Wednesday, December 5, 2007
It'll soon be Christmas
Being so caught up with daily life and work, December came last weekend without me realising it. It only struck me when we saw the Christmas tree and decor in Caitlin's drum teacher's living room on Monday. The highlight of December for us would be Christmas. Christmas has become so commercialised that we tend to conjure up images of Christmas trees, lights, shopping, presents, feasting and enjoyment first before anything else, particularly its religious significance.
I need to remind myself that Christmas is beyond these, while still having to shop for presents for family and friends. It is a time for Christians to celebrate and thank God for His Gift, His Son, Jesus Christ.
Nevertheless, it does not mean we cannot have fun as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with family and friends. I'm looking forward to putting up our Christmas tree. To me, the tree isn't such a big deal. It's more for Caitlin as she enjoys the activity and seeing it light up. And hopefully that will motivate Eugene and me to tidy up the house too!
I need to remind myself that Christmas is beyond these, while still having to shop for presents for family and friends. It is a time for Christians to celebrate and thank God for His Gift, His Son, Jesus Christ.
Nevertheless, it does not mean we cannot have fun as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with family and friends. I'm looking forward to putting up our Christmas tree. To me, the tree isn't such a big deal. It's more for Caitlin as she enjoys the activity and seeing it light up. And hopefully that will motivate Eugene and me to tidy up the house too!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Climbing Mt. Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, located in the Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo. Eugene and I climbed this mountain back in 1998, when I was at my peak in terms of fitness. It was indeed a challenge of our willpower.
The decreasing oxygen as the altitude increased gave me a constant headache. As I climbed on, my legs just got heavier. And for a person who loves the sun more than snow, the dropping temperature did not help in making the climb as enjoyable as when I first started from the bottom of the mountain.
We started our climb at around 10am and reached Laban Rata, the rest stop, in the early afternoon. Laban Rata is where most climbers rest for the night before making an early ascent at around 2am to reach the peak to witness the sunrise. Although we did not make it early enough to catch the sunrise, I was happy enough with just having made it. I literally felt on top of the world standing at over 13,000 feet above sea level.
The descent was much easier and faster. We 'recuperated' at a resthouse in Kinabalu Park, legs feeling like a ton of rocks. The next morning my friend Nicholas, a local resident of Kota Kinabalu (capital of Sabah), arrived to take us for a dip in the Poring Hot Springs before sending us to the airport.
My five-day visit to Kota Kinabalu and climbing the mountain was a memorable experience.
The decreasing oxygen as the altitude increased gave me a constant headache. As I climbed on, my legs just got heavier. And for a person who loves the sun more than snow, the dropping temperature did not help in making the climb as enjoyable as when I first started from the bottom of the mountain.
We started our climb at around 10am and reached Laban Rata, the rest stop, in the early afternoon. Laban Rata is where most climbers rest for the night before making an early ascent at around 2am to reach the peak to witness the sunrise. Although we did not make it early enough to catch the sunrise, I was happy enough with just having made it. I literally felt on top of the world standing at over 13,000 feet above sea level.
The descent was much easier and faster. We 'recuperated' at a resthouse in Kinabalu Park, legs feeling like a ton of rocks. The next morning my friend Nicholas, a local resident of Kota Kinabalu (capital of Sabah), arrived to take us for a dip in the Poring Hot Springs before sending us to the airport.
My five-day visit to Kota Kinabalu and climbing the mountain was a memorable experience.
Convenient Hotel Reservations
Making travel plans can be quite a hassle sometimes, especially when so many choices of travel agents, destinations, types of accommodation, mode of travel etc are open to you. If you are the type who prefers to make your own plans and not leave your fate to the hands of a packaged tour, do check out Hotel Reservations. This comprehensive site offers you good options based on your destination, type of accommodation such as bed and breakfast, hotels, motels, vacation rental condos etc.
I checked out one of my dream destinations, Bahamas, and found a beach villa with air-conditioned room, and full kitchen for USD150 a night. Sounds like good value as it comes with a living room, fully furnished bedroom and kitchen, offers seclusion yet within five minutes from restaurants, shops and bars.
This site gives a lowest internet rate price guarantee.
This post is sponsored.
I checked out one of my dream destinations, Bahamas, and found a beach villa with air-conditioned room, and full kitchen for USD150 a night. Sounds like good value as it comes with a living room, fully furnished bedroom and kitchen, offers seclusion yet within five minutes from restaurants, shops and bars.
This site gives a lowest internet rate price guarantee.
This post is sponsored.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Irony
I received an SMS yesterday evening which stated:
Irony. You know you live in a silly world when being "normal" is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.
I believe one answer to that situation would be to achieve financial freedom. I have just read this book "Speedwealth" by T. Harv Eker. He writes:
"Wealth is not just money. For most people, wealth includes an abundance of money, free time, loving relationships, inner peace, and having a sense of meaning and fulfillment....
What is unfortunate however, is that even though most people want to be happy, have more fun, laugh more, love more and enjoy their lives more, it's difficult to concentrate on these things when you're struggling financially.
Money problems can take the luster out of life. I'm not saying money is everything. Money isn't everything unless you don't have any, then it seems to become everything.
The fact is, in our society, money is an important TOOL. Money is like a lubricant -- going through life without it is very, very, rough.
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can buy FREEDOM: freedom of choice, to be able to do what you enjoy doing and not be forced to do things just because you need "the money."
It's a shame. I have seen far too many good, kind-hearted, talented people, unable to share their unique gifts and talents to the fullest, because they're simply too busy trying to survive. They work long and hard but never get ahead financially. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "If you're going to work hard anyway, you might as well get rich...and the quicker the better."
Irony. You know you live in a silly world when being "normal" is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.
I believe one answer to that situation would be to achieve financial freedom. I have just read this book "Speedwealth" by T. Harv Eker. He writes:
"Wealth is not just money. For most people, wealth includes an abundance of money, free time, loving relationships, inner peace, and having a sense of meaning and fulfillment....
What is unfortunate however, is that even though most people want to be happy, have more fun, laugh more, love more and enjoy their lives more, it's difficult to concentrate on these things when you're struggling financially.
Money problems can take the luster out of life. I'm not saying money is everything. Money isn't everything unless you don't have any, then it seems to become everything.
The fact is, in our society, money is an important TOOL. Money is like a lubricant -- going through life without it is very, very, rough.
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can buy FREEDOM: freedom of choice, to be able to do what you enjoy doing and not be forced to do things just because you need "the money."
It's a shame. I have seen far too many good, kind-hearted, talented people, unable to share their unique gifts and talents to the fullest, because they're simply too busy trying to survive. They work long and hard but never get ahead financially. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "If you're going to work hard anyway, you might as well get rich...and the quicker the better."
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