Equatorial Musings

Words are containers of power. They can build up a person or tear him down, and thereby move him along the right or wrong path. They can galvanise people into constructive or destructive action, and consequently shape the course of history. One only needs to recall JFK's speech where he exhorted the American people to ask not what their country can do for them, but what they can do for their country and Hitler's speech about Lebensraum (living space) for Germans which precipitated WWII and caused the death of millions. The right words spoken at the right time can escalate or defuse a situation, and skew the course of events at the personal, national or international level. On a personal level, the words we speak come from our hearts and define our existence. For a pessimistic person who expects things to turn out badly, he's likely to spout gloom and doom, and this is how his life will unfold. For an optimist who looks forward to favourable outcomes, he's likely to look...

I'm always amazed at how many things we think of to occupy the spaces in our lives. I'd have thought that since we live hectic lives, we'd appreciate having time to ourselves. But strangely enough, this is not the case. As if it's not enough to be busy at work, we need also to be busy outside of work. We pack things into our lives so that we can boost of living fruitfully and productively. But how about spending time with ourselves? Listening to our thoughts and getting in touch with our feelings. I'm not talking about being a new age sensitive person. That, I think, is just being oversensitive and no one likes a naggy and petty person. I'm referring to knowing ourselves so that we're aware of what makes us tick, what makes us happy and contented and what makes us who we are. Very often, we go through life assimilating the wants and desires of other people (our parents, friends and society at large). We end up being one of the masses with no unique personali...

Lately, my life seems to be defined by words starting with the letter 'R'. In fact, there are 3 words to be exact. Besides reading, all I seem to do in between is running and reminiscing. Of course, there's work but I'm talking about what I do after work and on weekends in case my bosses get the wrong idea ; ) Reading is something which I've always loved. Books have an ability to transport you to seemingly parallel universes or to another world that you'll never know of, if not for our glorious writers. I'm very much taken by how a new book smells, how it feels to the touch and how it promises to deliver a good read. There's so much anticipation wrapped up between the covers of a book, and I suspect an equal amount of disappointment for those who are eventually let down. But I believe that those gems of a read that come one's way make up for the other not-so-good ones that you've to go through in the process. Or perhaps we should be less critical...

For those who know me well, I can come across as a foodie. This is because I really like my food and I'm prepared to drive to out-of-the-way places to try out new finds. I also heartily share with them good makan places whose cuisine I've savoured or delectable eateries I've stumbled upon. Most of my friends appreciate how I go ga ga over good food, but one went to the extent of labelling me an epicurean. Trust me, I did a double take too when she called me that. An epicurean is someone who's fond of luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures, especially in eating and drinking. You can imagine my indignation because I merely wanted to avoid wasting calories on yucky food. When it comes to people who love their food, the question inevitably arises as to whether they live to eat. Or should it be a case that we eat to live. The former seeks to indulge the physical and physiological, with no regard for the higher purpose of living. One only needs to think of Socrates' ax...

The dictionary explains serendipity as an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident or good fortune. For me, I can't say I've not had my share of good fortunes. But some of these turned out to be bad from hindsight, so I'm inclined to wager that most people wouldn't say they live serendipitous lives. For others, its a case of simply not recognising such moments and missing out on simple gestures of kindness that God or Lady Luck, depending on your religious persuasion, chooses to dispense to them. Don't get me wrong, this is not an attempt at promoting my jadedness. I'm simply trying to extrapolate my personel experiences and those of my friends' to arrive at a fact of life. I won't even say its a truth for that's another matter altogether and which is eternal regardless of our circumstances. Anyway, I always joked about squandering my quota of luck during my childhood years to my friends. When I was a kid, I had the uncanny ability to co...

Starting a blog has always been my one of my many resolutions, but there's something masochistic about laying bare one's inner thoughts and emotions. This is why this blog took such a long time to gestate, although some would attribute it to good-old-fashioned procrastination. Truth be told, I've always known that I would've a blog - it was just a matter of time. But there's been so many false starts that it felt for a while that this was not meant to be. Now that I'm going to write down my thoughts, I feel obliged to say why I started this blog. For as long as I can remember, I've always loved the written and spoken word. I'm amazed at how words can evoke the most loving or terrifying response, and how it controls our lives more than we care to admit. Words are vessels of power that can build up or destroy one's lives. They are the medium through which our thoughts and feelings impact those around us, be it good or bad. They can galvanise people to ...