Payback Time

The teaching of Buddha says that our family is our nemesis in our previous lives. I guess that is why we are so horrifically mean to our family, but so patiently indulgent with friends. Be it the raised voices or the snarky tones or the harsh words, they just spit out, so mercilessly and readily and swiftly. Or worse, all three spewing simultaneously! We just simply snap at each other so easily.

Perhaps after a lifetime later, it's payback time now!

Or this is just in my family?

A Simple Life

A simple life. 

Those of us slaving away week in weeks out in the city yearn for it constantly. Remember even Paris Hilton wanted it so much that she had a tv-show about it.

Unfortunately, reality bites. No, in fact reality sucks. Here's a news flash: There's no simple life! Life is anything but simple. Try as you may, it is complicated, has been and always will be. 

So what do we to do?

Just deal with it, taking it as it comes one day at a time and remember to breathe.

Take a Break

Take a break from cooping at home in the death of winter and head out skating on the frozen over lake for a bit of a sweat out and fresh air.

Take a break from the almost unsolvable trouble at hand and grab a beer or a cigarette or both to take the mind off the bind and shut it out for some momentarily indulgence.

Take a break from the all-nighter chasing deadline and catch some shut-eye.

Take a break from the craziness at office and off to a short getaway to recharge the lethargic body and soul.

Take a break from the hectic day and go call mom as you no longer when was the last time you called.

Take a break from work and go learn something new or go do something new for the fear of unknown is terrifying and exciting at the same time.

Take a break from a friendship and keep a bit of distance to give each other some space as the city is suffocating as it is.

Take a break from love and spend some time apart for the yearning for each other is growing ever so strong and intense. 

Take a break... 

Cheesecake Madness

While I was on my last vacation, I was just crazy about cheesecake, the baked kind. So I was online looking for the best and the easiest and the yummiest cheesecake recipe. And then I put a little spin of my own into it and made these two: mango cheesecake and raspberry cheesecake. Oh heaven!

It's All About Timing

As in photography, as well as in life and in love, timing is everything. If it is not happening for you just yet, then just be patience, and persevere.

Be Nice

New year came and gone. Then the Lunar came and gone too. I'm normally not big on resolution (because I can hardly keep them) but this year I strive just to be pleasant and be courteous to the people around me. With that, I hope it'd make their day just a bit brighter and breezier.

If there's one thing that I'm quick, it must that I've always been quick at getting mad over some little things in the mundane daily grind. A waiter getting my order mixed up or a colleague not holding the elevator door opened or a car not parking properly or the telephone repairman showing up 5 minutes late or a stranger not returning my smile. I'd have no qualms of letting them know my utter dismay through some snarky remarks. Sometimes hurtful even. 

And then so what? So fucking what? The truth is getting mad drives my BP through the roof. That is it!  My food would take longer to get to my table, I have to take the next elevator, another round around the car park for a parking space, no call for the next 5 minutes, and the stranger, oh how is a stranger not returning my smile affecting me? The predicament that I'm in, if I can even call it that, remains. Oh my snarky and hurtful remarks remedy absolutely nothing, just very likely making the other party feeling like shit. That is how people get driven apart and life become cold and miserable.

For the past 2 years I been working in a country on a dangerous brink of a civil war. I grew up in a country with a uber-sensitive undertow of social and racial strain. I've experienced first hand the devastation as a result of such a divide between people. It ain't pretty let me tell 'ya. If I could have a super power bestowed upon me, I would like to get people, family or friends or foes or strangers, just closer together. 

And the first step, is simply be nice. Just a gentle smile or an acknowledging nod, I believe, has the unimaginably magical power to move mountains and gravitate people towards each other. And then the rest will just be falling beautifully in place on their own.

Hope for South Sudan

I never get tired of the view of Juba every time when the plane takes off or approaches for landing. Whatever time of the day, whatever weather of the moment, the view always takes my breath away, makes my heart skip a beat and leaves me in utter awe. I'm in awe of the beauty of the land and the kindness of the people. Coming out from a 2-decade civil war, they remain cheerful and resilient. There's always a infectious smiles on their faces, jovial greetings and a hearty handshake. While there's still a lot to work on here in the country, they had achieved such tremendous progress over the last 2 years. The potential of the land and the people is almost infinite. Even the sky is not the limit.

May the horrifically senseless ethnic clash end soon. May the people of South Sudan persevere through this painful period. May peace and hope be upon the land.