What Could Have Been, What Might Have Been

Like to share this review from kakiseni.com - reminds me of my childhood in Jalan Damai, Kampung Melayu Kaki Bukit, and being taken on visits to my relatives at Kampung Wa' Tanjung, Geylang Serai, Kembangan, Pasir Ris, etc.
Like time in an hourglass, footprints in the sands, that moment in time can never be captured (like a genie or toyol in a bottle, haha!) I cried my heart out over the many, many times that I could made a choice, and took action but hesitated or fled; time is so flighty, it can never be captured, once it's gone, there's only memories ...
So, as my friend Midah like to end her training sessions with "Carpe Diem!" (Seize the Moment), I should learn to be alert to surprises, be spontaneous, expect the unexpected and "go with the flow" (for the umpteenth time, u might say!)
And the Love that we claimed to cherish is actually Self-Love?
BTW, Wa' Hassan was what we called my mother's eldest brother; obviously my mother's family are Javanese from Kendal, Central Java - that much I know from Pak Cik Pom, my youngest uncle, the only surviving one, who religiously organised the annual Kerabat gatherings.
Will try to get pics of my uncles in their prime - fair (somewhere along the line, my great grandparents must have had Chinois and Mat Salleh partners or adopted kids!), light brown-eyed, good looking, sharp in their crisp suits and ties, English-educated, tennis players, swoon, swoon ...
(Anak Bulan Di Kampung Wa' Hassan: More Singaporean existentialism here: Denizens of the last kampong on the island republic ponder their last Raya there in Alfian Sa'at's play (directed and performed to great acclaimed by Singapore's Gene Shahrudyn in 2001). The play, now revised for 13 actors by the Kelab Teater Kota Kuala Lumpur, recaptures the lost village with a traditional Randai staging. Having won the Festival Teater Wilayah Persekutuan in December last year, this play is now competing for a placing among the five finalists of Teater Festival Malaysia later this year. Fri 14 - Sun 16 Apr 2006. Auditorium Taman Budaya Kuala Lumpur.)
Watched the Temptations at MO last nite, compliments of NIA; not as great as the Platters at CP but FOC, so no cause to complain. Gawked at all the Oldies but certainly not Moldies: "Money may not buy love, or happiness, but it sure can buy youth in a bottle!"
Which brings me to this msg from Ummi Shafiq, a dear friend and sister, a well-known motivational speaker who gave up fame and fortune to embrace mysticism:
Facilitators, an activity you can use in class. Thx K Moon.
Forwarded Message From: Maimun Mohd Amin Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 03:33:49 +0100 (BST)
Group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returnedwith a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic,glass, some plain looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them tohelp themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to wantonly the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."
"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality ofLife doesn't change."
"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
So folks, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead.