Category Archives: Ponderings & Personal Development

I know the word

Posted in Adult Learning, Hobby/Interest by

I was scrolling down my Spotify list and stopped on this track. I was immediately elated as I realized that I recognise the characters and could read them. I searched for other Mandarin songs on my list and find that I know at least one or two of the characters from the song titles. Honestly, I wouldn’t even know this a month ago. Hence, I am happy that I am making very tiny progress in my Mandarin learning.

Mandarin is hard. But I love it. I don’t how some Instagrammers are able to sit their HSK1 exam in just one month. They seem to be doing it independently just based on apps and study materials they found online. Their brain must be sponges. They could be gifted. I can’t even memorize 20 characters without forgetting them again the next day. I am also keen to learn writing the words because I find that, with digital technology, I am using the pen less than usual. Everything is typed out nowadays. So I guess by practising writing Chinese characters, it would keep my fine motor muscles intact alongside optimising my brain activity.

I found out that HSK1 will be changing its format in December. Damn, I just bought the old textbooks up to HSK4. I am that determined. Anyway, I suppose the goal is to just plough through the pages and learn what I can. I am not competing for anything. This is one of those self-learning activities to hinder dementia. InsyaAllah. And perhaps in the long run, I can read nice Chinese storybooks on my own.

A small nugget of thought

Posted in Everyday Life, Ponderings & Personal Development by

Good mental health does not mean you have to be happy all the time. You must allow yourself to feel sad, angry, stressed out etc. This does not mean I am dismissing those with poor mental health status that could stem from feelings of extreme sorrow, rage etc. Everybody’s reaction towards an event varies, and this could be influenced by their previous experience, knowledge and personality.

Just because someone disagrees with you or their line of thoughts differ, it doesn’t mean it’s toxic. Nevertheless, differences in thought and behaviour does stir one’s emotions to a certain point. But always go back to a baseline where you could just sit and ponder the points. Then, take the good points from the confrontation.

I am not the best human being on earth. I am comprised of both positive and negative traits. Like I’ve always believed in – we can be either a villain or a hero in other people’s stories.

Enough

Posted in Ponderings & Personal Development by

If you live below your means, you will learn to appreciate the simple things in life. Above all, you are preventing yourself from being caught in the never-ending chase for euphoria. If you are able to attain it all, what is stopping you from going beyond? I mean, have you ever come across a movie or real-life event that made you ask, “She has everything; why is she taking drugs?”

When I was a child, eating out at KFC was considered a rare treat. Now that I have kids, having KFC is probably just another dinner meal on a day that this mummy doesn’t feel like cooking. Thus, there is this pressure to go for something more extravagant than KFC to celebrate special occasions. Or perhaps, that would be a time to go back to being simple. Preparing home-cooked meals, serving potlucks and organizing parties at home.

Having life as a pensioner in mind, I am heading in the direction of that. Simple. Not necessarily minimalistic and bland. But living with enough.

Love your family, but live for yourself

Posted in Everyday Life, Ponderings & Personal Development by

Once upon a time, there lived a man who tirelessly worked day and night to provide for his family. His dedication enabled him to accumulate significant wealth and purchase luxurious items for his children. With his fortune, he confidently sent his kids to prestigious schools and treated them to incredible holidays. The man believed wholeheartedly that he was doing everything right by shielding them from life’s hardships.

Time has passed, and his children are now adults. Living a sheltered life has shaped their personalities, leading them to perceive many aspects of life as toxic and misaligned with their values. They now view tasks requiring grit and resilience as challenges that push their boundaries, which they mistakenly see as threats to their mental health. Constructive advice from experienced individuals is often dismissed as condescending and disrespectful of their autonomy. Patience and resilience have become uncommon virtues. It would be surprising if they truly grasp the importance of delayed gratification.

Soon, the wealth passed on from the man to his children is depleting. The kids, unaware of the immense effort that went into acquiring this money and these possessions, treat everything as mere pocket change to be squandered or discarded. Gifts of expensive watches are carelessly sold off, houses are up for grabs, and gaming units are auctioned at a bargain. The man reflects, “What’s the point of saving millions in my bank account and working hard day and night, only for my kids to squander it and sell when they need quick cash?” Had he known this earlier, he would have chosen a different path, refusing to sacrifice his own life for such foolish gains.

Witnessing this first-hand made me realise something. I believe there is a Chinese saying that goes 富不过三代 (fù bù guò sān dài), which literally means “wealth does not pass three generations“. It means that the first generation creates the wealth, the second generation increases the wealth (due to education and building on their parents’ systems and connections), and the third generation- maybe due to decadence or decline- leads to bankruptcy!

While I love my kids, I should teach them how to fish instead of giving them all the fish. It is ok to build on their savings accounts, but keep some of the salary for myself to enjoy as well. I should not withhold myself from the simple joys of life, especially when I can afford it. Go for that movie, buy those pretty jeans and eat that nice steak. Enjoy the coffee and plan for staycations. At the same time, I should teach my kids to be resilient when facing the hard stuff of life.

Recently, I enrolled my daughter in a swimming class. The coaches are Malaysian Chinese. I am fine with that. And I want my daughter to be fine with that too by stepping out of her bubble. Schools have been so segregated nowadays that you hardly see any non-Malay students in Sekolah Kebangsaan. I am hoping that frequent, tiny exposures to people outside her race would make her feel more accustomed to them one day. I understand that learning to swim is already a challenging feat. What’s more, having to learn to communicate with people that you rarely see and interact with daily. I put good faith towards the adults there to help her feel at ease with her lessons and also welcome her into their bubble. It is still a bit hard for her at the moment. She has been saying that she doesn’t want to go, but I am instilling some motivation into her to try her best.

I am teaching her how to fish at the moment. I am not sure if my pep talk is working. She looked like she was holding in her tears. I hope that she can persevere through these 12 weeks of learning and come out as a strong swimmer and with a positive outlook on life.

How to end a relationship

Posted in Ponderings & Personal Development by

Simple. Stop having meals together. Stop celebrating special moments. Relationships require effort. Enjoying food together is one of them.

When you share a meal or a table, you will talk to each other. Or during turbulent moments, you have to brave through the silence. Until someone breaks the ice. If you choose not to participate in a relationship, you eat alone, or you don’t eat at all. Simple, right?

Today is my late mom’s birthday. Before she died, it used to be a time when we, the children, would make time in our busy schedules as young adults to celebrate her. It could be a short weekend lunch at a restaurant or a hotel buffet. Now, it is just a brief moment in our busy lives to pause and recite a doa. The thing is, when we celebrate her birthday, it is not really about her alone. It is also about us coming together as a family to strengthen the relationship as father-son, siblings, mother-son, father-daughter, etc. With her passing, the traditions of celebrating things together somehow died with her. There is still the occasional get-together, but as I’ve mentioned earlier, it takes effort to bring the matter up, discuss and decide on an opening in our life calendar. Guiltily, it is almost always my younger sister, a wonderful mother of 3, an enthusiastic teacher, who is trying to glue all of us together.

So. Yes. That is how we end our relationships between family members, spouses, friends. Stop eating together.