November 1/11/2012

Everybody I meet say, "I can't believe it's November already!"...and me too! Amazing isn't it, how time flies. It's like as though I just step foot into 2012 and the days just flew ... but I am feeling happy though that finally November has emerged! Guess what? I'll be seeing my prince charming in just a few days time. I    j  u  s  t    c  a  n  '  t    w  a  i  t !!! Lol! Now, can the days go a lil faster please ??? Lol...

So, how's the first day of November going on with you? Tell me yours !

 

October Fun!

I'm truly sorry. Bad me for not blogging for over a month. This is my first for October. Thousand apologies. I've been facebooking quite a bit and then had a short break to Penang. Thereafter, I had my work. I know, I know...excuses all the time ... Lol!

So, what's up or down in October? It's close to month end and Year End Sale is going on full swing everywhere. Have you bought anything special this month? I did not. All I did was stuff my face with all those yummlicious food in Penang and got home a few kilos heavier. But was quick enough to shed them off, not much but a little. My secret? Dont do dinners! Yeah, I just have some fruits for 3 days in a row combined with yoga exercises and you can actually see the weight reduction. Trust me!

Then, talking about yoga. I have joined a different studio now. I get to learn more poses, real difficult ones this time that makes you sweat like nobody's business...I mean like doing those military exercises in boot camp! And I have 3 different teachers with their own style of teaching which I enjoy the most. One who is calm and guides us with some easy ones, the other who is in between agressive and mild and the 3rd who is really agressive. I've tried all 3 and I salute them. Awesome is the word. Okay let me not bore you with yoga, let's talk something else...:)

My trip to Penang, was fun. I had like I told you lots of food to eat. I did morning walks with my niece. We went shopping. Other times we stayed indoors and watched movies. Weather was not so kind. It rained the whole trip through but it was good to be back with my brother and his family and especially my niece, Shangkharee.

I have some pictures of my trip to Penang as well as some pictures taken at my new yoga studio. Here, have a look ... and that's all for now. Catch up real soon. This time I won't promise but I will be back...soonish! :)

During my morning walks with my niece, got attracted to this flowers...



a mixture of so many yummlicious food - chinese food

Wan tan mee ... awesome!

salted chicken in Ipoh

hokkien mee soup..delicious

varieties of vegetables and taufu etc...super nice!






more food...no words to describe

penang chendol - not to be missed!

me in yoga studio...so vain taking pictures of myself

another of me...fatso!

enuf Danem, get going...yoga class gonna start :P

 

Pretty Lazy September

Ugh! Can you believe that? I've only blogged once this month? Bad me :) Well, been pretty lazy gettin' on here. Nothin' much happened this month. It was the same old routine - Work/Yoga/Home ...Oh! Noooooo! have I lost my zest??? Lol ! Nah, I am I think, well balanced. Just that I am not pushing myself a little harder. I will soon. October will be fun. I'm just waiting to leap into October and get the excitement it has offer. And I will blog more then!

I hope you've been having a wonderful month, if not...cheer up ! I'm sure we can make it up in October :)

Take care!

Monday as fast as Usain Bolt? How I wish ...

Sorry ! I've not blogged for awhile now. I keep telling myself I must write daily but that does not seem to be working. This is my first for September. Well, I guess I only think of blogging when I am in my useless state! Yeah, Mondays' my bad days especially today. It can be rather depressing when you try and try with all your might to get rid of the Monday blues but fail ! Haha, that's exactly me today. I have been a total flop at work. Procastination seems to run high today. Trying to jump-start the day with coffee and it's my 4th cup now. Nothing seems to surprise me out of this feeling...Lol ! Gawwd ! I would never wish for another Monday like this and I wish today was as fast as Usain Bolt...Lol !

How's your day going? I hope nothing similar to mine :)

Cheers...

 

Continue boot camp ???

This morning, I completed my 11th boot camp session. It was good. I got home with dirt all over me. We had to do 10 different on-the-spot exercises with as many repetitions for a non-stop 4 minutes for each. I felt it was a little easier than all the past 10 sessions. It also made me wonder if I am fitter and stronger now, thus that feeling? I think so! :)

And the biggest question is whether I should continue boot camp for another month...which starts on Sept 3 after a 2 weeks break !

Hmmm......I'll decide soon.

Beautiful day y'all ! See you soon....

Monday Blabbers ! Ugh ...

Tonight will be my 10th boot camp session. I'm not well today. I got a slight temperature and my throat hurts abit. The muscle that I pulled at my groin is fully recovered. But, I still have the pain just below my hips. When I sit for long hours, it's really painful when I stand and walk. But, I can't be walking all the time! Now, what am I whining about? No excuses, Danem ! You are going to do your 10th session! Period. :)

So, being sick I took the day off. I called in sick and now relaxing in the comfort of my room. No, I did some work too. Working from home. Got to do the minutes of a meeting held last week, sent a mail to my boss recommending office closure for next week, replying to other official mails. I also "disturbed" a few with some mails...lol, and whatsapp-ing with my friends. It's nice to take the day off and do some "work" :)

Hmm, a hot sunny day and I'm already on my 2nd bottle of Gatorade. It's the Grapefruit flavour, no caffeine, no carbonation :) While having this drink, I'm only thinking how strenuous today's exercise would be at boot camp. And, I just went on the scale, it's really depressing. I'm only seeing increase of weight. Oh ! why ! ... I just can't understand. Even it's building muscles, I don't want the weight to go up. I will never be comfortable. I feel that I have to do something about this rather than having to revamp my wardrobe. Probably, a diet is necessary - and, I don't like dieting. I will miss the packet nasi lemak, the roti chanai, chocolates ...oh my ! all fatty food are my favourite...I have to "revamp" this rather than my wardrobe ... seriously !

You know, it's nice to write blogs. As you write whatever that comes to mind, you will realise where you're going wrong for instance my weight and the reasons behind it. See ! Now, what am I blabbering about? A little of a chatterbox, ey ? LOL ! I'd better pen off here before I make a nuisance of myself...

Happy Working, peeps ! See you soon in my next blabbering blog :P

It's the Weekend !

I always look forward to weekends. Today, being a Saturday I wanted to make it a ME day, sleep in till noon,  have my brunch, watch a movie, take a nap etc etc. But ..............I woke up at 5am because I forgot to turn off my alarm! What a waste. Thereafter it was just turning and tossing and finally I got up and decided to be useful...lol...

I did some facebooking...ahh ! that's not useful I know but that's like a everyday ritual kind of thing for me ...lol...I am a little curious as  to what the world has been up to while I slept ! Hahaha...So, as I was saying, a little facebooking, a little chat with my housemate and then the useful part was the laundry ! Yay ! did my laundry and they're now happily under the sun. It's a hot day in Malaysia. I'm only glad to have the sun when I do my laundry ...lol

Soon, I will be doing some packing. No, am not going for a vaction. I'm MOVING !!! Will let you in more about this in my next blog...

So, how's the weekend treating you and what have you been up to ? Made yourself as useful as me? LOL..

Happy Saturday folks...and enjoy your weekend !

Much Love...

MY BOOT CAMP!

Sorry for not updating much earlier. Now, gonna tell you more about boot camp.

When i joined boot camp, I was thinking that this is one place I can make my dream come true ie being slim and trim, finally looking like a million bucks when it's all over and feel good about my achievement.

I was wrong.

It's not about losing weight and looking good. It's the fitness, the discipline and how we were taught to work as a team. The workouts are super intense. I've just completed my 9th session this morning. This one is a killer ! We had to pull a huge tyre (looked like a tractor's tyre) with a rope and run, dragging the tyre to the other end of the field. Then, lift the tyre onto our shoulders and run back fast and hand it to the next group of 6. We did that in 2 sets. The first set was to do 10 laps and the 2nd with just 2 laps. It was a challenge. We lost. The punishment was to do 15 grunts and another 10 grunts for the 2 laps.

After completing this, we did a series of squats, lunges, planks each for a hurting 3 minutes. I was struggling. I did cheat a little as I was drained off of my energy that was left in me. I decided to do 'em slowly so the reps were lesser. Yeah, I know that's cheating. I just could not do any faster...lol.

Then it was the cooling down exercises and "hooyahs, see you on Monday".

My 10th session will be on Monday next week. I left the place finding it so difficult to walk as I think I pulled a muscle in both my groins. I was told by the Sarjan to give cold compress and do some stretching. He said I should be okay for the next session. It's still painful ...pretty tight at my groin. I am actually walking very oddly ...you know that kind of walk ...lol...Oh boy ! I could do with a massage right now !

But it's all good. What I am pleased about this boot camp is that my level of fitness has improved tremendously. I used to dislike running as it tires me and that's the hardest thing to do. Now, I can run a lap without any serious panting after that. But of course you ask me to do 2 laps and I would only be able to do power walking in between the running. But, I am genuinely happy that I have built my fitness level to this stage. That really impresses me and I am pretty confident I will do run more laps non-stop :)

Although, I know I may not be able to achieve my dream of looking like a million bucks (as in being slim and trim) but I know now that I am and will be FIT like a BILLION bucks. Haha. I am on the right track now. I wish I had done this much earlier. But its not late though. For a good workout it will be the one and only boot camp. And, this is where I will go if at all I see myself falling back on my fitness.
Cheers ! Happy Friday, folks. Enjoy your weekend.

It's August !

I'm sorry ! Can't believe that I have not written a single blog in July. That shows how busy I've been. Yeah, July kept me on my toes most of the time. I started my first ever boot camp too. An hour session three times a week. Although it was hard and tough in the beginning, I'm head on to complete the 12 sessions. I'm into my 6th. It's a challenging one and we get trashed like nobody's business. But, I am loving it. I will let you in more about this exciting boot camp in my next blog soon.

And, since August has kicked off...let's hope it gives us abundance of good vibes. And, a gentle reminder... there's only another 4 months before we wrap up the year. So, if you've made resolutions, tap on it and get going. It's still not too late to make it work :)

I'm lacing my running shoes now and off I go for my boot camp !

See 'ya soon :)

Good Feeling !

My Thoughts Today :-

Ahh ! today I am feeling so much better. Perhaps all these while I had been lacking of sleep and thus was slightly out of control yesterday ! Haha...I know it's to do with sleep. I slept like a baby last night. And with so many hours of sleep, I woke up feeling so damn good. !

For brekky, I tucked in a well-done dosai with coconut chutney and sambar. It was super duper delicious. You know one of the best feelings in the world is taking the first bite of a meal when you're hungry? I must have ate like one long lost hungry ghost :) ...as my plate was wiped out ...clean ...real fast :) I was tempted to order another but you know... that's sinful and it will go straight to the waist line ... hahaha...



What was yours today? Remember, not to skip brekky ! That's an important meal of the day.

Check on you soon ! Have fun wherever you are...

Love, Light & Peace !

Secretly Falling Apart

My Thoughts Today :-

I think I am tired. My soul is ! When things don't seem right. When everything around me remains stagnant. Nothing seems to matter ... no more. I feel that everything I had is now gone. And I am left here, searching and searching and yet I don't seem to find it. Perhaps, I should start digging deeper for answers. The depth I am right now shows only darkness. Why ? Where am I heading ? When will this negativity and anxiety leave me ? Go away, I cry out ! I will never want to head into that direction. I know it's one of those days. Bleak. Dark. Lonely, but hey! they're just a short term effect and soon I will be UP. Will get myself back and stand up yet again. I did it once and I will do it again. I will come out unscathed. I believe in ME. Never gonna allow myself to secretly fall apart. No way ... you will never take control of me...

Did I scare you peeps with my thoughts ? Perhaps am a lil' troubled but this too shall pass ... I know!

See you soon in a better situation ...

Btw, don't we all need a lil' lift once in a while ? 

Love, Light & Peace Always :)

MY PERIAMMA

My Periamma (my mum's sister) left us to be with God on 30/5/2012. It was sad to see her go. On the other hand, we're happy that she had lived a good 84 years. May Her Soul Rest In Peace.

Love you heaps, Periamma... forever and ever ...

And, this poem was sent by my good friend, so beautifully said ... thank you !

Our family chain is broken
And nothing seems the same
But as God calls us one by one
The chain will link again...

Rekindle The Childlike Wonder

I went for a swing in the playground. It was magical. I felt like a kid again.

It's so true that somewhere along the way, we tend to lose that sense of wonder...the childlike wonder. Often we just leave it as a past joy. We filter it out and focus on other more important stuff. Pretty much that is what we do. But really, the things children see and experience are amazing. We all did too during our childhood. So, let's learn from them and look. Even if its for a brief moment, learn and look at the world through the eyes of a child.

Let's rekindle the childlike wonder in us...

THE MEASURE OF A MAN

THE MEASURE OF A MAN
Author: Anonymous

Not - How did he die? But - How did he live?
Not - What did he gain? But - What did he give?

These are the things that measure the worth
Of a man as a man, regardless of birth.

Not - What was his station? But - had he a heart?
And - How did he play his God-given part?

Was he ever ready with a word of good cheer?
To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?

Not - What was his church? Not - What was his creed?
But - Had he befriended those really in need?

Not - What did the sketch in the newspaper say?
But - How many were sorry when he passed away?

These are the things that measure the worth
Of a man as a man, regardless of birth.

I Want To Be Magic

“I want to be magic.
I want to touch the heart of the world and make it smile.
I want to be a friend of elves and live in a tree.
Or under a hill.
I want to marry a moonbeam and hear the stars sing.
I don't want to pretend at magic anymore. 

I want to be magic.”
~ Charles de Lint ~

Our Lost Ones

"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy."~ Unknown  

My Life Too Has Meaning ...

Some roads are better off walked alone,
Some words are better left unsaid,
Some people are better off left behind
And sometimes, only sometimes, it is the hardest thing to figure out
When that “sometime”has come.

And so you dwell, you drift so alone in the dark
Hoping to find something other than what you’ve found before.
Wondering if it even exists,
If it’s really there, real to touch,
Enough to embrace, and deep,
For it to truly understand all of you.

Thinking that you might be crazy,
Asking for something that has not yet been made
Or at least not been made FOR YOU.
And as you watch on, trying to find out, who went wrong
Or what is wrong
You just pray that all is as should be.

Maybe I should change and become one of them
And maybe, just maybe, I should lift my head up
Stand tall and go there, where my being is heard,
And my life too has meaning! -Unknown

Totally Lost !

I have come to a point where I can't decide what I want. I am torn apart. I've tried to analyse my wants and needs and yet it is such a difficult thing to conclude. I am at a breaking point. How I wish life can be much simpler when making decisions. Now, what do I do ? I am totally lost ! :(

The End of Suffering

The End of Suffering Read by Thich Nhat Hanh  -  http://vimeo.com/6518109

May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos
Even in the darkest spots
Living beings are able to hear it clearly
So that all suffering in them cease
Understanding comes to their heart
And they transcend the path of sorrow and death.
The universal dharma door is already open
The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly
The miracle happens
A beautiful child appears in the heart of a lotus flower
One single drop of this compassionate water
Is enough to bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.
Listening to the bell
I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve
My mind calm
My body relax
A smile is born on my lips
Following the sound of the bell
My breath brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness
In the garden of my heart
The flowers of peace bloom beautifully.

Just A Late Bloomer ...

Are you like me as a late bloomer ...

When life was all so messed up... 

And to get out of the dark pit it took ages?...

Some days of mine are nice and good ...

And some just too much to handle... 

Often, I find that it’s never an easy road...

I guess it’s the same for all of us...

Some of you may be able to get out of it earlier than I did. Yep ! took me a long time. Went through lots of heartache and eventually I get to where I should be. The past set aside and looking towards the future positively. Perhaps it took a long time for me due to the uncertainties I faced, the choice that I had to juggle with and the actions that I decided to take. 

I was with so many faults and flaws and I still am ....

And I pray I do not repeat them...

The good and the bad...

The past and the present...

Is what I am made of today... 

I am now with an open heart and soul ...

And like a bird wanting to soar high in search of my future …

Yeah ! That’s me, just a late bloomer ;)

My Stress Free Zone

Sometimes,  we have to remember not to put so much pressure on ourselves. Because, negative thoughts, stress, anxiety, and fear will emerge and you will lose total sight of all the wonderful positive dreams and ambitions you have within you. 

So, learn to de-stress ... and enter my world, right below ... a stress-free zone :) let's walk through this beautiful tropical forest where you get to smell and breathe the unpolluted air and all you see are greens everywhere ... 

Let me take you to my world, right here ;) 

And, as you walk along this path, you'll hear the sound of waves and you will smell the ocean spray...believe me the air is so moist and warm and you'll feel the pleasant cool breeze blowing thru' the trees....and as you come to the edge of the trees, the beautiful ocean is exposed...yeah, this is it !

This is where I want to be right now... the hammock and the island...the sea and the waves, the cool breeze......to feel the calmness, to be free of worries, no stress, just pure calmness...enjoy the sun and just be freeeee...........

Let's just visualize and do it ! De-stress is the word ! :)

Life Is A Scrapbook ...

Life is a scrapbook, torn and old
In which our little lives are told,
And when the twilight shadows fall
This is the sweetest thing of all;
To turn the pages of the years,
Remembering with happy tears
The faithful love, the perfect friend...
These things are treasured to the end

The Letter ...

This is worth a read...so, am sharing !

LETTER BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO HIS SON'S TEACHER

Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. In school, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, tough with tough. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to everyone, but teach him also to filter all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right. Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.

Empty & Thoughtless

It's always good to EMPTY THE TRASH in our head/mind ...

and be THOUGHTLESS pretty often too ...

So, have an EMPTY & THOUGHTLESS weekend :) 

Stay FREE of EVERYTHING that troubles you ...

Be back soon :)

Pause - Silent Mind - Meditate

We're into the 3rd month of the year. Yeah, it's March. How positive are you in life now ? If you need a jump start, continue reading. Nothing is perfect in the world we live. Some days may be blissful and some filled with negativities. Try to let go of any negativity that you face. Start seeing a positive vision instead. Finally, embrace them with a sense of openness and adventure.

Learn to pause, everyday. When you pause, it is refreshing. It's a good way to start and end your day.

Then, remember - a total silent mind is awesome ! Put everything aside that's troubling you. Train your mind to be silent.

Finally, meditate - this is the way to calm down ! For me, it's a way to calm even the simplest of my desires, to forget my dreams for awhile, to tell myself that I am expecting nothing...no personal expectations for now, just so as not to be let down. Calm your mind, calm your heart, calm your soul...relax !

So, there you go ! Try it... I'll be back :)

A Memory ...

Within each heart there lies a memory
It may not be for all to see
But within the heart it will always be
A Memory

It may be secret & locked with a key
Buried deep and hidden like the roots of a tree
But still it lies there in the heart
A Memory

Or it may be displayed for all to see
To be shared and enjoyed happily
Still it is
A Memory

To be cherished for all eternity
To be coddled and fondled tenderly
For it recalls the past that flowed fluidly
A Memory

Of you and me
And he and she
And all of we
A Memory

Happy Valentine's Day !

Happy Valentine's Day to you ... and here's a rose for you :)

The Rose - Roses have endured as the traditional flower of Valentine's Day. The rose, which is undoubtedly the most popular flower in the world, speaks of love and has been the choice of lovers in every century. If you rearrange the letters of the word rose you get Eros, the God of Love. The color of roses are also important. If you want to know the meaning, here you go ! :_

White roses are for true love and purity of the mind.
Red roses are for love and passion.
Yellow roses are for friendship.
Black roses mean farewell.
Pink roses mean friendship or sweetheart.

And how do you present the roses and what does that mean ? Here, check it out ! :-

A full rose placed over two buds meant secrecy.
Remove the thorns from a rosebud and you say "I fear no longer."
Remove the leaves also and your message becomes "There is nothing to hope or fear."

So, get going ... with the roses ... express your love ! 

Stay Connected

Sharing an article by Phyllis Kominsky - "Getting Back to Life When Grief Won't Heal"...

"If there is any meaning to be taken from the terrible losses we must face in life, it seems to me it can only be that we need each other. We have to treasure the time we have with those we love. We have to stay open to love even after we have learned the hard way how much it hurts to lose those we love. If the past is never really past, then no one we have loved is ever fully lost to us. What we hold in our hearts is there forever.

To love another person is like visiting a beautiful place, a place where we are fully present and alive, even though we know that we will have to leave it sometime. The last time I was in such a place, the kind of place I visit in dreams, I stood looking out at the water and thought, I will leave part of myself here, and I will take part of this place with me. I thought then how this is true of anything I treasure and fear to lose.

When someone we love dies, a part of us dies too, but it is also true that a part of our loved one stays with us. Maybe that’s what the emptiness inside us is for: to make a place where our loved ones can live inside us, be part of us, always. Maybe this is true for you?

Stay connected to other people. Stay connected to life. Be aware of what you have lost but also of what you still have."

Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi

My family and I decided to do a weekend trip to Colmar Tropicale at Bukit Tinggi yesterday. It's actually a French Village managed by the Berjaya Groups. We wanted to stay in Colmar but the hotels were all fully booked. Thus, the only available one was at Selesa Hillhomes at the foothill (close to Janda Baik). We left at 11am and it actually took us more than 2 hours to reach our destination. This was due to the heavy traffic - people leaving KL for the Chinese New Year holidays. Anyways, we got there earlier than the check in time (3pm) and thankfully the rooms were available, so we checked in and had some rest. Since it was raining, we were not able to drive up to Colmar immediately as planned. It's only 10mins drive up to Colmar. But as soon as the rain stopped, we made it there. However, when we reached Colmar, it began to drizzle, heavily !We had to dismiss the idea of activities and even the trip to Japanese Garden. So, we strolled along the resort and my ! it's still as beautiful as ever. You get the feeling like you're in fairyland :)

This French-themed resort has castle buildings and colourful dutch looking cottages. They were simply awesome. Many gift shops and cafes. But all of them - costly ! I was secretly wanting to go for a spa but had to drop that idea since they were charging an arm and a leg :(

So, here you go ! Pictures of the trip...

And, if you've not been to this place, here are the details. You can even do a day-trip if you're not interested in the activities. Just the sight-seeing and having a coffee at their cafes is good enough. Sit and relax and take in the beauty of the buildings around you. It's a wonderful sight...

Visitor entry is RM12.00 but we got it at RM6.00 (maybe some festive discount?) 

Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills

KM48, Persimpangan Bertingkat Lebuhraya Karak

Bukit Tinggi 28750

Pahang

http://www.colmartropicale.com.my/