歌曲：蒲公英的约定

作词:方文山作曲:周杰伦

小学篱芭旁的蒲公英
是记忆里有味道的风景
午睡操场传来蝉的声音
多少年后也还是很好听

将愿望折纸飞机寄成信
因为我们等不到那流星
认真投决定命运的硬币
却不知道到底能去哪里

一起长大的约定
那样清晰打过勾的我相信
说好要一起旅行
是你如今唯一坚持的任性

在走廊上罚站打手心
我们却注意窗边的蜻蜓
我去到哪里你都跟很紧
很多的梦在等待着进行

一起长大的约定
那样真心
与你聊不完的曾经
而我已经分不清
你是友情还是错过的爱情

The song talked about a simple relationship between a boy and a girl when they are in school. When we are much younger, we all simply had greater courage to make bold promises to each other to love each other forever or simply to grow up together. That genuine belief that we can keep that promise to be together.

As we grow older, by right, we should have greater courage and faith to make promises. Yet, we stop using the word ‘forever’. We almost forgotten when is the last time we use it.

Beautiful song. “We made paper planes that carry our wishes because we were too impatient to wait for the appearance of shooting stars.”

It related a feeling where you wanted to see someone you once loved. The desire to see that person was not because you  want to rekindle that love but rather a longing to see how that person is now. In fact, you do not even want to talk about the past when both of you met, but will be satisfied to drink a cup of coffee together. The song even mentioned that maybe you just want to say a sentence to that person and that will be “It has been a long time”.

Not all sentiments and emotions are complicated. Sometimes, you just want to sit down for coffee with a more than familiar face, experiencing again a more than familiar attachment. That’s all.

No, no I am not talking about the flight rather I am talking about friends. Last week, I am supposed to meet up with a friend of mine. I hesitated because I was worried of his emotional state. This friend is emotional and in the past how our meet ups turned out to be depended alot on how he was feeling.

When my hubby saw my hesitation, he asked why I was willing to subject myself to this type of Economy Class treatment. He said “Dear dear, I have treated you with first class, why you are willing to accept economy class treatment from people who do not cherish you?” I paused to think and thus the revelation.

In life, we tend to stay with certain people and allowed ourself to be subjected to not up to par treatment. We accept mediocracy in friendship. Give and take is one thing, taken for granted is another. So, make sure I give first class treatment to first class friends and ousted out the economy class.

We waited at the taxi stand and no cabs were in sight. Then we decided to call for a cab. To much frustration. we were put on hold for more than half an hour on our cell phone. We could not even get through to the operators. In fact, we tried ALL cab companies.

There was no doubt a shortage of drivers. Not much incentives to encourage more to get into this line. They do not have CPF, medical or insurance benefits. They are very much on their own. Cab rental and dissel cost are high, they start their shift with $150 deficit or base cost. On bad days, they just barely cover the cost. Not a attractive occupation to go into it. So, lesser and lesser people get into the occupation, those who remains start to think of ways to make more money. Touting is very much a birth of that initial issue.

I am not for touting but I am not against it neither. I see it as a natural phenomena, a birth of the current situation. Most cab companies are ‘government’ run. If they keep squeezing the drivers, the phenomena is going to persist. As for consumers, if capitalism rules, as long as consumers are willing to pay to solve an immediate problem, they will continue to use the touting service.

Take my case as an example. That cold evening, after waiting for more than half an hour and still not able to get through the cab companies, it was raining heavily, it was past midnight, and we needed to work tomorrow, IF, there is one cab driver that comes along and ask me to pay $30 for a trip home, you bet I will take it. Am I to be penalise for encouraging touting? Is the driver going to be penalise for wanting to earn more since he could barely feeds himself and his family?

As far as I see, touting is an issue of an unfair equilibrium of the current cost and earning issues fbetween the cab companies (mainly govt) and the drivers that escalated into an demand and supply issue and then a social issue. So fellow beings out there, if you think that by placing officials to stop touting, I am sorry, you are in for a rude shock.

Yesterday I took a cab to work as it was raining heavily. The cab took me to my office at SLF building through the Toa Payoh way, passed by Philips. As it passed through the electronic gantry at SLF building, a dollar was deducted from the cab’s cash card. Normally in most car park, the deduction will be void if the vehicle does not exceed the grace period. However, yesterday I noticed a tiny sticker sign that says the dollar deduction will not be void cos’ they do not practice grace period. The sticker is so small that I suspected then the cab driver did not notice it.

I reached my destination and was told that my cab fee was $7.90 and realised that the $1 gantry fee was not added. Then the one minute struggle began. My rational mind reasoned that it was unfair for me to pay that $1. Then I tried to justify by thinking it was not my fault that the driver did not see the sign, the fault was his and he had to bear the cost of that. However in my spirit, I was not at peace and found myself asking myself what is the value of $1 to me? Then I took the dollar from my wallet and told the driver that he under-charged me. He was surprised at the discovery of the sign and was even more surprise why I did that. 

You should see the smile on his face and mine and realised the value of $1. I am not sure whether his smile was related to the monetary gain or simply the joy of knowing a little warmth in this world. As for me, it was definitely something worthwhile – just the right thing to do at that time and it felt good doing it.

That morning, hubby and I waited for the lift. It stopped at our floor- 11th floor and a lady exited the lift as we entered. We saw her proceeded to take another lift down and thus we started our speculations.There was another man inside, so my first conclusion was that the lady and the man had a quarrel so she decided to walk off which was my normal behaviour when I quarrelled with my hubby. So when the lift reached the ground floor, the man just walked off like nothing happened. Seconds later, the lady reached the ground floor and moved in opposite direction. So we concluded that they were not a couple.

Then, I told hubby maybe because the man farted and the lady had to get off. But there was no smell when we entered so this speculation was not accurate. Then hubby mentioned that I was bias. It could be because the lady was the one that need to fart thus she had to get out the lift.

It sort of striked me that maybe we all have a preconceived idea and judgement. Fart as an act was deemed as performed by man than woman. Interesting. Well, it was interesting enough to start a day.

Think about it. Next time in a lift of one army guy and a dainty beautiful lady, someone farted, it may not always be the army guy or even not the lady, it could be one! ha ha

The TV series taught us many things despite expert’s theory that TV shows tend to corrupt or retard one’s mind. We learnt much about human nature in old times and human nature in trying times. The show illustrated situations in life where some times, it is never a clean cut of right and wrong and morality fade as a factor in decision making.

We love every bit of the show and enjoying it. Going home early for dinner and for 24.

Cheers.

Then again, fear should never be a force to reckon in decision making. So, here I am, exploring the topic.

I think it is possible to love 2 different persons at the same time but with different intensity. Some reckon that it is not possible simply because they cannot do that or they never experience that. Yet, we know that one’s belief nor one’s experience is never a concluding factor in answering the question.

Many will say it is impossible not because they really think it is impossible. Rather they are fearful that if their stand is not on the same side of morality, they will be judge differently. Others will think that justifying their non conventional answer is a tiring journey to embark on. Afterall, it is always easier to deny the possibilities to the above question, you get peace of the ear and remove you from all suspicion if you are in a relationship.

Yet, I think it is possible to love 2 persons at the same time but that do not equal to me entertaining the possibility nor agreeing to it. I guess love is not that exclusive as much as we would like to think it is.

A lot of times, we find ourselves in situations like this where deep down we know the answer. Yet we have to pretend that we are struggling because too clear cut and straightforward an answer will either be too hurting to the recipent or it reflect bad on us. For example, if anyone ask me the above same question,  and in this case the two person are my hubby and my mother. Deep down, I know I will save my hubby in the nick of time. Yet, I cannot give an answer immediately. Because I do not want to be seen as unfilial though filial piety is never an issue here.

Pretend to be in dilemna gets you and out of the situation. It is an easier way out than to give a direct answer and attempt to explain your decision and justify them.

So, next time, you see someone in a dilemna, in situation not life and death, enjoy the show. 

It started 3 months ago. I started telling people I asked God for 5 millions dollars (Sing) by 2011, 5 years down the road. I received mixed reactions, mostly disapproving with great disbelief.

My belief is simple. I have a big God and so I ask for a big present. I have plans for the usage of this big present. People either think I am joking or they start questioning the power of God. If God is like our Heavenly father, knowing my God is all rich and wealthy, do I need to  feel bad asking from him? Besides, God loves me. As I mature in age, I keep reminding myself to renew that simple faith in God. Too much analysis bring mankind to nowhere.

When I was in JC 1, I had a simple minded classmate who just accepted Christ then. One late afternoon, we were sitting at the stone bench near to the drain and before long I realised there were lots of mosquitoes. I decided to leave that place. Yet that girl decided to stay put, I asked her why. She said she already told God to chase away the mosquitoes.

I laughed at her then, not openly though. Then again, her act of simple faith stayed in my memory years later till now. 15 years later, her act etched in my mind more than any teachings I heard or embraced.

Simple act touches God. I am learning to ask, not doubt and after all, this is what the bible says.

5 millions, I ask, the result, the answer is His.