LIVESTRONG

Concluding November, I like to share about the books I have read in the past few months..
The first book entitled "IF at First" chronicles the little known stories of personal struggle behind some of history 's most famous achievers. The underlining message behind thirty inspiring biographies is "The secret of success is learning to recognise the importance of failure"

The next is "Foods that Fight Cancer"(I took six months to finish this book, and read it over and over again) Now I am prepared to pass it on. It clearly explains how different foods work to protect the body against different cancers and show which foods will be effective.

I took so long because in the past months, I been trying out recipes combining those foods with Asian herbs and Asian style of cooking.
My son who is under going chemo is enjoying my cooking. Most days he ask for supper too.The dietitian is very happy with his progress because he has not lost any weight.

In fact he looks very good. I have used varies ingredients, lot of love and common sense in my cooking. Some mothers have been asking for my recipe.
I plan to write it down properly and blog it for all to share.
One regret ,I OVERLOOK taking pictures of the dishes. Never too late, I will start from today.
I will post it on my blog once its ready!

The 3rd book "LIVESTRONG" is a compilation of inspirational stories from cancer survivors- from diagnosis to treatment and beyond...... This book inspires me to keep reading it. I bring along to every hospital visits.

I can memorises and repeat all the cases.Whenever I get the chance I discuss the strength determination and the positivity of all survivors to my son.
I want to constantly reassure him of his own strength , his own motivation and his positive attitude.

He is fondly call the Lion Heart in VI for his organisational and leadership skills, Some Friends call him the brave heart.

His classmates at Riccarton High fondly called him "Wonder Boy". Last week he was given a new nickname ,the nurses fondly called him " The Amazing Kid".

Amazing because despite his condition he is currently sitting for his NCEA exams.(Equivalent to STPM).He missed school for 7 months, did his own studying when he feels good and prepared himself for the exams. Some papers are taken in hospital during chemo sessions, this few days his Maths and physics test is done at home because his neutrophils are too low to start the next chemo. He will have one more paper tomorrow .

Everyone here admires his strength and his intelligence.
To me he is my son and he is a genius!. I am so fortunate that I have a great boy. Yes he is truly amazing a born leader ... a class monitor from primary one to three, school prefect from primary four to six and Head boy as well. A Prefect in Victoria Institution .

As one teacher puts it" This Chap is going to accomplish great things in life, he already did."

Looking at kids back in Kuala Lumpur where parents spends thousands of ringgit on tuition money just to get straight A's. I just felt so lucky, but then again I can't blame the parents!?....

....Reminds me of what Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang says over the shocking collapse of the RM4.5 million Perak state park corporation's two-storey building in Belum.

Quote "Lim said the incident adds to the list of growing evidence that under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the country is degenerating from 'First-World Infrastructure, Third-World Mentality' to 'Third-World Infrastructure, Fourth-rate Mentality'.

Well The building is tangible, the intangible is our Education System,( I personally felt the collapse!!) the effect can be felt decades later..... in the form of the quality of engineers, lawyers, doctors and politician etc...like our Information Minister or worst ?

Well! time will tell.....I wear yellow every Saturday(Bersih march for electoral clean up) for our children the future leaders. Its our responsibility to prepared them for our great country like our fathers and fore fathers did for us.

I am confident Malaysia will turn out well for our future generations.

So lets LIVESTRONG!

A rare voice of reason "Bersih march for electoral clean up"

The end of John Howard......Rudd first labor leader since 1983

Kevin Michael Rudd
In my dream two nights ago, John Howard shouted at me to get out of the Royal Albert Hall London.On hind sight, after reading today's news, the dream interpreted that John Howard was voted out of power in favour of the labor leader.Australia has voted for the first time in more than a decade making Kevin Michael Rudd to become the first labor leader to seize power since Bob Hawke defeated Fraser in 1983.
My goodness the power of dreams and the underlining message. I remember dreaming about the collapse of Menara Maybank. I was then the Head of Consumer Banking, I shouted to all my staff to run out through the car park ,where we were safe as I watched the building shocked and fell .I woke up telling my staff the next day about the dream and told them if it did ever happen... run through the car park. We all had a good laugh and forgot about it.
About three months later, the Highland Towers collapsed, I had been visiting my sister who lives in one of the block!!!.
And many many more minor coincidences to think of it. Do dreams carry messages .... should we learn to interpret them... I don't know , do you?

What about Mahathir that gave me a smile at the door at Royal Albert Hall London .... any significance. I remember we were at the same flight home from London in 1976. He` was then the Education Minister. I remember one of his children getting my autograph during the flight.
Oh dear , I am beginning to remember old times. Is it the start of Alzheimer disease!....?.

Royal Albert Hall London

A few hours ago I was chased out of Royal Albert Hall London by John Howard.I was there to deliver my campaign speech but instead I rattle on about " How to sell cars'. My audiences were the`well- heeled, rich and famous. While convincing the crowd about "Basic Selling Skills" to a packed audience, John Howard came right up to me and ask me to get out!. Out!I ran as fast as my legs could carry me amidst the thunderous laughter. I bumped into Dr Mahathir at the door, he just gave me a smile I scream and felt hot flashes and sweats. I woke up, its a dream.Thanks goodness its a dream, I turn and look at the clock its 3.00 am the exact time for the last three months, I get my hot flashes and night sweats. That's menopause!! says my friend - when I relate it to her a awhile ago.
I couldn't sleep the rest of the night thinking of my dream. Yes ! during the day I did watch the Prime news about John Howard's election campaign this weekend. I did read about the 10 worst performing cars in the US in the yahoo news.And I did read Marina's blog about her father's recovery from heart surgery. All these activities during the day cultivated into a weird dream. But the venue!!! why the Royal Albert Hall London.I was there 33 years ago but that was such a long time. Maybe its in my inner desire to visit Royal Albert Hall London again...... I don't know. All I know is I am a very very tired woman.

Falling Off The Stage

Alzheimer disease "Memory Test" .........enjoy your game and keep score

I find this game simple and fun. A good one for brain exercise. May help in the prevention of Alzheimer disease! Exercise as often as you like when you are bored.
Do you remember your birthday? Do you remember your cats name? Do you remember what you had for lunch 3 years ago this coming Tuesday? Well then you're qualified to play this game! It's just like you remember as a kid. Click the cards, match the cards... match all the cards and win!

Employers Looking For Employees With Positive Attitudes

I came across this ARTICLE about "A Positive Attitude Definitely Increases Productivity and Employability" by Connie Podesta and thought how true. The main message is:-
You may not realize it, but your performance has the power to make or break your organization. Your attitude can be your greatest asset or your greatest liability. Unaware of that, employees often say, "My job is hard work. And my organization doesn't even try to motivate me to do my best."


Today's organizations realize that it is not their responsibility to motivate employees because motivation cannot come from the outside. Motivation is "an inside job."
This means that employees should not have to be coddled or coerced into working hard and doing an excellent job. A valuable employee, the kind an organization would work hard to hire and retain, is self-motivated.

The bottom line is that today's employers are looking for employees who:-- Want to work;
-- Enjoy what they do;
-- Take pride in their organization, their products, and their services;
-- Care about their customers and their co-workers;
-- Are the kind of team player others like to be around;
-- Make work a better place by their good humor, dependability, integrity, and their ability to be a positive influence through their words and actions.

And finally, consider this: employers from all over the country believe that attitude is contagious. If that's so, is yours worth catching?

(Connie Podesta is an author, counselor, educator, humorist, playwright, consultant, songwriter, actress and trainer.)

Direction of life

Have a good laugh ......learning English

Sometimes Language is a problem !!!
This is a true story from the Japanese Embassy in US!!!

A few years ago, Prime Minister Mori was given some
basic English conversation training before he visits
Washington and meets President Bill Clinton.

The instructor told Mori "Prime Minister, when you shake hand
with President Clinton, please say "how are you?".
Then Mr. Clinton should say,"I am fine, and you?" Now you should say 'me too'.
Afterwards, we, translators, will do all the work for you." It
looks quite simple, but the truth is....

When Mori met Clinton, he mistakenly said "Who Are You?"
Mr. Clinton was a bit shocked but still managed to
react with humor: "Well, I am Hilary's husband, haha..." Then
Mori replied confidently "Me too, hahaha.."
Then there was a long silent moment in the meeting room.
















(written by Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers. Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers was born and raised in the USA and moved to Japan in 1984. He has worked as an independent writer, producer, and personality in the mass media for nearly 30 years.)

Beware of Garbage Trucks

This meaningful article was sent to me by my friend U Lian.Happy reading and be happier!

Beware of Garbage Trucks
By David J. Pollay

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive colleague ruin your day? Unless you're a robot, you are bound to blow your top off. However, the mark of a sucessful person is how quickly he or she can get back his or her focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago, I learned this lesson. I learn it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happen ed .

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So, I said, "Why did you do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now called, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck'.

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of f r ustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. If they happen to dump it on you, don't take it personally.

You just smile, wave, wish them well, and moved on. You'll be happier if you did that rather than fight them.

So this was it: 'The Law of the Garbage Truck'.

I started thinking, how often do I let garbage trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the street? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore." I see garbage trucks everywhere and everyday. I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know they have to welcome their kids home from school with hugs and kisses. Teachers and parents know that they have to be fully present and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here's my bet. You'll be happier.

So ... love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that every thing happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy ....
They just promised it would be WORTH IT Cheers!

"Life is short. Enjoy the journey."

Life and Living