Basil's Brain

I accept your apology... Does this mean i truly forgive this person? What constitutes acceptance? is it merely at face value that we often accept? but feel totally different inside? Does being accepted, elevate a person to a higher social order? and not getting acceptance reduces one to a 'social pariah'? Who accepts and who gives acceptance? Is it merely a recognition of sorts, or a loosely appointed term which can and may be interpreted... by anyone as he/she deems fit... to his/her advantage or disadvantage?? How a single word can create confusion, cause calamities yet cure, comfort and caringly caress the soul... I think 'acceptance' comes from within...of who you are What you stand for and what you believe in. That is true acceptance of yourself, others and the world around you.

The week ahead of the Mayan prediction was exhausting and mentally and emotionally draining to say the least. Why? well the newspapers featured articles about the world coming to an end from the scientific point of view and there were also light hearted articles on how best to spend the last few days or the last@21/12/2012 . It was amusing and enlightening to note other people's views on the end of the world. After the third day of reading such articles, it started to get tiring. The world will one day cease to exist...no thanks to human intervention which is clearly visible everywhere if one cares to observe the environment and the attitudes of people.The summer seasons are getting abnormally hotter and winter is colder.Earthquakes are happening on a more frequent basis and many other natural disasters are on the rise.Does it not tell you something? When was the last time you actually had a meaningful conversation with a family member or even laughed with abandon? Has anyone t...

Weather withered hands Wrinkled creased smiles Slow is your walk, in this madness of fast... Winter years are here robbing you of your youth Old age has come, rushing you through your pace. Your mind tells you all but Your body refuses command. Feeble faltering... frustrating fumbling... erodes self dignity. Being cast away by family and friends by ascending age. You know... the journey is nearing its end, as you soldier on remaining miles. You wish the pain in your heart will fade and the scar in your mind gone. Curses to the ravages of time on flesh... which take away everything but MIND Reminding, remembering, reminiscing... of faces, fun so fine, of fears, failures.... Blessed are those who go in time when youth remains as a shadow behind, to be remembered with love and grace.

'The days fly once it is June...towards year end, to welcome a new year'. My mother never fails to say this every year in June and over the years i find that it is indeed true. People the world over seem to wait for the year to end and this year the wait is even more special or sceptical for some...to see whether the Mayan's indeed saw the future and the world coming to an end on 21.12.2012. It seems even the world is in a mad,mad rush to end? and are we humans the major factor for contributing to the fast and hurried last lap? i detest anything that is fast when it is not supposed to be that is.i relish home cooked meals and slow eating instead of fast food and wolfing down food!.i dislike being rushed when there is no reason to. To be hurried?don't even get me started!. The chinese writer, Lin Yutang said: "If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner,you have learned how to live". i have my notebook of inspirational q...

i discovered the joys of walking in late 2002 when i went through a very difficult period in my life. Walking and talking to God was therapeutic.There were days when my mind just protested waking up at 6.45am but i pushed myself and glad for it. The early morning walks were invigorating...my quiet time to ponder about life,to dream and to talk to God.My senses too were heightened and i appreciated the beautiful colours of dawn breaking,the melodious singing of birds,the rustle of leaves when the wind is strong.Feeling the breeze in my face really rejuvenated my spirit. i healed body,mind and soul and it was during one of my walks that i stood spellbound by the beauty before me.My emotions stirred and my eyes misted.This is what i wrote down when i got home:- THE SKY BLUSHES A shy tinge of pink... Dusky splashes of vermillion across a canvas of grey and blue Masterful strokes even Michaelangelo would envy Magical stirrings within the being bursts forth into awe and wonde...

My 14 year old niece and i went out three times last week.Our first outing was on a Monday,to a shopping mall but the reason we went there was because the bookshop where i rent my books is located there and she was specifically looking for Christopher Paolini's "The Inheritance Cycle".She bought book 3 and after reading it was hungry for the other three books.Yup,she is an avid reader like her aunt and i discovered more about my niece during our search for books to rent,buy and read.She didn't find her books but was happy nonetheless with two books by JKR.Overall,it was a good haul for both of us and our lunch time topic centred on our lucky finds! We did browse other retail outlets afterwards but we were eager to head back and turn the pages of our books and swap stories. Little India was our next destination on Wednesday.i wanted my hairdresser to give my niece a good haircut and she wanted to look for girly stuff like bracelets and talcum powder from India.i lo...

i penned this piece in 2003 and would like to share it with you as in Malaysia there is a campaign going on till 9th Dec for support to stop violence against women. UNTITLED She screamed out her pain and anguish as the physical blow descended her flesh,tears of hurt and humiliation trickled down her face... The physical blow disappears quickly but the marks it leaves will fade slowly.What remains though...is the deep impact of emotional trauma and mental crippling,burrowing a deep and dark tunnel right into the heart her soul. The ache she feels in her heart is heavy and her mind cannot help but keep recollecting the foul language and harsh words hurtled at her. She periodically goes through mood swings,feelings of worthlessness,depression and loses hope! She sometimes feels only numbness and absolutely empty,not knowing what to do... Then... through sheer determination and faith in GOD,she gets up to forge ahead but alas she gets knocked down...again and again and agai...

My computer has to be sent back to the manufacturer because of some hardware problem,so i will not be able to blog for some time...sigh.

What is a feminist? Who is a feminist? A feminist would probably either go beserk with rage or she would laugh out aloud... A feminist is known as a champion of women's causes Is she really now? The sceptic may enquire A feminist truly must be the "real woman" representing womanhood, the faithful will wail loudly! Is it merely a term, coined to cause anger to some but victory and virtue to many? Should a true woman hide behind a 'term'? Does it not symbolise "the hiding" she's been doing throughout since time immemorial...through force and her own volition? Because of religion, fear and fashion? Need a woman conform to a mere word just to justify something meaningful? or worst still to garner publicity, clothed as 'plight' to simply gain popularity? Feminism should go beyond worthless words...and rise in glory, celebrating the uniqueness of being female The special qualities which can bring much change to humanity Feminism...

Social norms,good behaviour and mannerisms -our parents literally moulded and drummed us with them from the time we were babes. Harsh would be the punishment and swift too if ever the sacred rules were carelessly or deliberately flaunted and crossed.Once reprimanded,it was ingrained in us that under no circumstances these rules of etiquette were to be broken. This was before technology intruded and invaded our lives.Now we are most often swarmed,flooded and forced to keep up with the latest acceptance in social norms even.It is alright to decline an invite at the eleventh hour through a text and absolutely fine to email at the last minute that you will not be able to make the dinner appointment afterall. Try explaining this new revolution to your mum who normally prepares a seven course dinner.She would probably have an apoplexy and exclaim about the person's bad upbringing and much more. Don't even think of ever getting past her doorstep even for a casual visit! Th...

How long is one supposed to take to finish a meal? Seriously, if you look closely at home, food outlets, restaurants or anywhere people sit to eat; most are rushing to finish what is on their plates.There is no appreciation of the myriad of tastes that comes with a dish.What a pity! i,for one enjoy every aspect of eating-the smell, the look and as i take the first morsel into my mouth,i relish the assault on my senses.i start wondering what ingredients are in my dish that have so delighted my palate. Should we not appreciate the effort that was put into a dish?It would be a crime not to.i remember a tea time visit to an elderly couple's home many years back.When i was given a plate of goodies to go with my tea, i recognised a samosa,a small piece of sweetmeat called halva and a mini  coned shaped  pastry which sat beside a dallop of honey coloured jam! As i stared undecidedly what to do with a dallop of jam when there was no bread in sight,the gracious hostess point...

Many a prose and praise has been piled upon it, Poets and popes alike provide powerful potent words with it Painters even passionately potray it poignantly in their paintings. LOVE evokes emotions so profound, Love elicits elevating feelings, LOVE is what the soul feels and the spirit surrenders to... Trembles, tremor, terror even accompanies this emotion. Love is beautiful some say, maybe because we see things differently? Love is peace others advocate, perhaps it encourages serenity? Love is blind everyone tells, probably it motivates neutrality? Misfits and mystics alike allege LOVE cannot contain in a single word BUT must be felt by the 'Being' Is this why the wise proclaim LOVE is GOD?

Negative People Sap Energy As i hit my thirties i discovered that some people exhausted me.Strange was my initial thought.Then i noticed more keenly when in the company of negative perons,i truly feel like shouting out for them to shut up or just running in the other direction when i see them coming my way or seeking out my company. Out of politeness,i used to sit through but when my tiredness reached exhaustion level,i was convinced that i had to put my distance and avoid negative people altogether for my health's sake. i did ask some of my  good friends if they too experienced such symptons.Two of them only realised after we exchanged experiences about the signs like sapping energy,wavering concentration and boredom.i was feeling bad that my tolerance for some people was not good but coincidentally,i chanced upon an article which fully supported my prognosis of negative people exhausting their company and it is alright to stay away for health reasons. Yesterday, i read in...

i am going to blog about whatever i fancy..cooking, books, news that bother me,funny stories from friends,strangers and my observation. i am about to finish James Patterson's, 'Cat & Mouse' and it is not as scary as 'Mary,Mary' or even 'Kiss The Girls' but an interesting read nonetheless. Time for my beauty nap..so later with more news! Have a good evening  & cheers.