Bridge towards my Dreams

This is the bridge which links 

my rebellious adolescence to adulthood

my dreams to reality

my doubts to understanding and knowledge

这是一座连接着

叛逆的少年时代与成人时代

梦想与现实

疑问与解答

的桥

Bus Encounter

         

         It was a scorching hot Friday noon. I barely managed to catch the bus for a relaxing escape at home to unwind. Breathing heavily after running out of the gate of the campus with two heavy luggages, I was almost dying from exhaustion when I saw a seat near to the door. I heaved a sigh of relief. I immediately sat down, put on my headphones and drifted away in my own world.

            The commuters literally flooded in ten minutes later, when the bus arrived at another bus stop. I was choking for the sudden scent of “eau de parfum” lingering in the bus, from all those commuters: men and women, young and old, white-collar workers, blue-collar workers, locals, foreign holidaymakers... There was a young lady who was heavy with a child, with a bag of groceries in her left hand and a young boy, probably her son, holding her other hand tight. Her hands were shaking while she tried to grab the nearest support in the bus.

            “Ah Moi! Can’t you see that your seat is reserved for people with special needs? Give your seat to her!” A woman in her 50’s barked at me, while pointing at the signboard near my seat. I could not care less about her. No! I was dropping dead myself and my load is no less than hers! I kept snoozing away in spite of the boisterous and stifling crowd.

            Amidst my blurry vision, I noticed a little boy standing up in the bus. I rubbed my eyes. That little boy from elementary school had actually stood and gave his seat to the pregnant lady! I could not believe my eyes. My eyes were wide open. Instantaneously my face blushed as red as a beetroot and my head drooped low.

How could I, being a college student and a builder of the national future in the making, be that selfish and full of myself? Why did only my two luggages and my exhaustion enter my mind? Even students from the elementary school understand and practised the moral values learned in school. Why? What was the use of being a straight-A student in SPM but failing to internalize all those noble values and the definitions which I had memorized for thus long into part of my being?

            The bus screeched into a halt as it arrived at the jetty. I lugged my luggage, with a heavy heart added to that load. As the bus faded from my view, I could not hold my feeling of shame. Every step I took to the ferry got heavier with remorse, but lighter at the same time, knowing that I have just had a good class on being kind to the others.

学画漫画！ Learning to Draw Comics!

原来我已经超过一个月没有打扫这个部落格了。哎呀，一个月里发生了很多很多事，都不知从哪里说起。

言归正传，近日我常常在我的笔记画卡通增加学习效率，因为我是Visual learner（靠视力学习）。朋友发现后，就建议我画漫画做故事。嘿嘿，希望我真的能成功当作家、漫画家（？）不过，希望是希望，不努力就变成失望咯。

这是我的处女作《Life is Simple》（生活很简单），关于人之初性本善。我通过漫画质疑人们为何凡事要复杂化，钻牛角尖。希望大家能看得懂，好好欣赏哦。

I found out that I have not updated this blog for more than a month! There were so many happenings throughout the month that I don't know where to begin.

Well, recently, I started doodling in my notes because it helps me to understand my study notes better, as a visual learner myself. My friends noticed my doodles and suggested that I begin drawing comics and write illustrated stories. I want to become a successful writer in the future, probably a comic artist too? Nevertheless, hopes will stay as hopes without real dilligence and perseverance.

This is my first drawing, "Life is Simple" which is about my questioning on the needs of the human race to complicate life which is indeed meant to be simple and humble. I hope you can enjoy and understand my pictorial@comic! (Really a comic??)

Kopitiam Menu #5: Cheesecake

As fluffy as cotton,

As soft as marshmallow,

As creamy as milk,

And that’s how it is.

This is a cake taken to the next level,

With some cheese carefully swirled into it

To create a luxurious sweet ending

In huge banquets and to cheer up little kids.

Cheese and cake bond together as the perfect two

And they create spells which will not break

And keep people, young and old,

Under this sweet, beautiful spell that

Makes people rave for more sweet endings, every time.

Biscuits as crust? Time for a change

With biscuits for the aisle and

The cheese and cake couple on top

And fruits to make merry.

No oven for a cake? Worry not;

This snowy creamy darling creates magic

In the fridge!

Beat some cheese fluffy

And sandwich the cakes for another mystical rendition

Of the buttercream cake that weathers through years,

Minus the buttery gooey grossness

For a tangy, cooling sensation

To blow your minds off.

Cheese and cake however paired

Stay as a perfect couple that

Go through thousands of oceans and hills

And still stay strong and true

For they sing beautiful love songs together

For people across generations to listen

And savour.

Kopitiam Menu #3: Milo

Bright big green tin
That stays unscathed
Through seven decades.

The rich flavour of cocoa
Etched in our minds;
A beautiful sensual melody it makes,
When stirred with boiling hot water.

With hints of cocoa and a sweetness tang,
The scent floats into our bedrooms
Telling us that a beautiful good morning is here.

Like rose and its thorns and its leaves
This brown beverage brings you to heaven
When married with cream and crunch,
And keeps you running round and round
Like a leaping bunny!

Heaps of ice,
And a lava of sweet chocolate comes
trickle, trickle, trickle,
down the table.
So grand with extra powder on top,
Like a dinasaur.

Or, should it be left just as it is?

One cup fits an ant,
and that is the Malaysian way
to roll the mornings!


P/S: Sorry for my bad poem because my ideas have somehow... DIED. :X

Kopitiam Menu #2: 红豆冰 Ais Kacang

中午，太阳无情的照耀，来个红豆冰消暑解渴，好不痛快啊！

P/S: 东主不会用华文写诗，只好用我的烂英文，希望你们能看得懂并好好欣赏。（不要脸！）

**PART 1**
A snowy ice mountain
Covered with a thick layer of
Cool lava, green, brown or pink
In a cute little glass lotus.

The little mountain
Is beyond rocky ice and overflowing snow.
The red little rocks scatter through the mountain,
with some jades and little rubies in between.

Too tiny for a baby to even climb on,
Yet large and dainty enough
As a centerpiece for the
commoner's table.

**PART 2**
He poured his faith
in his little roadside stall,
With a huge ice machine,
bowls and bags of treats,
For some Ringgit for his
Lady and kids.

He fear not the burning hot sun,
Nor the pearls that came
Trickling down his weathered cheeks.

That smile, rare smile
Hangs on his face
like eternity, though some kids
Clad in Levis and Nike,
Came around and make a face
To him.

God blessed him with
Little elves, with energy
That burns like bonfire.
Running rounds, collecting changes,
Serving little mountains, red, brown or green
To the thirsty street walkers.

He turned the iron handle,
And the huge icy rock
Turned into pristine crystals,
Before he topped them off with
soft jades and rubies.

A beautiful and sweet masterpiece
is born
for the thirsty and raving
many.

Kopitiam Menu #1: Coffee

A little ceramic cup
Steaming hot yet cold enough for sips
Brimming with the aroma
Subtle enough to be savoured
across time, at grace.


Beans gently toasted and roasted
Like fragrant little black pearls,
And soon grounded into powder
So fine, like brown flavoured fragrant sand.

Hot spring waters flow into the brown sand
in a dainty little mug.
No mud, no filth-
It is the elixir of energy and wholesomeness
left in a cup.

The smooth, warming black liquid
Beckons people to slow their hurried pace
For that moment of warmth and
A relaxed invigoration.



The milk, swirled in like clouds
Renders this bittersweet black beauty
fair, yet tanned, but next to Heaven.

The black beauty, filled with mystical whim,
manifests herself into pretty angels
Some bitter, some sweet, some even as
pieces of art.

Her beauty is everywhere,
from high-end cafes to the streets.
Young or old, rich or poor,
She is so well-loved
that her beauty extends beyond her years.

Yet, she needs no more adornment
as beautiful as she is
by herself.

D.I.E.T. (Determination, Insanity, Enthusiasm, Trust) Part 2: Little Changes, Substantial Wonders!

Good afternoon everyone! For your information, my holidays are just ten hours left and I am blogging from my campus now-for the SECOND time.

Well, In case if you have not read my previous post, D.I.E.T. (Part 1), that post is about dieting as a vegetarian, that means, no meat in your plates. In fact, here are the types of vegetarians:

Semi-vegetarian: A semi-vegetarian is not officially classified as a vegetarian because he/she avoids only red meat. 

Pesca-vegetarian: A pesca-vegetarian abstains from animal meat but still consumes fish and seafood. 

Lacto-ovo vegetarian: A lacto-ovo vegetarian refrains from eating animal meat (red meat, white meat, fish, seafood) but still consumes milk and dairy. 

Lacto-vegetarian: A lacto-vegetarian avoids animal meat and eggs in his/her diet but still consumes dairy products. 

Ovo-vegetarian: An ovo-vegetarian avoids animal meat and dairy in his/her diet but still consumes eggs. 

Vegan: A vegan consumes only plant-based products, which excludes animal-based foods such as animal meat, dairy and eggs. Some vegans do not consume honey. 

Fruitarian: A fruitarian consumes only fruits and legumes.

I am currently a lacto-ovo vegetarian for practical reasons. Having to cater food outside the campus is a bane for me and it is impractical. Fingers-crossed, I will go vegan when I begin working because I can prepare my own food.

Now that you know the types of vegetarians (at a glance, at least), I shall tell you some easy little tips that you can sneak into your hectic lifestyle. Being on a diet does not mean that you have to starve yourself with Minnie-mouse portions and exercise twenty hours a day. Doing that is a sure way to drive you to Crazy Town, I WARN YOU!

Diet is a life-long change to a healthier lifestyle, thus it MUST be practical.

PART 1: Tweak your Working/Studying Conditions

Remember this mantra: "Don't sit when you can stand; don't stand when you can walk". At a time-frame of an hour, sitting burns around 68 calories at most (depending on your lifestyle and physical conditions); standing consumes around 100 calories, while walking can burn you a whooping 200-400 calories per hour! Of course, I don't think you can walk at ALL times, right? At least, stand while working or studying, if possible.

Stepper-and-work!

I like to change positions while working. At home, I will place a stepper beside my desk so that I can actually tone my legs with the stepper and write or read at the same time. In the hostel, I will squat while typing. 

I choose not to sit because sitting for long hours causes me bad butt-aches and bores me. By standing, I will have to use more energy to focus on my work and stand (or squatting and stepper-ing), thus I will think less about food and all sorts of unrelated issues. However, I sit down after an hour or two of standing. Standing for long hours is detrimental for health, so alternate sitting and standing while working.

Of course, NEVER force yourself to stand at work if you are physically unwell. For beginners, you may want to stand for just 30 minutes and increase the time for standing at work gradually.

I recommend buying a sitting-standing desk for those working or studying at home. You can even fit a treadmill below your desk so that you "walk" while you work, if your budget or space allows you to do so. Besides, you may use an exercise ball to replace your conventional chair for sitting. Just be sure not to fall off the ball!

PART 2: The BEST gift for Mum and Dad: Helping Hands

Why bother loitering for no apparent reason when you can actually help your parents at home? Your parents will be REALLY happy and grateful if you volunteer to spare some time and help them in the household chores.Firstly, you will relieve their gargantuan burden for having to tend to us children, taking care of the house and working at the same time. That is being filial. Secondly, your parents will not have to empty their wallets for having to look for a maid, apart from curtailing unnecessary maid-related problems. Thirdly, you will burn calories. Now, this is the ULTIMATE WIN-WIN SOLUTION!

Sweeping and mopping the floor requires you to lunge and stretch. Hand-washing and ironing the clothes needs the strength of your arms. The list is literally endless. While these chores may seem a tad too easy, they will keep us off the couch and over-snacking, since working around relieves food cravings.

Part 3: Trick or Treat?

You probably have coffee breaks during work or class. Me too! For me as a college student, having to focus on lectures for long hours is tiring, and lectures are sedentary since I HAVE TO sit down most of the time. I always anticipated for the clock to tick at ten o’clock in the morning after using up my mental energy with two hours of lectures. Yay! Refreshments!

Wait. The time for refreshment can be a disaster if you are not careful. In my case, my course-mates often brought along nice and tasty treats such as butter cookies, cakes and flavoured peanuts. They are calorie-dense and not filling, so I usually stick to one piece of cookie and a few nuts or even none at all. I go for fruits such as apples and oranges as mid-morning snacks because it is filling, low in calories and fun to munch as well. 

Besides that, I use break-time to do some light stretching and walk along the corridor. This rejuvenates me better than any high-calorie snacks which only provide a temporary energy burst. Walking around allows me to have a peace of mind and is another little exercise which I can sneak into lecture-breaks.

Part 4: Chances don't Come Often!

It does not matter whether your friends are looking at you as though as you are a lunatic whenever you are grooving to the beat during the aerobics session or walking many rounds during a relay. The key is to have fun and shed some unwanted calories off. 

What I am saying here is that when there are chances to work out, work your body out! Now I definitely do NOT mean that you can dance around in the supermarkets or shopping malls unless if you are filming a music video which requires you to do so. Work out at appropriate situations. For instance, during health campaigns, charity drives, etc., why not dance in the aerobics or take a stroll along the stalls instead of pigging out by buying and eating LOTS of food there? It costs you money and your waistline. On the other hand, the aerobics activities in fairs and campaigns (if any) are usually open to the public and free-of-charge.

You can easily overeat during fairs by visiting stall to stall, so be careful and take not of the food that you are eating. In that way, you can save big bucks while saving your waistline.

During events such as Relay for Life (which I took part in recently... I will tell you guys about it later in this month in my diary blog.), instead of sitting down watching the performances at night, I opted to walk in the Relay and stand while watching the dances, rather than sitting down and doing nothing. Mind you, sitting down for two hours is a sheer waste of time and opportunities!

Part 5: Get up, Get up!

Have you ever encountered situations where you have to get stuffs from the other side of your office, home, etc.? Instead of asking the people around you to help pass the stuffs to you, you can actually walk to the location and grab your stuffs. This simple action will burn you bits of calories and prevents your coworkers from having to put their work aside to help you.

Besides, you can tidy your desks or clean the house instead of being a couch potato.

When you feel tired, just do some workout. According to www.skinnymom.com , a continuous ten-minute stationary cardio expends 100 calories. That is way better to relieve study/work stress instead of munching into sweet treats!

Part 6: One Good Turn Deserves Another

When your friend needs help in moving stuffs, just help them. It will save your friend a great deal of time and sneak some exercise for you too! Is that not great?

Part 7: Be Grateful

Learn to love yourself and your body. God gave you your body to be used and taken care of, so avoid comparing yourselves to the others (My challenge!), and laugh those freaks who mock at you off. Pray everyday, relax and view life positively. Having less stress makes you less prone to overeating, so live life to the fullest!

Of course, ANYONE, vegetarian or not, can practise these tips. Just tweak your living habits and integrate dieting as a part of life. Have fun and good luck!

#Good luck to me too... I just reached 70 kilograms and I hope I can maintain my weight or, better still, keep it down to my desired 60 kg.