The Little Prince

 

This was a book that my primary school teacher recommended us to read back when I was in Standard 6. Back then I was sort of forced to buy the book and I can still remember how books were so expensive back then. I think this book was RM 25 with dual language (Chinese & English) and comes with pictures and colours. As a 12 year old with no interest in reading any books, I delight my self in seeing the pictures and place the book in my book shelf in which it has sat there for 10 years now. Yesterday, I finally opened up the book to read because I remembered my teacher said that this book is an insightful book, that regardless of what age you read it and how many times you read it, it reveals something to you, and for that she calls it a Good Book.

The book has only 64 pages, very easy to read. It's interesting how the author thinks very highly of children. That kids are creative, open-minded and always inquisitive of their surroundings; how adults are dull, superficial, narrow-minded, stuck in their ways and quick to pass judgement. How the author has to "lower himself" to the level of adults and talk to them about business, money and golf.  Come to think of it, the author does have a point. How grown ups surround themselves with work, constantly rushing here and there without somewhat of a purpose that they lost the inquisitiveness in them and accept things as it is. 

 

The book talks about relationships, on how we relate to other people. Taking the example of the rose in the book, there are thousands of roses on Earth but in the Prince's planet, there is only 1 rose, and so he thought the rose is very special and took extremely good care of it. When he saw the thousands of roses on earth, he though he no longer posses something that is unique anymore since roses are available in abundance on earth. However it is because he took care of his own rose back home that he created a special and unique relationship with the flower, whereas on earth, nobody actually cared about the roses. "People where you live," the little prince said, "grow five thousand roses in one garden... yet they don't find what they're looking for...  And yet what they're looking for could be found in a single rose" I suppose it's trying to say invest your time into people, into relationships, and that relationship will be unique in all the world, otherwise the people in your life will be like the multitudes of people in the world, them having no need of you and vice versa.

 

I think I'm gonna have to read this book one more time. I read it the first time just merely going through the words without reflecting on what it means. Reading it in that manner is just like reading a story book with no meaning to it, in fact it was quite hard to understand though the words were simple.It's like, what does it mean? Maybe coz I'm a grown up and I've become dull and that's why I don't understand any of it. Gonna keep this book for reading it in the future.

Best Friends

It's been a while that my student has been posting several angry post targeted to her friends in school, saying that they don't share secrets with her anymore, that they have changed and she doesn't feel like she is their best friend anymore. Reading all her angry post, brings me nostalgic memories of me in my younger days, where I was once in that exact same position, back when "best friends" was of utmost importance. I really felt like reaching out to her, to tell her that friends aren't determined by the number of secrets that you share with each other and that friends like that are maybe not worth having too. Unhealthy friends that gossips and that pulls other people down. That being popular and having a lot of friends is not the only way to go, that having a small group of friends who are there for you through thick and thin is better than having a hundred friends but none who would stick by you. I want to tell her all these things, yet I have to understand that at her tender age, this is of importance to her. It's not important to me, but it is to her, that to feel accepted and to feel belonged = to have lots of friends. I used to remember a time where I use to rank all my friends. Best friend, Great friend, Good friend and Friend; but as I grow older, I don't see the need to rank friends. So I don't have a Best Friend nor do I have a Great Friend, everyone is a friend, each awesome in their own unique way, no one out beating another friend. In fact "best friend" has a totally opposite meaning to me now. Best friend is now used for people who are pretty anal to you, for example your really anal boss who is always in your face, so when she come down the hall you say: "eh, your best friend is coming" So yea. Please don't misunderstand me my dear friends who reads my blog, it's not that you're not good enough to be my best friend or whatsoever, it's more like I don't see the need to give a title to it because every single one of you is important to me, unique and awesome in your own special way. And through the years, I found out who my true friends were. Like a statement a wise friend told me "having a handful of true friends is better than having a hundred friends who wouldn't bat an eyelash for you if something were to happen to you" Though I may not live a life of a socialite (I don't have many friends, so if I say I'm going out with high school friends...well it's always the same people...very predictable who I'm out with.) but I thank God for placing such fantastic friends around me. Borrowing me laptop when mine kena stolen, accompanying me to the police station in the wee hours of the morning, offering me a ride when my car broke down even though it was out of her way, offering me transport to the airport, offering up their house for me to stay when they know i'm home alone, offer me full accommodation + transport in Australia HAHAHAHAHAHA ...where la to find friends like these? Sometimes I even wonder, what have I done to ever deserve such friends...I'm grateful for each and everyone of you =) And to think of last time, I yearned to be accepted and be popular, to have many friends only to find out that well...it isn't so important after all. Bottom line, it's quality and not quantity that matters. I've definitely came a long way and I hope for my little student that she would let go, move on and 10 years down the road she would be laughing at history. I finally reached out to her and I hope my words encourages her =)      

Ever since working at Peruvie, I've seen many familiar faces coming through the door. Just today I saw the security manager of Le Meridien dining in at Penang Village, and yesterday I saw my primary school teachers dining in at Peruvie. It's funny and yet very touching that the teachers who taught me in primary school 10+ years back could remember me. She can't remember my name but she was like "eh you don't remember us already ar? Just walk right pass us?" that time I was just coming in for work so yea was so focused in getting my card punched I didn't look at faces of the guest dining in at the restaurant. But what really touched me was she remembered my face despite so many years, either my face hasn't change or well.. I think my face didn't change -.-'' looks like years of waiting at the car park daily for Mrs. Wang to arrive and help her carry books paid off :) she remembered Wei Mei too lol we were the Wei Mae/Mei's back in primary school. Basically inseparable yet constantly always fighting with each other don't-friend-you style. We were like her pet students, we get free milk though we weren't on the milk program, get lighter canings :p and getting well, treated nicer hahaha bias but true. Mrs. Wang was there with my form teacher then Ms Tan, my classmate and her mother. Ah.. How much we have all grown, that particular classmate who was present that day was the one we had a lot of drama with too last time, but as we spoke yesterday, we shared a moment of laughter at how childish we were back then. She has grown up quite well, gorgeous too and going to be pursuing her Masters, makes me wonder what the heck I'm doing with my life.. Why I no like to study? Honestly I'm just afraid of research that's all hahaha. 

Anyway, yea I feel touched everytime someone I barely know recognizes me coz it's always been the other way round in my life. I know them but they don't know me. So eventually when I see people I know but I don't think they would know me I would run and hide, coz it would be awkward right, saying hi and then they say "who are you?" -.-" seeing people I know in the restaurant really boost my motivation and then I get hyper to the point my colleagues thinks I'm crazy -.- but well I think they secretly like it coz I work faster lol so.. Pay me a visit will ya? I know my boss will thank you ;)

The happiest 5k

It's an outdated post, was suppose to post it up on Sunday itself, but well well procrastination got the better of me. *as usual*  Anyway, got up at 5.30am just to go for this event, and honestly because I'm working part time now and my shift ends at 11-ish, the only motivation I had to wake up for this was the fact that I had paid RM 75 for it. 

I thought it was worth it, for the experience but it would be better if I went with a bigger bunch of friends and of course stayed til the event actually finished because 17th Aug seems to be good Feng Shui day where events tend to clash -.- 

The before picture, where we r still clean and white:

Took a picture of Tugu Negara, since it was like forever since I last went there. More than 10 years I guess. 

The multitudes of people getting splashed by colored corn starch haha the reason why there was a human traffic coz people just lie in the middle of the road taking selfies and group photos. A little inconsiderate and dangerous, I mean what if people were really running. Gone liao..

Didn't take much photos since my phone is of obsolete technology + no front camera. I'm surprise my phone could even take jump shots. *clap hands for phone* my friend and I both left the place right after we crossed the finished line and headed straight for the LRT station at 9.30am. Came home to find out my face looks hideous, as if I was punched and blood was streaking down on my face -.- I mean some people came out of the run whole face covered with colour, I was still pretty white, and so my face was not here nor there so I basically look like a freak show. I could suddenly understand all the weird stares I got while traveling back. Mandi kerbau and straight away went to meet up with my Uni mates for brunch since Wenyi just came back for a holiday from Singapore :) 

Looks like after degree, we will never get to have a picture with the complete 9 of us anymore, all of us have gone on different paths. The funny thing? Half of us left the hospitality industry. Some went into banking, one went to health care and one went into education ;) like what the hell are we doing with our lives??! 

Anyway it was a great day catching up, getting lost in the carpark and being so pooped out by evening time. My mum was like "tired leh~ so many activitites in a day" thank God I got an off day on Sunday. Otherwise GG.com my mum summore wanted me to go play table tennis.. Mum? You cray cray? 

Been having a lot of hectic weekends. I get more rest on weekdays than on weekends -.-"