improvelifeblog.com

Life is such mystical.  When one sees despair and destitute in the unfortunate,  one cannot help but feel sorry and empathises with these group of people.   But then life is how one makes it out.  My belief   moulded by what I learned and inculcated along the many years hard trotted path tells me that it is not what one is endowed with that matters.  It is what one determines to make out of it.

I believe that each and everyone of us are borned into this world for a purpose and reason.  And it is only for he and himself to discover it and to live it out.  A lot of people who came into this world who have never tasted the bitterness of life at such level would not have understood.  Sometimes, with good intent, we tend to say we understand.  In reality, we do not.  Until and unless, one has undergone the same experiences and situation,  he would not be able to feel the pain that the person is undergoing. 

On the extreme, we see people who came into this world with lots of complaints, complaints about so many things in life,  as if the world owes it to him.    It is only when we reflect upon on matters deep enough that we realise that we only be able to take from this world equivalent to whatever effort we put in. 

It was only a while ago that someone handed  me a video.  After watching it,  I felt so strongly that I should share this with you all.    Tony Melendez is without arms,   and who could imagine that someone with  such deformities can make such great efforts to scale to great heights as in the words of the Pope , to go round the world to spread the Gift of Hope.     Such is a good life example that can bring untold inspirations to those who are fully normal but requires others to motivate and inspire them.  This is indeed making the impossible possible.

See for yourself in this video

Who could have imagine a Guitar player without arms? Toe Jam is one such amazing example of someone who perseveres to this stage. How inspiring?

Please share this if you find it inspiring.

Posted by
Ivan

I went on a trip to London,  just to see how my son settle down who left for London a month earlier to start his 3 years undergraduate study at the London School of Economics. It  dawn on me that things are so expensive overseas , especially if someone from the Asian countries is travelling to Europe, with the Pound Sterling as high as 6.49 just over 3 months ago.    It  was just recently that I had  this discussions with some friends about sending children overseas for education which is very costly.  At today’s rate, sending a kid to complete a course in London would cost almost 75,000 Sterling Pound which when converted to the Asian currencies, is enough for the retirement of many. So the question of whether it is worthwhile  sending one’s kid overseas  is debatable. 

I am surprised that there are many parents out there who I know  are financially capable, but seem unwilling to part with the big sum of money, and eventually settle with some local education.  I am not saying that local education is no good, but given the choice of a good university, I think as parent, we should not let the children down.   There is this wise saying of  “Give a person a fish, you will feed him a day, Teach him how to fish, you  will feed him a life-time”.

I suppose I subscribe to the idea of the later part and this begins my wife and I working on our travel and holiday plan, booking of hotels and air travel,  travel insurance etc.

My trip to London was  to see how my son settle down, so my 8 days travel  was centered  solely around London.

Day 1 – Over a weekend , rented a car from EuropCar and checked in and stayed a Putow Farmhouse, located just about 18 miles east of London, near a small town Dunmow.  Cost is very reasonable at Sterling Pound 55 a night that comes with full English breakfast for a couple. Had dinner at a pub called  “The Black Lion”  within a short distance from farmhouse.

Day 2 – Drove to Cambridge Town which is north-east of London, and spent some time in town, before driving down to London Town to drop the luggage for my son.  Headed of to dinner at a Chinese restaurant in  China Town before heading  back to Putow Farm
 
Day 3 – Drove around Great Dunmow town a short distance from the farmhouse, walk-around shopping, had tea at a  very nice Tea House by the Lake, and then dinner at another pub called Axe and Compass.

Day 4 – 8  Checked  out of farmhouse and checked  into a studio unit at  the Citadines at Tralfagar Square right in City center, just opposite my son’s Residence in Northumberland Avenue for convenience.  Price a bit pricey at Pound 130.

On day 4 -  attended a friend son’s graduation ceremony at the Imperial College, conducted at the Royal Albert Hall   

Spend a lot of time walking around and probably covered 30 Kilometer of walking for the 4 days, visiting places around Trafalgar Square over the next few days. Places visited included    Trafalgar Square , Leciester Square,  Coventry Garden/Open Market , British Museum, LSE Campus Area – around Houghton, Kensington Park/Hyde Park – A long walk across both Hyde Part and Kensington Park, Bayswater Area  - along the streets of Bayswater area.  The Whiteleyse Mall  around the corner is also a good shopping stop. 

Recommended places to have meal includes
- Four Seasons  Restaurant at both  China Town   and  Bayswater
- Cheng Chuan Ku  China Town
- New Fortune Cookie Restaurant next to Queensbay Tube station

Day 9 – Checked into a budget hotel, Premier Inn near London Heathrow Airport  for convenience for next morning boarding flight.  Rate of 55 Sterling Pound , though without breakfast was value for money. Reach home  early morning next day after 13 hours flight, and gone through the usual jet lag for the next couple of days.

My friends have asked that for spending so much money, and just staying put in London which is extremely costly and whether it is worth .   My plan was to visit my son to see that he is well settled down for his next 3 years course.  As a parent, I can only say that it brings me great satisfaction to see the children grow up, and be able to be independent. There is no greater satisfaction than to give them the best which will stay with them wherever they go.  And I am looking forward to at least another trip to visit London, before he completes the 3 year programme.

Posted by
Ivan

The United States had finally made their decision. Senator Barack Obama is now the new president-elect and will become the first African-American President of the United States of America. Euphoria and celebration is seen growing around the world, a sign of world-wide acceptance of the triumph of the 44^th President of the US.. This is truly a crucial and historic moment and serve as a good example to the world. Kenya has declared a public holiday in honour of Obama’s victory.

In his initial victory speech, Obama said “Tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America”. In this, people are also expecting a change to this world

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Change is imminent, along with it, the high hopes of the changes that Obama promises during the campaign. We all know that, in all election, not all promises will be carried out in toto, it remains to be seen as how Obama will fulfill the promises.

Come January 20, Obama will be inaugurated as the 44^th US President. Leaders from around the world has expressed confidence of better working ties. Nelson Mandela applauded Obama’s victory and said “Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place”.

It is hoped that his win will give the US and the world a much needed uplift as the global market, led by the US have gone from crisis to crisis and doldrums. Initial sign shows that the stock market in Asia has reacted positively and rebounded to the new of his victory. The Europe market however has not help much with most bourse reported to be down.

In the words of the late Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr , this has finally seen the realization of his dream for his country to see a man “judged not by the colour of his skin, but by the content of his character:”’

What is significant is symbolic that the US has elected an African-American, the first black as president. This is a good sign and especially to many 3^rd world countries that puts limit and qualifications to who can lead the nation.. People all over – many of them in countries where the idea of a minority being elected as the leader is unthinkable, is now amazed that the US has finally overcome centuries of racial strife and elected one with Hussein as the middle name, to become their president..

Whether we like it or not, the United States is the big brother, and what is does, affect the entire world. Obama will have a humongous task to first tackle the economic condition of the US, and then its foreign policies. People are positive that there will be a better world. The world now expects the Obama presidency to be different. Like he said in Berlin July 2008, his subconscious vision should be better able to see the world for what is is rather than what America wants it to be..

Under Obama, let’s hope to see the US renewing ties with its allies and foes alike, that promises a more peaceful world.

As with any change, everyone is looking forward to a better US and a better world and the whole world appears to share in the joy, in that Obama’s victory raises hopes of a better future for all.. Let’s pray that this will come true.

Posted by

Ivan