I was like “Holy Shit! What on earth is going on?” I couldn’t take my eyes of this family. Apparently, the parents most probably lost their eye sight after an accident. The mom was wearing sunglasses but from her appearance, you can see that her face is somehow “damaged”.

The daughter is slightly older than the son, and they are around age 8 ~ 10. I saw the daughter guide the dad to the entrance of the male washroom. Before that, I heard the dad asking “Which side is the male washroom?”.

The family went to the washroom, except for the mother. She was there alone, standing and waiting “in the dark”. I noticed that most people passing by also couldn’t help themselves by looking at the family. For a sudden, I think we are damn lucky to be in good condition.

I just can’t imagine how hard is it for them to move on their lives, especially when they used to be able to watch the colorful world. It is said that our eye is the window of mind. They lost their sight, what else can they do? I don’t know how can they manage to raise their kids with such condition. Maybe they get support from their relatives?

They were well dressed. They went to the shopping mall. I saw them took the lift. The children holding their parents’ hands, and the parents had their walking stick by their side.

Initially, I thought of snapping a photo of them. But it would be very rude to do so. However, their portrait is forever keep in my mind – reminding me how fragile life can be!

4 e-books from the Twilight series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn. Click the image to download the corresponding Twilight series.

You need a PDF reader to read the e-books. Enjoy~

I loved the swing so much until Dad went to get one (plastic one, of course) for me and my sister. During free time, we would love to sit there and swing ourselves. You can see satisfaction and happiness on our faces. Other than going to the playground, my favorite past time is cycling. I could cycle around the neighbourhood in the early evening and didn’t want to take my dinner. My late grandma would then sit outside the house and fed me dinner.

That was my childhood. Until I started my secondary school life, that’s when I had fun more in front of the computer. However, I still find those days memorable.

Childhood of kids today is full of video games, computers and many high tech gadgets. Wonder if they know how to ride a bicycle or not.

What a big difference…

There are 2 scars which I can hardly forget. One was the result of being mischievous by playing with pen knife. I cut myself accidentally when I was using a cutter, how careless and silly. We should have bought some safety cutters by then. I cut my left thumb! Take a close look at the photo above, you still can observe the big long scar. That time I was still in Primary 1 and that was how I stopped sucking my thumb! (Yes, I had to suck my left thumb or else I couldn’t fall asleep) That was such a great pain, having several sleepless night with a sore thumb.

Another scar is on my right hand. I was disobedient and Dad used rotten to beat the chair. Unfortunately, I left my hand on the arm of the chair and I was beaten.  The skin “split” straight away and blood came out.  Crying like hell, but I still get scolded for that.  Luckily Mom was there for me.  This is also an incident happened when I was around my Primary school days. That’s why I am really afraid of Dad. I fear things for a reason.

Do you have any experience as such?

It’s just a small papaya, some dried mushrooms and other small stuff inside the plastic bag. He treasured them more than anything else like gold. He could still give a stranger passer by a smile. This plastic bag full of food, might be his only food for his next meals.

People always say don’t judge a book from its cover. Don’t mind what this old man has done in his past, his current condition is so much of a misfortune, comparing to anyone of us here, reading this story.  A man of his age should be relaxing at home, waiting for the return of his children, not walking in the street in ragged clothes.

It’s really sad to see someone like this.  What else can we do except observing?  There’s more people suffering in this world.  So, maybe from today onwards, you have to think before you make any complaint.  You complain about your income, your appearance, your whatever-you-name-it.

Open your eyes and look around, you should be thankful and grateful for what you are for now.

Frustrated by school projects, assignments or exams?  Somehow, there’s still someone so eager to learn, to get educated.

You think you can’t live without meat and dislike veggies?  Somehow, there’s someone out there suffering from hunger.

Obesity is a common phenomena in the city.  Diet products are very welcomed in the market.  But look at those skinny figures somewhere around the corner…

You dislike your parents nagging at you? They do so because they care and love you.  Is it fair that only you deserved to be care?

Why only play MapleStory or DotA all the time? It’s too bored you think.  But when there’s no choice…

You get mad when your dad didn’t get you a pair of your favorite sport shoes. Do you know there’s someone out there, don’t even know how it feels like to wear a shoe?

You request for a larger comfy bed.  Someone don’t even know how a bed looks like.

Are you still complaining about your life?  At least, you can get connected to the Internet and read my blog.  You can eat, sleep, work and play all the time.  A little bit of stress will be a balancing element.  Don’t complain too much, instead treasure your life and what you have now.

Another version of this tale related to the story of Chang’e and HouYi. It is said that out of curiosity, Chang’e took the magical pill without HouYi, her husband’s knowledge. However, Chang’e accidentally swallowed the pill…HouYi quickly threw Chang’e’s pet – the Jade Rabbit, towards her, so that it could accompany her, making her less lonely wherever she went. And that is how the Jade Rabbit end up in the Moon pounding a new elixir of immortal for her.

The Japanese also have such a rabbit tale, instead, the Moon Rabbit is pounding mochi – a Japanese cake.

Whatever tales behind, it is amazingly cool that the moon surface looks like a rabbit pounding something… haha..

Our genius hero L knew exactly what to do — eliminates Kira who used the Death Note, but our genius hero had no idea of the appearance of Jigoku Shoujo.

Seeking help for this dilemma, our hero headed to his powerful Tabletop, hoping to search for an answer. While doing his research, he found something that caught his attention — each of them was more interesting than the next.

The first was mooncake. The second was doughnut. The third was cakes of all kind of flavors. As we all know L loves sweet stuff.

“Oh…cakesssssss!” he exclaimed.
“I don’t think you can have that in Hell,”Jigoku Shoujo answered.
“Hey..I’ve forgotten my task! Why are you here?”
“Could you spare me some eye shadow, so that I can do a make up like yours?”

L was speechless….

You might think this is strange, but when you got tagged such things happen all the time.

———————
Baring Broken’s reminder in mind, I tried to reply Nafa’s tag. In order to post a polite reply and also to avoid viral links…the above is a made-up stories based on anime characters, and all links are within my blog. So, the tag ends here.

The following is the instruction of this tag:

1. Copy the unfinished story below into your post box.2. Fill in the blanks to finish the story. For most of the blanks use a blogger’s name, a trait, a post title, and a blog title — get creative.

Finish each sentence in an unexpected way. You can find plenty of links to spark your imagination at the A-Z directory. * link removed*

3. Link the text you added back to the blog or blogger you’re referencing.

4. Be creative. Change the words or storyline as you wish in order to fit in the links you like.

5. When you’re done, leave a link with the title to your version of the story in the comment box below.

Here is the story template:
Title: _______________________________

Here is the story template:

Title: _______________________________

_____ was _____ , when out of the blue _____. You might think this is strange, but in _____ such things happen all of the time.

Our brave and quirky hero knew exactly what to do — _____, but our brave and quirky hero had no _____.

Seeking help for this dilemma, our hero headed down the road to _____.
The road passed three creatures — each of them was more interesting than the next.

The first was _____. The second was _____. The third was _____. Our brave and quirky hero ran the rest of the way, and when he got there, he got another surprise!
“_____!” our hero exclaimed.

“_____,” _____answered.
“I was _____, when out of the blue _____.” our brave and quirky hero said, knees shaking. “Could you spare _____ ?”

And so it passed that _____ gave our brave and quirky hero _____ AND _____ and all was well.

You might think this is strange, but in _____ such things happen all the time.

I think I’m getting creative to link to posts from a blogger (that’s myself). I’m trying to get as close as possible to those ‘rules’..however..no tags. And hope you like my anime craps..

Updated on 18th October 2007

[Version 1]
It is said that, there was a cassia tree, as tall as 500 feet, in the moon. During the Han Dynasty, a man named Wu Gang wanted to be immortal, however he was not paying full attention during his learning process. This had make the Heaven Emperor very angry, and sent him to the Moon Palace, ordered him to chop down the cassia tree. “If you are able to chop down the cassia tree, you will become immortal,” said the Heaven Emperor. However, once Wu Gang pulled out his axes after chopping the cassia tree, the magical tree immediately healed. Day by day, Wu Gang kept trying to chop down the tree but failed. Therefore, he stayed in the moon kept chopping the ‘unchoppable” cassia tree. Until today, we can slightly see a shadow that looks like a man chopping a tree continuously in the moon.

[Version 2]
Wu Gang, also known as Wu Quan (吴权), was a man from XiHe （西河）province. When Wu Gang was away from home for 3 years, to acquire the skill of immortality, Bo Ling (伯陵，the grandson of God of Sun, Yan 炎帝) had an affair with Wu Gang’s wife. Furthermore, Bo Ling and Wu Gang’s wife gave birth to 3 sons. Wu Gang was very furious about this matter and killed Bo Ling. The killing of Bo Ling, trigger the anger of the God of Sun, so the God of Sun sent Wu Gang to the moon and ordered him to chop down the immortal tree – cassia tree. The cassia tree was 500 feet tall and would join back again right after being chopped. The God of Sun used this as a punishment towards Wu Gang for killing his grandson.

Wu Gang’s wife was guilty for what had happened to him, so she ordered her 3 sons to fly up to the moon to accompany Wu Gang. A son transformed into a toad, another transformed into a rabbit (the so called Jade rabbit), and it is uncertain of what had happend to the 3rd son.

[Version 3]
Wu Gang of the NanTian Gate (南天门, one of the gate to Heaven) was very close to Chang’e (嫦娥, the Moon Lady), who lived in the moon. However, he always went to meet Chang’e and lost his responsibility to guard the heaven gate. When the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝, the greatest in the Heaven) knew about this, he was very angry and punished Wu Gang to chop the cassia tree in the moon. Telling Wu Gang that he could not return to NanTian Gate nor meet Chang’e, if he could not chop down the cassia trees.

Wu Gang chopped the tree from winter to summer. using half year time, Wu Gang had almost finish chopping the cassia trees. But, this time the Jade Emperor sent a crow to take away Wu Gang’s clothes which was hanging on the tree. Wu Gang immediately put down his axe and chased the crow. When he got back his clothes and went back to continue his task, all the branches and leaves of the cassia tree had grown back. From that day onwards, whenever Wu Gang almost finished chopping off the cassia tree, the crow would make sound to disturb Wu Gang. Once Wu Gang stopped down and stared at the crow, all the branches and leaves of the cassia tree would grow back again.

Years after years, Wu Gang still never managed to chop down the cassia tree. Only during 16th August of the Lunar year, a leaf from the cassia tree would drop down to the Earth. Whoever gain this leaf will be blessed with wealth.

==========
There’s another version which I found it very hard to translate and not really that interesting, so I just left that one out, it’s also related to the cassia tree. hehe

I just knew that this so called Wu Gang has to chop down a tree in the moon. Now I finally know the reason(s). Have you heard this tale before?

================

Do you like my story?
I was actually tagged by NAFA. The tagging games always require you to tag someone too! So, I would like to invite the following buddies to join the ride (tagging the below):
1. Cherry
2. Colleen
3. Levian
4. Kenneth
5. SpookyGraceHere’s the instructions.

*Start Copying Here*

Rules:

1. Write a short paragraph about your visit by the two Genies and include a link to the blog that passed on the Genie Symbol to you.

2. COPY the Rules and ENTIRE List below and post it on your blog.

3. List down your wish.

4. Place your name below the last name on the list and pass on the Genie Symbol to at least 5 other bloggers.

5. Please put up either one (or both) of the Symbols of the Genies on your blog to show that the Genies have visited your blog. Codes are given below:

<br /><a href=”http://mariuca.blogspot.com/” target=”_blank”><img alt=”Genie Princess” src=”http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/162/geniefrv1.th.jpg” border=”0″ /></a></p> <p>

Does the moon pattern looks like a Chinese lady?

[Version 1]
According to legend, Chang’e and her husband Houyi were immortals living in heaven. One day, the ten sons of the Jade Emperor transformed into ten suns, causing the earth to scorch. Having failed to order his sons to stop ruining the earth, the Jade Emperor summoned Houyi for help. Houyi, using his legendary archery skills, shot down nine of the sons, but spared one son to be the sun. The Jade Emperor was obviously not pleased with Houyi’s solution to save the earth: nine of his sons were dead. As punishment, the Jade Emperor banished Houyi and Chang’e to live as mere mortals on earth.

Seeing that Chang’e felt extremely miserable over her loss of immortality, Houyi decided to journey on a long, perilous quest to find the pill of immortality so that the couple could be immortals again. At the end of his quest he met the Queen Mother of the West who agreed to give him the pill, but warned him that each person would only need half the pill to become immortal.

Houyi brought the pill home and stored it in a case. He warned Chang’e not to open the case and then left home for a while. Like Pandora in Greek mythology, Chang’e became too curious: she opened up the case and found the pill just as Houyi was returning home. Nervous that Houyi would catch her discovering the contents of the case, she accidentally swallowed the entire pill. She started to float into the sky because of the overdose. Although Houyi wanted to shoot her in order to prevent her from floating further, he could not bear to aim the arrow at her. Chang’e kept on floating until she landed on the moon.

While she became lonely on the moon without her husband, she did have company. A jade rabbit, who manufactured elixirs, also lived on the moon. The mythologies of Japan and Korea also feature references about rabbits living on the moon.

Another companion is the woodcutter Wu Gang. The woodcutter offended the gods in his attempt to achieve immortality and was therefore banished on the moon. Wu Gang was allowed to leave the moon if he could cut down a tree that grew there. The problem was that each time he chopped the tree, the tree would instantly grow back, effectively condemning him to live on the moon for eternity.

[Version 2]
Chang’e was a beautiful young girl working in the Jade Emperor’s palace in heaven, where immortals, good people and fairies lived. One day, she accidentally broke a precious porcelain jar. Angered, the Jade Emperor banished her to live on earth, where ordinary people lived. She could return to the Heaven, if she contributed a valuable service on earth.

Chang’e was transformed into a member of a poor farming family. When she was 18, a young hunter named Houyi from another village spotted her, now a beautiful young woman. They became friends.

One day, a strange phenomenon occurred — 10 suns arose in the sky instead of one, blazing the earth. Houyi, an expert archer, stepped forward to try to save the earth. He successfully shot down nine of the suns, becoming an instant hero. He eventually became king and married Chang’e.

But Houyi grew to become a tyrant. He sought immortality by ordering an elixir be created to prolong his life. The elixir in the form of a single pill was almost ready when Chang’e came upon it. She either accidentally or purposely swallowed the pill. This angered King Houyi, who went after his wife. Trying to flee, she jumped out the window of a chamber at the top of palace — and, instead of falling, she floated into the sky toward the moon.

King Houyi tried to shoot her down with arrows, but without success. Her companion, a rabbit, is constantly pounding the elixir of immortality in a large mortar.

The moon is also inhabited by a woodcutter who tries to cut down the cassia tree, giver of life. But as fast as he cuts into the tree, it heals itself, and he never makes any progress. The Chinese use this image of the cassia tree to explain mortal life on earth — the limbs are constantly being cut away by death, but new buds continually appear.

Meanwhile, King Houyi ascended to the sun and built a palace. So Chang’e and Houyi came to represent the yin and yang, the moon and the sun.

[Version 3]
Many years after she was already the moon goddess, Chang’e looked down upon Earth and saw that a terribly cruel emperor sat on the throne. To help the people, she allowed herself to be reborn into the mortal world. The other members of her mortal family were either killed or enslaved by the emperor, but Chang’e managed to escape to the countryside.

Meanwhile, the emperor was aging and obsessed with discovering the elixir of life. He had people all over the land brought to him and demanded of them how to find the elixir of life; nobody knew, of course, but the emperor would not accept ignorance for an answer and executed all those who could not answer.

In the countryside, Chang’e met the Buddhist goddess of compassion, Guan Yin, who proceeded to give Chang’e a small elixir. Chang’e brought the elixir to the emperor. The suspicious emperor worried that it was poison and demanded that Chang’e taste the elixir first. She did, showing no ill effects, so then the emperor took the elixir and promptly died. Then, Chang’e also left the mortal world; the effects of the elixir had only been delayed for her. However, instead of dying, she ascended to the moon to retake her place as a goddess.

[Source: Wikipedia]

I remembered I heard something similar like version 1 and 2 but not 3.
Which version have you heard of?