar comments about the impending winter season.

Alas! It's fall/winter now... and frankly speaking, i can feel it. The days are really getting shorter, lesser sunlight, MORE rain, stronger, louder wind...and it is really cold. Getting blown by the strong winds amidst the dark cold rain has been a part of my everyday life now. Undeniably, sometimes i feel kinda depressed thinking about the weather. One of my housemates said."Haah...the weather here ah, more unpredictable compared to a woman's mood..." Also, they said this is just the beginning, things will get worse, and this condition will go on at least up to February...Hm...seems like there are still 3 months to go at least.

I told myself, "开心也要过日子，不开心也要过日子，既然快乐或不快乐都是由自己来决定，不如选择开开心心渡过每一天?"... Weather bad mah. But our mood does not necessarily have to follow the weather mah. It is easier said than done sometimes. But i believe, nothing is to difficult to do. At the end of the day it is still up to us to put in the effort.

Ok. I do admit i get very sad sometimes, and sometimes i do cry for no reason. Sometimes i wonder, do i have SAD? Hm... or maybe i am just feeling homesick? Sometimes i get so sick of some people, especially the one who only cares of herself and rejoices seeing me in whatever state of dismal. Well thanks to her i made more new friends, also, i learnt to develop the skin of a rhino, and most importantly, TOLERANCE and PATIENCE. I could tolerate even her, who else in this world that i cannot tolerate?

Jeannie told me last week, "...it is always the struggle to find this balance point, to find our self-worth. but i can tell u one thing, NO ONE can make u feel worthless if u do not allow them to do so to u. U decide..."

With all the stress of exam and other stressor factors here, i am grateful that i have all the support from all of you who care. One of my friends here told me that whenever i feel down i need to reach out. That is just what i will do in difficult times, and now i am just feeling alright. Thanks. :)

Nice Forwarded Mail i received...

Hm... Got this mail several times, the story in it is simple yet enlightening...Sometimes when we get caught up with so many things in life, we forget about things that really matter most to us.

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 CUPS OF COFFEE:

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty Mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, Health, friends, and Favorite passions -- things that if everything Else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So... Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked". It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

~Don't sweat the small stuffs, Have a nice day!~

My main priority now is preparation for tomorrow's Medical Law, Ethics, and Human Rights essay paper.. hehe.. signing off here to go back studying :)

The Universal Language

Have you mastered it? The universal language. Yah, the universal language!

What is it all about?

A smile. :)

Yes, i think a simple smile is a powerful tool. It is so easy to master, so easy to use, it can be done so effortlessly by everyone, any age, any race, any background...

Yet, not many people smile genuinely nowadays...
Sometimes we get angry, we get irritated so easily when strangers cut our queue, or when people makes noise, when we see rude road users...

Sometimes when i have nothing to do, i smile... I just enjoy doing so.
They say, don't stop smiling, cos' you won't know who's falling in love with your smile :)
I've tried and tested on several occasion, when i smile at people (anyone, literally!) i made them happy and i made myself happy...

I could still remember when i was back in secondary school, the Malay aunty working in the canteen looked so DULL, almost expressionless when she's busy selling the food and collecting money from the students. I thought, what the heck is that? That is so damn boring... let's make some changes...

I tried. The first time i bought a plate of mee hoon from her. Handed her the money. I SMILED at her. She stopped for a while, sort of surprised. Then, she nodded her head lightly, i could see a slight crease at the edge of her lips, as an attempt to smile.

The second time, i did exactly the same. She too, politely returned the similar response as the first day. I repeated the same thing over the next few days and in a few weeks' time. I could see the progress, rather than the slight knod and polite small upright creases beside her lips. She started smiling to me spontaneously when i smiled at her. Later, over time, whenever she sees me, she sees a friend, she looks happy and she would call me 'Ah Moi...' whenever i appear before the stall. She started the 'smiling episode' before i initiated it... :)

I tried the same thing here in Galway...i tried it on the workers at the nursing canteen. I even infected the workers at the main hospital lobby, as well as the nurses in the wards with my smile. The initial cold faces were not as cold as they used to be, somehow they appeared warm and nice to me. And that, makes life a lot more beautiful than it used to be when i'd just arrived here.

Beware! A smile is contagious... Its transmission mode surpasses the most deadly viruses, bacteria or even fungal spores... it does not need a vector or host; it does not necessarily transmit through air droplets or dead skin cells...it can transmit just by seeing the other person smile. That is just how a smile can spread and change someone's mood.

笑一笑，没什么大不了！

笑一笑，没烦恼

你今天微笑了吗？

Have you smiled today?

It's free! Try it today...it's one of mankind's greatest assets :P

Make someone's day with a nice big smile :)