Sooooo today I had breakfast with Jia En which consist of nasi lemak + hard boiled eggs. We then went to pick up Nut and I drove and parked at Kajang KTM station. Took the KTM to Central KL and walked over to the YMCA building to meet up with Isaiah and all four of us ordered the highly-proclaimed Chicken Katsu Don (basically fried chicken rice bowl). Hmm, if they already used katsu don, why not just use tori katsu don? Well, anyway, FOR ME I THOUGHT IT WAS TERRIBLE.
But nevermind, after that we went to Low Yat (Imbi station), where Khoo bought a laptop cooler, I bought a 16gb pendrive and Isaiah bough an external hard drive. Then we went to take a look at hoopstation and subsequently around Lot 10 and sungai wang. After that, after a surprising request from Khoo to try Snowflakes, we went there and spent the most of our afternoon talking over a cup of icey desserts.
After that we parted ways with Nut and Isaiah as the duo would go and meet their friends; while khoo and I decided to catch a movie at Mid Valley. We bought the tickets to Oblivion at RM 15 each, and since our movie was at 5pm (it was around 4pm at the time) we went to sit down at Paddington's House of Pancakes and try something there.
Oblivion was OK. Not very great, not bad, kinda good. That's about it. I'm really glad that it wasn't some mindless action movie though. Props to that.
After the movie we went to Kim Gary's restaurant.Khoo and I ordered 3 main dishes to be shared by the two of us, and then we signed up for something I don't know what, and got RM 5 vouchers each. With a total of RM 10 free, we ordered one more dish so we shared four dishes between the two of us and it was kinda nice.
After that we went back home and now I'm kinda freaking tired LOL.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
It's been a hectic week+ Lumia 920+NBS Final Dhamma Talk
I went back home to Melaka last weekend, even though I knew I shouldn't have-- I was going to be super busy this week and going home=> zero productivity.
Well, my mother was going to go to Chiangmai this weekend and I thought I'd come back and wish her safe journeys. After all, what are some results anyway?
On Monday, just before going back to campus for a lab session, I went to buy a NEW PHONE for myself. It's my first SMARTPHONE-- a pretty high end model too: the Nokia Lumia 920. I got it for a pretty low price, relatively, largely thanks to Poh and her connections.
After buying my phone, I drove back to campus and arrived just slightly shy of 5 minutes before my lab started.
***
Yesterday was the final Dhamma Talk organized by the NBS for this semester. I don't know if I'll still be with them come September, but if possible I'd like to spend a lot more time with them. It's really nice to see how far we've come as opposed to September last year when we hardly even knew each other. Personally, for me, I signed up to be part of the committee without knowing anyone else, save Sze Wei and Ryan and Hui Jiun (though we never talked at prior to that). I knew Sumana, as she was the camp commander previously, but I doubt she knew me. Celestine, Chee Ying, Derick, Jian Yuan, Po Ee, Wan Mei, and Zheng Yang made for the core committee members while Bob, King Yew, Yi Xin, and Han Ying joined us after being interviewed later on. A weird rag-tag group of misfits (as most authors like to describe unlikely friends) who, under normal circumstances, would probably not mix with each other all that much.
And it's been an amazing journey. Really. I could probably write a few-thousand word essay on my time here (and I think I probably will, one day when I'm feeling particularly nostalgic). I haven't been able to express my thanks to them enough yet, but I'm sure I'll find a way.
***
I just had a chat with my mom ( like literally, just, as I was typing this), and my train of thought has been changed already, so there's no point in trying to continue this blog post. Anyway, my mom saw a few photos I took from my Lumia during the final NBS Talk and she commented that some of the ladies of NBS, particularly three of them, stood out from the rest. And for the most part, I do agree with her observation. ;)
Anyway, to cut things short,
It's been a hectic week, but I'm hanging on, and I can be 110% sure I'll miss the times I spent with the NBS.
Well, my mother was going to go to Chiangmai this weekend and I thought I'd come back and wish her safe journeys. After all, what are some results anyway?
On Monday, just before going back to campus for a lab session, I went to buy a NEW PHONE for myself. It's my first SMARTPHONE-- a pretty high end model too: the Nokia Lumia 920. I got it for a pretty low price, relatively, largely thanks to Poh and her connections.
After buying my phone, I drove back to campus and arrived just slightly shy of 5 minutes before my lab started.
***
Yesterday was the final Dhamma Talk organized by the NBS for this semester. I don't know if I'll still be with them come September, but if possible I'd like to spend a lot more time with them. It's really nice to see how far we've come as opposed to September last year when we hardly even knew each other. Personally, for me, I signed up to be part of the committee without knowing anyone else, save Sze Wei and Ryan and Hui Jiun (though we never talked at prior to that). I knew Sumana, as she was the camp commander previously, but I doubt she knew me. Celestine, Chee Ying, Derick, Jian Yuan, Po Ee, Wan Mei, and Zheng Yang made for the core committee members while Bob, King Yew, Yi Xin, and Han Ying joined us after being interviewed later on. A weird rag-tag group of misfits (as most authors like to describe unlikely friends) who, under normal circumstances, would probably not mix with each other all that much.
And it's been an amazing journey. Really. I could probably write a few-thousand word essay on my time here (and I think I probably will, one day when I'm feeling particularly nostalgic). I haven't been able to express my thanks to them enough yet, but I'm sure I'll find a way.
***
I just had a chat with my mom ( like literally, just, as I was typing this), and my train of thought has been changed already, so there's no point in trying to continue this blog post. Anyway, my mom saw a few photos I took from my Lumia during the final NBS Talk and she commented that some of the ladies of NBS, particularly three of them, stood out from the rest. And for the most part, I do agree with her observation. ;)
Anyway, to cut things short,
It's been a hectic week, but I'm hanging on, and I can be 110% sure I'll miss the times I spent with the NBS.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Ledger/Account/Financial Book and my "Book of Good Things"
Today I decided to organize my life a little more. It's been getting a little bit messy and out of hand lately to the point where I'm starting to lose my focus. I bought a ledger book to keep track of my financial expenditure because, let's face it, my family is far from what you'd call financially rich. We may be rich in other aspects though, but just not financially. I don't have much plans for that YET, as I'm going to take a few months and see how my spending trend is like. Off the top of my head though? I think I'm pretty thrifty.
I also decided to use the book/journal Isaiah gave me for Christmas late 2012 and call it my "Book of Good Things". I have this handy blog here to remember the important things or events I've gone through in my life. But I don't really have access to a computer 24/7, nor the time to post about every little thing that happens.
Enter the Book of Good Things. When I feel that I've done a good deed, or if someone has done a good thing for me, or even if something that made me smile a little bit happens, I'm going to pull it out and jot it down. Why? Today, while being caught in the jam, I felt really sad, burnt out, demoralized, and empty when I looked back and couldn't remember any achievements or good things. Like suddenly I feel like time has gone and I've wasted every moment of it.
Of course that's not true though, but it's just that I take the good things for granted. That's usually the case with everyone and I'm not an exception. That's why I decided to write down the happy things. And when I go into my empty mode again, I can fill myself up with happy things rather than bad ones.
I also decided to use the book/journal Isaiah gave me for Christmas late 2012 and call it my "Book of Good Things". I have this handy blog here to remember the important things or events I've gone through in my life. But I don't really have access to a computer 24/7, nor the time to post about every little thing that happens.
Enter the Book of Good Things. When I feel that I've done a good deed, or if someone has done a good thing for me, or even if something that made me smile a little bit happens, I'm going to pull it out and jot it down. Why? Today, while being caught in the jam, I felt really sad, burnt out, demoralized, and empty when I looked back and couldn't remember any achievements or good things. Like suddenly I feel like time has gone and I've wasted every moment of it.
Of course that's not true though, but it's just that I take the good things for granted. That's usually the case with everyone and I'm not an exception. That's why I decided to write down the happy things. And when I go into my empty mode again, I can fill myself up with happy things rather than bad ones.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
My Healthy Philosophy
So, yesterday, a friend asked me, a thin and
slightly underweight person, how to get bigger and add some bulk. After
some thinking, I told him to get more healthy calories from fats like
peanut butter, olive oil, or chicken/pork fat and skin, since he was
already eating rather big portions of rice and white meat. I told him
that he could, you know, drink some olive oil to quickly add some 500
extra calories without much hassle every
once in a while (100ml of it is about 900calories). And,
unsurprisingly, he was totally shocked in disbelief at my suggestions.
What! Animal fat? Drinking oil? Heresy!
Well, just so that I can say that I've tested it myself, I took about 40ml of EV olive oil and ate it with meat (skin and all), 2 large whole eggs and some salad sprinkled with tumeric (love the stuff). My conclusion? It was freaking delicious and filling. No complaints from me. Just, you know, exercise so you get more muscle rather than fat.
Well, for my philosophy, removing all junk from the foods you eat is the start (that mainly involves processed foods like biscuits, bread, chips, sweets, etc.). Another thing I use as a rule of thumb is that if it contains more than 1 ingredient, it's probably not good for you. Also, as far as possible, try not to take liquid calories ( that includes milo, coffee with milk sugar, canned drinks, boxed drinks, etc. i.e. drink plain water as much as you can). Try to reduce intake of sugar as much as possible (even from fruits, they CAN make you fat, depending on when and how much you eat at a time).
Most importantly (or least, depending on perspective), try to exercise some 30 minutes a day. Can't get 30 minutes? Set aside 10 minutes then. Walk around in the evening sun (or morning, if you prefer), do some resistance training (learn how to do squats and push ups properly), lift some weights every now and then (bench pressing, and again, squats) and just overall try to enjoy life.
If you're thinking, "Why is this guy asking me to do bench presses, push ups and lift weights even though I'm a girl?", worry not. Try. Break the social stigma. Scientific studies have proved time and time again that both males and females benefit from lifting weight as opposed to merely doing cardio training. That's not to say that cardio is bad, but find a balance between jogging (preferably not on a threadmill) and resistance training. Also because people tend to overdo themselves when jogging on a threadmill-- and that's detrimental to health.
I can't say for sure if the things I said above will help anyone to "get thin" or "lose weight" (I'm an engineer, after all, not a nutritionist), but it's just my philosophy that I've made from reading countless journals and studies and articles about being healthy. So, no, I did not read about losing weight or gaining mass, but rather about being healthy. But I can infer from the knowledge I've gained and draw conclusions that certain steps can lead to weight gain/loss. And these are some of them.
Well, just so that I can say that I've tested it myself, I took about 40ml of EV olive oil and ate it with meat (skin and all), 2 large whole eggs and some salad sprinkled with tumeric (love the stuff). My conclusion? It was freaking delicious and filling. No complaints from me. Just, you know, exercise so you get more muscle rather than fat.
Well, for my philosophy, removing all junk from the foods you eat is the start (that mainly involves processed foods like biscuits, bread, chips, sweets, etc.). Another thing I use as a rule of thumb is that if it contains more than 1 ingredient, it's probably not good for you. Also, as far as possible, try not to take liquid calories ( that includes milo, coffee with milk sugar, canned drinks, boxed drinks, etc. i.e. drink plain water as much as you can). Try to reduce intake of sugar as much as possible (even from fruits, they CAN make you fat, depending on when and how much you eat at a time).
Most importantly (or least, depending on perspective), try to exercise some 30 minutes a day. Can't get 30 minutes? Set aside 10 minutes then. Walk around in the evening sun (or morning, if you prefer), do some resistance training (learn how to do squats and push ups properly), lift some weights every now and then (bench pressing, and again, squats) and just overall try to enjoy life.
If you're thinking, "Why is this guy asking me to do bench presses, push ups and lift weights even though I'm a girl?", worry not. Try. Break the social stigma. Scientific studies have proved time and time again that both males and females benefit from lifting weight as opposed to merely doing cardio training. That's not to say that cardio is bad, but find a balance between jogging (preferably not on a threadmill) and resistance training. Also because people tend to overdo themselves when jogging on a threadmill-- and that's detrimental to health.
I can't say for sure if the things I said above will help anyone to "get thin" or "lose weight" (I'm an engineer, after all, not a nutritionist), but it's just my philosophy that I've made from reading countless journals and studies and articles about being healthy. So, no, I did not read about losing weight or gaining mass, but rather about being healthy. But I can infer from the knowledge I've gained and draw conclusions that certain steps can lead to weight gain/loss. And these are some of them.
Monday, March 18, 2013
NBS 3rd Annual Camp, "The Journey Begins"
If I had to sum up the past few days in one phrase, I'd say, "Tiring, yet refreshing, but well-spent."
As we learnt during the camp, reflecting on our time spent is very important. Why? Well, that's because we only learn when we reflect-- taking the time to think about the "whys" of the the things we did or the things that have happened to us. I was a participant of the NBS 2nd annual camp and pa...rt of the organising committee of the 3rd one. And boy, was there a world of difference.
Imagine having about four hours of sleep a day. Then imagine having about four hours of sleep a day for a week. Then imagine having about four hours of sleep a day for a week and having to be very active everyday. That was, on the surface, a summary of my experience in the camp. There is no room for any doubt that the NBS camp was indeed very tiring for me, and I daresay the rest of the committee members too. The amount of time and effort needed to prepare and accommodate unexpected turn of events is no small matter.
Yet I said it was refreshing.This is probably the biggest point of the camp. There is a whole new perspective when being an organiser as opposed to being a participant. People look to you for decisions. You are expected to lead. Although I was just the official photographer, and a little bit of everything else, I still had my own leadership roles. I was always more of a front office kind of person. So, when I was assigned to be the photographer, I was a little sad that I wouldn't get the chance to interact with the participants and develop friendships with them. It was unwarranted though. Regardless of whatever roles we are given, it's up to us to make the best of it, and I did try-- although I believe that I always could have done better. It was also refreshing, in a sense, to be part of the background rather than in the spotlight. You get to see things from a different perspective-- more objectively. And I can say that I probably learnt more from being a role that I'm not really used to, rather than doing what I've always been doing.
Lastly, I said, "well-spent". There aren't many things which can top the learning experience of spending two days and nights at a monastic environment. Somehow, you tend to be more grateful for the things you have and the food you eat. And you realize just how much food you actually "need" and the rest is simply luxury already. When you see others cherish food so much, you tend to feel the same way too. You also begin to be aware of the sounds around you and the sheer number of unnecessary things we do. It's really eye-opening. It really is.
I also said well-spent because every single moment throughout the camp was meaningful. There was not a single thing we did that was pointless. We walked to places for a reason. We said things for a reason. We carried things out for a reason. And it was a really nice feeling-- considering that people nowadays, me included, waste so much time doing things that really serve no purpose at all. And from that we really come to understand just how important every moment is. We might take the days for granted, but really, we will never, ever get this exact moment back again once it's gone.
Well, that was my summary of the camp from my point of view. Of course, I could also talk about the new friends I've made and the already-made friendships which became stronger by the end of it. Truly, I am grateful to be able to meet everyone there. And I don't think, in my current state, that I can find the proper words and phrases to use to elaborate. Also, I was really surprised, in a delightful way, that some participants wanted a photo with me, a person who didn't really do much, in a way, to help them directly.
I probably missed out some points here and there, which I might add on once I post it on my blog. But yeah, if you've read till this point, thank you and congratulations! Have a good day :).
As we learnt during the camp, reflecting on our time spent is very important. Why? Well, that's because we only learn when we reflect-- taking the time to think about the "whys" of the the things we did or the things that have happened to us. I was a participant of the NBS 2nd annual camp and pa...rt of the organising committee of the 3rd one. And boy, was there a world of difference.
Imagine having about four hours of sleep a day. Then imagine having about four hours of sleep a day for a week. Then imagine having about four hours of sleep a day for a week and having to be very active everyday. That was, on the surface, a summary of my experience in the camp. There is no room for any doubt that the NBS camp was indeed very tiring for me, and I daresay the rest of the committee members too. The amount of time and effort needed to prepare and accommodate unexpected turn of events is no small matter.
Yet I said it was refreshing.This is probably the biggest point of the camp. There is a whole new perspective when being an organiser as opposed to being a participant. People look to you for decisions. You are expected to lead. Although I was just the official photographer, and a little bit of everything else, I still had my own leadership roles. I was always more of a front office kind of person. So, when I was assigned to be the photographer, I was a little sad that I wouldn't get the chance to interact with the participants and develop friendships with them. It was unwarranted though. Regardless of whatever roles we are given, it's up to us to make the best of it, and I did try-- although I believe that I always could have done better. It was also refreshing, in a sense, to be part of the background rather than in the spotlight. You get to see things from a different perspective-- more objectively. And I can say that I probably learnt more from being a role that I'm not really used to, rather than doing what I've always been doing.
Lastly, I said, "well-spent". There aren't many things which can top the learning experience of spending two days and nights at a monastic environment. Somehow, you tend to be more grateful for the things you have and the food you eat. And you realize just how much food you actually "need" and the rest is simply luxury already. When you see others cherish food so much, you tend to feel the same way too. You also begin to be aware of the sounds around you and the sheer number of unnecessary things we do. It's really eye-opening. It really is.
I also said well-spent because every single moment throughout the camp was meaningful. There was not a single thing we did that was pointless. We walked to places for a reason. We said things for a reason. We carried things out for a reason. And it was a really nice feeling-- considering that people nowadays, me included, waste so much time doing things that really serve no purpose at all. And from that we really come to understand just how important every moment is. We might take the days for granted, but really, we will never, ever get this exact moment back again once it's gone.
Well, that was my summary of the camp from my point of view. Of course, I could also talk about the new friends I've made and the already-made friendships which became stronger by the end of it. Truly, I am grateful to be able to meet everyone there. And I don't think, in my current state, that I can find the proper words and phrases to use to elaborate. Also, I was really surprised, in a delightful way, that some participants wanted a photo with me, a person who didn't really do much, in a way, to help them directly.
I probably missed out some points here and there, which I might add on once I post it on my blog. But yeah, if you've read till this point, thank you and congratulations! Have a good day :).
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
40 Tips for a Happy Healthy Life in 2013
I was just browsing through my facebook (I seem to do that too often for my own good) and came across this again. I thought I'd post it here just so that I might see it more often.
*******
40 Tips for Happy Healthy Life in 2013
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for prayer and reflection
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2012.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
Personality:
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day —- and while you walk, smile.
11. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do; keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Community:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right things.
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. Forgiveness heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, don’t take it for granted – embrace life.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Last but not least:
40. Enjoy LIFE!
*******
40 Tips for Happy Healthy Life in 2013
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for prayer and reflection
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2012.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
Personality:
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day —- and while you walk, smile.
11. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do; keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Community:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right things.
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. Forgiveness heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, don’t take it for granted – embrace life.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Last but not least:
40. Enjoy LIFE!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Dream Diary Day 23
This happened when I woke up suddenly for no reason at about 6am, and then went back to sleep again.
I wrote some gibberish down on paper beside my bed when I woke up at 8am, because I was rushing. Anyway, I'll try to see if I can salvage anything.
=============
I was feeding a turtle, which was apparently very smart. As in, a smart turtle. I was at a party of sorts, and then I was talking to someone. There was Link Er running around and I also talked about RYLA when I said I was part of the Interact Club.
In the party, it was filled with people who wanted to break world records. One-by-one, they broke records ( some of the most obscure kind) except for me. I was at a table with a girl, then I noticed a suspicious kinda guy looking at us from behind. Suddenly the girl disappeared in a puff of smoke, but I managed to grab her arm and I was teleported to -somewhere (couldn't understand what I was writing)-. That guy started running and I jumped on him and started shouting for help.
That guy ran everywhere while I was trying to stop him. I hit him and punched him but to no avail-- he wasn't affected. Finally I lost him. I was very frustrated and I started shouting and hitting random objects. And then I woke up via alarm.
I wrote some gibberish down on paper beside my bed when I woke up at 8am, because I was rushing. Anyway, I'll try to see if I can salvage anything.
=============
I was feeding a turtle, which was apparently very smart. As in, a smart turtle. I was at a party of sorts, and then I was talking to someone. There was Link Er running around and I also talked about RYLA when I said I was part of the Interact Club.
In the party, it was filled with people who wanted to break world records. One-by-one, they broke records ( some of the most obscure kind) except for me. I was at a table with a girl, then I noticed a suspicious kinda guy looking at us from behind. Suddenly the girl disappeared in a puff of smoke, but I managed to grab her arm and I was teleported to -somewhere (couldn't understand what I was writing)-. That guy started running and I jumped on him and started shouting for help.
That guy ran everywhere while I was trying to stop him. I hit him and punched him but to no avail-- he wasn't affected. Finally I lost him. I was very frustrated and I started shouting and hitting random objects. And then I woke up via alarm.
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