Walkmans

Today, living in the golden era of technology, we have seen so many innovative gadgets being introduced into the market.  The sizes became smaller, lighter and more affordable to the public, that we tend to forget that there was a time when some of the earlier versions of these items were considered as a 'luxury'.

The above Sony walkman (TPS-L2) was the first of it's kind and was made known to the public on 1st July 1979. At that time, no one has ever seen something as small as that. The walkman consisted of 2 parts: 1) the tape player and 2) the lightest earphones in the world.

Unsure of the public's acceptance and to avoid being known as inciting young people to be anti-social, Sony has made the first model with 2 earphones (so that you can share listening to it with a friend).
After 25 years of producing 330 billion units being sold, Sony has decided to stop making the walkmans as of 22 October 2010. 

I still have my first and only walkman (combination of tape recorder, cassette player and radio), bought after I finished form 5. Although it was not one of the Sony's special editions, it has been a part of my student's life in France. The cassettes were bigger than what you would have today, although the earphones were of the compact and easy to carry type. (Phew.. at least I can say that I am not yet that ancient).

Nowadays, it's hard to find a shop which sells cassettes. All they have are CD's or DVDs.
For those that still have those earlier models of walkmans, it would be good to hold on to them (and in mint condition). It would probably be worth a fortune in the next 100 years from now on.
Who knows..:p

Finding A Smile

Life is certainly full of surprises.
There are times when a simple sentence can hurt you and there are times when it can just make you happy.

Actually, I can't really point to what makes today different. At first glance, everything seems exactly like yesterday. A typical work day at the office. But somehow.. something.. is making me smile.

And I got this silly song now in the head that keep on repeating itself (laughing). You know that scene from 'Finding Nemo' where Nemo's Dad was voicing out his worry on how to find Nemo, and Dory was trying to make him smile? It goes like this:

Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do?
Marlin: No I don't wanna know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
Marlin: Dory, no singing. Now I'm stuck with that song... Now it's in my head.

What if.. it's not a song that is stuck in your head? What if it's something else.. a thought that can makes me smile even when I'm sad? A sentence or a word that soothes the heart.. and makes time seems to stop?

One day at a time..Just keep on swimming..

Would You,,

Usually I was the one who loves to pose questions.
Today, someone was asking me that if given the chance to go back to the past, would I have like my life to be other than what it is now? Hmm.. tough question.

I would have like to answer 'Yes'. That I would choose a less colorful life. What if I chose not to go overseas to further my studies? What if I decide to take another course instead of hospitality? Would I be more than happy to lead a quiet, boring but happy life. Everyday, doing things that I like, no problems and no worries.

But.. would I still be the same me should I choose a different path? What if I never take any risks? What if I decided to stay safe, always know what outcome to expect and never doing anything clumsy or silly?

Then, I would answer 'No'. There's no going back to the past. However hard it has been, how much I have struggled.. it only serves to make me stronger. Maybe it has also help to keep me from getting big headed and selfish. :) Who knows what might have happened. I might not even get to know him if things changed.

As they say, we need to keep improving ourselves. Of course, sometimes I can be impatient and there's always a 'sigh' escaping from my lips (that is a bad habit that I am still trying to lose). But maybe all these are lessons and tests to keep me from slacking.

The psychologist Maslow once said:
'To know how fast a human being can run, you do not try to find the 'average' speed of the whole population. That kind of 'average' is useless as it does not tell you anything about human possibilities in running. Instead, we should go out and find exceptional runners. Then, we would have the answer to the question of how fast can the fastest human being can run.'

Run, Forrest, run...

In Between Days

To lose someone is hard for the soul.. but to love someone with all your heart and not able to see each other is a torment too.

yesterday i got so old
i felt like i could die
it made me want to cry
go on, go on
just walk away
go on, go on
your choice is made

go on, go on
and disappear
go on, go on
away from here
away from me

i know i was wrong
when i said it was true
that it couldn't be me
and it must be her
in between
the days without you
without you..

yesterday
i got so scared
i shivered like a child
yesterday
away from you
it froze me deep inside

come back, come back
don't walk away
come back, come back
come back today
come back, come back
come back to me...

How it hurts when you do not know whether you want him to stay or to go away..

Friends No More

Oh!
The blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearless on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely.

Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person -
having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together;
certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,
keep what is worth keeping,
and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.

********
There are times when a misunderstanding with a dear friend turns out to be the turning point in a friendship. Sometimes you hope that your best friend would understand why you had to go now and then.

You hoped with all your heart that he/she would forgive your mistake as you have opened wide your heart and soul to them. They know all your sadness and they are the ones with whom you dare to be yourself.

When the friendship is no more, there comes a day when you can only watch your friend from afar. Watching and wanting things to be as what it has been before. The laughter that should have been yours now belongs to another. Seeing him/her talking to another with the same familiarity. You wished that you could touch them and say that you are sorry. But you end up slowly turning around, leaving the scene as you feel that you have lost that privilege of being a friend...

Love

Swimming in the moment
Guided by your sound
The Current strong and rolling
And there isn't any down

I think I'm in Love
I feel like my Heart's exploding
And over the Sun
A million Lions soaring
And on My way to reach the Gate, You take My
Hand and pull Me in again

Love
On the Land, the Seasons
Combine to make a new
Where the Air is full Emotion
In every Breath I'm taking in, I feel You now, I feel You
I think I'm in Love
I feel like my Heart's exploding
The beat of the Drum
A million Lions roaring
And on MY way to reach the Gate, You take My
Hand and pull Me in again
Oh higher and miles away
Oh higher and miles away

Oh I wanna stay
I know I'm in Love
I feel like my Hearts exploding
The beat of the Drum
A million Lions roaring
And on My way to reach the Gate, you take My
Hand and pull Me in again

Blame It On The Rain

Boss is not around as he is on a working trip abroad. However, there was lots of work to occupy everyone during his absence. Everyone was given a 'To Do' list.

Cat is not an easy person to get irritated or angry with anyone.
But that day was not an ordinary day. It was raining heavily, guests were grumpy and Cat was up to her neck with complaint letters and reports. This one person kept on whining, complaining and grumbling. Her voice was non stop talking to herself (and everyone) since morning about how much work she had to do. Her voice went on and on, grating the nerves. (Why is that the weakest workers are the ones who makes the most noise?)

At the end of the day, Cat asked her for the file that she was supposed to give Cat 2 days ago. The person dared to answer back rudely saying that, unlike Cat, she have tons of other things to do. There goes the last of Cat's patience. Cat gritted her teeth and said sarcastically, trying hard to keep her voice steady 'If you hate the job so much, then you can just pack up your things and go and if you want to work, then work with the hands, not with your mouth.' All that was said in one sentence.

The girl suddenly went silent and the next moment began to cry. All the others in the office (who said that they had enough of listening to her whining, suddenly gave Cat a black look) looked at Cat in an odd way, as if blaming Cat for making the girl cry. Others were patting the girl on her back, pitying her.

Cat was stupefied. What did Cat do wrong? What did Cat say?
Hmm.. Looking at everyone's reaction, Cat would surely get an earful from boss when he comes back.(God..do forgive Cat for not keeping her 'cool' and for forgetting her resolve to be patience and for not understanding what had transpired there.)

Thinking back, there might be other and better ways to handle the situation. Like taking the girl aside and talk to her alone. Alas, there are times when the fire inside this 'Aries' Cat just erupted before Cat had the chance to think.

Forgive Cat, as once in a blue moon, she knows not what she's done.

Signing off,
Cat

Never Mind

3rd January 2011

I'm losing myself
Trying to be the same
as everyone else
Instead of just being me
Don't know where to turn
I've been stuck in this routine
I need to change my ways
Instead of always being weak

I don't wanna be afraid
I wanna wake up feeling beautiful..today
And know that I'm okay
Cause everyone's perfect in an unusual way
So you see, I just wanna believe in me

The mirror can lie
Doesn't show you what's inside
Lying, it can tell you you're full of life
It's amazing what you can hide
Just by putting on a smile

I'm quickly finding out
I'm not about to break down
Not today
I guess I always knew
That I had all the strength to make it through

Not gonna be afraid
I'm going to wake up feeling beautiful..today
And know that I'm okay
Cause everyone's perfect in unusual ways
Now I believe in me

**********************
Heard this song on the radio today.
To believe in yourself. To believe that you are beautiful, to believe that you can do whatever you wanted to do: sometimes that could be the hardest part. Try to convince yourself that you are wonderful when you were always told the contrary.

Weird like having a different way of thinking. It has become a routine hearing those words. That used to hurt her a lot. But nowadays, she just doesn't mind.

You do not have to be what other people expected you to be. Change if you want to, but not because of what others wanted you to do.

There's nothing wrong actually in being different. For her, there are people, things that are weirder than her :). At least, she just do silly things randomly from time to time, have different ideas and different views. Mostly, she tries not to hurt anyone by her act and words. Oh yeah.. one more thing : she does not have horns on her head.

No one is really unique in the whole world. Of course not. Out of 6.9 billion people, you are bound to meet someone or a group of people who actually has the same thinking as yours. If you have not yet meet one today, don't worry. Just enjoy the privilege of being unique while you can.

Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.