it's like deja vu. when i finally got down to reading the alchemist on my way home just now, i found myself pondering over the same things Melchizedek said to the boy - our life journey and our dreams. like him, i mentioned that happiness is what we are pursuing in life! read this:

one's personal legend:
it's what you have always wanted to accomplish. everyone, when they are young know what their personal legend is. at that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. they are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen in their lives. but, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them it will be impossible for them to realize their personal legend. ... the soul of the world is nourished by people's happiness. and also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy. to realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. all things are one.
the world's greatest lie:
at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, our lives become controlled by fate. that's the world's greatest lie.

the old king of salem also told a story to the boy.
"a certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. the lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. it was there that the wise old man lived. rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the min room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners...the wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention. the wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation to why he had come, but told him that he didnt have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. he suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours. 'meanwhile, i want you to do something. as you wander around, carry this spoon wth you without allowing the oil to spill,' he told the boy after passing him a teaspoon with two drops of oil. after two hours, the boy returned. the wise man asked him if he had seen the persian tapestries hanging in his dining hall, the garden that took the master gardener ten years to create or the beautiful parchments in his library. the embarrassed boy confessed that he had observed nothing. his only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him. the boy was told to 'observe the marvels of my (the wise man's) world.' relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to explore the palace. upon returning, he related in detail everything he had seen. but the drops of oil were gone. so the wise man gave the boy a piece of advice : the secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon."
after listening to the story, the young shepherd knew that he may like to travel the world, but he should never forget his sheep.

it's like learning the philosophy of life. how intriguing!
i suppose my personal legend would be becoming a pediatrician. it's a childhood dream that never got to realise. actually, i carried that ambition all the way through my jc years before i gave up on myself. boohoo.
but i know the dream can still be fulfilled, in other ways. after i have saved enough from say ten years of slogging or i have happily become a tai-tai (though that possibilty is rather remote.heh), i could do what i like - helping children, full time.

grandma and i

after visiting grandma, i met shin and jo for movie - secret.
"for jo, we will watch the jay chou show!" as claimed by qi, who couldnt make it at the last min!
okay, i dont blame you. happy birthday to your gong gong! (:
i must say i'm surprised how talented jay chou is since i am no huge fan of his and i didnt even know he had done up his own movie!
two thumbs up! fantastic movie! it was similar to the lake house, but better.
i like the setting and progression of the story.
so as not to spoil the movie for those who intend to watch, i shall not comment further.
i must say it is 5 popcorns worthy since 1. i have someone in mind (piano prodigy jer) to intro the movie to and 2.it was a thought-provoking movie. we were all affected after the movie. i couldnt discuss other topics but the movie!

oh yes. i was supposed to provide some insight to "mui and meng" (by geok and jacq)

Act one scene one
It was four am in the morning. Mui was lying on her bed, tossing and turning. She flicked open her handphone and played the song “My ex-lover is dead.” She was thinking of Meng. Pictures of their past flashed across her mind. Mui closed her eyes and found herself on a train trundling to London, the magical place where they first met.

Act one Scene two
At four am in the morning, Meng woke up with a sneeze. Groaning and sitting up, he scratched his bald head. He looked around. All his bunk mates were sound asleep. Meng then swiped his mucus-stained hands on the bedsheets. As he laid down on his bed, the glint of the photo frame caught his eye. Looking at the lovely form of a girl in a red sweater, his mind began to wander.
-interval-
The scriptwriter decided to visit la-la land.
That’s all folks! 0458h (; Sat 31 March 2007

gosh. it was ages ago when we last wrote. it's high time we do something about it, bestie. -nudge-

fact of the day:
The hippopotamus has skin an inch-and-a-half thick, so solid that most bullets cannot penetrate it.

how about a hippo skin bullet vest? oh no. dont make hippos extinct cause of that please. though just one hippo can make many vests.

a zillion thoughts today. hence, the long naggy post. heh
but i know i would have less time to blog since school has started. this reminds me that i should be doing tutorials first before blogging. (i need to be a mugger this sem. i can still feel the stress.)
see, i still love my blog. i squeeze time to blog as often as i can.
and to my readers out there, THANK YOU & STAY TUNED! *blows kisses! LOL