Depressed wife sits through hubby’s classes

AN 80-year-old professor from China's Jiangsu University of Science and Technology brings his wife, who is suffering from depression, to his classes so that he can take care of her while giving his lectures.
The professor would seat his wife in the last row of the class before he starts his lectures.

She would listen to his lectures but sometimes, she would walk up to the professor.
The professor would apologise to his students before bringing his wife to her seat and continue his lessons, it reported.

The news about the professor and his wife has been circulating on the Internet and the news has touched many Netizens.
However, some wondered why the professor has not retired at the age of 80.
According to the university, the professor was re-hired because he gave good lectures and the students liked to attend his classes.

Taken from TheStar

FRENCH author and feminist Simone de Beauvoir once said that 85% of a woman’s daily life is spent cleaning the dirt that keeps coming back. This remark influenced local actress Mislina Mustaffa to embark on an interesting journey – to go homeless for a year.
 “When you have no house, you have no dirt to clean,” says the 41-year-old. “I’m curious to see what I’ll be doing with this 85% of my time.” Mislina is keeping a journal to record all her experiences from her adventure and plans to turn it into a book for publication next year. She also intends to use the journal as the basis for her thesis in her studies in the future, most likely in the field of performing arts.
 Interestingly, it was not difficult for her to give up the place she had called home for the last eight years and disposing off most of her furniture, except for a few of her favourite books and paintings which a friend would be keeping for her. What she found difficult was giving up Atan and Mong, her dogs who had been with her for more than a year. Fortunately, she managed to find a new home for them.
 “I learnt that it’s easier to give up material things,” says Mislina, who has acted in films such as Anak Halal, Talentime and Cun, as well as Karaoke that was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. Asked if she plans to get her pets Atan and Mong back, she says: “I’m sure the new owners will get attached to the dogs and they to them. It will be cruel, heartless and unfair to tear them apart.”
For her project, which she dubs ‘homeless by choice’, Mislina only has four changes of attire and basic essentials in her bag. If she has a film or TV drama shoot, she will stay in the city. Otherwise, she will be travelling all over Malaysia. So far, she has visited Pulau Tioman, Peang and Bintulu in Sarawak, staying mostly in budget hotels. She has met people from all walks of life – from a Canadian hippie to a Korean student who could not speak proper English.
 “The journey has been tiring but the experience has been enriching,” she says. Mislina has also adopted ‘a couch service’ from good friends as well as kind-hearted strangers who offer their couch to her to bed down for free. “Usually, I would stay with them for two or three nights,” she says.
 Most of the time, her gracious hosts are kind enough to invite her for lunch and dinner as well. So far, she has stayed with four families, and mingling with them has exposed the actress to new experiences. “When I stayed with a Chinese family, I noticed a picture of a rhinoceros pasted on their front door,” she says. “Later, I learnt that it’s a fengshui symbol to keep robbers away.”
 Mislina says staying with people from different backgrounds has helped her to sharpen her skills as an actress. “Through this project, I hope to get to know our society and its people a little better. “Should I write a script in the future, I’ll include bits of my experiences. It’ll make the script more interesting and realistic.” Mislina also hopes to show that a woman has many choices in life.
 “Many Asian women’s ultimate goal is to get married, have kids and have a house that they can call home,” she says. “They have become slaves to this social and stereotypical image. All their efforts, money and energy are dedicated towards this goal. “It’s okay to have a home. But your home should not become your prison. Your home should not be your only dream.”
 Mislina’s ‘homeless by choice’ project has also helped her to create a better bond with society. She says many actors have this wrong perception that they should not mingle with ordinary folks. They, in fact, feel that they should remain reclusive and exclusive.
 “They would make their assistants do all their chores for them, even buying fruits from a street vendor. And, they definitely wouldn’t think of queuing up at a coffee shop to get a cup of coffee. “But we actors represent society. We play roles that we see in society.
 If you refuse to be associated with society, how convincing are you going to be in your performances? “For instance, if an actor has to play a fruit seller, how will he know the emotions experienced by such a person?
This is why some actors put up such shallow performances.” Actors cannot be aloof and keep away from society. They should be part of society, adds Mislina. Taken from TheSun

"Every day - at the same time - she waits for him. He comes... and they go for a walk." -FB Rick Nelson

sob!

Lily a 6 year old great dane lost his eyesight due to a rare disease.
He became disheartened until he met Madison.
They have been together for 5 years and Madison guides Lily by the leash and touches him to make sure he doesn't stumble over anything.
The picture reveals how dependent and loving they are to each other.

"It's nice but it doesn't match your shirt...", colleague commented.
I've been wearing this very frequently lately.
For someone who isn't fond of jewelery, this new practice is very alien.
It is to remind myself the best wishes of my thoughtful friends who gave me this.

I went to a student play last week.
The thought, "OMG, they're so.... young!" kept repeating in my head.
If you don't expect a standard play, it can be err, oddly acceptable entertainment.
*A lecturer told me that if it's not tolerable, he will leave. He did.
They even use an image copyrighted (VERY visibly so) by Shutterstock.
I found that unstoppably hilarious throughout the entire scene.

Good attempt to relive memories of my youth.

A Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa , and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.'' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

•  Live simply.
•  Love generously.
•  Care deeply.
•  Speak kindly.
•  Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
•  Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy. 
•  Take naps. 
•  Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. 
•  Thrive on attention and let people touch you. 
•  Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. 
•  On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. 
•  On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. 
•  When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
•  Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. 
•  Be loyal. 
•  Never pretend to be something you're not. 
•  If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. 
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently. 
• There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. 
• You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.

 So, love the people who treat you right. Think good thoughts for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of LIFE...Getting back up is LIVING... Have a great life.

 by: Ultima National Resources, LLC

How is it that some people seem so FEARLESS?
Or perhaps, it's like what they say, Courage isn't the absence of fear, but the strength to carry on, despite of it.
A Spanish bullfighter who lost sight in one eye and has partial facial paralysis after a terrifying goring returned to the bullring Sunday, five months after his injury.

Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts. - Alan Cohen

Went to E's place to practise 'floating' aka overcoming water phobia.
Then proceeded to the support group MeetUp with E. (she drove!)
Her driving was hardly close to anything that I had imagined - based on her previous phobia description.
She must have made a lot of preparation prior to this Steady stage.
It was good to see the president of the support group again.
He has always been a burst of sunshine.
Found out that he's going to pursue a degree in Theology.
He's in his 60s but he said he doesn't care how long it takes, he has a goal to achieve now, even if he graduates in his 70s.
Wow.
Went to the HealthFair and saw my friend M in action.
So professional.
When I was in the loo, I overheard the Belly Dancers commenting to their teacher about the rude audience.
How they were pointing, mimicking and laughing.
Not just at them but at the other audience who were trying to learn from their demonstration on stage.
I came out of my cubicle and saw the teacher hugging them, giving words of encouragement and wisdom to them.
Later, at my seat, I saw the teacher approaching one of the audience (presumably the one who had tried following her demonstration earlier) and complimented her effort.

I love being around inspirational people like these.

This once promising young lady committed suicide

For two days since my first disastrous swimming lesson, I had mentally prepared myself - visualisation, meditation..
Nope, it didn't work.
The moment I stepped into the water, PANIC overrode.
It got so bad, that I almost hit the 'flight' button.
"Let's just go, I don't have to be able to swim. I can still live the rest of my life with my feet firmly on the all things solid. The teacher will understand. Or just make up some excuses.." - my mind battled.
Thank goodness , I didn't.
Instead, I hit the 'fight' button.
Now, I have come up with an action plan on overcoming this.
Like what the teacher said, "It'll just take longer than usual. You just need to visualise swimming, not drowning."
If I choose to give up, means I will NEVER get there.
However, if I continue to try, I'll get there. I just need a longer time, that's all.
Sure beats not getting there at all.
I'm glad that I've been feeding myself some of these motivational quotes.
I find myself bouncing back much faster than my old usual self.
I'll continue to bear these two quotes in mind.

The confidence you seek in swimming is in your future. The fun you will have swimming in the water is like learning to ride a bicycle for the first time you didn't fall off. 

A totally unrelated incident.
 I wore skirt to work today. A lot of people were shocked. I told my colleague that it was quite difficult to walk in it, so she inspected my skirt and found that I didn't cut the 'slit'- which enables the wearer to have a wider stride. (The manufacturer purposely sew it together to avoid the slit to tear before sale) Gosh, I should be very embarrassed, but honestly I was too busy laughing. "Clearly I don't wear skirts often enough!"
But wise colleague unexpectedly complimented me, "It's great that you're trying out new things"

http://www.purposefairy.com/3308/15-things-you-should-give-up-in-order-to-be-happy/, Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

Just when I thought the society has no time nor compassion for the mentally-ill, I come across an article like this . RM15,000 to D'Home Mental Health Association
Excerpts here,
GEORGE TOWN: Lawyer Lau Jun Yi uses an RM80 handphone and drives an old Proton Saga.
Yet, the 26-year-old showed that he has a big heart by donating RM15,000 to D'Home Mental Health Association here.
The home conducts training for family and care givers of people with serious mental illness, besides running support groups.
Lau's donation accounted for 12.5% of the amount raised by the association through the D'Home Charity Silent Auction and Dinner 2012 held at E&0 Hotel on Thursday.
Lau said he merely followed his heart and donated the money which was part of his savings.
“I don't mind although the amount takes up a large chunk of my savings,” he said when interviewed.

inspirational FB quote

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” -Lance Armstrong