Balance

We live our life the best we know how. We know there will be good times, and bad times. At times we will be high up on cloud nine, and at times we will be buried deep with problems. We like to look at the glass half full, but sometimes we see it half empty. It is all about pushing and pulling.

Our life's journey is all about finding the balance, to stay happy despite grieving. To be inspired even when we ran out of muse. To stay hungry for life even if we are half alive... It is all about balancing and juggling. If only it is easy... But then again, you can't appreciate joy if you don't know sadness...

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Time Traveler's Wife

I started reading again. It was one of my favourite things to do when I was young. I was a veracious reader and constantly has my nose in between pages of a novel or an encyclopaedia or a magazine (days before internet was famous)

Anyway, I recently finished The Time Traveler's Wife written by Audrey Niffenegger. Published in 2005 and was made into a motion picture 4 years later. I actually wanted to watch the movie first but got tired of missing it in Astro, so I bought the book few months ago and only started reading it 3 weeks ago.

The book tackle the common topics of love, relationships and the struggle of holding on to it. Pretty common but what was different was the arrangement of the events, unlike story with flashbacks. Chronologically it was haphazard and at times I was confused while trying to follow the storyline but I think it was written well enough so that you are engaged in every moment. I was taken back and forth through the lives of Henry and Clare...and even though the story seemed to jump from here to there, I was never really lost. Their love story seemed normal...about wanting and longings and dreams.... but the struggled are exclusively theirs.

It has been a while since I felt engrossed in wanting to be a part of a story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a love story. I haven't seen the movie but I am sure I would just adore it.

Love After Love

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self,

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart,

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes.

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life

- Derek Walcott

The movie trailer 

Please Come In

Eat, Pray, Love

Ruin is a gift... Only from ruins, you can be transformed.

Our 2011 Raya

It is already 25th Syawal and Ted and I haven't gone visiting at all. This year Raya is very quiet for both of us. Aiman was back in Sarawak. The only big thing that we did was that both of us got new wardrobe for Raya and bought some new ones for Aiman. My family theme was Pink /Cream and for the first time we had some nice "free-style" photos.

But as usual, chaos always follow any photo session in my family....

Unfortunately, we had no family gathering in Keramat, but we did spend the first Syawal evening in Keramat.  We left late and went home to Setapak to wind down the hectic day.

The new thing that happened this first Syawal was that we spend it at 3 important homes....my parents, Ted's parents...and finally our place in Setapak. All in all it was a fulfilling First Syawal. And of course, we had an eventful time in Mersing. But I was glad Ted's parents followed us despite everything that happened. We got both family together and it was wonderful.

Project 365 No 10: Graceful Green

Nikon D200, 72 mm, ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/250 sec

I love green leafy plants. It takes years to grow them to this size. Ibu's garden have such plants, apart from her orchid. I love sitting on the swing in her garden after a rainy day. I wish to have such garden one day.

Project 365 No 9: Bentong

Nikon 200, 18 mm, f/3.5, 1/800 sec

This was taken on 3rd June 2011 on our way to Perhentian Island. Driving there was amazing as we stopped in Bentong, Kuala Lipis and few other places. I managed to take few amazing photos of places and people. I missed making such trips. The Dataran Bentong was empty and run-down that day but I would have like to imagined that it has seen better days, a place where people gathers and had fun. Nevertheless the blue sky and the white cloud in the background gave it a majestic ambiance.