Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The Royal Ngs
Just when I thought I had love all figured out, Godma offers a new perspective:"I thank God for blessing me with a wonderful son.
just 3 years ago, i was alone. now, i have you to love & be loved. =)
with the kids, i learnt what it was to really love someone. to cook a serving of prawns & eat none. to give up all my french fries. to clean & wash poop, vomit & pee on dirty bodies & clothes. to sing the same song & read the same story *with the same enthusiasm* for the 1001th time. =)
to cuddle, hug, kiss, hold & love for a long, long time..."
I miss them so much. :(
Ah yes, happy birthday dearest Jerome! Hopefully, when you're old enough to surf the net, you'll stumble upon my blog and see this dusty ol' birthday greeting.
Posted by Jo at 9:24 PM
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Peel
There comes a time in every phone owner's life where he or she has to make the all-important decision: To peel or not to peel. Some people like to peel it the moment they receive their new phone. Others, like me, like to keep it there for as long as possible. Today, after one year and one month with my e65, I decided to peel off the protective plastic layer that was over the hp screen. Well, it's not as if I had a choice anyway. The corner of the plastic started coming loose and it just got to a point where it annoyed me each time I tried to put the phone back into its pouch.I hate peeling. It makes my phone so naked and vulnerable to scratches. It's like having a new phone and going through the motion of taking care of it all over again. On the flipside, peeling is not necessarily a bad thing too. Now my phone looks good as new again. It certainly doesn't look like it's a year old. Out of all the useless things I can do well, this is definitely one to be proud of: I can take care of my phone. Good job Jo. A girl needs an affirmation every once in awhile.
On a deeper level, I think that's how we are sometimes. We try to hold on to something becos it keeps us safe and protects us from the dangers lurking outside. But change is inevitable. And sometimes, we just gotta take that brave step to peel away from our comfort zone to explore the world again, this time, without any protection, without any barriers. Yes, we may feel naked and vulnerable, but nevertheless, it's a fresh start. And of cos, God is always there to take care of us, making sure we don't get scratched.
Posted by Jo at 12:25 AM
Monday, April 21, 2008
Back with a vengeance
I was in KL for a short business trip a couple of days back. The magazine was launching the M'sian edition so my whole office went along for the party. We flew there and back, which left me in great discomfort becos I was having a bad flu and the changes in air pressure caused my ears to be semi-blocked. The amusing thing was that the flight only took 35 mins, but the bus ride from the airport to the hotel took us 1.5 hours.We stayed in a five-star colonial-styled hotel called Carcosa Seri Negara. It's on top of a hill. And may I add, it's the only thing on top of that lonely hill. So you can imagine how quiet it gets at night. I only found out when I got there that the building was built in the 1800s - withstanding world wars, British rule, and many generations of kings and prime ministers. My boss was excited becos he got to sleep on the same bed that Queen Elizabeth slept on when she visited KL sometime ago. Apparently, the people working there have reported unnatural sightings, if you know what I mean. But the only unnatural thing I saw was how ridiculously big my room was. Thank God though, I got to bunk with one of my colleagues.
Anyway, the launch party went well. I met with some of Malaysia's wealthiest people, including their first astronaut, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, whom all the girls went gaga over. You can try google-ing him to see how he looks like. But don't get your hopes high becos according to my sources, he's g-a-y.
The next day, we had a few hours to spare before heading back to S'pore, so we got on a cab and went to Sungai Wang for some retail therapy. It's like Far East Plaza lor. And the only thing I bought was a pair of gold earrings and a dress, which cost me a grand total of S$25.
On the bus ride back to the airport, The Beatles kept me company and sang songs I didn't wanna hear, but I listened anyway. I'm gonna put the lyrics here to remind myself. Three simple words, yet so difficult to follow. Sigh.
When I find myself in times of trouble,
Mother Mary comes to me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be.
And in my hour of darkness,
She is standing right in front of me,
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be.
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer,
Let it be.
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see,
There will be an answer,
Let it be.
And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine until tomorrow,
Let it be.
Anyway, here are some photos of my trip.
Hotel on a hill. Reminds me of that movie House on a haunted hill. Spooky...
Posted by Jo at 9:08 PM
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Praying for time
These are the days of the open handThey will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses
The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But we'll take our chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back and all God's children
Crept out the back door
And it's hard to love, there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too late
Well maybe we should all be praying for time
These are the days of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there is over here
So you scream from behind your door
Say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but I'll take my chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you
That he can't come back
'Cause he has no children to come back for
It's hard to love when there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much, much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time...
- George Michael
Posted by Jo at 9:58 PM
Monday, April 07, 2008
Updates from philanthropicjo
1) Charity organisation decidedAs of 1 April, a total of $38 has been raised and the money will be donated to Acts 29 for the following purposes:
- To fund the kids' school materials
- To support the teachers' salary
- To be used for kids' excursions
To find out more about Acts 29, click here to visit their website.
2) Items donated
I figured that certain items are probably not going to be sold anytime in this century, so I decided to donate them to Acts 29 who will be bringing the items to the Philippines for the children.
3) New "ruling"
I really like some of the items on the website so instead of waiting in anticipation and hoping nobody buys them, I've decided to set an expiry date on the items I really really want. So look out for certain items with a "Buy before" date. After the expiry date, the item will not be sold anymore.
4) New items on display
A Doolhof Signatures Unwooded Chardonnay 2005, two-in-one La Prairie pouch, Michelin Europe guidebook, Nicholas Feuillatte champagne, and Boncafe coffee.
What are you waiting for? Click here to do your shopping now!
