Life is like a candle in the wind.  Are you living your life to the fullest today?

I came across this moving poem by John, who has recently passed away.  A fantastic poem encapsulating the essence of time, life and identities.  This ties in perfectly with my latest Most Touching Story to date, Shan’s MOMENTS in time.

Good and bad times are part of life and living.  Have you etched yourself in the hearts and minds of your loved ones today?

I’ll leave you with John’s poem.

Perfection Wasted

And another regrettable thing about death

is the ceasing of your own brand of magic,

which took a whole life to develop and market-

the quips, the witticisms, the slant

adjusted to a few, those loved ones nearest

the lip of the stage, their soft faces blanched

in the footlight glow, their laughter close to tears,

their warm pooled breath in and out with your heartbeat,

their response and your performance twinned.

The jokes over the phone. The memories packed

in the rapid-access file. The whole act.

Who will do it again? That’s it: no one;

imitators and descendants aren’t the same.

- John Updike

Composed 1/24/90

Collected Poems 1953-1993 (Knopf, 1993, p. 231)

Shan’s thoughts on YOU, recession, depression and Facebook

I just got onto Facebook yesterday and it was a phenomenal experience! Wow!

Now I know why people can get addicted to Facebook. It is a social networking tool that relies a lot on psychological principles.

It’s addictive because:

1. You know that there are people behind the screen who are clicking and moving their mouse for YOU.
2. They are doing this because they are THINKING of you.
3. If they are thinking of you, it means that they FEEL some sort of emotions for you, be it LIKE or LOVE or CURIOSITY or HATE, etc (I think hate will not come into the picture because you can ignore them)
4. This makes you feel LOVED, WANTED, NEEDED, IMPORTANT, VALUED, FAMOUS, ESTEEMED, which is vital for the emotive side of people.

Some other powerful uses of Facebook: [Read more →]

My beloved friends,

Following my light-hearted story of Riiibbitt! Ed and Jason! which received a standing ovation, I will be sharing on People live and L.O.V.E. tomorrow evening at my home club!

People live and love.  People live and L.O.V.E.  What does “L.O.V.E.” mean?  Journey with me as I take you on Shan’s rollercoaster of L.O.V.E.

I invite you to the fourth of five installments in my Stories-Alive! series in Singapore.  Details as follows:

• Title: People live and L.O.V.E.
• Venue: Bishan Toastmasters Club, Bishan Community Club, Level 3, Lecture Room 1, Singapore
• Date: 20 January 2008
• Time: 7-10pm

I look forward to seeing you there!

With love,
Pei Shan

Life and bumper cars

The relationship between life and bumper cars

Life is like bumper cars.  You take a few knocks along the way, smile; life still goes on. – Yip Pei Shan

I wa playing bumper cars at Luna Park, Sydney, Australia, a few days ago and came up with this bump of wisdom.  Everyone was all smiles and yet they were enduring hard knocks from people they know or did not know.  We were all confined at a certain point in time and space, yet it was filled with positive feelings, fun and enjoyment.  It’s an excellent attitude to take with us back into our reality of living.  For what is reality but a construction of our minds?  Let us smile and live life with optimism, fun and enjoyment!