Sandy's inspiring collection about life

Sandy's Kitchen - an inspiring collection about life

Mottos:

The following are based on my (specific) experience but they can be applied to any aspect of our daily life. (well, you may think, 'I also know it! You don't need to tell me!') They arise out of the fact that we know nothing about our future...

Position	Mottos	Sandy's remarks
No.1	You never know... if you don't try	There's no harm trying (of course depending on the risk, sometimes)... grasp every opportunity
No.2	Never give up	Don't give yourself a chance to regret
No.3	Don't jump to a conclusion based on the first few encounters with a person	Appearance = not true self?
No.4	Never say 'no' - nothing is impossible; who knows?...	We never know what'll happen tomorrow, do we?
No.5	Yeah, this is fate; something is out of our control... but try not to let fate control you	e.g. 911 New York atrocities, taking a flight
No.6	Today is tomorrow = 'Day Day (every day) is Tomorrow'	Well, sometimes (or often, always?) due to our laziness we may give ourselves a variety of excuses for not doing something until later; this could lead to a consequence that something would never be done!
No.7	Only when we lose something/someone, we start appreciating their value/importance	Treasure the time with your beloved ones, family and friends

Extracts:

(extracted from the web page of the dept. of linguistics of University of Hong Kong – ‘why study linguistics?’)

'There are some potential drawbacks to studying linguistics too:

Since it is not a commonly studied subject, majors in Linguistics frequently have to explain what it is. It is not even unheard-of for linguistics majors to have problems explaining to their parents what Linguistics is all about.
Similarly, everybody asks linguists how many languages they speak. This is the wrong question, and there is no good answer for it. You will see.'

Sandy: Absolutely true!!!

Five steps to Happiness (from Daily Express, UK, p.36, 28th Jan, 2002)

1. Smile first thing every morning, even if it's just at yourself in the mirror. People just don't realise how good this simple gesture can make you feel. It costs you nothing and takes no time, just a little effort.

2. Construct a list of five things that make you feel happy when you think about them. They can be anything from the moment Beckham scored his goal against Greece to the chocolate eclair waiting for you in the fridge when you get home.

3. Stop putting yourself down. Bolster yourself with positive thoughts and compliments. For instance, if you think you're particularly bad at conversation, keep telling yourself you're the best speaker in the world. Repeat this every day and pretty soon you will start believing it - and better still, start behaving like it.

4. Practise your own visualisation exercises. Take a piece of card and write down a word or phrase that best describes something you want out of life. It might be 'moving on' or 'a successful job'. Close your eyes and quietly repeat this to yourself before slowly stepping forward on to the piece of card, and making your mind believe your dream is a reality.

5. Slow down and savour every moment. Life is too short to race around and take things for granted. Make an effort to stop and appreciate everything that makes you happy in a day, whether it be lazing in the bath, talking with a mate, or eating a KitKat Chunky - if it makes you smile then it's worth savouring.

Sandy: What do you think?

Quotes:

'Solitude but not serenity is a pre-requisite for production of a work'

'If there is a silence in the conversation between friends, just let it be. Don't make yourself nervous because you think you're responsible for the atmosphere of the conversation.'

'Regrets in life stem from the fact that there is no way back, which is also the essence for the beauty of life'

'I think perhaps the people I hate are the "teachers" in some stages of my life, because I have to cope with them, which in turn improves myself. Maybe they want to prove the others wrong, but for me, it is not bad to see them in a positive way.'

'Life is difficult. We can never make our actions and thoughts go hand in hand'

(All the above come from "fax diaries" by Miao Cheung & Muiyee Tsui; translated by Sandy herself)

'Allow yourself to feel down and defeated at times. Have a good cry. But get up the next day ready to go again.' (by Erin Brockovich from "60 second interview", Metro, Manchester, 23 Nov, 2001)

'New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.' (from the cover of Sandy's notebook)

'ROOMS are like people. It takes time to get to know them. And even then, the interesting ones keep revealing themselves more and more.' (Jane Stanton Hitchcock, from 'Home' 1996, Running Press, p.39)

'Home is not where you live but where they understand you.' (Christian Morgenstern, from 'Home' 1996, Running Press, p.60)

The Road Not Taken – By Robert Frost

Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both.

And be one travelers, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, And I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

This page was last updated on Saturday October 18, 2003.

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