R.I.P. MJ

It's sad that people tend to remember or recognize a person for his good attributes only after he died - think how happy he would have been if he knew. I hope that we all remember him as the indisputable "King of Pop" and all the fantastic songs and performances he left behind in our heart.

Rest in peace, Michael Jackson.

10 places I want to visit

With recession and yet another global virus casting a gloomy dark cloud upon us all, it's no wonder that magazines are dishing out articles on destressing tips.

While having my hair done, I came across this article from one of the magazines in the salon about what you can do to unwind yourself.

In this UK-edition of Marie Claire, a writer suggested that we could come up with a list of 10 destinations we would like to go.
Here's mine (not in order of preference):



1) Palais de I'Equilibre, Neuchatel, Switzerland 2) Northern Lights, Alaska 3) Mount Roy, N.Z. 4) Peruvians

1. Peru: For those archeology-lovers and explorers-at-heart, who could resist not wanting to get lost in the mysterious and rugged beauty of the Sacred Valley of the Inca (there is a village that is constantly occupied for over 500 years!); the vibrant cultures of the indigenous; and part of the majestic Andes mountain?
2. New Zealand: In the beginning of its tourism commercial: "...Welcome. To the youngest country on earth..." Metaphorically true. Natural beauty, mesmerizing glaciers, Mount Cook, Bay of Islands... Need I say more?
3. Japan: Getting your feet sunk in the snow-capped mountains and indulging in hot springs in Hokkaido + filling your desire for incredibly fresh seafood in the Shinkansen (bullet-train) + shrines-divine in Kyoto + youth culture and trendspotting from Harajuku to Shibuya in Tokyo = my kind of holiday :p
4. Alaska, U.S.: Other than the adventurous activities, the one I want to do most over there is to witness the phenomenal Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).
5. Tibet: Despite its political conflict with China, one can never ignore Tibet's rich cultural heritage and the Tibetans' deep faith in their religion. Those are what I'm drawn to, plus the expansive rugged mountain terrains and the world's largest canyon. Not forgetting Mt. Everest too, though I'm definitely not up to the task of conquering it, unlike the commendable group of Singapore girls.
6. Rome, Italy: I would love to immerse in the historical architectural sites in which I was in awe with as a child when I read stories about the Roman empire.
   
7. France: Eat, learn (Lourve Museum), and experience (exploring Lyon or walking down the vineyards to the hidden cafe down the alley on the cobblestoned street sounds nice to me).
   
8. Scotland: Castles and highlands galore!
9. England: It's a place where I get creative with my dressing without getting stares on the street! Cities I'm dying to visit - London, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham and York.
   
10. Australia: I want to go there again!

mood = stormy

Which is worse: Not knowing what you want in life and spend your days confused, or knowing exactly what you want in life and everything just does not fall in place no matter how hard you try?

Been feeling troubled by the same old problems for several years, to the extent they are like old 'friends' likened to wounds now. These are the hidden wounds that everyone has, at least one, depending on one's own definition of 'problem'.

Even the personal mantra of 'putting on your best mood, to face the worst situations', a literal translation of my favorite mandarin saying, have overstretched my limits of optimism.

It is pretty frustrating and depressing to find that no matter how hard one tries to make things even a least bit better continuously for such a long time, regardless of how optimistic one tries to be despite carrying a heavy heart; there is bound to be the final straw that marks the point of giving up.