My two cents worth..

Got this in an email..

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question.
She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?"
I noticed  that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?"
In all seriousness, she answered "How do you  know?"
Let me answer this question because the chances are good that  it’s weighing on your mind. Here’s the answer.

EVERY  relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your  spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their  idiosyncrasies.
Falling in love with your spouse wasn’t hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn’t have  to DO anything. That’s why it’s called "falling" in love. Because it’s   happening TO YOU. People in love sometimes say, "I was  swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that  expression. It implies  that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It’s a passive and  spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria  of  love fades. It’s the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly  but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not  always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse’s idiosyncrasies, instead  of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with  every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a  dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you  and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And  as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had,  you may begin to desire that
experience with someone else. This is when  marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and  look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital  fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious.  But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or  abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside  your marriage. It lies within it.
I’m not saying that you couldn’t  fall in love with someone else. You could.
And TEMPORARILY you’d  feel better. But you’d be in the same situation a few years later.

Because  (listen carefully to this):
THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS  NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT’S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND. SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience.

It’ll NEVER just happen to you. You can’t "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That’s why we have the expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most  importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your  marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There  are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed  with your marriage. Just as there are physical laws of the universe  (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right  diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It’s a  direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable…you can "make" love. Love in marriage is indeed a  "decision"… Not just a feeling.

Just got home from having dinner with me wife at a nice Brazilian restaurant in Damansara Jaya, called the Carnaval Churassaria. It’s eat all you can style with the waiters going around serving you deliciously barbequed meat (altogether 12 meat varieties) from chicken sausages, gizzard, heart, beef (all sides), lamb and even pineapple. It’s a MUST try for meat lovers for about RM48++ for full meal. For non-meat lovers, they have light meals (which they serve hot and cold salads) for about RM30++. We’ll definitely be there again soon.

Carnaval Churrassaria, 77 Jalan SS22/19, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel: 03 7725 2252
Opening hours: 6.00PM - 10.30PM daily

I just returned back home from a week long trip to Singapore. Was there for product training and had a good time learning extra things from the trainer, Mr RW. Good job chap! We got loads of know-how and pitfalls to avoid advices from him. Else, it will be another of those presentation based training, like we had the first time round. He he.

While we were there, we took the opportunity to check out Suntec, Orchard and Raffles City for good bargains. It was sad to say that nothing much was left (since like the sales started early June). Our main target was french-cuffed shirts and yes, we did find some nice ones. But again, those are the ones that had a price tag that says (Normal Price item). He he. Those on sales were like 2 sizes to big for us Asians. FYI, the Renoma cuff shirts were going for like SGD$35 per piece, on sales. Darn!! Saw two but then again size 17.

The next thing on the shopping list was something for me misses. Scratch, scratch head but still can’t think of anything. Walk and walk, still see nothing that I figure she’ll fancy. Honestly speaking, it  is scary to buy something for someone and then it will not be used (worse, appreciated). But then again, my misses is not such a person. he he. And yet, you still have to figure out what she’ll fancy and buy something that she’ll need, use, love and get all excited about. That is when, I’ll feel wonderful.

My colleague is smarter. He gets his wife to tell him what she wants (size, colour, even the product code) and then he goes buy buy buy. Simple and straight. He won’t go far wrong from there. He he. Next time, I’m gonna try.

Next week is another week of travelling. This time to the north. So, catch u all another time and stay "lovely" you beautiful people out there.

What have you been listening too? Share share please.. Kalau boleh include the URL to download la.. Ha ha.. Some of my current favourites are:
1. Keith Urban - You’ll think of me and Making memories of us
2. Juanes - La Camisa Negra
3. Ronan Keating - All over again
4. Craig David - All the way
5. Rob Thomas - Ever the same
6. Teddy Geiger - For you i will
7. Sarah Connor - Love is color blind
8. Shayne Ward - No promises
9. Corinne Bailey Rae - Put your records on
10. Ne-Yo - So sick
11. Jack Johnson - Upside down
12. Fort Minor - Where’d you go

Oh ya, why the colours???!! Well, it seem to work now (the colour palette that is).

I’ve been following the World Cup 2006 progression since they started early June. And till last night, we see in the quarterfinals the elimination of Argentina, Ukraine, England and Brazil. With England and Brazil out of the equations, I guess, my only bet now lies with the host country winning the final match. Go go Germany..

Argentina was worth their weight when they played Germany. Kudos to them for playing their hearts out but luck was just not on their side. BTW, anyone knows what’s with the scuffle at the end of the game? No news printed la… Bierhoff said something??

England was rather pathetic to watch. Why??!! Well because I had expected much better of them than the performance they have shown through the games. Rooney had fire but no goals (unlucky to get the red card last night - I think it was too harsh and C. Ronaldo needs to get a bashing on his head and a deportation from England). Lampard was shooting blanks all the way thru the games. Beckham is OLD with a good leg for spot kicks (without him they would have been home ages ago - time to retire bro). Lennon is fast, very fast. Walcott?? Where was he (a bench warmer after all the hype they put on him). For Erikson, it is time to say goodbye (over due too long).

Brazil - i hear no samba playing last night. What else is there to say? Henry and Zidane got the better of them. So bye bye Ronaldo (old man), Roberto Carlos (old but still powderful le - tongkat ali?), Ronaldinho, Adriano, Kaka, Robinho and etc.