Tuesday, June 06, 2006

that's life



do you want to have dinner at the above table? with the varied dishes of oriental cuisine; braised whole abalone in oyster sauce; the delectable 'monk jumping over the wall', the fresh lobster sashimi, the fans of shark fin in double boiled chicken stock.......slurp! it's so quiet you can enjoy your dinner in peace. in fact, you can actually hear the flapping of the wings of the fly that just flew past.


or would you prefer a warm, albeit noisy, dinner with lots of chatter, not to mention fights and arguments....looking from the picture, probably about who gets the fish head.

everybody's fighting to get to the top, where supposedly all the riches are waiting for them. when you reach there, if you ever do, it may be a very lonely and cold place.

there is no halfway in life. either you get all the riches and prestigious title, with the accompanying package of distance and coolness from your closest and dearest....or you lead a comfortable, but sometimes tiring, life with those that matter to you but you never see the zeros that follow a million dollar in your bank account.

i have two very enterprising and hardworking imaginary friends. being very close and compatible, they decided to venture into business together. it was a joy watching them work. they actually enjoyed what they were doing; joking all the time and pulling each other's leg. their company alone was infectious. everybody loved doing business with them, if just to have their zeal and laughter rub off on you for a brief period of time.

as a result, their business grew and grew. they had to bring in extra staffs and move to a bigger place. more jobs came their way. their bank accounts had a lot more zeros. this is a success story in the making. but are they happy? can't say that they aren't because that is what every business owner dreams of; to grow and expand. their names are recognised in the industry. but i don't hear their laughters as much anymore. i don't see them kidding each other; in fact they are so stressed out that their nerves are strayed, and their patience forever tested. they don't have enough time for their leisure activities and are always edgy. they are not unhappy......but are they happy?

still, it's the inevitable way to move, isn't it? forward. nobody wants to stand still or be stuck in a stale environment. who would choose to stay wherever they are economically and be forever content? after all, they are enterprising and ambitious young people.

isn't life ironic?

11 comments:

Wuching said...

i wan the 2nd one, the round one, the one sitting next to u! hehehehe!

Anonymous said...

I'd like to have a combination of both. don't mind not having all that exotic food, but don't want too crowded a table as well.

hmmm... I guess life is about finding that balance, isn't it? :)

me said...

dear wuching: in the 2nd picture, i'm the one hiding in the kitchen with a dish all to herself. yakyakyak.

dear may: but in life, you usually can't have your cake and eat it too. yes, balance will be good but easier said than done, i guess. ppl tend to get carried away by the moment.

Anonymous said...

As the saying goes..,

# Everything is a comparison,
Even bitter and sweet,
And a littli bit of both of them,
Makes life complete. #

p/s. I noticed that you have recently been adding nice sketches in your posts. They are wonderful. Keep them flowing in.

Admin said...

at my age, i just want to stay here and do nothing. have the fish head served to me.

Cocka Doodle said...

They are not laughing as much as they used to ah?
There are always psychotropic drugs like ecstasy, ice, sabu etc to perk them up mah...Tell your friends to pop a few. I guarantte they'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

me said...

dear licky: thank u.

dear ah pek: or better still, have a lady dressed in a sexy low cut mini-dress serve it to you *grins*

dear cock: that one laughter on the surface only mah. later cashier at bank ask my friend why he keeps shaking his head.

Fantasy "Sticky" Flier said...

the first one reminds of the first batman movie...
the second one reminds me of chiense dinners...
the thrid story...aiyoh how the true....went over to get peace and solitude but I'm now bored, go for money and you don't get the time you wan...danm...

Helen said...

Pls correct me if I'm wrong. lol You're on the assumption that you cannot have the best of both worlds and therefore can only choose one path to go. It's like ppl saying you cannot be rich, beautiful and happy at the same time!

I think if there's a will, there's a way. The option is always there but it's just a matter of priority. lol

Ianfluenza said...

I guess both pictures can happen at the same table in CNY reunion dinners. Haha... At least that's how I see it.

As Ms Helen has mentioned, if there is a will, there is a way. The will, in my humble opinion, would be directed towards moderation - knowing when to stop chasing after something and reflect on what you really want in life, then moderate it perhaps?

I know it is easier said than done when it comes to stepping on the brakes once you have gotten used to flying down the road at 180kph. And you'd most probably give up when you feel so uncomfortable with the changes you have made. But happiness comes with a price, no?

word verification: nbfaaq (haha)

me said...

dear ff: ya lor, ya lor. see, you understand.

dear helen and ian: well, i still believe it's easier to say balance. it's almost impossible to do it. when you go through it, you will understand. flying down 180kph, you apply brakes, your car will fly off the road. do, you die, don't, you die. you want riches or happiness. if you want to balance both, you get a very small amount of both. only one at a time. after riches, then you seek happiness and fulfilment. if you're lucky, you can still find it.

maybe the only way to solve it is when you get half of each side and still be content. but how many can be content?