On the last day of 2015, i just want to say...

 THANK YOU.

for all that had been received & all that had been given.

for all that i wanted & all that i don't want. 

for all the likes & dislikes.

for all the pleasures & pain.

for all the ups & downs.

for all the light & darkness.

for all the sweet & bitter.

for everything that had happened to me.

 I am as excited about 2016 as i was for 2015. 

What lies ahead is planned yet unknown. 

Like how those clouds taking shape constantly 

because of the wind. 

Watching them, we can fit in our imagination on them,

free & wildly.

Who is to judge, except us?

Just be playful & foolish happily!

It is never too late or too soon.

It is when it supposed to be. 

~ Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

H A P P Y  N E W Y E A R 2 0 1 6 

F R I E N D S :)

 

I don't fancy C2H5OH. I am not sorry.

We are all smelling x'ams-sy, aren't we?
Presents, parties, hugs, laughter, drinkings... 

At this time of the year, friends around me get a chance to know me better on just ONE thing:
I don't fancy alcohol. I can't handle it.

In most time, i have to be up early the next day... a hangover yoga class--- Bad idea.  

If i do drink, it probably means i trust the people around me very much.

And I don't feel sorry about that at all:)

Most of my friends can handle alcohol very well.
I totally do envy them for the ability to manage the effect.

One year, I was celebrating my X'mas in India. We went to a club in Bangalore.
We ordered drinks and i wanted a fruit juice. I got stared by a friend.

 " What?! How on earth are you going to enjoy on the dance floor if you don't drink?"

I smiled.

I thought.

" Not necessary. I can enjoy better when I am clear headed."

In fact, the smell of alcoholic drinks reminds me of nail polish--- It almost feels like I'm sipping a glass of O.P.I --- hmmm... i prefer to have it on my nails:)

Initially, most friends felt more uncomfortable than me for not fitting in.
Very glad for me, that they have gotten used & respected my choices all the time.

 You have your beers and shots, i have my juice and coffee. No problem! :)

To all my dearest friends, I appreciate the respect, support and enjoyment you all had shared with me all these years. 

Many more happy time to come!

Cheers!

A LOVESHINES trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia 2015

 " The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We can never unseen something that had been seen.

My recent trip to Siem Reap with LoveShines had really made me think these days.
Though it was not my first time, I'd seen a fair share of slump areas and families living in extreme conditions during multiple trips to India.

Having most of my time living in a city, one can never get used to seeing people living literally having close to nothing.

Once, i stood in front of a house from a distance. I could already see everything inside. I could even count how many items were in there--- not more than 3.

So many times, i asked myself " How, how on earth can anyone live with so little and still carefree?"
I almost felt bad having so much back home, too much-- and hardly anyone is happy.

Why?

Photo credit: Darren Lim

Its a great reminder that there is no comparison of lives--- this is indeed a great wake up call for us who is trap in #firstworldproblem.

Scarcity and Abundance is just a flip of perception of life.
How much effort of self-inquiry throughout our lives we need, in hope to gain a little more knowledge and wisdom--- we need so little to be content and happy.

This trip, instead of saying they benefited from us;
Rather, we had received so much more from them :)