Christmas is near...

It is again that time of the year; my favorite time of the year which I looked forward to every single year.

Only, this year is slightly different as I get to understand and see Christmas in a different perspective.
For the first time, I did not experience the hype or excitement which was in a minor way dampened with an unforeseen/unexpected happening at home which occupied my thoughts with prayers and anxiety rather than the joyous festive mood.

My ailing grandmother is once again, put to the test as she suffered from a bad fall again; two weeks before Christmas.
Her fall had everyone in the family feeling worried, scared and anxious over what will follow next in sequence.
It is something we could not help thinking of as she had been in and out of the hospital for the whole of this year due to her ailing medical condition and this fall is definitely not reducing any of the worries we have already had for her.

It was a solemn and trying week as I was rushing in and out of the hospital until she was discharged to be sent home.
I had to juggle the busy schedule of my work as well; which was also really stressful as I had to clear most of my assignments before I go off on my Christmas break and my long-awaited break and at the same time, taking time out of my already hectic schedule to spend time with my grandmother, who was so weak and fragile that I only had fear in my heart each time I see her.

It was a very difficult time and I prayed so hard for her.
It is also during this time that I was reminded of the approaching date of Christmas; a day where we celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

Christmas is a time of hope, miracle and love and I prayed for the blessing of this season be with my grandmother.
Our Saviour is born, and I pray that the joys of salvation be upon her as well.

There is nothing I could do but to pray, and leave everything in God's hands.

Perhaps this is God's will for us to understand the true meaning of Christmas during Advent.
Christmas is not a decoration-filled nor beauty-laden occasion where we have new clothes, presents and delicious cookies/goodies to share and give away to our loved ones.
It is not the time to enjoy those evergreen Christmas carols which fills the atmostphere with the much-awaited Christmas mood in the air.

It is not about celebration alone; it is not about being extravagant about everything and having a really great time with each and everyone.

The way I see it; this is one over-commercialized festivity where every single one on the road is caught up in the festive mood and the shopping frenzy which they think is what Christmas is all about.
In fact, no offense meant; Christmas became a celebration for every Tom, Dick and Harry who probably had their calendars filled with parties and fun-filled activities and a whole long list of who to buy and wrap Christmas presents for.
Some will even be busy shopping for their outfits; be it Santa or Santarinas.

Christmas has become a trend, rather than a holy season for us sinners to reflect and to be thankful for the coming of salvation.
Christmas is preceded by Advent; a season where we should be preparing for the coming of our Saviour by reflecting on our sins and also be hopeful for a miracle of love which is about to happen.

We are not supposed to be celebrating or be jubilant before the occasion; as some of us are but rather, to take hope and share the joys of love with others who are less fortunate before we can welcome the coming of the Son of God into our lives. We should be more like Him; to make him proud of us as his children and disciples of peace.

Christmas is also a celebration of the triumph of light amidst the darkness.
The First Christmas was not a celebration filled with extravagance but rather; it was all a very sombre and quiet affair as our little Lord Jesus was born in a stable and not in any luxurious 5-star hotel.
It is when HE is born that we can see light and rays of hope in us; for he is truly a symbol of God's love for us.
God gave his only son; to save us from the sins we have committed and THAT is what we should be thankful for.

I feel grateful that God reminds me of this meaning and how HE has stood by me; comforting me and answering my prayers in a lot of little ways.
Christmas will definitely be different and very meaningful for me; for I have truly experienced the little miracles that God has for me...

May we all experience the joys of this great season by remembering those who are hopeful and less fortunate and fill our homes with prayers and memories of gratitude.

Have a merry and Happy Christmas everyone!~

All about work

Work, work, work....hmmmm, I seem to have travelled back into that mystical circle of work once again and gotten myself stressful days and sleepless nights.
(now, *touches wood* on the sleepless part)

I think I am blogging about work too much sometimes....crapping away about this and that at work.
It tends to get boring, doesn't it?

Well, for a start, we need to work to get money right
We need to use that money to keep on living, right?
We need to keep on living to ensure the survival of our species, right?
So, when we say, Get a Life to people who are so engrossed in their work, we are actually telling them to work more...

Don't you agree with me?
It all goes back in a cycle and there is no escape...

So, ever wondered why I keep on working...
Well, I just need to have a life...LOL!

Just some rambles from my busy day at work...OR LIFE! =D

Traveling here and there

I've been traversing north and south for every weekend; getting to all those weddings and events that I've been invited to.
Wow, I even lost track of the number of weekdays I have...

Finally, this weekend, there will be a wedding right here...and I need to go north and then, it's down south again, for my business trip!
Grrreeatt.....and I am starting to feel tired...

Now, wouldn't it be great if this travelling is actually overseas?
I won't mind....not that I mind that much now that I get a glimpse of the city one day every week =P

Guess who..

I was waiting at the airport last weekend to catch my propeller-engine flight back to Penang with my mummy near the departure cum arrival hall
(well, it's just a line between the two halls in the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah airport in Subang)

We were just hanging around there, chatting while people walk past us.
You know how it's like when you're in these crowd-infested areas =)

One by one, men in business suits walked past; a norm of businessmen travelling on a daily basis to attend meetings.
I almost missed him but I caught sight of his familiar face when he was looking up and guess who it was?

It was the Penang Chief Minister, Mr Lim Guan Eng who was walking right in front of me!
He was acting so normal that it was really possible to have missed him if you were not alert enough.

He was not even carrying a lot of bags nor was he escorted by bodyguards; he just seemed like a normal businessman who was just walking calmly out of the departure hall towards the taxi stand outside, and that, my friends, was what amazed me.

A state's Chief Minister, actually took a cheap budget flight (Fireflyz) to attend a business meeting and on top of that, he was without any escort nor using any emergency/priority lanes.
He did not even have a limo waiting outside the airport for him; he was just like you and me, following the norm of everyone and that's what makes him so admirable and respected by all of us.

What do you say to that?
Even my mummy nodded her head in agreement to this humble man who truly deserved our respect =)

Change of weather

I am upset with the sudden change of the weather in a blink of an eye; or in a mere distance of one week.

It was so lovely last week; to have dark clouds and the nice breeze keeping us cool all the time. Even when it's not raining, you don't have to worry about the sun getting to your skin or your eyes; blinding you...grrrr, that's the dreadful part about the sun!

This week, gosh, the sun is just so excruciatingly painful as its rays touched the surface of our skin...UGHS

I am praying that the sun will go away soon; and bring us the lovely weather back...
I mean, the sun can come out for a while, but not to the extent of shining for the whole day =P

I am praying and this morning, I start to see the clouds...hmmmmmm, good sign? ;)

Funny Driving Test jokes...

The other day when we were having a lively conversation at granny's house, my aunts and uncles were sharing stories on driving tests during their time...

It had everyone laughing over the silly little things that people do during their driving tests.
I guess we've probably been through some of them...but there's a few classic ones that I could recall such as some women drivers who just drive through the slope without stopping at the top of the slope.
Remember that slope test where we need to drive up and stop at the top; then wait for the signal from the examiner before changing your gear and descending your slope?
Well, apparently these women drivers just got smarter than the examiners when they just decide to drive through the slope and consider themselves passed!
Now, that's a genius thought ;)

Then there are those who were taught to count the position and the color of the poles which are there to guide you through the side-parking test.
When they arrive at the test location for the driving test, they were surprised to see the colors of the poles changed and FAILed...because they panicked!

Then there was one where I've heard from a friend where he saw that this guy did quite well in the side-parking test and was rather victorious when he got out of the car that he just opened the car door wide and it hit the examiner right in his face; causing a bruise on the forehead.
I don't know whether he failed or passed; it's up to your imagination!~ LOL =D

Another would be during the road driving test where this particular lady accidentally touched the thigh of the examiner during the test; mistaking it for the gear!
(Ermmm....I don't know whether those examiners would mistaken that as a sexual invitation...ughs, that could turn ugly since there are only two people in the car, right? =P )

This is one classic one which my aunt shared; about this housewife who took the oral test (the oral test exists during their time instead of the written/computer test)
The instructor asked her, "Lepas Kuning, apa?"
She thought for a while, then said, "Tua Sua Ka!" (Bukit Mertajam)

Did you get the joke?
You don't need to be Hokkien-speaking to understand the joke, let me interpret it..
What she understood from the examiner was, "What is after Ku-lim?" (pronounced almost the same way as Kuning)
So, she had to think geographically, from north, Bukit Mertajam is the next after you come from Kulim, right?

Technically, she's still correct, right? I think she should pass! =)

Things that I love...

This was taken from my balcony on those days when my camera was still functional...

I am a photography lover; I just love taking photos of everything!
Sceneries, people, flowers, food, like I said, EVERYTHING!
I guess I am just too fond of that invention known as camera; as I just love having it in my hands and snapping away, knowing that these will be the proof of my wonderful memories; and those little footsteps left or I have left at some point or another in my life.

One of my favorite views to snap is the sunset or sunrise; either one...it's always such an awesome and magnificent view.

I don't know why, the view of sunrise and sunset is just breath-taking for me, and I am sure for a lot of photography enthusiasts.
Somehow, I just felt that God is amazing, and this is just one of God's uncountable creations which are just so "WOW!"


When I am stressed, I love to indulge in my hobbies; which include poetry, reading, writing, and photography, and sports too! (contrary to the belief that I am not an exercise-person)
(There's also movies, shopping, chit-chatting...but those are almost secondary anyway ;)
It's good to have a hobby; to have that balance in life....it's not an escapade (but it can be if you want to think of it that way)


This is just to add to the list of the many things that I love in life...
The amazing natural wonders....

And then...in come the civilization! =)




Ohhhhh.....I missed my camera!!! =((