Things to reflect from a missing plane.

For the past one month, it must be harrowing for the family members of those on board MAS MH 370. Everyday is another hopeful day, waiting for news that somewhere and somehow there is a glimpse of hope that those on board the plane will survive.

The most glaring question on hand right now is, "WHY?". Why did anybody who took control of the plane flew out of its intended path, into one of the world's most isolated places? A lot of theories have been churned from this simple question. And, it does not bring any respite to any family members associated with the ill fated plane.

Communications seems to be very important in times like this. From the first day of the missing plane, a lot of miscalculation and poor coordination were quite obvious. But it was managed somehow, and was swept nicely under the carpet - temporarily till the person with the bin came and removed it.

In such environment when the eye of the world is looking directly at us, professionalism must be at all times high. In no way that we are supposed to answer, "we do not know", when the most correct answer should be "we will find out". Both these answer draws a different perspective by the receiver. If you do not know, it means that you are incompetent or ignorant and you are not within the reach of the people under you. It also shows that you are not doing anything at all to finding a solution to the case. If you say that you are still working, well, at least it gives some hope to the listener that you are not lazing around while people's life are at stake.

Some news portals and blogs quite evidently pointed to the ineptitude of our high ranking servicemen to speak well to the media, especially English. Somewhere, it was suggested that, though the suggestions may not reach them, the speaker should correspond in Malay and leave the translation part to the medias to decipher.

When the whole world is looking for the missing plane, the shaman suddenly appeared at the airport. I think his and his groups' intention to help search should not be looked down upon. To him, looking in those pipes, holding coconuts etc are the only ways that he think he could do to help locate the missing plane. But, the action involved can generate may types of responses from the crowd. And by crowd, we are not talking about those who happen to be in KLIA during his appearance. We are talking about the whole world, from different system of beliefs and different cultures. Your responses depend on which perspective that you are using. In most people, those are stunts that do not deserve any attention especially when Malaysia is priming herself to be developed by 2020.

How technology seems to still eludes us. Malaysia rightly and responsibly dished out all hardwares to look for the missing plane. Fishermen were even employed in the east coast to scour the vast South China Sea to look for any evidences related to the MH370. In the end, we still depend on the brains of the Americans, the Britons, the Australians etc to search for it the unconventional way - doing mathematics complexities at its core. We still need their satellites. We still need to outsource our data to them to calculate the final location. For theory mongers, wouldn't that give people some ideas on our defense capabilities? Obviously, its a room for improvement. And it needs to start with English in school.

Technology has been so simplified - it has become more humane. We find ourselves at ease running through the multiple apps on the interface of our smartphone. We execute it by tapping and in a few seconds, we get excited with he answers that we want. In olden days of computers, that kind of execution may involve computers the size of a warehouse. Even then, it is still called technology.

We think that we are at the brink of a cutting edge technology when we are able to locate ourselves using GPS and satellites. And we easily come to conclusion that since this tool called "technology" has made the world smaller, a whisper here can be heard yonder. What more a missing plane. It is just impossible that "technology" can miss this big metal bird. We just have to accept that there are limitations in everything. The ease of locating ourselves does not equate to the effort of locating a missing plane. The principles used here are different. One size does not fit all.

That is what science is all about. Limitations creates ideas. Ideas has helped human to prosper and evolve in the past centuries.

The effects of social media can be devastating. Family members in faraway Beijing in China, away from the press conference in Kuala Lumpur seemed to get updated via the social media - verified or not. News spread like wildfire, especially the untrue and sensational ones.

The dilution effect of information caused it to be treated equally like the verified news. Therefore, rumours can be equally accepted as true when in effect it is false. Readers who are not careful can wholly accept it as true - creating a hysterical reaction reflecting the mental responses to the received news.

When those physical reactions are displayed in public, with zooming cameras and limelight, the stage is created to depict to the world how certain news - still unverified at that moment - has now become verified by the actions of the people and the crowd. The officials were just removed from their hands the privilege to make the call - and it just gets difficult.

I must also praise the effort to handle the psychological well being of distraught immediate family members. When the plane disappeared, a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a son and a daughter to someone is lost too. It is important that affected family members lands softly as they go through the stages of grief. The workers, some of the many unsung heroes, are working quietly behind the scene.

It is no doubt that this episode of MH370 is truly unprecedented and bears the weight of one of the greatest mysteries of aviation history. It is quite unthinkable at first that this event can occur in Malaysia. But now, it is slowly accepted for most people. As a friend say, life is short. What we make and do in this short life that matters most.

Let's Gumpey!!

Eating places can be viral. Its presence can be known like wild fire. Or it infects a whole lot of people like an novel virus - with the effect of gastronomical satiety.

The famed TopSpot or the Buntal seafood areas that serves quality and rich sea food that ignites the rarely used taste buds are not unfamiliar to Sarawakian or Kuchingites. The cost, however, may be prohibiting for some and does not allow for frequent sinful indulgences.

Yet, once in a while we would just love to experience something out of the norm. Something simple and affordable that remind us of the much simpler ways of yesteryear. Something that our mom used to cook with love when we were sick. The juicy yet tasty piece of meat that our fathers used to bake in those makeshift grills made of used oil drums. 

That is what Kampung Gumpey (pronounce "goom-pay") has to offer. Located in the Simunjan district, about 1 hour drive from Kuching, it recently became the words of mouth among Kuchingites. The reason - a simple dish of Mee Udang Gumpey or Gumpey Prawn Noodle. Do not be mistaken, the village or the prawn noodle do not have any connection with Forrest Gump or Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, although they might share the same syllables.

To get to Kampung Gumpey, you will need to pass Serian town, drive a few kilomteres more before you meet the junction that leads to Gedong. Turn left at the junction, and drive straight on till the small town of Gedong. From there, ask around from the helpful locals for the direction to Kampung Gumpey.

If you have very tight lips, try locate Klinik Kesihatan Gedong. You cannot miss the prominent red crescent sign by the side of the road at the town "centre". Turn left at the clinic. Maneuver a few junctions till you get into what seemed to be like a village. You are not in Kampung Gumpey yet. Go on, till you meet a junction. The It-Taa'bin mosque is the main landmark at the junction. Turn right. A few kilometers down, you will pass a few houses. The Mi Udang Gumpey restaurant is on the left side of the road. Here is the structure of the building.

The shop.

The facade.

At this juncture, I just remembered that you will need to book the Prawn noodle. A walk in may leave you frustrated as all the prawn noodle may have been booked by yet to come customers. The "Supergrade A" cost RM35.00. The Grade A cost RM20.00 and Grade B cost RM15. "Supergrade A" consist of one piece of very large prawn, Grade A is slightly smaller and you are given three pieces of prawn to accompany your noodle. 

Grade A Mi Udang Gumpey - RM20.00.

Huge and freshly caught.

The dish surely is a huge challenger to the Penang Prawn Noodle. The only thing that might jeopardize its chance of beating the Penang Prawn Noodle is the noodle used. For me, its a bit soggy and not springy. The gravy works well for me. You might not like its gravy. But the best part of course, is the huge prawn. Its fresh, its tangible and oozing with fresh prawn "sweetness". 

So tempting was the meal that I over heard a daughter from the neighbouring table say "today, Ma don't have to think about the cholesterol. Just enjoy!".

Just the next day, the whole shop is booked by the former Head of State (Yang Di Pertua Negeri) of Sarawak to sit his 30 member strong entourage. Now, just imagine just how this place got so famous that it reached the ears of the previous Head of State? This place? Out of no where?

Closed on Monday.

This place is closed on Mondays. It has a Facebook account. The contact numbers are all listed on the site. Just Google them up for your next great Sarawak experience.

Bali

Bali, bali, bali!

Say a few times more and you will accidentally slip your tongue and pronounce 'beli' instead. Beli, in Malay means 'to buy'. And that is what you really do when in Bali. To enter Bali, you need to 'beli' flight tickets and book hotel rooms - for a start.

I would like to share some of the experiences and tips if you are planning your next holiday in Bali.

MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT OCCUR DURING NYEPI

Nyepi is the beginning of a new year for the Hindu calendar. Unlike other cultural celebration that is full of revelry, merry making and hoo haas, Nyepi is really a very quiet occasion, literally. It is the opposite of Bali in other time of the year. No one is allowed outside, and according to a balinese, there is no tv program aired too. The airport is closed during this period.

YOU NEED AN EMBARKATION CARD.

When you are a foreigner, remember that you are not entering a country called Bali. You are entering Indonesia. For that, you will need an embarkation card and a customs declaration card filled up before passing the immigration counter in Ngurah Rai Airport. That was what the Airasia flight crew failed to dispense on board en route to Bali. 

Never mind about that, just make sure to look for one when you are in the airport building. The embarkation cards are placed on a counter. When things get crazy, remember to look for it all strewn on the floor.

If you don’t, you will be asked to fill one, at the same time, wasting time and got skipped over by the next person in line. It does not look good when you have to re- enter the line again. 

REMEMBER TO BRING A PEN, ALWAYS.

The pen is important at least, right until you reached your temporary abode. You will need to fill in all sorts of forms as required by the country's regulation. You cannot expect to borrow one as other people, like yourself, are rushing to get the immigration part over with. In addition, the pen is a great help to entertain the bored child with some doodling, while allowing the parents to settle some world issues.

PLAN AN ITINERARY HERE

The whole island is worthy of a visit. There are activities ranging from the sea till the highlands. Unplanned, you may end up visiting mainly temples.

You can also hire the "Pak supir" or driver to bring you around to places of interest. They usually have an itinerary prepared for you, which can be customized. The taxi driver who brought us from the airport to the hotel offered IDR 600 000 per day. That is way too expensive. We managed to get another Pak supir who offered us IDR 350 000 per day. Prices ranging from IDR 300 000 - IDR 350 000 per day are quite reasonable.  

Depending on the type of traveler you are, here are example of places that you must visit when you are in Bali. 

The northern area:

Kintamani - there is an active volcanic mountain here. Its previous eruption created a cauldron that is now filled with water to create a majestic looking lake. Have a meal here while enjoying the view. There is a halal restaurant here serving buffet meals at IDR 100,000 per head.

Danau Batur, Kintamani

On the way up to Kintamani, there are many temples. Different tour operators will bring tourist to different preferred temples. You might be brought to Goa Gajah temple, which has a rock formation that looks like an elephant, and Tirtha Empul, which has a spring water that makes it sacred. In my opinion, skipping the temples is fine. The man made temples are all similar. What make the temples different is the natural attractions each temple provides. 

Goa Gajah Temple

On the way down, you will see lots of fruit stalls as the district is the main producer of various tropical fruits. Stopping at any one of the fruit stalls may not be part of your itinerary with your operator. If you wish to sample a local fruit, ask for a stop by. 

While in an agricultural area, you will be brought to the 'kopi luwak' farm. For the uninitiated, kopi luwak's coffee beans are taken from the poo of the civet. At the farm, you can see the main star that defines "luwak" in kopi luwak - the always sleeping civet. Be sure to taste some of the coffee here as a cuppa can cost hundreds of ringgit in Jakarta. Here, pay IDR 50,000 to taste a cup and get free samples of other variants of coffee - bali coffee, coffee infused with ginger, lemongrass infused coffee, lemon infused tea - you get the idea.

Rejoiced and refreshed from the after effect of coffee, you will now head to the beautiful terraced paddy field. You will most probably stopped by Tengalalang area for this rustic view. 

Tengalalang terraced rice field

Ubud:

There are many shops in Ubud. It looks uptrend with shops selling various artworks - paintings, decorative lights, woodcrafts. According to our operator, the things there are quite costly. It is ok if you have money to burn. 

We were brought to a souvenir warehouse. It is cheap and you can buy in bulk. Name it, key chains, I love Bali tee, fridge magnet, wood craft, paintings - there are aplenty to pick and choose for family and friends back home. There are many souvenir warehouse in Bali. The other one I frequently see in the local itinerary is the 'Sukawati' market. 

Souvenirs sold in the ubiquitous souvenirs shop.

Southern Bali:

Tanah Lot: it is yet another temple. The unique thing about it is the location it takes - perched on a piece of rock outcrop at the seaside. The sight is unbelievable - a must visit. 

The temple at Tanah Lot

Uluwatu: it is a temple located strategically embedding itself with nature. This is a cliff overlooking the blue sea of the Indian ocean. Like Tanah Lot, this is a must visit. But beware, there are a lot of monkeys hanging around, oblivious to human visitors. Do not provoke them though. Their mischief caught a visitor when the monkey took her glasses away. These little fellas do not go bananas  over bananas. So it was of no use to coax them with your bananas. Local workers there will entice them with a different food instead - nuts. Luckily she got back her glasses. 

Uluwatu view

Both Tanah Lot and Uluwatu are better visited in the evening, in time for  sunset. 

Dances: the two dances that you should not miss are the Barong and the Kecak dance. It will complete your visit here. The Barong dance has been made less serious and more fun for tourists. If you are with children, I will have to forewarn you that some of the acts are for adults only view. You might want to leave the children out.  Kecak dance is conducted at 6 in the evening in Uluwatu.  

Carriage horse ride: Well, this may not be the thing to do for bachelors. The horse ride is a must if you are with a kid who would benefit from experiential learning on what a horse is and what it feels like riding in a horse driven carriage. It may provide a quality time for the family and for the burgeoning lovers too. If you plan to ride on one, you can easily flag them down. The opening price is IDR 700 000, again, which is very expensive. In another blog, it mentioned that the ride should cost only IDR 130 000 to IDR 150 000. We managed to settle at IDR 150 000 for a ride from Kuta to Legian and back to Kuta.

The eduational horse ride. Photo credit: www.balidiscovery.com/

PREPARE LOTS OF MONEY

As 80% of the island's economy depends on tourism, be sure to bring along enough cash. You will need to pay upon entering Kintamani highland district, into Tengalalang subdistrict, into Tanah lot, all tourist sites entry point and to the unofficial guide - if you accidentally engage their services. And it is not cheap either. A few ways to solve this issue. One, is to be dependent on your operator who drives you around for the explanation. If he has a heavy mouth, but you think that he knows lots of stuff, probe him. Another way is to get a book on Bali and bring it along as you tour. Lastly, just pay for the extra services on site, although you have paid the entry fee earlier. 

You will need small changes for the taxi ride as well.

BEWARE OF THE MONEY EXCHANGERS

I found that the exchange rate in Bali is better than home. You might want to change some here. But beware, not everybody is in for an honest business. There is a syndicate operating along Bakungsari road who will try to scam unwary tourist. The modus operandi, first, they will lure you by advertising a too good to be true exchange rate. In the shop you will notice one thing, the counter top is very high and there is a reason for that. After they have showed you the amount of Indonesian rupiah and you are satisfied with it, instead of you taking it away, the exchanger will pretend to take the money on the pretext of handing them over to you, but while doing that, he will drop some notes into the open drawer. The high counter top is to provide some cover up of their short change tactics. 

To protect yourself from being a victim, always count and recount the exchange given to you yourself. Never be in a rush when exchanging your currency. You will also have to be wary when you notice that the exchange rate displayed is way better than the others. If the differences is too marked, it should give you a hunch.

TAXI TO THE RESCUE

One particular thing that I really like in Bali is, there are lots of taxi available. Stopping one is easy, the drivers will take you anywhere and the charges are according to the meter. As far as I can recall, all the drivers are well mannered. There is no haggling, no grumbling, no venting off frustrations to the unwilling ears - unlike the taxis in KL. 

FOOD

Bali is a food haven for foodists. But for muslims it is a bane. Almost all "makanan Padang" is halal for consumption. There are many more, but if you wish to go for better and slightly luxurious food, try Bale Udang Mang Engking along Jalan Nakula, in Legian. Any recommendation by locals - go ahead, try them. Jimbaran area is famous for its seafood. But as I have discovered in many blogs, it can be quite expensive. Further, their halal status is questionable too. 

STAY

The best place to stay would be near the beaches. The reason is, you will not be at loss of activities when you have completed your itineraries. Beaches provide a hive of activities to see and do. Go for a massage, a swim in the sea, a stroll or just simply hang around on the beach. Back home - these are rare things. 

Kuta Beach

So, these are some of the reflections that can be converted into tips when one goes to Bali for a holiday. Hope these accounts help.

Milo

One of the famous drinks that we grew up with is the malt drink Milo. Who would forget "Minum Milo, Anda jadi sihat dan kuat" (Drink Milo and you'll be healthy and strong)? I think the slogan has changed, when I recently heard it over the TV.

Everybody remembers the green tin. The chocolate taste it offers. I think, in those days it was a substitute for chocolate for those who could not afford it. Chocolate was something unusual, something of a luxury item that only a select few can afford. After all, there were not many shopping malls in Kuching and Sibu in those days. If I am not wrong, the shops in Satok, Padang Pasir and Gambier Street seldom have them in the store. 

The Milo tin is very distinctive. Besides the distinctive green tin, an athlete in action would always be depicted on the tin. The athlete could be doing some sporting event - running a 100 metre dash, jumping over the hurdle, swimming, trying to get a hockey ball pass an opponent and of course, playing football. I would always recall a goalkeeper in yellow jersey making a save of a ball that was in the direction of the corner of the goal. Imagining it in real life, that goal, if it materialises, would be a splendid goal.

The games are those that Malaysians are popular with. Games that glorifies Malaysia, at least in the SEA Games level. However, I do not recognize any of the athletes on the tin. It could be just a depiction. And so, Milo associates itself with sports. Even the TV advertisement too showed the wining athlete drinking milo - before or after the sports event. It was a drink of the champions - as depicted by the winning athlete holding a milo mug amidst the flickering of flashes from the cameras.

So influential was the advertisement that almost every household had a tin of Milo then. It did not stop in the house. School sporting events too would see students and teachers queuing at the green Milo truck, getting a taste of free cold Milo in the sweltering heat of the afternoon sun. Some, without hesitating, would ask for two cups of Milo, and would return to ask for more. The school sports event would be incomplete without the presence of a Milo truck.

As a child that used to play football on the village road - it was not known as street soccer then, at "half time" our favourite drink would be Milo. To quench our thirst, all of us would dash home - or to a friend's home - to get a dose of ice cold Milo.

Sometimes, when we have the extra money, we would go to tuck shops to buy ourselves milo "ice cream". Those are Milo filled in a cylindrical plastic bags of about 15 centimetres, kept frozen and would make a great thirst reliever after the street soccer session. As children, we favoured the Milo ice cream with the most Milo and sweetened condensed milk in it. So at the tuck shop freezer, we would choose the Milo ice cream with the darkest brown colour. The faint coloured ones, due to the reduced Milo content, are usually left out. 

Drinking Milo seems routine until it became a religious-like obligation to drink Milo every time in a sporting event. I have a friend who never failed to accept my invitation to play street soccer. He was so active and agile that he would run up and down the pitch tirelessly. One wonders where did he get his energy from. Then one day, after failing to perform up to his usual top notch performance, he blamed the Milo for his failure to lift up to his usual game. That was funny and odd at the same time. I thought that just the other day he gloated that Milo was the energy drink that gets him the goals. To give reasons to his drop in performance, he further explained that if the depiction on the Milo is not a footballer, it will affect his football performance. So I asked him what the picture on the Milo tin he had at home was. He said it was showing swimmers in action - only suitable if you wished to win a swimming competition.

When I was little, I had an uncle who owned a tuck shop in the village in Bintangor. He would get lots of free gifts, at times, for making large purchases to stock up his store. I remembered him bringing home free Milo brand cotton t-shirt and pants. There were lots of other merchandises with the Milo logo on it, but I could not remember what they were now. As he might have many in his keeping, he would offer them to me, my sister or my other cousins. Some of us who got the tee would be brimming in pride, showing off the Milo logo. In addition to the logo, with the picture of an athlete on the shirt, it further burned the athletic spirit, making the new owner too eager to start a sports competition.

To test whether the new tee shirt did improve his or her (usually his) sports agility, the simplest sport to organize would be a dash on the empty village road. Most of the time, due to the placebo effects of donning a brand new, sporting attire, he or she would win the short dash. Or maybe, the other kids are terrified that this fella here has got a brand new weapon that will wipe us out of off the track? Naturally, everybody got intimidated. With that reinforced belief - guaranteed winning streaks in any form of sports challenges, be it in the school or in the end of the kampung - the wearer would only use the Milo shirt in those occasions, to rise up to the challenges.

It was never thought that an athlete's attire could play a role in his performance. Just look at the Olympics, athletes in speed events - running, cycling or swimming - would choose low resistance, water repelling and tight sport fits. A 100th in a milisecond is crucial  to determine if you would win the gold medal or not.  

During the secondary school years, milo was still the main drink. While studying, reading or doing homework, I would have a mug of hot milo beside me. When I have hunger pangs, I would take the " Jacob's cream crackers" and dip it into my hot Milo, letting it to soften and cool down a little before putting them in my mouth. It is sweet with Milo, soft and with every masticating motion of the mouth, you could taste the Milo liquid oozing from the soaked crackers. Well, not everybody likes that texture. Some would still prefer the crispy characteristics of the crackers, only to dip in their Milo drink briefly before eating them.

This practice continued till my early university years, especially when sitting along  in the dorm room in a cold rainy weather. I thought it was fulfilling and by keeping myself full, I saved myself from having to walk down to the cafeteria to buy dinner.  The saved money could be used for better things - in the definition of a teenager - like watching movies or go for bowling. Thinking about that now, how unhealthy!

Today, Milo is still there. Other alternatives to Milo have emerged. Nevertheless, on seeing a tin of Milo, it will automatically evoke the warmth and memories of the growing years. 

Reflection at the end of the year 2013

Coincidentally, with the closing of 2013, three things ended.

First, is the closing of the year 2013. Like always, it has been a wonderful year. In fact, it is better than the year before. I count my blessing on that.

New acquaintances, new connections, new things to look out for in life. Most of it involved life adjustments - or work adjustments.

It's hard to spell out success stories. Success has a different meaning in different people.

In an academic world, being able to publish in high impact journal is one. For others, landing a huge research grant is also considered a success. For some, one grant is not enough. The more grants under your belt, the higher the status you attained, the more important you are among the research fraternity in the faculty.

The more grant the person bagged, the bigger the ego is. Psychologically, it helped with the confidence. But, having too many to juggle at one time - it seems a bit daunting. Not to mention distractions it may create to throw you off from your focus.

Completing a manuscript for publication - still brings a sense of satisfaction for most. Though it is the only paper for the entire year - and its publication is still pending for approval.

Success has different measures for different people. Nevertheless, you should not belittle others no matter how small their success measure is compared to yours.

The new year opens a new book for me to write on.

The end of a career for a teacher

How often do we feel when a teacher who had taught us before retires? Not often. Many teachers come and go, but we are not bothered with that. It’s a life cycle, we say. And it is a norm for people to move from one place to the other.

Not this teacher of mine. He will still be a teacher to me though I have been elevated as a colleague. He is an Orthopaedic surgeon, a professor. His sudden email informing of his retiring after serving 20 years in the faculty came as a sudden shock.

Let me tell you why he deserved to be reminisced.

Clinical teachers are usually dogs. They bark at any moves that is not in tandem with their teaching of clinical physical examination. They will, without hesitation, use the bell of the stethoscope like a hammer on the mindless palpation of an abdomen.

Prof PKL is not like that. Though he might be old school, his attitude is not. He is the scaffold that helps students to right what is wrong. He is what facilitation really means. He gets the students to think.

Most importantly, he inspires students. Several of them are now his orthopaedic apprentice.

It is usual for students to get playful at times. It may be irritating to the teachers involved. But handling them should not be rough. Otherwise, the same attitude will be returned to you. Play along with them, slowly and gently coaxing them to get into the real business. This needs patience.

Prof PKL is a patient man. Though we were wrong, he never let out hurtful words, in his anger, to us. He just kept quiet. His ears were red. And we know what that means. We could expect what is next. Surprisingly, out prediction was wrong. In his repose self, he did not get mad. He spoke when everyone was ready. When he spoke, it was civil, with authority and just. No parang wielding moment.

Well, he will remain in my memory. A living example of how a teaching doctor should carry himself.

The end of a loving wife and mother

This is another shocking news for a colleague - and all of us known to him. His wife has passed away. I shall not focus on the disease here.

From what I have gathered, it was quite a sudden demise for him. For the past two weeks, the family have been battling the disease and thinking of ways to treat it. The diagnosis came as a sudden. Prognosis was quite poor. The surgeon in charge whispered to him that she might not make it out of the operating theatre.

Worth it or not, it is still an attempt. She consented.

I imagined myself in his shoes. It’s unbearable. Yet, he was so calm and composed. His children were calm too. They seemed to have accepted it.

In fact, he has kept it a secret from the faculty - only to confide it with certain people. Imagine his mind worrying of his wife at home, and to carry on teaching the students.

Reflection point

The point for reflection is, as we are nearing the end of the year 2013, we must cherish whatever we have right here and right now. At any point in the future, we all will part.

So, take off your eyes from the FB page - if it leaves you fuming mad after seeing the statuses.

Stop paying attention to the WhatsApp messages on your phone.

Play with your children.

Kiss the hands of your parents.

Go for a movie with the family.

If your shift has ended, end it right there and then. Let someone take over it. Your shift now is with the family waiting at home.

May you have a wonderful year ahead. Happy new year!