Balloon Fashion

It's amazing how creative some people can be with balloons. All I can do with balloons is blow them up, draw funny faces on them, use them as decor for parties or bounce them in the air as a game with Caitlin.

Nowadays, sculpting balloons is pretty common, twisting and tying them into various shapes like flowers, animals, etc. These are done mainly by children entertainers, clowns, magicians at kids' parties. Many shopping malls now also hire these people to become crowd pullers during weekends. Families with kids are often seen making a beeline and queueing patiently at these balloon stands.

Some balloon sculptors set up a stall along high pedestrian traffic areas in malls to sell their creations. These balloons don't come cheap and most parents give in when their kid pleads for one. We have been 'victims' many a time when Caitlin asks for one. Some of these balloons are well made and can last up to a week. Some, however, are not well twisted and quickly unravel once the balloons begin to deflate.

Some balloon sculptors have become even cleverer and more creative, turning their balloons into funky fashion. Take a look at these pictures. Aren't they amazing?

Sick (because) of the weather

The weather has been hot and dry for at least a month or more now, typical of the Chinese New Year seaon. No rain, except for a downpour at 2.00am two nights ago. It didn't make a difference.

Many people are down with some flu-related virus, Caitlin included. She caught it at school from her numerous classmates who have been having drippy noses and phlegmy coughs. She had fever for two days last week and was fever-free for one day. The fever, although mild, returned for another two days and her nose has been clogged with thick, gooey mucus for almost a week. It's moved down to her throat too, producing a phlegmy cough....

Based on the many experiences over the past few years since her pneumonia scare, she takes a long time,averaging over a month, before her cough subsides. She had been well for quite a long period prior to this. Normally she'd get sick almost every month or two. Just when I thought I could stop her inhalers, she's coughing again....

Somewhere over the rainbow

I was reading Caitlin's Ratatouille storybook this afternoon and came to the part where Remy got lost in the sewer. August Gusteau came alive in his imagination and told him, "If you focus on what you've left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead."

How wise and true. In that story, Remy then climbed up and reached a rooftop to discover that he was just under the city of Paris, with its beautiful night scene taking his breath away. And the icing on the cake was that he was right at Gusteau's resataurant. His dream came true.

I guess in real life, not all dreams come true the very minute you look ahead. But things will turn out to be better somehow, someday sooner or later most of the time.

This brings to mind an old song which Caitlin said sounded nice to her when it was playing in the car yesterday:

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

If the bluebirds focused on their nest and did not venture out, they would not be flying over the beautiful rainbow.

Do you keep your word?

What is a promise to you? Do you keep your word or follow through with an assurance you have given someone? In my experience only four out of five people genuinely mean what they say when they say "I promise to...", "Don't worry, I will..." and the likes.

Most times, it depends on who they are responding to. If it is a loved one, a respected elder or your boss, then you'd tend to keep your word. Otherwise, people think they can get away with it. I've been guilty of that too myself. If you are in the sales line, you would have been on the receiving end of this so many times that you tend to let it go out the other ear and not hold your breath for these people.

In the corporate and business world, it is important for one to keep their word. If an agreement has been made, be it verbally, in writing or with a handshake, it would be in the person's best interest to uphold his integrity in order to be respected and trusted. If you are a professional and provide a specialised service, it also makes sense to be careful what you promise your customers and prospects.

I get disappointed when my 'friends' tell me "Not to worry, only for you, because you are my friend..." or "I'll get back to you in three days' time", and then disappear from the face of the earth i.e. don't answer or return calls (thanks to caller ID), give excuses and plead forgetfulness and busy-ness when confronted etc.

In this world, sometimes, it is not who you are, but what you can give them in return that gets them to keep their word (As they say, what's in it for me? There's no such thing as a free lunch!). It is not what you know or can do, but who you know that gets you where you want to be....

We live in a fallen world indeed....

Friendship between man and woman

Do you think that a man and a woman can be close friends without any romantic or physical involvement? I believe it is possible. I have male friends whom I can confide in and talk with. We share information, ideas, problems, feelings and talk openly about just anything without any reservations. It is a friendship between two mature human beings that does not discriminate personal beliefs, opinions and of course, gender.

Is it easier or harder if they are single or married? It all depends. In my experience, it could be one or the other. I find it less complicated if both are single, and well, the friendship could eventually lead to something deeper such as courtship and marriage. If either one has a partner, then it would help if the partner understands and trusts that the friendship is solely platonic. It would be wonderful too if the partner, or partners, also end up as close friends to form a small circle of good, supportive friends. And if they are married with kids, wouldn't it be great for the kids to get together too? I believe this can happen in real life, and no, I've not watched too much "Friends",the sitcom!

Sometimes, however, due to misunderstandings, insecurities, differences in opinion and belief, people with partners find it difficult to have or keep platonic friendships with people of the opposite sex. In this article titled "Can Men and Women Be Friends?", it mentioned that friendship is not equal opportunity: Not until high school does puberty really draw boys and girls together, which then continues into college. But as people develop serious romantic relationships or get married, making and maintaining cross-sex friendships becomes harder. "Even the most secure people in a strong marriage probably don't want a spouse to be establishing a new friendship, especially with someone who's very attractive," said Monsour.

The number of cross-sex friendships continues to decline with age—not surprising, because most older adults grew up in an age where consorting with the opposite sex outside of wedlock was taboo. According to Rosemary Blieszner, at Virginia Tech and author of Adult Friendship, elderly people rarely form new friendships with members of the opposite sex. Her research shows that only about 2 percent of the friendships elderly women have are with men.

The article also mentioned that men benefit more from cross-sex friendship...but women benefit too. Wanna know more? Read the article. I found it interesting.