.::Chronicling one's life for the benefit of one's self::.

Better Times Ahead

The hardest struggle of all is to be something different from what the average man is.- Robert H. Schuller

It's been a while since I felt like blogging. I've gone through a tedious, tiring and draining process of change. My thinking that is. I used to believe that when life gets at you, you can and should get back at life. Never despair and always fight on. I still do believe that you should get back at life when it tries to bring you down. In fact, double up the efforts and make sure life can't win over you.

I am glad though I had to go through a lengthy episode of topsy-turvy experience of confusion, hurt and still emerge stronger albeit scathed by the whole thing. The experience steeled my desire to prove myself and also strengthened my belief that nothing can bring you down, if you do not allow it to. Additionally, the struggles in doing what I believe I should do versus doing what will please certain people has taught me many valuable lessons.

Lesson 1: Don't Try Too Hard
There are times when you should stop trying. When you've reached the point that trying further will not bring about any change for the better, stop. By pushing too hard, you may end up becoming the victim of your own efforts. No one will appreciate and some will even blame you for it. So when you feel that you've really tried, I mean REALLY tried, but it's still not working, take two steps back. Rethink your options. Sometimes, giving up at this juncture may be the best option.

Lesson 2: Stop Blaming Oneself
When nothing seems to work, after trying so hard, don't turn negative and start blaming youself. Hey, you tried your very best remember? So take a chill pill. Sometimes, in certain things we do, it takes two, or more, to make things work. When you feel least appreciated, or even made use of, it's because you were the one that made it happen in the first place. If you were not good enough in whatever it was you did, who'd care to bother. Right? So believe in your own strengths and improve your weaknesses. If someone tells you that you need to understand someone in a certain way, ask the person to do the same for you and see what happens. You don't owe anybody a living. Work your a*s off if you need to but get what you deserve in return.

Lesson 3: A Colleague Is Not A Friend
This is one of the lamest, most rubbish thought that I learnt or was told to try to learn. In life there's hardly anything as difficult as going it alone; having someone to lean on can make even the bitterest of life's blows tolerable. Research even suggests that relationships are as vital to our health as good nutrition and regular exercise, perhaps more so. Spending more than a third of your day with your colleagues means you get to learn a lot about each other. It's therefore natural to develop friendships after becoming colleagues. It's like how you used to spend a lot of time with your classmates, uni-mates, NS-mates (for guys). But of course, to each his own. I believe that there are valuable friendships to be made with my colleagues (and ex-colleagues). So sue me for violently disagreeing.

And that sort of sums up the thoughts I've been wanting to get off my mind for a long while. Some people deserve to be treated well, some just doesn't. And one thing for sure, I've realised who I should spend time treating well and who I should just not be bothered about. I am past the "pissed" stage and just wants to move on in life. I am certain there'll be better times ahead.

That's all for now peeps.

Thanks for reading peeps! Posted by Apis on Saturday, 3 October 2009

It Takes an Indian to Understand Another Indian (Joke)

This is a Malaysian joke. It sounds like insulting the former Malaysia's infamous minister Samy Vellu and former Prime Minister Mahathir. Here's the joke:

Samy Vellu was visiting India when he fell and broke his jaw. He was unable to speak. Being the great leader that he is, he continued his grand tour.

On the last week of his visit, although unable to speak, Samy insisted on sending a message home to his Cabinet colleagues. Samy caught a chicken and showed it to the camera. Next he took a goat, and showed it to the camera. Finally he took a bag and displayed it in front of the camera.

Dr Ling was the first to see the video clip. He said, "Samy is telling us that India has insufficient food because he showed us a chicken and a goat and he wants Malaysia to donate bags of rice."

Mahathir watched silently then said, "No lah....what Samy is trying to say is HE IS COMING BACK.

The whole Cabinet was puzzled and looked to the old man for an explanation. Mahathir reasoned, "AYAM(chicken in Malay) KAMBING(Goat in Malay) BAG" ("I am coming back" in Indian accent).

(Taken from www.funkydowntown.com)

Thanks for reading peeps! Posted by Apis on Sunday, 6 September 2009

Missing A Great Friend

Don't get me wrong... My great friend is still alive and kicking. Just that I haven't had the chance to meet up with him and his family. I missed those old days in camp. He's now a father (albeit being younger than me). And his son is so so so adorable. Maybe I should consider becoming his god-father. Haha!! Enjoy the pics I "stole" from his facebook account.

Raymie, his wife Sheila and son, Ryan Danish

Thanks for reading peeps! Posted by Apis on Thursday, 30 July 2009

Survival Instincts

A friend of mine recently shared something very interesting:-

There are two types of ways to survive in this world.

Have you ever heard of the phrase "going with the flow"? This applies exactly to people who wants to survive their mundane and uninteresting lives. They do their best to blend in and be camouflaged so that they will never stand out like a sore thumb. Boss say go right, they go right. Boss say go left, they go left. People who go with the flow are very likely to do their best to do the bare minimum required so that they can maintain their jobs and they are likely to also be very protective of the work they do. The rationale is simple. If you allow someone else to help them complete their task, they will be not worried their job will be made redundant. Rather, they are worried that people will know how little work they really do!

Have you ever wondered we always say the young of animals and humans are normally deemed as "cute", "adorable", etc? Especially in the jungle, why is it that the most ferocious of animals (example, lion) will not attack their young (example, lion cubs)? Why do we, when we see babies, turn soft and cuddly with the babies, and look like a fool trying to make "baby talk"? Supposedly, it's a natural parental instinct in all animals towards their young. So what does this say? In order to survive in the corporate "dog-eat-dog" world, all you have to do is "ACT CUTE" lor!

These two most basic ways of surviving in the world is so easy to do. Who says we should worry about retrenchment, down-sizing, etc? If you can't blend in, just act cute. I am sure you'll do just as well. I hope you find the two tips useful in living your day-to-day lives.

Thanks for reading peeps! Posted by Apis on Monday, 27 July 2009

Melaka & KL Trip - July 2009

Despite having a bad back (muscles were over-stretched I guess for working too hard in the gym), my family, my fiancee, my friend and my brother's gf, made our way to Melaka and KL over the last weekend. We drove up in 2 cars. Surprisingly, we managed to reach in 2 hours. We did a quick stop before driving up to KL in 3 cars, including my cousin's family.

The purpose of the trip was more to buy the clothes for the wedding day for my cousin's family and for my family to buy our Hari Raya clothes. For the first time in my life, I don't know when is Hari Raya this year even though it's less than 3 months away. Too busy lah to think of it.

Anyway, during the shopping trip, I think my mum was really surprised that I can really buy clothes off the shelf now! No more tailoring of Hari Raya clothes needed. Yeah!! And my uncle was certainly shocked because I am now wearing the same clothes size as him. Haha!! OK lah, the pictures will speak more than a thousand words.