"Men give up property, freedom and even life before they will have the obligation laid on them." - Zora Neale Hurston

"I Won't Give Up"

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No: I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not, and who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up, still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

The only jointless bone in the body is in your throat.

Now its her turn to roll her eyes. xD 

Me: *carrying a baby* See? The baby doesn't mind my stubble. Why should you mind?

Her: *rolls eyes* 

Penguins can jump 6 feet.

And she says the sea-horse on her t-shirt, is called a zebra. *rolls eyes*

Armadillos have four babies at a time, and they are always all the same sex.

Sometimes, it's really amazing what technology can do these days. 

One generation ago, one could only hear a baby's heart beat through a stethescope. Nothing more.

Now, we have ultrasound scans which shows us clearly what the baby is doing in the womb. 

We are able to measure the skin thickness behind the neck, and correlate it for risk of autism. 

We are also able to scan the baby in detail, for any deformities to the limbs and organs. 

Cord blood can be extracted during delivery, and preserved for stem cells. 

Who knows what else the future will bring? 

Sometimes what is, just is. An accident, a cruel twist of fate, a conjunction of forces that could not have been anticipated.

Listening to the speaker talk about the different types of soil, clay and sand, reminded me of my thesis back in my university days.

Reminiscing about the research I did, I can't help but wonder how much I would do different now, with the knowledge I currently have.

Hope is a waking dream. - Aristotle

"To any intelligent being, there is no emotion more important than hope.

Individually or collectively, we must hope that the future will be better than the last, that our offspring, and theirs after them, will be a bit closer to an ideal society, whatever our perception of that might be."

- Drizzt Do'Urden

Well done is better than well said.

My two ever-lasting impressions of Paris:

The crisp, warm smell of bread

and

The mad, mad, mad traffic conditions

The pastries and bread in Paris, are just heavenly. Their enticing smells are never more than one or two streets away, as you stroll down the pavement.

Of course, if your legs can manage it, walking is far more preferable than braving the crazy, disorganized traffic mess that is Paris. You really need skills to drive and wind your way through the chaos of vehicles and blaring horns.

Hybrids cars produce up to 75% less pollution than other vehicles.

Despite being UK, seeing those young faces and hearing that familiar accent, I felt a pang of reminiscence.

All the memories of being a university student came rushing back, threatening to overwhelm me in their wake.

The friendship among us, forged in the independence and solitude of being abroad, still remains, as strong as ever.

What is the peace that an infant might know in it's mother's arms, if not magic? What is love, if not magic?

"To place the measure of a living being's worth above that of another simply because that being wears the same skin color as I, belittles my principles.
The false values embodied in that long-ago vow have no place in my world, in the wide world of countless physical and cultural differences.
It is these very differences that make my journeys exciting, these very differences that put colors and shapes on the universal concept of beauty."
- Drizzt Do'Urden, "The Legacy" by R. A. Salvatore

If every single second could last that much longer, would you hold me... and kiss me again?

For her. ^_^

I close my eyes, I can't stop thinking about you
Crack a smile, I just can't lose
Add another minute
My heart beats to the limit when I'm with you

It takes more water to fill a bathtub than it does to enjoy an average-length shower.

Puny God.

War-On-Flab: D-Day Minus Nine

Best bit of news i have had for quite a while. ^_^

Experience, comfort zone and survival

I believe in going out of your comfort zone. When a person gets too embedded in his comfort zone, he loses his flexibility and adaptability.

Once you're out of your comfort zone and you become stressed, your survival skills kick in and you think of all sorts of ideas to get yourself out of the mess. That's a trait of human beings.

This was what a reservist friend said, that got me thinking and pondering.

""There is nothing 'low' about survival," Mercor contradicted her. As always, his voice was calm, almost placid. "Think of it as experience hard won, Sintara. When you die and are eaten, or when your young hatch from the egg, they will carry forward your memories of this time. No hardship endured is a loss. Someone will learn from it. Someone profits from it.""
- "Dragon Haven" by Robin Hobb

You know that smart-alec in class?

Spring-Butt

That one guy in class that seems to know all the answers, and is jumping out of his/her chair to impress everyone with their knowledge.

Bill is such a spring-butt that he ran to John to let him know the solution.

You learn something everyday. xD

I don’t NEED to compromise my principles, because they don’t have the slightest bearing on what happens to me anyway.

People seem to envy those who fly often for work.

Trust me. It's wwaayy underrated.

I flew out for a one-week UK trip in early Feb. When i was back on Monday, i was told we have to fly the following week to US.

So in between my UK and US trip, i only got to spend one week with my panda koala.

Now that i'm back from my US trip, i need to fly to US again next week. -___-

Trust me when i say this: it's tiring to fly so often and it leaves you little time to spend with your loved ones.

Sigh.

I don’t need to do a better job. I need better P.R. on the job I do.

It's intriguing how complex ideas can become reality.

Another show extolling love and peace interrupted every seven minutes by commercials extolling greed and waste.

2012: So. How did you do?

2011: *smug* I got a milestone event: The Big Day.

2012: *incredulous* No! Seriously?! Man, you sure are lucky! Everyone was hoping to get that.

2011: *still smug* You bet! Although... *mood turns contemplative*

2012: *curious* What?

2011: It just seems that most people didn't really have a good one. As for me, i think i did pretty well.

2012: *muses* Really?

2011: Yeah. I count myself lucky when i hear and see what other people has gone through. He counts himself contented and his life full, despite not having as much money or fame or excitement as others.

2012: Well, in any case, it'll sure be hard to beat you.

2011: Ha! You never know, my friend. *whispers* Perhaps a new addition to the family...

2012: *excited* Really? But then again, those are just hopes and rumors. It will really be great if it does happen though.

2011: Heh. Well, i'll leave you to it then. *passes the baton* Good luck, mate!

2012: Cheerio!

For the next Go-Kart session, i would like to request for the categorisation to be done by weight.

The ultimate rule in Go-Kart, and therefore, in Life:

Power-to-Weight Ratio is first and foremost.

I learnt this after some very humiliating lessons in which i was being overtaken by two tiny girls in my department.

There was absolutely nothing i could do, but just watch helplessly as they overtook and widen the gap, even with my foot planted against the throttle.

Argh. The shame, the shame.

Oh yes. Merry Christmas, everyone. :)

From a Postcard Memory

Our honeymoon was under such glorious blue skies, in beautiful clear waters and bright sunny weather.

And i got even more uglier than i thought possible: i got severly sunburnt. -__-

From The Republic of Singapore, Women's Charter (Chapter 353), Certificate of Marriage (Section 31).

After months of preparation, our big day is finally over and we're now awaiting our Air Mauritius flight to our honeymoon.

Despite having a wondrous and glorious day, it still feels surreal that we're married. Till now, i can't quite believe that my status is now officially "married" instead of the usual "single".

Being reminded time and again during the wedding dinner that i'm an adult now, i now face my future with a feeling of apprehension.

Nonetheless, i will face it and try my best to be a great husband and life companion. With her support and love,

"i firmly believe that we will have a happy marriage and grow old together."