Come on and celebrate

Chai Shen Tao. Here comes God of Prosperity. Yeah, MacDonald also launched Prosperity burger too. Yes, Chinese New Year is here. Red is seen everywhere. The colour of prosperity. Funny thing is I don't feel properous (except my tummy that tells me that I'm rich in other areas) and I'm wondering, is it just me or I don't feel the mood of celebration? I'm not saying anything but I just don't feel like celebrating, however I feel good about the days of work leave though.

Back in the old days (I'm old you see) Chinese New Year was THE celebration that I wait for, year after year. Fire crackers of all types and sizes were found in almost every street corner and waited to be bought and I was the one buying. That time money has some value, more chunks in a note, than now. I usually bought about 100 bucks worth and it was ALOT at that time. By the end of the 15-day celebration, I would have used up about 4 boxes of 144 sticks of Moon Travellers along with other brands and types. I played the red firecrackers so much that I nearly blew my fingers off...several times. Will that deter me? Ha! I laugh at my mother...not in front of her at least. Ah yes, those were the days my friends. Sigh. (I noticed that I sigh alot too).

Ang pow was the second thing that I often look forward too during Chinese New Year. I have no idea that Ang Pow was the primary thing that everyone seek for during the festive season. Now I look at both my parents, it would the last thing I wanted them to do, to part with their money that they have saved for us kids. I'll never find the heart to ask from them but it is customary to take, sigh, I wish they have a rule saying that no adult above age 21 would be allowed to receive the ang pows. I wish but most people would say, try to get off your parents as much as possible (yup I met these people before) so that you don't have to pay so much. I can't. I just don't have the heart. How I wish I could pay them all in return but with my current pay, I could only pay slightly more than half of what the expenses incur in a month. Damn it! Why life can be so hard on the ones I cared for. Now I got to think of my future too. Another sigh.

Coming back to Chinese New Year, I look around and I see that the whole atmosphere is fading. Commercialism is high but the culture is fading...fast. The actual concept of celebrating is heading towards commercialism and lost its meaning of celebration of a New Year. Hope, family reunited, clearing of debts (a Chinese thingy - by new year, all debts should be cleared before the new year), etc. These and more have lost its meaning. Tradition is good but when the meaning is lost or no recognized then tradition would be lost, faded into history books.

Hmm....today is the New Year's Eve and a family gathering is often done and eat together. I looked at my setting in my own household, it is fading too. Just a few of us but tradition is tradition. Anyway, I got too much to say but I can't...my dinner is ready and my father beckons me to the table. Happy Chinese New year readers. Happy Chinese New Year.

A donkey and a chicken

I went out with a donkey and a chicken tonight at our usual mamak and I have to say that I am glad that I have friends like that. It makes life easier for me at least. A laugh or two is shared, ideas no matter how crazy or foolish, but most friends would say "an extra mile is given". A friend that goes the extra mile for you means alot to each other. So the two of you, yeah, you know who you are. Thanks so much. Today's blog is a short one just to acknowledge my friends out there not only the donkey and the chicken but everyone else too. Each of you makes my life richer and I've always would try to be there for you. For those who knows me, if I can do it for you and it is within my reach, I'll reach out and help you out. Living in a world that sux, friends are hard to find and should be cherished. Here's to you all and my thanks.

A spoonful of sugar

Sick. I'm sick. Okay. Not that bad but nevertheless I'm not feeling well. Better to remind myself to sleep earlier next time. After a few days of sleeping a few hours each night, it really kills your immune system. Not to mention the "healthy" mamak food that I gorge down my throat in the morning for breakfast and lunch. Kinda reminds me of the "supersize me" documentary. You haven't heard of it? You poor thing. Try googling it and see if you get a better picture. Hmmm... I used the word googling. Is that such a word in the first place? It's like saying, "Oh dear, you split some milk, you need kleenex". The product/brand name has become the verb or an adjective or anything in English. Sad isn't it? Just the other day I met this lady and she told me that she's on her way to photostat something. I looked at her and I nearly asked, "photostat"? How old are you guys anyway? The last time I've seen a photostating machine was when I was a kid, playing marbles. The machines today (developed my Xerox if I'm not mistaken) is called a photocopying machine. Photostating machine is long gone. That's not all of the words being butched, for instance, Maggie mee has become THE word for instant noodle. I know, I know... as long as someone understands it then it's okay. Yes, that is true but still sucks. It tells me that, one, you haven't done your homework or two, you are too lazy to find out (doesn't that seem odd for someone to say 'hey buddy, could you pass that Nescafe?' when you know that the word is instant coffee and the coffee its labeled as Cafe 21?) or three, you vocabulary is just plain limited. I'll take the third possible reason for 1000 please. Funny isn't it? Most people I know are graduates but still have limited vocab. Sigh. Irony of life. Anyway, I'd better hit the sack early tonight but first...CSI.

Guilty

Okay. Okay. Time for me to publicly admit something. Hmmm....

1. Starting this year (which is not very long ago), I've realized just how old I am. Sigh. I'm getting old. Yeah, I can't run or I can't do my normal physical stuff as I could before and I notice that whenever I got a bruise now, it takes longer to heal. Sigh. I still remember that I use to punish my body pretty regularly by not sleeping as much to try to enjoy life as much as I could (remembering those nights when I spent playing computer games) but now I can't. It's not that I don't want to but just signs of old age. I use to be more outspoken, take the bull by the horns and meet life head on. Another sigh. I've avoided all those now...trying to conserve energy most of the time now.

2. I have to admit that I'm not fat but I ain't that slim either. Fighting to get my waist from 33 inches to 32 inches is like trying to maintain economic crisis of this country. Yeah, yeah, I know William. You can stop laughing now. That goes for you too Joel. I've notice that my belly seems to be growing half and inch and later receded half and inch too. I wonder if my purging of my bowels has got to do with it too....hmmmm. Anyway, for this battle, I just have to find another form of activity. I use to play badminton but now... sigh. I can play badminton, I ain't that good but I can send the shuttle to my intended direction.

3. I have to admit that I still miss my Honda. *Sniff*. Even though it has been like...what... four years ago since I last sold it. This one...what can I say. I still enjoy my current car, hardly any problems for a 13 year old car to boot. But I miss the power that my old honda can give. Oh well. I still got a car to drive ya?

Time is now 3:30...need to get my beauty sleep....whatever dude.

What does Blog mean to certain people?

Some people I know asked me to have my very own blog since I grumble some of the times (okay, I lied, most of the time) and so I've decided to humour these group of people (yeah you know who you are). Okay, so I ask to myself, now I've gotten a blog of my own. Where do I go from here? The thing about blog is that it stands for a variety of meanings to certain people/bloggers.

1. Blog which means (weB LOG). This is the original meaning and where the word Blog derived from and that's why you get people that write and show their private and personal stuff to the public. Hmmmm, sounds oxymoron-ish? Life IS filled with those itty-bitty oxymoronic stuff. Deafening silence is heard too. :)

However, there are people (readers) out there who loves to read the lives of other folks. The writers' life struggles, laughter, tears of joy, etc. Who knows one of the readers could be your friend or a stranger that has gone through the same experience as the writer and could end up as e-pals.

Where was I? Oh yeah.

2. Blog could also mean (B!tchig Log). This is what blog is known for too. Most of the time blogs are seemed to be therapeutic in nature. Some poor soul (wonder if there is such thing as rich soul or not) would need some vent to release their pent up stresses in his/her life and could only do so in words then B!tching Log would be the place to go. After all, where else could you go and blame everyone else and for the whole world to see about how your poor dog, I mean boss, that gave you a measly 400 bucks increment while you want 800 bucks, at least, so that you could then afford a new beamer?

3. By-the-way Log could also be seen in many blogs out there too. These are just ramblings and mumblings that their friends carefully avoid without hurting too much of the blog owner's feelings and so the blog owner would find someway to ramble about something that feels important to them but not necessarily to friends IRL (In-Real-Life). I happen to fall into this category (a distant "aaaawwww" is heard echoing).

4. Business Log is popping up lately. Yes sireee. These group of people wanted to have a website to host their business stuff (ah....thinking back on the old dot com days) but don't want to pay for the website and so they create a blog (free mah) and use it as a launch pad for their business products/services/what-nots to the web and the potential consumers (world wide).

5. Boastful log. Pretty much like point number 3 (aka a different version of the By-The-Way log) but more towards showing off where IRL no one gives a hoot about their new 300 bucks watch-strap.

6. Bandwagon Log. Since everyone else has a Blog then might as well join and hop into the same bandwagon though you may not know where you'll be heading with the Blog that you just created and may just do nothing and leave it there but to occupy the harddisk space of the poor host (which they normally give you freely by the way!) I know alot of these people too.

7. Blah-blah-blah Log. Since there could be so many other reasons, well, safe to mention this group of bloggers, which their nature of fun is blogging, for whatever reason is categorised in this category.

8. Be-aware Log is the last that I want to write about. This type of blog is to try to create awareness about stuff. Liposuction, investments, dangers of dating, etc. Some of these blogs are to promote their products/services but some of these blogs are mainly to promote awareness and some of these sites are pretty good if you know what you are reading and reputable. Just be careful of their "bias" views too.

Okay, I'm running out of ideas of "what is Blog" stands for anyway. After all it is, let me check...., 4:16 am in the morning right now.

I know that I could write more and expand each point but I'm tired and I need to get up early (beating the jam is a good thing in the morning). Anyway, till next time (whenever that is, I may even move from one category to the next like from "by-the-way" to "bandwagon" category too), I'll say goodbye for now and goodnight.