I’m currently on day-21 of my family vacation in Penang Island. It’s the longest leave I’ve ever taken in a year. Despite of a blue screen laptop that failed on me few weeks back, I’m thankful at least I can use my nephew’s PC to declare:  I’m very much alive and never been kidnapped by aliens, thank you.

Social networking is pretty much on-going here alright. Sometimes it’s even more challenging when you’re around with family members who you only meet once every 2-3 years. Nevertheless, this trip is of a great value. I won’t have a better place to share it if not here with you guys whom I missed dearly.

8 Lessons to Boost Up Blogging Experience

1. Don’t Give Yourself Reasons to Feel Old & Sloppy

Keep Young At Heart - I like to remind myself that whenever I feel I’m too old for something new. Stop blaming ‘age’ for the things you cannot do or we won’t have much fun growing older. Put that aside and think about how much you’ll celebrate if you manage to overcome age barriers – confidence, knowledge, connections and energy. The more we tried, the more we realized where our ability stands.

Negative mindset is all you need to stop miracles from happening. Let your writing be filled with excitement! Use words and pictures to capture readers’ interests! Remember, aging will only make you wiser, never a loser in blogging.

Root of Inspiration:

Kids! I’m surrounded by my nephews and niece (aged 3, 5, 6 & 8 ) who are constantly energetic and curious about EVERYTHING! Learning is the best way to stay young and ahead of the curve.

2. Life is About Taking Chances, So Is Blogging

Life can open doors when one is willing to take chances. I quit my job to pursue my dream when people are looking for one; I submitted my work to bigger names when low self-esteem had crept all over me; I tried my hands on social media when people are less likely to believe their potentials. All doubts replaced by new theories one by one. I learned if I don’t take chances and overcome my fear, I’ll never discover my full potentials. I would probably still working in a cubicle, sighing and waiting for the day to end!

Root of Inspiration:

In Amazing Race, competition can make people overcome their fear in an instant, because they have a higher goal to reach. We worried because we presumed the worst we can reap from an action. Of course I don’t mean putting yourself in danger but with thorough understanding of your own ability, you’ll know when it’s the time to go full force for one thing. The picture is just an indication. While you admiring my courage, the snake-tamer actually stood beside me after handing me the tail.

3. I Deserve to Spoil Myself Once in a While

When I work, I work hard; when I play, I play hard. That’s the rule. All work and no play I’ll soon bored you and me to death. I’ll have nothing useful to share. Words will be meaningless for life is boring! That’s the last thing you need in blogging! Give yourself a treat for doing a good job. Vacation is the time of the year I let myself go with a reasonable manner. Before this I usually have a financial plan to make sure I won’t go overboard and drown myself in debts. If I want to play or spend, I’ll make sure I can afford it. Having fun should be rewarding, not to trouble us afterward.

Root of Inspiration:

I eat and I shop. I bought new clothes to replace old ones at home, which I’ve sold online or donated. Year End Sales with discounts up to 50 – 70% always a charmer. Be a smart consumer. Don’t get ripped off while you’re at it. Bottom line, have fun and enjoy life the way you want it.

4. Capture and Utilize Inspirations Wisely

An artist will appreciate inspiration more than normal people. They will value and inject it to their work before it vanishes. I’m no where near an artist but I figure if I’m able to capture it in words or pictures, I’ll know how to present myself in the next post. Inspirations are important for bloggers to be expressive. We need a lot of input to make things happen. During vacation, everything is fresh with new surroundings; people are handling matters differently which may enlighten us how we run our lives. I tend to bring this back with me in blogging and everything I do at home.

Root of Inspirations:

I was greatly inspired by my brother who is an amateurish photographer. He has a keen eye for the surrounding. Look what he painted on his wall, the photo frames will be fully up on the coconut tree in less than 6 months, I’m sure.

Opportunity might occur once in a lifetime, grab it while you still can. The hibiscus in the garden only blossom for a day before they died the next. If I didn’t capture that moment, nobody would have known they existed.

5. Appreciate & Treat Your Work as a Legacy

Today will be remembered for many years to come by your descendants, if you left them a legacy. People may shrug or yawn when they enter a museum or art gallery, but we are made from those history. Without the past, we won’t enjoy the luxurious lifestyle; without the inventions, we have no ways to communicate or work from home. Culture made us who we are today and we are still living it, renewing its definition every time with improvements and discoveries. I’m living to create my page of history today. I’m looking forward to telling my grandchildren how their grandma live through the adventure daily.

Root of Inspirations:

I came across this old light house that I never knew existed at Fort Cornwallis. It was built in 1882 and 21 meters in height (renovated a couple of times in early 1900). The view up there was wonderful! I climbed to the top, admiring the view. Imagining what it would be like to have its light beaming at night, guarding the ships to reach the shore. And the wall carving from Kek Lok Si, looks magnificent isn’t it?

6. Embrace Your Childhood for Innocence & Excitements

Think about the good qualities a kid possesses: innocence, pure intention, cheerful! I love how they come around and try to solve a puzzle by themselves. We were once a kid and loving it! We knew how to have fun. We appreciated things easily and forgot why we just cried. We enjoyed simplicity and contentment. I like to keep a bit of childlike in me — not to be naive but fast to ditch the sadness and anger; ready to go out and start a journey all over again.

Root of Inspirations:

For a net-goer like myself, living with kids is hard to adapt at first. Tasted all the bitter sweet of having kids around but it’s always wonderful to put us in somebody’s childhood.

See how happy I was at the Toy Museum? I was totally a big child there!

7. Be An Initiator in Your Social Network

We are in need to communicate daily. Whenever I’m on a social media site, I look forward to the engaging conversations. That’s how I like to treat blog commenting as well. I may not be the best writer or grammatically impressive, but I will try to express my thoughts in words that people can understand. To reach out first has earned me friendships and learning opportunities. Never be afraid to make mistakes for it’s a chance to be better.

Root of Inspirations:

When I was riding the Singapore Flyer, my husband and I were greeted by this friendly couple from England, Mr and Mrs Potter. Mr Potter was kind enough to offer us a hand in photo taking. Later we had a nice 10 minutes conversation before we landed. It was a pleasant experience! On my way back to Penang Island, I sat beside a couple from South Carolina, US. We talked briefly and wish each other happy holidays before getting off the plane. It’s fantastic when we get to practice what we preach online about social networking.

Last and most importantly,

8. Treat Bad Experience a Learning Point

Perfection is ideal, but how many of us can reach there? We made bad decisions and failed, but who doesn’t? Ask any people who succeed, almost 90% will tell you it’s more than just luck. Failure is discouraging but one can still claim the victory if he’s not been struck down by it. My work had been rejected before. Disappointment is inevitable but you need to get out from the mourning asap. Don’t forget another door opens when one closes. You just earned a second chance to try and be better! How good is that!

Root of Inspirations:

I hurt my back a week ago, painful and hard to sit straight. My laptop left me a blue note and currently on strike for overworked.  Fine! I’m not gonna grumble.  I’ll ease my pain and rest more instead. Spend more time bonding with the kids. Took this pic while Javon was attempting to bake a Strawberry cake. Yum!

Hope this post can turn on your holiday mode! It’s a time to rejoice and be glad. Get ready to wrap up 2009 before starting fresh in 2010!

Now Is Your Turn…

Did you learn something from your vacation as well? Have it told in a post or share with us in your comment below. If you didn’t go anywhere this year, do update us with your work so far. What does your year-end-review tell you?

In the mean time, how about a little love-sharing on social bookmarking sites?

I Can Still Remember Clearly…

It was a scorching hot afternoon, my husband and I were driving our way home from a nearby town. The approximate road distance was about 200 km.  Since we weren’t in a hurry, my husband had been maintaining the speed well around 90km/hour.

The two-way traffic was less busier than usual with occasional palm oil trucks passing by. After the winding roads, we turned into a long straight one. Coming from the opposite direction was a taxi, followed closely by a four wheel drive – both with a considerable speed. As we getting closer, suddenly the four wheel drive sped up and drove in our lane! The guy was crazy enough to try overtake the taxi with just 150m distance away from us! My husband honked hard and repeatedly to alert the car with me gripping the car handle tightly. The taxi quickly slowed down to give way. The big car was still half in our lane when my husband hit the break and steered into the side road immediately with limited space. I could feel my heart racing like mad when the reckless driver drove past us in minor distance! Close call!

This wasn’t the first time we had a near death experience. A land cruiser rammed into us last year and I still freaked out when thought about it.  Not a day goes by when we don’t feel grateful about being alive.

Treasure Your Life: Even The Smallest Thing Counts

There are many times in life I grumbled ‘how unfair life has been! Why can’t I have what others are having?’ It took me a long while to appreciate how fortunate I am to live my very own life. You don’t always need a big incident to tell you how blessed to be just YOU. Life is not a bed of roses, but it’s not all thorns either. Comparing ourselves to those unfortunate ones who have no love, no food, no education, no home,  no peace…  how one has the heart to complaint? Why can’t  we see our glasses being half full instead of half empty? Envy, greed, selfishness and other negative thoughts enough to confine us in a grumpy mood, what more an unsatisfactory life?

Recently I had an inspirational read of Regina’s 50 Timeless Life Lessons in which I learned a great deal about contentment. How I should be grateful about being enough, treasure my family more and people I met along the way. Life is too short for grumbles. If we can all learn to be appreciative for the smallest things in life, our perspective about ‘not having enough’ can be changed tremendously.

Ways To Spend Thanksgiving Differently On Social Media

For those who are reading this, you are owning a powerful asset  – social media to spread this wonderful spirit among your network. It’s a moment to really think about Giving instead of Receiving all the time:

• Post about Awareness Months & Thanksgiving ideas to create awareness among others.
• Promote meaningful and inspirational posts via social media bookmarking sites.
• Make an effort to comment as a way to support writer’s effort and hard work.
• Promote users on Facebook by sharing selective tweets when necessary. I acknowledge my Facebook fan by Weekly Selected Posts or occasional tweet about their latest posts in my Facebook Page and Twitter.
• Join Tweetsgiving today and share your story within your network. It’s an annual occasion with wonderful events you can take part in.
• Other References: Top 5 To-Do’s for the Gratitude Season.

It’s time to give back. If not financially, a prayer, a post or a shout out in social media can make a huge difference in people’s lives. We spent too much time worrying about personal matters; our eyes are constantly upon ourselves that we forgot the compassion we should have for others in need. Let’s try to be observant and caring, share the message about love and gratitude today. One Small Step for Us, a Big Step in Humanity.

This post was created as part of a global groundswell of gratitude called TweetsGiving. The celebration, created by US nonprofit Epic Change, is an experiment in social innovation that seeks to change the world through the power of gratitude. I hope you’ll visit the TweetsGiving site to learn more, and to bring your grateful heart to the party by sharing your gratitude, and giving in honor of that for which you’re most thankful.

You only get just one time around, you only get one shot at this. One chance to find out the one thing that you don’t wanna miss. One day when it’s all said and done, I hope you see that it was enough. This one ride, one try, one life to love… ”

What’s going through your mind right now? Have you ever thought of what matters the most in your life when things are all said and done?

These stories are familiar ones, it could be me or you. Why not just relax your mind, bear with me for another 4 minutes by taking a glimpse of the clip below. Try to put on your headset/earphone when you do. I fall in love with this song the first time I heard it on finetune, take a listen, and maybe have some thoughts about it all…

And yes, the stories above, were the lyrics.

One Life To Live, To Try, and To Love.

Wolmido (Wolmi Island)

Hopped on the ferry, as you can see it was still quite dark around. By the time we reached the dock, everyone was excited to check out this beautiful island. Long ago, Wolmido was just only a small island, separeted from the land ‘Icheon’ (??), but as the road-constructions continued,the two places connected, which makes Wolmido another dwelling place for Koreans. We were told Wolmido is famous for its beautiful seaview. We enjoyed the seabreeze while strolling along the pathway. We enjoyed the tranquility, watching the boats/ferry sailing afar. The street looked vacant in the pic, since it was only around 7a.m. then, which is why no pirate ship for us too.

Cheongwadae & Monument

The office of the President (the Republic of South Korea). If you translate the meaning literally from its Korean name ~ ‘The House of the blue roof tiles’. We were only able to admire it from afar, while taking pictures with the monuments laid in front of it. Lots of guards/police were there monitoring the traffic while make sure the visitors were in a safe distance from the palace. See the mountain behind us? It’s situated on the north side of Seoul. The tour guide told us that’s the Feng-Shui mountain, which is why the President residence is just around the area.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

What fascinates me was the modern side of Seoul at one side; while the traditional palace at another – the beauty of contrast! I had alot of fun visiting this magnificent palace, the structures reminded me alot of the Forbidden City in China. The palace is like a maze, with quarters looked very similar to one another. Each building structure and position are well planned, and has its very own special meaning. It was fascinating to learn the How’s and Why’s, while imagining the history in our heads. Since most parts of the palace were torn down during Japanese invasions, thus the effort of restoration had been ongoing since 1990 until today.

Copyright © 2009 by Wong Ching Ya, All Rights Reserved, “Korea Tour (3): Island, Palace & FIFA!“

– All KOR trip slideshows were removed after WP migration –

This is probably one of the most dreaded issues for young couples – the lost of an energetic life and the passion they have for each other that fades after the reality show begins. Which is why we have a modern saying that goes like this “????????”, meaning the grave is where the love shall lead to after marriage. That shouldn’t be the case at all!

Revolutionary Road is actually a very insightful and thoughtful film for every married/about-to-marry couples. Of course, we might have more things to worry about after married, the bread, the kids, the financial status…But, bear in mind, marriage/family should be the first thing you worry about, as if the foundation collapses, I doubt that anything else would seem mattered anymore. Marriage doesn’t have to be dull and lifeless, the fact that it needs the collaboration of 2 people to work things out. Easier said than done? It is.

Here’s a little reminder from Revolutionary Road:

- Be and stay as the person whom your spouse fell in love with,

(who knows?)

Difficult? How about just take him/her to somewhere you used to date/hang out; grab an ice cream cone together and take a walk at the park; Or a romantic walk at the beach.

What’s your secret of keeping the marriage alive?

Copyright © 2009 by Wong Ching Ya, All Rights Reserved, “Revolutionary Road of Marriage“

The Venue: Gangchon Ski Resort, Gangwon-do. (???)
Date: 25, December 2008

70% of our tour members, great people, very outgoing!

Obviously, I was, still am, crazy about skiing. Totally a rookie, and fell down quite several times on the fluffy snow. NO complaints!! Since it’s a dream come true!

Korea has numerous skiing resorts, and Gangchon Ski Resort is one of them that situated quite near to Seoul. We went for skiing on the Christmas Day! Yay! One of the best present ever!

About 60% of the group joined in the skiing experience and we spent almost 5 hours there. The eldest couple in our group who almost/in their 60’s, was unexpectedly sporting. Although they didn’t ski, but they kept urging us to try out different slopes around, while helping us to take several snapshots. In fact, they claimed if they were younger, they would definitely try whatever things they had their hands on. I love their spirit! Thanks Jane, you guys are awesome.

Us, Michelle & her mom

If you’re a ski enthusiast, big possibility you’re going to enjoy gliding down from the long slopes, not only for the speed, but for a wide view of the natural scenery there as well. I didn’t get to climb too high up, but enjoyed the lower, long slope 100%! Just beware not to run into anybody else, especially little kids! Although the tour guide did mischievously advice,

“Saw any cute girl/guy? Just went for it, and hug her/him!” Well, maybe just the beginner slopes. Ha…

You bet there’s gonna be a next time!

Copyright © 2009 by Wong Ching Ya, All Rights Reserved, “KOREA TOUR (2): Gangchon Ski Resort“.

– All KOR trip slideshows were removed after WP migration –

Main attraction: ~ Metasequoia path; beautiful landscape, breathtaking mountain views & pine trees.

The ferry ride took us about 5 minutes before we reached the anticipated Nami island. Although I’m not a big fan of the show, but I’ve always wanted to see that Metasequoia path with my own eyes! And there it is, right in front.. or, behind me. ^^ Beautiful!

You know what? It reminds me much of Langkawi Legend Park, Malaysia. Check this out, what are the odds?

Alright, back to South Korea, shall we?

We enjoyed the view while strolling down the romantic path, and there are wooden picnic tables with benches along the way. It is a long redwood-lined road, also known as Metasequoia. It was Christmas Eve, families & couples were there, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, with beautiful melody (music) in the air. It’s not really a big island, but we didn’t get to finish visiting every corner of it. We were just too excited playing with the snow mostly, and throwing snow balls at each other. hihi..

Along the path, there are other attractions as well:

Bicycle Rental ~ for people to cycle around, and playing with the scooters along the way, if you’re tired of walking that is. Did I mention it’s a LONG walk?

International Children’s Book Exhibition (and culture) ~ it’s a yearly function, so I heard. We were lucky enough to have a glimpse of it, and some beautiful snapshots of Nami Island were displayed, in different seasons.

Unicef Hall (Exhibitions) ~ using adorable, soft toy bears to depict Korean culture, while conveying the UNICEF message to the public/tourists.

Then we got all excited when it started to snow!! Even just a little bit, but the feeling was invigorating!!

At night, we went to a famous shopping street in Chuncheon (????), also appears as one of the filming site for Winter Sonata.

Just so you know, before the drama-shooting, this place was not even close of being a popular tourist spot. Guess the entertainment business paid off! Now, it’s a must-go for the fans of Winter Sonata. Even if you’re not, like me, you would still be amazed with what it has to offer.

See you in Korea Tour (2)! ^^

Copyright © 2009 by Wong Ching Ya, All Rights Reserved, “KOREA TOUR (1): Naminara Island/ Namiseom Island (???)“.

– All KOR trip slideshows were removed after WP migration –

Kam Heong Chicken Rice – Hot & Spicy

Black Pepper Chicken Rice

Singapore Fried Bee Hoon (Seafood)

Mee Goreng (Fried Mee) Seafood

Oh, not this one! Its price is reasonable, one of my favourite lunch choices! ????? (mi zhi fei mao tui) – a type of chicken rice as well. (Not that I adore chicken rice that much, it was merely coincidence)

A little close up, maybe?

the supreme Lamp Chop

I didn’t order this. Just for the record.

Copyright © 2009 by Wong Ching Ya, All Rights Reserved, “Something Savoury?“.

Ever since I started working, and have a life of my own, I don’t really bother about the word ‘resolutions’, except when my (LCD) screen display looks funny with strange colors/layouts, then I probably need to get its ‘resolution’ fixed immediately. Part of the reasons is maybe due to the ever-increasingly ‘I Hope I Can… … in the new year ‘, and the failings of achieving them made me even more miserable in the end. So, I’m getting the same old question for next consecutive years until, God knows when. Face it, it’s no kid’s play anymore. Perhaps I’m just taking it too seriously, but aren’t we supposed to? So, I figured what’s best for me, is to set an ultimate goal(s) for myself, and I will have a progressing check on it in certain time frames, and set a new challenge/target for it accordingly. I like to be encouraged by its on-going, progressive results, and then decide how shall I go about from there to have better chance of nailing it in the end. So, basically it’s all about the WordPlay, and I chose to have the word ‘Goal(s)’ of life, instead of ‘New Year Resolutions’. And as far as I know now, I’m happy for the way it is.

Copyright © 2009 by Wong Ching Ya, All Rights Reserved, “New Year Resolutions?“.

– video removed due to technical error from WP migration –

Although some of you may not notice my 1 week disappearance from the blogosphere, in fact I did, and today is my official ‘back on the groove’ day, although I am still very much in holiday mode. The play-eat-sleep pretty much took over my holiday, and I practically need to drag myself to ON my laptop just now, gosh, I’m sooo ashamed!! *chuckle*

First of all, let me give you my deepest, sincere gratitude for those who came visiting my blog, and shared with me your kind wishes, comments, wonderful post-contributions over the DEC. You had made this Christmas theme a great success and a meaningful thing to do ! Most importantly, I get to know some great people, with wonderful Christmas spirits & talents in writing, drawing, blogging etc. You guys are amazing! Knowing you all have been a blessing & great joy indeed!

Secondly, I really miss you guys! And my blog! And Prison Break (1 finale out of schedule)! But I won’t lie: I forgot about internet most of the time during my trip.

Thirdly, in case you’re wondering, I was in Korea with my hubby for our Christmas holiday. I’ve always longed for a white Christmas. Although it did not snow much, but I still treasured every single little tiny bit of snow I could put my hands on. The coldest temperature I got there was about -18°C. You bet it was freezing for me! I was all wrapped up like a dumpling! You are most certainly right I’m going to blog about Korea, but I’m not going to smother you with the stories just yet. I’ll make it short, and perhaps 1-2 ‘Korean’ posts weekly. That’ll work fine, don’t you agree?

Alright, time to say hi and visit some of my blogger friends’ pages now. An early Happy New Year to all of you ! Buckled up for 2009!

Copyright © 2008 by Wong Ching Ya, All Rights Reserved, “I’m Back!!!“.