I rise

My Friday started with prayers at the Kwan Yin temple on Waterloo St before lunching with my girls, Kels Ana and Mick. Mick, a.k.a Killer Line is known for her wits and wicked sense of humor so it was fun to catch up with her and hear all about her New Year's adventures in New Zealand.

Our dear friend, and my personal Guru Yvette, was giving a Golden Light celebration workshop there as well as awaiting the birth of her first child with Barney.
Isis joined us here on Earth on the 9th Jan 2010 and she is a miracle in herself.
Mick had stories to tell us and Kels and I enthusiastically listened and absorbed NZ and it's power.
I would love to visit Barney and Yvy real soon. The only time I've visited New Zealand was when I was 4 yrs old and what I remember is vast landscapes, clean fresh air, lots of sheep, snug winter clothes, the Abhominable Snowman (that's another story in itself) and looking forward to fresh glass jars of milk on our motel doorstep every morning. For a 4 yr old, that's heaps.

So I stumble upon a Leonard Cohen poem the other day and have not been able to stop thinking about it. About how it spoke to me and brought me back to a certain memory.
And in true form, I went in search of more poetry. To inspire me.
And this is the next one I found, written by another one of my favorite poets....

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise. - Maya Angelou

So be it.

Malaysia Boleh, Maxout

I keep putting off my blogging. I don't know why. Paul has told me time and again to jot down all my adventures...since he reckons I have so many.
Well this week, I will do so regularly. I don't want to force any resolutions on myself but I think documenting my 'exciting' life has benefits.
When I am old and grey and want to tell my grandkids stories, I will be able to read it to them even if my memory no longer serves me.
Anyways...
Last weekend, my friends at MaxOut Hydrosports and I took the speed boat over to Putri Harbour in JB for a suss out of the new neighboring marina and wakeboard the flat waters of the nearby swamps.
Firstly, let me say that although I spend a lot of time boating and most of my close friends are well into water sports, I would always watch them in awe and seldom got off my ass to try my hand (or legs) at it. In the decade I've hung out with this same group, I have only ever tried wakeboarding 4 or 5 times.
So, when we got to the strip perfect for wake skating, I just had to give it a go.
Maybe it was the vibe, or the sun shining brightly down on me and my body feeling good from all those intense classes of yoga, I went for it. And even threw in a few 180 turns. Wooohoooo. :)

After everyone of us had a session, we headed to the Seafood Kelong to feast on seafood. We had it all.... clams, crab, prawns, fish, sotong, veggie, lor mee and rice. Topped with ice cold Beer.
Slurp. I know now, that if we weren't so greedy and didn't stuff ourselves so silly, we could have easily gone back to board a 2nd set.
But sunset was approaching and we wanted to head back to Singapore Raffles Marina to stew in their lovely jacuzzi to relax our muscles.
And what a pretty sunset it was. Almost like a cherry topping on an awesome Sundae. No pun intented since it was a Saturday. :)
To check out pictures... check out MaxOut Hydrosports Pte Ltd online or join their FB page.
Pictures under the Malaysia Boleh album.
U gotta seeeeeee.....