Saturday, November 21, 2009

He FORGIVES, He FORGETS. He is MAN's BEST FRIEND. Always.


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He "yaps" cheerily and hops onto your bed every morning, paws you and nudges you

and bestows you with his wet kisses.

He senses your chameleon moods and is forever there for you : come rain, come shine.

Whilst others may leave, he chooses to stay.

You're his WORLD.

There's no denying his eagerness to please you in every conceivable small way,

There's so much love, too much adoration -

He is your FRIEND, your PARTNER, your DEFENDER, your DOG.

You are his LIFE, his LOVE, his LEADER.

He will be yours, faithfully and true, to the last beat of his heart.

You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

Monday, November 9, 2009

WHEN LOVE DIES, LONELINESS CAN BRING ON THE CHILLS.


This storm is breathing, brewing, bellowing,

Outside of the window, you watch the rain pelting down heavily -
coupled with the howling of wind,

Frenzied passerbys with umbrellas are busy scurrying pass,

The overall mood is depressingly cheerless,

Awww ... isn't the desolate sky reeking in a thousand gloom?

ARE YOU LONELY, my friend?

Yes, LONELINESS can come calling and crawling like ants all over you,

When love dies,

WHEN LOVE FINALLY DIES ....

We make mistakes, big and small, comic and tragic.
We pledge commitment, in all sincerity, to another person, only to realise later that our love and passion for the person isn't as deep as we once thought and believed.
From there follows the broken promise, the bitterness and heartache and the guilt of having misled someone despite our best intentions.

Rainer Maria Rilke [1875-1926], her poem 'Loneliness' is full of angst and anguish ...

"Being apart and lonely is like rain.
It climbs towards evening from the ocean plains;
from flat places, rolling and remote, it climbs
to heaven, which is its old abode.
And only when leaving heaven drops upon the city.

It rains down on us in those twittering
hours when the streets turn their faces to the dawn,
and when two bodies who have found nothing,
dissapointed and depressed, roll over;
and when two people who despise each other
have to sleep together in one bed-

that is when loneliness receives the rivers... "

A SOUL-SEARCHING PIECE by GEORGE CARLIN, Comedian of the 70s and 80s.


Here's a pretty TOUCHING PIECE by GEORGE CARLIN.

I shall say:
"May all Beings of this UNIVERSE be well and happy."

You retort:
SAY IT, MEAN IT, FEEL IT.

NOW, back to our great guy GEORGE CARLIN.
Isn't it amazing that this wonderful - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.

GEORGE CARLIN stipulates:


The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

THANKS GEORGE, for this awe-inspiring speech.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

SOMETIMES, IT'S COMFORTING TO PREACH THE GOSPEL. BUT, REALLY, EVERYTHING IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE .....




ARE YOU HAPPY TODAY?

Did you spread a little kindness?



Here are some rambling thoughts we hold so dear.



But everything is easier said than done, right?



"Our life is what we make it by own thoughts and deeds.

Thus it is through our own thoughts that a man rises or falls."



"It should constantly be remembered that no enemy can harm one so much as one's own evil thoughts and craving.

These are our inner enemies who follow us day and night, and from whom we must try to keep away."



"Man himself is responsible for his own happiness and misery. He creates his own heaven and hell. He is master of his own destiny, child of his past and parent of his future."



"The past is the background against which life goes on from moment to moment, the future is yet to be. Only the present moment exists, and the responsibility of using the present moment for good or evil lies with each individual."

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

周德邦 JACKIE CHOW, Hong Kong ACTOR. "Working Hard is FOOD for the SOUL. And yes, TOMORROW can always BE BETTER."

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STOP PRESS.


Here's a personal piece on JACKIE CHOW from HONG KONG,


Rookie actor maybe, but I'll vouch for this dude anytime,


For one, he's a jolly nice fella,


In a city known for its continual bustles-and-bustles, notwithstanding the loud and bullish people, JACKIE assails you like a welcome breath of fresh air.


He'll listen to your questions intently, and answers them with zeal and zest.


His tone is genteel, earnest, without pretensions.


The lyrics of the song, "For he's a jolly good fella" couldn't have been more apt to describe him.


And he's firm about his convictions:


"I EMBRACE POSITIVISM,


I TRY TO BE HAPPY WITH MY LIFE,


I WORK HARD,


I STAY HOPEFUL," enthuses JACKIE CHOW, Hong Kong rookie actor.


AND YES, IN ALL THAT I DO, I GIVE MY BEST."


NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED is his doctrine.


"As long as you are alive and in good health, there's always hope - even with the ruts and obstacles along the way.


I aim to stay healthy and positive with my body and mind


by keeping the 'chi' energy in balance - the ying and the yang ....


I only have one body this life time, and if I don't take good care of it, then who would?


GAMES AND HOBBIES?


I dig baseball since I was 10. Baseball shows what teamwork, camaraderie and fighting spirit are all about. From baseball I learn about how to cope with failures, about how not to make excuses in life.


I sing to release my soul (chuckles) and I compose lyrics to express my pent-up feelings.


EXPECTATIONS IN LIFE?


I wanna be free, like an eagle taking flight. I abhor boundaries and restrictions. I seek to be an artist, expressing my views of human nature through music and films ..... I do not see life through rose-tinted glasses. In fact, my formative years as an adolescent had not been easy, being brought up by strict parents. I have always wanted a creative job, something out of the normal 9-5 normal routine. And yes, I have always aspired to perform.


VIEWS ON SEX


Sex is a desire, a motivation to me sometimes (laughs). You can understand a person more through sex, yet sometimes the sexual act can destroy you morally if you are addicted to it. I lost my virginity to my second girl friend during high school. Since then, I have matured greatly ....


YOU ACTED IN A GAY GENRE FILM CALLED 'PERMANENT RESIDENCE'. YOU GET TO KISS THE LEAD OF THE FILM. WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING THEN?


Hey, I am as straight as a rod. But when I accept any challenging role, I give my all. I'll psych myself in any difficult part, to adopt the screen persona. If the script calls for me to "fall in love" with a guy, then I'll go all the way out to make myself fall in love with that REEL person, irrespective of gender or creed. That's the name of the game in acting. That's being professional.


WHAT KIND OF ROLE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY IN FILMS?


I'd like to be experimental, to play all kinds, good or bad. Dark and comedic characters, a paradox, so to speak.


WOULD YOU APPEAR FULL FRONTAL IN ART HOUSE FILMS?


Why not? What do I stand to lose? But only if the camera flatters me, if the camera makes me look artistically good.


SINGLE OR ATTACHED?


Happily single for now. Falling in love saps up latent energy, makes me do stupid things and I cannot afford this.


Heard of this poem by SRI CHINMOY called THE BREATH OF NEW HOPE?


Day and night I shall swim


In the sweetness – hope – river.


May my mind every morning become


As beautiful as hope – dawn – rays


Peace begins


When expectation ends.


Each sacred hope


Is a blessingful gift


From Heaven’s heart.


Hope abides; therefore I abide.


Countless frustrations have not cowed me.


I am still alive, vibrant with life.


The black cloud will disappear,


The morning sun will appear once again


In all its supernatural glory."


That's summing up Hong Kong actor JACKIE CHOW in a nutshell.


"Working hard is food for the soul. And yes, tomorrow can always be better."


PHOTOGRAPHY by NORM YIP from HONG KONG for this special interview.


Thanks, NORM for the jolly nice pictures!

Monday, October 5, 2009

THERE'S REDEMPTION AMIDST SUFFERING, if We CHALLENGE OUR CAUSE.


SUFFERING 1



SUFFERING 2



SUFFERING 3



SUFFERING 4


SUFFERING 5


Last night I had this recurring nightmare:


In recent months, natural and man-made catastrophes are threatening to destroy mankind in full force ...


ripping us apart, back-to-back in different parts of the world.


Are these for keeps?


When are we going to be spared from more impending disasters?


NO, it's not a 3D feature movie.


IT'S NOT REEL,


IT'S FOR REAL.


FEEL THE PAIN AND ANGUISH.


Our mettle is currently being tested


SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?


EVERYTHING and EVERYONE must go through a process of wear-and-tear.


In eventuality, nothing lasts forever, never in the long run


Even the very ground we are standing on -


how long can it sustain us?


THESE PICTURES PORTRAY A THOUSAND WORDS because they are real.


They are stark reminders that the globe may no longer be a safe haven in the years to come.


No, it is not a biblical account of MOSES leading the Israelites in their flight from the pursuing Egyptian army that led to the parting of the Red Sea.


Mankind never seems to heed warnings until it's almost too late, right?


Years ago, we were lauded with grim facts about global warming and the thinning of the earth's core if we continue to abuse and pollute our environment


The natural world is rapidly changing to the ways we treat it .....


EARTHQUAKES, TYPHOONS, FLOODS, TSUNAMIS are wreaking havoc all over the world ...


These catastrophes spell impending doom and intensify world sufferings,


Do we care enough to prevent the end-of-the-world from happening?


We are being challenged .....


Unless everyone plays his part ....


The end of the world may be sooner than we thought.


No, I am not preaching the BIBLE,


I am not playing GOD,


I seek solace in comforting words and meditation,


Hopefully, the following phrase makes sound sense:


''Not all trees are felled by storms.


Not every seed finds barren soil.


Not all the wings of dream are broken,


nor is all affection doomed


to wither in a desolate heart.


It won't all end in tears and blood. . . .


Hope is a burden all of us shoulder


though we might stumble under the load."


And if we seek redemption amidst suffering,


Then all of us must play our parts to make the world a better place to live in,


This may be a hopeless rant,


but in order to heal this chaotic world,


We must stay HOPEFUL,right?

Thursday, October 1, 2009

MEW the TABBY KITTEN. SHE arrives on a Hungry Ghost Month.

CAT CAT 1

CAT CAT 2

CAT CAT 3

NAH, I DON'T LIKE CATS.



Absolutely not.



They are cold, so arrogant and blah- aloof .....



and they preen like peacocks.



CATS strut with stealth and have this devil-may-care attitude.



They are emotionally attached to places, not their masters.



And when the mating season comes,



They bawl like hyenas and send shivers down our spines .....



CATS can be really creepy,



Or so I thought.



I prefer DOGS, yah.



Now, SEPTEMBER embodies the Chinese month of the HUNGRY GHOSTS.



The Chinese believe that, during this baffling month, the dead stalk the streets at night and might pay the unsuspecting you a visit, so will you please stay at home.



And it was on a SEPTEMBER morning in Bangkok that I heard this desperate "meow" emanating from the derelict storeroom of our office.



This private storeroom has always been locked, closed for months, but the mewing became louder.



On opening the door of the storeroom, I espied this small ball of fur (grey with dark stripes).



A pair of doleful eyes peered at me pathetically, indicating that she was hungry.



How did she get into the closed storeroom?



It's still a ghostly mystery, but in the weeks that followed, she followed me everywhere in the office.



Is she a real kitten or something incarnated, I wondered.



Nevertheless, I named her MEW, after the lead in the popular Thai movie "LOVE OF SIAM".



I already have 2 doggies in my fold, but MEW have "charmed" them over and they are now inseparable buddies.



ISN'T IT FUNNY HOW LIFE WORKS OUT IN STRANGE WAYS



and what seemed like a burden at first -



NOW BECOMES A SOURCE OF JOY!



YEAH, I am now changing my silly mindset about CATS.



They are dependable, full of love, predictable in their actions,



grateful and loyal.



CATS are purrly-lovely and agile.



MEW has shown me so, this SEPTEMBER, the Chinese Hungry Ghost Month.



You have to be a cat lover to believe this one.



It's for real.