Futsal Thursday Nights at Springers Leisure Centre

{backdated}

Mr. C plays futsal (indoor soccer) on Thursday evenings at Springers Leisure Centre. 

What I find amazing is every week without fail, Mr. C will ask if I would like to follow him and watch his team play. Even knowing that my answer would 95% of the time be a resounding 'No', he still asks. Not just once on Thursday itself but multiple times throughout a day.

Yes, it can be annoying to a degree but his perseverence just astounds me. And even when I've said, 'no' once in the morning, he might try his luck again on the way home without missing a beat, without being upset with my rejection, without being impatient and asked me hopefully to follow him for futsal.

Sometimes, I'll give in to his hopeful, sad puppy look. Like last night.

The team has come a long way from when it first started last year. At the beginning, it was a mismatch of team members. Some did not know how to play or had never played much but join for the week just to help Mr. C out in filling the numbers to make a team.

However, as the weeks and months passed, he slowly gained a few keen joiners to the team who actually do play futsal as a hobby and passion bringing their skills to the table. Josh, my former Form 4 & 5 classmate was one of them. Then, there is JL, the hubby of my uni mate, Kitt. Both Malaysians who had migrated to Melbourne. 

Then, there is Vboy, a Vietnamese born in Melbourne whom Mr. C met at Springers itself. Somehow they got to talking and he must like Mr. C's friendly demeanor because he joined the team. Gyuri (a nickname) another Aussie (the guy in no.3 jersey in Picture 3 above who shoved his butt in front of my camera just as I clicked the shutter button). Mr. C met him from his Tuesday night futsal matches near home. Once again, it must be Mr. C's pleasant outlook because they got to talking and Gyuri played a couple of matches with Mr. C's team on Thursday nights and eventually became another solid member.

A, PRC colleague has been part of the team from day one. A man of few words, couple of months down the track, he was looking to quit the team. As mentioned earlier, before Josh, JL, Vboy and Gyuri joined, many of the earlier team members were just there as a favour to Mr. C and couldn't really play. Every week, the team was losing consistantly.

I think I will be an Asian mother in future when I have kids 'cos I'll always jokingly tell Mr. C not to come home if he didn't' win the match hoping to spur or motivate him to play better and perhaps score a victory for the team. It is a good thing that Mr. C ignored my joke as they just didn't make it week after week.

But the past season, they have been playing well and it's only a matter of time before they win a medal.

So, lesson learnt, no matter what you do and in everything that you do, persevere and keep forging on. Don't blame life or God or someone or something else when things fail. Failure is part and parcel of life. Everyone goes through failures. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's not a cliche, it's the truth. 

And once you are done sulking about your mishaps, pick yourself up and try again. Keep trying till you succeed. With all the attempts, you are bound to succeed. Chin up and keep on going! :)

Moving forward

Every time I fall, I try to pick myself up. I tell myself, it's ok. What's done is done. No point crying over spilt milk. Every day is a brand new day. A clean slate. A fresh start. Let the negativity go and may the positivity flow in. Thinking happy thoughts isn't easy especially to one that is pessimistic by nature.

Think about it... who ever wants to be sad and miserable?

Who likes to think of only the bad stuff that snuff out the sunshine in our lives? 

That's just it. NOBODY.

So, the next time you have a friend or family that's down and upset, don't go saying "chill la..." "relax.." "don't be so sad" "don't be negative". Often times, people just need a few words of encouragement. A hug. A shoulder to cry on. A listening ear.

Not a criticising, best-of-intentions-ill-advised, holier-than-thou friend.

When we're down, it's easy to let the hurt, disappointment and pain gnaw at our insides. Because at that point, we're at our lowest. Our most susceptible and vulnerable moment. However, that's just part and parcel of life. 

We will go through all sorts of trials and tribulations throughout our life. When we're kids, we have exams to contend our little minds with. In Uni, it's all about assignments, exams and the usual peer pressure coupled with boy girl relationship issues. As we enter the working world, it's all about deadlines and if you are unfortunate, crazy bosses.

But despite it all, what doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. And a positive attitude / mindset will really help one to go a looooong way. You only live once means live life to the fullest not do stupid things that you will regret forever. Never take anyone or anything forgranted. Let bygones be bygones. No one is perfect and to err is human. Forgive others even if they don't deserve it. Love your neighbours as you love yourself and do unto others as you want others to do unto you.

Never give up. If you have goals and dreams, pursue to them to the very end. What you sow, you will reap. Life is all about experiences and learning and growing. God never gives us more than we can deal with even when we think we are stretched too far, we still can cope.

Somehow, with Him, it's possible. Moving forward is possible. Being happy and free is possible. :)

TGIF and fat me

One thing to be glad of the whole week- it's Friday. The weekend officially begins!

I have been blue the whole week signalling that annoys-me-to-no-end time of the month. I hate it when I am blue for no particular reason. Doesn't make sense but it makes me blue about everything else; life, work, friends (or lack of) or lack of communication from them etc.

Fret not. I'll be fine by mid next week. Hopefully.

But with this moody broody feelings, I always feel bloated, fat and ugly.

What's new, right? Reckon it comes with the territory.

It's one thing to feel fat and to know that I've packed on a few kilograms, it's a totally different level when my blur-about-these-kind-of-things hubby asks me if I've put on a little bit of weight as he inspects my thigh.

He's lucky I didn't punch him there and then. I would have had the perfect alibi anyway... crazy hormones. ;p

Oh well, time to cut down on my sugar, again and start three times a week exercise. To start, I shall be trying out Zumba on Wednesday with two colleagues. This should be interesting. Hope it turns out to be a long term endeavour in my bid to shed some weight.

Conversation #7 at Dandenong Market

 

 

 

On a hot Saturday at Dandenong Market, we were so thirsty we just had to have a drink.

Mr. C : What do you want to drink?

Me : Can I have the Immune Booster without the apple and lemon?

Mr. C : @_@"

The benefits of meditation

 

I have been remissed in my meditation on God and His word. Gosh. Just like that, it's almost the end of January of 2013!! Got to buck up and do something about it eh...

Be strong and forge on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Rules to live by

Since I fail to put how I feel into my own words, I leave you the wise sayings of others that makes a whole lot of sense and essentially says what I think about on a daily basis; things I know I should do with or without, the mindset I should have and do try on my good days.

I reckon most of us knows all these rules we should live by to make our life easier and breathable but once again, human nature is anything but simple. We live and breathe complexity and chaos, and if it doesn't kill us, it makes us stronger. 

It makes us, us.

Golden Rules 

 If you open it, close it.

 If you turn it on, turn it off. 

 If you unlock it, lock it up. 

 If you break it, admit it. 

 If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can. 

 If you borrow it, return it. 

 If you value it, take care of it. 

 If you make a mess, clean it up. 

 If you move it, put it back. 

 If it belongs to someone else and you want to use, get permission. 

 If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone. 

 If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions. 

 If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

 If it will brighten someone’s day, say it. 

If it will tarnish someone’s reputation, keep it to yourself. 

~ Author Unknown~

Random ramblings

2011 was a beautiful year in the sense, I really see God working in my life. I felt a change from 2010. I felt improved, renewed and was moving forward. 2012 somehow seems to be lacking. I feel as if nothing has changed. Things haven't changed. 

I know I could be better. I know I can be better. But I am not. Every once in awhile, I need a push, a shove, or some words or act of encouragement. I need motivation. I need to feel inspired. 

My love for photography and blogging seems to have wane for now. I've lost the oomph to take photos, I lost the excitement to blog. Hence, sparse posts this past year. 

Maybe it is because, 2012, I did not make any resolutions. What with the hullabaloo of wedding planning and the ceremony last year, I didn't managed to sit and reflect on 2011 and plan for 2012. I keep saying I will and I kept putting it off.

Look at us now. It's August. 2/3 of the year gone. Just like that.

Every time I fall, I pick myself up, eventually. However, I would really give anything not to fall. Because, when I fall, I get hurt, I get injured. I gets scrapes and cuts. And this takes time to heal. Healing process is never speedy. And I am not talking about physical wounds.

Do you ever worry about money? About where you're headed in life? Do you ever doubt yourself? Or wonder if you're doing what you're meant to be doing? Or perhaps, your destiny is still awaiting you to find it?

We all wish and hope for our fairytale story but that's just it, isn't it? Fairy tales and reality don't go hand in hand. Life is full of ups and downs. It can never be up all the time. 

It's about constant struggles and never giving up. It's about always pushing ourselves to be the best that we can be. It's not about making excuses. It's not about blaming others. 

It's about us and all those around us; the choices we have and the decisions we make. To err is human. If we make a mistake or many, it's not the end of the world. Let it be a lesson and learnt from it. 

Next step would be to let go and move forward. Dwelling on the past and things that are no longer in our control is useless and pointless. It's the next step we take that counts and determines our future. 

At the end of the day, we just got to tell ourselves that no matter where we are, who we are and what we do.. everything's gonna be alright. And it will be, it's just a matter of when.

Love and life

Are you ready for a long, thought filling post? If you're not, then, it's best to click the little 'x' at the top right corner. If not, buckle up... I wanted to update my blog and as usual, my thoughts aren't exactly coherently organised. So, do bear with me. 

Each and everyone of us love and crave to be loved. However, due to human nature, we tend to complicate everything, even love. 

If one is in a happy and non-complicated relationship, it eventually bores them with the lack of thrills and excitement. 

On the other hand, being in a volatile relationship can be disastrous and scarring for ones mental mind eventually leading to the inevitable separation of both parties.

Some people are fortunate to meet their soul mates in their partner. Most often, we don't. I think ideally, it is great to be with a partner who understands, empathises and inspires, if not, at least, bring out the better side in you.

Mr. C and I, unfortunately, don't seem to be either of those. Despite that  coupled with our differences and incompatibilities, our relationship somehow works. And that is reality. Not Prince Charming, not Mr. Right. Those two gentlemen and happy endings that we see in Hollywood movies just aren't the realities of our world. 

BUT if you do so happen to have at least one of those three 'dreams', then good on you! Treasure what you have and don't wait to lose it to only realise the full depths of your loss.

In every boy girl relationship, even with similarities, there are bound to be differences. The magnitude of the differences and how one handles it determines the fate of the relationship. I reckon, when one is young ie teens or uni years, one may lack the maturity and life experience to handle situations well.

When we learn to accept and overcome arguments, situations and whatever obstacles life throws at us (sometimes, we are the guilty party putting ourselves in that position), it builds our character, who we are. 

If one has a pretty smooth sailing life with few worries, stress or tension, it doesn't mean that person lacks character. One just may not be as well equipped as someone who has been through it all.

 

These days, true and sincere love is hard to find. People are selfish and tend to think of 'me, myself and I'. It's not what I can do for others but what others can do for me. If we say we love someone, do we mean it? Or is it just said in the heat of passion? 

Age old question: can we differentiate between love and lust?

Being in Australia, I noticed that sex is talked about much and in mainstream media. In movies and series, news and documentaries, the radio, it's all about sex, sex, sex. Even if you're not interested, it's pretty much in your face. The way of dressing, how people carry themselves, it oozes with sensuality.

One night stands are a norm. Divorces and separation are probably more common than healthy marriages. In fact, don't be surprised but people no longer deem it necessary to officiate and legalise their relationship in holy matrimony. 

To them, it's just a piece of paper. 

To them, why bother marrying if it limits a person. Why bother marrying if people eventually fall out of love?

I think, God really had it right. Having premarital sex is definitely not ideally. This is just my opinion. Me, thinking out loud. You may think me old school (and perhaps I am, for thinking so) but the idea of love making is just that, to create intimacy between couples. With that intimacy, it brings couples closer. 

However, when intimacy is trust upon a couple who aren't ready, then, things tend to spiral out of control. And most cases, people have sex not because of their love for one another but just because the heat of the moment. One kiss leads to another and from first base, it's next to second.

It is not the main criteria of a successful and happy relationship, that's for sure. And that is why God meant for it to be between a husband and a wife. We live in a time where the message is to 'just do it', to go with ones feelings and to hell with the consequences.

But with every decisions, choices and path we take, we inevitably have to live the consequences. 

 

 

When we are a child, our world is less complicated. Everything is black and white. Right and wrong is as clear as day and night. However, as we grow and step into adulthood, we stepped into a world full of grey areas. We justify the wrongs we do till they are right. 

Nothing is as simple as 1, 2, 3 anymore. We no longer have to contend with eat, sleep and homework only. People fall in and out of love and change partners like changing clothes. Cheating on ones partner is hardly news. 

Just yesterday, news broke about Kirsten Steward's infidelity and Robert Pattinson moving out. Anyways, I think it's between the two of them and we do not know all the facts. Besides, to err is human.

Nevertheless, I think, it will BE news if Hollywood couples can survive their first and only healthy, happy marriage that was meant to be 'until death do us apart'.

That being said, my life view used to be black and white. Cheating is wrong, no excuses. Now, I still say that cheating is wrong but I have come to realise that it often happens for a reason, if not many. 

An unhappy and unfulfilled relationship is usually the cause. But like I've said in pasts posts, people engage in promiscuity just 'cos they can and because it gives them excitement. With modern times and the many opportunities available, instead of working things out, we take the easy way out, by cheating or breaking up.

To get good returns, we must invest. To have a good career, we must invest in good education. And just like everything else in life, to have good relationship, we need to work hard. We need to invest time, effort, understanding and lots of patience.

And it never gets easier. It's constant hard work. Anything good usually requires hard, honest work. It is true that sometimes, we do fall in love with someone who isn't necessarily right for us. And at times, we end up with someone who isn't our one true love (if you believe in all that jazz) but it doesn't mean the relationship can't work out.

It only means that both parties need to decide if the other is worth the effort. I can't say it any plainer than the next image below.

10 thoughts for the week

Thoughts swirling in my mind off late.

#1 It's already July and am still jobless (in a paying sense).

#2 Will I find a church to settle in? I want to know God more but I don't know how.

#3 Perpetual feeling of living in a television series. At least watching series, I get the jokes and storyline.

#4 I miss company back home and everything familiar.

#5 I think, I am not that great or nice a person. If I am, where's my friends?

#6 I am meant to be a stay home bum 'cos I miss my sleep in days and especially when everyday was weekends to me with no worries about work and I could bake, read books, blog and surf the net.

#7 Why do my ideas for blogging only kick in at night just when I am about to nod off to sleep??!

#8 I am a fatty and have been for the longest times. No one to blame but myself especially when I succumb to chocolates and chips. :(

#9 Why do I struggle so much to wake up in the morning? and If I know I need my sleep, why do I sleep so late at night?

#10 Why can't I come up with creative and inspiring ideas?

The upset me of today

That's rather true.. I'll be bruised.

I want to but I don't know how to, makes sense?

  

 

Sometimes, good intentions are redundant when no one sees it

All these sayings and quotes are what I should tell myself every single day. Especially on days I feel this way, right now. Have you ever tell yourself you're going to change and you really do try to but somehow, nothing changes? 

Well, that's been me for this past week. Heck, maybe for the past 6 months!! I've been struggling and struggling and struggling and its eating into me. Someone said that she'll come and help but she's come and gone and nothing's changed.

I KNOW I have to change. I tell myself I HAVE to change. That things have to change. But everything is pretty much the same as before, only worst. Well, in my opinion that is.

Don't you hate it when this happen? You tell yourself.. ok, tomorrow is a new day, I'll do better. But when the day comes, you repeat the same mistakes or struggle to stay true to your word. It frustrates me to the core... it upsets me. It erodes what little confidence I have left in myself. Even the simplest thing, I doubt my capability to see it through.

Just a simple thing and I can't even do it. And that one thing leads to another, and before you know it, it's a mountainous of things not done that should've been done ages back. 

Everyone's moving on with their lives. People my age, my ex-colleagues are mostly now at management position. They go travelling, have cars, houses, babies and most people seem to have a support group.. people to call  their very own people. 

I was part of those people's journey so, why do I feel like I was never there in the first place? Why do I  care so bloody much, investing myself when nobody seems to care? Why do I bother the extra mile when no one gives a fig? Most times, it feels like a superheroes' powers; a gift and yet a curse, only in my case, it's not a super power.

But I just got to tell myself that...

 

 

And it's true, I should sleep less. I LOVE my sleep. Mr. C is amazed at the amount of hours I can sleep. Now that I am working part time, I miss my sleep. I miss my 'bumming' days. I miss my stay home days. But perhaps, inactivity is bad. 

There really is so much to do but this past few months, I seem to have lost my mojo to blog/write and even taking pictures. I hardly ever take pictures unless I am using my Sammie2. Even then, the poor quality frustrates me. Things I used to love, I seem to have fallen out of love for them.

Maybe it's depression.. or patheticness or whatever you want to call it. Whatever it may be, there's no one to deal with it but myself. It's true, nobody really gives a rat ass if you're  miserable. And if they do, I don't hear or see them. 

At the end of the day, it's always to say and think about all these beautiful quotes but to really live them? Now, that's a worthy challenge. But with the simplest thing I fail to even muster the strength to do, I can only pray and ask for divine intervention. 

When the day ends and the months lead to years, there is so much a person can do on their very own strength. And if we rely on our self, there will be a breaking point. It's just a matter of when. 

Despite my unfaithfulness, God is every faithful. Despite my questionings and whinging, God's still there, watching over me. I want what I want but I admit, I don't put the effort required to have it. And it's still an ongoing struggle to put my trust in Him, to continually walk and talk to Him. 

Maybe that's why, things happen. They happen for many reasons if not, just one. It's what we want to see and make of it and do about it. So, time to challenge myself and not be afraid to explore.