My Precious Christmas Gift

I flew back to my hometown early December this year for holiday but sadly, I need to returned back again few days before Christmas... Huh!

My mom was grumbled about it after telling her that I am not staying until Christmas. And I know as parent, she (my mom) would certainly love to have all her children to be around spending time together at home celebrating Christmas.

As I am her daughter, I truly understand how she feels and how much I am feeling sorry for her, for not staying long enough until Christmas day. Well, it's all because of work... My job, actually!

Anyway, I had celebrated Christmas with my family last year. So meaning that, this year, this time, no Christmas holiday for me as I have to work during the festive season. It's like, we are taking turns. So if last year I had my holiday, then this year I need to work instead.

Eventually, my mom accepted although she feels a bit sad, and I could only say "sorry" to her again... and again...

During my this "short stay" at home, I helped her with all I could such as doing the housework, some shopping, decorating, preparing things and all before Christmas. Then next, the rest of the works will be carry on by my brother later on, as he will be coming back home 1 day before Christmas Eve. So, knowing my brother will be at home during this year Christmas with mom, makes me feel happy a bit and feel relief at the same time, at least...

Then, I don't know why suddenly, I remember about my dad who at one time, he would buy Christmas presents or gifts for us when we were still kids, years back ago. It's funny that these presents, we would place them under our Christmas tree in the living room. Then, we waited until New Year only to unwrapped them all. As a child, that was the most happy moment ever!

But now, things changed. I think, I am too old to receive a present or gift, right? But if I am to received one, I think I still feel happy too but not as like the happier feeling I had when I was still a child years ago.

Anyway, please don't get me wrong because I learned that the most precious gift above all for everyone during Christmas is love. There is this one true love more than every presents and gifts that being placed under the Christmas tree itself.

Hence, no matter how the situations or the environments around you that you and I might be going through during the festive season, I only knew I have received my only one precious Christmas gift that is Jesus.

Jesus is the love. And, this world needs love!

The Pink Tree

As far as I can remember, it blooms once or may be twice a year. I didn't really think it would be a such pretty amazing view when I took pictures of it one day.

I was walking back home after my night duty, so when I just about to turned a corner and this blooming tree came to my view instantly! I remembered they were trees did bloomed before, quite some times ago, but I don't know why this time I stopped and wanted to take some pictures on that early morning.

They looked so pretty with those blooming pink flowers, really! They were just like Cherry blossoms to me, but I am not quite sure if they were the real Sakuras. All I know, Sakura trees are mainly found in 4 seasons countries. Hence, I do feel surprise to have encountered these so-called Sakura trees live here in my tropical weather country.

Now, I purposely took a view while I was standing beneath the tree. I hardly saw its branches and leaves as they were all almost covered by those pretty pink flowers on top.

As I walked far away from the tree and headed to the park nearby, and as I turned around to see at one of those trees behind me, I stunned at the sight of it. There this of another side view of a tree was almost covered by pink flowers as if the tree was barely had leaves or branches left!

It's a tree with totally pink flowers indeed! May be I should have called it "The Pink Tree"!

The beautiful pink scenery lasted for about 2 to 3 weeks or may be 1 month before the flowers started to fall. The ground underneath the tree was then gradually turned into pink colour that gave even more scenic view. However, at the end, after all the flowers has fallen, the trees became just like the ordinary green trees.

I have really no idea when they are going to bloom or start producing flowers again. But the last time I noticed was, they bloomed during dry season where there was less rain and the weather stays warm most of the time with intense hot weather, sometimes. Approximately in the month of August till October, if I am not mistaken.

Anyway, I'm hoping to see the trees to bloom again next time or may be next year, I guess...

It's been a wonderful experience to have seen a beautiful Cherry blossoms-like view or so-called Sakura trees after some times!

In A Department Store

I am just accompany my brother to buy new long pants for him when suddenly I caught my eyes at dresses displayed on hangers in a department store.

So, after I've done with my search on those dresses, eventually I've purchased two dresses for myself!

My first dress paired with a scarf...

I ever say getting a dress from an online store is best, somehow a department store still has its own reasonable ordinary old method to offer.

At the department store, there are plenty of these simple, pretty dresses put onto hangers each, in super neat arrangement order to make it easy to flip one to another, seeing from the front to back, from top to bottom, the pattern and design, type of material used and colour... All in one! You even can touch and feel with your hands to know how would the cloth feels like... Soft, silky, rough, hard, thin, thick and so forth... So, not only you can just seeing it but, obviously you even can touch it. However, whenever you're online you only can or allow to see, but no touch and feel! Now, it's clearly that the department store still can served you better!

Second dress paired with a sling bag...

It says, those dresses are free size. So, they're fit for everyone from small to big size. Now, this is the best part that I like the most where in the department store itself, it provides fitting rooms! It's very convenient and it assures you to fit the right size before you buy any dresses. Thus, buy too big or too small should never be a problem as you can pick the right size with confident after you've tried them on first before you buy. And of course, it's because of the fitting rooms that provide a private space just to find out whether clothes fit you or not. Again the department store have served you better.

Because you really don't know whether a dress fits you from just seeing online although it does mentioned the sizes or free size only. Or, it says American sizes, UK sizes, Asian sizes and sort of, but sometimes it's just very tricky and high risks to buy the wrong sizes. Or sometimes, you even can get different materials used or colour or design, not exactly the same as the one described in the web. So, you really need to have your best knowledge and wise judgement here online before you pay for an item that is ideal for you. And because of that, the online store provides "money back guaranteed" whenever you need a refund upon returning a product. It's actually nothing wrong with it as this is to show that they (online stores) are genuine and would help you to provide the best services regarding their products on the Internet.

Well, it does takes some times before you can get the right item delivered to you from the Internet. It's not like when you have purchased an item in a department store and then you can have it straight away after paid. Sometimes, the old ways or methods of how to purchased things in department store still is the best in some reasons.

To buy a dress from an online store is cheap compare to when you buy from a department store. But, it doesn't make any huge different in prices no matter whether you buy from online or from department store, I guess. But if you still think of buy online is cheaper, why not just head to department store to buy whenever they're having discount sale session or on sale things like that, which is more cheap. I think, more or less it doesn't make a big different in term of the prices offered between the two spots, especially when you know when is the best time to shop in a department store.

Anyway, either one whether buy online or buy from department store, both are still very useful. There're times I like to buy online and, there're other times I like to just walk to the department store. Regardless of different ways, methods and places, I still do love them both!

So, how about you? Do you prefer just one of them or both?

A Life In One Day

Today's life would be definitely different from yesterday and then tomorrow that has yet to come. I would just have called it as one day with one life at a time. A day with different life story, so meaning living life yesterday will not going to be the same as today, or tomorrow as well. That's life!

There are times we're happier yesterday, today or maybe tomorrow, or we can be at the lowest state of our lives yesterday, today or maybe tomorrow as well.

However, the good news is there are better choices and opportunities we all can make to move forward, no matter how hard or tough our lives hit us at some point.

Yes, we all do need the courage to keep us to stay strong in our daily circumstances, and trust God and have faith for those who believe in Him. And even if you feel tired and exhausted in the end or just wanting to give up in your most hard times, it's time to trust more and have hope, and learn to let go.

Well yes, they're not easy and things don't just happen for the better in a day or two. It takes time. I do not know about you but I do believe better things happen at the right time or at His time!

I know we all have our stories in our lives, be it a happy or sad story, one unique story a day, but still we have a life to live on, a life we keep moving on with.

Anyway, there's a song, actually. Not really a new song but whenever I listen to it, I feel relief each time, at least... Especially, when life can have its downsides at times.

All thanks to MercyMe to have had making the song nicely done few years back for us, and it's still always my one favourite song up till today! A song that will inspire us everyday in our journey of life!

Even If

Song by MercyMe

They say sometimes you win some

Sometimes you lose some

And right now, right now I'm losing bad

I've stood on this stage night after night

Reminding the broken it'll be alright

But right now, oh right now I just can't

It's easy to sing

When there's nothing to bring me down

But what will I say

When I'm held to the flame

Like I am right now

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

They say it only takes a little faith

To move a mountain

Well good thing

A little faith is all I have, right now

But God, when You choose

To leave mountains unmovable

Oh give me the strength to be able to sing

It is well with my soul

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

You've been faithful, You've been good

All of my days

Jesus, I will cling to You

Come what may

Cause I know You're able

I know You can

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

Songwriters : Bart Millard / Ben Glover / Crystal Lewis / David Garcia / Tim Timmons

Walking The Path

It feels a little bit different tonight, although I've had walking through this same old path every night.

Tonight feels warm and dry and smoky... The same old feelings that occurred in the midst of hazy weather that had hit this region so bad for quite some times now. It hasn't rain yet for so long up till tonight and that makes it even worse.

Anyway, I'm just back from work after my evening pm shift finished at 9.00 pm. Then, I will come along to this similar path at around 10.00 pm every night after work.

I'm not driving though. I'm actually walking home through this dim path, my every night route after work. It's dark, yes... It looks scary, well not really...

It's a small path inside a park in the neighborhood where I live. It takes me less than 10 minutes walk along the path through the park before I reach my house. There's light coming from the backyard of the houses at one side along the way, so it does help pretty much in the dark and, they're few lamp posts at several points at the opposite, as well as some inside the park too.

It's dry season now, actually. Sometimes, the smell of smoke in the air is pretty bad even at night like this. The surroundings are quiet enough to be able to hear the crickets sounds from afar. But surprisingly, the views inside the park still looks serene and calm and tranquil despite the night haziness. I thought, I'll not be able to see the moon tonight due to the bad hazy weather, but no, wait... The sky looks bright and there's the moon!

It appears to be very bright and big and beautiful, really... And tonight seems cloudy as I can see clouds glowing from the moon direction. It's pretty amazing of Mr. Moon's night view!

When I walking after half way through across the park, I come to see a tall building to my right. It's simply a scenic view of its own with the sight of the moon from high above. And, with lights from the streets and houses nearby, it even makes a spectacular night view.

Maybe it's just the same old feelings, the same ordinary night sights, but having to walk through the park every night does make me feel a bit ease especially after a long busy work. It gives me ease at mind. It gives me time to experience quietness and silence for awhile and relax the mind, each time after work.

It's always be a fine place to be regardless the hazy weather that happened badly now. But, I do hope it will rain soon to at least clear up the dry, smoky air and bring the fresh feeling again!
                

Inspiring Short Stories Changed Life

While others may like to read one long story in a book, I consider myself enjoy reading short stories instead.

So, what types of short stories?.. Well, that depends...

There are many types of short stories whether it's a fiction or non-fiction, western, fantasy, thriller, mystery, to name a few... However, personally I'm more into reading inspirational short stories about everyday lives and miracles. And there are people in this world who willing to share their stories to inspire you, to motivate you, to "touch" you, to lift up your spirit, even to surprise you and more!

So, where do I actually find my original short stories?.. Well, they're all from Chicken Soup for the Soul series! Talking about the book series, I believe everyone of us would have known well, what exactly the Chicken Soup for the Soul is all about. No matter if you just come across to the book for the first time or you've been a long-time fan, it's always be a type of book that will inspire you to be a better individual, to achieve your highest capability, to get control of your challenges as well as discovering the world.

There are varieties of Chicken Soup for the Soul series and I'm actually have had the 20th Anniversary Edition, The Original Chicken Soup for the Soul for myself which I had bought in 2013, and yet it's always still my one favorite story book up until today!

It has an unique one story at a time whenever I feel and need a real-life story that will empower our lives, our stories. It's never be a boring book to read. I personally have read it few times and still I keep repeating reading it from time to time.

They're all inspiring stories from great storytellers that can change the world and even can change your life!

In My Wardrobe Closet

I was doing some cleaning works and rearranging several piles of stuff inside my wardrobe closet not long ago, when out of the blue, I'm surprised of a sudden thought that came to mind.

I was just like saying, "wow, what a plenty of things inside here were actually I bought online!"

It seems, I have purchased most of my stuff from an online store (and from several others too)... Anyhow, forget about the online store. My point was, "Hey, a whole bunch of stuff I bought online literally showing that of how most of us like or love to buy something on the Internet..." Or in other words, we all like and love online shopping!

I believe that almost everyone knows about shopping online. We enjoy shop online because it's simple easy, convenient, cheaper, faster and so forth... You do not have to go to the store or department store anymore. Added to that, the items you had bought will just come to your doorstep instead!

Well, there are plenty of risks when you do shopping on the Internet, of course. But, that's a norm or a typical thing that can happen sometimes, especially when you're in the process of making the payment online. But even so, no worries as most of the problems can be solved.

So after I've done my scanning into my wardrobe, here are some of the things that I had bought online (as shown below):

• Women knitted long sleeve blouse
• Big shoulder bag Korea style
• White pearl bracelet
• Earphone
• MP3/MP4 music player
• Kung Fu Panda key chain
• Smartphone casing or cases

There will be more other stuff actually but I only come up with those listed above as they're the common ones that we easily can get and buy online.

So, how about you? What's your stuff that you'll put inside a wardrobe closet? Which are the ones that you probably had bought on the Internet?

Simply Need A Location

So, whenever you want to start your writing or blogging, you just need a place, right?

Now, there're some facts actually, saying that the environment does play a role in creating much inspire posts. Your spot can motivate your blogging experiences and also can bring the creativity in you into your writing as well.

Sometimes, I do find that working in the same space or spot for some times can be boring. My brain get blocked, unable to poured down outputs. Hence, I do need that some peculiar tastes in different places in order to make my mind to work. It doesn't have to be a perfect place or spot, it's only that you just simply need a location.

There're few nice locations you may want to consider at, as your inspire writing spaces for that splendid blogging experiences. So, let's have a look!

I think, most of us would love working simply at home! There's nothing is more convenient and comfortable than our own home. A tidy and neat wooden house with good lighting and has more space is great if you need some quiet and serene surroundings to work on your writing or blogging. Having some green plants are really good too. You even can do the same thing simply at a cottage too!

If you're a nature lover type of person, spending time writing and blogging in a cabin or tree house in the woods or countryside could be awesome! Working in a proper space within four wooden walls with windows facing outside into nature will give you silence, peaceful and calm environment and feeling. It's likely that observing wild animals and plants will surely bring your creative power or best imagination into your writing!

There're times that maybe you want to just have a simple plain setting where you only need a desk with stool chairs or benches in a mini or small-scale room along with good lighting from a pendant lamp that hanging from the ceiling. This could be a place like a small office or home office, study room or inside the library. Those places are perfect into creating the silentness, if you think you need more quiet time that would help in concentration and be more focus into your work.

Now I think, most of us would have been working in a cafe, right? Well yes, it's nothing new for some of us or for those who prefer to be inside a cafe writing or blogging, partnered with a good cup of coffee! I would love to have an environment at a small corner space inside a cafe, surrounded by green plants big and small in flowerpots with good lighting. Sometimes, the medium noise or sounds inside a cafe can actually help to cultivate your creativity or ideas, while enjoying your beverage at the same time, would be a plus!

So, how about working in a park or at a pedestrian walkway? Others may think that it might be not possible for them to have their creativity or ideas to shown up when working in the presence of human beings around them and also with the noise that surrounded them. But I think, it shouldn't be that way literally, because observing the people around you, such as the children playing in the playground, a couple strolling down through the park, or any other activities that you can find are actually do help to create more ideas, revealing more about people's lives,.. our lives, which means the actual human life as lived by real people with a real life experience, that I think, will do more to help you to cultivate your creativity into your writing and blogging experience.

Therefore, there're plenty of creative spaces to blogging actually for you to be creative and imaginative in your work. So, I do hope the examples of the locations above will eventually do make you to be a creative thinker in your writing or blogging after all!

Should I Just Quit Blogging?

So, once again... Hello there! How are things going? Or how was your day?

As for me, it's been awhile I had never log in and check my blogs, write blog posts or even update my blogs. It has been about 3 years now??.. I guest.. Oops!

Well.., back to the old days, I used to have few blogs actually and well yes, I do blogging, writing blog posts, creating blog contents including whatever things to do with blogging. I used to like and enjoy writing that eventually lead me to blogging. You know, blogging is fun and for me, it's a way to just be creative, to be yourself, to pass the time, to stay sane or maybe it can be something that I can communicate with, telling stories, sharing experiences, learning about something and so much more.

But then as time goes by, I began to slow down a little by little and later I stop totally. Now, I know this phenomenon is nothing new and it happens to everyone almost every time. Well, yes there are many reasons why, obviously, like.. well, I'm busy, I'm out of ideas, I'm lazy, I'm bored, I'm too tired and such.. And to be honest, I've had been in all those things. And to me, there is nothing wrong with that. It's real!

Now the funny thing is, I've been thinking to just quit. But that 3 years?? That was a very, very long time! After all the hard work and fun, I shouldn't just leave??

But then recently, I came across to a post about writing tips for blogging, in the Internet and it came to me saying that you don't have to quit but you do can slow down. In seconds, it reminds me about my old blogs again and when I go into my blogs for the very first time after quite some times, I do really missed them a lot! My writings, my posts, my ideas, everything... Nothing change.

The writing tips for blogging actually can give new breath to your blogging experiences, especially for someone like me now. There are few tips that can actually bring back your love towards your blog. So, I think maybe it can help you with your blogging too.

So for me, I'm going to make a few changes to my blog. I'm going to do something that I enjoy doing or things that I really wanted to write about, rather than something I should write about. That makes sense?

I know it would be a lot of work but it's worth a try rather than do nothing. It doesn't matter if I need to start all over again, or create a new blog or blogs and with new posts. Sometimes it would be good enough if I just keep and maintain to just one blog at first. Hence, I do really hope it can change the way I feel towards my blog (first) or blogs later.

The most important is to continue to writing your posts no matter how fast or slow you are in blogging but please do never ever to quit your blogging. In other words, you must have consistency in blogging. And of course, love your blog!

So therefore, do wish me best of luck!... And welcome to my new blog!

Note : I've started writing and blogging since 2013 until 2016... Huh!