The Unfinished Chapter

Life's a book.

Reading is about discovering. Life is full of new experience - like how you explore in a new book. There are tons of books when you go into the bookstore. Which one should I pick from bookshelf? Which section should I go to? Science / Fiction / Art / Cultural / Travel? What you read reflect your taste, your hobbies, your lifestyles...

Okay fine, after you pick the book which you are fascinated in, you'll start to read it thru... If that's boring, put it back, go for another one quickly. Like finding your Mr / Miss Right - same process, hunt and find - til you get your favorite book.

Once you enjoy reading it, congrats! At least you pick an intriguing one. Can you finish it? Recently I'm starting to read my old book "The Little Women". I have no idea why does it take ages for me to nail it. I try to read it during my commuting time. Unfortunately still unable to finish it for a month time. However, when I pick up the same book (well actually not the same edition, cover is different though but the content the same). I feel myself more interested in reading it. That's sounds weird cos they are the same nominally.

Why is there a difference - I start to ask myself this question, I'd say the context isn't identical. But will it strike such a huge alteration? It could because of the scared resources. You need to pay in order to read it in a bookstore, instead of free reading on the bus / subway. If it's a free good, will you still interested to finish it? Maybe yes if the book itself is fascinating, vice versa.

If you meet someone, you might find him / her not that interesting. Like the old book I read. On top of that, even the same person, in different context, the feeling towards different people could be varied. Some books or some chapters you could never finish it - not only because of its content, but due to the time, the circumstances, the experience, most importantly the people, so many factors affecting.

What does matter is have you try to explore around and finish it? If so, there's no regrets - at least you've tried, even it didn't work out sometimes.

Do you still remember the unfinished chapter of your book?

I wish our life has no filter

I wish our life is like facebook.

I wish our life has no filter.

People nowadays are too obsessed with social media & their phones. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter... you name it.

How many of these posts or photos on social media are reflected? From a psychological point of view, social media is projecting an "ideal self" of users. Ideal in a way that you will touch up your photo, always uploading travel photos & being a foodie... some might upload pictures of some trivial side like taking medicine, or staying in hospital... in which they treat social media as a way of drawing public attention or a record of their life. Sadly I do not get that behavior. 

Anyhow, ultimately people tend to twist a bit of their life when they upload those photos - high contrast/tone up / make it colorful... most importantly, beautify effect! It gives better-quality photos after applying the filter. It's like giving a different mood. Sometimes even a different look than your real self. After we applied those filters, there's a new projection or mood. It's like giving you a fantasy in your life. How much true color yourself you are willing to share with others after we apply those filters?

I wonder if we can live in a world where there's no filter. Just enjoying a disconnected & non-filtered human life, can we? My experience of traveling abroad without a smartphone is way more happy & relaxing. That's the true life without filter, without caring what others think about you - reflecting the "true self". Plus if we don't blur and touch up the photo, it's way more natural and real. Sometimes blurriness can be moody but still not reflect the true side of yourself.

Try to upload raw pictures or disconnect yourself today.
That's the way it is - detox in social media!

No filter, no mask, no covering.


Read further >
The Psychology Of Social Media: How Our Online Lives Are Harming Real-Life Happiness

Define yourself by what you love

You're what you eat. That can be easily understood.

You're what you love. That can be explored - in different ways.

What kind of food do you enjoy? Or you aren't a foodie at all? What movie or music do you love? What kind of sports do you play? What kind of books do you read? Where will you go for traveling? Who is your dream girl/guy?



We all grown up in different parts of the world, the world is unfair sadly. If you could read this blog, that means you are a fortunate one already, as you live in a civilized place. Anyhow, people grow up with different educational backgrounds which makes them behave differently - enjoy different kinds of music, indoor / outdoor, introvert / extrovert, live the moment / well-planner... The fundamental difference lies in their cultural thinking. You may find your friends enjoy different lifestyles, some of them may enjoy traveling to dangerous places & step out. Another risk adverser may stay in the same position for many years and dun see a problem in themselves not growing - which is sad.

In terms of cultural differences, I do see diversification in different people perceiving in an interesting way. Like coping with vast situations, dealing with multi-cultural people, I beg you can think of the different scenarios of your friends / workmates behaving differently. Brand risks can often be easily be solved by slick PR marketing. If you're wise enough in dealing with human conflicts, quarrels can't bother you. Social media is getting important as well as public relations. how you deal with these situations implies who you are.

If you are still interested in reading this blog or other media like books/magazines, big congrats to you. That means you're civilized. People nowadays are too obsessed with video. Few people do read. No wonder it is said that the press industry is like a dawn business. Yes, it's tough for creative people who enjoy reading. But I still believe you’re what you read. Reading can nurture you.

Let’s define yourself by doing something that you enjoy most!

Life's a one way train

Are you ambitious enough to live your life?

If yes, congrats because you live once and there’s no regrets in your life.

Are you ambitious to bring yourself to the next level?

It means a breakthrough of yourself, by all means - not stay in the same position and don't progress at all - though many people would play safe and stay in their comfort zone for many years. You may say they are just living spontaneously. Of course there is nothing wrong with what they do, it’s just a matter of choice only.

What’s the meaning of life?

If you ask me, I’d say challenge yourself everyday, keep improving yourself and enjoy the satisfaction while taking up new challenges. Never look back & regret what you do - as long as you follow your heart - there’s nothing to be afraid or unsure. You only live once, just do what you want & step out of your comfort zone. Don’t let yourself regret - no matter what the result is - at least you've tried!

Life is a one way train heading to different directions. You are the driver who route the path which you want your destination to be. Which ticket you buy depends on where you're going to. Get the right one way ticket & dun look back.

Which one way ticket are you going to buy?

Do I make it look easy?

Life is... the harder you try, the better you get. I always believe if you pay a greater effort in achieving something, you will treasure it more. Same logic for a luxury gift, job and love?

Girls always play hard to get. That's the thinking of some guys. Well, I'm not gonna deny it. Some girls do enjoy playing the game. But that isn't me. If I fall in love, I always drown myself into it. I hate playing tricks - though some girls do enjoy having fun in it.

Someone said love is a game - the loser is the one who fall in love first. Maybe I can't control myself to be the loser sometimes. But still, I always follow my heart, at least I'm true to myself.

Do I make the game look easy? Or should it make it difficult - but why? If you fall in love with someone, why should I challenge him? Just to make him memorable? Make sure he's spending much effort in pleasing me?

Sometimes I do afraid to be the loser - maybe simply because I'm afraid to lose - not only him, but the courage to love again.

Maybe the easier way is to find someone who loves you more than you love him / her? But the point is - how do you measure / judge it? Maybe that's the magic of this game, it's uncountable & unpredictable, that's why so many of us still indulge ourselves into it.

 

My secret recipe / Moroccan couscous salad

Need some quick fix starch? This recipe is perfect for you!

ingredients (serve for 2 ppl)
couscous                                     150 g
kidney bean                                1 can
avocado                                      2 pcs
tomato                                        1 pc
tuna                                            1 pc
                                  

seasoning
olive oil                             1 tablespoon
tomato puree                     2 tablespoon
lemon juice                       1 teaspoon


method 
1) boil 200 g of water, pour it into a bowl of couscous
2) cover the couscous with plastic wrap, wait for 5-10 mins
3) remove the lid, fork into the couscous and mix it with tomato puree, olive oil & lemon juice
4) chop the tomato into small pieces, mix it with kidney bean, avocado & tuna
5) season it with salt, pepper & cheese powder


small tips
don't add too much water into the couscous,
remember the golden ratio of couscous : water = 1 : 1 1/2

My secret recipe / Taiwanese pancake

Time to try some Taiwanese pancake! It's salty, crispy, easy & yummy of course!


ingredients (serve for 2 ppl)
Taiwanese pancake                   2 pcs
crispy seaweed                          2 pcs
egg                                           2 pcs  
                                  

toppings
scallion                        as you like
pork floss                     1 tablespoon


method 
1) heat the Taiwanese pancake with some cooking oil until it's crispy
2) fry an egg, put it above of the seaweed
3) add and scallion on top, wrap it and cut it into half


small tips
I simply brought a package of Taiwanese pancake in supermaket instead of rolling it for my own to save time & effort ;)

The Golden Formula

Chemistry of love is always intriguing...  it's like a new experiment you explore, by trial & error and apply different formula. You never knows the result - Will it be an explosion or not? Success or failure? Enjoying the uncertainty is the key. We are all scientists in the world of life experiment.

Somehow I trust my intuition towards these experiment. I'm an INFJ as mentioned earlier. My gut feeling is what I believe in - to know what the result will be instinctively without any ground reason.

Specifically, I know exactly how does it work out when I meet someone, or even before I meet them. This is fascinating as if I almost have the sixth sense. My instinct does help me in calculating the golden formula in the life experiment. I know exactly which element should I input in and proceed. In this case I won't waste any time to those independent variables.

Did you work out your golden formula yet?

Step out

I love January, it is a brand new start of a year. You seems refreshed yourself by the time, anything bad or unhappy happened in last year, stays in the old times. Here is the new journey begin.

This year I will again challenge myself with a new hobby. Last year I learnt aerobics, Muay Thai boxing and bouldering. I really enjoy doing sports as I don't do it often in the past. Most importantly, I make myself dedicated to this blog - at least publish a article per month. Well, I insist & succeed in doing it for a year. I'm proud of myself in achieving the goal.

The new challenge of the year will be playing the music band. I guess it is much more difficult as it involves team play and persistent practice. No matter what, I do enjoy the process of completing a new challenge.

Step out of your comfort zone, take up a new challenge to yourself in a new year. Once you success, it is like building a better "me", nothing can replace the satisfaction.

Repeating your life is boring, why not doing something different? Not only because it is a new year.
Simply because we should enjoy every single day of our life. Live the moment.

Stepping out of your comfort zone means breaking your own rule too. We used to stick on our way of thinking and working. Try a new way, think in a new way. It might inspire your life.

Ready for a new breakthrough in this new year?