Yes, welcome to the new face of this site as well as the new music playlist. Thanks to my Witty Sister, my technical consultant and the guest DJ. :)I wonder how many of us are aware of the fact that things are changing every second every hour and we all are changing every moment all the time. Let's stare at the mirror and look at our face closely. Have you realized something? Perhaps more wrinkles? Less hair? Or maybe smoother face if you have just undergone cosmetic surgery. Nevertheless, our skin now is very different from 20 years ago.
Is our skin now the same as last year? Last month? Last night? Or even just an hour ago? Well, truth to tell, like it or not, the answer is a big NO. In fact the skin ain't the same as a minute or a second ago. This is the true phenomenon of nature. In fact everything in life is subject to changes all the time, big or small in various degrees.
We tend not to notice the ongoing minute changes. As such we could be pretty shocked only when we are aware of a big change. Some of us might not be able to deal with the major change and become a little hysteric.
Actually changes are not that scary once we understand the phenomenon of life. We just have to bear in mind that everything and everyone is always changing. Yes, it includes the layout of this blog too. I hope you like this new look. Should have acknowledged my sister's generous offer earlier. I guess it's never too late to do so now.
♥ every page of my imagination
0 people traveled to my fantasyland
While full concentration is expected in the last stage of my degree, my mind has lost control and misbehaved a little; there are a lot going in my mind, "Yes, I want to continue my reading habit, not scientific reports, once I grant my degree." "I want to be able to sleep in and sit around at home do nothing, once I've finished school." "I want to take a break and travel and explore to places I haven't been, once I've had my dissertation." "I want to start doing some real workouts regularly, once I've submitted my thesis." Yes, my mind is so active that it keeps reminding me that I have a lot of things I would love to accomplish, but just not now, because I am busy. Oh yeah, I am so busy, at least I sound like one. I have to complete some very last experiments, completing my research projects, finishing up writing a few more scientific reports for journal submissions, start writing my book aka the thesis, preparing my dissertation and planning for my career. Yet the mind refuses to focus on the long to-do list.
I was chatting with one of my sisters who is having her semester examination the other day.
Sister: Not really because I am always enjoying myself. Exam is just a process, I don't see it as an end-result.
Whoa. My sister sounds so wise. After hearing her response, I instantaneously reflected on myself. I knew I haven't been truly enjoying myself since last year. I knew I have been just thinking about my work and how to complete my degree as soon as possible. And that's what I have been doing. I bailed out social activities; I had to turn down my coworkers' and friends' invitations for some gatherings and outings. Not that I was working very hard but I was too tired to go anywhere after work or during the weekends. All I wanted to do was to sleep and have some personal time at home as that was the only little time I could have for myself at home since I spent all my time mostly on work.
I could have still enjoyed myself a fair bit while working hard. But because all I could see in front was to complete my degree as soon as possible, I kept using it as an excuse to push behind or even turn away things that I wish to do along side. Maybe I could not take a few months off to do a backpacking, well I still could but I would just graduate few months later. At least I could still enjoy life outside work. Reading some books or hanging out with friends a little certainly would not delay my progress. I could still enjoy the process of granting my degree (or whatever I am pursuing) while working hard towards achieving the goal.
This is quite a common issue for some of us. We just keep using something as an excuse to stop us from doing other things we would like to. I know someone who has been claiming to driving for many years. The last time I asked him, his reply was, "When I achieve my first milestone at work *getting my first paper published*, I'll go for driving lesson." To me that sounds ridiculous. Getting a driver's license has nothing to do with work accomplishment. Yes, I laughed at this person and here I am doing the same. If you feel like pursuing some activity, just do it. Why wait?
It might be tricky for me to go suspend my degree and go backpacking for a couple of months at this point. It might also be pretty difficult for me to be a social butterfly since I have never really been one. But I will make sure I will enjoy the process of completing the remaining of my degree. Actually not only about this degree but in life in general. We do not need an excuse to do something.
♥ every page of my imagination
0 people traveled to my fantasyland
For those growing up in the 80s, you could be one of the New Kids on the Block fans. I was never a fan of NKOTB thought. I guess by the time I started listening to pop music, NKOTB had vanished from the stage.
But I do know one song from one of the members of NKOTB. The song, "Stay the same" (click here to listen to this song) by Joey Mcintyre was in fact one of my favourite songs back in my college years. My housemate at that time introduced me to this song. "Be proud of who you are."
I believe we all will come across some phases in life doubting ourselves; it could be due to certain events, certain peoples or even for no real reason. That is the best time to do some so-called soul-searching. What it really means is basically to examining our thoughts and to learn more about ourselves. Usually we are just too busy engaging ourselves with various activities, rarely do we slow down to look at ourselves, not to mention to reflect on things.
I believe we all will come across some phases in life doubting ourselves; it could be due to certain events, certain peoples or even for no real reason. That is the best time to do some so-called soul-searching. What it really means is basically to examining our thoughts and to learn more about ourselves. Usually we are just too busy engaging ourselves with various activities, rarely do we slow down to look at ourselves, not to mention to reflect on things.
I had my moments of self-doubting, confidence deprivation and lost of navigation. Looking back, I had most of those moments when I just left home after being sheltered for 17 years. I could still remember my first day stepping my foot on a foreign land after an eight-hour plane ride. A piece of land that I did not have a single friend or a distant relative. The only person I knew was a schoolmate from my home country. But the whole settling down thing was never a problem to me. In fact I did not recall having real homesickness. But it was the subsequent experiences during my five-year stay there that created those moments of self-doubting. I have had my doubts in friendships, human relationships, capability, talent, personality and even appearance.
I guess I should be glad that I did not act crazily or behave in extreme while struggling through those moments. In fact I did not even realize I was going through those moments since I had no experience of such in my growing up for the first 17 years of my life living at home. All I had to do was to make sure I completed my school work on time, did well in my studies and be an obedient daughter who would make her parents and family proud. I was not even sensitive enough to realize I was going through some down moments. I was not physically close to my family or close friends. I did not have the chance to share what was bothering me. Plus it was really difficult to articulate the emotions over the phone or writing letters. All in all, those moments happened for good reasons. They allowed me to reflect on myself, to learn and grow.
No doubt there will be more self-doubting moments in our later stage of life, for you as well as me. But we all know they are there for us to slow down and to examine at ourselves, to understand ourselves better.
Stay the same
Don't you ever wish you were someone else
You were meant to be the way you are exactly.
Don't you ever say you dont like the way you are.
When you learn to love yourself, you're better off by far.
And I hope you always stay the same,
Cuz there's nothing bout you I would change.
I think that you could be whatever you wanted to beIf you could realize,
all the dreams you have inside.
Don't be afraid if you've got something to say,
Just open up your heart and let it show you the way.
Believe in yourself.
Reach down inside.
The love you find will set you free.
Believe in yourself, you will come alive.
Have faith in what you do.
You'll make it through.
♥ every page of my imagination
2 people traveled to my fantasyland
Being born and brought up in a country of hot climate all year round, I am not too keen about sunny hot days. I had never understood why some people love sitting outside the restaurants or cafeteria in a hot day. And I certainly find it weird for those who love sun-bathing under the big hot sun.Having living in this country that is cold for at least half of the year and where it gets dark at 2pm during the winter time for three years, I finally began to appreciate the sun or to be precise summer time. One obvious thing is how everyone looks happy and energetic. Many like to take time off from work to travel around or just simply stay at their summer house with their family.
Unlike the majority, I do not do too much during summer. In fact I work more during summer. It does make me feel better when I step out of the building to head home past 9pm and the sky is still bright. It may sound pathetic to hear that I still have to work like a rat when many are lying at the beach or sitting at the garden sipping coffee, but I am still able to have my fun time. I like to get ice-cream from a nearby shop at the hospital with my coworkers and chill out during our "coffee" break. Oh yeah, I love barbecuing during summer too. I guess this is one of the few local interests I picked up after I came here. I still can't believe that I am organizing a bbq for the lab next week when I am already struggling to complete my work.
Well, all work and no play makes the already boring Jade a super dull girl. Enjoy your summer.
♥ every page of my imagination
0 people traveled to my fantasyland
