"Gluckliches Nuees Jahr"

Gandhi

Gandhi Qoutes

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.”

"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

"You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”

Tragis

Seperti biasa setiap bulan sekali kami datang ke klinik di area Menteng untuk menjalani family program. Ruang tunggu klinik tersebut berbentuk trapesium dan berisikan deretan bangku tunggu saling berhadap-hadapan, terdapat apotik mini di bagian belakang ruangan serta satu buah tv sebagai hiburan untuk pasien yang menunggu jadwal padat si Dokter.

Pasien yang datang relatif sama karena kebetulan jadwal kunjungan adalah sebulan sekali, terdapat beberapa pasangan yang sedang menjalani family program dan ada pula yang menjalani program anak kedua.

Biasanya gue males nonton tv disana karena yang distel selalu sinetron jadi gue memilih bawa buku untuk dibaca atau gue liatin anak-anak kecil lucu yang sering mindar mandir kaga jelas di depan gue ;p. Pasien yang lain juga ada yang sibuk dengan hp, blackberry, buku, majalahnya bahkan ada juga yang bengong-bengong sebel nungguin antrian yang lama ;o)

Nah ketika salah satu station tv melaporkan breaking news, diberitakan seorang ayah yang melakukan pemotongan kaki anaknya dengan cara dilindaskan pada kereta api. Gue yang tadinya asik baca dan mendengar berita ini langsung melihat ke arah tv di bagian atas apotik mini dan ingin tahu kaya gimana berita nya dan secara kaga sengaja gue liat semua pasien yang lagi menunggu mengarahkan pandangan nya ke tv tersebut.

Tragis banget melihat kisah ini, di saat semua pasien yang ada di ruang tunggu menantikan kehadiran si kecil dan berusaha untuk ikut family program, meluangkan waktu di sela-sela kesibukan kerja atau usahanya untuk konsultasi namun di tempat lain ada ayah yang dengan tega dan sengaja memotong kaki anaknya dengan dilindaskan ke kereta api yang sedang berjalan. Sempat terlihat juga gambar sosok anak yang sudah tidak memiliki kedua kakinya lagi di berita tersebut. Hampir bersamaan beberapa pasien menarik napas dan berguman dengan pikiran mereka masing-masing.

Pi

Pi's family decides to relocate to Canada. His father sells many of the animals from the zoo, but selects some to move with them to Winnipeg by freighter. The ship capsizes in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, leaving Pi an orphan, alone on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, and an enormous Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. In short order, the hyena dispatches the zebra, the tiger dispatches the hyena, and for all intents and purposes, Pi appears to be the next item on Richard Parker's menu.

What happens for the next 227 days at sea is nothing short of amazing. Rejecting the idea of killing the only companion (albeit a dangerous one) he has in the middle of shark-infested waters with waning prospects for rescue, Pi devises ways to care for both his own needs and the tiger's in an ongoing survival situation of the most dire proportions. In the process, he calls upon everything he has learned, both in a practical sense and a spiritual one, to keep himself and Richard Parker alive against overwhelming odds.

Kehidupan Pemulung

Sebuah foto dapat bercerita sangat luas dan seringkali melewati batas pemikiran yang masuk akal, menyentuh hati, marah, penasaran dan lain-lain.

Salah satu foto yang menarik karya James Nacthwey adalah foto keluarga pemulung yang bertahan hidup di kota Jakarta. Sumarno ayah dari 4 anak dan istrinya ini dikisahkan harus mengais rejeki, tinggal di tengah rel kereta api tanpa atap di tengah Ibu Kota dan mencari nafkah dengan menjadi pemulung serta mengemis.

James Nachtwey sendiri merupakan wartawan perang dan bekerja pada majalah Time, sering meliput ke berbagai peristiwa yang terjadi di berbagai negara konflik.

Cerita mengenai kisah liputan dan rekaman foto-foto dapat dilihat pada film dokumenter berjudul "War Photographer" dan pernah diputar pada Jiffest.

Alles Liebe zu Weihnachten!

"Endlich ist es nun so weit

Weihnachten die stille Zeit

Hab' grade leis' an dich gedacht

Und einen Wunsch für dich verpackt.

Alles Liebe zu Weihnachten"!

Learning Gradually

By Unknown

There once was a man who was a failure in everything he did. He managed to get a decent job though, but his co-workers continued to be little and mock him because he can't seem to get anything right.

On the contrary, his boss was a persuasion expert. Instead of scolding the man, his boss motivated him and made him a much better person. Whenever the man made a mistake, his boss would say, "It's ok. We all make mistakes all the time. I know you will learn from this experience and you'll do much better next time."

This act boosted the man's ego. Whenever the man did something right, even if it's the little thing, his boss would praise him and say, "You're very much improved. Good job!"His boss would sometimes even assign him good qualities that he may not even possess yet. Because the boss expected the man to be capable of doing great things, and by assigning him qualities that he may not even possess at that moment, the man became highly successful.

The reason? If you expect and assign good qualities to someone, that person will exert voluntary effort to live up to your expectations.

The Window

By Unknown

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow.

Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head ; Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first.

But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running.

In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.

The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away, no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window.

The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice. it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.

The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.

Penuh atau Kosong

Beberapa kali sering denger temen yang suka ngomong "ini kurang penuh" atau "ini udah kosong" apabila sedang melihat gelas yang isi air nya setengah. Menurut gue, ini kaga ada yang salah dan kaga ada yang bener karena tergantung dari persepsi kita melihat gelas tersebut.

Bagi orang yang punya persepsi positif, maka akan melihat bahwa gelas tersebut sudah terisi setengah dan akan disi lagi sehingga akan penuh. Bagi orang yang punya persepsi yang negatif maka akan melihat gelas tersebut sudah habis setengahnya dan tidak akan penuh lagi.

2 pelari maraton yang sama-sama berlari dan telah mencapai setengah dari jarak tempuh maraton mungkin akan memiliki persepsi berbeda. Pelari A yang berpersepsi bahwa lomba maraton ini sudah ditempuh setengah perjalanan maka tinggal menyelesaikannya setengah perjalanannya lagi. Pelari B yang mungkin memeliki persepsi bahwa lomba ini sudah susah payah ditempuh setengah perjalanan dan masih ada setengah perjalanan tentunya akan merasa perjalanan lomba masih panjang dan belum berakhir.

Sudah dapat diperkirakan bahwa pelari A akan dapat menyelesaikan lomba dibandingkan pelari B. Mengapa demikian??

Umumnya, bagi orang yang terbiasa untuk berpikiran positif dalam menghadapi sesuatu hal ternyata dapat mampu mengoptimalkan kemampuannya bahkan kadang melebihi batas kemampuannya. Hal ini berbeda dengan orang yang terbiasa berpikiran negatif dalam menghadapi sesuatu hal.

Tanpa disadari pikiran yang negatif cenderung akan membuat orang merasa terancam dan semakin membuat pikiran dan badan tidak mampu lebih optimal, semuanya terasa seperti memikul beban yang sangat berat.

Jadi apabila kita sedang dihadapkan dalam sesuatu hal yang sulit, tetap berpikiran positif sehingga pikiran dan badan kita secara alamiah akan mengarah kepada solusi untuk dapat menghadapi kesulitan yang ada.

Semoga bermanfaat!

Impian

Dalam perjalanan tugas kantor (kantor lama gue) dari Pekalongan ke Semarang yang memakan waktu sekitar 4 jam, gue ditemani dan diantar oleh seorang driver. Perjalanan panjang ini ternyata memiliki arti tersendiri buat gue.

Di awali dengan basa basi cerita dengan si driver mengenai potensi area kota Pekalongan dan sekitar nya terus beralih dengan potensi-potensi area kota yang menuju Semarang. Bahkan akhir nya sampai dengan cerita yang lainnya.

Driver ini ternyata bekerja pada perusahaan outsourcing dan bukan karyawan kantor gue. Hal ini terjadi dikarenakan kantor gue mulai memberlakukan kebijakan efisiensi di berbagai bagian dan salah satu nya adalah mengurangi biaya driver, dimana driver lama diberikan pesangon dan dipekerjakan kembali ke kantor baru yang bekerjasama sebagai pihak penyalur tenaga kerja driver.

Dikarenakan adanya perubahan ini, maka penghasilan driver pun menjadi lebih kecil dan berbagai tunjangan yang sebelumnya dipreoleh di kantor lama sudah tidak ada lagi, semuanya karena kebijakan perusahaan baru sangat jauh berbeda.

Namun hal ini tidak membuat driver ini putus asa dan bahkan memikirkan untuk mengambil kesempatan agar mendapatkan tambahan penghasilan di luar pekerjaan nya sebagai driver. Sambil menjalani pekerjaan baru nya di perusahaan outsourcing, dia memulai sebuah usaha yang mungkin sangat jarang dipikirkan oleh orang lain, dan ini dikarenakan dia belum mempunyai modal yang sangat besar.

Sewa menyewa barang pecah belah

Dia bercerita, dari sisa uang pesangon dia mulai membeli seperangkat alat makan berupa sendok, garpu, piring dan gelas. Terus terang gue awal nya agak bingung dengan ide dia, lalu dia menjelaskan bahwa barang pecah ini nantinya akan disewakan apabila ada kerabat atau orang yang memiliki hajatan di kota Pekalongan atau desa sekitar kota Pekalongan.

Kenapa dia punya ide seperti ini, dikarenakan pada masyarakat segmen menengah kebawah, biasanya saat memiliki hajatan tidak memiliki peralatan pecah belah yang jumlah nya memadai, bahkan beberapa catering yang ada pun juga kadang kekurangan stok barang pecah belah sehingga sudah umum apabila perusahaan catering juga menyewa dari catering lainnya. Sudah maklum pula bagi para undangan disana apabila datang kesebuah hajatan akan melihat dan menggunakan piring dan gelas yang berbeda warna dan bentuk alias tidak seragam dikarenakan pinjam dari catering yang lain.

Dari hasil sewa menyewa barang pecah belah ini akhirnya dia dapat menambah jumlah stok barang pecah belah dan mulai dapat membeli meja catering dengan kompor pemanas portable (kecil). Semakin lama, peralatan stok barang pecah belah mulai meningkat, meja dan kompor pemanas pun telah bertambah jumlah nya dan mulai berfokus pada pembelian tenda pesta.

Berawal dari barang pecah belah, akhirnya berkembang menjadi lebih lengkap lagi dan saat ini telah memiliki kursi dan sound system. Order pun semakin meningkat dan bahkan hampir setiap akhir pekan selalu ada order untuk sewa menyewa perlengkapan hajatan ini.

Bahkan disaat order telah berkembang pun dan penghasilan tambahan ini telah mencukupi kebutuhan rumah tangga, driver ini tetap punya impian yang lebih jauh lagi. Dia sudah merencanakan untuk membeli peralatan kamera, recoder, backdrop pelaminan jawa, seragam kawinan, dll.

Prinsip dia adalah setiap orang yang akan menyewa peralatan dia akan mendapatkan paket hajatan yang lengkap dan mendapat kemudahan dikarenakan dibawah satu koordinasi tempat penyewaan.

Sampai akhirnya dia telah memiliki beberapa pegawai yang selalu siap standby untuk menyiapakan peralatan di beberapa tempat hajatan pada akhir pekan.

visi

Selama 4 jam perjalanan mendengarkan seorang driver outsourcing yang memiliki semangat, visi, kemauan dan kerja keras membuat gue menjadi kagum. Semua diceritakan dengan sangat terencana, sangat detil dan bertujuan ke sesuatu impian yang besar yaitu menjadi wedding organizer. Sesuatu yang ide yang mungkin di Jakarta saja tidak banyak terdapat wedding organizer waktu itu, tapi visi nya sudah mengarah dan dipersiapkan ke arah sana.

Dikarenakan gue saat ini sudah pindah kantor, gue sudah tidak tau lagi perkembangan rencana dari driver ini tapi gue yaking banget orang ini akan sukses, bisa berkembang dan bisa saja saat ini sudah menjadi wedding organizer terbesar di kota Pekalongan.

Beberapa hal yang dapat gue pelajari adalah :

- Memiliki impian yang tinggi sah-sah saja bagi setiap orang dan bahkan bagi orang yang level

nya tidak tinggi dalam struktur organisasi.

- Kemampuan untuk tetap mempertahankan impian tersebut, bahkan disaat orang-orang

terdekat meragukan kemampuan kita untuk dapat mengapai impian kita.

- Tekad dan kerja keras untuk mewujudkan impian kita dari awal sampai akhirnya impian kita

dapat tercapai.

- Tidak putus asa dan terus menerus memperbaiki kesalahan dan kegagalan agar menjadi lebih

baik lagi.

Mungkin ini adalah kunci kesuksesan dia untuk mempersiapkan mata pencaharian yang lebih baik lagi dari seorang driver menjadi business owner.

Hmm, kapan ya gue bisa begini?? (jadi malu ;p)

Ngopi...

Mau ngopi sejenak di sini?? i don't think so... ;o)

Ceria

Selesai Mengaji

Selesai mengaji, bermain bersama di halaman Mesjid Agung, Palembang.

Eight Hour Cake

Pokok nya kue ini enaaaaak banget, buat nya aja 8 jam ;o)
Kue asli Palembang.

Mie Celor

Mie Celor Ilir 26 H.M Safei. Z menyediakan menu yang sangat khas dan lezat, dimana rumah makan ini merupakan rumah makan yang relatif kecil tanpa ac dengan hanya tersedia beberapa meja saja namun pembeli yang datang silih berganti.

Di saat musim liburan atau lebaran maka akan terlihat antrian yang cukup panjang untuk mendapatkan sajian menu mie celor yang nikmat disantap bersama keluarga di rumah.

Selain mie celor Ilir 26, apabila mau mencoba mie celor dengan rasa yang berbeda dapat mencoba mie celor Sanggul yang cita rasa nya sedikit berbeda namun nikmat.

Biar nyetir kaga ngantuk...

Pulau Kemaro

Pulau Kemaro terletak di tengah sungai Musi yang membelah kota Palembang. Kemaro sendiri merupakan bahasa Palembang, yang berarti kemarau. Mengapa dinamakan Pulau Kemaro karena pulau ini tidak pernah digenangi air. Walaupun air sungai Musi meningkat, Pulau Kemaro tetap saja kering. Karena keunikan nya ini maka dinamakan Pulau Kemaro.

Perjalanan ke Pulau Kemaro dapat ditempuh melalui kapal kecil dari area Jembatan Ampera atau di depan Benteng Kuto Besak, dengan perjalanan tempuh sekitar 25 menit ke arah hulu. Selama perjalanan, kita dapat melihat Pasar Mesjid Lama, Kampung Arab, nelayan-nelayan yang tinggal di kapal, tongkang dan beberapa jet foil yang dapat digunakan untuk ke Bangka Belitung.

Di pulau ini terdapat makam Putri Sriwijaya Siti Fatimah yang menceburkan diri ke Sungai Musi. Menurut cerita, dahulu seorang putri dari raja Sriwijaya bernama Siti Fatimah dilamar oleh putra raja dari negeri Tiongkok bernama Tan Bun Ann. Raja Sriwijaya ini mengajukan persyaratan yang harus dipenuhi oleh Tan Bun Ann. Persyaratannya adalah Tan Bun Ann harus menyediakan 7 guci berisi emas. Keluarga Tan Bun Ann pun menerima syarat yang diajukan itu.

Untuk menghindari bajak laut, emas yang berada di dalam guci-guci itu dilapisi sayur-mayur oleh keluarga tanpa sepengetahuan Tan Bun Ann. Pada suatu hari rombongan Tan Bun Ann tiba dari Tiongkok dengan 7 guci emas yang telah dijanjikan. Namun, setelah diminta menunjukkan isi gucinya oleh raja Sriwijaya, Tan Bun Ann terkejut karena melihat sayur mayur di dalam 9 guci yang dibawanya. Karena kaget dan marah, tanpa memeriksa terlebih dahulu, Tan Bun Ann langsung melemparkan guci-guci tersebut ke dalam Sungai Musi. Tetapi pada guci yang terakhir, terhempas pada dinding kapal dan pecah berantakan, sehingga terlihatlah kepingan emas yang berada di dalamnya.

Rasa penyesalan yang membuat Tan Bun Ann mengambil keputusan tak terduga, ia menceburkan diri ke dalam Sungai Musi. Melihat kejadian tersebut, Siti Fatimah ikut menceburkan diri ke sungai, sambil berkata, “Bila suatu saat ada tanah yang tumbuh di tepi sungai ini, maka di situlah kuburan saya.” Dan ternyata benar, tiba-tiba dari bawah sungai timbul gundukan tanah yang akhirnya sekarang menjadi pulau Kemaro ini.

Di pulau Kemaro, akan didapati tiga buah gundukan tanah yang menyerupai batu karang, dimana setiap gundukan diberi semacam atap dari kayu dan diberi batu nisan dengan tulisan Tiongkok yang didominasi warna merah.

Gundukan tanah yang di tengah adalah makam sang putri dan dua gundukan tanah yang ada di dekatnya adalah makam ajudan dari pangeran Tiongkok dan dayang kepercayaan sang putri.

Pulau ini ramai dikunjungi oleh turis etnis cina seperti Singapura, Malaysia, Thailand dan Cina terutama saat Imlek.

Terdapat sebuah pohon langka yang di sebut pohon cinta dimana apa bila pasangan muda-mudi yang berpacaran apabila mengukir nama mereka konon cinta mereka akan berlanjut ke pelaminan

Selain terdapat klenteng, juga terdapat pagoda yang menjulang tinggi menghadap sungai Musi dengan ukiran-ukiran yang sangat unik dan menarik.

Touching Story...

By unknown

4 years ago, an accident took my beloved away and very often I wonder, how does my wife, who is now in the heavenly realm, feel right now? She must be feeling extremely sad for leaving a husband who is incapable to taking care of the house and the kid. 'cos that is the exact feeling that I have, as I feel that I have fail to provide for the physical and emotional needs of my kid, and failed to be the dad and mum for my kid.

There was one particular day, when i had an emergency at work. Hence, I had to leave home whilst my child was still sleeping. So thinking that there was still rice leftovers, I hastily cooked an egg and left after informing my sleepy child. With the double roles, I am often exhausted at work as well as when I am home.. So after a long day, I came home, totally drained of all energy. So with just a brief hug and kiss for my child, I went straight into the room, skipping dinner. However, when I jumped into my bed with intention of just having a well-deserved sleep, all i heard and felt was broken porcelain and warm liquid! I flipped open my blanket, and there lies the source of the 'problem'.... a broken bowl with instant noodles and a mess on the bedsheet and blanket!Boy, was I mad! I was so furious that I took a clothes hanger, charged straight at my child who was happily playing with his toy, and give him a good spanking! He merely cried but not asking for mercy, except a short explanation:

"Dad, I was hungry and there wasnt anymore leftover rice. But you were not back yet, hence I wanted to cook some instant noodles. But I remembered you reminding me not to touch or use the gas stove without any adults around, hence i turn on the shower and used the hot water from the bathroom to cook the noodles. One is for you and the other is for me. However, I was afraid that the noodles will turn cold, so I hid it under the blanket to keep it warm till u return. But I forgot to remind you 'cos I was playing with my toys...I am sorry Dad..." At that moment, tears were starting to run down my cheeks...but I didn’t want my son to see his dad crying...so I dashed into the bathroom and cried with the showerhead on to mask my cries....

After that episode, I went towards my son to give him a tight hug and applied medication on him, while coaxing him to sleep. Then, it was time to clear up the mess on the bed. When everything was done and well past midnight, I passed my son's room, and saw that he was still crying, not from the pain on his little buttock, but from looking at the photograph of his beloved mummy....A year has passed since the episode, I have tried, in this period, to focus on giving him both the love of his dad and mum, and to attend to most of his needs. And soon, he is turning seven, and will be graduating from kindergarten. Fortunately, the incident did not leave a lasting impression on his childhood memories and he is still happily growing up.

However, not so long ago, I hit my boy again, with much regrets. This time, his kindergarten teacher called, informing me of my son's absence from school. I took off early from work and went home, expecting him to explain. But he wasnt to be found, so I went around our house, calling out his name and eventually found him outside a stationery shop, happily playing computer games. I was fuming, brought him home and whack the hell out of him. He did not retaliate, except to say, 'I am sorry, Dad'.

But after much probing, I realized that it was a 'Talent Show' organized by his school and the invite is for every student's mummy and that was the reason for his absence as he has no mummy.....Few days after the caning, my son came home to tell me, the kindergarten has recently taught him how to read and write.

Since then, he has kept to himself and stayed in his room to practise his writing, which I am sure, would make my wife proud, if she was still around. 'cos he makes me proud too!Time passes by very quickly, and soon another year has passed. It's winter, and its Christmas time. Everywhere the christmas spirit is in every passer-by...xmas carols and frantic shoppers....but alas, my son got into another trouble. When I was about to knock off from the day's work, the post office called. Due to the peak season, the post master was also on an edgy mood. He called to tell me that my son has attempted to post several letters with no addressee.

Although I did make a promise never to hit my son again, I couldn't help but to hit him as I feel that this child of mine is really beyond control. Once again, as before, he apologized, ' I'm sorry, Dad' and no additional reason to explain. I pushed him towards a corner, went to the post office to collect the letters with no addressee and came home, and angrily questioned my son on his prank, during this time of the year.His answer, amidst his sobbing, was : The letters were for Mummy. My eyes grew teary, but I tried to control my emotions and continued to ask him: " But why did you post so many letters, at one time?" My son's reply was: " I have been writing to mummy for a long time, but each time I reach out for the post box, it was too high for me, hence I was not able to post the letters. But recently, when I went back to the postbox, I could reach it and I sent it all at once..."

After hearing this, I was lost. Lost at not knowing what to do, what to say....I told my son, " Son, mummy is in the heavenly kingdom, so in future, if you have anything to tell her, just burn the letter and it will reach mummy. My son, on hearing this, was much pacified and calm, and soon after, he was sleeping soundly. On promising that I will burn the letters on his behalf, I brought the letters outside, but couldnt help opening one of the letter before they turned to ash.

And one of the letters broke my heart....

Dear Mummy,

I miss you so much! Today, there was a 'Talent Show' in school, and the school invited all mothers for the show. But you are not around, so I did not want to articipate as well. I did not tell Dad about it as I was afraid that Dad would start to cry and miss you all over again. Dad went around looking for me, but in order to hide my sadness, I sat in front of the computer and started playing games at one of the shops. Dad was furious, and he couldnt help it but scolded and hit me, but I did not tell him the real reason. Mummy, everyday I see Dad missing you and whenever he think of you, he is so sad and often hide and cry in his room. I think we both miss you very very much. Too much for our own good I think. But Mummy, I am starting to forget your face. Can you please appear in my dreams so that I can see your face and remember you?
I heard that if you fall asleep with the photograph of the person whom you miss, you will see the person in your dreams. But mummy, why haven’t you appear?

After reading the letter, I cant stop sobbing. 'cos I can never replace the irreplaceable gap left behind by my wife.....

For the females with children :

Don't do so much overtime. If you cannot finish the work, it must be some kind of problems within the company, and it is not your sole problem. Feedback to your boss. Endless overtime may not necessary be the answer to the problem. Take care of your health so that you can treasure and take care of your little precious.

For the married men :

Drink less, smoke less, cos nothing can replace your good health, not even business nor clients. Try thinking this way, are you able to work till your clients are totally dependent on you? or your boss is totally dependent on you? In this society, no one is indispensable. Take care of your health, so that you can take care of your little precious and your loved ones.

For those singles :

Beauty lies in loving yourself first. With confidence and loving yourself, you will see the beauty in other things around you. You will be able to work better and happier. Don't let your health be affected by your work or your boss, so nothing matters more than your well being

Karikatur

Perhatiin deh, ada sesuatu yang aneh...

Beggar

By unknown

One day a woman was walking down the street when she spied a beggar sitting on the corner. The man was elderly, unshaven, and ragged. As he sat there, pedestrians walked by him giving him dirty looks they clearly wanted nothing to do with him because of who he was — a dirty, homeless man.

However, when she saw him, the woman was moved to compassion. It was very cold that day and the man had his tattered coat — more like an old suit coat rather than a warm coat — wrapped around him. She stopped and looked down. “Sir?” She asked. “Are you all right?” The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, as so many others had done before. “Leave me alone,” he growled.

To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling - her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. “Are you hungry?” She asked. “No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the president. Now go away.” The woman’s smile became even broader.

Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. “What are you doing, lady?” The man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.” Just then, a police officer came up. “Is there any problem, ma’am?” He asked. “No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”

The officer scratched his head. “That’s old jack. He has been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?” “See that cafeteria over there?” She asked. “I am going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile.” “Are you crazy, lady?” The homeless man resisted. “I do not want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. “Let me go, officer. I did not do anything.” “This is a good deal for you, jack,” the officer answered. “Do not blow it.”

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by the table. “What is going on here, officer?” He asked. “What is all this. Is this man in trouble?” “This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the police officer answered. “Not in here!” The manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.” Old jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if you will let me go. I did not want to come here in the first place.”

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with eddy and associates, the banking firm down the street?” “Of course i am,” the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.” “And do you make a good profit from providing food at the weekly meetings?” “What business is that of yours?” “I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the Company.” “Oh.” The woman smiled again. “I thought that might make a difference.”

She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?” “No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I am on duty.” “Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?” “Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.” The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. “I will get your coffee for you right away, officer.”

The officer watched him walk away. “You certainly put him in his place,” he said. “That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.” She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently. “Jack, do you remember me?” Old jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes “I think so; I mean you do look familiar.” “I am a little older perhaps,” she said. “Maybe I have even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”

“Ma’am?” The officer said questioningly. He could not believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. “I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I could not find anything.

Finally, I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that i could get something to eat.” Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy.” “I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register.

I knew then that everything would be all right.” “So you started your own business?” Old jack said. “I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually, I started my own business that, with the help of god, prospered.” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons.

He is the Personnel Director of my Company. I will go talk to him now and I am certain he will find something for you to do around the office.” She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet and if you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you.” There were tears in the old man’s eyes. “How can I ever thank you,” he said. “Do not thank me,” the woman answered. “To God goes the glory. Thank God. He led me to you.” Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. “Thank you for all your help, officer,” she said. “On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered. “Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee.” She frowned. “I forgot to ask you whether you used cream or sugar. That is black.”

The officer looked at the steaming cup of coffee in his hand. “Yes, I do take cream and sugar — perhaps more sugar than is good for me.” He patted his ample stomach. “I am sorry,” she said. “I do not need it now,” he replied smiling. “I have got the feeling that this coffee you bought me is going to taste as sweet as sugar.”

Eleven Minutes

"At every moment of our lives, we all have one foot in a fairy tale and the other in the abyss"

"When we meet someone and fall in love, we have a sense that the whole universe is on our side. And yet if something goes wrong, there is nothing left! How is it possible for the beauty that was there only minutes before to vanish so quickly? Life moves very fast. It rushes from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds"

"I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a question of how I view my life"

"Humans can withstand a week without water, two weeks without food, many years of homelessness, but not loneliness. It is the worst of all tortures, the worst of all sufferings"

"In love, no one can harm anyone else; we are each of us responsible for our own feeling and cannot blame someone else for what we feel"

"Love is not to be found in someone else, but in ourselves; we simply awaken it. But in order to do that, we need the other person. The universe only makes sense when we have someone to share our feelings with”

"Always making plans for the future, and always being surprised by the present"

Dream...

By Paulo Coelho

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"

99 balloons...very touching...

Eliot was born with an undeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of his body. However, that could not stop the living God from proclaiming Himself through this boy who never uttered a word.

In the midst of heartbreaking tragedy, the Mooney family found the presence of God strengthening, comforting, and guiding them. Their story reminds us to seek God and endure our struggles rather than blame Him for our hardships.

For more info about Eliot, go to www.ninetynineballoons.com.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Baby Mooney

Once you see it, it's amazing! Some can't do it though, so no worries. This is a close up of the baby's face (particularly lips, nose, chin).
Posted by Matt Mooney at 2:15 PM 2 comments
Friday, June 09, 2006

What is Trisomy 18?
Trisomy 18 is also called Edwards syndrome (or Edward's syndrome), and is the second most common trisomy, after Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). It occurs in about 1:5000 to 1:8000 births. Trisomy 18 syndrome is due to the presence of an extra #18 chromosome, meaning that BABY MOONEY has three chromosomes in the eighteenth position instead of the normal two. Unlike Down syndrome, Edwards Syndrome is usually fatal, with most of the babies dying before birth and those who do make it to birth typically living only a few days.

However, a small number of babies (<10%)>SOFT Trisomy 18 Foundation **All this info was taken from other sites and we are praying for anything but "typical".
Posted by Matt Mooney at 5:30 PM 2 comments

What we want you to know.
Ginny & I think it important that people understand where we are coming from and how we are approaching the days ahead:

1.) There's nothing you can say to make it any worse or any better. We know it is difficult for our families and friends to know how to comfort us or what to say to us. Therefore, be relieved, and know that your presence, phone calls, and support are what we need, and just the fact that you show us you love us DOES make it better.

2.) We're praying for a miracle. We are praying (and ask you to join us) for healing. We are praying for life for this baby. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our God is able to heal our child. And, in the same breath, we know that He is worthy no matter the outcome.
If you do want to pray with us, here is what we would ask you to pray for:

1. For healing.

2. For life and time with this child.

3. Most importantly, that God would equip us for the days ahead & give us the strength to say, "not our will, but your will be done."

3.) We are excited to have our first baby! We could not express how important it is for you to understand that we are not in despair. Rather, we are excited to have this baby at this time. This is our first child, and we cannot wait. Of course, we would do anything in order for this baby to be healthy, and we have cried enough to last a while; but we feel the Lord is sovereign and, therefore, this is the baby for us. And we anxiously await our gift.

4.) We do not know if it is a boy or girl. Again, Trisomy 18 has not changed our approach to our first child, and we really do not know the sex.

5.) We're not strong. If you happen to think we are handling this well (and there are many moments I would argue that point) and see any strength in us at all, please know it is from our Father and not due to anything having to do with either of us.

6.) What can you do? Pray for all 3 of us.

Macan

Pemberani, aktif, dan percaya diri, seorang pemimpin alami, bergairah dan mandiri. Kemungkinan juga gelisah terutama bagi yang dilahirkan malam hari. Pemberontak dan dinamis. Seorang pejuang dan pusat perhatian. Cepat naik darah tapi peka. Berkasih-sayang tapi ceroboh. Sukses luar biasa menanti sang Macan.

Di Timur, Macan melambangkan kekuatan, semangat dan keberanian. Sebuah karakter yang pemberontak, penuh warna dan tak terduga, ia memerintah dengan kekaguman dan hormat dari semua penjuru.

Petarung yang berani dan garang ini dihormati sebagai tanda perlindungan terhadap tiga pengganggu utama dari sebuah rumah: Api, Pencuri dan Hantu.

Sang Macan adalah orang yang beruntung untuk dimiliki asalkan anda siap untuk segala aktifitas yang datang bersamaan dengan kepribadiannya yang dinamis. Sifat impulsif dan lincah dari orang shio Macan adalah menular. Kekuatan dan cintanya akan kehidupan menstimulir. Dia akan membangkitkan setiap emosi orang kecuali sikap masa bodoh.

Singkatnya, Macan, sang pendominasi, menyukai menjadi pusat perhatian.

Macan menyukai : Perubahan, pengalaman baru, pujian, kejutan, kualitas dan pesta.

Macan tidak menyukai : Kebosanan, kritik, ketidak-sadaran, tanggung-jawab, hukum dan kelambanan.

Penjual Buah..

Total Buah memiliki segmen pembeli yang menginginkan layanan aneka buah, tempat yang bersih, rapi dan dingin, namun bagi penjual buah pinggir jalan pun memiliki pembeli tersendiri dan datang dari berbagai kalangan, mulai dari pembeli dengan kendaraan mewah sampai pekerja buruh bangunan dengan mudah membeli dan menyantap nya. Murah, mudah, meriah dan sehat ;o)

Stupid Noodle

1 porsi stupid noodle dengan "teh botol must be come back" ditambah "roti abon" cukup lengkap untuk lunch ;o)

Having Friends

Having Friends in Our LivesHow wonderful it is...
Having Friends in Our Lives is a beautiful and special way to say thank you to a friend. This book gives thanks for the rich and abundant gifts of friendship – the laughter, the smiles, the deep sharing, the freedom to be ourselves… It makes a happy, beautiful little gift.

Time Alone

Time Alone
...the gift of being with yourself.

Time Alone is a meditative, quiet book about the importance of spending time with your self. Our lives are so busy – so full of people, and things to do. By spending time alone we can discover who we really are. We will see the things that are most precious and meaningful to our lives, and we will find a sense of calm and renewal.