"Eat, Pray, Love" - The Book

I started to read 'Eat, Pray, Love' again - and I don't know why I ever managed to put it down!

The author, Elizabeth Gilbert.

If you still haven't heard about this book or this, you've either been,

a) living under a rock.

b) too busy with work and I.B.

c) completely deserted from the literary world.

Either way, it's this new phenomenon that has been touching the lives of both women and men for years. [It's also the theme of my entire blog.] In short, it's the true story of a woman who searches for happiness.

The blurb at the back of the book says this:

It's 3 a.m. and Elizabeth Gilbert is sobbing on the bathroom floor. She's in her thirties, she has a husband, a house, they're trying for a baby - and she doesn't want any of it. A bitter divorce and a turbulent love affair later, she emerges battered and bewildered and realises it is time to pursue her own journey in search of three things she has been missing: pleasure, devotion, and balance. So she travels to Rome, where she learns Italian from handsome, brown-eyed identical twins and gains twenty-five pounds; to an ashram in India, where she finds that enlightenment entails getting up in the middle of the night to scrub the temple floor and to Bali where a toothless medicine man or indeterminate age offers her a new path to peace: simply sit still and smile. And slowly happiness begins to creep up on her.

In other words, she travels to Italy (for pure pleasure of the language, the rich and exquisite taste of food, and to bask in the beauty of the culture), India (to pursue her spiritual well-being by spending her time in an ashram, and to find enlightenment and a closeness to God), and Indonesia (to balance the two - pleasure and devotion - and perhaps find love on the way.)

It's honestly a beautiful book and definitely one of my favourites.

Here are some quotes that need to be shared:

"In desperate love, it's always like this, isn't it? In desperate love, we always invent the characters of our partners, demanding that they be what we need of them, and then feeling devastated when they refuse to perform the role we created in the first place." Page 19.

This one's a funny one - she's describing the sad (yet sometimes true!) pathetic symptoms of what happens when we get too infatuated with our partners - and she does it by describing drug addiction!

"Addiction is the hallmark of every infatuation-based love story. It all begins when the object of your adoration bestows upon you a heady, hallucinogenic dose of something you never even dared to admit that you wanted - an emotional speedball, perhaps, of thunderous love and roiling excitement. Soon you start craving that intense attention, with the hungry obsession of any junkie. When the drug is withheld, you promptly turn sick, crazy and depleted (not to mention resentful of the dealer who encouraged this addiction in the first place but who now refuses to pony up the good stuff anymore - despite the fact that you know he has it hidden somewhere, goddamn it, because he used to give it to you for free). Next stage finds you skinny and shaking in a corner, certain only that you would sell your soul or rob your neighbours just to have that thing even one more time. Meanwhile, the object of your adoration has now become repulsed by you. He looks at you like you're someone he's never met before, much less someone he once loved with high passion. The irony is, you can hardly blame him. I mean, check yourself out. You're a pathetic mess, unrecognizable even to your own eyes.

So that's it. You have now reach infatuation's final destination - the complete and merciless devaluation of self." pg. 21.

Here, she explains faith..

"Devotion is diligence without assurance. Faith is a way of saying, "Yes, I pre-accept the terms of the universe and I embrace in advance what I am presently incapable of understanding." There's a reason we refer to "leaps of faith" - because the decision to consent to any notion of divinity is a mighty jump from the rational over to the unknowable, and I don't care how diligently scholars of every religion will try to sit you down with their stacks of books and prove to you through scripture that their faith is indeed rational; it isn't. If faith were rational, it wouldn't be - by definition - faith. Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity." pg. 184.

In this quote, Gilbert explains True Yoga.

"The Yogic path is about disentangling the built-in glitches of the human condition, which I'm going to over-simply define here as the heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment. Different schools of thought over the centuries have found different explanations for man's apparently inherently flawed state. Taoists call it imbalance, Buddhism calls it ignorance, Islam blames our misery on rebellion against God, and the Judeo-Christian tradition attributes all our suffering to original sin. Freudians say that unhappiness is the inevitable result of the clash between our natural drives and civilization's needs. (As my friend Deborah the psychologist explains it: "Desire is the design flaw.") The Yogis, however, say that human discontentment is a simple case of mistaken identity. We're miserable because we think that we are mere individuals, alone with our fears and flaws and resentments and mortality. We wrongly believe that our limited little egos constitute our whole entire nature. We have failed to recognize our deeper divine character. We don't realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme Self who is eternally at peace. That supreme Self is our true identity, universal and divine." pg. 128

Here, Gilbert visits Ketut Liyer, an elder medicine man in Indonesia for the first time. She asks him the question, "I want to have a lasting experience of God. Sometimes I feel like I understand the divinity of this world, but then I lose it because I get distracted by my petty desires and fears. I want to be with God all the time. But I don't want to be a monk, or totally give up worldly pleasures. I guess what I want to learn is how to live in this world and enjoy its delights, but also devote myself to God." And this is Ketut's response.

"Ketut said he could answer my question with a picture. He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was only a wild foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small, smiling face drawn over the heart. 'To find the balance you want' Ketut spoke through his translator, 'this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God.'" pg. 28.

"Dante writes that God is not merely a blinding vision of glorious light, but that He is, most of all, l'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle... 'The love that moves the sun and the other stars.'" pg. 48.

In this quote, Gilbert is expressing the situation with her lover David, which happened right after her divorce with her husband. It was a complicated relationship, where they were truly in love with each other but yet made each other so unhappy - just thought it shed some good insight.. and it reminded me of a certain somebody. (:

"It is this happiness, I suppose (which is really a few months old by now), that gets me to thinking upon my return to Rome that I need to do something about David. That maybe it's time for us to end our story forever. We were already separated, that was official, but there was still a window of hope left open that perhaps someday (maybe after my travels, maybe after a year apart) we could give things another try. We loved each other. That was never the question. It's just that we couldn't figure out how to stop making each other desperately, shriekingly, soul-punishingly miserable." pg. 85.

And finally, in this part of the book, she and David end things (via email though) and I just thought that his final message was really sweet.

"He agrees that yes, it's time we really said good-bye forever. He's been thinking along the same lines himself, he says. He couldn't be more gracious in his response, and he shares his own feelings of loss and regret with that high tenderness he was sometimes so achingly capable of reaching. He hopes that I know how much he adores me, beyond even his ability to find words to express it. "But we are not what the other one needs," he says. Still, he is certain that I will find great love in my life someday. He's sure of it. After all, he says, "beauty attracts beauty."" pg. 89.

And this - this is just one of my absolute favourites. It perfectly describes what happens and how it feels like when anybody gets out of a relationship.

"It's the emotional recoil that kills you, the shock of stepping off the track of a conventional lifestyle and losing all the embracing comforts that keep so many people on that track forever." pg. 99.

I'm sure that most people knew this already - but she describes it so well. And so I suppose that the only way to really get over someone, to get over that overwhelming emotion, is to learn that it is okay to be off that track and not have that same routine with that partner. I guess it really is just a matter of time and getting used to..

In this part of the book, Gilbert is explaining to Richard from Texas about David, her former love, who she can't seem to get over. This was Richard's great response. (But the problem is solved later on in another awesome quote.)

""Big deal. So you fell in love with someone. Don't you see what happened? This guy touched a place in your heart deeper than you thought you were capable of reaching, I mean you got zapped, kiddo. But that love you felt, that's just the beginning. You just got a taste of love. That's just limited little rinky-dink mortal love. Wait till you see how much more deeply you can love than that. Heck, you have the capacity to someday love the whole world. It's your destiny. Don't laugh." "I'm not laughing." I was actually crying. "And please don't laugh at me now, but I think the reason it's so hard for me to get over this guy is because I seriously believed David was my soul mate." "He probably was. Your problem is you don't understand what that word means. People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it. Your problem is, you just can't let this one go. It's over. David's purpose was to shake you up, drive you out of that marriage that you needed to leave, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light could get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you had to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master and beat it. That was his job, and he did great, but now it's over. Problem is, you can't accept that this relationship had a real short shelf-life."

And then he continues for a bit longer, until she says,

"But I love him." "So love him." "But I miss him." "So miss him. Send him some love and light every time you think about him, and then drop it. You're just afraid to let go of the last bits of David because then you'll really be alone, and Liz Gilbert is scared to death of what will happen if she's really alone. But here's what you gotta understand. If you clear out all that space in your mind that you're using right now to obsess about this guy, you'll have a vacuum there, an open spot - a doorway. And guess what the universe will do with that doorway? It will rush in - God will rush in - and fill you with more love than you ever dreamed." pg. 157 - 158.

Truly one of my favourite chapters in the book...

And finally, a video that presents a good overview.

Kuya's 27th Birthday!

For his 27th birthday on the 10th of August, my brother and Lavinia took my parents and I to this reallygreat place to eat.

He described it as, "Somewhere none of us have ever been before." And gosh, was he right.

In a good way, though! I actually have a big liking for Indian food. And I don't just mean mamak-at-three-in-the-morning kind of Indian food, but actual and authentic Indian cuisine. My dad, I think, is the same. He's willing to try a lot of new things, even though both of my parents are in the rut of going to the same restaurants (it's chinese or japanese food every weekend - but I'm not complaining!) And so my point is that my dad was open to the restaurant my brother took me too. My mom, on the other hand, isn't too fond of Indian food, sadly to say. But my brother, Lavinia, and my dad still think she had quite a good time. Who wouldn't, anyway? The food was so good!

Presenting... PASSAGE THRU INDIA.
*sorry for the blurry photos!*



Authentic Indian cuisine!

When you walk in, (or even simply see the restaurant's entrance) you are immediately engulfed in beautiful art bragging off of the walls, beautiful mauve and luscious red-toned cloths draping from the sides, soothing music, ornaments and lamps glowing a smooth beige light, and the smell of good newly-cooked food.

My brother and Lavinia already ordered for us, while my parents and I were settling in our seats. You really do feel like you're in India when you're inside - except for all the chinese or mixed people sitting at the back. (Yes there's a wide variety of people who eat at that restaurant! And it's even been presented in a few of the newspapers - proudly framed and shown off on the walls.) But as we were getting settled, we got into a comfortable discussion about - what was it again?

I forgot the majority of it because I was so focused on the food..

But this was what we ordered - we had mango lassi (is that how you spell it?) but kept adding ice because it was just that sweet! And we shared three different types of naan (again, please forgive my spelling) as well as lamb with this nice mint sauce, butter chicken with this rich sauce, beef covered with yet another rich sauce, a nice mix of rice and some vegetables... and wow, I was so full by the end of it.

But then in the end, I discovered something new! At the end of some meals, indian restaurants (or restaurants in india as a better way to perhaps describe it) have this little - what is it, herb? - as a sort of mint to finish off the meal. Due to my bad memory, I forgot the name.. but it was a good experience! It tasted pretty sweet with a crunchy feel to it - at the same time, feeling cold but tangy. Not like any mint i've ever had! But I enjoyed everything that night. (:

Happy 27th Birthday, Kuya.

I love you very much brudda!

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Someone I know, someone very lovely, has been unfortunately diagnosed with this disease...

Please, pray for her and the family - for the pain to subside, and for all our hearts to ease. She needs all the faith and happiness that we can get; and because she deserves it.

Some excerpts from the email I received.

"...diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a very rare disease occurring in only one out of a million people per year. The equivalent in animals is mad cow disease. I immediately googled CJD on my phone, and found that it is "a degenerative neurological (brain) disease and is incurable and invariably fatal" and the median duration till death is 4-6 months. The symptoms are rapidly progressive dementia, memory loss, personality changes, hallucinations, and physical problems like speech impairment, jerky movements, balance and motor dysfunction, rigid posture and seizures. Some people succumb after just a few weeks. My niece said that eventually the patient becomes a vegetable and lastly literally forgets how to breathe.

"But sometimes, she would establish eye contact and look pleadingly into my eyes, and all I could say was "you're ok, we love you and are praying for you". She also managed a wee smile when Sofia, her one and only grandchild, arrived and sang to her.

"We don't know how much she can still understand or hear, perhaps she is going in and out of consciousness. But we are comforted by the thought that she is spiritually very ready. One of the last activities she had before the symptoms came was a closed door retreat. She is also very close to Mama Mary, and she is Opus Dei."

God is the Author of Life, and we surrender to him.

"Winds of change are throwing wild and free.."

There is so much love in the world.

I can see it everyday; with the way my parents smile at each other, the way my family will pray for family members when they're sick, when my friends get texts from their boyfriends and they light up, the way my friends and I will laugh over each other's silly nonsense, the way love is portrayed in movies and literature... and even the way my cat will stroke against my legs after I've fed him.

Most of us don't even realise all the love we're exposed to or even really witness. It is so simple though. All one has to do is ignore all the hatred, negativity, or awfulness that comes around. And to see - really see - all the love that electrifies between people, animals, and objects. I swear it'll make you feel better. Which is why I'm going to do that from now on.

I guess that what I'm really trying to get at is the fact that people make such a big deal out of everything - and it is incredibly stupid (not to mention annoying). Of course I've done so as well, countless of times, but I always find myself regretting it afterwards. And people (again, I too am guilty of this) ridiculously complain or worry too much about the littlest things. Isn't this stupid? Firstly, complaining a little is okay - pain on your body, worried about a test, etc. - but there's a proper time to do so. Or rather, proper things to complain or worry about. And most people complain for the wrong things..

Most people, especially my schoolmates, see me as this really calm person. I won't freak out over tests or exams, if I have a really strict teacher next I won't complain, or if I do something that could get me in trouble, I won't be all girly or whiny about it. [Life is about risks anyway!] Not that I haven't been freaked out over school things, of course I have, it's just that I will rarely do this. The reason why I do this is because I know that I'm going to be okay. I am a blessed person; extremely fortunate to have such sweet family members, phenomenal friends, a beautiful home, a full education.. the list goes on. Luckily i've realised this, and I'm fully aware that there is so much beauty and wonder in the world, too much to waste time being angry and upset. In short, I'm forunate enough to not have any close people/relatives suffering from a fatal disease, to have all my limbs, to not have to worry about food everyday, and to just have so much love from people around me.

I think people should realise just how fortunate they are - and just how happy they can be. (We all deserve to be happy, anyway.)

Have you ever walked around a shopping mall, and noticed that only two in about every 50 people you see will be smiling? It's a random question I know - but it's just something I've realised. And not just in malls even, practically anywhere you go you'll see such sullen, serious faces. Why is this? Especially when there's so much good in the world, absolutely so much love and happiness? I think it's because, like I said earlier, we focus too much on the bad stuff, and never enough on the good..

So please, anyone who might be reading this - do yourself a favor, (and me, as well as the rest of the world for that matter) and try to focus on all the love and joy that surrounds you, which you were blessed enough to have in the first place. And don't ever forget to realise just how happy you deserve to be.

Life's too short to be all namby-pamby anyway.

Josh Kelley and Triple A

I just discovered yet another incredible artist..
JOSH KELLEY

[And it took me this long?!]

(aka Katherine Heigl's husband. Poor guy, being labelled like that a lot... Ah well.)

This is the picture of his most recent album, Special Company. He's also had several other albums such as Just Say the Word, Almost Honest, and For the Ride Home. And they've been around for years - and i've only just been exposed to his music?! Edghad - this is another one of those self-realisation moments, where I've just learned that I must expose myself more to music and different artists. Although i'll admit that I do have a certain style with the music I listen to - mainly, mellow-ish lovey dovey, guitar + nice voice kind of thing. (But don't get me wrong! I've got a broad sense of music style, I just prefer listening to this kind of music at this kind of time!) Let me explain:

Firstly, thank you thankkk yoouu Kristi for sending me the songs! It wasn't only until now though, that I went on YouTube and actually listened to them, watched the videos, and searched up the lyrics. And okay yeah, I'm aware that everyone in this world always somehow gets the song to relate to themselves, (and that's kinnddda the point of music right? and why we like certain songs so much? because we want it to be about us..? agh. selfish, egotistical people we are. tsk tsk.) But i'll admit that I find some of these songs related to me - or rather, how I feel about a certain someone...

Of course I love all my friends and family so much. But it's just that it's 4:32am as I type this, just AAA. (Yes, triple A again!) And if any of you forgot what it means well, that's okay. Perhaps it's better off that you don't know what it means. (:

And so here I am being quite emo, thinking about everything that just happened tonight. So what I'm doing now is a little soul-soothing with some good music. Yesiree! Just me, some good music, and the soft twinkling lights against the assuring night sky... oh, and not forgetting the recap of the fighting, shouting, crying, insults, sorrys, swearings, and hurtful words (but a few forgiving words too!) that keep replaying over and over and over again in my mind.. Oh gosh, I better not be going crazy for real..!

But all is good now in irisbautistaland.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: IF YOU ARE ANYONE BUT MARK, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POST AND AHEAD TO THE MUSIC PART. SKIP THIS WHOLE HEARTPOURING-EMO-HOPEFUL-LOVEYDOVEY-MESSAGE INTENDED FOR MARK. THANK YOU. (: **

With the big chance that you are reading this M, I really am sorry. These past few days have really been quite crazy, huh? For the both of us, too. I didn't mean to act the way I have been lately - overbearing, crazyjealous, and just plain stupid.. please forgive me? And I know you didn't mean those hurtful words, nor to let out your anger on me. (Though I do deserve it.) But - sigh - it really is just us two reacting to each other. We kind of make it worse haha! I think what we need is both of us to just be more calm and not let the other person get to us so much. We're way too easily affected.. But especially me. And i'm sorry for this! I do mean it when I say, however, when I say that I will change and become better. I'm committed to this. And perhaps this really is a phase. This whole attitude of mine. Perhaps it's the stress of school, and the being-so-unproductive-with-work-and-body kind of thing. Or perhaps it's just the estrogen.

But either way, you and I both know that we can become much better people. I know I can be anyway - and I plan on becoming better for not only you and my friends, but also for myself. It's what you, me, and everyone else deserves. A more pleasant me. (:

And so, I really do know that things will get better though. It always does. I have complete faith in this. I love you so very much my darling.

** OKAY, you can stop skipping now. The music part starts here! **

So these are the three favourite songs of mine (so far) along with their videos.

This one's called, Amazing. And I think it's so cute how the couple fights *eh hem* throughout the video, but then it becomes all romantic and sweet. I also love how Kelley's songs aren't too emotionally sad, but rather upbeat and romantic in it's happy and carefree way. Behh, just see for yourself.

His songs can really console you during not-so-easy-relationship times. It does for me, anyway. (:

"You paint a picture on the wall

Cause you've got a lot to tell me

But you don't think you could say it better oh baby

You're bringing up times I can't recall

And I'm sure they made your point

But I just can't seem to remember yeah

And I know you've got the feeling

And I can't say I'm agreeing

With your topic of conversation

So just listen to the reasons

And the hints I've been giving

To the thoughts of my imagination

So come on let me see

I say baby you are amazing

I want to let you see

That you are everything and more to me

I will let you be I will I will

Cause I saw you walking down the hall

And I had a lot to tell you

But I didn't think you could say it better oh baby

You're good at makin me feel so small

And I know you made your point

But I just don't want to remember yeah

And I know you've got the feelin

And I cant say I'm agreeing

with your topic of conversation

So just listen to the reasons

And the hints that I've been giving

To the thoughts of my imagination

Cause I'm dancing around

In your world of play

I'm takin my time to make sure you stay

I would give my life to make it okay yeah

So come on let me see..."

This next one is "Only You" and apparently, this is how he and Katherine met - while shooting this video. Aww..

So be sure to check out the rest of his songs - he really is talented. Especially with his 'To Make You Feel My Love' cover; (written by Bob Dylan, and also sung by Adele and Garth Brooks!) this one shows off his soothing voice!

And because the lyrics (and the song, sang by any artist) is so good, I've decided to end the post with it...

"When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret though winds of change
Are throwing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy
Make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love."

Steal Me a Paradise

I was rummaging through some old stuff when I came across this art book, where the poet Julie P. Lingan fused with the artist Ibrahim Hussein to create a love-inspired-poetry + poetry-inspired-art book. My mom had bought it years ago as she was a friend of the writer, Julie Lingan. I remember discovering this fascinating book years back and falling in love with the pretty words and black scribbles that filled the pages. The book, called 'Steal Me a Paradise' is based on the last poem, and albeit the best one at that. I admire her other poems such as 'Casablanca Dying' and 'We Must Have Been Lovers in a Previous Life', but 'Steal Me a Paradise' I adore the most. And Ibrahim Hussein's art isn't bad either! He's got an obvious style (well, it might have changed over the years but in this book, it's strictly black, white, + grey, and all scribbly lines as if his pen was being mind-controlled by a tornado) and although I'm not describing it very well, his art is fascinating.

This poem is also the one that inspired me to write, 'oh all the things i'd do for you'.

steal me a paradise

-

steal me a paradise

where we can unlock long-standing dreams

unfurl the velvet of hidden longings

imprisoned by blades of reality and time

-

steal me a paradise

far away from the world of merciless flames

where the only fire we know

is the passion we burn for each other

-

steal me a paradise

where the sky is ruled not by monsters

but by lovers with hearts that fly

in a haven beyond the reach

of control towers and F16s

-

steal me a paradise

where there are no earthshaking quakes

except our very own tremors

we create from love, not hate

-

steal me a paradise

where we can kiss the brink of dawn

and catch the moonlight

as it drips with silverdust

that now and then caress our bodies

lying on the shore

-

steal me a paradise

where you and i can run naked

as the sky on a cloudless blue morning

and frolic like the fish

making love under the sea

-

steal me a paradise

on the edge of spring

and i'll giftwrap the sea for you

with the echoes of an endless summer...

My Deepest Condolences

Dear ''New York, The Big Apple'',

I know you probably won't ever read this, and I know that we haven't talked in a long time - but in the small chance that you come across this letter, please know that I've been thinking about you and your family. And I'm sorry, so very sorry about what happened.

Like the many other people who knew your father, I've been touched by his warm personality, his friendly nature, and his ability to make anyone feel very welcome. It's still unbelievable that he has passed away so early - and although I can't come close to how you may be feeling right now, please know that I feel for you and your family. All our hearts are heavy with this loss, and he will never be forgotten.

My family's thoughts and prayers are on you and your family. On behalf of my parents and my siblings, we send our deepest condolences and our deepest sympathy. We know you're going to be okay, and that your family will be closer than ever.
What affects us most is knowing that you were all the type of family who was close to each other; most families don't share that kind of beautiful relationship where they can talk about their day openly, make jokes with each other, and trust each other completely. But this and more is what you had and always will have no matter what. And although this knowledge affects us in a painful way, to know that a member of your family has passed, it is also extremely comforting in the sense that he had an endlessly loving family and beautiful relationships with each member.

So you and I aren't close anymore, but it doesn't mean that my family and I have stopped caring or have forgotten about your family. Once upon a time when we were very close and I was still meeting your parents, I remember being so nervous on the day I met your father. But the first time I met him he smiled, shook my hand, and we exchanged a few friendly words. And although this is a simple and traditional gesture, he made me feel so very welcome and gave me full assurance that everything was okay. Even my dad and brother has mentioned his very likable nature and friendly personality. Your whole family is just incredible, and I know that together you will all pull through this.

I also remember our families coincidentally meeting at Cherating that one holiday. As always your family treated us with such kindness, and at my family's meal times we would talk about all of your sweet personalities..

Your father taught me how to sail. I had never gone sailing before, and I was nervous to even be spending time with just you and your family. But being in the boat with your sister and your father, they were both so friendly and made me feel more at ease. He taught me how to hold the handles properly, which direction to go, how to tie/untie the ropes, and how to detect and follow the wind.

And to me, he was this kind of person. The kind to be helpful, teach you, and make you feel better. To me, he was the kind to follow the wind - and as he sails along with the wind, he provides comfort and a warm smile.
All my memories of him are only good ones (I could never imagine him not being amiable), and I feel that they demonstrate exactly how kind-hearted he was.

Again, I know I'm not someone who was very close to him, and it certainly isn't proper of me to write so much on a matter I don't have much to do with or know much about (I'm sorry). But I just wanted to express my sentiments and just try to let you and your family know that there are so many people who are here for you and care about you a lot - you are never alone and will always be in our thoughts, prayers, and our hearts.

With love and deep sympathy,
Iris.

"This day is remembered and quietly kept,
No words are needed, we shall never forget,
For those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day.
Unseen and unheard, but always near,
So loved, so missed, and so very dear."

Never Between You and Them Anyway

I've wanted to share this for a long time,
to have a post solely dedicated to this beautiful quote by Mother Teresa.

This is my ultimate favourite quote, one that I discovered years ago and one that still affects me every time I read it. In just a few sentences, Mother Teresa had spoken such true and beautiful words that clearly explained the nature of humans - and how we must all be selfless and one with God. It demonstrates something that we are all accountable for: our tendency to resort to our anger or selfishness. All in all this quote gave so much insight since the very first time I read it. And it still continues to help remind me to become a better person.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway." - Mother Teresa

"oh all the things i'd do for you"

It was an unexpected discovery.
I feel that finding an old poem you wrote a few years back is quite phenomenal. Especially when you least expect it, or don't remember the poem at all. But there I was, just clearing out my old e-mail address account and found this poem that I sent to myself as a back-up draft in eighth-grade english class. I must admit, this is one poem i'm quite proud of - and to think, i wrote this about four years ago! [Eeghad - what happened to me now?!] Perhaps I shall start writing poetry again..

Note: Mr. Raisdana, (one of my favourite teachers of all time) was the eighth grade english teacher; he taught us well! One thing he taught us was that with poetry, you can play around with grammar and punctuation. He shared with us one class time that he liked having to not capitalise any letters - and that everything in lower case looked pretty great actually. I agree.

Here's the discovery:

oh all the things i'd do for you

i’ll create a life devoted to our time

in a succumb of velvet roses

expanding yet another story

to add to our collection

and I’ll spread the death of rose petals in the aisle

for you to step on in ever such a hurry

as the dawn slips away from yesterday

for better or for worse

and I’ll capture the clouds with my bare hands

for you to hold on to forever

when you feel like you could crumble

just stop as they sail by

and I’ll stand on a building and drop a thousand chocolate kisses

just to shower you with just a little bit of what you’re worth

waiting to create that pure fluxinhearted smile

which I could never let go

and I’ll spin my heart to reveal a portrait of you

because I’ve been saving its space for none other

whilst you hold my breath in a disguise

it will always be you

Message

"..What I really need, what I'm really looking for, is not something I can articulate. It's nonverbal: I need love. I need the thing that happens when your brain turns off and your heart turns on.”
- Elizabeth Wurtzel.

I think this quote sums up exactly what I want from you.
I wish you would stop over-thinking. I wish you would turn your stupid brain off and your stupid worries and complaints, and memories from our bad past.

I wish you would open your heart, and open yourself to the very sweet possibilities of the future. I wish you wouldn't taint them with your negativity and doubts, and I wish you wouldn't give up on us.

Because you should never, ever give up on love.

Club Med Phuket

I'm going to open the post with a very hilarious thing that my friend Onnella said in a three-way msn conversation between her, Liyana, and me.

onnella, ♥N forever. says:
iris isn't going to thai land.
where did you get that from
she's going to phuket
aha
tomorrow and coming saturday

Oh - my - goodness - dear child.
Onnella, sweety, I really wish you hadn't said this. Because now everyone can see just how adorable you are.. (or perhaps, how little informed you are of basic geography haha!). I'm doing this because I care for you, and not just to embarass you in the world wide web. I think you should learn more about countries or basic info on which places are where hehe - and you're in higher level IB geography! And you think Thailand is two words, and you thougt that Phuket was in Vietnam.. AND you thought Perth was part of GERMANY! Oh goodness, you make me laugh. (:
I'm almost too scared to find out what else you 'know' about our world.. But that's enough burning for now. (I lurve you Nella.) The point is, YES I AM GOING TO PHUKET, THAILAND. CLUB MED BABY!

Club Med Phuket

All I can simply offer is the generic and 'tourismatic' website video, for I have not yet experienced the wonder of Club Med in Phuket, Thailand.. But in my own words, I do know this. Every Club Med i've been to has been kickass and incredible. No, honestly! Whichever one you go to, you won't need to worry at all about having a good time. The room will be comfortable, the views 'incroyable!' The food will be delicious, the gentil organisers [or G.O.'s as they're more commonly known] are so good looking it's painful. Really.

So i'm faithful i'm going to have a great time, [as long as i'm with my family and we're happy, then of course it'll be woderful] and I can't wait to share it with you all when I get back. I'll be taking so many pictures that it will take 13049409384 hours for them to load and then put them on the posts. I'm just so terribly lucky to have this opportunity - to experience such a great vacation like this. Thank you Momee and Papee (;

Here's the video featuring Club Med Phuket - it's so cheesy but it definitely makes you want to be there!


What shocked me was that there was this other video on YouTube depicting how Club Med Phuket really was - dirty, old, and loud. It was appalling. It basically showed pictures of how dirty or bad-conditioned everything was in. A nasty encounter to reality compared to that of the sugar-coated touristic attraction on the website, as some people who commented had said. But, whatever it really is, Club Med is still awesome and i'm so excited to go. I won't let some video ruin my trip. I'm sure that it really isn't as bad as how they perceived it to be.*
I'll have to see for myself, right? You all [should] know me though, I try to look for the beauty in things - the good in the bad. So i'm definitely going to be focusing on all the good in the next four days, documenting and writing about them. You'll see. (:
*Alright so there is the chance that this will crash and burn and the whole trip will turn into a disaster. Or that I will find myself miserable, surrounded by such a dirty, loud, and bad-conditioned place. But I'm still going to stick to my positive attitude! Club Med Phuket here I come, whoo hoo!

OKAY. SHOUT OUTS. Here goes...
I hope everyone's been having a great summer! (And when I say everyone, I mean everyone.)

Liyana, i'm glad you had a great time in Alor Star and has come back safe n' sound. Can't wait to spend time with you when I get back! Until then, have a wonderful summer. You're one of the best people I know and I just want you to be happy okay? (:
Denise, i'm not sure when you'll be going to Philippines but good luck sorting all the Ateneo stuff out, and enjoy all the food! You don't get that here in KL! Have lots of fun my filipina/pinoy buddy. I'll see you soon.
Kristi, you're having the best time in Japan with Mao and i'm soo happy for you. Eat lots of real japanese food for me and shop a lot! Take pictures too, and see if you can find hot Turkish-Japanese drummer guys again haha! I miss you, take care of yourself okay?
Onnella, sweety, brush up on your geography! Haha but no really, I can't wait until I come back to celebrate your birthday with you. It's going to be so much fun, your plan seems great and I really hope that everyone can make it. Eh, they will. And we'll have a blast nonetheless. (: Just be happy okay? Don't die just cause Kristi and I aren't here bahahaha :P <3
Jan Nee, where have you been?! It's okay, we'll hang out soon. I hope you've been spending time with Carl, because it's our turn now. (: We'll take care of you sweety, your girlfriends. We're here for you no matter what.
Rick, ahh you're in South Africa now, and I just know you're having a blast. Hope your hairyness has provided good protection from bugs hehehe.
Nikesh, can't wait until you get back here to KL. Luckily i'll be back before you and Kristi so I won't miss anything.
Mark, darling, please get your cute egg-y head in school work! And try not to fall for any girls while i'm gone, okay? Haha. And I know you'll be fine. I'll miss you terribly, and I hope you know that I'll always be thinking of you. You're in my heart always, never forget that.
KY, you're on your way/in NY already, right? I'm going to read your blog in detail soon, but I do know that you're lucky you have free internet access haha. I hope you're having a fab time, take lots of pictures. I'll see you in a few weeks!
Amani, Shereen, May Zhee, Fiona, Khaili, and anyone else I might have missed.. I'm really sorry but I haven't been in touch with you lately. But I know you're all having a blast. What with Fiona and her theatre school in Canada, and May Zhee with her blog - we know what she's up to! But I really do hope that you're all having a great summer, and I miss you all so much. Hope you guys haven't been growing too much!
PHEW. Shout-outs done. (:

Until next time, everyone! I love you all.

Oren Lavie

I just discovered a very under-discovered artist.

No, really. This man, OREN LAVIE, needs to be more popular! I haven't heard all his songs nor do I even have his CD... (Titled, The Opposite Side of the Sea) but thank goodness for YouTube. I've been watching his videos, his music videos are incredible. You HAVE to see, 'Her Morning Elegance'. With more than 6 million views to date, it's a stop motion animation with beautiful photography and a very creative concept. It also has a massive amount of subtle symbology that goes with his lyrics. It's a must watch video for anyone whose artsy and likes soft, emo-ish, smooth and mellow music.

It started when my sister came through my room, asking me if I had heard of Oren Lavie. The name never struck me before - I've heard of Lisa Lavie, another artist on YouTube, but I doubt they're related. So my sister showed me the music video for 'Her Morning Elegance' and I just found it to be so... cool! For lack of a better word, it really is cool. I mean, stop motion animation is incredibly time consuming. And the way the video is done, so subtle with creativity and with the right colour template.. it's so nice. It turned out beautifully.

Oren Lavie's voice is deep, soothing, and captivating. He's an artist that should definitely get more attention.

Alright so fine, my kind of music may not suit all your tastes, and you may not like Mr. Lavie as much as I do. But this is my blog and I can share whatever kind of things I like. (:

But check it out for yourself!

Blackouts

Question:
If the world had a blackout, what would you do?

I ask this question because a blackout (or brownout, as the Filipino culture would call it) just occured in my apartment and in other surrounding condominiums as well. Not that I don't like blackouts per se, but I actually quite like them. Yes it certainly is hot and stuffy, not to mention a MAJOR ANNOYANCE if you were working on a computer-based assignment and did not save any of it just before the electricity went off... (Has that happened to countless of people or what?! Always save your work, everyone - I once wrote a couple hundred words of something and WHOOPS 'An unexpected error has occured' and so the document was lost or the page could not be reloaded. Bugger!) But in all fairness, one has to think of blackouts in another point of view; in a positive outlook, and not just an inconvenient happening. Let me demonstrate:

1. The first positive effect of blackouts is that IT SAVES ENERGY AND MONEY AS A WHOLE! Think about it - all that energy that our condos/houses could've been using right now, all the air conditioners, telephone lines, internet connections, fans, lights, televisions, radios... anything that could have been consuming energy and money is now saved for the power-outtage victims AND the world as a whole. Blackouts, to me, are blessings in disguise. It's a sure way to keep the energy consumation level low, as well as reminding us about just how important energy is to us, and how we shouldn't take it for granted. This leads me to my next point..

2. BLACKOUTS REMIND US OF JUST HOW IMPORTANT ENERGY IS. Okay, so it's not like we'll be worshipping Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity, but it doesn't hurt to be a little more thankful and appreciative, no? Basically, I wish people would stop taking electricity for granted, and keep having this insane idea that it is an UNLIMITED SOURCE and that the world is FOREVER OKAY. Because newsflash - it is not. The world is precious, resources are limited, and even if the world can someday create some everlasting energy source with endless supply to provide the world with energy for centuries, a resource is nonetheless a resource and we really should take better care. We really should appreciate how the world runs and take more precaution in taking care of our world. We really should learn to preserve our resources, especially when our lives - everyone's lives - are truly dependent on them. Energy, although taken from numerous sources such as light, water, fuel, etc. is incredibly important and I wish people could just fathom the idea that the world is ...

3. Enough with the nagging about appreciating the world... and on to my next point. BLACKOUTS ENFORCE THE USE OF CANDLES AND GLOWY LIGHTS! And we all know how beautiful candles are, and how they can turn the ambiance of any place into a dim, well-lighted, and soothing place. Or gl0wy lights (as in, glow sticks etc.) are just plain cool. Also, having dinner lighted with nice candles, or the warm glow of a fire place.. that's beauty and romance right there.

4. Lastly, BLACKOUTS MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN MEDIEVAL TIMES. I mean come on, writing by candle light, or reading something with candles surrounding you.. it's perfect for acting like you're a damsel, some knight, or a monk writing in a secret dungeon.

Answer:
I would be thankful, and appreciate all that energy and money that has been saved. Honestly, think about it. If the entire world actually had a blackout for say, five minutes, imagine just how much energy and money would have been saved. Or perhaps money loss, since i'm certain that energy affects many businesses and corporations etc. But i'm going to be an environmentalist and see the positive effects that blackouts bring.. (;

So hopefully next time, if or when you ever experience a blackout in the future, smile and think of just how much it's helping the environment.. and maybe, just maybe, share this small but positive outlook and attitude of yours - and make the world a happier place.

Nouveau

I've gotten a few new things lately!

Okay okay, so this blog is turning out to be some egotistical, self-absorbed, all-about-me, writing-about-useless-information-regarding-my-unimportant-life kind of blog, but I guess i'm really getting into this blogging thing where I can write simply about anything. But I shall be getting straight to the EAT, PRAY, LOVE mantra soon. But anyway, my list of new changes:

* Hairstyle. - I am now hidden behind a fringe and extra layers. (: I got it done in The Curve, across this place called Bluunis where my mom had an appointment for her eyebrows. =/ The place wasn't that bad, except the woman who did my hair seemed a bit PMS-y. But in the end she was all nice after I paid hahaha oh businesses...

Here we are at Tony Roma's (YUMM look out for a new post about this restaurant!) I'm also wearing my new dress but you can't see it properly heh oh well. (:

* Bikini. - My mom spoiled me with this one, it's for my trip to CLUBMED PHUKET. YES YES YES i'm finally going on a trip! And I thought that this whole summer vacation i'd be stuck here in good ol' KL... except i'm actually going to Thailand so i'm pretty excited. So what if it's only four days-three nights. It's clubmed! It's a different country! It's better than nothing.

* Dress. - Forever 21! Need I say more? I fell in love with it when I went shopping with my girlfriends. (: It's white, brown, and black. Basically, it's perfect because you can dress it down or up. Style it with awesome jewellery, heels, and a cute clutch bag for a night in town or make it casual by putting it over a bikini with flip flops, sunglasses, and a day sack. It's perfect.

* Fascination for Angels & Demons. - It started when I saw the trailer for its release. I haven't watched the movie, but i'm currently halfway through the book. I read it a few years back, along with The Da Vinci Code and Digital Fortress. You can really tell through his books that Brown is a highly intellect person, and his books aren't that bad actually. Though my english teacher Mr. Craig thinks differently. :P

* Stupid interest in this series called TrueBlood. - Yeah, it's all about vampires and such. Go figure. I'm not usually into shows and series-es, [And no, I don't watch gossip girl or 90210 etc.] but this one, I must admit, has caught my attention. It's based on the books by Charlaine Harris. I haven't read them yet, but the episodes aren't toooo bad. Here's the link to watching the episodes for free online. (Uh oh is this some copyright infringement? Will I be held before the law? Oh well.) http://www.watchtrueblood.net/ Be sure to use Flash instead of the other options, since they don't seem to work. =/

* I finally started reading 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'm waiting for my sister to bring it from Perth (YES SHE'S COMING BACK FROM PERTH FOR A MONTH. I'm so excited since I get to have a sister again.) and then when i've finally finished reading the book I can really be inspired and get this blog started! My sister's mantra is also 'eat, pray, love'. She's a wonderful person and I can't wait to blog about her in our family trips and for her birthday coming up...

* A new favourite fruit added - lychees. So now that's mangoes, mangosteens, and lychees. (: HAHAHA I just want to share that Kristi thought mangosteens were a smaller version of mangoes, and that when I finally let her see and try what mangosteens are like, she was surely surprised and kept asking why they don't look or taste like mangoes. I replied by saying, just because the names are a bit similar, it doesn't mean they're the same. Kind of like if Kristi was simply a smaller version of a girl named Kristine. It doesn't work that way my dear. [KJ you're way too cute and funny for this world.]

* Pressure from my parents and friends on a certain subject matter - M and my relationship with him. Sigh. Will this never end? What happened was that well, we became a couple again, but on Friday I had to break it off... I thought I was strong but, we honestly do love each other. Yes we're young but we love each other the best we can. And I had to end it because, I don't usually do this sort of thing but I had to because of PRESSURE FROM MY PARENTS. They've been talking to me and pushing me to break it up, and so have my friends. I guess I just finally listened. I know I deserve better, and I know he deserves someone who won't make him upset and all that too. But I wish they would just know how much we really cared about each other, and that it's impossible for us to not be in each other's lives.

* Helping my mom with Facebook. - Hahaha yes! My parents have facebook! And they tried to add me but I ignored. Sorry. It's just too strange, wouldn't you agree, if your parents could see all your wall posts or photos, or even see your friends' profiles, too? So to compensate for my guilty ignorance, i've just helped me momee with some facebook tips and what to do, what this button does, etc. She's so cute cause it takes her 5 minutes to write a wall post consisting of two sentences. She really takes her time with typing and what to say hehe I love you momee. <3

Well I think that's enough vanity and self-obsession. (:

Just thought i'd share the latest with you all, who are somehow interested in my life. Haha. (: I'll be posting more soon. Until then, enjoy your summer!