got this one off facebook. parts of it are true. but then again, with the Internet being what it is, I guess it wouldn't hurt to take it with a pinch of salt....

Phlegmatic (Water)

1. Visualize yourself floating Flowing, moistening, merging The reservoirs, river and streams of your body
2. Going deep within for the wisdom of life. The depths of the unconscious mind, Facing the darkness of the unknown,
   
3. Find the courage to be vulnerable, Aging with grace and health.
   
4. Massage your lower back,
   
5. Avoid cold foods and sugar.
6. Limit your salt intake.
   
7. And always listen to your dreams.

a friend introduced me to this poem. definitely something worth thinking about.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

there we were, staring (practically) at the succulent grilled ikan pari and the two condiments (kuah asam pedas as well as the dip for the fish), served with piping hot steamed white rice. simply describing it now (approximately one week after the fact) still makes my mouth water!

we'd made our way there (dora, yani and yours truly) courtesy of dora. the lunch crowd was still making their way into the restaurant (it was a working day!), which goes on to show that the food served there IS good. i'd vouch for this cos so far, the places dora introduced us served good food. at practically a steal. ok, maybe not so, but quite affordable and doesn't quite pinch the pocket, at least not that much.cos a whole set (rice+fish) is only RM 5.50.

the fish served was freshly prepared on the premises, and the moment you sink your teeth into the flesh of the fish, the yummy marinade simply sizzles on your tongue. and i was told that during the fasting month, there are really long queues for this ikan bakar.

it's nice to think that during these trying economic times, there are people who do not put profit before everything else.at times when people are thinking about their shrinking spending power, there are still people (like the proprietor of Ikan Bakar Fend) who are quite considerate with the prices of their food.

*so i guess i don't have to go all the way to umbai to get yummy ikan bakar now, do i? *wink*

the saying goes that 'bahasa mencerminkan bangsa' . i geddit. having a language to call your mother tongue is a blessing, an integral part that defines your identity.

i've gotten my fair share of tongue lashing from a lot of people, simply because i am more comfortable speaking in English than in Bahasa Malaysia. so does that make me less of a Malay? or less Malaysian that a person who speaks 100% Malay, all the time?

cos to me, speaking in English is simply a better mode of communication. simply because, i am more comfortable speaking in English, and my flow of thought is smoother in English. oftentimes, when i am teaching in class, i'd have to stop explaining a concept since i don't know the malay equivalent of that particular word/ concept. I don't speak English because I feel more American or more British. or that I avidly idolise 'bahasa penjajah'. I speak English because i'm surer of what i'm saying.

the only thing that's not very malay about me is the fact that i speak english more than malay. my value system is still very much malay. having been brought up in the states for a few years does not necessarily make me condone premarital sex or other things that aren't accepted in the malay culture. as i always tell my students, when you go abroad, learn and emulate the good values. leave the bad ones behind.

so does that make me any less malaysian?

that word called friendship, and feelings, are always two very,very sticky words.

it's amazing how we tend to hurt the people whom we love the most more often than not, and sometimes also take them for granted, consciously, deliberately, or otherwise. we always assume that they'd always be there for us, that they'd be able to put up with all the nonsense that we manage to come up with, that we conveniently forget that there's always a limit to what a person can take.

i've never been a person who's always had a whole gaggle of friends with me, but i treasure the few ones that i have. cos they're the ones i can count on when the world gets a little bit too crazy for me to handle on my own, to be able to knock some sense into my head when i seem to have rammed my head against a brick wall, to just be there whenever i need them.

and it's not like it's always been smooth sailing with them, either. like brothers and sisters, we quarrel. heck, there was a moment when we weren't on speaking terms, either, but, in the end, we managed to sort things out. now, with the benefit of hindsight, i believe that incident taught me who my real friends were, and still are. and I thank God for every single one of them.

it's a sticky thing, friendship and feelings. being friends doesn't necessarily mean having to agree with our friends all the time. there are times we have to let them see the truth, even though it may mean having to hurt their feelings a bit.

but for us to take our friends for granted, that, is cruel. especially if that person has always been there for us, through thick,and thin, and when our world seems as if it's going to explode. it's only right for us to return the favour.

fairweather friends are plenty to come by, but true friends are far and few in between..

to my friends, you know who you are. thank you for always being there for me, for sticking up with all my nonsense, for knocking sense into my head, for just being you. here's wishing for another 1000 years of your friendship!