Grass looks greener on the other side of the fence because it’s the grass that we don’t have. When we believe the myth that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, we are setting ourselves up for disappointments and unhappiness.  Envy sets in when we believe that other people have the good stuff.  Overcome by ...

During the sixties and early seventies, I was a kid living in Binatang. Life then seemed to move at a snail’s pace, compared to life now. There was definitely much less stress then. Traffic jam was totally unheard of in Binatang as there were so few cars.  If a modern day teenager who grew up with the internet, smartphones, iPad, ...

Like Regina Brett in her book “God Never Blinks”, I sometimes felt that at the moment I was born, God must have blinked and thus missed the occasion, unaware of my birth at all. I felt like the poet who wrote that he was born on a day God called in sick. Shortly after my birth almost 55 years ago ...

I was born in Binatang, a small town with a predominantly Foochow population. Anyone growing up in Binatang would almost invariably be able to speak Foochow with an acceptable level of fluency. I am no exception. I am a Hokkien but I too can speak Foochow. My birth certificate and my Malaysian identity card carry Foochow names and my wife ...

“Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach Friendship is something we should treasure in our lives but often due to the increased demands of the ‘real world’, friendship often wanes and we slowly lose contact with ...

It was after reading “The Devotion of Suspect X” by Keigo Higashino that I decided to check out the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson. Having enjoyed the Japanese thriller, I was fascinated by the comparison of Keigo Higashino to Stieg Larsson. I did a Google search for Stieg Larsson and was amazed at the hype over Larsson’s Millennium trilogy comprising ...

July 7 was D-Day for the Bintangkian Lau Peng Yu Reunion. Though I went to bed at almost 1.30 am, I was wide awake by about 6.30 am, after about 5 hours of sleep. As it was still early, I read “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest” for about 15 minutes before taking a quick shower. At about 7.15 ...

To join the Bintangkian Lau Peng Yu Reunion, I applied for 2 days ‘ leave from my company. I flew by MASWings from Miri to Sibu at 8.35 am on July 6 but due to oversight during my online booking, I had to transit in Bintulu and only reached Sibu at about 10 am. I wish to express my sincere ...

The Bintangkian Lau Peng Yu Reunion is now history but it has been etched into the memory of those who made it to the function.  Hats off to the organizing committee for pulling off the best reunion ever. They outdid themselves, creating great memories for all of those who attended the function. I wish to convey the biggest kudos to ...

It has been said that the best antiques to collect are old friends. The trap of busyness causes us to move with such mindless speed that we’re like the proverbial chicken running around with his head cut off. And as we get caught up in our busyness, we often slowly lose contact with old friends. Time endears but cannot fade ...