sherunsheruns

I have always looked up to amazing women. Female scientists, politicians, designers, humanitarians, artists, writers, public figures etc. Women who have conquered illness, climbed the highest mountains, helped build hospitals for dying children etc. I would read about their lives and be filled with utter amazement and awe.

Tonight, this blog posting is dedicated to Oprah Winfrey. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in the American history and was once the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments; the most influential woman in the world.

After 25 years of laughs, tears and aha! moments :) The Oprah Winfrey Show is coming to an end. It is rare that a queen is also a revolutionary, but the enigmatic and unprecedented career of Oprah Winfrey allows her to justifiably claim both of the titles. For the past quarter of a century, and more than 5,000 episodes; she has not only consistently dominated the ratings, but she has also redefined what television talk shows should be about. She has championed the higher aspirations and purposes of the ordinary folks, preaching & cajoling her millions of viewers to “Live Their Best Lives”. To me, Oprah has been all things to all people – as a healer, confessor, martyr, seeker, avenger, celebrity, benefactor, teacher and guru. She has provided viewers with a comprehensive instruction manual to life, in all of its messy splendor. Her idea of reinvention, of taking control of your own life and being empowered is so American – but it’s what the pilgrims and all of the other immigrant waves were all about. Her genius was how brilliantly she packaged that into the daily lives of her viewers.

I remembered, when I was in Murdoch, before my tutorial classes start, I will be at the computer lab finishing off my assignments & projects. Once done, I will go online and catch up with some of the Oprah talk shows episodes. What I have admired strongly about her is how she overcomes the obstacles of being an African American, of being a woman and how to remain relevant & self-sufficient throughout her whole career while overcoming some of her personal struggles which she publicly shared with everyone. I am very sure that it was not an easy journey for her to ensure that her award winning day time talk show consistently remain the highest-rated program of its kind in history, in a field which is widely dominated by white males; where as she is a black of ample bulk. Which of course, she makes up for in plainspoken curiosity, robust humor and above all empathy.

Oprah has taught everyone to be special. A desire to do something significant. A hunger to be someone amazing and inspirational. To live an admirable life and to make a difference. I like finding inspiration in what she and the many others women out there have done…or are currently doing. It’s amazing to see creative products and creative people at work.

in chains

This weekend, the house has been very quiet. That’s because my Pa is outstation in Penang and my Baby Sis is not at home for the weekend because she have to work. So, it was only my mom and myself. So, during the weekdays, I don’t know is it because of my age…I begin to feel a little bit uneasy of the thought of her staying alone at home, napping alone at home etc…even though I know my mom knows how to occupy and entertain herself every hourly. It gets a little bit unbearable for me. I go to work early in the morning before she wakes up and comes back home late at night. And as my mom’s knees is giving her a slight problem, am very concern that her clumsiness will aggravate the pain even further and hurt herself & there is no one at home to come to her aid. But I guess this is the reality of today’s situation…many old folks are being left alone by themselves as their children have to work, start to build their own family and are left with very little time to take care of their parents. Some were sent to old folks home, take turns at living with different children's house over a period of time or simply being neglected. I pray that both of my parents will remain mobile, independent, healthy, happy and in harmony for the remaining years of their life. And I pray that I will have the strength, the patience, the financial capability to provide the best for them in the future.

Living with my mom is difficult at times…I really really really love her very much, even though sometimes I may hurt her unintentionally and sometimes it can get difficult because I want to find my own direction & have the space to grow up too, but she is the best mother I can ever have. Sometimes I close my eyes and I think of the times we would sit down and talk about her friends, and then we'll talk about what happened at my office. Or the times I'd sulk because the herbal soup that she spent so many hours boiling was too bitter or taste awful for me. But mom, you are the best, always ready to cook me the most delicious food in the world.

Thanks for teaching me that, although there are many different kinds of love, there is no true love like the one a mother has for her child :)

my life in and out of the ring

Last Tuesday evening, I went out for dinner to attend the wedding of Mr. & Mrs. Simon – it was the longest wedding dinner ever. Usually, when the first dish have been served, it will take between 6 – 10 minutes before the second dish arrives…I think because that there was more than 50 tables around plus another wedding was also taking place at the same time…it took between 15 – 20 minutes. Bloody long. Nonetheless, everything was enjoyably tasteful and entertaining :) And how happy the cute couple was on that day. Definitely, the most happiest and most blissful moments in their life. The moments of Laughter. Comfort. And Joy.

On another hand, I have just received the news that Christine have separated from her husband Hendry recently. I still remembered that I attended their lavish wedding back in October 2009. It’s sad that this union was cut short. The couple has gone through so much. Nonetheless, I was also very impressed with Christine that she can pick herself up very quickly and strongly. Not only that she have to nurse her broken heart but also her body as she have experienced 2 miscarriages along the way as well. These days, she seems to be quiet but peaceful. Stronger perhaps. More mature. And much wiser.

For me, this unification as husband and wife, it is all unconditional and is all about love, promise, honor and loyalty. It is a sacred promise that two persons make to be always by each other’s sides. In every marriage, there are always the hard days. For sure, any marriage that matters surely will have arguments. And when the rough moments come, both of the husband & wife need to remember the good old times. To give them the encouragement and strength to step up again and to look forward to more good days. In such a relationship, I don’t like to use the word Forever…but I would like to think it as For As Long As Possible.

Lady of Leisure

I decided to say a little prayer before I open the letter :)

THANK YOU GOD, PRAISE TO THE LORD, BLESS YOU GOD :)

Last year my bonus payout amount in May was peanuts…I was very disappointed…I remembered that I was very jealous of my fellow comrades…I even blogged about it…therefore for this year…both of my hopes & expectations were kept low; very minimal…and it was a very very nice surprise…that I got such a figure! Totally unexpected, truly beyond my expectation! So, I am going to use the money very carefully & wisely…I’m making plans to ensure that I won’t use it all up, putting it aside in the bank to save it for the future, pamper myself a little, give some to my parents & Baby Sis (i take a lot from the people who love me. so this year, i want to make a big effort to love them back more) and of course, to others who need help. I come from a hard-working family, of modest means but with strong work ethics.

And life goes on…this year will be another demanding & challenging year as always…there is so many drama going on in the office right now…everyone wants to outdo everyone…there is always the sales & margin pressure, the 2011 contract negotiation…sigh, suddenly I feel like my future is not that bright…career path not that well-defined…early retirement not guarantee :) I know that I fell into this category of people who has to go through struggles in order to achieve something (monetary)…I envy people who seem to have that luck where good things just goes to them. Nonetheless, I know that I am very rich inside out. For that, I thank GOD for all of his generous blessings upon my family & myself non-stop. Joy. Content. Bliss :)

Life should be a celebration…so yeah, we shouldn’t forget to have fun as well :) I take great pleasure in life's smaller moments. And as much as I like to have fun, I also have a very serious contemplative side that likes to explore my inner self :)

catch my heart if you can

Pasta Zamai, Empire Shopping Gallery – I joined Team Tex in celebrating Shirley’s birthday and welcoming back Snow Petrol (after a 2 months’ of work break). You know, since Juan Carlos came onboard in February, the team hardly has any good lunch or dinner gatherings where we just sit in a circle and have a good catch-up session with everyone. All Juan Carlos does is to torture, to push and to demand us to work, work and work to deliver the results. Unfortunately…the depressing part is this…after 3 months of very hard labor, there is still no positive results in sight…I am not saying that Juan Carlos is a bad boss…but a lot of things takes time and fine-tuning. We will give Juan Carlos the expected performance in due time...even though, we know that we are running out of time. Please bear in mind that we are not magicians where we just wave our magic wand and the figures will automatically changes from the red to the blue. I think the more Juan Carlos ask from us, the more stress we will have to endure and I think that will not help much in our daily work productivity.

So, during this joyful lunch…I chatted to everyone…I heard everyone’s whole story…and I just talked and talked and talked. Its’ therapeutic :)

i run KL

I was not the winner. I was not in the Top 5 or in the Top 10 ranking…I am already happy that I actually have finished the whole race without any hiccups and got myself a medal :) I would say that the race was very demanding and challenging physically; we have to run 800 meters uphill before climbing up 2,058 steps to reach to the top level of 288 meters above ground level at Mega View (TH03).

The race officially starts at 8pm…however for our Woman Open Category (18years old – 34 years old), it only starts at 10.30pm. By that time, I was a little bit hungry and sleepy and restless. But once the race begins with a loud pistol bang, my body and my brain automatically charges up. For the 800 meters run, it was an uphill run! Thus, that itself already takes up a lot of my energy at the beginning of the race. I ran halfway and stop because I lost my breath, so I walk all the way until the staircase entrance :) Then I begin to climb the stairs. I was climbing and climbing…didn’t know which storey I was at…as I go up higher & higher, my ears were blocked and I cannot hear anything that clearly. I cannot feel my body, I cannot feel my legs, I cannot feel my heart beating. By the way, during this race, I was also nursing a mild flu. I did make several pit stops to pace myself, to let my heart beat calm down a little because it was beating very hard, fast & strong…I know this physical endurance have put a lot of stress on my body and my heart and I certainly don’t want to have a heart attack and die in this cramp & smelly tower. Finally, I have made it! Woo hoo! Yay! :) E5602 took 47minutes and 14 seconds to finish the race. I admit, it is not really a fantastic time but being able to reach to the top and stare down at the beautiful night view of KL…I felt that I have accomplished something :)

I’m no fitness freak, as some of you might have already known. But, I do enjoy that rush whenever I do something more physical. I also have a confession to make. I hardly ever exercise much. I don’t go to the gym, I can’t swim, I don’t do stretches, nor play any other sports regularly. I didn’t prepare myself much for this towerthon. I just go for my regular weekend jog, and incorporated going up the stairs multiple times to build up my stamina. And in the office, I try to use the stairs more often and as much as possible. Thus, finishing this towerthon is sort of like a big achievement for me. Somehow, this accomplishment is going to spur me to take on other bigger physical activities with the right preparation of course :)

The Kind Life

The Canton Fair was fantastic. The magnitude of the event is even bigger than that of Yiwu.

Canton Fair 2011 is the 109th session of the China Import and Export Fair. The Canton Fair is China's largest trade fair; a fair at the highest level, and of the most complete of varieties and of the largest attendance and business turnover will be held in Guangzhou (also formerly known as Canton) on April 15th to May 5th, 2011 in a larger scale.

The fair is held twice a year in Spring and Autumn since it was inaugurated in the Spring of 1957. Preserving its traditions, the Fair is a comprehensive and a multi-functional event of international importance because all of the world’s buyers & retailers will be there. Business people from all over the world are gathering in Guangzhou; exchanging business information and developing friendship. Forty seven Trading Delegations, being composed of thousands of China's best foreign trade corporations (enterprises) with good credibility and sound financial capabilities, take part in the Fair, including foreign trade companies, factories, scientific research institutions, foreign invested enterprises, wholly foreign-owned enterprises, private enterprises, etc.

All of the three complexes at Pazhou where the event is being held is so big, there were so many booths, so many tiers…3 days we were there (Juan Carlos, Celtic & myself)…we couldn’t even finish visiting & covering all of the booths. We have to be selective and wise in choosing our assortments and the suppliers.

I am happy with the experience, celebrating this opportunity but also at the same time, I am also very worried because Juan Carlos keep asking us to buy, buy, buy…and with 8 stores that is going to be compact and revamp soon…issues of storage limitations and overstock will arise. Well, can’t think too much for now… when the problem comes, I am sure the team will handle them as it is. Juan Carlos will make excellent decisions, Celtic will give invaluable pointers and the team will stayed up through the nights of production till dawn :)

One life to live

To Kill A Mocking Bird – Harper Lee.

Finally…I have finished reading this book…its old English, thus I find it very hard to read, very difficult to understand and not familiar with the structure. Many issues were brought up and explored with the most prominient issue is regarding race.
Thank GOD, I did not live in that era; whether it’s in the United States or here in Malaysia. Just imagine, if you are a colored race...you are not guilty in a particular case as the evidence says so but the jury will still find you guilty just because you are colored.

Because I lived in a multicultural society, issues of racist do not apply to me. As different races began to integrate and become 1 unit – I don’t think we have that many typical cultural differences at all.

I think deep down my character is based more on Chinese, Malaysian & Western values, with a strong Asian cultural quirk that flavor my personality. I didn’t go to a Chinese school. Therefore, I can’t read Chinese. I only know how to read in English & Malay. Thus, I read a lot of Western materials which shapes my attitudes and values towards family, food, health, friends, work, money, stress, children, holidays, TV, time, the future, etc. In particular, there is also my natural propensity to try a little harder to be a little different and stand out in everything I do. Not to show off to others, but to confirm to myself that I was different and special.

But I have to admit; sometimes I too tend to perceive people negatively and start to pass out my own judgments. For example, there are many African students who have come to Malaysia to study. Some are genuine students and some are not. Some are abusing their student visas and got involved in illegal activities where their victims are the Malaysians who fell for their scam. And when I see these black folks, especially the guys…I will feel scared. It didn’t help that they were all so big and tough looking, and I basically look like they could squash me with their fingers. They have the same haircut and their skin was so dark, I couldn’t tell them apart when I looked at them. That made me more nervous because I couldn’t tell who was who. They also have this straight serious expression on their faces all the time. They talked very loud, they hang out in groups, they drink a lot. It was scary looking at them. They all looked like thugs to me with a lot of bling on them. But don't judge a book by its cover.

Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught.

SIX GOING ON STRANGE

The Boy Who Will Be King is all grown up now.

On April 29th, Queen Elizabeth II presided over the union of William and Kate - one of the current crop of successful partnerships in her family and this is the young woman that the Queen expects will help her grandson to safeguard the future of the monarchy as Prince William takes a growing role as the face of the family. I am sure that the Queen is beaming with delight right now that everyone in her family now seems happily settled after the turmoil of the previous generations.

Thirty years after the famous single kiss on the balcony between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, their son Prince William and his new bride; Catherine Middleton, made their own bit of history. More than any other moment, it also symbolized the turning of a page for the British monarchy, of a new generation of Kings and Queens who would, perhaps, stand somewhat closer to the people.

I didn't manage to watch the live telecast of the wedding nor the re-runs but from what I have read in the newspapers, the celebration was British to the core. There was the traditional pomp, pageantry and protocol aplenty, but there is also a new and different air to it: more relaxed, more personal and more natural. The whole day was more realistic, more recognisable to the ordinary people and a good deal more fun. These occasions also help to reinvigorate the monarchy; they generate fresh, worldwide interest in its activities; and they offer the promise of another generation to come to sustain it.

Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot

Pens are fun.

Nothing beats a slow day, sipping on iced Milo and doodling thoughts, poetry or my marketing genius plans :)

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

The sky is blue, the sun is shining, the air is delicious :)

I had a magical moment, where I felt the warmth of the sun on my arms…and I was filled with such an abundance of glowing happiness :) Thank you GOD for everything...for this blessed life of mine.

fountain for Youth

Liverpool are up to fifth in the Premier League table after recording a comfortable victory of 3 – 0 over Newcastle. Maxi Rodriguez, Luis Suarez & Dirk Kuyt found the net :) It’s a good sign…the team is improving well in terms of strategies and they are both physically & mentally fit. They trashed Birmingham 5 – 0 in their previous game…so hopefully their game consistency remains consistent.