Living Life :)

MY PERCEPTION TO WRITE A GREAT NOVEL (VIEWED FROM LEO TOLSTOY’S ANNA KARENINA)

1. Write with all your heart. Put your heart and soul into the story.
2. Find other literary references. Find inspiration in them but remember to keep the originality of your story.
3. Start from primitive sketches, progress from there.
4. Use some “turning points” (something that may affect the character) e.g. Anna reading novel en route back to Petersburg, prompts her to self-reflection.
5. Get a theme, work your way into details from there.
6. It’s okay to change character’s name, personality and images.
“Anna Karenina was first written as Tatyana Sergeyevna Stavrovicha: a selfish, vain and unattractive woman who grows to become a vivacious, handsome and beguiling young woman Anna is.”
7. Remember one most important thing: no one is perfect and no relationship is flawless.
E.g: Anna Karenina & Alexey Karenin: Anna cheated, age gap
Anna Karenina & Alexey Vronsky: Anna’s insecurity of Vronsky’s faithfulness
Kitty Shtcherbatskaya & Constantine Levin: Levin’s mistrust on Kitty, Kitty’s flirty side
Dolly & Stiva’s Oblonsky: Stiva’s affair
Prince & Princess Shtcherbatsky: different views on Kitty’s future
8. Tragedy is what makes a love affair memorable. E.g.: Anna and Vronsky can’t be together at first because of her marriage to Karenin and public opinion.

LOVE

What is love? It’s the one question one never quite get the answer right. Why? Because we don’t know what love exactly is? No. It is because the real definition of love may differ for different people. Some many think loving someone is to shower them with expensive gifts, while others may think that just being there for someone shows you love them.
I personally think that when you truly love someone, it’s not about the expensive gifts and grand gestures, but it’s about the thoughts and the effort. And effort may refer to grand gestures, but sometimes, moments and time spent together is quite sufficient. I’m not only talking about love in a romantic way, but love in general. Some parents think that loving their child may mean pampering them with gifts, some other may think just spending time with them is enough.
Okay, speaking in a romantic context, I used to be the girl who wish to be given an expensive engagement ring, and to be proposed in the middle of a lake surrounded by candle, et cetera. But when I come to think about it, it doesn’t really matter how a guy proposes or what he gave for your birthday. 6 million dollars engagement ring doesn’t quite guarantee an answer “yes”, now does it. What matters is the person. If you truly love a person, simple thoughts or present or maybe just a birthday wish can make you happy. Now that is mature love.
When we were little we love birthdays because of the party and the gifts, but now I think I would rather have no gifts at my birthday if it means to spend time with my love ones.
Just as love may differ for everyone, the kind of perfect love may differ for everyone as well. Some may think that a love is so perfect like Chuck and Blair from Gossip Girl because he showers her with expensive gifts that no one else could afford. For others it’s the way he ensure that she is always happy. Some may think that it is because he’s willing to go to great length to make sure she live her dreams even if it means sacrificing his future for it. Different people have different ways to view things. But for me, what make Chuck and Blair so perfect is because his great determination to put a smile in her face and the way he is willing to give up everything for her, yet still give her the choice who she want to share her happiness with. Now that’s true love. It might be fictional, but the way the script was written was so amazing, giving the character perfect timing for every grand gestures. That’s what love in real life should be. It might not be the time for two person to be together just yet, but “good things happens to those who waits” (quoted from Chuck, Gossip Girl Season 6 Episode 5).

FASHION IS PAINFUL FOR REASONS BEYOND BEAUTY

I love fashion. I may love to walk around town with short pants, t-shirt and flip flops, but when it comes to dressing up, I am thrilled beyond believe. Some people say beauty is painful, which I partly agree with. Some people think that it is best to dress up comfortably, but while some day I might agree, most of the time I won’t. For a 5’5”, I am considered tall in Malaysia, where I come from. So it is natural that I don’t need high heels to tower over other girls because I already do with my flats. But once I discovered the beauty of wearing heels, I prefer my painful high heels over my comfy flats. Maybe a lots of girls out there still feel the pain of walking in high heels like myself, but why do we still insist on wearing them I wonder?
I started taking interest in wearing high heels from Gossip Girl. Come on, let’s be honest, no high end fashion is complete without high heels is there? There, even the tall girl towering over most other girls and some boys even, wear high heels. It’s all about fashion really.
Then as I was walking in my high heels, I wonder what is so special about wearing high heels? Suddenly, POOOOFFF, came the answer (well, not that literal though). High heels make us feel confident. How, you may ask. By feeling taller of course! Since you already towered over most people, what’s in it for you, you wondered. Well, even if I already towered over everyone, it helps to feel taller than usual. Being ridiculously tall make me stand out and feel wonderful really. Apart from that, wearing high heels helps you to be proper, regardless in walking or sitting. Maybe for some people they can even run in high heels, but for most people, you have to be extra careful when wearing high heels because, tilt a little, you may loose your balance. I might be a little crazy and improper sometimes, but I love things to be proper and organized.
To be honest, others may have various different reasons for wearing high heels but I like to feel the proper me while wearing high heels.
Cheers to the clackers!
Hakuna Mattata!

STUFF OF DREAMS

As human, normal, not-insane, and living human, we have dreams. I’m talking about the kind of things that is so perfect that you just wanted to close your eyes so that the dreams appear real, not the dreams you have while sleeping (well, may e in some cases that is applicable). People say, no one is ever satisfy with whatever they have. But for me, I do believe that one day I will live that dreams that will make me so content in life that every waking moment will make me feel like I’m on the seventh heaven.
I do admit however that at this very moment, that kind of life is not within my reach yet,but I do have faith that one day I will have them. Trick is to still have faith in the higher power.
Maybe for some people that dreams are merely dreams. You know, the kind of imagination where it is logical when you’re sleeping and becomes irrelevant the moment you wake up. Granted, I’ve dream that I fly and obviously I’m not going to fly anytime soon but that doesn’t mean that all other dreams should stay that way, just as dreams.
Seek into the very depth of your heart and ask what it truly desire. If we’re determined enough, I don’t see why it is unreachable. Sometimes, a very complicated problem offers a very simple solution, which is to just believe.
So people, whatever your heart desires, believe in yourself that it isn’t impossible. From now on, JUST BELIEVE!
Hakuna Mattata!!

THE TRUE MEANING OF HAPPINESS

I was a girl who was never afraid to dream big. I was so determined to excel in life. I used to think that success is a measure of happiness and success is defined by how high your education is. Now, to be honest, I don’t feel that way anymore. Now, I think success is defined by how content you are with your life. You may just be a normal waitress at a diner with a crappy apartment, working 14 hours daily to make ends meet and low salary, but if you are able to make the best of it and never have regrets, that’s true happiness.

You may not have fancy job, dashing soul mate, flashy car or even luxurious penthouse, but if you don’t feel stuck doing things you don’t like or having job you dreaded, you may be happy. Honestly, the measure of happiness may differ for everyone, but one general key of happiness is looking forward to waking up in the morning because reality is so much exciting and adventurous than the stuff of dreams.

Frankly, I myself haven’t really achieve that kind of happiness yet. I still think that my dreams are so much fun than waking up but I know deep inside that I will find that happiness, that life I always dreamed of. I truly believe that. As the Bible said,

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

- Ecclesiastes 3:11

I put these verse in my heart for I truly believe that He had made my life special. All I need is patience and to stay faithful. I believe that these are the moments He wants to purify and strengthen me as I will come out stronger than I was before.

Hakuna Matata! xoxo

MY NEW PERCEPTION ON HOW POLITICIANS SHOULD BE

as I’m sure everyone should already know by now, as of yesterday, it is official that President Barack Obama was re-elected as the President of United States of America for another term. I took interest in this matter because all of us know that US is one of the most powerful nation that has the influence to change other countries (in my opinion). it’s getting harder to type. apparently I need a manicure.

so, I watched his victory speech last night in YouTube. you see, having lived in Malaysia, I always had the perception that all politicians are deceitful and selfish, not to mention greedy, sorry ‘bout that. some even fight for thing’s that aren’t fair for others. but when I watch President Obama’s speech, I realised the person he truly is: a person who fight for something that he believe in. from that moment on out, I realised, not all politicians should be deceitful and greedy, fighting for something to their own favor and power, but they should know and stay true to who they really are, and fight for what they truly believe in.

from my personal opinion, a politician should be someone who really represents the community, no matter what his/her position in the government. he/she should be the voice for the unheard and the eyes for the unseen. being a politician is not about the fame and wealth but it is about being a leader, a role model to show the society the transparency the government should have.

my views on politicians might sound similar to that of an activist, but all of us know how politics control the society, even a nation. personally, for me, it is very important for politicians to show the society that each and every one person’s voice has the right to be heard and to be act upon, and that every person’s opinion counts. some might think that where there is politic, there will always be corruption. it doesn’t has to be that way. that’s where a politician is important, to prove that wrong!

some country even has committees to prosecute people who talk bad about their government. that’s not right. every one person should has the right to express their views and concerns of any matter as long as it doesn’t create misdemeanor or havoc. politicians have to be the medium for the society’s voice to be heard.

for politicians to change people’s perceptions on politics, it is a very long way to go but it isn’t impossible. I changed my perceptions. there’s a saying, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. politicians should reflect an icon in which the society know represents them, a person they can confide on. if every politicians are responsible enough to make sure that every fight is for a better society and a better government, we’ll be living in a very powerful nation, I guarantee. the most important thing is that a politician is an icon that represents society/community that had his/her back.

anyway, us as community, we have the right to be heard as well. how? well, first of all, vote the politicians that truly a people’s person and who promises a better tomorrow.

last but not least, congratulations President Barack Obama for re-elected for office for another term, cheers!

US AGAINST THE CIRCUMSTANCES

what if you are stuck in a circumstance that forced you to be a lesser person than who you actually are? would you be a better person and walk away or stay and be the lesser person? lets say to achieve your life long dream, you have to make a decision that make you a lesser person than you know you are, will you walk away and be the better person instead, or will you stay? what is more important: achieving your dreams or being the better person?

I had a thought (more like perception) towards a person that inspires this topic. for me personally, the answer depends on the situation itself. can I live with the fact that I was so close to my dreams only to walk away to be a better person? if yes, than okay, I’ll be the better person. truthfully, it all comes down to how much the dream meant to me.

I know for a fact that for some people, it is more important to be a better person in all circumstances, but I don’t want to lie and say that I’m one of them, saying my dream meant less to me that who I am in people’s eyes. if you know me, you would know that my dreams define who I am, so yeah, they do meant a lot to me. I’m selfish like that :). but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care what people think of me. sometimes I don’t. it matters to me to be defined and known as the person I truly am. I’ve been conflicted with finding myself: my fashion senses, being comfortable as me, my passion and all that, but I made a firm decision to what defines me: I am the person I am from within. that is what matters to me.

so, when it comes down to my dreams and myself, I’d go with my dreams, but in the mean time, I’d find a way to be my true person and not lost who I am along the way. but I will not walk away from achieving my dreams, not when I was so close to actually living it.

anyway, enjoy life. cheers! xoxo