Written by crizlai on Sep 1st, 2008 | Filed under:
life,
love,
marriage,
mood,
rant,
relationship,
trading
When was the last time you ever sat down with your partner to enjoy your evening away in a perfect environment? Most of us would just utter “Errr…”! No matter whether you are still dating or married for many years, life would somehow get monotonous if nothing was done to spice things up. “Surprises” is the key for a closer relationship. Taking your “date” to a posh restaurant might be a good surprise but in the end of the day, your budget may burst due to the unnecessary expenditure incurred unless you are rich enough to foot the bills without thinking twice. But then, there won’t be much of a surprise as dining out would be such a routine.
Why don’t you plan something way out from your norm as to prepare a meal for your partner in the comfort of your home? It does not have to be a grand affair but getting some takeaways and lay the food on the table might not be cool at all. Even though if you have never stepped foot into a kitchen before, you can always get some simple recipes online and get them prepared with ease. You can even consult your friends for some great recipes which you can whip up in no time.
On the day of the surprise, just make sure that your partner would be available for an eat-out. Prior to her returning home from work or some errands, storm the kitchen with the ingredients that you had pre-ordered. Work out a menu to be served and work on your culinary skills to surprise her. It might not turn out great as a first timer but it’s your action that will make her stunned.
To create a great ambience for the occasion, set your indoor lighting right. Get a dimmer for your lighting if you have to. Dim down the lights and set a couple of candles, some floral arrangement and a stalk of rose just for her on the table for a romantic dinner ahead. You may want to play some soft background music to bring back the days of your early dating. If you think that this romantic rendezvous might not be good enough to impress her, you can always cook up something special that may make this special day the date of your life time. After all, how successful the surprise will be lies in the creativity within your heart and soul.
I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?
Written by crizlai on Jul 26th, 2008 | Filed under:
attitude,
death,
family,
life,
living,
love,
rant
I have written earlier about “HOW WOULD YOU FACE DEATH?” regarding how I admired Professor Randy Pausch for his courage to face death with a positive attitude. His positive attitude had inspired me to look at life at a different prospect and spent more time with the people closest to me. Life is so unpredictable but death is certain.
Unfortunately, he passed away yesterday at his home in Chesapeake, Va at the age of 47. Although he knew that he was given 3-6 months’ to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August 15th, 2007, he managed to extend his life further to spent his remaining days with his family. What a brave and committed husband and father. I am touched by his will power to push his life so far.
He once said, “I don’t know how to not have fun,” “I’m dying and I’m having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun every day I have left. Because there’s no other way to play it.” He indeed had fun for almost a year since he received the shocking news about his cancer. On Feb. 15, exactly six months after he was told he had three to six months of healthy living left, Pausch posted a photo of himself to show he was “still alive & healthy.” In May, Pausch spoke at Carnegie Mellon’s commencement ceremonies, telling graduates that what mattered was he could look back and say, “pretty much any time I got a chance to do something cool, I tried to grab for it, and that’s where my solace comes from.” “We don’t beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully,” he said.
My deepest condolences to Randy’s wife, Jai, his three children, Dylan, Logan and Chloe; his mother, Virginia Pausch of Columbia, Md.; and his sister, Tamara Mason of Lynchburg, Va. Randy had touched not only my heart but the hearts of many from all over the world. May his soul rest in peace.
You can get more information on Randy Pausch in the news here.
I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?
Written by crizlai on Jun 16th, 2008 | Filed under:
home,
living,
love,
tips
I have known many friends in the USA having financial problems in keeping their property during the recent economy crisis. With the steep hike in the gas prices, more and more people would be affected. Thus, it won’t be long before they are going to be homeless. Isn’t it a huge headache to decide whether to use the limited money available to buy gases or to get food for the family?
I have experienced the pinch in my pocket too recently. With the amount of money I had earned through my sleepless fight against time and opportunity to get more income, I ended up spending more on my medical bills which is no longer cheap. The worst thing that ever happened here is that with the increase in gasoline price, the prices of groceries also shot up rocket high. What I bought few months back had gone up almost double. Can you imagine what will happen next if I were to spend without thinking of the actual needs for the items I had always wanted?
Luckily I am more fortunate than most of my friends out there. At least I have a roof over my head and a place to sleep comfortably in now. The best thing that I had done was to pay off my house when I was capable of doing so. Even if I were to be hard hit by the slowdown in my businesses, I can still rely on applying for mortgage loans.
I have heard from my friends that even the financial institutions are forcing many people out of their property in the US at the present moment just to cut loses during this economy crisis. So, who else can they rely on? Well, there are many reputable mortgage lenders in the market who are compassionate enough to assist you in your financial woes. Who knows by considering one of them may just help you save your property for many generations to come.
I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?
Written by crizlai on Jun 9th, 2008 | Filed under:
announcement,
family,
life,
love,
parenting,
relationship
When was the last time you ever contacted your Dad? Have you even notice that he has aged a lot. Did you give him a hug recently? Do you realize that this coming Sunday, 15 June 2008 is Fathers’ Day? If you have not done so, please go over to pay him a visit not only this Sunday but many days after that. All fathers, whether they are your biological one, adopted one or even someone you respect as a father figure, would love to get at least some acknowledgments.
Some of you may choose to spend this special day with your father by buying him gifts, cook something special for him or even take him out for a nice meal. When it comes to deciding what sort of gift for him, many of us will be stressed out as shopping for some fathers could be rather hard. Gifts for fathers should reflect the personality of the father. It could also be something that can bring back memories of the bond between you and your father. As for me, I would prefer to give my father a red packet as in the Chinese custom. It symbolizes longevity, health and prosperity. At least he can spend the amount on whatever he wants. Some will give him some shopping vouchers, vacation tickets or even engraved pens if he is still in the corporate world.
Not all fathers are so materialistic as to demand for something of monetary value. There are many things that he cannot do physically now and a simple gesture of helping in household chores would be of value to him. They do not expect much from their children since most of them have grown up and have their own lives. A simple gesture of a long loving hug and some quality time spent together will be much appreciated.
Fathers are also human beings with feelings. He will feel unappreciated for the sacrifices he has made throughout your growing up years. Do not make your father feel so inferior in his life for feeling the rejection from you. Show him what you can do by showering him with your endless love. Let him know that he is always being remembered by you. Prove to him that you are still a filial child not only on Fathers’ Day but also for many years to come.
I love you Dad…Happy Fathers’ Day
I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?
Written by crizlai on May 9th, 2008 | Filed under:
dogs,
faith,
life,
love,
pets,
rant
That is the question I have been asking many people who have given up hope for a better life. The reason is that those people refused to adapt to the changes in their life although they had been given the opportunity to do so. All it takes is to change their mind sets, fill it up with a little self discipline, self motivation and self development to survive comfortably in the ever challenging world of ours. If others can be successful in life, why can’t we? There is something definitely not on the right track in their life journeys.
Just look at the case of Faith, a dog who was condemned to the furnace. If a dog has not given up hope, will power, determination and faith in surviving, why should we as a human think that we are useless? Sometimes, I wonder whether those pessimists had taken the time to analyze what had gone wrong in their life. Time is what they have and time is what they have been using carelessly away by not finding any solutions. If a person is unemployed and having financial woes, sitting at home and not doing his part in finding a job is pointless. Money would surely not drop from the heaven or grow on trees unless a person earns it through legal means.
Coming back to the case of Faith the bipedal dog, five years of having to live by having two feet to support its body is something to be amazed with. She is a Labrador-Chow Chow mix breed female dog and was born in December 2002 with only 3 legs. Its left front leg was amputated at 7-months old when it was found to be deformed and useless. With some compassions from the Stringfellow family and constant hardship of training by a canine trainer, she survived the oddity of life by proving that even a handicapped dog can make his own life better. Why not us?
Faith had visited many schools and taught the children on empathy and raising funds for stray animals. At least she has a mission in life. Do we?
A book has been published about Faith entitled “With a Little Faith”. If you check through YouTube, you can see Faith and her owner, Jude Stringfellow, featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show as well as Ripley’s Believe it or Not. You can learn more about Faith at faiththedog.net
I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?
