Words we live by ♥

Something we were withholding made us weak until we found it was ourselves.

~Robert Frost

Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Be notorious.

~Rumi

Your passage through time and space is not at random. You cannot but be in the right place at the right time.

~ACIM

The basic paradox: everything is a mess yet all is well.

~Ezra Bayda

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.

~Danny Kaye

World Pillow Fight Day

Have you ever had a fantasy in which you walked into a public place with a pillow and just randomly started a pillow fight with a complete stranger?

(No? Well, maybe just me then? :P)

Do you want to try something different?

Do you live in KL?

Well, if you've said yes to all or ANY of the above, then this is perfect for you. Brought to us by Random Alphabets -- who also masterminded the successful Tali Tenang earlier this year -- is World Pillow Fight Day! Yes, you got that right. A pillow fight. In public. In KL. Have i gotten your attention yet?

I'm guessing maybe it's in 1Utama, or Sunway Pyramid. What think you? Well, either ways, check out their website for further updates on the location!

(taken from the website)

Some of the things you will want to know:

1. The location of this event’s Gathering Point will only be revealed days before the fight. Don’t ask where the Fight Point will be, we won’t tell. We never tell. You just find out when the time is right. At the last minute, that is.
2. Gathering Point and Fight Point are two separate locations.
3. Pillow Fight Police (PFP) will be at the Gathering Point to welcome you and escort you to Fight Point.
4. PFP will stand out, it will be easy to spot them. If you can’t spot them, you shouldn’t be near a pillow.
5. Bring your own weapon of choice. We will be selling pillows on that day just in case. If all the pillows get sold out, then you won’t have a weapon.
6. Only Pillow Fight with someone who has a pillow. Do not hit the official photographers.
7. Always be cool, we are not there to cause trouble or nuisance.
8. There will be official photographers and videographers, and photos will be uploaded and available for all. In short, this is a Pillow Fight, not a photography competition. Fight, not click!
9. Show your love to us by purchasing our t-shirts. Not all of our projects have sponsors. Buying our t-shirts help us in funding our projects. More importantly, participate! Join in!
10. Most of all make sure you have fun!

Sounds interesting, yes? Last year's Pillow Fight Day was equally as fascinating...

Corntoz Pillow Fight Kuala Lumpur 2009 from RandomAlphabets on Vimeo.

 What a way to vent out all your frustrations!

Pillow fights in public -- awesome!

Honestly?

In six hours time i will leave for National Service. I will get on a bus and head off to a place where i will have no access to the internet, which also happens to be the source that reaffirms every "Awesome" principle in me. A real challenge for myself, because then i will have to be my own source.

Letting go, frees. Resistance binds.

At first i resisted, and i was miserable. But why was i resisting? As i thought about it, it came to me that i was afraid. In fact, i was terrified. In this world that i have created for myself, everything stems on connectivity, and social networking sites, and cell phones. To let it all go would be to risk missing out on outings and events. To let go would be to risk being left behind. What if i came back, and friends no longer called me out for events? What if i came back, and they had progressed on so much further than i can catch up on?

And then there's a whole new parade of other worries: what if all of my camp mates were to be unfriendly? What if none of them like me? But here is what's making me a tad bit uncomfortable -- all the what if's. Where's my trust? I was getting so hung up on all these worries that it ate away at me, when in fact i had no control over any of it, at all. Funnily, i completely fooled myself thinking that i could somehow change the outcome of things, when in truth i am in control of absolutely NOTHING at all. After all, i'm just here for the ride.

(and so are you)

So let go i shall. Tomorrow i will get on that bus and let it bring me to a strange place, surrounded by strangers. To be real, i still am a little fearful, but it is slowly peeling away, layer after layer.

I am ready now, so let's get going.

And I'll be back in no time. Till then, you have to stay true to your DNA, and be the truly amazing self that you are :)

Winds of change

(source)

I realize that i am quite the inconsistent one. Sometimes i blog of not giving up, of persevering till the end; but sometimes i, too, blog of oneness -- in which it is okay to be yourself, to live in every now moment, to be happy, to not try so hard. What, then, am i trying to say?

I suppose that as much as this blog is about you, it is also very much about me :) i enjoy living in every Now moment. I have dreams to chase. I love the thrill of chasing dreams. Therefore, to be happy, i try too hard while enjoying every moment of it. And that all applies to me. It is important to know that this varies with each person, so what can i say but that it all boils down to this core point -- that ultimately, your happiness and contentment is paramount. Do what feels right, because if you do, everything will be okay in the end.

Have trust.

Yesterday, i got a letter that completely altered my track of thoughts and plans, simply because i was not expecting it. In less than two days time, i will be called to a place where there is absolutely no internet connection, and cell phones are only allowed during the weekends. I will be in this place for more than two months, with no Facebook, no Twitter, no MSN or Skype, no familiar bathroom or bed or friends. My first instinct was to rebel, to go against this. I don't want to go.

Then i realized that i was resisting it -- the flow of life. I love the ways of my life so much, and i have gotten very much used to the warm comfort that familiarity brings me, which only served to enforce my unwillingness to step out off my comfort zone and see what new things this letter has to offer me. In holding on so tightly to the easy ways of my life, i was closing myself off from a whole new world of possibilities. When i shut my eyes, turn my back, and shout no without a second thought, what else am i saying no to? New friends? New interests? New perspectives? New passions? New opportunities?

(source)

When i finally realized all of this, i allowed myself to let go. I let myself go with the flow. I will go where time brings me. I will take what life gives to me. I mean, who knows right? Why not, anyway?

If you should catch yourself saying no to something on impulse, perhaps it is time to reconsider. Think about it. What are you resisting? Why are you resisting? And most importantly, in saying no, what else are you REALLY saying no to?

I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.

~Frances Willard

Quotes we love :)

The only place where dreams are impossible is in your own mind.

~Emalie

The sun never says to the earth,'You owe me.' Look what happens with a love like that - It lights up the whole sky.

~Hafiz

Walk out like someone suddenly born into color. Do it now.

~Rumi

For lack of attention a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day.

~Evelyn Underhill

This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it's with us wherever we are.

~Pema Chodron

Why I Love SuperForest

Because the random lovely stuff they come up with just resonates with positivity.

And i agree with Jackson. You HAVE beautiful eyes :)

Visit SuperForest!

Gratitude Journal : Everything's going to be Fine

One week and five days ago, the core on which i had placed of all my dreams came apart at the seams, and it was, by far, the worst emotion i have ever had to experience. But within hours i was healing, and within days i had bounced back. A little deflated yes, but bounce back i did.

The reality of everything came tumbling down, and as with some people who are forced to be realistic, i so very nearly lost hope and gave up. I was on the edge, i was.

But hope, you see, is such an amazing thing. And so impossibly lucky am i, that in this exact Now moment, i have Hope.

First i must clarify that it is important to know when to let go, but it is even more important to know when to hold on, and when to not give up. Perhaps by the definitions of other people i am being "foolish", but i follow my heart, and i cannot deny that my heart is foolish ;)

The past few days of mine have been absolutely swamped by colleges and courses and scholarships, that i am probably this close to losing it  -- but then there's Love Inspiring Tricia to bring me back to speed, reminding me to breathe, and to relax, and that everything is going to be all right.

And even without this Hope, everything will be fine. Because on this journey that we're all in together, if it isn't fine, then it isn't over. So throw a handstand. Dance a jig. Run around naked. Because it's never too late, and you're here now, and the world is yours to take. Absolutely.

Zee Avi

If you are Malaysian and you STILL don't know who Zee Avi is, then shame on you! After all, she's only the very one Malaysian girl who got signed on by Brushfire Records, a label partially owned by Jack Johnson.

Bitterheart

 

Honey Bee

First of the Gang To Die

So i was one of the lucky couple of thousand people who got to catch her live in KL on Saturday -- her first performance here since she made it in the States :) her voice is amazing, and her character so absolutely endearing -- it wasn't long before the crowd fell in love with her. It was lovely, watching a perfectly awesome performance from a girl who spoke exactly like how we Malaysians do.

Halfway through her performance, she called her dad up onstage ;) introduced him, and someone in the audience shouted "hi, uncle!" Well, it's probably just me, but the concert had a really personal feel to it. Maybe because i was right in the front and center -- or maybe because she's Malaysian.

Lovely <3

World Water Day - Sandwich Mob - the outcome

So, half of our plans worked out right -- everything else was a blur of spontaneity and impulse. Yesterday, in order to raise awareness and urge the public to Start Saving Water, a bunch of students went onto the streets with their message boards.

Went by the LRT stations...

Got a good few thumbs up from passerby's!

Dropped by the Chinatown of Malaysia a couple of times --

 

And finally, we went to where it all began :)

The river that was before Kuala Lumpur came about =) it's just a giant drain now, and with all the trash in it that was contributed by KLites, it's a really dirty one.

Did you know that our planet is 70% water, but only 2.5% are available for consumption for the 6 billion people on earth?

Did you know that every 15 seconds, a child dies from unsafe water and inadequate sanitation?

Why should we save water, anyway? Does it really make a difference? Why shouldn't you flush? Why should you ensure that your tap isn't leaking? The answer lies with the same reasoning that the Power of 10 Sen campaign is built on, and also why it is so successful. Every drop counts, and it all accumulates into something that can be used for something else altogether.

A little something for you to consider :)

It is officially World Water Day tomorrow -- perhaps also the day that you embark on your conservatism? ;)

P.S. : BTW, we got media attention!

Success!

There's a flip side to everything.

Goood day, people!

~And nothing is ever as it seems, yes, life is but a dream.~

In just 2 and a half minutes, Derek Sivers shows how the opposite of things that seem right may not exactly be wrong, either.

:)

Commonwealth Essay Competition 2010

And another one... ;)

Commonwealth theme for the year - Science, Technology and Society.

Topics

1. What technological invention(s) would most improve life in your community?
2. The mad scientist.
3. What positive steps can you or I start to take to tackle climate change?
4. The day the computer started misbehaving.
5. "Science never solves a problem without creating ten more." (George Bernard Shaw)
6. An adventure in space.
7. What is knowledge? Who owns it? How can it best be taught or transmitted?
8. A 'eureka' moment.
9. Is your generation wiser than your grandparents' generation?
10. Welcome to my Utopia!

Deadline
1 May 2010

Categories
Class A - 16-18 years (Born 2 May 1991 – 1st May 1994). Word count 1400-1750
Class B - 14-15 years (Born 2 May 1994 – 1st May 1996). Word count 1200-1500
Class C - 12-13 years (Born 2 May 1996 – 1st May 1998). Word count 500-700
Class D - Under 12 years (Born after 2nd May 1998). Word count 300-600

Applications for the competition can be done (here).

Have a GREAT day, you all :D

 (source)

Hold your horses!

Howdy, great people :)

Imagine this -- you're going to the movies. You enter the theater, sink into your cushioned seat with your bucket of popcorn in one hand and drink in the other, and begin to relax. Ten minutes into the movie, a faint, ebbing, horribly familiar sensation starts to tingle within yourself. This sensation gets stronger, and in twenty minutes you can't help but face the cold, crushing reality --- you need to pee.

 

You force yourself to suppress the urge, because even though god forbid you find yourself sitting in a pool of stale yellow piss in the middle of the cinema, you just don't want to miss any part of the movie. So you hold it thirty minutes...and another thirty minutes... and another thirty minutes... and the movie never seems to end! You almost want to give up and just go to the toilet but really, isn't the show finishing soon already? Why miss the ending?

Such a situation was one i found myself caught in yesterday, and amidst all that, it struck me how uncanny it was that the hardships we face in life are similar to the bladders that torment us while we sit in the cinema.

For example, yesterday
(1) the show seemed like it was never gonna end
(2) it took constant reminding of myself that the show was too good to miss
(3) i, in the end, chose to stay in the theater and finish the show.

On one hand the actors were utterly amazing and the story was fascinating, but on the other hand my insides were threatening to explode all over the audience!

And horrible are the crucial moments after the show where you dash to the toilet to find that you're not the first one there, and your destination is so close yet so far, and again you nearly give up and wet yourself, but really, you can't. So you stand there and entertain the creeping sensation that your brain is about to explode, suffering, before you reach your sanctuary that is the toilet bowl and wunderbar! the most amazing sensation comes over you and you are filled with the gratifying sense of euphoria, because not only did you finish your movie, you also did not wet yourself in the process!

SUCCESS!

Which is how certain challenges and hardships we face are. Sometimes shit happens and you can't see the end of the tunnel, and hopelessness and despair takes over, and you're about to lose focus and tell yourself that really, maybe it isn't that worth it, just so you can get out of here and stop the madness.

But halt!

Here is where you take a pause, and breathe. And smile. And remember that your pot of gold is patiently awaiting you at the end of it all. And realize that your goals are truly worth all the hardships that threaten to bring you down. And know that all of these is making you stronger by the day. And understand that you're the one that chose to be in the situation you are in. And that you can get out of there anytime you like. But you're still there, because you chose to stay.

And what shouldn't you ever forget? :)

And remember, that when you survive through it all, the feeling that overcomes you is going to be as great as when you release the contents of your spilling bladder after holding it for several hours. In fact, it might be even greater, too ;)

World Water Day - Sandwich Mob

Good day, lovely people!

On the 22nd of this month, it is World Water Day. This initiative was borne out of the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 and has been held annually ever since. It is a global effort to raise awareness and also encourage the birth of further initiatives to end the water poverty that affects people from (too) many countries, such as Cambodia, Uganda and Ethiopia.

In conjunction with World Water Day, Taylor's UC Environmental Club and 6SOS have teamed up to organize a public rally, mainly aimed at raising awareness among our local community regarding the vitality of sustaining a constant source of clean water.

So, if you live in KL or are in want of doing something for the citizens of the world, i invite you to join us this Saturday for our sandwich mob, held in KL. Details of the event are as follows,

Date : 20th March, 2010
Time : 9AM - 2PM
Location : Central Kuala Lumpur (the exact location will be informed to guests who have RSVP-ed)
(CLICK HERE TO RSVP)

So bring yourself, bring your friends, and gear your spirit in for a time of fun and ado!

Love :)

We Are the World 25 for Haiti

I know that i am SO late with posting this, but i only just saw it. It has already garnered 24 million views, but i thought i would share it anyway =P

~Nou se mond la, nou se timoun yo.~

Directed by Paul Haggis and executively produced by Wyclef Jean, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones -- as a follow up to the original one by Michael Jackson created 25 years ago. Back then, the song was recorded to benefit famine relief in Africa. This time, it's for the earthquake victims in Haiti. Featuring artists such as Jennifer Hudson, Pink, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Jamie Foxx and eighty others (including the incredible Jason Mraz), watching this video gave me the chills.

Social awareness made fun! Awesome!

World Kidney Day

Greetings, incredible people!

As it happens, World Kidney Day is celebrated every second Thursday of March, which incidentally is March 11.

So, a couple of tips for your kidneys' wellbeing -- because we don't really need a premature death, yes?

7 Golden Rules to keep your kidneys going :

• keeping fit and active ~ take the stairs instead of the elevator! Go swim under the sun! Take a breather from your stressful life and, while you're at it, go for a jog! Be awesome!
• keep regular control of your blood sugar level ~ avoid diabetes, avoid kidney damage, smiles all around!
• monitor your blood pressure ~ high blood pressure = stroke +/ heart attack +/ kidney damage
• eat healthy and keep your weight in check ~ you are what you eat. Take less salt and processed food, and more fresh, raw stuff. Think GREEN.
• do not smoke ~ when you smoke, you're creating a heavier carbon footprint for yourself. You slow down the flow of blood to your kidneys, while increasing the chance of having kidney cancer by 50%. When you finish with your cigg, and you throw the butts on the floor next to you, you're polluting the environment. Simple way out -- STOP SMOKING!
• do not take over the counter pills on a regular basis ~ the key is not overdoing it. Common drugs, when taken excessively, can cause kidney damage.
• check your kidney functions if you have ~ (1) diabetes (2) hypertension (3) a family member with kidney disease (4) obesity

Stay healthy, everyone!

(source)

Three Little Birds

Happy March 11, everybody!

Today would be the 70th day of the year, and instead of reflecting on how time has flown, i'll just sit back and enjoy the flow. Join me? :)

amazing picture comes from (source) -- let's just chill.

There are 295 more days remaining till 2010 ends. How will you use these 295 days? How many of these 295 days will you spend being your most amazing self? Which of these 295 days will you spend being love, being fulfilled, being kind? Might i so bold as to suggest -- all of it?

Today, the SPM results for all 2009 Form Five students will be released. I can already foresee the tears (of joy? devastation?) that will roll. Housing a mechanism that helps me expect the worst to keep from being (too sorely) disappointed, i have been preparing myself for the lousiest results ever -- and to balance that out, reading some FAIL quotes to keep me going;

so here it is, for whatever will be, will be.

• A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour. -unknown

• Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

• Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

• Love the moment. Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed. -Corita Kent

• For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour. -Mary Kay Ash

• Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be all right. -Bob Marley

 
Have an awesome March 11, everybody!

For our sisters, mothers and friends.

Happy 8th of March, everybody! Today happens to be the International Women's Day. In many countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Nepal, today would be an official holiday.

(why not in Malaysia, too? :P)

So today, i urge you to be extra nice to every lady in your life -- not that you need an occasion to do that, but, you know ;) give her flowers, give her chocolates, give her hugs, give her love. Be it to your mother, your grandmother, your nanny, your sister, your wife, your maid, the auntie next door, i invite you to go up to her and hug her (or at least give a cheery "hello") and express your utmost appreciation to her for being.

To commemorate today, i highly recommend you readers out there take a few moments to read this incredible post. Titled "7 Simple Responses Which Help Support An Anti-Rape Culture", it stresses that the little things you do or say in everyday life can easily lead a man into carrying the mindset that Rape is OK.

3. When someone says, "The only way to prevent sexual violence is to teach girls and women how to avoid danger," respond with, "And I suppose the only way to prevent gun crimes is to teach people how to dodge bullets."

Also, something i would like to highlight, from one of the supportive commenters in this post :

Calling rape "sex" is like hitting someone over the head with a frying pan and calling it "cooking".

Very useful tips that i have memorized already, because the little things you do or say everyday can really amount to something -- and besides, what have you got to lose?

:)

Smile Today (and tomorrow) (and tomorrow)

Hellooooooo~ :D

Today while i was busy tending to my part-time job, i got back from my break and, out of nowhere, felt myself fill up with joy. It probably sounds like i'm off my rocker to announce that i suddenly, for absolutely no particular reason at all, felt so happy and light and absolutely free, but yeah, that's what happened.

I wanted to dance. I wanted to burst into song. I wanted to skip. I wanted to grab the next poor fellow that walked past and swing him/her around~

It was awe-summm.

Your job sucks? (Mine does) Perfect! Your boy/girlfriend just cheated on you? Fabulous! Your boss' favorite pastime is to watch you suffer? B-E-A-utiful. Stuck in traffic for literally hours on end? JOY! So your life sucks. So what?! Nobody said it would be easy, and if everything went your way -- well, it wouldn't be as satisfying in the end when everything fell into place, would it? So just take it easy, kick back, and have a nice, good, hearty laugh -- on the house.

(source)


(source)


(source)

You're gorgeous when you smile.

You're beautiful when you laugh.

So what's stopping you?

(source)

Be love ♥

Something i dug up

I was looking through an essay i wrote for a previous writing competition, and i found this (excerpt):

And then there is this: hope. It is an exciting emotion, and has many names; they call it evil, for it draws out a person’s sufferings. They call it a liar, because it lets us see only what we want to see, and that it bears no logic. But hope, to me, is a jubilant twisting in the stomach that we feel in our spirits. The senses awaken and revel in it, and the soul jiggles and dances. To truly hope is to risk enduring pain, but even that is something for us to rejoice in, for what is happiness without sadness? There are but rags and riches, winters and summers, and a person has to be lost before he is found. The truth of everything is this – there cannot be one without the other, so why not celebrate both?

Oh, the wisdom the younger me used to have! :P

I did not win anything, nor did i get shortlisted, but these are words that i still stand by and believe in.

Have a GREAT day, you all!

Gratitude Journal : Self-awareness

Goooooooood morning, amazing people!

(source)

Of late i have come to view life with a sort of optimism. I was telling a friend how things always fall into place, and he responded, "I envy you. The youth's hope." which made me feel rather sad, for is hope something that we only carry when we are young? As we grow older, do we stop believing that we can save the world? Do we slowly begin to not even bother to try?

When we 'grow up', and we see with our own eyes how ugly the world and it's people can sometimes be, can we not avoid becoming jaded? And in that case, is that not faith's call to action? For faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see -- William Newton Clarke said that.

I admit i am rather naive. I have never had a firsthand encounter with the ugly part of human nature, which is probably why my naivety continues to survive. After all, i am only 17 years old. What of the world have i seen? Despite this, i continue to believe, albeit stubbornly, that i will not lose this optimism.

Perhaps believe is the wrong word. Perhaps resolve would be a better word.

I will not stop believing in the goodness of human nature.

I will not lose faith in the ways of the world.

Today, i am grateful for this hope that twists in my tummy and alights in my soul. I am grateful that i have learnt to be happy despite unchanging external conditions.

Today, i am grateful for all the mistakes that i have made, and the opportunities that i have missed, because they have all been screwed up perfectly. This now moment that you're living in right now is the only one that you know you have for sure, so pick up all your "should have"s and "if only"s, throw 'em OUT, and just enjoy the ride.

(source)
Thank you.

Finally, I am grateful for my understanding of all that I have mentioned above.

Creative Writing Competition

What uppppppp, awesome people!

For those of you who write to liberate your soul and spirit (or just kick-ass at story telling) :--

Creative Writing Competition 2010

source : click here!

This year, the central theme for this contest is the UN's Millennium Development Goals, borne in 2000 and dreamt to be achieved by 2015 -- five more years to go.

Do what?
Imagine yourself before the United Nations General Assembly in front of 192 Heads of State. The President of the assembly introduces you to loud applause. The hall goes quiet as they await your words…

Basically, chose one of the 8 set goals and create the speech you imagine you would give to the world leaders -- and be creative about it!

For whom?
Junior category (age 12-15) : max. 1000 words
Senior category (age 16-18) : max. 1500 words
Adult category (age 19+) : max. 1500 words

For what?
To each category, the first prize is a netbook; second prize is an e-reader; third prize is an MP3 player.

By when?
The deadline is 21 March 2010, so hurry up and get started! Winners will be announced by May 2010. Entries must be submitted online HERE.

What ARE the MDGs?

:)

positive vibrations

Natasya Falina = Giving it back to make you smile says:
hahaahh ya well it'll be fine!!!
u can be positive
start jumping around
and scream happy happy happy
weeeee~

.

"From places thought impossible to stand -- here we are."

.

Real power is the quiet but certain understanding that everything that comes to us works for the good of us, no matter what it is.

.

“If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.”