BE POSITIVE, BE POSITIVE, BE POSITIVE.
EVERYTHING IS COMING TOGETHER.
THE MORE YOU FEED YOUR MIND WITH POSITIVE THOUGHTS, THE MORE YOU CAN AND WILL ATTRACT GREAT THINGS IN YOUR LIFE.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
WRITER, AUTHOR, STORYTELLER
As we approached Port Dickson, the familiar over-bright glare of the sun was there to greet us. I think the reflection of the sun hitting the sea of the Malacca Straits, then bouncing back to the sun and coming back down onto P.D., causes the extra glare. Hence, it requires hat shades and sunglasses for comfort.
We, that is, Jeannie, The Batik Influencer and my wife; and I, wanted a short break from the hustle and hustle of city life. Did I type hustle and hustle? Yes, I did. We needed a break.It shows.
Jeannie got our daughter, Laura; to book us into a hotel. It was a long weekend holiday. After much thought and discussion on how to avoid the traffic jams to and from P.D., we avoided going down (since P.D. is southwest of us [South is “down / bottom of maps so it would not be too correct to say “going up south” ]) on Saturday or Sunday and planned to go on Monday and be back on Tuesday.
Getting to Port Dickson or P.D. was a breeze. Jams almost seemed like a myth and worrying about them was unnecessary. Since, we were fairly early, we stopped by at the Scottish eating place for lunch. Notice words like breeze, myth, fairly... all somehow related to the weather. Pun?
Anyway, the Scottish eating (no, we do not eat Scottish people) place was serving a samurai (because it had teriyaki sauce) burger (I know what you are thinking… Scottish and Japanese are poles apart). It was quite good. The burger patty size was what it used to be back in the good old days – big.
We checked in to our room slightly early. The hotel and the beach were crowded with people. Everyone was enjoying themselves on the long weekend holiday. Jeannie and I, we just wanted to relax and enjoy the seaside.
We went down to the beach at about 5pm, when the weather was slightly cooler. We walked the length of the beach which was about 500 meters in length. It was a slow walk as we had to maneuver between adults, children and tents (lots of tents were out, up. Most of them were set up further up the shore). There definitely was no shortage of enjoyment. It was fun…for these adventurers I guess. I’d opt for the less travelled part – air-conditioned rooms with comfortable beds. Not to forget clean toilets, too.
Jeannie had prepared sandwiches from home, which we had for dinner…the sandwiches, that is. We had coffee flowing throughout the evening (for me), while I figured some work out, including upcoming articles and what’s next for the next three months leading to the end of the year. Lots of ideas…our goals are quite on track. The fun part is to explore new ideas.
Breakfast was early for us. We sat on the terrace of the dining hall, to enjoy the cool breeze that came in with each wave of the sea that was washed onto the beach. We weren’t the only ones enjoying breakfast on the terrace. So too; were the crows. The minute food was left on the table unattended, these black birds came swooping in to have a go at the food. When we saw this, we moved to a table inside the dining hall. So much for eating on the terrace to enjoy the breeze and wide open spaces.
After breakfast, Jeannie went to the beach again to spend some time with the water; while I went back to the room to get more work done.
We checked out of our hotel at half 12, to our next destination – a sort of adventure to locate the house(s) my parents, my late sister, Jennifer; and I, stayed over 60 years ago when my father was in the army. My parents were very young at that time. Jennifer; was about 2 or 3 years old and I, a year 4 days younger than Jennifer at that time. The story in the next essay.
Jeannie and I wish all Malaysians, around the world, HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY.
PS: The location of our house is in the army camp. And another thing, no traffic jams on our way back home.
A VISIONARY IS ONE WHO IS ABLE TO SEE THE INVISIBLE.
OVERNIGHT STORIES OF SUCCESS WILL TAKE A LONG TIME.
WITH EFFORT, YOU CAN UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL.
YOUR TOMORROW IS DEFINED BY YOUR EFFORTS TODAY.
STAY THE COURSE.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
BE SURROUNDED BY GOOD PEOPLE ALWAYS AS
THEY WILL BRING OUT THE GOOD IN YOU.
THEY FOCUS ON WHAT THEY APPRECIATE ABOUT YOU.
THESE FRIENDSHIPS ARE KEEPERS.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
I AM MOVING FORWARD & CREATING MY NEW LIFE,
ONE MOMENT AT A TIME;
AS EACH MOMENT AHEAD, IS THE FUTURE;
PREPARING FOR THE PRESENT.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
DO IT BECAUSE IT’S IN YOUR HEART,
NOT BECAUSE YOU WANT SOMETHING IN RETURN.
HOWEVER, BE DISCERNING
THAT THE RECEIPIENT IS GENUINE AND
NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU.
LAY DOWN THE RULES UP FRONT, THAT
YOU ARE DOING IT WITHOUT EXPECTING TO BE REWARDED BECAUSE YOU WANT TO DO IT.
OR
YOU ARE DOING IT EXPECTING TO BE COMPENSATED
IN RETURN.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
DEFEAT IS ONLY TEMPORARY
IF
YOU DECIDE TO LEARN FROM IT,
GET UP, PERSEVERE AND
PURSUE YOUR GOALS.
IT REQUIRES STRENGTH, FOCUS AND PASSION.
ADD “RELENTLESS” FOR MEASURE.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
YOUR MIND IS A POWERFUL THING. STAY IN CONTROL OF IT. DON’T GIVE UP DECISION MAKING TO
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
WHEN YOUR MIND IS FILLED WITH POSITIVE THOUGHTS, YOUR LIFE WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE.
AND, ALWAYS WORK AT
BEING A BETTER YOU THAN YOU WERE A MOMENT AGO. HAVE FUN IN THE PROCESS.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
LIFE IS ABOUT LIVING WITH PURPOSE.
IT BECOMES AN ADDICTION ONCE YOU SEE RESULTS.
YOU HAVE THE POWER AND AUTHORITY IN YOUR WORLD OF LIFE.
LIVE IT.
SHARE IT.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
Being 67 years old is amazing. I’m speaking with 7 days (1 week) of experience.
The prelude to being 67 years old started 2 days before my birthday when my childhood and schoolmate friend, Charles “Bijou” Rozario sent me birthday wishes with beautiful blessings. Charles himself, has a story to tell. Me telling his story will not do enough justice to it. He has to tell it himself.
This followed an awesome fellowship of a pre-birthday lunch. A phone call led to showing up 45 minutes later to pick me up. Patrick & Hazel Archibald – some of the dearest people to my wife – Jeannie, and I. Lunch was simple, yet delicious, relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable. Hazel’s father joined us for lunch. The impromptu-ness made it all the more a nice time to remember.
With Charles being the first to send me birthday greetings, I have received countless birthday greetings either in person or through the many communication avenues, mainly social media. I have read all the wonderful messages from all you wonderful people – what a way for me to give thanks for the 67 years of living experience and to usher in my 68th year.
I don’t know where to begin with thanking all you wonderful people – social media can be a boon as well as a bane. A boon where everyone connects with me and sends greetings. A bane when it becomes quite tricky in trying to trace back all those who sent birthday greetings for me to thank each and everyone of them personally. Haha. The many groups’ and threads’ feeds seem to get entangled with each other and with other posts’ feeds that I may miss out on thanking some people.
Thank you, each and everyone, family and friends; for the wonderful birthday wishes and messages. These wishes and messages have given an extra oomph to the beginning of my 68th year of life.
On my birthday itself, Leslie Quak, my classmate from school and close friend, treated me for lunch at a restaurant called CapoDelCarne in USJ Heights – a quiet place, where we could talk at a leisurely volumed voice. The meal was good – we both had pasta, Leslie’s a different variant from mine. It was nice to be in the present.
Jeannie and I made it a point to go for mass in the evening at St. Thomas More Church. There, we were met by Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Perera, regulars of evening mass at this parish. They acquired a copy of my book, SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT. We also met my cousins, Dato’ Ronald Gomes and his wife, Datin Debbie Gomes, and; Christopher Nalliah and his wife, Evalina Nalliah.
The cousins and wives and us adjourned to Big Daddy’s for dinner. Big Daddy’s is a little restaurant & pub in Taipan, USJ. Serving mainly western cuisine; many of their patrons were there for the pub. It had a nice atmosphere.
The food was decently good. After dinner, we had what is known locally as “the cake cutting ceremony”. Candles were lit, all 67 of them, or at least it looked like there were 67 (when lit – had to qualify myself).
I cutted what looked like a fruit – inspired cake. Lots of fruit decorated the top of the cake. The cake was good. The cake should have been bigger to accommodate more candles.😁🤣
What a day July 10th was, and the days leading up to it. The highlight of the day was when I received a telephone call from my mum and dad with a help of their caregiver, to wish me for my birthday. Mum who is 88 years young and dad who is 93 years spritely, chatted with me for a while. This telephone call was a gift from my parents – a gift that a value cannot be placed. Grateful!
I had to make a statement for the next 66 years – I got tattooed with a tattoo (Stronger Than The Storm) which was partly designed by me. It means that I am the first one with this design. Soon was the tattooist. As usual, he did a great job.
OK. My report card for the first week of me being 67 years, going on 68 is done. In an article to come, I will discuss of what it feels like to be 67 years old. I am already quite qualified, and now, having just completed the first week of my 68th year. I have to admit, it is not like what I had envisioned, so you have hope, too.
I am not too sure whether it is age or whether it is because I am a writer, I tend to look at things differently. One thing is for sure.. call it stubboness…I refuse to give up my rights to think. A vast number of people today are giving away their rights without even as much of a flinch. It’s probably because…er…they don’t think.
One more thing…The next book title… coming.