Life Lesson #22: Self

Have you ever felt upset because you've had to yield something you wanted to someone else? That feeling of unfairness, the slight tinge of sourness? Then you tell yourself it's okay, it's better to let someone else have it. But that twist in your stomach remains knotted. To be selfish, or selfless, is that really a question even worth asking?

I really didn't want to write about this at first; it makes me seem like a bad guy, admitting to being selfish, or at the very least, had the experience of being selfish.

Lately though, I've been in a dilemma about these two polar opposites. Normally, I would say that being selfless is better, but now I've begun to wonder, to what extent is this still plausible?

To be completely selfless seems impossible. But people like Mother Theresa have achieved what people label as the epitome of selflessness. This is no longer a question of self however, but an issue of happiness and achievement.

We don't choose to be selfish for no reason at all; being selfish allows us to put our priorities first and that makes us feel better. We believe that being selfless means sacrificing our wants and in this respect, we feel upset when yielding something we want to another person.

I once read an article that mentioned kindness as being an act of selfishness. Why? The answer is simple; we are kind to others because we want to free others from their troubles, and that makes us happy. Being happy is one of our priorities; and thus, we are putting our priorities first and acting selfishly.

From this respect, as Mother Theresa was being selfless to others, she was being "selfish" to herself as she was joyful at her work. This "selfishness" isn't a bad thing at all. So being selfish - it's not really the thug in the equation.

The real issue on hand is actually the thoughts swirling like ice-cream in our heads. It isn't how 'selfish' or 'selfless' we are that counts; it's how good our thoughts are that matter.

Life is a never-ending battle between selfish and selfless. Occasionally a balance is achieved, where both parties benefit - when we have good intentions and even kinder ideas.

Be selfish in a good way. Then everyone can feel good. :)

Life Lesson #21: Richness

Two Sundays ago, I had the privilege to participate in the Time to Give Back event organized by Responsible Blogging 2013. And, as shown by many charity events, it wasn't just a matter of distributing items to the kids; it was a unique and meaningful lesson of life.

We went to three places in total - Ashrama Ramakrishna, Children's Protection Society and Shan Children's home. At each orphanage we distributed sandwiches, drinks and a tablet, sponsored by Subway, Chatime and Ninetology Malaysia. Thank you for the delicious lunch and for putting smiles on the kids' faces!

Ashrama Ramakrishna

Reach out to Ashrama Ramakrishna by dropping by at No.37, Jalan Scotland, 10450 Pulau Pinang, or contact them at 04-2270869/ ramkorp@hotmail.com.

Do check out their website http://theramakrishnapg.org/ for more details!

Display board at Children's Protection Society

Drop by at 118-A, Jalan Scotland, 10450 Pulau Pinang as well. If you're interested in donating, sponsoring or volunteering at Children's Protection Society, ring them at 04-8294046 or e-mail them at cpspg@hotmail.com. 

Check out www.cpspg.org.my for further details!

Shan Children's Home

Located at 679-D, Jalan Mount Erskine, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Pulau Pinang, Penang Shan Children's Home Association needs your help. You can reach them at 04-2292186/ 016-4127711 or via e-mail at shanchildrenhomepg@yahoo.com.

Remember that every bit of help counts!

Kudos to Alextan Artworks for bringing his team over to cover the entire event for free! (http://www.facebook.com/alextanartwork?group_id=0).

One thing that really touched me was how thankful and responsible the kids were. They seem much happier than other kids, maybe because they've learnt to appreciate the little things in life. The people running the orphanages also put in their all to provide for the kids, not just material wealth, but also mental, spiritual and religious wealth.

But orphanages don't run on blogs alone; they need any form of help we can offer. They need volunteers, donations, supplies. Most of all, they need our help so that their kids can grow up to achieve their dreams. To help them, of course, we need to be rich. But richness isn't measured by money, wealth or property; it is measured by the amount of love we can give to society. 

Alex Tan and his hard-working team with the kids at Shan's Children's Home

Hawker food ramblings #2!

I was at New World Park (Jalan Burmah, really big hawker centre with shops as well) having a not-so-early yet no-so-late breakfast with my dad and sister. Lots of stalls were closed today because of yesterday's Thaipusam celebrations. After walking around for a bit, we decided to order fried noodles.

Waiting time: Around 5 minutes. Good time frame.

First impression: Okay, not the kind that has smoke rising from it and blows your socks off. But looks edible haha.

Taste: The dry type of 'char mee'. I personally prefer wetter types, but this one tasted okay, somewhere between edible and good, but closer to the good side. Prawns were.... not-so-fresh, but thankfully not the type that tastes flaky or powdery. Egg wasn't charred, so yay!

Price: RM4. There WERE 3 prawns, but because they weren't that fresh, I'd say that it's price scores about 7.5-8/10.

Overall score: 7.5/10. I've tasted better types for cheaper prices, but this is still something I would order.

Off to buy more guppies for my tank! Till next time, enjoy today's holiday! :)

Time to Give Back!

Spread the CNY cheer everyone! If you happen to be in Penang on the 3rd of February, why not go to Straits Quay and help out in spreading some goodness to orphanages in Penang?

Refer to the pic below for more details! :)

Happy early Chinese New Year! 

新年快乐，万事如意！

Life Lesson #20: Over

And then, it was over.

Honestly, I didn't think things would go as smoothly as they had. I was prepared to put in some time to resolve the issue, but after two days and a peaceful talk, it was over.

Of course, I was happy, relieved, thankful that it was all over. My ties to others weren't severed; others' trust in me weren't lost. It was an all-round win-win affair. 

But I can't lie and say that I didn't feel the least bit upset at this resolution of matters.

Saying no to your interest and responsibility for three years is never easy. Even if it gives you more freedom, the hollowness still remains.

Was it the right decision? I guess I may never know. But was it a necessary decision? Sadly, it was. 

If only I had more than 24 hours in a day, my interests and priorities would live in a somewhat symbiotic manner. 

If only I had the ability of a savant, I wouldn't have to make such difficult decisions.

But there are only so many "if only"s that I can think about. "If only" can't give me more time, it can't give me superpowers, it can't solve anything.

The willingness to listen, be listened to, and make compromises - that is the only way to solve a sticky situation.

And just like that, it was all over. 

Deck the halls (Twin Version)

Just a little something by my twin and I to spread the Christmas cheer!
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! :)

Hawker food ramblings

Meal: Breakfast

Place: Seahorse coffee shop, Jalan Rangoon

Dish: Economy rice - Rice, stir-fry vegetables, sting-ray fish with curry, egg with onions

Price: RM5.40

Overall rating: ♥♥♥

Egg was quite nicely cooked, and the vegetables have a refreshing taste. Sting-ray wasn't as fresh as I hoped it would be, but still acceptable, due to the rich curry flavour. Price-wise, I think it should've been brought down to the RM4 - RM5 range, as the freshness of the fish wasn't top-notch. All-in-all, it was a good meal, albeit a little pricey, but I could find better deals. Ta!