A Woman Should ...

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. I know I am two weeks early but I figured I'd better put this out now before I get caught up with something else and eventually miss the date.

IWD is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. If you would like to know more about the history of IWD, read here.

To commemorate this day (in advance), I wish to share what Maya Angelou said (and hopefully empower women at the same time):

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .. a youth she's content to leave behind

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..... a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..... one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honoured

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... a feeling of control over her destiny

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to fall in love without losing herself

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...where to go - be it to her best friend's kitchen table or a charming inn in the woods when her soul needs soothing

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she can and can't accomplish in a day, a month, and a year

And ... here's a reality check from Oprah:

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.
If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.

Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.
Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.

Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.
Slower is better.
Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.
If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can't "be friends".
A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend. Don't settle.

If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.
Don't stay because you think "it will get better."
You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.
The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women.
He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently?

Always have your own set of friends separate from his.
Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you.
If something bothers you, speak up.
Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.
You cannot change a man's behavior.
Change comes from within.

Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...
even if he has more education or in a better job.
Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.
Never let a man define who you are.

Never borrow someone else's man.
If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.
A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.
All men are NOT dogs.

You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is a two way street.
You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage...
Deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.
You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...
a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...
look for someone complimentary... not supplementary.

Now, this is in no way a male-bashing moment. I am hoping that sharing these thoughts (that was sent to me via email), it will make someone smile, another rethink her choices, and another woman prepare.

Ten Thoughts to Ponder for 2008

In continuation of my new year thoughts, here are Ten Thoughts to Ponder for 2008:

Number 10 - Life is sexually transmitted.

Number 9 - Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.


Number 8 - Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.

Number 7 - Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day, teach a person to use the internet and they won't bother you for weeks.




Number 6 - Some people are like a Slinky ...
Not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs. (Thinking of someone now?)

Number 5 - Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Number 4 - All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to Criticism.

Number 3 - Why does a slight tax increase cost you $200.00 and a substantial tax cut saves you $30.00?

Number 2 - In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is Weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

And The Number 1 Thought For 2008: We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located among millions and millions of cows in America but we haven't got a clue as to where millions of illegal immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of Immigration?

P.S. This list is from my email archives. I am still unable to blog something original at the moment.

New Year Thoughts

Happy Chinese New Year everyone. Welcome to the Year of the Rat.

I have always been intrigued by the Chinese zodiac signs and what they represent. To find out more about what a rat symbolises, I checked Wikipedia. This is what I found:

The Rat (Chinese:鼠) was welcomed in ancient times as a protector and bringer of material prosperity. It is the first of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. Rat is associated with aggression, wealth, charm, and order, yet also associated with death, war, the occult, pestilence, and atrocities. The Year of the Rat is associated with the earthly branch symbol 子.
In Chinese, the word 鼠 may refer to either the rat or the mouse. Therefore, in this context, Year of the Mouse and Year of the Rat are interchangeable terms.

Frankly, from personal observation, a rat and a dirty politician have a lot in common.

(Of course, this is in no way intended to make one who was born in the year of the rat 'guilty by association').

OK, enough about rats and dirty politicians. Regardless of species, they are always up to something no good. We cannot change that trait no matter how hard we try. At least, we can rely on faithful and adorable house pets. They can be trained and will probably learn from their mistakes. Here's what I'd imagine a pet's resolution to be in the new year (this list was sent to me via email):

15. I will not eat other animals' poop.

14. I will not lick my human's face after eating animal poop.

13. I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.

12. My head does not belong in the refrigerator.

11. I will no longer be beholden to the sound of the can opener.

10. Cats: Circulate a petition that sleeping become a juried competition in major animal shows.

9. Come to understand that cats are from Venus; dogs are from Mars.

8. Take time from busy schedule to stop and smell the behinds.


7. Hamster: Don't let them figure out I'm just a rat on steroids, or they'll flush me!

6. Get a bite in on that freak who gives me that shot every year.

5. Grow opposable thumb; break into pantry; decide for MYSELF how much food is *too* much.

4. Cats: Use new living room sofa as scratching post.


3. January 1st: Kill the sock! Must kill the sock!
January 2nd - December 31: Re-live victory over the sock.

2. The garbage collector is NOT stealing our stuff.

AND the Number 1 New Year's Resolutions Made by Pets...

1. I will NOT chase the stick until I see it LEAVE THE IDIOT'S HAND.

With that, this ends another lame posting. Do enjoy the Chinese New Year season, eat lots of Yee Sang (for yourself and for me) and don't forget to stop and smell the roses. When you do that, do take care of the 'thorns' that may hurt your day.

Tag - Takeaways of 2007

Since I am still juggling blogging with other chores around the house, I decided to go with another tag. Zawi of Life As I See It encouraged me to try this one titled "Takeaways of 2007", initiated by Jaflam of Jaff Point. This tag is about sharing 3 takeaways from 2007.

Last year was a year filled with blessings, challenges and moving (twice!). We left Germany after six years. While it was sad to leave a lovely country that’s so rich in history and culture, I was glad to return to our own house. Before the year ended, we moved again. Luckily, this time it was just one hour away. We did not have to deal with customs, immigration and the whole nine yards.

So, what did I learn or experience last year that was significant enough to be etched in my memory?

Firstly, people come into my life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. This lesson is somehow taught to me every year. While it is still early to say who will be my pals for a lifetime, I would like to believe that the ones whom I know now will remain till death do us part. The ones who were there for a reason or a season waltzed into my life to be there with me through certain phases in my life or to teach me valuable lessons. One thing I observed from a seasonal pal's actions in 2007 is that there is no need to try and prove one’s worth to the world. The world will see one’s worth through one’s genuine deeds. This seasonal pal also affirmed my third observation.

Secondly, it is easier to deal with the hard times when I focus on the blessings I have. It is easy to complain that life is unfair to me or that other people are luckier than me during challenging times. Dwelling on those thoughts only sends me spiraling deeper into self pity. However when I focus on the blessings, which I take for granted, life is not that bad at all.

Lastly, everyone has a purpose in life. Not everyone is meant for the boardroom. We still need people to do those “it is a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it” kind of work. Apart from those jobs, we need people to carry out dangerous work like climb poles to fix things so that they can help deliver conveniences to our homes such as electricity, telephone, satellite TV. We still need factory workers to help produce things for consumers. We need support staff to help bosses with their selective hearing and memory (whoops! my apologies to bosses out there), and work through ungodly hours to meet deadlines. We also need stay-at-home moms and dads to take care of their families. Just because someone is not "up there", it does not mean that person is not ambitious.

In short, everyone is important in this life, not just the man or woman sitting on top of the ladder. For every man or woman sitting comfortably on top, there are many more people holding up that ladder for them.

Tagged

I found a free hour today amidst my busy schedule and decided to update my blog. What could I do that did not require much effort? A tag!

I was tagged by Ruby Ahmad late last year and within days (or maybe hours) re-tagged by Zawi, I thought it is best not to put this off any longer. So, here's something till I find the time to blog again ....


1. Name one person who made you laugh last night. My other half - the way he was teasing the dog just tickled me.

2. What were you doing at 0800? Trying to get the services of a plumber.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Sweeping, mopping and straightening out my humble abode.

4. What happened to you in 2006? Moved from one place to another .... a lot! In fact, it has not stopped. Hopefully our last move over Christmas 2007 will be final ... well, at least for a few years.

5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Peanut!!!! (my dog was trying to get into my tall aluminium kitchen bin. He has learned to stand against the bin and lift the lid with his nose. Bad boy!)

6. How many beverages did you have today? Two - coffee in the morning. Iced tea at lunch time.

7. What color is your hairbrush? Black, which I hardly use. I prefer a comb.

8. What was the last thing you paid for? New tail lights for my Jeep. arrggghh! (yes, you can guess what happened there).

9. Where were you last night? In my office, at home, going over my expenses.

10. What color is your front door? Ivory.

11. Where do you keep your change? At home? I cannot reveal it here - it's a public place. :)

12. What’s the weather like today? Cloudy.

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Dark chocolate.

14. What excites you? Many things, some innocent and some *ahem*

15. Do you want to cut your hair? I really don't know. I may lose strength if I do. ;)

16. Are you over the age of 25? I am 25 plus 15 years' worth of experience.

17. Do you talk a lot? Is that good or bad? I guess I talk when I have something to say.

18. Do you watch the O.C.? Sometimes ... I watch re-runs of the O.C. on Soap Channel when there is absolutely nothing else on. I like that guy, Ryan - mysterious chap! (sitted right in the middle, in front)

19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes, but his name is spelled S-t-e-p-h-e-n. He's my cousin.

20. Do you make up your own words? Puppy-licious - is that a new word? Has someone used it before? I use in this context - I have a very puppy-licious dog.

21. Are you a jealous person? Only if my territory is invaded.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "A". Anne Raman

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Kenneth Forbes (brother of Eric Forbes, a blogger)

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? My other half.

25. What does the last text message you received say? "Hello sis, r u online?"

26. Do you chew on your straw? No. (At least, I don't remember doing it).

27. Do you have curly hair? Why do we need to know this? :)

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? The living room (after I am done with this in my office)

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Peanut, my puppy-licious pet.

30. What was the last thing you ate? Beef pot roast with baked potato.

31. Will you get married in the future? I hope not. One catch a lifetime is more than enough. :)

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? I have not seen any new good movies lately. I did watch "Gladiator" again (for the sixth time).

33. Is there anyone you like right now? More than one.

34. When was the last time you did the dishes? A few minutes ago.

35. Are you currently depressed? If I were, I would not be doing this tag. :P

36. Did you cry today? No. It is no use "crying over spilled milk" - my busted tail lights.

37. Why did you answer and post this? It was something I could do effortlessly during a busy time. Besides, I owe Ruby "Diamonds" Ahmad and Zawi this tag.

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. I am leaving this open to anyone who wants to do it. If you are interested, let me know and I will add you to the list.

(Update: Looks like we have a volunteer)

1. Kaylee