If only...

I remember recently when I was shopping at Okey supermarket, I saw the DVD for this movie on the shelf, same cover, same picture, just that it was written in Russian. I recalled about this movie, which I watched before on Astro when I was having my summer holiday in Malaysia. It was one of the most touching movie that I watched before.

[SPOILER]

Ian was successful in his job, and has a girlfriend Samantha whom he loves so much, but Samantha decscribes that Ian put her as the second highest priority only. They argues in a resturant, and she ran out, hops into a taxi, and involved into a car accident. Though sent to hospital, she passed away. Ian is shocked and feels very very regretful, he keeps thinking,

if only... he knows what he had... before it was gone...
if only... life gave him a second chance...
if only... he has one day... to change destiny...

But life gives him a second chance. His girlfriend is still alive. He is confused and shocked at first, latter realised that either time goes backward, or he just had a dream only. But the most important thing is that his girlfriend is still alive, and he doesn't want to losr her no matter what.

But latter he realised that same thing does happened again, though in different time or different place. So he attempts to change the fate, he tries to avoid that car accident by bringing Samantha away, but Samantha doesn't believe in what he said, and said that it was just a deja'vu. Ian was so confused, he don't know what to do. In an occasion he meets that taxi driver again, though denied that he knows what is going on, but he said to Ian, "Just love her..."

Ian to his advice, and rather than running away from fate, he choose to just loves Samantha, put her as his highest priority. So he brings her to many places, tells her many things, and does many things that touched Samantha. After he told her how much he loves her, Samantha is very happy, and when she wanted to leave, she hops into the same taxi again. Ian, knowing that he must face it, chooses to hop into the taxi, spending the last moment with her. Just when the taxi going to bang into the lorry (or the lorry bangs into the taxi), he hugs Samantha so tightly, doesn't want to lost her again. In the end, Ian sacrificed for her, Samantha survives, but Ian passed away.

For more details of the story, visit here.

[SPOILER ENDS]

If you were given a second chance, would you do the same as what Ian did? Would you die for the one that you love?

Many times I asked myself, if only, if only.
This is a question that many people is asking, if only.

If only ...
If only I didn't do this...
If only I didn't make this decision...
If only I do it better...
If only I appreciate it more...
If only I take an action that time...
If only I look before I leap...
If only I think twice...
If only I voice it out...
If only I keep my mouth shut...
If only I didn't go to that place...
If only I didn't meet that person...
If only ...
then this will not happen...
then this will not happen...

Nicky Gumbel said before, many people wish that they have two lives, a first life for us to make mistake, and a second life for us to avoid those mistake. Sadly our life doesn't have a second chance, life doesn't have take two. We can't go back and change our mistakes to make a brand new start, but we can start and change now to make a brand new end.

We might have messed our life, wasted most of the time, made so many mistakes, made so many wrong decision. God doesn't give us a second chance to undo our mistake, but He gave us His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from the wrongs that we did, so that through Him we are made a new creation, in fact, if you want, Jesus Christ is our second chance, not by our own efforts to change the situations, but by the power and the righteousness of Jesus Christ He changes our situations. The eternal God steps down from eternity into our life to do something that we can't do, that is to have a second chance.

We can't go back and change our mistakes to make a brand new start, but we can start and change now to make a brand new end. We can repent, turn away from our wrongdoings, and entrust our whole life, into Him, who can give us a second chance.

When you ask the question "if only" in your life, before you start to feel remorseful, take heart and think, have you turn to Him, who can give you a second chance?

____________________
.

The LORD said, "I will restore to you 
the years that the locust hath eaten..."
Joel 2:25 (KJV)

10 reasons why I don't travel

Many people asked why I don't travel around during winter holiday. Well, the reason "I prefer not to travel" doesn't satisfy many people. So here are 10 reasons why I don't travel during winter holiday.

1. In second year I lost my ATM card, so though I received my scholarship, I can't withdraw that money out to travel.
2. I don't like to plan for the trip. It is just a hassle for me.
3. I prefer to rest during holiday. I don't like to rush for my trip just after exam, and rush for registration after my trip.
4. I don't mind spending some money and enjoy my trip. I just mind that I don't enjoy my trip and wasting that money.
5. So I rather keep those money for my future. A trip to places outside Russia will spend at least RM2000.
6. I don't like to take risk.
   - Risk of losing important things, eg. passport, visa, luggage.
   - Risk of being conned, eg. in Egypt.
   - Risk of being pickpocket-ed, or robbed.
7. I enjoyed my winter holiday in second and third year, but not the current one though.
8. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made (Romans 1:20). The creations show the glory of God, but I see more of His glory in His words.
9. I don't have a good DSLR to take beautiful photos of the place that I go, though I do have a decent digital camera.
10. But rather than saying the reasons why I don't travel, I should say, I don't have a reason to travel.
    

I will travel again, 

if I found that missing piece
.

Some people said it is not important to where are you going to travel, but is with whom you are going to travel. Maybe I will travel again, or should I say, I will travel (without the word 'again', since I didn't travel before by my own self), if I found the reason to travel. Since like what John Piper said, no one goes to the Grand Canyon to increase his self-esteem, so what is the reason for you to travel?
.

A rather interesting advertisement from AirAsia

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The heavens declare the glory of God,
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1

Making Sushi

First time making sushi, and the process was a disaster. So appreciate it, next time when someone make sushi for you, because it is not easy.

Food is given to you
so that you might eat it
in such a way that
it will be plain
to the world that
Food is not you treasure,
Christ is.

- John Piper -

 ____________________

 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, 

do it all for the glory of God. 

1 Corinthians 10:31

10 Interesting Facts

During winter holiday I found out these interesting facts. It might not be true for everyone, but at least for me.

1. ENT textbook says that coughing and hawking make your sough throat worst, and it is true. Drink something warm to ease the irritation in your throat.
   .
2. Sleeping doesn't relieve pulsating headache, it only make it worst, maybe due to increase of blood flow to head when lying down. Coughing and hard nose blowing will precipitate or cause pulsating headache. So eat well, take vitamins, and maybe try some chinese herbal tea. When want to sleep, sleep in half sit position by piling up few pillows.
   .
3. Some people said when you recovered from your illness, your appetite is not as good as before you fall sick, and it is quite true.
   .
4. Sometime manual focus (MF) is better than auto focus (AF), and I just realised that my camera got this function.
   .
5. Though its value less than 1cent, but 10 kopeek coin has its function also, eg, to scrap off the stool of a guinea pig that adhered the cage. So don't throw it away, you never know what it can do when you are in need.
   .
6. ENT textbook says that in case of cerumen that adhered or impacted  to the ear canal, soften the cerumen with solution such as olive oil or special cerumolytic agent prior to removal with instruments or syringing. This principle also works for stool of guinea pig that impacted on the cage, in this case, vinegar which contains acetic acid can used.
   .
7. When many people have something, you also want to have it. After you have it, you don't like other people to have it also. After sometime, you regret of buying it, because either (1) you realised that you don't really need it, or (2) that thing is not as good as you expected, or (3) everyone owning the same thing as you and make that thing doesn't look special anymore. In my case, is iPod Touch. Covetousness only bring bitterness.
   .
8. A king wants a gold ship, a queen wants a silver ship, a kid wants a toy ship, but is better to have fellowship and friendship. Appreciate these two 'ships' when you found them. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
   .
9. Sometime distance really matters, because remember that it is also accompanied by difference in time zones.
   .
10. The way you start out is most probably the way you finish it. Make sure you start out properly.

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Those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. 

For this world in its present form is passing away. 

1 Corinthians 7:31

飞鸟和鱼的故事

飞鸟，
喜欢热闹，
喜欢自由自在，
喜欢在天空翱翔。

鱼，
喜欢独处，
喜欢深海的宁静，
喜欢在海中慢慢的游。

从一开始，
他们来自不同的世界，
从一开始，
他们根本就不可能生活在一起。

虽然偶然在天海的边界认识了对方，
但刚开始只因为来自不同的世界，
而互相吸引，
以为对方很适合自己。
当深深了解对方后，
才发现各自坚决自己的立场，
才发现各自眷恋自己的世界。

从一开始，
来自不同的世界，
从一开始，
根本不可能在一起。

因为忍受不了寂寞，
所以飞鸟选择回去它的天空，
而鱼选择回去它的深海。

飞鸟和鱼都选择把这段往事
深埋在珊瑚海里。

有一条鱼生活在一片海域里，它每天就是不停的游来游去。一天，有一只迷途的鸟儿飞过这片海域的上空，它很疲倦，低下头寻找海中的一片陆地，水里的鱼觉得水面的光线变得有些昏暗，就抬头望向天空，这样，鱼和鸟的视线交织到了一起。孤独的鱼和迷途的飞鸟深深地彼此吸引着对方。 

飞鸟给鱼讲辽阔的天空，讲广袤的大地，鱼给飞鸟讲深邃的海洋，它们为彼此打开了一扇未知的却又丰富多彩的窗；它们还有好多共同的话题：每个早晨的朝霞，每个傍晚的落日，每个夜晚的星空，每分钟空气里的味道，树木的，土地的，海水的，春天的，夏天的，秋天的，冬天的，它们彼此深深爱慕着对方，这样就过了好久，它们以为此生就这样斯守，飞鸟可以忘却飞翔的天空，鱼可以忘却深潜过的海底。谁说鱼和飞鸟就不能在一起？

一天，飞鸟看见别的鸟飞过，它想起了天空，它问鱼是否愿意和它一起感受风从身边掠过的自由，鱼看看自己的鳍没有说话；又是一天，鱼为了躲避暴风雨，深深潜入水中，在太阳重现的时候，它兴奋的问飞鸟是否能看到水中珊瑚的灿烂，飞鸟只能看着波光粼粼的水面苦笑。 

它们知道了飞鸟与鱼是不可以在一起的，虽然彼此相爱，但是鱼终归是水里的鱼，飞鸟终归是飞鸟。飞鸟离开了那片海域，永远的再也没有回来，它并不知道，鱼亦再没有游回这片海域，它们都在小心翼翼地躲避那段往事，那段飞鸟与鱼的故事。

____________________

世界上最遥远的距离是当你发现
紧握的绿洲原来只是海市蜃楼