魯班節

Invited by one of our contractors  for Lo Ban Festival - apparently it's a carpenters festival in China - celebration method here in Hong Kong is of course - E.A.T.

Didn't realised that dinner wasn't until 8:30!! Was starving like a wild dog, went through 4-5 plates of peanuts before the feast!

I had to stop eating half way through because i was TOO BAO!! and took 7 boxes of doggy bag home!!

Very similar to the western "Lobster Thermador"

My take is that they look like giant penis!

25 Things Happy People Do Differently

Life is too short to be grouchy, grumpy, sad or angry. 

But sometimes, you just can't avoid it. Emotion gets high and all rational reasoning goes out of the door.

After having taken some deep breaths and shoved a few files around, i'd invite rational thoughts back into my brain.

Some people (esp. tai hau) think that these are cliche but for all i know, there are a lot of people out there (incl. him) who just can't (or won't) let go of things, hence falling into traps where they felt that so angry or dissatisfied with everything and everyone. 

Why? Why live like that? 

I copied this off a daily subscription, it's 25 things happy people do differently. I made some comments based on the life i'm living, it's kinda fun. Some applies but some are just a bit too zen for modern lifestyle.

1. Stop worrying, if it supposed to happen it will. - this is my motto whenever things don't go my way.

2. Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being excellent. - Theoretically very true, but I just can't help feeling insufficient whenever i cannot be "excellent". 

3. Don't let your happiness depend on anything outside of yourself. - I am happy when others are happy cos i recently realised that my own happiness doesn't really last that long if i don't have anyone to share it with!

4. Stay close to everything that makes you feel alive. - SHOPPING!!!

5. Listen to your body, it will lead you to unlimited health. - Mmm can't quite figure out how 

6. Surround yourself with people who see your greatness. - A bit too egotistic? What's my greatness?

7. Make peace with your past. - I have made peace with it, but i just don't want to talk about it ever. 

8. See all setbacks as growth and expansive opportunities. Same as pt 2

9. Comparing yourself to others will hurt your health and steal your joy. - Depending on to what extent are you comparing yourselves with others. I think sometimes being a bit competitive gives that slight edge in pushing oneself. 

10. Don't give up, EVER. SO. DAMN. TRUE. 

11. You always have a choice. - True 

12. Stop chasing what’s not working. - Arguably, it slightly contradicts with pt 10 without further clarification. 

13. Believe wholeheartedly in miracles. - Not there at all, miracles don't make things happen but people do.

14. Don't postpone joy. - I was told that we should not always rely on instant gratification, that being patient and waiting is a virtue.

15. Trust the universe, there is a plan greater than yours. - To be honest, there are so many things going on in ones' life that i can't be bothered thinking about the universe, let alone trusting it? If it wish to destroy me, then i'll say pt 1 please.

16. Wake up every morning with a grateful heart. - I wake up every morning with the thought of being able to sleep for 3 hours again.

17. Remember things take time. - Getting there, but need practice.

18. Always trust your gut. - After so many mistakes, i confirmed ...that it IS true. 

19. No need to change people; just love them for who they are. - Absolutely, but some people are just pure annoyance.

20. Don't resist change. - Resisting with less reluctance these days.

21. Forgive yourself. - Depending on what i have done...sometimes it's hard to get over because no one can turn back time. 

22. Your life is a creative adventure. if creative adventure means being at work 10 hours a day, workout, chores, surf and sleep - then well i do qualify of being creative. 

23. Release expectations and enjoy the journey, there is no destination. - This is Zen, i have to be super relax to be able to let things flow without knowing where it take me. This is luxury.

24. Just do you.  - I am a bit nasty sometimes

25. You're not broken or damaged. You are perfect just the way you are. Yes, i can only be as good as i can be, so in a very philosophical way, i'm perfect. 

Golden Finger

This is one of the many reasons that i put on weights these days - delicioooooousss!

I bought a 1kg tube back to the office. I want to keep it at home initially but it's TOO fat NOT to share!!

Where do you want life to take you?

"Every day you wait is another day that you will never get back again.

The most important thing is not to be bitter about life's disappointments.

Learn to let go of the past.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes because most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most.

Maybe you'll get everything you wish for , maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined.

Who knows where life can take you?

The road is long and in the end, the journey is your destination."

From - Positive Inspirational Quotes.

I don't even know today is how many days since CNY but I am still getting lai see, so it must be a GOOD DAY!!!

SCM 2013

The once a year Standard Chartered Marathon is over again!

I felt that the "running" atmosphere is so high this year because of all the devoted runner friends around. Everybody has worked so hard over the last 6 months (sometimes even a year!) to train for this! And it so happens that the annual Tokyo marathon is on the same day, so the spirit is even higher than normal.

As usual, i was shitting my pants because I 膽粗粗地 enrolled into the half
marathon!!

Judging by my 年初四's 4K performance & the UNICEF experience, the more reasons
i was shittin' my pants, but as it turns out, i've outdone myself! I gave myself 
2:30:00 to finish and turns out i only need 2:06:11!!

Good 1 - I managed to run the first 12-13K without stopping (except for a sip of water)
Good 2 - I was able to breath normally throughout the whole journey
Good 3 - No muscle fatigue at all (thank god for the 2XU tights!)

Though having said that, my kneecaps were absolutely taking a battering. Have to start
skip/hop/jog from 16K onwards, and i spent the rest of the day looking like a 100 year-old
grannie who have hip problem. I was slightly worry because my knees felt very wobbly.
I tried to sprint the last 100m but my legs just won't and can't do it...

Still, i'm proud of myself!! 

Thanks but no thanks - I'm not brave enough to do full marathon yet. The faces i saw 
at the junction of Marsh Road & Lockhart last sunday made me rethink like 10 times,
and the answer is still NO!!! lol

I aim to do a faster time at 10K & 21K next!

CNY

Our family and the year of snake have set on the wrong foot on the very first day. Granddad passed away all of a sudden.

I was pretty sad and in utter shock when i "read" the news on FB that my mom posted. I knew she wouldn't joke about something like that on FB and especially not on the first day of CNY. Not funny.

But after all, he is 94 year old and i really feel sad for him everytime i go home. My mom would complain about him this and that and start talking very loudly to him as if he's a kid who's hasn't done what he was told.

Frankly speaking, i have thought about this day for a couple of times. What happens if granddad pass away? How's mom going to feel for everything she's said to him? I wouldn't want to be pushed to speak like that to my parents when they're as old as he was. 

Now i know, my mom was shattered. The news almost killed her, as i expected, she started questioning if it was the right decision to put him in old-ppl's home, whether he was unhappy, if she hasn't looked after him good enough.

I am certainly guilty for not having speak to him as often as i can, and not caring about him the way he did when i was a kid. I'm not proud of it. 

These days - the phrase - "Life Happens" keeps wandering in my head. This is life - people die, people you love dies, there is not a single thing you can do to prevent this from happening. Thats when "you only live once" comes in - life no regrets, live everyday as if it's the last day. 

Despite the positive thinking (which i honestly believe in) - I knew i still feel really sad inside, deep inside. I stopped crying on the second day but i can feel the emotions surfacing whenever i see things that may trigger my soft side, my eyes swells up and i need to swallow hard and make it go away. It could be as simple as a sad song or seeing old people picking trash on the street. 

I planned to be at work two days but i took them off at the end. I need my me time. With Tai Hau, i tried not to be too sad because I know if i'm sad, it puts him in a weird mood too. 

Life goes on, we all have to move on one way or another, but honestly this feels odd. I can't wondering, as much as i don't want to, my own mother will eventually leave me one day and how heartbroken will i be? So many things happened all these years, resentments, arguments, disagreements but still we manage to have a relation with each other. Not that she is here to help me when i needed or pamper me when i'm heartbroken but she's my mother, as much as i may not have understood why she does certain thing, she raise me (at least for 15 out of my 3x yrs), who am i going to call if i want to gossip about my step brother? Who am i going to call if i want to find out how to clean the bathroom effectively? Who am i going to call if i ended up having a broken marriage (if i'll ever have one)?

So much sorrow inside, i wish it'll go away soon. 

年廿八

未到新年, my two bosses (CEO & soon to be ex-boss) has already given us red pocket! Woohoo!

Having dinner with my soon-to-be ex-boss on Wed...it better be good!

Bad news

I was given a piece of bad news on Monday, financially related.

As happy as i was, being given a tiny raise this year, it's all been taken away by this piece of news.

Friends - I am going to be financially crippled for the coming 3-4 months, meaning i won't be able to go to any gatherings :(

As much of a bad news as it is, the good side of it, is that things should be back to normal after May - fingers crossed.

If I would've encountered this a year ago, i would be absolutely stressed my nuts off. While this is by no means not stressful, but it's by no means end of the world either. Yes, i won't be spend ANY extra cash other than daily food, and yes i hate that but this will still be better than worrying when the debt is going to come back and haunt you. 

Also read an article in a website called - Mind, Body, Green

Ten things to remind yourself on daily basis

I tell myself that these are the things that i should keep in mind everyday. Whether life is good or bad, it all depends on the way you choose to see it. 

Fifty shades of

Need i say more? 

This is one TRULY pornographic novel, even I am a bit embarrassed while reading it.