My Thoughts for the Day: If I Were A Bird.

This morning I spent some time mingling with the residents at the Shelter’s patio – a favourite place for them to gather perhaps for a puff but more so for togetherness.

While the residents were engrossed in idle prattle, I sat there watching the birds.  Birds surely must be one of God’s most beautiful creations.  They are so light, so happy.  A little noisy sometimes but cheerfully so.   I watched them intently with great envy.

At that moment, I thought of St Francis of Assisi who had a gift for understanding birds and attracting them.

Surely, these birds must be God’s greatly favoured.  They need not worry what to wear or what to eat.  They have the freedom to come and go as they wish. 

This morning, they have chosen to remain on ground feeding on bits of bread and rice.  Yet, when they want, they may soar high up into the skies beyond the reach of mere human.  High up where they can talk, at close range, with their creator  – our Creator who sometimes appear so far away, so distant, so out of reach.

If I were a bird, I’d fly now to a place where no man has ever been or dare to tread; a place where time stands still.  And just be me.

It may have been a short break from work but, for me, it was a very precious moment spent in quiet contemplation.  

My Thoughts for the Day: Eulogy for Mom - Theresa Agnes Goh Ah Soy

Born 1919; Died 2010


To everyone of us, mom is the best.
In my case, mom is better than best; she is extraordinary.

Over the past few days, some of my childhood friends came to mom's wake. All of them remember my mom very fondly and had nothing but good things to say about her. I cannot but agree with them fully.

As the youngest in the family, I spent much time with my mom - going to the market, preparing the daily meals in the kitchen and talking. We talked about many things and shared many thoughts.  Mom was my best teacher.

She taught me to be a good son and a good brother. But she also taught me that to be a good son and brother was not enough. She constantly reminded me to strive to be a good person. Mom taught me well and I am what I am today because of her love and guidance.

Some of you may remember mom as a ravishing beauty. But more than just external beauty, mom possesses great inner beauty. Think of all the superlatives in the dictionary, put them together and you get the perfect description of mom. To me, mom is the embodiment of everything that is good and beautiful.

Most of you already know that I love my mom dearly.  The truth is, I adore her.

When I was ready for marriage, my idea of an ideal wife was someone who is like mom - someone who has all the qualities that mom possesses. And I am indeed thankful to God that He has blessed me so richly with a beautiful mother and an equally beautiful wife.

The 2 most beautiful women in my life - mom and wifey

My Thoughts for the Day: Calmness of Mind

"As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life."

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

My Thoughts for the Day: Give Thanks

Standing on the escalator step at the MRT station, I was staring straight ahead of me, thinking of nothing in particular, more like looking into emptiness, my mind a total blank - completely shagged from a day of sheer hard work.

Suddenly, the poster caught my attention and the famous quote by Ralph H Blum stared right back at me - "There is a calmness to life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

These words kept ringing in my mind as I walked from the station to my flat which, is but a stone's throw away. I couldn't comprehend myself at the moment. Why I couldn't shake loose those words from my head; neither did I understand their significance in my life.

I pondered on those words through the night. Even as I sat on my well-used and worn settee listening to Earl Klugh plucking on his acoustic guitar, those words kept flashing across my mind, to the point of irritation. Blum was messing with my music and it was annoying me!

I can't enjoy music unless I give it my 100% concentration which, explains why I 'sit in music' only past midnight when the rest of the world is asleep.

I had to admit defeat, turned off the music and retired to bed. Blum won and those same words rang through my ears incessantly, until I finally fell asleep.

Peace at last.

The next morning I awoke to the tune of Henry Smith's Give Thanks running repeatedly through my mind. I didn't think very much of it at first. I got out of bed and dove straight into the rhythm of my morning ritual - brushing teeth, dressing up and getting ready, in earnest, to face the new day.

On the train, on the way to the office, (at this stage I am normally already out of my morning stupor), I recalled the opening line of the song which is, 'Give thanks with a grateful heart'.

That was when I asked myself, "how often do I give thanks?"

Frankly, not often enough.

I am quite sure I am not alone in this.

At that moment, I resolved to myself that I will give thanks every day of my life. Henceforth, I shall live my life in gratitude.

Individually by themselves, these words were nothing more than just ordinary, used everyday by so many, perhaps without giving much thought to their real underlying meaning.

But put together, they are so dynamic, they possess the power to touch and transform lives.

My Thoughts for the Day: The Artist

What is the mental and emotional make-up of an artist? Oftentimes, I wonder. Eccentric like Dadi, temperamental like Goya or morbid like Van Gogh? Or perhaps all of these wrapped up into one?

My sister who is a person with disability paints rather well and she is definitely all of the above. When in a state of blissful sanity, she would be artistic, creative, imaginative and much more.


She painted these. Judge for yourself but I think they are all excellent examples of what and how introspective works of art should be.

They are for sale from S$250 upwards. Anyone who is interested may drop me a note in facebook or send me a message mlbk888@yahoo.com.sg

My Thoughts for the Day: Mothers

It's okay that Mothers' Day has passed us by several days. It is never too late to pay tribute to this special breed of women and what better way to do so than by sharing some of my favourite quotes by famous people about them. Here goes ...

What are Raphael's Madonnas but the shadow of a mother's love, fixed in permanent outline forever? ~Thomas Wentworth Higginson


Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

My mother had a slender, small body, but a large heart - a heart so large that everybody's joys found welcome in it, and hospitable accommodation. ~Mark Twain

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
~William Goldsmith Brown

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

If I was damned of body and soul,
I know whose prayers would make me whole,
Mother o' mine, O mother o'mine.
~Rudyard Kipling

The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks. ~Carrie Latet

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb

My Thoughts for the Day: Cooking for Love

Fusilli with Prawns and Mushrooms Drizzled in Orange Juice

I originally coined the phrase 'cooking for love' to describe my darling wife's cooking style. She puts in great effort into every dish she prepares, especially, for her loved ones. Her fastidious attention to detail begins from the moment she selects the choicest ingredients at the market, to the way she prepares the ingredients (cutting them into equal shapes and sizes), right down to how she presents the final product.

Grilled Mediterranean-Style Vegetables in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Aromatic Herb

Cooking is not only about whipping out food to fill a hungry stomach and it is not just about making tasty bites. An inventive dish must be able to satisfy all the various senses. It has to be a feast for the eye (sight), an aromatic experience (scent), and a delight to the palate (taste).

Yam and Pumpkin Salad with Pomelo and Golden Sultana

The photos illustrate our meticulous use of the freshest seasonal ingredients in order to painstakingly create the right balance of colour, aroma and taste to titillate the taste bud.

Macaroni with Prawns, Cilantro and Garlic Flakes

For darling wife and I, cooking is also an expression of love for the people we cook for. What better way to show how much we regard our friends than by inviting them for a home-cooked meal.

Strawberry and Water Cress Salad

When we do cook for our friends and loved ones, we take into consideration, firstly their likes and preferences. It has become a natural effort for us to ask if they have any fondness for a particular food or types of food.  We are also careful to enquire after any aversions or allergies they might have. As far as possible, we try to modify the recipes or hunt for substitute ingredients in order to ensure the enjoyment of our guests.

Rendang Fried Rice served with Prawn Salad

We do this because we wish for them to derive the greatest pleasure from the food we prepare for them. We bother, simply because we cook for love.

Rose Apple Salad with Sweet Yellow Fargo Tomatoes

When friends and relatives partake of a meal with us, they are, in fact, sharing with us an intimate part of our life.  They get to experience our love affair with food.

My Thoughts For The Day: A Bed of Roses

We often hear people wishing life was 'a bed of roses'. And I wonder why?

A bed of roses is pretty; it is a visual feast for the eye.

It is also inviting; its fragrance so hypnotic, it entices you with its scent.

It is definitely tempting; its beauty so alluring, you'll be seduced into picking it (for a loved one, perhaps).

But be careful, be very wary; you might be pricked by the rose's vengeful thorns. For the rose is indeed deceitful.

The bed of roses is just like life itself. Life is made up of many happy moments, many wonderful and unforgettable experiences. But every now and then, it places obstacles and challenges in our way and we get hurt.

We can't foretell the time of happening. We can't fathom the depth of its pain. And it is impossible to predict the tide and term of the suffering. The only thing we do know, and that is the only certainty, is it can and will happen. But, fortunately for many of us, we take comfort in the knowledge that, by faith, all injuries can be healed.

This world we live in is an imperfect one. Like the bed of roses, the world is a beautiful place to be in. Alas, like the roses in the bed, the world can be deceptive and its inhabitants, deceitful!

Once, a Buddhist friend told me that we were all born into this world to suffer. This reminds me of what my Catholic priest told me: first wear the crown of thorns, experience the suffering Christ, then you may rejoice in his resurrection.

So, isn't life already like a bed of roses? Why wish it to be like one?

Shouldn't we wish, instead, for life to be like a field of lilies (or golden daffodils)?

William Blake wrote:

The modest Rose puts forth a thorn,
The humble sheep a threat’ning horn:
While the Lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.

My Thoughts For The Day: On Success

Some time back, my sister asked me, "What is the meaning of success?"

That prompted me to think what the word 'success' really meant to me.

After a couple of weeks, I felt I could write an essay on the subject and then post it to my sister to share with her. That same essay, somehow, grew to become a book. Yes, there is indeed so much to be said about success that only a book would have done justice to such an important topic.

But now, after many months of pondering over the word 'success', I think I can actually write a whole encyclopedia, with different volumes covering its various aspects:

Volume 1 - Success in Studies
Volume 2 - Success in Career
Volume 3 - Success in Love
Volume 4 - Success in Marriage
Volume 5 - Success in Family Life
Volume 6 - Success in Community Life
Volume 7 - Success in Leadership
Volume 8 - Success in Overcoming Difficulties
Volume 9 - Success in Self-fulfilment
Volume 10 - Success in Self-actualisation
Volume 11 - Success in the Spiritual Path
and I may just add a few more volumes along the way.

I have come to realise one thing though and that is, our lives are made up of many small successes or different phases of successes.

As little tots, we grappled with many things of the world that were new and unfamiliar to us such as crawling and walking, talking and eating solid food. Each time we managed to learn something new, we met with success. At that time, these successes didn't seem so minor at all. In fact, to be able to take his first step meant a great deal to a tiny tot, let alone to his parents, who would have been filled with pride and joy on watching baby achieve his first success in life.

As we grow older, we sometimes forget about our first steps in life, about learning to ride a bike, about passing our PSLE because they do not seem so important anymore when compared to the greater challenges we face today.

As adults, we fight monumental wars at work, we work hard to climb the corporate ladder, we try to strike a balance between career and marriage, some even have to contend with complicated or failed relationships, while others have to battle difficulties such as painful separations, fears and phobia or incurable illnesses.

Our minds get over-crowded with all of the hardship and adversities we face in our everyday lives that we forget about our past successes in life - they just don't matter anymore, they don't figure in our life anymore, they dim in significance.

What we really are forgetting here is this - that it would not have been possible for any one of us to achieve any of our later and subsequent successes had we not taken our first step!

But the question remains - what exactly does success mean? Ask 100 people and we will probably get 100 differing answers. This is because success can mean so many different things to different people, all of whom are living at different levels or phases of their lives. Not two persons in this world can be precisely the same.

But I do know one thing for sure. No matter which phase we are going through now, I believe that there will be a very strong correlation between our success determinator and our value system.

Ask yourself this. At this stage of your life , is it important to make your 1st million dollars by a certain year? Are you targeting to get married by a certain age? Is caring for your aged parents your first priority? Do you feel the need to fight the injustices of this world and right the wrongs?

Depending on what holds true for us in terms of values, the greatest success in life, to me at this moment, is to be able to put our finger to what we truly believe in, and then direct our whole being, all our strength, energy and ability towards achieving that belief. That belief is what I would refer to as our personal TRUTH in life.

Ideally, of course, our personal truth should consist of all the ingredients of the universal Truth.

Only when we have attained our Truth can we rest on our laurels and say to ourselves, 'I have been successful, at last!".

My Thoughts For The Day: Beautiful Women

I am not referring to just any adult female human. Neither am I talking about those ravishing beauties you see in movies and calendars.

My thoughts are more in tune to WordNet’s definition - ‘a female person who plays a significant role in the life of a particular man’. Naturally, it will come to mind that this person would be one’s wife, fiancée or special girlfriend.

In my life, there are two.

The first bore me into this world and gave me life amidst horrific pangs of (labour) pain. She is a woman of steel who worked hard all her life and kept home, just so that I was clothed and fed well. She gave me more than just basic subsistence; she nurtured me, taught me, educated me and most important of all, she showed me the way by her good example. My mother, a selfless being.

The second I met, not by chance, for we were destined to be together. She loved me, pampered me, understands me and stood by me through the ‘thick and thin’ of my life. She is my soul mate, my best friend, my darling wife.

How would I get on with my life without them? I guessed my life will go on. But it would be different.

I may not see the world the same way I do now or even be completely out of character, for lack of a mother’s guiding love and care.

I may be a lesser man and not had the benefit of knowing what true love is, had I not met my wife.

Because they are both so important, so precious to me, today I pay tribute to them both.

They say I am the angel in their lives. I say, they are the saints in my life. In them, I see the face of Christ.

In my darkest moments, when I am thrown deep into the abyss of dismal, I look upon their faces and regain my strength and remain resolute to go on living.

Happy is the man who is blessed with not one, but two, beautiful women in his life and I thank God for them.

Darling wife with  mummy

My Thoughts For The Day: Eating Healthily

In recent weeks I have received, in my inbox, numerous messages warning me to take stock of my health with emphasis on exercise and eating well. I simply brush these messages aside because I know that a pauper like me can't possibly afford those expensive 'money back' guarantee programmes that they promote. Besides, I am too discreet to fall for such scams.

So, what exactly does one mean by eating well?

When it comes to matters like eating healthily, I must confess to be an ignoramus and have nothing worthy to offer by way of advice. But, if eating well means eating for pleasure then I can speak, if you may permit, with some authority.

My idea of eating well has always been to enjoy your food and worry later about the calories, the cholesterol, the fats ... . Oh well, let's just say to really enjoy my food, I would throw caution to the wind and eat what tastes best.

Not sure if you would agree with me about this - the best tasting food are rarely the healthiest. But, a true epicure would not worry himself sick over dietary benefits. A food connoisseur is more concerned about the sight, smell and taste of food.

But surely you would agree with me that all those healthy food that friends have been recommending, they don't really taste that good. In fact, some of them do taste strangely odd!

And to my friends who ask me (constantly and thank you very kindly for all of your concern) when I am starting on a healthy diet, my answer is plain and simple, "I already am on a diet, dearie - a 'seefood' diet. I see the food, I eat it, as long as it is good enough to titillate my palate."

But honestly, here's some serious discourse about eating well.

Lately, I have been pondering over my eating habits and am beginning to take stock of what I eat. I have adopted a whole brand new attitude towards eating. My new philosophy of eating well is to eat what is worth dying for. At least then, I know that I have eaten what I desired and can look back on my culinary journey and adventure with pride and joy and a sense of accomplishment.

Should I be mighty proud of myself or what for making this littliest effort towards healthier lifestyle?