I hope chipmunks don't practice copyrights ...

Occasionally, I like to revisit some of my blog posts and listen to the music I had included from youtube.

To de-stress. To dream of a new world ... and believe that each day is a special gift from God, and that I am to make the most of my day(s), living life through His eyes.

Today, I revisit my post titled "Meet Joe Black ... well, HELL-O!" to listen to my all-time favorite song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole.

Guess what?

For the second time now, I click on the video and this message pops up "This video is no longer available due to copyright claim by WMG."

Drats! I must say, while I understand that artists need to earn a living from the royalties they collect for each album sold, I don't quite get it when it comes to an artist who has already passed on. Well, it is likely his family still reaps the royalties from IZ's albums but I am sure they also have day jobs to help them earn a living ... so why restrict the dissemination of IZ's music through youtube? After all, the song can be a blessing to many and it would be such a waste to only restrict it to those who have his CD "Facing Future."

By the way, I did go to the extent of getting a friend to bring this CD all the way back from Hawaii. That's how much I love this song! IZ has such a special gift. His songs, this one in particular, is "out of this world." His voice and music evokes such good feelings and beautiful pictures in my mind. It calms me and takes me to the wonderful world that we all dream of.

Well, I have had to search for another source of IZ's song and did manage to find one, but it's different without the video of IZ.

During my search, I found another version of this song and hope this one sung by fictional, non-human characters, won't have copyright issues ... hahaha, I doubt it because some human created created Alvin and the Chipmunks on the silver screens.

Wikipedia tells me that Alvin and the Chipmunk's "voices ... were all performed by Bagdasarian, who sped up the playback to create higher pitched, comical, squeaky voices."

We shall see!

Two weeks in LA

The first three days felt like weeks. The second part of the first week was still manage-able. By mid-week, the stress resulted in musical therapy, so I went to see Wicked and did all sorts of other non-study related activities.

Now, on to the second week ... life's crazy as ever - just like this "I love Lucy" video:



The video was shown to us by our Accounting professor right about when we first began classes a week and a half ago.

Just yesterday, our Statistics professor told the class, "Anything that does not kill you will ...?" And I thought, "... make you stronger?"

No. "Anything that does not kill you will leave you horribly disfigured!" ... LOL ... And that's exactly what Lucy ended up looking like ... funny how our professors' jokes seem to blend as the courses do from time to time.

What a wonderful world

I've been feeling under the weather for almost a week now. Being the active person that I am, I've probably out done myself again - doing too many things and everything from climbing to knitting to working to making time to build friendships, and definitely not getting enough sleep.

Why am I rushing through life, seeking to do everything in the shortest time possible as if there's no tomorrow? ... Well, I guess the reality is there will come a day when there will be no tomorrow ... the question is when?

Since coming up with my resolutions for 2008, I am pleased with my progress with climbing. Having completed 10 private lessons with Mehdi from Camp5, the once impossible vertical routes or sometimes overhanging walls are now possible to climb with proper techniques. I still have a long way to go to build power and endurance, but I am glad I have basic techniques to better enjoy climbing and achieve greater heights.

The pursuit of furthering my education, though, seems delayed for the time being. As I wait for the check from the Employee's Provident Fund (EPF) to come through, I was thankfully comforted by an email titled:

The 'L I T T L E' things .

As you might know, the head of a company survived 9/11 because his son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an auto accident.

One of them missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.

One's car wouldn't start.

One went back to answer the telephone.

One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have.

One couldn't get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive today.

Now, when I am stuck in traffic,
miss an elevator,
turn back to answer a ringing telephone ...
or wait for weeks on end to hear from the EPF on a loan ... and finally receive a check in the mail only to find out that they got the currency and amount completely wrong (what in the world ...)
all the little things that annoy me.

And I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment.

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I am midway through a nasty throat infection, cough and cold. The last two days, which happened to be Easter weekend was really tough going. I had in mind to go for Easter sunrise service this year before heading to the Sepang International Circuit to host colleagues and clients alike at the AT&T Williams Suite at the Paddock Club. (It was such fun at last year's Malaysian Grand Prix!)

I had to give it all up ... no Easter sunrise, no paddock club pass for the sickly poor me! Ended up catching the rather mundane Malaysian Grand Prix on telly. No skids. No out of control cars. And worse of all, no rain!

It's rather unbelievable for a country like tropical Malaysia to not experience rain in all but one of its 10 years of Malaysian Grand Prix races at the Sepang International Circuit.

Even the telly commentators said that it was remarkable that a country that experiences rain throughout the year with monsoon seasons and all remains dry every single year, without fail, when the Formula One race comes to town.

Our "Visit Malaysia" motto says it all - "Malaysia, truly Asia!" Where we are uniquely Malaysia. Where the all sorts of things can happen - just read the newspapers on the repercussions of the nation's political tsunami that took place on International Women's Day (8 March 2008). The seemingly impossible can become possible ... in wonderful Malaysia!

I digress ... back to the Malaysian Grand Prix. My favorite driver Lewis Hamilton of McLaren Mercedes didn't make a podium finish although he won the race a week before in Melbourne. Finnish Kimi Raikkonen from Ferrari Scuderia finished first, his second Malaysian Grand Prix win; the first being in 2003 when he was with McLaren Mercedes.

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I drove along aimlessly on the streets of Petaling Jaya today, just to get out of the house. Even my stuffed nose and watery eyes deserve a break from the four walls ;-)

I hear this play on Lite & Easy, and I couldn't help but sing along in my sexy, raspy voice ... oh, what a wonderful world ...



What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.

...

If I look hard enough, I just may see

My country through God's eyes and sing

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself, you're wonderful Malaysia ...

*sigh*

To be or not to be ...

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing
- Edmund Burke

I read a forwarded e-mail today that made me realize how important it is to be counted and to have done the necessary and right thing in order to make a positive difference in the society in which we live.

A portion of the email content reads:

It is a matter of history that when the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower found the victims of the death camps, he ordered all possible photographs to be taken and for the German people from the surrounding villages to be ushered through the camps and even made to bury the dead. He did this he said, in words to this effect; "Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses - because somewhere down the track of history some ******* will get up and say that this never happened.

This week, the UK removed the Holocaust from its school curriculum because it "offended" the Muslim population because they say it never occurred.

This is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easy each country is giving into it.

It is now more than 60 years since the 2nd World War in Europe ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the 6 million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, starved, burned and humiliated while German and Russian people looked the other way!

Now more than ever, with Iran among others, claiming the Holocaust to be a myth, it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets.

I realized that either way, our actions or non actions will make a difference. The question is what sort of difference would we want to make.

I am also reminded that we each have our convictions on various matters. Each may not share the same convictions as the other.

Consider the story of Esther and how God placed her in places of influence where she could and thankfully, did get counted. Yes. She shivered. She feared. She fasted. She prayed. She did all she knew and had courage to do. God worked through a life submitted to him and she made a difference for a people and a nation ...

"If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14, NIV)

May righteousness and truth prevail. May the kingdom of God that stands for love, joy and peace come, and God's will be done. May we find courage do what is right for such a time as this.

Disclaimer: This is not a post about race or religion, rather it's about certain values and principles that I believe cultivate a positive and progressive people and nation.

My spirit is willing ...

After what seemed like a good start to the new year and only a month and a half into private climbing classes, progress is certain. However, of late, climbing seems to be an uphill task all the way ... with no buddy to take turns climbing, I have had to keep at it for most of the hour and boy, it sure has been exhausting and stressful for me.

Yes, the last class was a case in point ... I "dropped like flies" off the walls at Camp5. I don't know which is more bruised - my ego or my butt!

Regular occurences of sleepless nights or interrupted sleep for the third week and counting have not helped my climbing in any way either. Instead, I have found knitting to provide relief from my otherwise restless state of mind.

My spirit is ever willing to climb higher and push harder to get to the next level, but my flesh is weak. Isn't that the case, when one sets his/her sights on a prize/goal and begins the journey to attain it, that often times, when the going gets tough, the tough doesn't get going.

In my case, when the going gets tough, I go shopping! Only God and a few others know how many pairs of sweat pants and tops I have since purchased ... :-D

I think this is especially true for Christians who start off on a journey zealous and certain of the vision. When difficult times come, we give up all too easily and say that perhaps, it was not from God after all.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. [James 1:2-4, The Message]

I don't suppose shopping can be considered character building, but it certainly provides a resting place for many before the imminent return to the battlefield.

Disappointments - Why me?

I came across this topic from the daily dose of spiritual insights by Os Hillman titled TGIF -Today God Is First. The topic on "Disappointments" immediately caught my eye given the recent circumstances I have had to face. I continue to feel a certain unrest in my soul, and I continue to seek that place of rest ...

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. - Proverbs 13:12

Life is filled with disappointments. Many of God's greatest servants experienced deep disappointment in their journeys of faithfulness to God.

Joseph, after spending years as a slave and in jail for crimes that he did not commit, revealed deep disappointment when he was forgotten another two years in prison. John the Baptist, when awaiting execution, doubted whether Jesus was, in fact, the Christ because he was sitting there awaiting his death. Elijah, losing all hope and despondent to the point of death, asked God to take his life in the desert; and Peter, who left his fishing business and invested three years of his life only to watch his Savior crucified, wondered whether the purpose of those three years could be justified.

When life doesn't add up, it leaves the heart sick. When we have done all we know to do and the formula has not worked, it leaves us questioning. These are times that try the very souls of men. There is no human sense to be made of it. We are left with a choice: to cling or not to cling.

There are times when holding on to our Master's robe is all that we can do.
It is all that He wants us to do.
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not obtained by sudden flight;
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Standing on what too long we bore,
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern-unseen before-A path to higher destinies!

~Longfellow

There is only one answer to life's disappointments. Like the psalmist, we must "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken" (Ps. 62:5-6).

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I was comforted by the post, although I sense there's more to come ...

May that place of rest be just around the corner - not in physical comforts but truly, the resting place for my restless soul.

May I encounter more of the living God I worship before I expire heavenward!

In search of significance ...

Source: Legacy of Ice Images

Oftentimes, a period of dullness and bitterness is required in order for one to appreciate the nice suprises in life. We recognize and appreciate the goodness and perhaps, the purposes of God, when we have experienced the dull and dreary bits of life, of disappointments, and more disappointments.

The truth is, life hasn't been great ... or has it been that my wild heart cries out for more than the current life has to offer? ... "there's got to be more to life than this!"

It began with a whirlwind of activities and success ... and then, the downward spiral ... fighting against current and seeing nothing while diving in Bali, doing much (and tiring myself in the process) with seemingly few results ... seeking to go for the dream dive of the year only to have to pull out because of work ... seeking to be friends with people who couldn't care less whether you were there or not ...

So, after much disappointment and rejection, why does one even bother to get up each day and continue with life? Where does one muster the energy to wake up every morning and live on when the people around all seem to only be interested in getting their own agendas accomplished?

Silence ...

If life was about the tangible things we acquire or the success we achieve, then why does life seem so empty after all the hustle and bustle? Some may argue that perhaps, much remains to be achieved ...

Well, I have observed the cycles in life ... with each heart break comes greater success than before but at the end of the day, the heart cries ... "there's got to be more to life than this!"

Perhaps, I continue to wake up each morning simply because God loves me and has a plan for my life ... because He loves me for who I am and not what I do or don't do ...

I think he has been trying to get my attention all this while ...

Quoting from Larry Julian's God is my CEO, "When we feel stuck or slowed down by pain, obstacles, or circumstances, we can remember that God has a bigger plan than what we are seeing in front of us. We can take a step back and sense the bigger picture and the whole of life. Then we can see our situation from a different perspective."

"How we define success is important in shaping our lives. So, how do we define success? Success is generally defined in terms of achievement, fame, recognition, material possession, and wealth. In a word: outcome.

"Significance is importance, meaning, essence, relevance, and value. Sucess drives us by a desire for tangible things; significance guides us by a desire for something greater than just what is tangible."

The search for significance is like ... "The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day ... " Proverbs 4:18

Life is short and precious, and I should prioritize what is important ... people and relationships are important.

May I live life driven by a calling to be significant by making a difference in other people's lives. Now, that's a tall order ...

Seasons of Life

Up you wake for your winter sleep,
As from under the snow spring flowers peep!

While colorful butterflies flit and fly,
The sun glows brightly in the summer sky.

The days grow shorter as the leaves turn to gold,
Oh, the splendor of autumn is a sight to behold!

Now back to restful sleep you must go,
To slumber and dream 'neath winter's blanket of snow.

Cycles and spirals, around they spin,
The seasons of life ever renew and begin...

An original poem by Vicki C. Schofield.
(c) 2002 Vicki C. Schofield

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I have always enjoyed a good discussion with the girls. Last Thursday was no different and yet very different in every way. We worshipped with songs that were too difficult to sing. We laughed but not heartily. We discussed but not about anything really. We took turns answering the question, "What do you do when you receive bad news and very bad news ... about yourself and about those around you?"

Most said they would cry.

Another said she would assess whether it's something she can say or do to help the victim feel better. If not, she would just pray for that person.

Yet another said she once had a boyfriend who cheated on her. Needless to say, she cried when she found out the bad news. And then, she would get angry (at herself) for crying and not being be strong. She questioned God as to why this had to happen. When the initial shock passed, she found herself quiet before God. She sought for insight and what she could learn from the suffering, the betrayal, the rejection.

Most alluded to the importance of knowing "why" we go through difficult times or receive bad news about our families and friends whom we care about.

We all seemed to recognize the importance of trusting God even in bad times, knowing that at the end of the day, our lives are in God Almighty's hands.

Even Job (a man who was devoted to God) went through the most difficult times of losing everything that belonged to him, except his wife and his own life. He lost all earthly riches, possessions and his children. In his physical suffering, his "holier than thou" friends tried to help him identify his sin so as to repent and be restored to God. Back then, they believed that such calamity could not befall a righteous person.

Job could not think of anything that he should repent of. And when the bad times didn't go away, Job began to question God. Why this and why that, assuming that he had every right as a human being to question God's motives and judge the actions of God. After all, he had not done anything wrong that could be considered as "sin" before the eyes of man.

As we read on, Job was eventually silenced by God:
Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?
Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth
Tell me, if you know so much.
Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?
What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone
as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb,
and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness?
For I locked it behind the barred gates, limiting its shores.

I said, "This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop."
...

After the long challenging discourse, Job surrenders:
I know that you (God) can do anything, and no one can stop you.
You asked, "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?

It is I - and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.

You said, "Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them."

I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."

The beauty of the "ashes" in our lives is our ability to seek out God and know the God whom we had only heard (or read) about before. Through the tough times, when we are silenced and brought to humility, when we find ourselves hopeless, betrayed, and rejected, we are quieted and ready to hear God out.

In humility, we are suddenly able to hear God's voice clearly. We experience God and can then truly say we have seen God with our own eyes.

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Vicky Schoefield writes,

Now back to restful sleep you must go,
To slumber and dream 'neath winter's blanket of snow.

It feels like winter eventhough I reside in hot, sunny Malaysia. In stressful times (for no particular reason), I find myself sleepy at early hours of the evening. Is it really a time to slumber, to hibernate and to be left alone?

Shall I put a sign on my door that wards off bystanders who are curious of my apparent lack of enthusiasm?

DO NOT DISTURB!

Winter in session

Hibernation in action

- Words of wisdom from the angry bear inside room

I laughed at the thought of having to put up a sign. We all laughed. Laughter is indeed a good medicine for the soul and for all seasons.

Sometimes communicating one's period of unsettledness helps lessen the misunderstanding when one unintentionally snubs others. Well, not on purpose anyway but as a result of being preoccupied!

The thought of winter overwhelms me. It's a time when there's no growth. And everything seems doom and gloom. A time when there's no apparent progress. A season of plateau-ing ... now that's unsettling ... yet, I know is necessary to usher in spring and be able to once again see new life, growth, and beauty!

Regardless of how I felt, it was certainly good getting together with the girls!