invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishment the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.

(invictus means invincible. this inspiring poem was written by William Ernest Henley)

the pain of losing a friend

Friends come and go…but true friends will remain in our hearts forever. Friendship is a powerful thing that can either make or break us. It’s up to us to differentiate between the pros and cons. Friendship makes the simplest, littlest things matter. Like every time you are having a bad day and by just being there they can make you smile again and enjoy the rest of the day without worries. Like each time you are hurt and they are always there to console you and mend your wounds. Every time you feel insecure or unsure they are always there to support you. And like all the times you are in trouble they are always there to back you up. Having new friends is always fun and exciting but losing one will cause a heartache so severe that it seems like there’s no convalescence.

How would you feel when the person you care about turns his back on you and walk away as if you never knew each other before? How would you feel when you found out that a friend you thought you knew so well and trust with all your heart turns out to be a whole different person?

I lost a friend so dear to me not too long ago. It hurts so much that sometimes I wish that I could turn back time and undo the things I did wrong, take back the words I shouldn’t have said and do the things that weren’t done then. Sometimes I wish I could make things right again. If only I had the chance...

K27, meet F2T6!

To all my new classmates in K27, I'm pleased to introduce to you my ex-classmates from KMK. They were my friends and family, my brothers and sisters.

This picture is taken on the last day of the final exam. Everyone looks puffy due to lack of sleep.

[The night we had a BBQ to celebrate a whole year in KMK]

reduce stress in 3 minutes

Meditation, relaxation and visualisation are the standard recommendations for reducing stress, and they are all beneficial and useful to us in many ways, however, they are not so easy to put into use when stress strikes with it’s disruptive companions frustration, confusion, and anxiety in full attendance.

Here’s some simple steps I read from an article in ladypens.com. You can try them to diffuse stress quickly and easily, anytime and anywhere.

1. rub your forehead with both hands in vertical lines from your eyebrows to your hairline for a few moments

2. about an inch above each eyebrow you will find a bump – rest your fingertips there lightly and hold

3. take a deep breathe in and lighten the pressure of your fingertips until they are touching those points very softly

4. breathe deeply again and allow yourself to sink into how you are really feeling right now – focus clearly and specifically on the one thing that is mainly causing you stress, or anxiety

5. allow yourself to think the truth of the matter, hold the points and breathe and remain that way for a couple of minutes

6. concentrate on the area you are holding and feel for pulsations under your fingertips as the blood flow, previously diverted by stress, is restored to your forebrain. Now you can begin to think clearly again as you feel stress drain away and find yourself in control and able to choose how you wish to respond to what’s at hand.

ways to spend less

I know you guys LOVE to shop especially the girls. So here are a few tips on how you can spend less:

-make a list. When you go to the store, buy ONLY what is on your list!

-get rid of the credit cards. Keep one for emergencies if you must.

-don't go window shopping when you are bored or depressed. You will buy more than the window!

-set dollar limits. If you are going to buy a second hand car, electronics or an appliance, set a dollar limit and stick to it!!!

-sometimes buying name brand is good, because you get the quality, like tennis shoes or tools, but again, set a limit.

-avoid shopping with your rich friends or friends who shop like they are rich! You will just try to keep up and end up buying things you don't really need and that you can't really afford.

-always think practical whenever you are shopping. Always ask yourself, "do I NEED this?", or ask yourself, "is this absolutely necessary?" If your answer is yes to either or both of these questions, then you are being practical, but you HAVE to be honest with yourself!

-make a budget and stick to it! Putting the numbers down on paper will show you just where all your money is going!

RO water is NOT good!

There are some folks out there who believe that it is safe to drink distilled and reverse osmosis water, claiming there are no potential health risks - although there is never any supporting data associated with these claims, only to the contrary. These same few folks also claim that distilled water has a neutral pH... even though any litmus paper or a pH meter can see the pH is usually between 5.2 - 6pH, and drops lower as it sits exposed to open air. Why then would anyone say that it is safe to drink distilled and R.O. water, even though basic chemistry tells us differently?

Zoltan P. Rona Md MSc stated that "fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value." He also mentioned that "distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes."

It is ok to take RO water every once in a while (once in a week) to cleanse or detoxify the system but be careful not to drink too much of it as it can be deadly.

Beware of beggars!

This actually happened to me and my friends when we were having lunch at a restaurant located somewhere in Kuantan. We were enjoying our nasi lemak and suddenly came a woman aged around 30. She asked us for RM1 and said that she was old and unable to work. We were hesitant as she seemed well enough to work. Not at all old and very healthy. We decided not to give her the 1 ringgit she asked us. After finishing our lunch we headed to Mega Mall to buy the usual necessities of a student. To our immediate shock, we saw the same woman who begged us for money walking around the mall, her hands full of Parkson plastic bags. We found out that she went shopping using the money that she had begged for earlier. So dear friends, please be careful with the strangers you meet out there. We will never know what's on their mind and we can never be too careful with them. Whenever you are going out, be aware of this kind of people. I'm not asking you to be selfish or stingy but think wisely before you act. Donating is good only if it is to the rightful receiver.