To be happy, or (nor?) sad

 Sunset yesterday!

So magical, the sun rays over Jurong...

As the title says... Well yeah today I don't know if I should feel happy or sad after the discussion I had with Dr Simon. But then that was in the morning after we discussed. At the end of the day... I think I should feel happier haha. Thanks to the Dalai Lama Book "Art of Happiness" I've been reading hahaha. Well yup I feel happier, after weighing the sadness down.

Just a reminder to myself, that things happen for a reason.

So yup today was a normal Thursday I suppose. Gosh can't believe it's Thursday already, Monday felt like yesterday! :O So anyway today was an alright day I guess, just a normal Thursday that goes as it is. So yay. Things dawn upon me that well, we take one step at a time! :) I know I'll finish this, and I'll finish this well. I know that I will finish my project. We will all finish it well!

Been raining for the past three days, the weather has gotten chilly and people are falling sick! So please take care of yourself people! Drink more water and don't forget the vitamin and juices and fruits and vegetables and exercise hehe. The drastic change of the weather I think is one of the factors that we're all falling sick so please take care alright! :)

So thanks to the chilly weather today I decided to have yong tau foo for dinner at Clementi. Oh so yummy, warms me up in such a cold day hehe. An at home I just rest well, laying on my bed watching TV (oh how healthy!) and I played some piano too. Funny how I spent about 2 hours watching TV and times seems to fly so fast -_- well, life is life.

Hmm... Currently thinking of decisions. I hope I don't make irrational ones but I know I don't! Haha. Just time will tell that's for sure... I hope I made the right one. I know I made the right one. Oh well.... Nevermind, one more day to decide. Though tonight I was doing some research.

Alright that's all for tonight! TGIF tomorrow! Woots :D

Things happen for a reason
If they don't happen for a reason
They wouldn't have happened at all

When I'm sad, I run

 This is my hometown

Happy Sunday everyone....! Right even though it's sort of ended now haha. Oh well still, happy Sunday and may you have a great week ahead! Today was a normal Sunday I guess. Oh, a rainy one too. I went to the temple as usual in the morning, and it was really cloudy in  Eunos. Then as I took the bus back it poured so heavily in town! Thankfully it got lighter when I arrived.

Then the sun shines again....

Anyway today at the Sunday Puja, a Bhante from Mangala Vihara (sorry I forgot his name :[ ) was talking to us, about human versus nature. How we humans are weaker than nature but with faith, we can overcome problems. Not in the context of like natural disasters and we overcome them, but more of how we grow back to recover. And also in the context of diseases.

I think he's very true. Come to think of it, we humans don't have the ability to just "throw away" our sickness the next day and get better. We can't just "get away" from a disaster and somehow get better totally the next day. We can't. But well our faith can. If we've the will to live, if we have the will to fight, we can go back to where we started, and get out from the condition.

The mind! Is everything. I think not only in Buddhist context, but generally, faith.

I fell asleep in the afternoon after the usual grocery shopping. I -almost- wanted to give my run a miss but hey I decided to still go for one cause I'm two weeks away to Safra 10K! Oh gosh, left with next Sunday for my last run before the race. But I can do this hehe. Today's run was longer and I somehow enjoy it, though I have not run since like two weeks ago too.

Somehow today after my run, as I was having my long walk to cool down... I was pondering about life. Everything that I went through during my walk, everything, was somehow related to life. I don't know how and why, but I just have that thoughts inside my head. Then as I ended my walk, I was just looking at the sky above me. This unexplainable sense of happiness and positivity rushed through me. Feels... Weirdly awesome. Somehow, the future played in my head. A bright future ahead.

I don't know why either, but it's good to dream, to visualise your goals right? And what's best is... They just play in my head. How, somehow, everything is going to happen.

Alright perhaps I can enlighten your more with my thoughts soon. I'll write them here. As for now I need to go to bed! Week 20 starts tomorrow! Ahwooh! Awesome week ahead (Y)

Free yourself

If One Day

 Boat ride

Today was such a great Saturday hehe. An exciting one, and once again I did something for the first time in my life which I reckon to be something worth blogging about! :) I had a great weekend so far, and well I'm thankful that my days were getting better after I'm back here though I was feeling terrible after my 6 days leave. May my days be better here then! :)

Anyway today.... I did a studio photoshoot for the first time! Yup with all those cool gadgets and the trigger flash and so on. I have no experience in this, and thus I was feeling rather nervous before we start. Didn't manage to get nice shots in the beginning. Cause we used a wrong setting (the person told us after the first half of the shoot). But we get awesome shots after that.

Yup I'm helping Kai to take photos of her models (which is her best friend and her sister) for her blogshop! They really know how to pose so that's good, they're natural in front of the camera. I have no experience in studio photoshoot. I did read up on some in one magazine but I couldn't remember every detail. And most of the thoughts and ideas came from... Watching fashion shows like ANTM, Project Runway and also from my sister's magazines! Heh blessing in disguise.

So anyway thank you Kai for giving me the opportunity. To be honest I've been wanting to try to do a photoshoot for models, I think it's a cool thing :P So when she asked me if I can help her part of me doubted myself thanks to no-experience, and part of me is excited too! So yup thanks for giving me that opportunity and I hope you like the photos though we didn't manage to get nice ones in the beginning. And thanks to your mum for sending me back to Clementi! :D

After the shoot I went home, wanted to head out to get dinner but I ended up falling asleep from like 6 to 8 -_- so much for "I'm getting up at 7 to buy food" haha. So well laziness kicked in and I had supermi for dinner instead, which is still yummy and a perfect comfort food. Cause I want to eat something soupy as well. Instant noodles FTW!

Yesterday was a bonding day for the people at my intern company! So we went to Ubin for a day out, cycling and kayaking hehe. Oh I love the island so much. And for a $10 deal for both activities I think it's really a great deal! I enjoyed my day with them :) To Kayak with Ciara and just floating around the sea and had a chat with Kat and Victor haha so awesome (Y)

After that I went for dinner and a drink with Vithya, Kai and Candy. It's a post-birthday celebration for Vithya! Happy belated birthday woman, hope you enjoyed the dinner and the drink hehe. Gosh we were so high yesterday, I couldn't exactly remember what happened haha. But it was fun, I enjoyed going out with them. Talking about nothing else but life. And had a good laugh too!

Alright I guess that's all for now. Can't believe it will be the last week of August next week. It's nearing. The end that is. Okay I can't wait to go to the temple tomorrow! And going for a run too. Awesome Sunday waiting for me ahead, awesome week waiting for me ahead.

If one day you feel like it's the end
Take a look back, that long road
Ventured by you, turns and bends
Take a look ahead, a road so braod
You went through this far
You have a long way ahead
So why give up?

Back to work

Hello, yes today is the last day of my leave. It's a 3-day leave but with the weekends, it turned into six. But well yeah I really had a great time for the past 6 days. So great, the six felt like three. But well yes, before I left for Indonesia I told myself I want to have a great time, I want to rejuvenate and I want to take a good break for that 4 days back at home. And sure I did, as I said 4 days seems like a nice duration for a getaway, especially home.

And I returned to Singapore on Monday with my mum, sister, brother and his girlfriend. My mum, sis and I stayed at Marina Bay Sands Hotel! First time staying there and it's so freaking awesome. Though we got a room on the second floor, and... Not much view can be seen. But I love the hotel. Service was great and everything's cool there.

I had a great 3 days in Singapore as well, walking and traveling around with my mum and sister. Shopping, seeing stuff, and eating. I think I ate so much in the last three days I definitely gained some kilos. Oh well I will shed it off haha no worries. Well come to think of it it's been 10 years since my mum and I traveled abroad together. Usually it's her who comes here and visit me. Now, both of us went to Singapore together. And it feels good of course.

And it's been 2 years since she last visited Singapore. Time flies huh, it felt like yesterday. But nevertheless it felt good, the past three days, going out together with her, my sis, brother and his girlfriend. Which is pretty much something I've been wanting to do, since I'm most of the time away from them.

Now that well, I'm going back to work tomorrow, I just feel sad of course. Cause I had such a great time in the past 6 days and now I'm back to work, back to reality I suppose? Haha. Well as I've always believe and tell myself whenever I feel sad to go back to Singapore (be it school or etc) I always tell myself that there's time for everything in life. Time to have fun, time to be serious, time to get to work.

I wished for a short getaway, and my wish is granted. I wished to go back for a while, my wish is granted. So now yup, I can't be selfish and wish for a nice getaway all the time right? So it's time to go back to work, and my wish is to lets just finish my project. Time is running out and I still have quite a few to do. So yup, lets just finish my experiments. And I want to finish my report as well, and presentation. I want to give in all my best and make this the best presentation I've done, and report I've ever written. I can do this!

On the side note...

Going back last week, I know, was the right thing to do, and the right choice I made. Going back got me thinking. Thinking quite further and deeper, that the decision I've made was the right one. I guess I knew it long ago that one day, I have to make that decision. And that one day is here. And now I'm just waiting for me to carry out that decision. Which will come real soon.

Well. Time is time.

Dear life, give me strength and get me out of this sadness I've been having for the past 4 hours. I don't know why, may tomorrow shine bright and smile widely to me. And may I smile as wide as tomorrow too. Yup, as bright as the sun would shine on a fine summer's day.

Funny how today I became that boy who came to Singapore 10 years ago.
Today I'm sad because I understand.
While back then I was sad because I didn't

Homed

 Just some photos I took two days ago :)

Hello everyone! I'm home! Heh. Well... Yeah home now, and I'm coming back tomorrow :( With my mum, sis, bro and his girlfriend though at least. I'll still be on leave till Wednesday that is. But yeah, I'm coming back to Singapore tomorrow. Sigh... Oh well at least I really enjoyed my four days spent here! I think 4 days is a perfect duration for a holiday. Especially home :)

Well yup sorry for not blogging for the past three days. I'll get so tired and sleepy at night that I ended up not blogging. I either fell asleep or yeah. But the past three days have been awesome. Really awesome. It's been 11 years really since I was last home for hari raya. Or we call it lebaran here. Well I'm not a Muslim and I don't celebrate hari raya but I just simple love the atmosphere of lebaran here in my hometown. Every year is it something we look forward to. Pretty good huh?

So yes, it's been 11 years, so it feels really good and fortunate to once again experience it. Things never fully change I suppose. The takbiran is still there. The rhythm of the bedug. The chattering of people. I guess this time round it feels kind of empty. Cause back when I experienced it the last time, my cousins were still here. My aunt, my grandma and yeah. So more lively I suppose. But it's okay, I got my siblings here. My family too, and it's great :) [Though the more the merrier]

The first day here was spent at my dad's garden and yup, so many things have change of wow! More beautiful that is. With my dad's factory being closed for hari raya, it feels pretty quiet here. The road however was quite jammed because perhaps people are rushing to prepare for hari raya. The last minute shopping and so on. And also people who are going back to their hometowns as well. That explain the jammed road.

In Hari Raya eve or the malam takbiran, that's when things get exciting haha. The takbiran, then sounds of the bedug, children, youths and people saying the takbir through the loudspeaker from the mosques (though I heard it's recording....) makes me feel, truly home. I really miss the atmosphere of the takbiran. And it feels good to experience it once again. And oh we also went for a barbecueing session in the evening too, just like the old times.

As for today, the streets were really empty. I guess people stayed at home or were going for house visits, that's why the roads were empty. But then it got lively again in the evening when people start to go out for shopping sessions and so on. I spent the evening at my dad's garden again too, which is really lovely cause the weather was so lovely and nice. Oh, and fireworks too!

Well... Yes, somehow going home was the right things, was the right choice to do. As I said, I don't know why but I just need to go home even though it was 4 months ago since I was last home, and usually I can not-go-back for like 6 months straight or so. Don't ask me why, I'm home now and I feel good. I know I made the right choice and yeah home is good. I really have to say that yes, 4 days is really a great duration for a holiday haha.

2 I call it the desperate holiday, 3 is the not too-long and 4 is nice :)

I'm coming back to Singapore tomorrow, though I'll only be back to work on Thursday. Thanks to the public holiday tomorrow! If not I really have to take a 4-day leave instead. With a limited number of leaves I have to plan my days properly. 3 were already taken out of my plan so yeah. I'll make full good use of it I suppose. I have to.

I'll be coming back home again in November for my brother's engagement teehee. So yeah dear home, I'll see you again in 2 months time I suppose. I can't wait for the December holidays. That's when I'll be done with ITP and FYP, a great 3-week holiday is all I need yeah? And I can't wait for January even more, AKA the new year. Cause I'm finally coming back as a student! Haha. Full time student that is. Though I'll also be sad that my poly life will soon come to an end.

Well whatever it is, I'm really recharged now from this break I took. Though it was short, I truly reckon that it was needed. I hope that when I'm back in the office, I'll be kicking again, ready to tackle the work I'll have. And also I will finish my project smoothly and I'll prepare for the last stretch of it. As Dr Simon said before I leave on Thursday, take a good break, come back and be ready to finish your project.

And of course, I, will, finish the project :)

Okay I guess that's all for now. Can't run away from the fact that I'm coming back tomorrow, and I'm starting work again on Thursday. And of course at the same time, I know that I have fully enjoyed myself here. Let's go for the last stretch, I'll end this meaningfully, beautifully. As my sister said to me, the last three months will be very fast. Must make the best out of everything!

Good night.

I'm finally coming home

 I'm finally here

Not to fetch someone

Nor send someone off

But to take a plane

And fly home

Hello everyone! I'm currently at Changi Airport terminal 3. Sitting on this really comfy chair beside this huge ass window. Writing, blogging, and just chilling over a bottle of green tea that I bought just now hahaha. Anyway yes. I'm finally going back home! The day I've been waiting for is here, the moment I've been waiting for will be here soon too hah.

Well yup... Somehow in my ten years of studying here I have never felt so homesick before. I don't know why. Especially in July, I think it's the month I've been feeling real homesick hah. So yeah to know that I'll be going back, it's good. I just want to rest over the next couple of days. I want to forget about work, forget about life, and just enjoy and rejuvenate myself.

Today co-incidentally marks the 4th month of internship. So yeah, it also means 4 months since the last time I've been home. I used to go back home in like after 8 months of school or something like that. 6 maybe. Now, four months. See, I've been feeling kinda homesick and I don't know why. Maybe the environment that I'm being exposed to, and the life I'm living is different of a student's life. Right?

Oh well whatever it is, I'm happy that I'm finally coming home. That I'm finally coming back, seeing my family, enjoying good food. And once again be in my hometown. So yes, I hope in the next 4 days I can go back and rejuvenate myself. I know that going back is the right choice for me. I hope that when I'm back next week, I'll be recharged, and fully awesome! Ready for work.

Yeah, I'm coming home. So well, I'll see you in Sukabumi then! :)

Today was a sad sad Tuesday

Well as the title says... Yes today was a sad day for me. Just sad. But the weird thing is? Today was a normal day, everything goes as it is, there's nothing majorly wrong that makes me feel sad, nor there is something majorly sad that makes me sad. I'm just sad. I don't know why either, just this wave of sadness rushing over me. And it sucks. When you don't know what's going on hah.

I don't know, is it the hormones, is it that time of the month, is it just me.

Or, is it just life

Whatever the case is, I know tomorrow will be a better day, and so will Thursday, as I'll be going back! On Thursday night baby. I can't wait to get on that plane to make it on my way home. Though it will only be for a short 3 days, I will enjoy myself as much as I can and I know I will. I think going back will be a great thing for me. Cause I've been really needing a break. And I haven't got a proper one since April. And plus, I terribly miss home. So much.

It's quite funny, as I once said that in the past 10 years of studying here, I've never gotten so homesick like now, like this year. Well yeah, I don't know why either but well, home is where my heart yearn to belong. No matter where am I, home will always be in my heart.

Okay just a short update. May tomorrow be a much better and happier day for me.

Goodnight.