The Cooling Stream

I love coconut water, and so are my family.

Every time when we are back to the village, we will look for coconut trees. My father-in-law will climb the trees, choose the really young coconuts so the juice is sweeter, and bring down at least 8-10 coconuts for us.

We will sit in a circle, waiting for him to cut open the coconuts, pour the coconut water into two big jugs, and serve us with the tender coconut meat. The children are waiting with their mouth waters. They rush for the drink and the coconut meat as soon as possible. Seeing them enjoying the coconut give us great joy, and we all have a hearty laugh.

Some of the children will prefer to poke a hole and insert a straw to drink the coconut water. So sometimes we play fool with them by shaking hard the coconuts. The coconut water spills out on their face and everyone is laughing away.

We drink coconut water when the weather is especially hot and humid. Then we rush to the river and soak ourselves in the river for a long while. It is so satisfying and fulfilling.

Yeah, we all love coconut water. LOL

Walking along the corridor of a classroom block, I kept my cool and looked sternly at the students who remained outside the classroom when the bell had rung 10 minutes ago. Many of them rushed into the classroom sheepishly and the rest went in slowly after another few looks. I smiled within, knowing that by showing a solemn and serious face sometimes did help to maintain the discipline of the school.

Classes seemed to get quieter as I passed slowly by. Students tended to sit up straight, opened their books, and looked straight at their teachers. And teachers also showed more confidence and seriously delivered their lessons. Yeah, a little walk can help many others.

The plants and the flowers outside the classroom block were well taken care of. The surrounding was clean and conducive to learning activities. I could hear the birds chirping and felt the cool breeze. It was a beautiful day and I was enjoying my walk.

Then I noticed two school boys outside a classroom. I wondered why they were not in their class. As I approached them, they walked slowly away. But I followed them, widening my strides. Then they finally walked toward me, and I inquired as to where they were going. The boys seemed hesitant to answer, but one of them finally told me that his trousers had torn and he didn't know what to do. I advised him to see the student affairs senior assistant, which he quickly complied. I could see their thankful faces as they hastened to the office.

Thank God for the little walk; it helps me and many others.

In my younger days, I enjoyed sipping a cup of hot coffee before I started my day. Sometimes I soaked many pieces of biscuits into it and took them slowly as my breakfast. Then I carried my school beg and walked to school feeling satisfied. I didn't have the luxury of drinking Milo, chocolate drink and condensed milk. I had only plain black coffee and sometimes tea.

But the aroma of freshly brewed coffee always makes me wide awake and stimulate me for a long while even until today. Oh! yummy coffee.

Not many people can brew tasty and delicious coffee at home. That is probably why coffee addicts always enjoy their coffee in well-known coffeeshops. Even the best coffee powder cannot help, if you don't have the ability and skill to brew coffee.

I enjoy sipping a mug of black hot coffee at one corner of a coffeeshop. I really enjoy this half an hour break. Sometimes I also had a bowl of hot noodles.

I enjoy looking at people enjoying their coffee. Sometimes they shake their head not because the coffee is tasteless, but rather to indicate that the coffee's taste is incredibly nice. Everyone looks very relaxed and sipping away their coffee slowly and happily.

....I still salivate when I smell the aroma of coffee fragrance in the air. And I am sipping a cup of a really hot coffee right now. lol

Do you love coffee?

This morning I saw a shop assistant busy tying up little bundles of vegetable.

He put several stalks of vegetable together, gripped them tightly with one hand, and tied them with the other hand. He looked very skillful in his task and he seemed to enjoy his work. Once in a while he grinned to himself.

He looked more like people from a neighboring country. Traveling far from home, he came all the way here to make a living, and sent most of his salary home for his family. He was in his mid or late 20's. he looked weak and thin. But he had a quiet confidence in all that he did.

I am surprised to see more and more foreign workers flooding the local market. I have read and heard about the local people who are always complaining about the influx of the foreign workers, yet they are unwilling to accept the low wages and the poor working conditions.

I believe no one is to be blamed in this issue, for whoever is interested and willing to work will get the job. After all, it is worldwide economic recession, and everyone is searching and looking for job.

High time for us to change our attitudes towards work. We mustn't complain too much when the pay is low, when the nature of the job is tough and exhausting, or when the work is dirty and mundane.

Let's take up the challenge to work and live on.

Lately my country is having 3 by-elections. Candidates and supporters from the ruling parties and the opposition parties are seen organizing rallies and visiting voters from door to door to garner supports. They try every means and opportunity to convince the voters that they deserve their individual votes. The voters are getting more confused these days. They become more indecisive when it comes to select the right candidate for their constituency. Sometimes I wonder whether these campaigns are necessary to "help" the voters to make the "correct" choice.

So are our beloved children. They are always confused about the right courses to take to further their studies. With the ever present pressures from their parents, relatives, teachers and friends, they are becoming even more hesitant and frustrated. Sometimes, without we realizing it, our insistence and persistence in forcing our children to take certain courses have shattered their dreams and hopes for a bright future. High time for us to sit down with our children, listen to them carefully, and help them to get organized to realize their dreams.

So are the young lovers. They are always confused about love. Love is blind, it can take over your mind and drive you crazy. With the instant love and love at first sight popularized in today’s media, many are unable to figure out the follies they have committed until it is too late. Sad and painful stories of broken relationships and marriages have shattered many hearts. If only love can be nurtured slowly and carefully, it will grow strong and last longer. How sad to see young people being pressured to make wrong decisions. The cuts are deeper and the scars are forever.

As I grow in years, I become more certain that we need to give each other enough time to make decisions.

But the next question is always the same, "How long?"

I was reading in a newspaper about three beggars fighting over a comfortable shelter in a street corner, in the midst of a heavy rain. They finally reached an understanding that whoever could prove that he was the richest among them deserved to have the shelter.

The first beggar showed off eight beautiful bowls. They were colorful and stylish bowls that he used to beg in every street corner according to his taste and liking. And He was seen laughing heartily.

The second beggar took out eight wonderful straw mats. They were beautifully designed and spacious mats. He claimed that he could sleep comfortably on cold and warm nights. And he threw out a satisfying smile.

The third beggar had nothing to show but his crippled leg. He told them that he never went hungry while begging with his broken leg. Just then a kind-looking old woman passed by and gave the third beggar a dollar note. The first and the second beggars sighed resignedly and quickly disappeared into the night, knowing that the richest man is not he who has much but he who knows how to use much with the little that he has.

Use your talents well before God gives them to someone else.