Peekaboo

We were blessed that mummy & baby were in good health after a 12 hour wait.

It all started a wee bit past midnite while mummy and i were watching football. Stoke City had just beaten Spurs 2 -1...sadly. Mummy was hungry and i decided to join her for a couple of soft boiled eggs. It was then that the pains started. It was 15mins apart and that was the sign for us to go to the hospital. We decided to eat the eggs first and so we arrived at SDMC at about 0300hrs.

Approximately 12hours later and a lot of pain on mummy, you arrived. Mummy had to push the last 30minutes with a lot of pain. Mummy is a trooper, she didn't want the epidural, all she took was the laughing gas, but neither of us were laughing. She was in pain. Daddy was helpless. All the plans of videoing your arrival was scrapped as i decided to focus and support mummy. Dr Delilah was real nice and calm after all you must be the gazillionth baby that she has delivered. It helped that she was calm and nice...eased mummy's pain, and then your head popped out. Daddy couldn't hold his tears from flowing. I don't know if it was at the joy of seeing you for the first time or the relief that mummy didn't have to be in pain anymore...I guess it was both.

If you asked mummy she would tell you that it wasn't that painful...she's tough that way, but i know it hurt a lot. I experienced her being in a lot of pain, but that's her story to tell. I am just glad and thankful to the Gods in Heaven and on Earth that you were both healthy and well.

Gaea...welcome to our lives.

Look What the Stork Brought Us?

The end of 2011 was quite an amazing moment for Joey and I.

The stork brought us an early Christmas present. We were blessed with a little princess weighing in all of  3.25kg of love. She was conceived somewhere between Krabi & Salang, Tioman. Made with lotsa love and then some. Looks like 2012 will be a whole new journey for us and especially for me now that we are 3. 2012 is a whole new package!

Change is again in the air. :)

Happy New Year!!! 2012 is here...

Our annual ritual of trekking to FRIM's 1000 kaki and popping out a bottle of red is not much different than before, other than the addition of a few new faces it has become a place of sharing as well. While we reminisce about the year that was we were also geared up for the year that is.

My 2011 was chaotic to start off but out of that chaos came a new possibility. Bitching and moaning was human to say the least but thru calmness and reflection i found a new path. One that would feed and serve my passion. I was beginning to see the light of my new path. As that was getting clearer i was blessed with the acceptance of my proposal to Joey as i got down on bended knee on the sandy beaches of Pulau Redang followed by the birth of Gaea. So to sum it all up, 2011 was a rather good year for me where i became husband and father all in the same year. In 2011 i also saw and experienced the support of my fellow friends who would encourage and motivate me on my chosen path. It was a year of learning too. Learning to create an effective way to make a difference to others and me, learning to be a good husband and learning to be a father. Thank you 2011 for giving me such an awesome experience.

Now 2012 is a huge challenge for me. It will be about stepping out of the box and creating results and living an extraordinary life while creating extraordinary results with others out there. And to this end, i hear the words of my Brother in the Sun at the back of my head saying, " Seek above all, a game worth playing!"

It reminds me that My Life is a game worth playing for! Welcome twenty12!!!

Antara Koh Lipe & Tioman

Somewhere between Koh Lipe & Tioman a surprised was gifted us. It was between these two Islands a little heartbeat was growing steadily by the day. We dived and holidayed while silently she grew, this was to be a new beginning, a new experience, a new journey for us both and a blessing to our love.

Technically  you could say Gaea grew up in the seas.

Yonder Horizon

At times when all seem lost or uphill, as i was, i would seek solace in the peace and serenity of nature and ponder the predicament that i am in. I do my best to withhold judgement and observe it from all angles and perspective. It is by no means an easy feat as i sometimes react to the circumstance and I bitch and whine. When calmness settles in I look yonder and I see the lovely ship called MY LIFE anchored by the bay waiting to haul anchor and sail on.

My strength lies in the calmness that i can call upon when chaos visits me and this has averted me from taking hasty actions and throw all caution to the wind and react to circumstances. It has also given me the opportunity to explore other options available to me, possibilities which may have been left unexplored were it not for the predicament i find myself in. So now i have swam towards the good ship MY LIFE and am charting a new course. I am pulling out "my maps and charts" and working on the next direction/course which i will sail towards, at the same time doing maintenance works to MY LIFE.

Works are in progress and i can't wait to set sail on this new course...borne out of an appreciation for MY LIFE.

Into The Deep

Change was the flavor of the year for me.

June celebrated our birthdays, Joey & I that is. I chose Pulau Redang to celebrate our birthday as this was the place that I first came with Joey and it was also the very first place where I took my Open Water diving license. I'm a sentimental fool i guess... I like to revisit and celebrate special occasions in memorable places that are special to me & US. Apart from just celebrating our birthdays, unbeknownst to Joey, she was about to be proposed to...on this very Island.

It all happened on a moonlit nite by the beach, with the band from a neighbouring resort singing WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL followed by Yeh Liang Dai Piau Ni De Sing thru to FOREVER LOVE by LeeHom...I went on bended knee and asked, "Will you marry me?"...and the rest, as they say is history.

That my friends is another story.

Change

2011 seems to be the year of change for me. After the turmoil of the year that was, i decided a change would be good for me, actually this is more of an afterthought. I read in one of Robin Sharma's books that change occurs when something drastic happens in one's life. My something drastic was my job which i had served with pride. 13 years on the job, one would probably think a...Gold Rolex (a little fantasy in the corner of my mind, actually a Tissot would have be fine) but i guess i got the wooden spatula. So began a couple of changes in my life.

It started with the letting go of my Wira of 10yrs and replacing it with the Avanza. It was a sign of things to come, by this i mean there was CHANGE in the air and i could smell it.

A Faithful Steed till the end.

10 years and 8 months my trusty steed has served me without fail. It has brought me as far up north as Alor Setar and as far down south as Johor and it has also travelled the east coast to as far up as Kuala Terengganu. It has been a friendship that has withstood many a test. Four break-ins, one engine change and no major failures, has brought me to beaches, mountain trails, forest reserves and river banks. Served in many an eco challenge as transport and one stupid treasure hunt. We had many happy times together ferrying all sorts of of people and things. Now it's time to let go, to move on. She will have a new master to serve and hopefully treats her well. I will miss thee my friend, with heavy heart i bid you adieu and wish you well.

May your new master treat you better than I.

Memories remain of our many escapades. Adieu mon ami.

Reunion Dinners and Gatherings

Reunions dinners and gatherings are the highlight for me during CNY. This is the time "The Family" gets to gather and ask silly and stupid questions like, "When are you getting married?" by 25 different people from brothers, sisters to uncles and aunties and the occasional invited guest. That is one question nobody tires of asking or is it the only thing that comes to mind when wanting to make conversation.

I thought it was a "thing" with my family but from conversations with friends i have come to realise "IT" is the universal question of everybody, anybody and busybodies wanting to say something and the pitiful singles people become their unwanted victim. At the end the unmarried still end up the winners when they walk away with "ang pows" in hand. So i say unto thee...let them ask away as we walk away with "ang pow" in hand.

I love reunion dinners and family gatherings just cos i get to meet up with my brothers & sisters, my cousins, nephews and nieces and of cos my moms and dad. It is a time to catch up and be surprised at how the other has grown and matured and sharing tall tales of yesteryears and new added tales to our lives and eat good and some not so good homecooked food.

I'm glad this year i had plenty of opportunity to catch up and visit the rest of my family. I also had the opportunity to host a gathering at our new place too. This is a tradition i hope to preserve and continue. To be able to share a meal, a conversation and laughter is a blessing.

I am blessed.

Spring Cleaning 2011

Speaking of traditions...it is tradition and common sense to spring clean the house come Chinese New Year and this year is no different, the only difference being the house.

It is also good karma and auspicious to have the house clean so the God of Fortune will happily visit and hopefully drop in some gold ingots and such during the chinese lunar new year. The things we do for an added advantage in the receiving of good fortune. Oh i also forgot to mention the decorating of the house with red and things auspicious and synonymous with good fortune.

Spring cleaning leaves nothing unturned and uncleaned hence the furry animals hanging out to dry after a tumble in the washer.

Traditions

Jan 1st, 2011 began with Kit & I keeping to our tradition of trekking to FRIM's 1000ft above sea level peak and toasting the new year.

It is never my habit to drink atop a mountain or hill or in the forest for that matter but i make an exception on this one day to toast the company of friends and to bring in the new year together with good cheer and blessing. This is our tradition which we will keep for a long time to come. Whirlwind Wendy was back in her hometown and so it was just the 2 of us. It is also a time when we look back at the year before and look forward to the year ahead. Sharing ups and downs and sketching the future ahead. The colors to our sketch to be filled in thru the course of the new year.

2011 fills me with excitement, perhaps the dark clouds of yesteryear is but a dark memory and the bright skies and fresh breath of the new year fills my lungs with promise of a new adventure and a new journey waiting to begin. Exciting and challenging times await those who chose to explore.

An adventure begins...

Visiting Porn

The need to clear leave has led me to visit Porn Resort in Koh Lipe (pronounced li peh). It's a budget resort with colored sheets, mosquito net and a bathroom attached fronting the Andaman sea. Complete with guard dog and bed bugs. It's just the kind of vacation i like. Simple, frugal and beautiful. It's a beautiful island to visit and relax. I love the simplicity of such destinations. I am expecting a yearful of more such getaways as i have a partner who loves life under the sea more than on land.


I'm beginning to wonder if she is a mermaid...

Beginning 2011 in Abundance

It wasn't too long ago that the 2011 fell upon us and now we are in celebration of the new lunar new year. Gone is the year of tyhe Tiger to be replaced by the Hare.

I am compelled to write of the beginning of 2011 and leave the lunar year for later. Much of 2010 and it's ups and downs are a thing of the past. I came into 2011 dragging a heavy weight of burden from 2010. Much of it is due in part to my job, one which i have been working in for 12 years, but as the clock struck midnite much of that burden was miraculously lifted off my shoulders. How did a burden which i was literally carrying for 10 months of 2010 just dissapear like that? Much of the whining, whinging and bitching about it has brought me lots of pain and unhappiness and as the clock struck 12 it just dropped from my list of things to do. I guess i was tired of it and i decided to focus on ...what's next?

I ended 2010 in abundance. Steaming away over steamboat with a couple of friends over an abundantly spread table. Closing that chapter was important as it was unhealthy for me. This is not to say that 2010 didn't have it's wonderful and great moments, only that i was walking with a dark cloud over my head. The wonderful moments were a blessing and a distraction from all that darkness. 2011 began and we celebrated it in abundance.

Quietly i celebrated the abundance in my life as i noticed the shift. Quietly the dark clouds drifted away.