• Happenings,  Interests, Hobbies, Geekdom,  Ramblings

    Dwarven Song About Old Wealth

    I was looking back at my old blog entries last year in December, and I came across my blog entry on the first release of the Hobbit trailer. I repost the words of the haunting ‘Dwarven Song About Old Wealth’. And I should really go watch this movie.

     

    Far over the misty mountains cold
    To dungeons deep and caverns old
    We must away ere break of day
    To seek the pale enchanted gold.
    The dwarves of yore made mightly spells,
    While hammers fell like ringing bells
    In places deep, where dark things sleep,
    In hollow halls beneath the fells.

    For ancient king and elvish lord
    There many a gleaming golden hoard
    They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
    To hide in gems on hilt of sward.
    On silver necklaces they strung
    The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
    The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
    They meshed the light of moon and sun.
    Far over the misty mountains cold
    To dungeouns deep and caverns old
    We must away, ere break of day,
    To claim our long-forgotten gold.

    Goblets they carved there for themselves
    And harps of gold; where no man delves
    There lay they long, and many a song
    Was sung unheard by men or elves.
    The pines were roaring on the height,
    (The pines were roaring on the height)
    The winds were moaning in the night,
    The fire was red, it flaming spread;
    (The fire was red, it flaming spread)
    The trees like torches blazed with light.
    The bells were ringing in the dale
    (The bells were ringing in the dale)
    And men looked up with faces pale;
    The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire
    (The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire)
    Laid low their towers and houses frail.

    The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
    (The mountain smoked beneath the moon)
    The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
    They fled their hall to dying fall
    (They fled their hall to dying fall)
    Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

    Far over the misty mountains grim
    To dungeons deep and caverns dim
    We must away, ere break of day,
    To win our harps and gold from him!

    The pines were roaring on the height,
    (The pines were roaring on the height)
    The winds were moaning in the night,
    The fire was red, it flaming spread;
    (The fire was red, it flaming spread)
    The trees like torches blazed with light.
    The bells were ringing in the dale
    (The bells were ringing in the dale)
    And men looked up with faces pale;
    The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire
    (The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire)
    Laid low their towers and houses frail.

  • Ramblings

    The Best Rewards

    Acts of kindness performed, not expecting any reward, compensation, praise, acknowledgement or good karma. Acts of kindness done because you want to, and most of the time, feeling good afterwards is the reward itself.

    In the few rare instances, when people are happy as a result of your act, their happiness are multiple tenfold within you. The joy you feel, the spring in your steps, the rose-tinted world view, the smile on your face, all these will remain for a very long time. These are the best rewards.

  • Interests, Hobbies, Geekdom

    Colours

     

    I was quite disappointed with myself. The occasion will be perfect to take many photographs, but all the ones I took turned out pretty bad, except for this one. I really need to learn how to use this camera, which means I need to take more photographs.

  • Ramblings

    It Still Hurts

    It still hurts.

    While it has been some time now, there are still objects and places that will inevitably trigger a flood of memories, and feelings. And sometimes as I drift off to sleep, I will think of you, wondering what you are doing, how you are doing.

    And it still hurts.

  • Ramblings

    Important Things In Life

    Got this off Facebook, thought I will put it here to remind myself:

     

    A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

    The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles roll
    ed into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

    The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

    The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed..

    ‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.

    ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

    If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

    Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

    Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

    Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

    One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

  • Interests, Hobbies, Geekdom,  Ramblings

    iPhone5

    iPhone5 was released in Singapore yesterday.

    But I am not getting one. From iPhone3G, to iPhone4 and current iPhone4S, I have been upgrading my phone each time Apple releases another new phone. In the process, I have queued up for hours to get it on day one, paid hundreds of dollars, all because I want to be one of the first few to get the latest phone.

    No more this time. I am going to get off the upgrade treadmill.

    No more upgrading to get the latest phones, iPads, gadgets. I will only change if there is a good reason, like when it is beyond repair and no longer working.

  • Ramblings

    Peace On Earth

    Backdated this post.

    There I was, with a Malaysian, South African and an Irish, eating Peking duck and other delicious Chinese dishes in a Chinese restaurant, located in the most populous Muslim country in the world. Chatting, joking, and generally having a good time.

    On 9/11 no less.

    We all will be so much happier if we humans can coexist peacefully with each other.

    So if there is one wish I get to make, I would wish for peace on earth.

  • Ramblings

    Recurring Dream

    I have been having this recurring dream pretty often recently. I have it so often that I instantly recognise it in my dream, and even telling myself that it is only a dream, and I have nothing to be afraid of. Really weird.

    In the dream, I was about to graduate. In the last instant, I realised I actually forgot that I failed one subject, and I need to retake it before I can graduate. Worst, I realised the subject that I need to retake was not offered in this semester, but the next. This is when I will tell myself that I have already graduated, and that this is only a dream.

    I do not usually remember my dreams, but this one has been recurring so often, I can still remember it very vividly. I wonder what this dream is trying to tell me. That I am unprepared? For what? Or that it is telling me something else?

    Or it is just a dream, nothing more.