Wednesday Walk

When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Walking helps to clear your head. It is a good exercise – physically and emotionally. Many doctors are now recommending that you go for walks, instead of jogs, because walking is easier on the knees.

I am lucky to have a beautiful walk route. The route is pathed with plants, flowers and animals that made the place their habitat.

This is one end of my route. I turn back at the bridge.

This is the other end of my walk route. PCN on the road stands for Park Connector. Routes like this one runs through the island connecting all the parks.

Jasmine trees and bushes dot the path. When they bloom, the air is filled with their beautiful scent - especially in the early morning or evenings.

I have no idea what kind of plant this is. It looked like they were blooming.

A komodo dragon slithering away to safety. I must have alarmed it.

Watch the video here

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you like to read about Life, humour and quotes. If you know of someone who might appreciate these posts, do share the link with them. Cheers!

Truisms

Aphorisms made us think. When we think, we analyse the truth contain therein, and we learn the wisdom in them. They can serve as our signposts on our journeys through life. They can be our teachers, guardians, and friends … always there to patiently motivate, encourage, advice, counsel, console, enlighten, educate, and at times to egg us on when we are feeling down, discouraged or disillusioned. Some of these teachers are centuries old. But their words of wisdom are still as applicable today as when they were first said, centuries ago.

Almost every man wastes part of his life attempting to display qualities which he does not possess. - Samuel Johnson

All of us are always going to do better tomorrow, and we would, too, if only we started today. - Unknown

Isolation is the sum total of wretchedness to a man. - Thomas Carlyle

There is no higher fortitude than stubbornness in the face of overwhelming odds. - Unknown

Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them. - Aristotle

Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another. - Unknown

Some praise at morning what they blame at night, but always think the last opinion right. - Alexander Pope

Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other. - Edmund Burke

What other dungeon is as dark as one’s own heart! What jailer as inexorable as one’s self! - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed. - Mahatma Gandhi

It hath been said that an unjust peace is to be preferred before a just war. - Samuel Butler

As you grow older, you’ll find the only things you regret are the things you didn’t do. - Zachary Scott

You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle. - Paulo Coelho

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you like to read about Life, humour and quotes. If you know of someone who might appreciate these posts, do share the link with them. Cheers!

Good Friends, True Friends

As we go through life, we begin to understand that it’s not important to have a lot of friends. We don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends we can be certain of – just a few true and loyal friends who will be there for us in our hour of need.

Having a hundred friends is not a miracle. The miracle is to have a single friend who will stand by your side even when hundreds are against you.

Being a good friend doesn’t mean you always have all the right words to say. Sometimes it means you just know when to be a good listener. - Katrina Mayer

It is only the great-hearted who can be true friends. The mean and cowardly can never know what true friendship means. - Charles Kingsley

Good friends are like stars. You do not always see them, but you know they are always there. - Unknown

Good friends help you find important things when you have lost them … things like your smile, your hope and your courage. - Unknown

To have one good friend is to keep the darkness at bay. - Pam Brown

Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget. - G. Randolf

You can always tell a real friend; when you’ve made a fool of yourself he doesn’t feel you’ve done a permanent job. - Laurence Peter

He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies. - William Hazlitt

Hold a true friend with both hands. - Nigerian Proverb

Friends gently teach you, how to give and how to care, and true friends warmly reach out to you anytime, anywhere. - Unknown

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you like to read about Life, humour and quotes. If you know of someone who might appreciate these posts, do share the link with them. Cheers! 

Flowers

Words don't flow today. So, here are Some pictures taken from a friend's garden instead.

Orchid flowers. Google images recognized them as Moth Orchids. Correct me if it is wrong.

These, according to google images are Christmas Orchids. Again, please correct me if it is wrong.

I have no idea what these are.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you like to read about Life, humour and quotes. If you know of someone who might appreciate these posts, do share the link with them. Cheers! 

Sarcasm

Sarcasm is a sharp, bitter, cutting expression or remark; a bitter gibe or taunt. Some are downright insulting, while some are rude, and at the same time, humorous. Sometimes, people are momentarily stunned by a sarcastic remark. They are not sure whether whoever said it is being funny, or whether they are being rude. They do not know whether to laugh, or to feel offended.

Sharpen your wit, and you will be able to get away with insulting people who take the piss out of you, without they even realizing it. Doing that with a smile will help you get away with it easier.

If that is not enough, will you please politely indicate that she can go to hell. - Rudolf Bing

You should learn from your parents’ mistakes – Try using some birth control. - Unknown 

The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes. - William Shakespeare 

He is not only dull himself, but the cause of dullness in others. - Samuel Foote

I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible. - Jane Austen

The man is as useless as nipples on a breastplate. - George R.R. Martin

He is so old that his blood type was discontinued. - George William Curtis 

Her only flair is in her nostrils. - Pauline Kael 

He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends. - Oscar Wilde 

I do not have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem. - Unknown

It sounds like English, but I cannot understand a word you are saying. - Unknown

I just met your duplicate. I swear it was you, I even called your name … But you ignored me and continued to eat Banana and swing on the Tree. - Unknown

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you like to read about Life, humour and quotes. If you know of someone who might appreciate these posts, do share the link with them. Cheers! 

Awesome Sculpture

Planet, also known foundly to the locals as the ‘Floating Baby’ in the Gardens by the Bay, is a sculpture by Marc Quinn. He donated the sculpture for permanent display at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. What a generous artist.

Marc Quinn is a British contemporary visual artist whose work includes sculpture, installation and painting. Quinn explores 'what it is to be human in the world today' through subjects including the body, genetics, identity, environment and the media.

Artwork details:

Type - Sculpture
Year - 2008
Medium - Painted bronze and steel
Dimensions - 398h x926w x353d cm

Made in painted bronze and steel, the work measures nearly 10 metres long and almost 4m high, but appears to hover over the ground as if impossibly suspended, giving the illusion of weightlessness.

Here’s an overview of the sculpture:

The work, which depicts Quinn’s son as a sleeping baby and appears to hover above the ground, has previously been shown to great acclaim in the ‘Beyond Limits’ exhibition of contemporary sculpture at Chatsworth House in 2008 and in his 2012 exhibition ‘The Littoral Zone’ at the Musée Océanographique in Monaco.

Quinn said, on the occasion of the unveiling, "To me, ‘Planet’ is a paradox - hugely heavy, yet the bronze appears weightless; overwhelmingly big, yet also an image of vulnerability. It is both a reflection of ourselves and the earth upon which we live.”

Dr Kiat W. Tan, CEO of Gardens by the Bay, said, “The new addition, ‘Planet’, marks the latest step in Gardens by the Bay’s efforts to continuously enhance our offerings, adding an aesthetic dimension to our horticultural displays. It is our hope that the sculptures in the Gardens will engage and inspire visitors towards an appreciation of art.” Source

More about the artist and his works HERE

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you like to read about Life, humour and quotes. If you know of someone who might appreciate these posts, do share the link with them. Cheers!

Facets of Life

Aphorisms – words of wisdom that reinforce our thoughts, ideas, beliefs and opinions. They are a source of strength, motivating and inspiring us along life’s journey. 

The following words of wisdom are short and easy to remember. Do take a few moments to have a look. Maybe there is something that is useful to you. Or, maybe you know of someone who needs some encouragement. If nothing else, they will add to your chest of knowledge. 

Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can. - Willis R. Whitney

Whatever you want too much you can’t have, so when you really want something, try to want it a little less. - Joel Rosenberg

While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us. - Benjamin Franklin

The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence. - Charles Bukowski

As you grow older, you gradually realize the precious things in life. You know what you need and what to leave behind. - Brigitte Nicole

Better one’s house be too little one day than too big all the Year after. - Thomas Fuller

If you can’t be kind, at least be vague. - Judith Martin

As tough as it sometimes looks on the front end, it’s easier to do right than undo wrong. - Price Pritchett

We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented with ourselves. - Henri Frederic Amiel

To know how to grow old is the masterwork of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living. - Henri Frederic Amiel

The sheep are happier of themselves than under the care of a wolf. - Thomas Jefferson

An earthly kingdom cannot exist without inequality of persons. Some must be free, some serfs, some rulers, some subjects. - Martin Luther

                                 <center> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</center>

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you like to read about LIfe, humour and quotes. If you know of someone who might appreciate these posts, do share the link with them. Cheers!

Wednesday Walk

Here in the tropics, it is usually warm and humid. Sometimes, it is warm, wet and humid. Although we are quite used to it by now, having lived here all our lives, it can still sometimes be quite unbearable. For the past fortnight, it has been warm, wet and humid. One day it’s warm and humid, the next, it’s wet and humid, and sometimes, it is warm, wet and humid. The weatherman has said that this might continue for another couple of weeks. Quite unusual really. I don’t remember there was ever a warm, wet humid spell for so long.

I know! Climate change due to global warming! Well, there has to be a reason, and if you don’t know the reason, blame it on something – anything. In this instance, there might be some truth in it. Anyway, on with my walk. Come along and I will show you some of the fauna and flora on my walk route.

Dark clouds and impending rain. However, they just pass over on most days.

Usually, after some rain, there will be mushrooms/toadstools sprouting up.

Most plants/flowers here are perennial. The bloom throughout the year.

We don't usually see these weeds, but because of the Covid-19, the grass patches haven't been attended to. So these weeds are popping up. Quite a nice change though.

And here you see a crane waiting for his dinner to be served. Rich pickings from the canal.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Blogger ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

All About You

Even the best of us sometimes feel demoralized or lacking in self-confidence. During moments like this all we need is a little encouragement, a little reminder that what we are experiencing is only a little setback, a temporary thing.

And even if all is well, it is still good to hear motivational and inspirational words. They are the fuel that keep the fire in us burning, the enthusiasm to keep us going. I hope the following quotes will do just that.

When people get to rubbing you pretty hard – just remember that’s the treatment that puts a polish on things. - Unknown

You cannot always wait for the perfect time, sometimes you must dare to jump. - Steven Aitchison

It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out: It’s the pebble in your shoe. - Muhammad Ali

For every positive change you make in your life, something else also changes for the better – it creates a chain reaction. - Leon Brown

Not everyone that fights you is your enemy. Not everyone that helps you is your friend. - Unknown

One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Do it now. - Paulo Coelho

If you are wrong. Own up to what you didn’t do right. That’s how you learn and earn respect. - Unknown

The wise will admire you. The wishful will envy you. The weak will hate you. This is the reality for those who dare to be epic. - Steve Maraboli

When you completely trust a person, without any doubt, you’ll automatically get one of two results - a friend for life or a lesson for life. - Unknown

Whether or not you can never become great at something, you can always become better at it. - Unknown

You could meet someone tomorrow who would have better intentions for you than someone you’ve know forever. Time means nothing, character does. - Unknown

Remember you can’t reach what’s in front of you until you let go of what’s behind you. - Unknown

You do not need to always conceptualize, interpret or label everything that comes into your awareness. - Eckhart Tolle

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Blogger ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Easing of 'Circuit Breaker'

So, we will be easing the ‘Circuit Breaker’ / lockdown tomorrow. The number of new infections in the community is in the single-digits. The situation seems to have stabilized.

Phase one of the easing starts tomorrow, and Phase 2 in July. However, the authorities will review the situation in the middle of June, and if the new cases of infections are within expectation – meaning they have the pandemic under control, they will consider bringing Phase 2 forward.

The easing of the Circuit Breaker / Lockdown will be very gradual. If we re-open too quickly, we risk new waves of infection, which could be even more disruptive to lives and livelihoods.

In Phase 1, schools, select businesses, offices and companies can re-open with additional safeguards in place. Apart from that, there is not much changes, and perhaps for good reason.

Much like what we’ve been doing since the pandemic started, individuals are advised to stay home and not go out unless for essential services. Wearing a mask in public is, of course, mandatory.

While certain activities will gradually resume, the many restrictions spell a ‘new normal’ we have no choice but to adjust to.

The pandemic has certainly disrupted our lives and livelihoods. That’s what pandemics do. Lockdowns are a last resort, and people understand that it is for the good of all, and it is the only way to have the virus under control. There is, after all, a new virus around that can have catastrophic consequences. People want to be safe.

But the problem is we are no longer as safe as we once were. In a world where Covid-19 remains present in the community, there will never be no risk. It's about how we reduce that risk. The coronavirus is very contagious, and it spreads easily. Although most people who were infected suffered mild-to-moderate illness, the virus is fatal to those with pre existing illnesses and old folks who have a weaker immune system.

Medical experts have cautioned that this “smart and agile virus will continue to be in our midst and in global circulation for some time to come.” In view of that, we must not let our guards down. We have to continue with some of the measures adopted during the pandemic – like washing our hands regularly, keeping social distancing, and not to gather in large numbers. Until we are completely rid of the virus some of these measure will be here to stay. And the mask could be a part of our apparel.

On a lighter note, here are some Covid-19 related humour and meme. I hope they bring on a chuckle in these difficult times. Hang on in there, for this too shall pass.

The memes are collected from Whatsapp messages and pages from Facebook. They are not mine. Where possible, I have sourced them.

Could this be a new norm?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Blogger ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^