Dragon Boat Racing

Imagine…

20 people paddling side by side, in a boat forty foot long.

A drummer, sitting in the prow, beating the drum to provide timing, rhythm, and motivation.

A steerer, at the stern with a giant paddle – guiding the boat in the direction of the finishing line.

Yes, imagine all these elements combined together, united in the spirit, and dedicated to the triumph. This is dragon boating.

Today, my division – Insurance & Investment Management – organised a Dragon Boat race among the various social groups. Although my team managed to win in two races in the preliminary stage, our timing wasn’t good enough to get us into the final. Oh well, the consolation of it all was that we managed to lay our hands on the booze before the finalists. :P And most importantly, we had tonnes of fun!

Though yesterday’s race was amazingly tiring, I was sparked by an idea to research on the legend behind this sport. And if I’m not mistaken, Dragon Boat Racing will be included in the 2012 Olympics. Cool stuff!

So, henceforth begins our history lesson:

Dragon Boat Racing is an ancient Chinese tradition that goes back over 2000 years, and has become shrouded in many myths, legends and superstitions. The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar (usually around Midsummer’s Day).

THE BATTLE OF DRAGONS
One explanation for the origin of the festival is connected to rain-making magic. Summer is the driest period of the year and rain is needed to grow the crops. The races were held each mid summer, re-enacting the battle between Lung, the dragon of the air and Le, the dragon of the water which were said to fight in the clouds thus causing rain. The races were thought to stimulate the real dragon gods to fight in the heavens.

HUMAN SACRIFICE
Another theory its origins , like many other midsummer celebrations all over the word, was as an attempt to come to terms with the fear of decay and death which accompanied the passing of the longest day of the year. The powers of darkness might be appeased by a sacrifice, and one way of achieving it was by a mock battle, the losers symbolising the sacrifice. In fact, dragon boat 'fights' frequently provided real victims because boats would sink and men would drown. It is said that no one would attempt to rescue the men on the grounds that they had been chosen for sacrifice by the very fact of their boat’s sinking. Luckily this part of the tradition has not been practiced for some centuries.

DEATH & CORRUPTION
By far the most popular legend, saddest and most romantic is that of Qu Yuan. In the third century B.C., China was divided into a number of small kingdoms, each struggling to gain control of the rest. In one of these kingdoms lived a wise counsellor and warrior statesman called Qu Yuan. He was a loyal aide to the Emperor King Huai, but through deception and plots laid against him by corrupt court officials, Qu Yuan was removed from his position of high office and banished from the royal palace.

In the years that followed his banishment, Qu Yuan became a wandering poet who was much loved by the people he met on his travels. He wrote of his love for his country and its’ people and lamented his fate and that of his Emperor still surrounded by those corrupt officials. Eventually he presented a petition to the Court listing all his grievances. When this was rejected out of hand by the King, he made the ultimate protest and committed suicide, drowning himself in the Mi Lo River.

When Qu Yuan's followers heard of his death, they took to their boats to search for his body and to protect it from being eaten by fish, they beat the water furiously with their paddles, and threw rice dumplings into the water as food for his spirit. It is said that some days later a man met the ghost of Qu Yuan. He told him that the rice had been taken by the Dragon water god that lurked beneath the surface of the river. In future the rice should always be wrapped in bamboo leaves and silk, and tied with multicoloured thread, as protection from the dragon god and his water spirits.

And so it came about that every year thereafter, on the anniversary of his death, that the Chinese began to commemorate Qu Yuan’s final protest, by holding a Dragon Festival, on the fifth day of the fifth moon, which was celebrated with temple rituals. This festival grew to include the custom of eating ‘tsung-tzu’ or 'bak-zhang', lumps of sweetened glutinous rice boiled in a wrapping of leaves and tied with raffia, and the launching of boats to look for Qu Yuan’s remains as well as the custom of Dragon Boat racing, with drums being banged to symbolise the act of frightening the fish from Qu Yuan’s body. Eventually the festival and the races spread throughout the coast and river communities of China.

Well, whatever the legend, I have two statements to make:

a) Dragon Boat Racing is amazingly fun!

b) 'Tsung-tzu' or 'bak-zhang' is amazingly yummy!

Gosh... all this talk about food is making me hungry. Think I'll have to make a quick trip to the refridgerator now... Adios!

Latest Addition

Hee hee...

Here's the latest addition to my expanding collection :P

Fight For Life - Fighting Cancer in Kids

It's two bands intertwined together into one, and represents the Fight For Life charity. "STAND UP, SPEAK UP"

I'll definitely be wearing this around quite often... ;)

Cool stuff!

Royal Albert Hall

From the time that I first saw the Tenth Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables (The Dream Cast) on DVD, I’ve been dreaming of setting foot into the Royal Albert Hall.

And today, this age-old fantasy has become a reality.

For it was today that I attended a concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (yes – the very same one that performed in Leicester Square for the STAR WARS UK Premier!) with my friends.

As I entered into the massive concert hall, I was awed by the beautiful and majestic design of the venue. The whole experience just seemed so surreal, as I subconsciously found myself whispering in my heart, “Wow – this is it! I’m finally here!” And since we got some amazing seats in the stalls, we had an excellent view of the orchestra on stage, as well as the whole layout of the place.

Just look at the interior - Ain't she a beauty?

And when the orchestra began to play, I felt my emotions soar with the repertoire of the night. The pieces that were performed are as follows:

Rossini - William Tell Overture
Grieg – Piano Concerto (Featuring pianist Alain Lefevre)
Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
(Note: You can click on the above songs to listen to a short music clip of the piece)

My favourite piece of the night is definitely Grieg’s Piano Concerto (I’ve always longed for a chance to hear it being performed live by an Orchestra), while Scheherazade was brilliantly performed to an all-attentive audience. Hee… I guess I’m just biased to piano pieces. :P

This is definitely a night to remember. And the interesting line-up of upcoming events, I’m convinced that I’ll be making numerous more visits to this remarkable hall.

Horse Racing

Hmm… Any horse enthusiasts out there?

If you love horses, then this blog entry is gonna excite you!

Being a mega horse lover, my manager organised a day out at the races for the whole RSA Audit Team today. And guess where did we go? Lingfield Park – the busiest racecourse in the whole of Europe! Awesome! Do click on the link to find out more about this incredible place.

My maiden trip to the racing arena was exciting in every sense of the word. We rented a private box in the grandstand for the whole team, and enjoyed our buffet breakfast and lunch in the box, mingling and chatting away. Oh, and how could I forget to mention that we had free flow of drinks and booze – from wine to spirits and beer. Clearly, this whole outing is gonna cost a bomb. And true enough, we eventually discovered that the firm spent £130 per person! Wow!

It was a pleasant experience being able to witness the race live from the grandstand. As many of us were new to horse racing, the level of excitement was extremely high – driven by a sense of anticipation and expectation of winning some money. Bets were made based on a multitude of reasons – including the colour of the horse, the colour of the jockeys, how striking a particular horse’s name was (eg: Persian Lightning or Blue Torpedo), etc. My manager even attempted to lock eyes with the horse before placing her bid. Hee~ but the horse never came in first – I guess it was just too intimidated by her stare.

I personally made a few bets on some of the races – all of which failed to bring in any returns. Guess I’m just not honed with any fortune-telling skills. Hee hee. But as I kept my bets low, I managed to mitigate my losses. :P This just reinforces the fact that I was never made for gambling. And the moral of the story is this – don’t put your money in something you don’t know well enough about. ;)

But still, this has certainly been an amazing evening. We certainly had loads of fun together as a team. And it was fun getting to know my colleagues on a more personal level (instead of just talking about work all the time!).

Syiok!

STAR WARS: Revenge of the Sith

Hooray!!!!!!!

Yeap yeap – I’ve finally watched STAR WARS: Episode 3 on 19 May 2005 – together with millions of other people around the world! *Grinz* It was really nice that everyone in the cinema clapped and cheered when the 'STAR WARS' logo first flashed across the scene, accompanied by the classic tune from John Williams' score.

Without the intention of writing a spoiler, I shall not dwell on the contents of the film. Instead, I’ll just write a quick blog on my general opinion and feelings after watching the show.

In short, I loved the film. With such impressive lightsaber battle sequences and amazing CGI enacted scenes, one really has to take one’s hat off to George Lucas for producing such a masterpiece conclusion to the epic saga of STAR WARS.

And the basic storyline of the movie is what all STAR WARS fans have come to expect – as I feel that it nicely provides a seamless transition between the first and second trilogy. For those of you out there who are hungry for answers as to what happens between Episode 2 and Episode 4, this is the movie to watch.

From another perspective, I’ve gotta admit that there are some parts of the film that could have been better. The trademark cheesy one-liners from Episode 1 and 2 still populate the script, and I feel that the characters could have been further developed. Hayden Christensen may not be everyone’s favourite actor, but I feel that he deserves a small amount (yes – just a small dose) of credit for playing the lead role of Anakin Skywalker. He has certainly improved from the wimp that he was in the Attack of the Clones.

All in all, it was a fantastic show. And in terms of ranking the film against its 5 counterparts, my verdict is that it falls just below Episode 5 & 6.

To all fellow STAR WARS fans out there, this is a show you will not want to miss. May the force be with you!

Charity Wristbands

They’re hip, they’re hot, and they rock!

Tony Blair wears them, and soccer stars like Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, and Ronaldinho wear them too.

Hmm… Now what exactly am I talking about?

Charity wristbands. Yeap - this is the latest craze to hit the whole of the UK and US. At a small cost of £1 each (yes - the money goes to Charity), they come in all colours with simple, touching yet powerful messages – each one representing a different message and charity group. And since they get snapped up as soon as they hit the shelves, they’re pretty hard to find – especially in good ol’ London.

Hence, when I was posted to a job in Horsham (approx 1 hr south of London), I wasted no time in combing through the town in search of charity shops to look for these colourful wristbands. And boy, it took up my entire lunch break – as the charity shops only sell one band each – in support of their adopted charity.

And I’m delighted to say that I’ve done pretty well – having secured up to three wristbands for myself. They’re as follows:

Help the Aged wristband – with the message: “Reach out with a HUG”
Here, HUG is the acronym for ‘Helping United Generations’

British Heart Foundation wristband – with the message: “Feel The Pulse”

Breast Cancer Foundation wristband – with the message: “Support Knowledge Strength”

I bought this as a tribute to Kylie Minogue - wishing her a speedy recovery...

A quick search on Google for ‘Charity Wristbands’ will return you tonnes of other types of bands in the market – including anti-racism and tsunami relief. Well, I’m currently wearing the purple one (Reach out with a HUG), and you can bet that I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for other bands when I pass by charity shops!

Star Wars - The UK Premier

Date: 16 May 2005… Check

Time: 1800 hrs… Check

Location: Odeon Cinema, Leicester Square… Check

Attendees: Multitudes of fans… big and small, young and old… Literally

Weather: Rain… Why?!?!

It wasn’t just another ordinary Monday in London. No… today was the UK Premier of the much awaited film, STAR WARS Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith – a film that marks the completion of the STAR WARS Saga, and a film that shows the pivotal point whereby Darth Vader is created.

Despite the foul weather (yes - even the rain clouds didn't want to miss out on such a spectacular event that will go down in history!), thousands of fans found themselves helplessly drawn to the Premier like bees to honey. It’s an event that you don’t even have to ‘think’ about going – you’ll just go! As Nike says – “Just do it!” While mingling with the crowds, I was very impressed with the various people who were dressed in their favourite STAR WARS characters – including Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Queen Amidala, Storm Troopers, and even Chewbacca! Everyone seemed to have their own lightsaber! It was amazing! But try as I may – I couldn’t find any Yoda around. Perhaps he was too short to be noticed in such a massive crowd. :)

So, what’s so special about this event? In case you haven’t heard, this is the very first time ALL six STAR WARS will be shown in sequence to the audience – a mega movie marathon. The 'Galactic Passes' (which cost £50 each) for the marathon screening were instantly snapped up when they were issued in April. Wow! George Lucas himself commented that he hasn’t watched all six of the shows in one sitting. Upon further questioning, his recommendation is that we watch one every Saturday… not all in one go :)

Another milestone in this premier is the presence of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – one of the finest orchestras in the whole of Britain. They performed the whole STAR WARS score (written by the famous John Williams) on an amazing futuristic open stage erected in the middle of Leicester Square. And while they were playing, scenes from all 6 of the shows (yes – ALL SIX) were flashed on the huge screen behind the orchestra. It was simply ecstatic. The audience was mesmerized by the performance, and gave a thunderous applause throughout the piece. The two tunes that were greeted with the loudest cheer are the STAR WARS Main Theme, and The Imperial March (a personal favourite of most of the people).

I was awestruck – for I managed to catch a glimpse of some of the most famous people in Hollywood including George Lucas, Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Christopher Lee (Count Dooku), and Ian McDiarmid (Chancellor Palpatine). It’s a pity that Natalie Portman (Queen Amidala) couldn’t make it though… would have loved to see her in the flesh. She was apparently held up at Cannes – after the World Premier which took place there yesterday. Sobz…

But all in all, it was a fantastic evening. It was a day where you could feel the unity among the people there. Despite the bad weather and the congestion, everyone was very patient with each other. There wasn’t any pushing in an attempt to get good positions/views, and there certainly wasn’t any violence involved. Even the kids (of all ages) were so well behaved. The people simply knew that they were united here for one purpose – to cheer and support a film series that they’ve adored since their childhood (however short or long ago). Perhaps it's the silent camaraderie between fans that kept us going.

It was simply an amazing sight to behold! Clearly, the force was with us today!

Jason Bourne

Hooray! After endless hours of reading, I’ve finally completed the Bourne series written by the famous Robert Ludlum – The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Bourne Legacy. Needless to say, I enjoyed each and every one of them – with Supremacy being my favourite!

For the uninitiated out there, I’ve copied the synopsis of the last book (Bourne Legacy) to quickly bring you up to speed with who Jason Bourne is all about:

“A man without a past is washed into the nets of a fishing boat. He is barely alive and has no knowledge of who he is or how he got there. Over the course of three books, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, he gradually comes to realise who and what he really is – a strange amalgam of a man named David Webb, and a deadly killer: Jason Bourne.

Now David Webb is living a peaceful life as a university professor in the backwoods of America with his wife and children. But someone plans to take him out of the game for ever. A deadly assassin is on his trail and David Webb must once again turn to Bourne to save his life and family…”

For all the action-thriller fans out there, this series is a definite must read. Some of you may think that you’d much rather watch the movies than read the book. However, I should add that the movies are based loosely – very loosely – on the books. In fact, the film and the books draw very few parallels with each other. One might be forgiven if he assumed that the movies were made independent of the books – save the use of the title, and character names.

In terms of preference, I’d say that my heart lies more with books than with the films – especially with the amazing level of detail and description portrayed in novels. This is always the case, provided the books were written prior to the movies. It’s not uncommon for me to get all excited after reading the books, only to find the films disappointing. And mind you, this includes award winning films like Jurassic Park and Harry Potter. Well, I guess it’s not the fault of the movie producers and directors – for there is only a limited amount of detail which you can capture in the short 2 hours’ duration of a show…

But still, I’m sure we all still love the movies – regardless of whether we are bookworms or not. Some enjoy the visual feast of action scenes like the Quidditch games in Harry Potter and the Jedi Battle in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (Episode 2), while others are out to see how the scenes described in the books are brought to life. Some also watch movies just to see their favourite stars in action. :)

All in all, whatever your take on books-turned-movies, the Bourne series is definitely a recommended read. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Hooray!

This is gonna be a short blog...

Just wanna let everyone know that I'll be headed back to the shores of Malaysia/Singapore from 22nd June to 3rd July. I'll be flying to and leaving from Singapore, but the bulk of my time will be spent in my sweet ol' hometown, Mentakab!

Have painstakingly timed my trip back home to coincide with my dad's retirement birthday - on 1 July 2005. Hee hee.

Really hope to be able to meet up with ALL of you during my short vacation back home, yeah? Keep in touch!

Pay increment... Is this your boss?

Some interesting mail I got from a friend. See if you can spot the anomaly... ;)

................................................................................

After 2 years of selfless service, a man realized that he has not been promoted, no transfer, no salary increase no commendation and that the company is not doing any thing about it.

So he decided to walk up to his manager one morning and after exchanging greetings, he told his manager his observation.

The boss looked at him, laughed and asked him to sit down saying, "My friend, you have not worked here for even one day."

The man was surprised to hear this, but the manager went on to explain.

Manager:- How many days are there in a year?
Man:- 365 days and some times 366

Manager:- How many hours make up a day?
Man:- 24 hours

Manager:- How long do you work in a day?
Man:- 8am to 4pm. i.e. 8 hours a day.

Manager:- So, what fraction of the day do you work in hours?
Man:- He did some arithmetic and said 8/24 hours ie. 1/3(one third)

Manager:- That is nice of you! What is one-third of 366 days?
Man:- 122 (1/3x366 - 122 in days)

Manager:- Do you come to work on weekends?
Man:- No sir

Manager:- How many days are there in a year that are weekends?
Man:- 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays equals to 104 days

Manager:- Thanks for that. If you remove 104 days from 122 days, how many days do you now have?
Man:- 18 days.

Manager:- OK! I do give you 2 weeks annual leave every year. Now remove that 14 days from the 18 days left. How many days do you have remaining?
Man:- 4 days

Manager:- Do you work on New Year day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- Do you come to work on workers day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 2 days sir!

Manager:- Do you come to work on the National holiday?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- 1 day sir!

Manager:- Do you work on Christmas day?
Man:- No sir!

Manager:- So how many days are left?
Man:- None sir!

Manager:- So, what are you claiming?
Man:- I understood Sir! Thank you sir for all the money you have been giving me for not having worked a single day!

Cambridge Ballroom Dancing

Just last Saturday, I made a trip up to Cambridge.

Well, it wasn’t the typical kind of tourist trip. Nopes… Believe it or not, I’m finally gonna have a ‘non-tourist’ weekend! Hahaha…. I was on my way up with Conrad and Rob to support a friend in the Oxford-Cambridge Ballroom Dancing Competition.

Felicia has been persistently rambling on and on about ballroom dancing, so I thought I should finally attend one just to see what it’s all about. And I have to admit that the sight of the couples all dressed up and dancing so elegantly really took my breath away. We witnessed several ballroom and latin dances – including waltz (my personal favourite!), quickstep, and jive. It was magnificent. According to Fely, we witnessed some of the finest couples in the whole of UK in action. Cool! Please click here for the photo galleries posted up by the Cambridge Dancesport Team.

Watching these couples in motion reminded me of the movie, Shall We Dance (starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez). Some of the more seasoned couples exuberated with confidence as they elegantly floated from one end of the floor to the other, while couples who were more amateurish showed eagerness to impress the judges. I’m glad to report that Fely and her partner (Alex) were among the more confident of the lot. Hee…

And the hall at St Ives was filled with the typical competitive atmosphere – with students simultaneously cheering “CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGE!” or “OXFORD, OXFORD!” respectively. An innocent passer-by might be forgiven if he thought some reckless thugs in the hall were cheering “OXBRIDGE, OXBRIDGE!”. Haha.

Although Oxford emerged the overall champions for the Varsity match, Fely and her partner (Alex) came in tops in the intermediate tango, and were awarded the overall best couple for intermediate ballroom. Apparently, this is the first time they’ve ever won any awards in ballroom dancing. Congratulations on a job well done – you guys certainly deserve it after the months of effort that you’ve poured in! I’m sure this will be the first of many!

All the best!

IQ Test = 138

Hsin-hui, your IQ score is significantly above average. Congratulations! You have a wide range of exceptional skills which are much stronger than those of the average population. You are also skilled at answering the types of questions that are asked in a classic IQ test. The test analyses your strengths and weaknesses based on your mathematical, linguistic, visual-spatial and logical skills. Even though you have high scores in all of those areas, we are able to analyse your results to discover the areas in which you have the strongest abilities.

Your mind's strengths allow you to think ahead of the game -- to imagine or anticipate what should come next in just about any situation. Because you're equally skilled in the numerical and verbal universes of the brain, you can draw from multiple sources of information to come up with great ideas. The timelessness of your vision and the balance between your various skills are what make you a Visionary Philosopher.

In addition to your strengths in maths and linguistics, you have a knack for matching and anticipating patterns. These skills and your uncanny ability to detect the underlying blueprint of most of life's situations add to your visionary philosopher mind. Two philosophers who share the same combination of skills you possess are Plato and Benedict Spinoza.

Note: This Classic IQ Test can be accessed from the following Tickle link. Try it! :)

Manchester United!

Just last weekend (from 29 Apr to 1 May), I made a pilgrimage to Manchester.

Old Trafford - the Theatre of Dreams. Ahh.... It was a magnificent experience. Although I did not sit through a live match, I signed up for a tour around the stadium grounds together with Adrian Lunsong, William, and Richard (Adrian's friend). We had a great time together over the May bank holiday weekend.

For those of you who know me well, you'd know that I didn't give a damn about football while I was in Malaysia / Singapore. But two months upon arriving in London, I've gotta admit that I've been poisoned by the football mania. As my fellow Malaysians say back there - "Makan Bola, Minum Bola, Tidur Bola" or literally translated as "Eat Ball, Drink Ball, Sleep Ball". This basically reflects how certain people are so consumed with football that they hardly ever think of anything in their minds.

And how did I come about supporting Man United? Hm... though question - especially since this club isn't doing remarkably well this season. But we ARE going to win the FA Cup on 21 May. Mark my words. Hee hee. Well, back to my question. I can't pinpoint a specific answer, but I must say that I've seen quite a number of matches since I've got here. And Man U basically struck me because I felt that all the players were truly outstanding (unlike most other clubs that only relied on one or two key players). Haha...

Anyway, that's pretty much another change that I've been through here. From zero knowledge of football, I've pretty much picked up a considerable level of idea on what the game is, and who are the key players, and how the league systems work. Hee... before this, I never knew how fans could be so passionate about their clubs. Oh well, I'm no longer an exception now. :)

Go Red Devils!

Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Yeap yeap!

This is certainly one of the most entertaining musicals I've ever seen! Hee~ and it isn't because I watched it on my birthday! It's amazingly creative and humourous - take my word for it! Two thumbs up!

And behind the jokes and slapstick comedy, lies a very strong and loving message. It tells of the story of a young boy called Joseph. His dad (Jacob) has 12 sons - of whom Joseph is the favourite. So, much to his brothers' jealousy, Jacob made a wonderful and colourful coat for Joseph. Joseph also constantly has dreams that his brothers will all one day bow down to him.

Overcome with hatred and envy, his brothers decide to sell him off as a slave to Egypt. Through a remarkable turn of events, and God's intervention, Joseph makes it big in Egypt, and becomes Pharaoh's right-hand man. His wisdom in interpreting Pharaoh's dreams resulted in them having plenty of food stocked up to brave the 7 year famine.

Upon hearing that Egypt had food to spare, peasants from all the neighbouring countries made pilgrimages here to beg for food. Joseph's brothers also came all the way from the land of Canaan, without knowing that Joseph was the person in charge. During the confrontation with his brothers, Joseph (still not recognised by them) put his brothers through a test to determine their honesty by framing his youngest brother - Benjamin - for a crime he did not commit.

The brothers then made every effort to beg Joseph to release young Benjamin and lock them up instead. This was particularly because they knew that their father (Jacob) loved Benjamin too much to part with him as well (especially since Joseph is 'dead', and Joseph and Benjamin were the sons of his favourite wife). Joseph was deeply moved by his brothers' plea, and decided to make himself known to them.

The reunion was so touching, and I could feel tears well up in my eyes (despite the fact that this was a very humourous musical!

To put it simply, it was amazing and delightful. Feel free to read up more about the life of Joseph in the Bible - in Genesis 37 to 50. It's a beautiful story that talks of how God can intervene in your circumstances, and bring out the best in you. Truly, we serve a living God!

Hallelujah!!!

A Special Day

Another day, another year.

Gosh - time really flies! It's already been 25 years since I've breathed the air of this beautiful world. Looking back, this journey has definitely been anything but easy. But I believe that it is the very challenges that we face that make us into the man we are.

As I've shared in one of my earlier blogs, here is one of my favourite quotes from Mark Twain:

" Twenty years from now, you'll look back and regret the things you didn't do, rather than the things you did. So, raise your sails, aim for the sky, and your ship might yet fly!"