Farewell, My Friends!

I've had just enough time...  to say farewell but I'm not sure about the return...

This is my dead bonsai plant that I found too beautiful to stay dead...


Farewell, my friends. I regret to write this note.

But my health took a turn for the worse and I’ve to spend more time managing it which did not leave me quite enough time to write – at least not in the quality or with the same passion I had been sharing with all of you, my friends.

So I sought to "revive" it to give it everlasting beauty...

Recent events have also forced me to redirect my attention to other more pressing matters and is another reason why I have to leave. 

I don’t know when or if I will be back. Maybe, one fine day after I licked my problems and the sun is shining brightly; I may just find the energy to do it all again. Nothing is definite in life; that much I know. 

To remind me that memory can preserve beauty forever...


So meanwhile, it is farewell. Thank you for all the beautiful moments. I will cherish them and the memories of some of you will never fade, you know who you are. I did not have time to say individual goodbye so I apologize for saying it here. Sorry.

I hate long drawn out goodbyes so this is it, I’m turning my back and walking away with heavy steps. The leaves are falling...

          Something will never die if we don't let it...        
          It may not live on in its original form but it can still live -        
          In other different but no less beautiful way...        

I'm In-Between...

I've had just enough time to...   get out from in-between...

Shot on the last day in Singapore...

The last few days I was in Singapore with my team to do development work on a new project with some really nice people. Every morning when I went down from the 24^th floor and coming out of the lift when I returned at night; I will look out the window sandwiched between the two rows of lifts. Always looking for something worthy to shoot and each time wondering whether I have a story for the little child’s bicycle with the pink frame outside the balcony. But I did not shoot that. On the last morning as I was about to rush down to check out, I again looked out the window. It was a dark and rainy morning, kind of gloomy. It was then, for the first time I noticed the world in-between the two apartment blocks…

...on a rainy and gloomy morning,

In-betweens

I’m in-between.

In-between jobs

The last one’s no good

The new one’s not promising

But I’m in-between

So I guess that’s okay

I’m in-between relationships

The old one’s heart-breaking

The current one’s temporary

So I guess

That makes it tolerable

I’m in-between Lives

Up to now, it is kinda disappointing

So I need some re-inventing

For my Life is in-between

In-between

All those in-betweens…

I saw for the first time, the world in-between.. in-betweens

How To Surprise A Zombie - Part II

I've had just enough time to...  be fooled thrice and love it!

Taken of the thrid surprise - a juicy carrot cake

The next day, an ex-colleague dropped by at the flour mill. They asked me if I have the time for lunch and I said “Of course, there is always time for old friends”. We went to a Thai-Chinese restaurant and I was surprised at the turn out. Hmm… Quite a big group. After fragrant Pandan chicken, fiery tom yam soup, steaming fish brewing in salted vegetable and other sharp tasting foods that I missed dearly for the last two weeks…

They brought out another cake with a single lighted candle and sang the birthday song in the restaurant. I was fooled again. It was a coincident that my ex-colleague visited us that day and my devious colleagues made use of the accidental visit to fool me. That was the second surprise.

Though that lifted my spirits, I struggled through the day hardly able to keep my eyes open as I was still in my zombie state. After 3.00 pm, the jet lag effect kicked in and after so many visits to the restroom, I must have washed the skin off my face. So when the call came in to go home a bit earlier, I was all for it.

After dinner, I thought I would call it an early night when my sons brought in yet another cake with another single lighted candle and sang the familiar song I heard thrice within 24 hours. This time it was a juicy Carrot Cake with butter cream icing. The bakery bought me a Black Forest because they think it is my favorite while the flour mill a Mixed Fruit Praline because they think I will like it. 3 cakes and 3 surprises within 24 hours. I smiled, thinking the three different groups have different opinions of the types of cake I liked. Maybe, they have different opinions of the person I am too. Whatever, I felt most blessed that day, to have good friends and family to celebrate my birthday with. Strangely, another strong emotion took hold at the same time. I felt rependant at my good fortune and thought of seeking forgiveness from all I have hurt one way or other through the years. Thankful and rependant was how I felt on the day I was surprised thrice.

Fun in the October Rain!

I've had just enough time...   to have fun in October rain!

Taken in Munich during a heavy downpour in the Octoberfest

Weather is never the cause

Of happiness or misery

But when weather is the excuse

You know you are happy!

Cheers!

What greater joy is there than

To be cheerful in pouring rain

To shout at the elements

Do your worst and do it in vain!

Getting cozy in the rain

Soaking wet and shivering

Perfect excuse for cuddling

Loud thunders that is deafening

More excuse for watering

A perfect excuse to get close

Cheers!  To the Weather!

Cheers!  To Friends!

Cheers!  To More Rain!

Cheers! To Everything!

What Is A Little Inconvenience Along The Way?

I've had just enough time to...   witness how a little inconvenience is no inconvenience at all!

Taken from my car along a busy street outside Yangon, Myanmar

We are going for a ride

Me and my friends

Going for a ride

Through the noisy street

With our face to the breeze

What is a little dust blown up by the gust?

We are more worried about the rust

What is a little smoke our nostril does choke?

We are more worried the engine will croak

What is a little standing holding to the ceiling?

We are more worried about our shilling

It doesn’t matter how we get there

As long as we get there

What is a little inconvenience along the way?