Blessed* - Elton John

3 months ago, i was lying on the operation table with my head cut opened. Today, i am here, rushing for work as there is just so much to do!!! Yes, life is back to normal again! Normal means having piles and piles of work crying out for my attention!!!

I actually started this post quite a long while ago while i was still on medical leave. But i never got around to really write it (or type it)!

It was after my surgery when i was reflecting over everything and i am reminded how blessed i am. No, don't get me wrong - i am not saying i'm blessed because surgery went well. Of course i am thankful for that - and so are my family members and we acknowledge it was God's grace to me to bring me through such a difficult time.

But more than that, i am truly so blessed to have this life. I began to appreciate the little things we take for granted - so cliched, right? But what is cliched can also be true.

I was touched by the gestures of so many people who were genuinely concerned for me. I have people all over the world who were praying for and and asking about my well-being. People whom i have not seen for a long suddenly called and prayed for me. I had friends who came over the night before my surgery and stayed with me until they could stay no more as they were not allowed to be there.

Then there was family - they will always be there for you no matter what. And they will always be there for you - even if its for the second time. And they'll be there for the third, and fourth and many more (hopefully there will not be a third!).

I had to go back to my mom's place to rest there after being discharged. My sis bought a new bed for me for that purpose. My mom prepared meals for me and attended to my needs. My mom-in-law came down from Ipoh to help my wife keep an eye on my little girl. My wife made so many trips to the hospital and also to my mom's house to see me, to buy food for me, to bring my daughter over to see (the highlight of the day).

And i experienced again afresh God's love - and his peace that passes all understanding.

I'm feeling good now - back to work as usual. if anything, It's the haze that is making me unwell - thankfully, it is not so bad today. Definitely not like how it is in some parts of Indonesia!

*His 1995 song which is apparently about how a person who has a child is blessed.

Travelling in Time* - Uriah Heep

So today is Back to the Future day!!!

BTOF is one of the best trilogies ever!!! And to me, it satisfies my time travel requirements - which a lot of movies fail to!

It is sad though that in the past, we had hoped the future will be more impressive and much more advanced. here is a video which is quite funny - but quite sad as we look at the world we live in today:-

I remember when i was young, there used to be a TV series called Space 1999 where we will have a base on moon to make it habitable for humans and spaceships. It is 2015 now and do we have the technology for that?

*Taken from their most successful album which made this English rock band famous.

Blue skies* - Doris Day

Scene from Daredevil, Season 1 Episode 1:-

Karen Page: Do you remember what it was like to... to see?

Matt Murdoch: Uh... Yes I remember.

Karen: I can't... I can't imagine what that must be like.

Matt: You know, um, I'm suppose to say I don't miss it. It's what they teach you in trauma recovery. Define yourself by what you have. Value the differences. Make no apologies for what you lack. That's all truth for the most part...It doesn't change the fact that I'd...I'd give anything to see the sky one more time.

When i watched that scene and heard what Matt said, i am reminded of the short couple of days when i was moved into the normal wards after my surgery recently. I spent most of my time sitting by the window, just looking out at the sky. Here is the view:-

It's not a pretty view - but to me, i enjoyed it - especially after a few days in the ICU and HDU wards. We take for granted the beauty around us, the simple things in life - until those things are taken away.

I know that even today, i will rush through the day sometimes without taking time to stop and look at the sky - or look at the simple beauty around me. If only i am reminded that for some people, they do not get to see - and they would give anything just to be able to do so again.

*This was one of the many recorded version of this song which was originally written for a Rodgers and Hart musical, Betsy. It was then featured in the movie, The Jazz Singer and has been recorded by many jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Dianne Schuur and Dizzie Gillespie.

Feelings* - Morris Albert

We finally watched Inside Out! Probably the latest amongst those who have been wanting to watch it.

Pic obtained from a Cinemasiren.com

We enjoyed it! It was my wife's birthday outing - lunch and movie while my mum took care of the little girl. Win-win-win-win for all!

And this movie was a big win! What a show. I have described it as possibly being the best movie this year - bear in mind that this year already had Avengers 2, so if i say this is better, it really counts for something!!!

The story is pretty simple (SPOILER ALERT) - girl moves into big city with parents, finds it hard to settle down, decides to run away and go back to her previous home.

Nothing much there, right? But what was going on in her head all this time??? A LOT!!!

A student was saying that parents will cry when they watch this movie but she does not under why. I told her that if she was a parent, then it will be apparent!!!

I loved how it showed (SPOILER ALERT AGAIN) that each emotion is important. From the start, it appeared that "Joy" was the main character and all others were not good. But in the end, it was "Sadness" who came and saved the day.

Yes, all emotions are important. That's why God gave them to us. We need sadness to help us appreciate the joys and the good around us. We need fear to make sure we keep ourselves protected and safe. We need disgust so that we will learn to avoid wrong and things which are bad for us. We need anger to deal with pain and unfairness.

One of the worst conditions we can find ourselves in is when we are immune to things around us - we don't feel the sadness, we don't feel the hurt. I have gone through that in the past - to the extent that i tried to hurt myself physically (slapped myself) just so that i could feel some pain.

So having emotions is good. Being too emotional is not. We need to find the right balance.

As a relatively new father, I want to do whatever I can to ensure that my little girl will not feel sad. It sometimes hurts me that I know it is impossible to do that - and I'm glad this movie is a reminder that sadness is not really a bad thing after all. And w are who we are today as a result of the joy and sadness that w have experienced in our lives.

*A very popular song in the 70s but lately has come under parody and ridicule. Ah well... haters will hate.

I wanna be like Jürgen Klöpp* - Matze Knop

So it is finally confirmed - Jürgen Klöpp has joined Liverpool FC as our new manager!

So far, no one seems to be unhappy with this - except for fans of other teams!!! Well, we are quite excited about this. Not hoping for a quick fix, though but a new start to something good.

A lot has been said about him - but i discovered something new about him this morning. He is one who speaks openly about his faith and his belief in God. Here are some of the things he has been quoted as saying:-

'In order to answer this question (is there a football god) once and for all: although there is no football God, I believe that there is a God who loves us humans, just as we are, with all our quirks, and that's why I think he also loves football! But we have to score our own goals.'

'All of these really likeable guys who I meet week in week out at matches or in some cases even in training, have one thing in common: they have noticed at some stage in their careers that there must be more to life than championship and relegation battles. They relate how a relationship with God has changed their perspective.' 

'To be a believer, but not to want to talk about it - I do not know how it would work! If anyone asks me about my faith, I give information. Not because I have claim to be any sort of missionary. But when I look at me and my life - and I take time for that every day - then I feel I am in sensationally good hands.'

(Quotes taken from this link)

Wow! Nice. I want to be like him, to talk about my faith and want to do so!

*This German song (first ever in this blog) was written and released as a tribute to the newly appointed manager of Liverpool FC.

Wishing you were somehow here again* - Emmy Rossum

Today's would have been my father's 84th birthday. If he was still alive. It has been more than 8 years since he was taken away from this earth.

Flowers for papa

I can't say that i miss him a lot - not all the time. But sometimes, i do. Especially on days like today.

Sometimes, there will be small little things that remind me of him - like how each time i hear about the football team Bordeaux, i am reminded of the time when we were watching the sports news on TV when they announced that Bordeaux football team trashed another team and he commented "How can a team with the name 'Bodoh' (stupid in the Malay language) win like that?"

Quite lame-eh? No prizes for guessing where i got my "lame-ness" from!!!

As i grow older, i really can see that i am in fact my father's son. Looks wise no but our outlook, our attitude towards people and things are quite the same. What differs us is the fact that i became a Christian at a very young age and that changed a lot of how i see and deal with things.

As a father now, i understand him better - and have a new sense of appreciation of the struggles he had to go through - that only a father would know and understand.

I wish he was still around as there are so many things to chat about. I wish he was still around today as he would be so happy to have Shona as his granddaughter - and she would absolutely love him as her yeh yeh (paternal grandfather).

But he is not.

Yet, as i'm blogging this, i realise that he is!!! Just as i was mentioning above - he is "in me". I am who I am because of him - a big part anyway.

*This was the version from the movie adaptation of the musical, Phantom of the Opera.

Time's up* - Ashley Tisdale

Bye bye Brendan. It's nothing personal. You've been a great guy but the time is right for you to go.

It has come to a point when it doesn't matter if i watch Liverpool play anymore. Even if i have the choice, i may choose not to. As to watch them play these days can be a much painful experience.

We stood by you from the start, hoping that you are the breath of fresh air we need.

We waited as you were given money and brought in new players. But for every Sturridge and Couthinho, there were the Lambert and Lovren. Thankfully, you managed to get Ings and Milner in for free before this season started.

But we still do not look like that is to be taken seriously. Sure, we almost won the league 2 years ago - but that was because Suarez made the whole team - including you - look good.

Your role which you played was making sure Suarez did not leave for Arsenal after 2012 season. You should have tried harder to keep him because without Suarez, we got to see Liverpool for what they really are. Let me quote Jamie Carragher:- "Liverpool are becoming Tottenham. They think they are a big club but the real big clubs aren't concerned about what they do"

So in a way, it was a good thing we did not win the EPL that year for we would all be duped in thinking that you are the answer to our prayers for a manager to bring us back to the heights we used to scale.

No doubt you are good - but just there yet. And so that is what Liverpool is now too.

We have given you time, money and our support. And now your time is up. Thanks for everything! Good bye.

* Only found as a bonus track on her Guilty Pleasures album (iTunes stores), written by Katy Perry.

Wake me up when September ends* - Green Day

It's October!!!!!! First of October! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!

No, I've not been sleeping all this time - but i need to wake up from my blogging slumber! It's been more than 1 month since my last post. Not a single one in September!

No, September was not uneventful! But i just could not find the time - to actually post something that i can deem worthy to be on this blog, not a slipshod post which is up just for the sake of posting something (although this post feels like such a post...)

I even have so many posts in my draft folders as i did not want to post more than once a day in August.

Is life just too busy that blogging is out of the question? if i find it difficult now, how will it be when no. 2 comes?

Yes, no. 2 is on her way.

Yes, *her* way.

More about that another time...

*This song was written by their frontman, Billie Joe, regarding the death of his father.