Five Letter Word

It has been a very busy day for me today; in fact ever since I’m back in Malaysia, I’m occupied almost every day. Just got back from Australia 3 weeks ago and I’m flying off again on this Friday. Life has been good all these while. God has been good to me, shows after shows. What triggers me to write today was this 5 simple letter word, money.

“To achieve your first million is easy; to remain the same person in you in the process of achieving it is the hardest part, followed by what you become after that” (Anonymous).  

It can be a lifesaver but at the same time, killer. No doubt, people are starting to live a better life compared 10 years back, more and more millionaires, more skyscrapers, and more luxurious lifestyle. You hunger for more when you got it. Human nature I guess.

But money? 

Family breaks apart, siblings’ war over properties, assassination. Driving in a luxury car, surrounded by many friends but can’t find someone who is genuinely there for them. Stays in a mansion but speak problems to the thin air. Same goes to the OTHER side of society. Arguing about monthly expenses, work extra jobs and cause health problems, cracking head when it comes to medical expenses, tends to rob, assassination, cause abusing issues, prostitutions, kidnapping. Human can go further beyond anything for money. Temptation. Lust. It is said that money is the root of all evils. Human’s lives are valued by paper notes.

However, money helped many society in this world, contributes in world development and economy, significant growth in medical sector which produces numerous of vaccines and save many lives, makes the trading fairer, a reward and merits of hardwork, a reason to push the limits further.  “Money is not everything but it’s a necessity” (Harry Fung from HF Global Corporate Financial Solutions). So what is your definition for this five simple letter word?

Controversial topic.  

The day before tomorrow

Finally, the day has come. The day that we don’t wish to face, the day that is much worse that the actually day; the day before departure. Today is the last day onboard and also the last day to see everything in cruise; friends, colleagues and venues. Tomorrow’s now will be completely different from today’s now. Different country, different environment, different people and different feeling. The thing that remains is only memories. The time shows 14.44 now, sitting at Mariners, looking at the big window, a very cloudy weather and a little bit of rough sea. Perhaps the nature understands my current emotion. Changes. Nothing in this world is constant except changes. Maybe this is the best for us, so that we learn to cherish our friendship even more. Though it will be a sad departure for us but I believe even in this sad situation, there is a little joy in heart because we know we used to have each other and cross into each other’s life path before. That’s the wonder of life.

Strangers>Friends>Family. 

25th August 2013

25^th august 2013

It’s midnight now, chilling on the highest deck of the cruise. A bottle of Martini and red wine, what a way to end the night. Sadly, we left only 5days on cruise, which means I will leave earlier than my close Taiwanese friends. Happy and sad at the same time, Geez, I hate this feeling. Just like ripping off a piece of meat from my flesh. Life, everything has to come to an end. After all the things that we been through together, it’s time to leave them and continue to walk my own journey, vice versa. I don’t know when will I meet them again, just very sad to leave someone that you just got to know, starting to get close and next you know you gotta leave them already. In fact, knowing that the time we had together will never happen again neither be the same anymore.

 I still remembered the first time we met, we are strangers, and we don’t talk much with each other. We just hi and bye, kids magic and that’s it. Right after almost 4 weeks, then only we start know each other in details. Many things have happened during the time we bonding together. I would most of the times are laughter of joy and everyone are just like kids again. Saboteur and Bang card game brought us close. Everything started in Skyline where we played our first game together, Saboteur. That time, we were quite quiet and speak less to each other because we’re shy and we speak bad mandarin. Then we played Bang! in our room, Mariners and Oceana. That night we had our first drinking session. At the same night, we stayed up late night just to watch sunrise. Ever since that day, we getting closer, it’s like we fit each other into our daily routines. Everything was great, until the heartbreaking news. After 5 days, 5 days! I will have to start my daily routines again, without them this time. I’m not sure how I will make it but I will be strong to go on my life and I know they will do the same as well.

After typing everything, now only I realized that we actually did many things together. The game that we played together, the night where we had our first alcohol, we purposely stayed up whole night just to see sunrise, the movies that we watched together in room 5150, the instant noodles party we had, the rain and storm that we faced in Ishigaki, the night where we standing and starting to count meteors together, the supper that we used to have together almost every night, 11.30pm, the time we spent together when we are in Japan and many more that I can’t express in words. Know that all these will be memories soon, tears began to flow again. I really hate this departing feeling. After next 5 days, everything will not be the same anymore. We will start to get busy with our own life, to walk our own journey. Slowly and slowly, everything will be forgotten.

This is why I wanted to put everything in this writing form, to remind me of the time I used to have. By reading all these again, hopefully will help me to reminisce back the moment we had and the feeling we felt. What I regretted the most was why we get to know each other so late? Left a month and we are like family now. I have to say goodbye to them this Friday. Waving at them for the last time, we’re on land but they are on cruise. Very sad goodbye I would say. I really hope that we’re able to extend our stay until 1^st of September.

Cheers to life :)

Finally took out my laptop and start typing what I felt and what I have experienced. I supposed my last post was about my college life (if I’m not mistaken). I graduated from SNHU December 2012 and attended my graduation ceremony April 2013. So yes, I’m a degree holder now yayyyy! However, the career that I’m into now has nothing to do with my degree! Nayyyy! Anyway, extra knowledge doesn’t hurts. For those who are curious, I’m now a magician, working with Star Cruise together with my partner and mentor, Zlwin Chew, who introduced magic in my life, taught me and trained me to be one. I thank God because He is the one who bring all this together in my life. And for those who already knew, Hi thank you for reading. For those who doesn’t care at all, well, on the right corner of this page, there is a ‘x’ icon, please kindly click it and your mama will have a good day J

                The reason why I’m typing all this again because I feel by writing, I can actually express what I wanted to say and also by typing this, it will be a reminder for me, reminds me of the good time I had and lastly and hopefully, to enlighten some people out there who had a bad day, remind them that life is always fun if you can find joy in everything. Cheers to life! J

My 22nd Birthday Celebration

21th august 2013

Happy Birthday to me :D Geez, I’m 22 years old now, feels like I’m getting older but this is where my life actually begins. Yesterday’s celebration was indeed a grand one, the one which I never expect to happen to me. Had our show at 8.00pm, then right after the last routine of the show, me and my partner took a bow, was about the leave the stage. Out of sudden, the hall was filled with the song of ‘Happy Birthday’. I was literally shocked and happy at the same time because they remembered my birthday. Then, the audiences were clapping and singing along the song. When I turned my head to the right side, I saw the cruise staffs slowly approaching the stage and they were holding a Balloon Flower on their hand. Slowly one by one, they passed me the flowers and each gave me a hug. I almost shed tears of joy and then, here comes the cruise director, Myla, and my Taiwanese friends walking towards the stage with a cake. I swear I cried in my heart, I can feel the water on my eyes starting to overflow. With the music and stage spotlights filled the stage, I suddenly felt I’m important (hahaha) and this reminds me that they actually do appreciate my presence. Right after the music, my partner step in front and gave his words of appreciation to me. I can’t remember the exact words because I still can’t believe what’s happening but it goes like this:

‘He used to be my student, learning the basic of magic, followed and travelled with me to many places, helps me in my shows. From student become an assistant, and now he become a magician himself and performing with me in the same stage. From student to assistant to best friend’.

In my whole 22 years of living, this was my first time celebrating my birthday away from my family, my girlfriend, my country friends and the place where I grew up and yet this was my grandest, best, awesome birthday celebration ever. Until now, I still can’t believe that all this actually happened on me. I want to thank Myla, the cruise director; because she took the effort and time to prepare this for me eventhough she’s busy with the new schedule. I want to thank all the cruise staff that took the effort to make the Balloon Flowers for me and to be part of this celebration. I want to thank my Taiwanese friends, Louis, Gina, Michelle and Joseph for they are the one who carefully carry out the plans, make sure I’m not aware of this plan and surprise me with this celebration.

 I think I have to thank them separately because Joseph and Michelle have to rush and buy a cake for me when we were at the port. Its kinda hard for them because they’re on duty and I was sitting together with them. Louis and Gina smartly distracted my attention so that Joseph and Michelle have the opportunity to sneak away! Smart asses, hahaha! Apart from that, I want to thank my partner, Zlwin Chew, for he was the mastermind behind all this, quietly plan all this behind me and yet we sleep together every night! Magician huh hahaha! Thank you bro for planning this celebration eventhough you’re busy with working and personal schedule, and yet you still find the time and effort to give me this wonderful celebration which I will never forget. Thank you bro! Last but not least, I want to thank my girlfriend because she kept herself awake until 12.00am just to wish me a very long sweet happy birthday and sang me a happy birthday song too! You’re so sweet baby and we will meet again after 12 more days, I love you baby! Thank you God for everything that you gave me, eventhough I’m not worthy but still, you love me and care for me. Thank you God. Amen. 

19^th August 2013

Today’s weather wasn’t good. Woke up about 1.15pm and it was raining heavily. ‘Good day is not about the weather or environment, but deeply inside one’s heart’. I always believe that no matter how bad is the storm, how bright is the sun and how dark is the night; we can always find joy in everything. So, I woke up and received news reporting that we’re going back to Keelung, Taiwan tomorrow due to typhoon and our shore leave has been extended until 6pm. (p/s: I’m currently working with Star Cruise as their onboard Magician together with my partner (mentor) Zlwin Chew. Will be talking about that later on). So I quickly took a shower and rushed to get our passport. So we went out to Ishigaki, Japan for late lunch (3.30pm) real late lunch, and did a little bit of shopping in Max Value building with my Taiwanese group that I met in cruise.  

I supposed this sounds like an ordinary day to everyone and there’s nothing much to say about it. However, what most important was the journey and the things that happened in between. The taxi driver brought us to the wrong destination because he doesn’t understand English and Mandarin. We communicate with map pointing, hand gesture and very simple English which are yes and no. There are 5 of us, so we need to have 2 cabs; Japan is a country where the citizens abide the laws strictly. Obviously the second taxi that followed us reached at same destination as well. No choice but to have lunch at the nearby restaurant.

In the middle of the journey to the wrong destination -.-, I was holding an umbrella in the taxi and suddenly, the umbrella opened itself. Chinese believe that if an umbrella is open under a roof, ghost will appear. My Taiwanese friend was shocked and quickly asked me to close the umbrella. Ofcourse, me just being me, I laughed out loud looking his reaction and close the umbrella quickly, I’m afraid as well, things that we don’t see doesn’t mean it doesn’t exists. By the way, the umbrella opened twice hahaha! Walking under the heavy rain and strong wind blowing on us definitely was the favourite part of my day. I remembered how my mum used to tell me not to go play under the rain and the rebellious side in me always wanted to challenge her.

Typing all this while listening to Owl City’s album playing on my laptop, currently playing the track called ‘On the Wing’. So that’s all about my day and I still managed to find joy despite of the bad weather. What about you? Did you manage to? If not, you should because life is short and there are no time for unhappy moments. By the way, the ship is sailing now on the rough sea and I'm expecting rougher sea for these few days.

Looking back at the moment we cried, then we laughed,

Looking back at the moment we laughed, and then we cried.