INVICTUS  

Posted by: cmun in

Fishtail Mountain, Annarpurna Region Trekking Trail, Nepal, backpacking lonely planet, Dec 2006.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the blundgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishment the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

I'm fascinated by the unbroken spirit of the poet, William Ernest Henley. It could have resonated an ignorance of God, or even complete disatisfaction with the Almighty, for as a child he suffered the amputation of a foot. 'Invictus' is latin for 'unconquerable'.Being ill for much of his life, he wrote this during a two-year spell in an infirmary. Henley was a great friend of Robert Louis Stevenson and the character of Long John Silver may even be based on him. This is a gem of my reading from The Dangerous Book For Boys, Australian Edition by Conn and Hal Iggulden.

ANOTHER STREAM TO FROLIC IN  

Posted by: cmun in

ULU KANCHING


Located near the Templers Park, it is situated in between Selayang and Rawang. It took quite a bit of effort before we succeeded in locating the correct route so make sure you're armed with the right dose of info on the roads and a map before commencing your journey with the little ones.

The years has certainly taken its toll on this once picnic area famed for the lovely cascades. Our visit in March 2008 resonated a haven that has lost its charm.Pity the tiled floorings (tilings round the waterfall? Shouldn't nature be preserved as it is ?) Anyway, poor maintanance has resulted dangerously loose pieces of tiles that pose a hazard to our feet .

Lots of sand found at the waterfall surroundings with hoses of various sizes emerging here and there. Kids were actually building sand castles at the Waterfall ! Is this an indicator of the Waterfall being violated by any nearby development that wouldnt care less where their sand is washed off to ???








Read up on the spoils of Ulu Kanching :

http://tenthkl.wordpress.com/scouts-yesteryears/ulu-kanching-then-and-now/

For info & a map to Ulu Kanching:

http://www.waterfallsofmalaysia.com/state.php?state_id=12

STREAMS TO FROLIC IN  

Posted by: cmun in

What a wonder to allow children discover nature at the cool, running waters of cascading waterfalls and stimulating your toddlers senses when they prod about curiously in slow quiet streams surrounded by the lush, greens of our equatorial jungle.

SUNGAI GABAI WATERFALLS











For more information and a map to Sungai Gabai, Hulu Langat check out :

http://www.waterfallsofmalaysia.com/state.php?state_id=12

http://tanhockseng.multiply.com/photos/album/41/Selangor_Hulu_Langat_Mar.2007

INVOICE FROM A CHILD  

Posted by: cmun in

This story was shared by Kalimullah Hassan, one of those on my list of favourite authors . Having believed it encapsulated the gist of a mother's extraordinary love for her child, it was published in The New Sunday Times of April 27th., 2008 ( A Homecoming Delayed, pg. 21 )

Sunset, Straits of Melaka. April 2007.


A Mother's Love
A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on.

After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said :
For cutting the grass : RM 5.00
For cleaning up my room this week : RM 1.00
For going to the store for you : RM 0.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping : RM 0.50
Taking out the garbage : RM 1.00
For getting a good report card : RM 5.00
For cleaning up the yard : RM 2.00
Total owed : RM 15.00

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy knew that memories were flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and wrote :

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me : No charge
For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you : No charge
For all the trying times, and all the tears you've caused through the years : No charge
For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I knew were ahead : No charge
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose : No charge
Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is : No charge

When the boy finished reading what his mother has written, there were tears in his eyes, and he said, " Mum, I sure do love you. "
And then he took the pen and wrote in great big letters : " Paid in full ".

The lesson , I suppose, is that you will never know how much your mother means to you till you become one. You will never know how much your parents love you until you become a parent youself.

To my mother and mother in law, thank you for all your acts of kind gestures, for being listening ears and shoulders to lean on. For the pillar of strength you possess, for being an examplary figure, for babysitting my children, for preparing my favourite food, for doting your grandchildren, for caring for me during my post-natal confinement periods, for the fine organic vegetables you planted and etc. etc. etc. This endless list commands my utmost gratitude.
Happy Mothers' Day!

MEMOIRS OF A CHAOTIC PARTY  

Posted by: cmun in

Thinking back, I'm not even sure now where to begin my tale of the chaos. A month before the party, hub and I agreed upon this jamboree to celebrate our sons . Sam has had hers almost every year and surely it would be most unfair if the boys do not have their share of the fun and carousal of excitement.

Mummy only managed time a few days before the auspicious day, very hopeful that she'll be able to print a Transformer Birthday Invitation somewhere from the magical treasure trove of free online printable freebies. Little in her knowledge would she realize Bumblebee and Optimus Prime cards had a price tag on them. My good friend, Mr. Peter Parker, would be the next best hero available. Spiderman in all his glory, posed in a web swinging, hand slinging stance graced the invites and of course, wooed and awed all of Ric's and Henry's classmates .

To be continued...

























Welcome to my Party !













































How in the world did the balloons get up there?Bumblebee was summoned from Transformerland for my birthday by Mom and Papa.















Sam with best pal, Sin Dee and the glamourous boys of the evening.
















A game of Transformer Chess before the crowd arrived.




















Baker's Cottage Chocolate Vanilla sponge,fresh cream
creation.



















Auntieeee! I can't find my shoes !!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY  

Posted by: cmun in


To my sweet ,wonderful cherubs. This Mother's Day, I want to thank you for all the joy and unconditional love untold, you have given me. God bless you!

I hope the days come easy
And the moments pass slow
And each road leads you
Where you want to go
And if you're faced with the choice
And you have to choose
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you
And if one door opens to another door closed
I hope you keep on walking till you find the window
If its cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile .
But more than anything
More than anything
My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold
And while you are out there getting
Where you're getting to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah,this is my wish.

I hope you never look back but
You never forget
All the ones who love you
And the place you left
I hope you always forgive
And you never regret
And you help somebody every chance you get
You find God's grace in every mistake
And always give more than you take
But more than anything
More than anything

This is my wish for you
I hope you know somebody loves you
may all your dreams stay big.

MY WISH was most impressively written by Steve Robson and Jeffrey Steele and sung by the talented RASCAL FLATTS. Daniel Smith at the Cello mesmerizes me. Song taken from the album ME AND MY GANG.