Thursday, September 25, 2008

for we all have flaws ...


an elderly chinese
woman had two
large pots, each
hung on the ends
of a pole,
which she carried
across her neck.


one of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot
was perfect and always delivered a full of portion
of water.

at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house,
the cracked pot arrived only half full.

for a full two years this went on daily, with the woman
bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection,
and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been
made to do.

after 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failures, it spoke
to the woman one day by the stream.

"i'm ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes
water to leak out all the way back to your house."

the old woman smiled, "did you notice that there are
flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?
that because i have always known about your flaw, so i planted
flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk
back, you water them."

"for two years i have been able to pick these beautiful flowers
to decorate the table. without you being just the way you are,
there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

each of us has our own unique flaws ...

but it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives
together so very interesting and rewarding.

you've just got to take each person for what they are and look
for the good in them.

to all of my cracked-pot friends,
have a great day and remember to smell the flowers,
on your side of the path....

a woman should have ....


a woman should have ...
enough money within her

control to move out and
rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants
to or needs to...

a woman should have ...
something perfect to wear
if the employer, or date
of her dreams wants to
see her in an hour...

a woman should have ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....

a woman should have ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward
to retelling it in her old age...

a woman should have ...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill,
and a black lace bra...

a woman should have ...
one friend who always makes her laugh...
and one who lets her cry...

a woman should have ...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned
by anyone else in her family...

a woman should have ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal, that will make
her guests feel honored...

a woman should have ...
a feeling of control over her destiny.

and every woman should know ...
how to fall in love without losing herself.

every woman should know ...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship...

every woman should know ...
when to try harder...
and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

every woman should know ...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

every woman should know ...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...
but its over...

every woman should know ...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

every woman should know ...
how to live alone....
even if she doesn't like it...

every woman should know ...
whom she can trust,
whom she can't, and
why she shouldn't take it personally...

every woman should know ...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

every woman should know ...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month... and a year...

life is too short ...
so kiss slowly ...
laugh insanely ...
love truly ... and
forgive quickly.

~ dr. maya angelou
dr. maya angelou is a remarkable renaissance
woman who is hailed as one of the great voices
of contemporary literature. as a poet, educator,
historian, best-selling author, actress,
playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and
director, she continues to travel the world,
spreading her legendary wisdom. within the rhythm
of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies
angelou's unique power to help readers of every
orientation span the lines of race and angelou
captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer
beauty of her words and lyrics.
http://www.mayaangelou.com/

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

long forgotten page

i've been 'away' for long,
not because i don't have anything to write,
nor anything to say,
it's a stupid mistake,
i forgot my password!

good thing is,
i manage to locate it somehow.
so here i am again :D
[after a long and tiring walk]

Friday, April 18, 2008

* soften two titles of previous posts *

since i posted 2 sharings here, several
comments initiate my decision to soften
the titles, i.e.

1. did i marry the right person?
2. why am i still having an affair?


comments around such as:
"why are you sharing such thing?"
"i dare not go and read, sounds so scary."
"hi.. are you having an affair? don't
fall into 8 affairs like your id..."
"why are you so passive, my friend?"


then.. i won't wait to revise the titles,
new titles will appear from now on, i.e.

1. marrying the right person
2. an affair


wish i have revised them better :)

thank you for all feedbacks...

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

an affair





someone told me,
"the most wonderful feeling
is being in love, falling into
the love itself."




married couple would agree with me that, all spikes we have
at first will fade away eventually after we are in the marriage,
says more than 3 years (those years spent on steady are not
counted though). just like this saying from my best friend,
"you know me, i know you.. cannot pretend anymore.. so,
no more sweet and sticky times like we first met." --

The fun of extra marital affairs is the burden of homes...
sometimes.

These points are so true:

1. Contrary to what we believe that if your partner is having an affair,
it’s better not to know. When it comes to infidelity, ignorance is
neverbliss. Things that we have no idea of is hurting us more than
we ever know.

2. Marriage is not a guarantee of happiness and content. Even happily
married people who has no intention to fool around happen to bump
into someone.

3. When we are unhappy with the marriage, we blame our husbands or
wives. We seek comfort from our lover instead of confiding our problems
to the spouse. But then time and again married people have to remind
themselves that attraction is inevitable, infidelity can.

4. AFFAIR is fun because it is something new. It reminds us of the fun
of being young and carefree.

5. Eventually for lovers when the other starts to make demands the
glow wears off. Once they set rules, the relationship loses the charm.

6. There is no such thing as bad relationships, only bad situations and
circumstances.

7. The burden of wanting to spend more time with a lover can be
equally hurting.

8. Sometimes you pour all your thoughts and affection to your lover and
when you are with the wife you have no more emotions left to share.
Can you now justify your infidelity by saying you are bored and unhappy
with your marriage?

9. You think that your affair is your ultimate sanctuary from all the
trouble you have in your home.

* The trouble never ends until the affair or worst the marriage ends.
THEN ANOTHER TROUBLE WILL ARISES.

* The best antidote to this is making a special effort to stay close to
your spouse and treasure each moment. WHICH IS NOT WORKING AT
THE FIRST PLACE - HOW CAN IT WORK AFTER HAVING SUCH A
FASCINATING AFFAIRS?? (ref. #8 above)

* Being the lover on the other hand can be really exciting, you are
blinded by the thought that you are precious.

* Eventually you silently weep and anticipate for the moment
when the lover no longer knocks on your door because he finally
realizes from now on he is to open only the door of his home where
his wife awaits him. WHEN THE HIPE IS OFF, THEN A
WAKE UP CALL RINGS. COULD BE A FALSE ALARM THOUGH.....

At the end of the day the wife will always be his most precious gem.
VERY TRUE. CAN HE SAY THAT WITH HIS EYES OPEN WIDE?

That’s when you finally choose to be the spouse, tough but fulfilling.
When the fooling is over we will be the best partner, wife, husband or
the best friend we could ever be to someone we care about.
IF THIS IS SO TRUE, ALL AFFAIRS ENDED AFTER THEIR FIRST.
BUT USUALY - AFTER ENDING THE AFFAIR WE JUST BEING A PERFECT
SPOUSE FOR THE SAKE OF "SOMETHING" CAN BE FAMILY, CAN BE
CONVENIENCY, CAN ANYTHING,
THE QUESTION IS .... CAN YOU STILL BE YOURSELF?

THE BAD THING AFTER EXPERIENCING AFFAIR IS THE EMPTINESS
IN YOU WITHOUT IT. CAN YOU LIVE WITH IT?

(author: unknown)

All the answer reverts back to you, please read
"marrying the right person"

http://woman-and-life.blogspot.com/2008/04/did-i-marry-right-person.html

tiada yang lebih indah
daripada perasaan jatuh
cinta....

pasangan yang telah menikah mungkin akan
setuju jika saya katakan bahwa *hmm.. kata
indonesia untuk spikes tidak ada yang tepat*
"segala perasaan indah mo ketemu doi,
perasaan heboh pengen cepet ketemu lagi"
akan perlahan dan pasti menghilang ketika
kita masuk dalam pernikahan. seperti
ungkapan temen baikku, "kamu tau saya,
saya tau kamu.. ngga bisa pura-pura lagi,
gak ada hal-hal greget yang bikin kita lengket
kayak dulu." -- ketika kelakuan pasangan
menikah itu lebih menyerupai kakak-adik
daripada pasangan yang sedang 'gila'
jatuh cinta seperti waktu pacaran...

Indahnya perselingkuhan merupakan pelampiasan
ke-tidakberdayaan dari dalam rumah ...
kadang-kadang.

Hal-hal di bawah ini adalah sesuatu yang benar
adanya:

1. Berlainan dengan apa yang selama ini kita
percaya bahwa jika partner kita sedang berselingkuh,
sebaiknya kita tidak perlu tahu. Ketika yang kita
bicarakan sekarang adalah pelanggaran komitmen
pernikahan (baca: selingkuh), cuek bukan lagi
sumber kebahagiaan. Ternyata kondisi ketidaktahuan
kita itu lebih menyakitkan tanpa kita sadari.

2. Pernikahan bukan garansi menuju kebahagiaan dan
kepuasan. Pasangan berbahagia yang bahkan tidak
pernah berkeinginan untuk ngelabapun bisa terjebak
dengan seseorang tanpa disadari.

3. Saat kita sedih dengan pernikahan, kebiasaan yang
paling mudah adalah menyalahkan pihak lain, suami
ataupun istri. Kita lebih suka mencari kesenangan
sendiri dari perselingkuhan daripada mendekatkan
diri dan mencari solusi bersama dengan pasangan
pernikahan kita. Yang penting, dari waktu ke waktu,
pasangan yang telah menikah hendaknya selalu
menyadari dan mengingatkan diri sendiri
bahwa kita
tidak dapat menghindari ketertarikan sesaat pada
orang
lain. Namun, kita dapat dan kita punya
pilihan apakah kita akan menyeleweng ataukah
kita harus setia.

4. Perselingkuhan akan selalu terasa indah karena
nuansa yang diciptakan terasa baru. Perasaan
tersebut mengikat emosional kita untuk mengenang,
betapa indahnya menjelma muda kembali dan
hidup tanpa beban, ikatan dan tanggungjawab.

5. Kemudian setelah sekian waktu, ketika salah satu
pihak penyelingkuh itu mulai banyak tuntutan,
letupan indah perselingkuhan mulai memudar.
Ketika mereka mulai membuat aturan, pesona
perselingkuhanpun mulai suram.

6. Sebenarnya tidak ada yang bisa disebut hubungan
yang tidak harmonis. Yang ada hanyalah situasi
dan keadaan yang memperburuk hubungan yang
seharusnya indah.

7. Keinginan untuk punya waktu lebih banyak
bersama selingkuhan memberikan perasaan sakit
yang sama besarnya dengan keinginan itu sendiri.

8. Kadang kita memberikan pikiran dan cinta
habis-habisan kepada selingkuhan sehingga ketika
kita sedang bersama pasangan pernikahan,
semua keterikatan emosi dan letupan cinta sudah
tidak tersisa lagi. Jika memang demikian keadaan
yang kita ciptakan, dapatkah kita kini dengan
sadar memberikan alasan yang logis dan benar,
kemudian menyatakan bahwa selingkuhnya kita
berasal dari kebosanan dan ketidakbahagiaan
kita atas pernikahan yang kita miliki?

9. Kita kerap berpendapat bahwa perselingkuhan
kita adalah media aman yang menyelamatkan
kita dari persoalan kita di rumah.

* Permasalahan tidak akan pernah selesai hingga
perselingkuhan. Atau bahwa yang terburuk adalah,
pernikahan itu juga ikut berakhir. UNTUK KEMUDIAN,
PERMASALAHAN LAIN JUGA IKUT BERMUNCULAN.

* Solusi terbaik dari semua permasalahan adalah
mengupayakan usaha yang terbaik untuk tetap dekat
dengan pasangan pernikahan, serta membahagiakan
dan menghargai setiap saat bersamanya.
Pertanyaan yang umum adalah, jika upaya terbaikpun
telah dilakukan dari awal dan tetap pernikahan itu
tidak membaik - bagaimana kita bisa berharap
pernikahan itu akan dapat menjadi lebih baik
dengan mengalami letupan-letupan indah menjadi
muda lagi dalam perselingkuhan? (baca #8 di atas)

* Walau bagaimanapun, menjadi selingkuhan memang
bisa benar-benar menggembirakan, mata hati kita
tertutup bahwa kitalah segalanya bagi dia. Perasaan
yang melanda orang jatuh cinta seperti ini memang
benar adanya, walaupun dalam media yang tidak
seharusnya. Seharusnya fakta ini kita sadari dan
diproses menjadi energi yang lebih baik bagi
pasangan pernikahan kita.

* Akhirnya kita hanya bisa menangis dalam hati serta
mulai mengantisipasi kenyataan bahwa masa
perselingkuhan telah berlalu ketika selingkuhannya
menyadari bahwa rumahnya adalah tempat di
mana pasangan pernikahannya menunggu setiap
waktu. Ketika semua gelora itu telah berlalu,
saatnya untuk sadar kembali. Walaupun tetap
dapat merupakan pilihan yang keliru...

Akhirnya, pasangan pernikahannyalah yang akan
selalu merupakan permata yang paling berharga.
Buat selingkuhan yang punya naluri untuk terus
selingkuh, coba amini dan nyatakan itu dengan
mata terbuka, bisakah Anda?

Dan ini akan terjadi ketika akhirnya kita
memilih untuk menjadi seorang 'pasangan pernikahan',
memang banyak tantangan namun mengandung
harapan dan ada kepuasan tersendiri. Saat masa
perselingkuhan telah berlalu, kita bisa menjadi
pasangan yang terbaik, istri, suami atau teman
terbaik bagi seseorang yang pernah kita sayangi.

APAKAH PERNYATAAN INI BENAR ADANYA?
JIKA BENAR, KEINGINAN UNTUK TERUS BERSELINGKUH
SEHARUSNYA LENYAP SEIRING DENGAN BERAKHIRNYA
SELINGKUH YANG PERTAMA.
KENYATAAN YANG BIASA TERJADI ADALAH, SETELAH
PERSELINGKUHAN ITU BERAKHIR, KITA HANYA
MELAKUKAN FORMALITAS SEBAGAI PASANGAN
PERNIKAHAN DALAM WADAH YANG DISEBUT KELUARGA -
MUNGKIN BISA MENYENANGKAN, BISA APA SAJA -

PERTANYAANNYA ADALAH ...
APAKAH KAMU MASIH MENJADI DIRIMU SENDIRI?

Hal terburuk setelah melakukan perselingkuhan adalah
kehampaan yang melanda jiwa dan pikiran kita setelah
perselingkuhan itu berlalu. Kehampaan yang muncul
karena letupan-letupan perselingkuhan dan takut-takut
ketahuan itu telah lenyap. Bisakah Anda bertahan
melalui periode kehampaan itu?

(author: unknown)

Jawabannya kembali kepada Anda sendiri, silahkan
baca posting sebelumnya, "marrying the right person"

http://woman-and-life.blogspot.com/2008/04/did-i-marry-right-person.html

what's in a name?


Do you know why New Changi Hospital
(NCH) changed its name to Changi
General Hospital (CGH)?
Because NCH stands for
"Never Come Home".
That's why business was very bad before
it changed its name. Now CGH stands for "Can Go Home".
So business is picking up.

Business in Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is still going
strong because SGH stands for "Sure Go Home"!

Now National University Hospital (NUH) is also considering
a name change. It stands for "No Use Hospital"!

What about Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
Not too good a name, no wonder so much problem.
It stands for " Tiam Tiam Si Hospital " and now
' Tan Teo SARs Hospital ".

So, be careful of choosing hospital to go if anyone is unwell.

confusing english


If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge,
would they call it Fed UP?

Do Lipton Tea employees take
coffee breaks?


If olive oil comes from olives,
where does baby oil come from?

If people from Poland are called
Poles, why aren't people from
Holland called Holes?

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

Why the man who invests all your money called a broker?

If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to
Make terrible?

Why is it called building when it is already built?

If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success?

If you're not supposed to drink and drive, then why do
Bars have parking lots?

If you take an Oriental person and spin him around
several times, does he become disoriented?

If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
Humans!?

If working hours are meant for working, then why are
you reading this? Get back to WORK!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

marrying the right person

During one of our seminars,
a woman asked a common question.








She said,
'How do I know if I married the right person?'

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said,
'It depends. Is that your husband?'
In all seriousness, she answered, 'How do you know?'

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that

it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love

with your spouse/partner. You anticipated their call, wanted their
touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies (unconventional behavior/habit).

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a

completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to
DO anything. That's why it's called 'falling' in love...
Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, 'I was swept off my feet.'

Think about the imagery of that expression.
It implies that you were just standing there;
doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria (excitement) of love fades.
It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls
become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome
(when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute,
drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think

about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the
initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry
subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking,

'Did I marry the right person?'

And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had,
you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when
marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and
look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most

obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive
TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage.

It lies within it.
I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.
And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a

few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT

PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience.

It'll NEVER just happen to you.
You can't 'find' LASTING love.
You have to 'make' it day in and day out.
That's why we have the __expression 'the labor of love.'

Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes

WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery.
There are specific things you can do
(with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are

also laws for relationships.

Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger,

certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger.
It's a direct cause and effect.
If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable...
You can 'make' love.

Love in marriage is indeed a 'decision'... Not just a feeling.

REMEMBER THIS ALWAYS:
God determines who walks into your life.

It is up to you to decide who you let walk away,
who you let stay,
and who you refuse to let go.

(thanks Felicia, for the story)

Saturday, April 12, 2008

two-side of stories

similar to a coin,
there are always
two sides in every story,
we definitely
cannot attend both.
we can only attend ours.

lately i've been doing a lot of thinking.
unlike those have lots of thought will get slimmer,
it doesn't apply to me.
the more i think, the higher complexity behind it,
the wider i am :)

i was getting into a life supposed to be great,
unexpectedly it turned out somewhat frustrating.

yet things are going to be great all times, aren't they?
should i be grumbling because of it?
should i look into the other side of coin,
to see barely if the other life is as great as mine?

life...
is it as easy as what i've taught all participants today?
well, i don't have the answer with me now.
probably i'd like to sleep with it.
and see if things are going to get better
by the time i wake up again next morning.

thank you, Lord...
for such a blessed day, amen.
[He deserved all these grateful words after all.]

Friday, April 11, 2008

on the sand

today is our second
trip to balikpapan
we take ourselves
to the beach in front
of the hotel
though it's not much
as expected
yet it brings joy
to our hearts
we walk here and there like kids
observing norms look forgotten
see, we have smiley on the sand made up by 2 crab-holes
and small stone

now behind my laptop, lonely table just for one and solitaire tunes
keep playing on my head

it's kind of weird and i just can't scream this out!