Meow Mi the cat

If I had a pet, it would starve to death.. well, I would not do it deliberately of course but I would probably be too busy and would forgot to feed the poor thing...

Recently, I accidently adopted a cat which belongs to my main tenant's maid. When my main tenant moved out, 3 cats belonging to the maid was adopted by another family, except for one poor cat who has been sick. This cat, which I have since named her as "Meow Mi" has been sick for quite a while. She is thinner than normal and is fussy with food. She would not eat the ready cat biscuits. The maid used to boil some fishes for Meow Mi and it seems that she would sometimes eat and sometimes not.

So, the other night, when I opened the back door, Meow Mi came in and brushed against my leg. I was surprised to find her there as I was told that Meow Mi actually belonged to the neighbour's maid. But Meow Mi still hangs around at the backyard and at the porch. So Meow Mi came rushing in, obviously hungry. Hubby went to buy a fish. All hubby could find was a fried fish from "mamak tong". Is my first time feeding Meow Mi and was worried when she just savour a bit of the fish.

Last night, when I got back from work, I found Meow Mi at the porch. There was a chicken leg, which she perhaps got from the nearby restaurant. I gathered that Meow Mi must be really hungry to have mistaken the chicken leg for a fish. Again, she came to me and brush against my leg. And so, I went to buy, this time, pure fish meat for Meow Mi. Unlike the night before, this time round, she almost finished her food.

Today, I forgot about Meow Mi. I went out in the morning and got back home late. Then I remembered Meow Mi. I could not find her anywhere. Sigh... I know I would be guilty if Meow Mi starved to death.. but how can I feed her when I do not know where she goes....

Now I am trying to sleep.. I would probably dream about Meow Mi tonight.. cos I can't help but to wonder if she is ok...

Why Worry?

Read this in Dr. Wong's clinic in SS2. Found it funny.

There is only 2 things to worry in life. Whether you are healthy or whether you are sick. If you are healthy,then there is nothing to worry about. But if you are sick then there are 2 things to worry about. Whether you are going to get well or whether you are going to die. If you are going to get well, then there is nothing to worry about, but if you are going to die, then there are 2 things to worry about. Whether you will go to heaven or whether you are going to hell. If you are going to heaven, then you have nothing to worry about, but if you are going to hell, you will be busy shaking hands with your friends, that you will have not time to worry! So why worry??!

Macau 1st day

Is has been a year since hubby and me visited Macau. An indeed a beautiful and romantic place. We took advantage of the cheap Air Asia flights and started a ten days journey covering Macau, Hong Kong & Shenzhen.

Looking out from the plane

We arrived Macau in the morning. Upon reaching the airport, we took a cab to the pier. We were told that we should stop at the pier to get hold of Macau map (we later learnt that we can get those from the hotel).It was the holiday season and the pier were packed with people. This would be the place to take the ferry across to Hong Kong. From the pier, you could take free shuttle buses to the hotels. Most of the buses were offered by 5 star hotels such as Venetian and Wynn.

Free shuttle buses offered by hotels

We took a bus to Hotel Metropole located near the famous San Senando Square. It was quite a challenge for us as we were not quite sure on where to stop. We chose to stop at the busiest street and what looked like San Senando Square from the pictures we have seen. We were right. We reached a busy streets, all lined up with jewellery shops, food and banks. Finding the hotel was quite a challenge as the map were all in Portugese. We took quite a lot of unnecessary walk with our heavy bags until we finally reach our hotel. Metropole Hotel, though not so big, is cosy and is actually quite near to San Senando Square.

Our hotel room in Metropole Hotel

Sightseeing is easy as we can easily walk across streets following the map. Our first stop was actually San Senando Square itself. The centre of San Senando Square was decorated with a big christmas tree and a stage for musical performance. The street were packed with people. Most of them, we gathered, were tourist from Hong Kong and China.

Busy street of San Senando Square

Our first stop was a restaurant. We had late lunch. I savoured the fried rice, which comes in quite a big portion. Food is costly in Macau. For light eaters, you can order a bowl and share with your partner.

Fried rice

After lunch, we had a leisure walk and chanced upon St Dominic's Church. A sense of peace and tranquility enveloped the prayer hall as we entered. There is a bell tower at the back of the building. It has been modified into a small museum of Sacred Art, exhibiting a collection of around 300 artifacts.

Artifacts displayed in St Dominic's Church

We continued with the walk in San Senando Square heading towards St Paul's Ruin. There were a lot of shops, adorn with latest fashion wears. We spotted a lot of young stylish girls with their high cut boots and thick furry coats. Weather was no doubt cool, but bearable alike an aircond room. Hubby and me could not help wondering why the need for such thick clothes as we were only dressed in t-shirts (we later realised that fashion supercedes praticality).

The road slope upwards as we walk towards St. Paul's Ruin. Being the holiday season, the place was really packed with tourist. Nevertheless, St. Paul's Ruin stood magnificently at the edge of the slope. History has it that the church caught fire three times and was rebuilt after each fire but the last fire in 1835 was the most serious one, where the most valuable part, the front wall remained.

St Paul's Ruin

We continued to venture into the whole street surrounding San Senando Square. The area was hyped up with a lot of shops selling array of clothes and handbags, and of course the famous Portugese tart. We paid about HKD10 for 2 pieces of Portugese tart. Is a must try for tart lovers despite the price being costly.

One of the shops selling souvenirs, portugese tarts & almond cookies

We decided to walk the streets and unexpectedly chanced upon an old mansion situated amongst the shops. It is the Lou Kau Mansion. The mansion was believed to be built in 1889. It is the home of a chinese merchant who owns many properties in the City. It is a 2 storey building and some of the rooms were decorated with chinese furniture. Entrance is free and you can easily walk in and out of the place.

Lou Kau Mansion

Walking in Macau are quite easy. You will find lanes to be small and even the backlanes have small little shops such as bakery shops. There were christmas ambience, the streets are clean and as the weather is cool, walking is quite pleasant. The place is rich with churches, we passed another church, The Cathedral as we continued our walk. By then, it was evening.

In front of The Cathedral

We continued our journey on foot and headed towards the city. As we walked, we passed by the Grand Lisboa Hotel, Wynn and MGM. The lights which adorned the buildings are magnificent to watch.

Hotel Grand Lisbao

MGM Grand

We continue to head on to an area where the pubs were. As we reached early, there was not much crowd. Just opposite the rows of pubs, stood the Goddess of Mercy statue which is 20 metres tall and made of special bronze. It was night by then and the Goddess of Mercy shone in the dark.

The Goddess of Mercy

We continued our walk and chanced upon a beautiful park. We were very much impressed with the size of the park and walkway. It is spacious but what fascinates us the most is the serenity of the park. We gathered that it is a safe place to be as girls can be seen sitting on the benches, relaxing.

We did a lot of walking in Macau, which was tiring. Nevertheless we were glad that the weather is cool which helps us to relax. We retire to bed later at night and prepared for the next day itinerary.

(More pics at Evershots)

1 January 2009

It is 11.35pm now and is raining cats and dogs. Today is 1 January 2009. The beginning of a new year. It is a year of uncertainties as many people have predicted. I just got back from One U and despite the market slowdown as what many people said, One U is crowded with shoppers. Coming out of carpark takes more than 20 minutes.

Last night, new year 's eve, hubby and me were invited by a friend to attend a dinner and dance party. It was held in PJ Hilton. That is where we celebrated our new year's eve. Hubby was down with fever and was sitting shivering throughout the night. Nevertheless, we have a fabulous time. Thanks Capt for the invitation.

Today I woke up feeling tired. Last night was a "sleep and wake" night as hubby were down with fever. So I had him covered in blanket. After sweating it out, hubby recovered in the morning. Evening sets in and hubby is back with fever again. Sigh... I will force him to see a doctor tomorrow.

Anyway, to the new year ahead.... many people will asked about resolution. I never really made any resolution. I only constantly try to remind myself to live each day as if is my last. Sometimes I forget of course, and take things for granted, but whenever I can, I strive for happiness in life. To me happiness in life is not about money. It is about contentment and about having people who cares about you around. Happiness is a gathering among good friends, it is about giving without expecting. Happiness to me is the ability to share my prosperity with my family, to love unconditionally. I have had my share of happiness thus far and I constantly thanked my blessings.

May happiness be spread among all beings in this world. Happy New 2009 to all!

Be Honest Always Tell The Truth

For sharing - a beautiful life lesson received via email:-

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, 'It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO.

I have decided to choose one of you. 'The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. 'I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.'

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!'

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room withhis empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, 'The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!'

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, 'Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!'

Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

'How could he be the new CEO?' the others said.

Then the CEO said, 'One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!'

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation


So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

'Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back'

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

An email received on some good pointers in life.. read on:-

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 of 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'.