I finished watching the most recent episode of ‘How I met your mother’ and was a little touched about the scope of the particular episode. It portrayed the lives of the main characters upon attending one of their fathers’ funerals. The episode mainly revolves around the idea of remembering the deceased last words; something which defined the person before they’d passed away and creating closure to their loved ones.
I’ve always had a thought that I would eventually pass when I reach the age of 120, on a Thursday, from a slumber I would never wake from. I would say ‘goodbye and good riddance’ to all my children and grandchildren, ‘I love you’ to my wife and ‘I’ll see you guys soon’ to all my friends and family whom hadn’t left yet. To be honest, I do feel a little iffy talking about death but as I’ve witness one too many times this year, if death comes knocking, all you can do is pack.
As life has put it, nothing you do today will guarantee you of life tomorrow. So this blog post is a selection of my sincere last words in case they ever are.
I love you so much and don’t ever let the world bring you down, embrace the bad and make the most out of the good. Life is never fair but don’t try and get even.
Grow up and look after her, she loves you very much and we are both so proud of you, especially me.
I will say hi to him when I see him and remind him of how great a person you are. You are like a brother to me, stand strong.
Teach the children about love, they need to know that if they are going to be our future. Thanks for everything.
Stay on track and never let motivation and determination be far from you. You will do well.
I love you with all my heart, thank you for raising me and being my best friend.
I’ll wait for you.
Don’t hold on but make every second count.
Don’t eat raw eggs, good protein can’t be activated unless it’s cooked.
While I passed people on the way home from an exhausting day out in the pits, receiving thumbs up from many passerby' and calls of 'good on ya mate', I finally heard the music that I was so dearly waiting for; the music of fulfillment and content. Today I am proud to say that nothing has been more life fulfilling than the seven hours or so of shoveling mud and lifting trash.
S
o there is a little bit more to the story than that but in the end, all it did take was a little bit of mud and a little bit of trash (probably a little bit 'more' than a little bit) to bring a whole community together. An initial crew of no more than 4 of us slid around to what looked like a war zone. Rocklea had turned into a pit filled with mud, dirt and most of all, rotten waterlogged belongings that needed to be removed as soon as possible. Arriving at our mates house, we stood in amazement as the piles of trash beside us grew pretty much instantaneously. With no time to stand shell shocked, we joined the 20 or so plus people already removing the cavities of his house to the bare. Once we joined, more followed and it seemed that with more commotion brought more help.
It seemed that Paullies house needed the most help with his garage jam packed with everything ranging from fishing gear to fish tanks to sewing materials his mum stored in case of a rainy day. From the time we lifted the first pile of trash to the time the walls were cleaned out by the next door neighbours pressure hose, nothing less of mateship and comradeship can be used to explain how we all worked together. Nothing seemed too heavy nor dirty, nor impossible as there was always someone willing to give a hand, someone who looked more dirty and someone who just kept going no matter what.
I get kind of emotional thinking how such a tragic happening can bring so many people from so many backgrounds together and work towards moving forward. When the last piece of heavy lifting was done, the people dispersed, off to help more unfortunate people, other people who needed the help. It was so moving seeing how willing everyone was in helping one another, we didn't hesitate at all to seek out those who needed our helping hand.
We finished 3 houses today and even though the completion of them made us sore to the bone and satisfied that we got through as many as we did on our first day; this is only just the beginning of an everlasting battle. One that will eventually finish, in weeks, months, even years. Today it is not the thought of how long this will last, but more a rather, when will we finish. I see an end. My faith in humanity has been restored.
Picture by: Peta Wells, facebook. 
Picture by: Bill Djordjic, facebook.
Picture above by Arman Ziggles Berkett Saleh, facebook.
I walk the streets of the once lively, brightly lit city, bustling with cars and people; those whom would be out for a late afternoon stroll or heading home from a hard days work,, in silent darkness. The center of my beloved city has turned into a ghost town, one with little movement, little noise and little much else other than the smells of what is left from the river which lurks in the humid air.
Initial reactions of the water surging through the city are described as excitement and fascination. We travel to our most treasured spots on the river and were absolutely amazed by how the water has affected it. The museum where you would find us some nights walking along the broad walk, admiring the city line and finding possible fishing spots, was under, everything was under. The slight amusement in prawns jumping on the surface was the first and last positive thing we found from the flooding. Soon enough the water was too high to even walk under the road which links the museum and south bank. The sounds of glass breaking below us in the performing arts car park and water gushing in cannot be unheard. We stand there shock and awe, watching the tremendous power of the Brisbane River sweep trees, jetties, boats, parts of houses, and pretty much anything in the way, down stream, into other parts of Brisbane.
Kangaroo point, much like all the other places we visited were littered with Brisbanites, curious just as we were to witness the infamous history of the 2011 Brisbane floods unfold. A lot of people questioned how and why and what was being done but soon enough, everyone began to ask when. When will the water recede, when will the electricity be turned back on, when will we be able to return to our homes, when will be be able to go back to our normal lives.
As fortunate as I have been through these times of destruction, I share my grief with my mates whom have been less fortunate and can only imagine what they are going through. While a couple of of them live in darkness and wait out the days till the council begins their immense clean up and restore power, some have lost their homes and even loved ones. To all of them, I send my love and condolences and pray for you to have the strength to surpass such times of tragedy. We are all apart of this city and in times of need, we will band together to share the grief and move forward; there is no other option.
I love you Brisbane, there’s no place like home.
Maybe this is the direction I need to take my life.
Sticking to a budget is much like working out in the gym. At first, you begin to make your budget by considering both your combined income and expenses. The subtraction of your expenses from your income gives either a credit or debit account equating to either savings or debt.
Similar to working out in the gym, your trying to better the original. From trying to save money to losing weight, much follows the same concepts. To save money you must have income which exceeds your expenses. There are two ways to do this, either increase your income or reduce your expenses. Working out is similar. To lose weight you must have an output (calories out) which exceeds your input (calories in). You either increase your output by doing more exercise or decrease your input by eating less.
Often the main solution to increasing income is finding a second job. When this is applied to losing weight, cardio seems to represent this exactly. Given that the majority of your income comes from your main job, the second job helps to create a larger buffer between spending and saving. With knowledge that nutrition applied correctly to the equation of losing weight and having it correlate to the main job, the cardio allows for cheat meals. These buffers or positive expenses (spending or cheat meals), in my opinion helps with progress.
It feels kind of sad that my life has turned into this. But I guess when you have one aspect sorted out, others kind of follow aswell. Hopefully I’ll be able to apply these concepts to my budget and see my debts dissapear this year. Just taking it one step at a time.
Been listening to this for a couple of days now.
this is love
its written all over my face
its something id try describing
but its hard to say a thing
this is love
it seems like a world of your own
when you could feel the butterflies
fluttering theyre outgrown.
so when i see your face
it gets harder everytime
to let go of us.
do you recall when i would
tell you
i love us. i cant go. a day without
your sweet lovin
i cant hide. they all know. so lookout
my hearts runnin'
heyyou, i'm tickled up
and i know i
aint picture perfect...
this is real
hearts will start to colide
it feels like we're entwined by all our roots
to grow aligned
said i need you need you.
another way to say
i gotta have yu have you
the sound of your voice
is echoing
whats sweeter than sweeter than sugar, love.
is the taste of us x3
She reminds me of someone but I can't figure out who.
Life at the moment seems as confusing as the first time I started at the gym. With so many opinions contradicting my once straight forward mind, it seemed I was lost before even going to the gym.
Following different regimens and routines to try and be the healthiest I could be, it wasnt until I made several mistakes that I found what really worked for me. Much like many things in life that you want so dearly, it didnt come without hard work. To feed the body, sufficient amounts of protein needed to be ingested. Too much and it would go to waste, too little and your muscles would waste.
Today I've learnt that timing is so much more important than having too little or too much of something. Nutrition, supplements and a solid workout routine, even with consistency could be detrimental with bad timing; eating carbs at night and doing heavy weight training on an empty stomach.
What I'm really trying to say is that with even the stars aligning, the mindset of undeniable and uncontrollable passion, and figuring out the secret formula for what you really want, timing can take the best out of it.
Is it bad timing or is it something else?
Her large round eyes provide the sunshine in the day and the moonlight in the darkness. As a gust of wind blows, strands of her hair dance wildly in the air while the remaining frames her baby face.
Her smile moves her cheeks which moves her ears, which stops time on earth momentarily. Lips the colour of a tea rose; dark red on the inside, bright pink on the outside. Hands as soft as kittens, shows age and work, and independence. Mouth, nose, ears, cheeks, all proportions normal but seem special in this combination. She's beautiful.
But,
I don't get butterflies, and my knees don't buckle, and there is no urge to go and dance in the rain.
There's always a first!
So today was a first of many things for me. It was the first time since the new year started that I didn't do my morning cardio. It was the first time since the new year that I skipped lunch and the first time since the new year that I wore a singlet to the gym. To be completely honest, the feeling you have for a first really depends on how you look at it. I mean, instead of the morning skip, I substituted it for an afternoon hike up the Spring brook mountains. Instead of the typical lunch I'd have, I got my calories from chewing on chocolate and rum fudge. The first time for the singlet wasn't so spectacular either considering I wore them to the gym only when I finished my workout.
But like l said, it really depends on how you look at things. I'm slightly more happy with myself that I have the self confidence to wear one to the gym and workout and not care what other people think of me. I guess sometimes there's a particular expectation with the first of things. It could be a bad impression such as doing drugs for the first time or the good impression you might have of the first time you find yourself huddled next to a loved one; both of which I have never experienced. In the end, I guess it really depends on your own values and judgments. To many people, there will never be a first. I guess life is not all about making the right decisions and being comfortable.
Sometimes its essential to make mistakes and to experience what you hate before you can appreciate what you like. A good mate put it 'try before you buy and if you don't like it, you can always return it', my mate works in retail....
Start 122.4 --> 99.4 in <12 1="1" 23="23" be="be" br="br" exact="exact" kilograms.="kilograms." less="less" months="months" to="to" week="week">
It starts again and although I know that this year will be my hardest one yet, it seems easier now that I know what to look forward to.
Go out and achieve your goals; if the slackest person in Brisbane can do it, you can too!
What a year it has been already. Whether you believe in superstitions or not, this year already seems to be a much different from the last.
Sleep was pretty much my agenda for the first day of the new year as the past week or so since Christmas celebrations started, sleepless living has been much of my life. My father called me for no real reason and although the feeling i have towards him can't really be explained right now, him calling was definitely something that didn't happen last year, or the few years before that actually. But the year none the less has been positive so far.
Nothing is more satisfying as finishing both work and gym and then hanging with the gang; raging at them as they play hon. Sitting on tateys amazingly comfortable bean bag, and watching the guys do their thing on the computers, mouse click sounds which pollute the room, i feel so fortunate to be here with all of them, again, enduring the past year, and starting the new one.
I found it a little amusing seeing the gym half packed on the first day of the new year, especially a Saturday as well. I'm glad a lot of people tried to achieve their new years resolutions this year, i just hope they stick to it. I was in the same position this same time last year. How much easier it would of been if I could have seen how much a whole year of hard work looked like when I started. I wish the new gym attendees the best.
The gym was back to normal 20 minutes later, you can't fake dedication. Number one goal in gym for this year, 95 kilos and a waist size to fit 34, so far so good. 99.4.
Hoping the rest of this year goes by smoothly, with the new mentality that is to do what makes me happy, i feel this year is going to turn out to be a great one!
1 year ago.
10 months later.
Today....I have no recent pictures, but they will be up soon.
Five hours into the new year and I already feel as though a massive weight has dropped from my shoulders. With every new start, we reflect on what has passed both good and bad; the memories which have made the year. The year just ending wasn't the greatest year for everyone. I can confidently say that for the majority of us, the year was filled with the many pains and sorrows that life sometimes throws at you.
I can also confidently say that although through all the troubles and worries this year, we have come up on top through close friendships and tight bonds. While standing amongst the people who made this year for me, I felt quite emotional when the clock ticked over to twelve. Like in the movies, the second hand seemed to stop and memories of the year rushed through my mind. Reflecting on the good and bad times of the year, it was obvious that it was a great one, I mean, how can it not be when your still surrounded by your most loved ones, exactly one year just passed?
I thought of how we spent our holidays last year and compared it to this one and it's pretty evident that it differed considerably. Last year seemed like one filled with memories which were made through doing things, 2009 that is; confused? I am. I remember spending New years eve climbing half of Mt Cootha to watch fireworks. I guess this year we all grew to enjoy the little things in life. I feel the group has grown together and I guess we wouldn't of done so without the experiences of the previous; especially the things you do once to know that you'll never do it again.
This year just passed has been like the one previous in a sense. We've all grown up so much more this year to an extent that I feel that we are actually becoming real adults. Who would of thought that such a young group of people would have more knowledge and respect than some of those double their age. But to gain such traits, we again, had to experience the experiences that we will never want to experience ever again....experience.
I feel so much stronger, and wiser but I know that there is so much more for me to learn in the year coming. This time next year, I will look back and think 2010 was easy.
Who would of thought I would be wearing even a shirt at this time of year. December 21st, a couple of weeks into the Queensland summer and it's cold outside. The moon in the night sky is shining bright, stars a-lit and the air is soft, light, and cool. If I had just woken up from a fair couple of months slumber, I would probably have thought I'd slept a few months more.
The change in the weather is actually something I would of looked forward to much more if I had knew it were coming and that I didn't have work to attend. Either things were unpreventable but I guess with summer being so unpredictable, it could of just rained another day and that would be it. But I guess with even the few hours I've had to really experience it, it's made me feel slightly tingly inside; good tingly that is.
Work happenings today were pretty unpredictable as well. Monday nights are usually clean up and prep nights where I would be cleaning stoves and changing foils and then preping for the week of cooking. But as uncertain as the food industry and it's consumers are these days, we were pretty constant throughout the night. Even after the total blackout we had which left only the gas burners a light, people were still wanting to come in for a feed. I'm not quite sure how dinner by a candle-light makes you feel but cooking by candle-light made me feel fairly content for some odd reason. Without the fridges buzzing, and the fans producing the noise fans make, it was just me, my gas and the clanking of the pans.
The sounds heard in the kitchen are often clouded by the noises of the circuits. Very rarely do you get to hear the jets of the blue flamed stoves nor the sound onions make when they hit the pan. Even the droplets of oil are heard, the minute sounds they make are quite magnificent. Cooking in the dark made me feel like myself. It felt like I was on a stage but no-one was watching, it was just me in an empty room, doing what I was doing. It was kind of strange but it was a good feeling.
The lights turned on about a half an hour later and all returned to normal. Even Tien missed the quietness of the silences so I guess it's not just me who's a little mental. I spent time at the gym in a much similar fashion, I've actually been in the same sort of state for the past couple of weeks now to be honest. Once my music pumps I feel like I'm alone, that I've only got myself to impress. People who walk past me or look at me, or even brush against me don't get a second look, or a first in that fact. By 12 o'clock I'm usually in the gym by myself anyway, and I get to enjoy the ambient sounds of silence, and the freedom I have having the whole gym to myself.
I had a couple of flicks at my favourite spot down on the river. With much of fresh getting into the system, I wasn't too optimistic but with the moon so bright and the sky so clear, it was just the perfect opportunity to get some fresh air and admire the surroundings. I decided to take the inside road home today and what a trip it was. Windows down and music pumping, I admired the hundreds of lights above me when I drove under the Christmas decorations in Southbank. It reminded me of those scenes in Canadian movies where people were seen running through streets littered with maple leaves. It reminded me of the scene specifically from Big fish when the main character joins the circus, funky Christmas lights used to light the grounds.
I drove by Jetts in Annerley and scouted for more dedicated people than myself. I found no-one.
I think I've become much more independent these days, a much longed shift from being more of less lonely. I enjoy this feeling.
Do you ever get the feeling that when times get hard, you seem to be the only person fending it? Does it ever feel like no-one can really understand what your going through and those that say they do are lying?
At times when I feel like I'm living each day to try and survive the next, it seems as if I'm all alone. It seems that I'm stuck in a place where unless I work as hard as I can, there may be a possibility of losing my job to someone who wants it more. I sit here and wonder, whether the harder I work actually benefits me or just makes someone else richer?
Yesterday we caught up with an old friend. Janice and I joined Christos (an old Greek friend from state high) for a fishing session down the coast; showing him how Viets do it. Its always amazing how great friendships endure the tests of time. The reunion of old friendships whether good or bad can be represented by the duration between the sight of each other and the first words. I always find joy in the look in their eyes, their familiar expressions and familiar feelings.
Its funny how there's usually a higher pitch voice associated with mostly incomprehensible words and sounds to help express our feelings. Oi's and awwws and much profanity exisits in the initial stages of dialogue but after the double handed hand shake which may or may not lead to a hug (depending on how close you are), or a straight hug (which signifies a much closer friendship), words seem to make more sense. I was amazed at how much he hadn't changed and I'm assuming he thought the same with me.
Janice popped out of the passenger seat and after the usual questions and answers we were off to the coast for what ended up as another memorable sunday session; another story for another blogging. What prompted this blog with such a provocative title describes of my rather opposite opinion to that of the portrayed, that is of much appreciation and respect for the first generation of Australian occupied immigrants. Our parents.
I have until now often mis-represented the words immigrants thinking that only the Vietnamese were represented. I’d forgotten that Australia is a country comprised of much multiculturalism which is vastly represented by immigrants seeking asylum from their mother country in hope for a better future for their families. Christos helped me realize that there are many of us whom are born from first generation Australian immigrants. He made me realize that my parents weren’t the only people who worked under the sun for very little, every single day, to get us to where we are now.
We talked alot about what life has chucked at us through the years since graduating highschool. He’s a painter now and aspires to own his own business in the next couple of years. When talking about family friends and relatives, he describes that the Greek community is very tight with everyone knowing everyone, a most probable result of his recent blooming romance with his childhood sweetheart. Not unlike myself and Janice, he explains of the hardships involved in day to day life which relates to just how I’ve been feeling. As it seems, he too feels the pressures of day to day life of juggling work to pay the bills to stay alive. Working 7 days a week to look after his mum whom all I can say is not as healthy as she was 20 years ago, it seems that it’s not just myself that seems to fending off problems with a big long stick.
Sometimes I wonder if we really do appreciate how much we’ve gotten as a result of what our parents have done for us. I wonder if the hardwork we’ve put in so far has benefited us in anyway or just made someone else richer. I think about it again and I think that without hardwork there is no reward, we may not be free from the hardships of today but we can at least learn to appreciate how much our parents have given to us so we can provide a better future for our future generations.
Maybe it is for them to know appreciation rather than have to experience it. Maybe it's not such a good thing?
A memory is like salt; the right amount brings out the flavour but too much ruins it. If you live in the past all the time, you'll find yourself with no present to remember.
