A cup of coffee

 I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighbouring town of Venice (Italy), the city of lights and water. As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us. He called the waiter and placed his order saying, ‘Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.’

We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two.

As soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying ‘A Cup of Coffee’.

While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had the two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, ‘A Cup of Coffee’.

It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.

After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man poorly dressed entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, 'One cup of coffee from the wall'.

The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying.

We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dust bin. Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears.

Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted... He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem, he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee, without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him. He only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.

Probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see anywhere!

Forever friends

To all my Tiger friends!
Sometimes in life,
You find a special friend,
Someone who changes your life
Just by being a part of it


Someone who makes you laugh
Until you can't stop
Someone who makes you believe
That there really is good in the world


Someone who convinces you that
There really is an unlocked door
Just waiting for you to open it.
This is a Forever Friendship


When you're down,
And the world seems dark and empty,
Your forever friend lifts you up in spirit
And makes that dark and empty world
Suddenly seem bright and full.


Your forever friend gets you through
The hard times, the sad times,
And the confusing times.
If you turn and walk away,
Your forever friend follows.


If you lose your way,
Your forever friend guides you
And cheers you on.
Your forever friend holds your hand
And tells you that everything
Is going to be okay.


And if you find such a friend,
You feel happy and complete,
Because you need not worry.
You have a forever friend for life,
And forever has no end.

A Ball of Clay

By Bob Perks

A ball of clay in your hands. Your life.

A single musical note on a staff.  Your part of life's song.

A finger print.  You touched life and it remembers.

A kind word spoken. Eternal echoes you may not hear.

A gesture, an action done out of kindness.  Action reverberates into the future even in ways you may never know. 

To love.  To live fully.

To be loved.  The reward.

To give without expectation. The truest form of giving.

To receive graciously.  The gift you give the giver.

To laugh.  To see light.  

To smile.  To share the light.

To forgive.  To be bigger than the hurt, stronger than the transgressor, more Christ-like than the sinner.

To fall.  To learn.

To rise after every fall.  To win over and over again.

To be thankful and grateful.  To live humbly and fully aware of the bountiful life you have discovered in the ball of clay.

"I believe in you!"

The oak tree

A mighty wind
Blew night and day
It stole the oak tree's leaves away

Then snapped its boughs
And pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark

But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke
How can you still be standing Oak

The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway

But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You'll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me

Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I've found, with thanks to you
I'm stronger than I ever knew.

The plausible and palatable story behind the Kajang by-election

Kajang: By-election or Ego Trip?



I haven't written about politics in God knows how long, but this is overdue. Most of my circle knows how much I detest politics now, but this would be good to clear the air.



Much has been written about Kajang. From political analysts to Facebook pundits etc.
What I'm about to write will not please PR supporters, but equally BN supporters will feel it in their gut that it's true. And hate themselves for supporting BN.



This by-election started with a DARE.

Somehow, BN and PR (as in Anwar) got to talking and Anwar said,"You guys talk so much, let's have a head-to head match in a non-Malay majority area".

BN said ok. Let's do it. I'm not afraid of you.

Anwar placed one condition. The candidate MUST be Malay, in order to gauge what's the real acceptance factor of either candidate.

One thing lead to another, PKR arranged for the resignation and we have arrived at the situation we are in right now.

However, BN did not go along with the condition. They are placing a MCA candidate.

So, what is the meaning of this? Is losing a by-election such a fear-factor for them?
Did BN even contemplate what is the net effect if a MCA candidate loses in a Chinese majority area? And of all people, you placed Chew Mei Fun?

What is she, a sacrificial lamb?
What will the election result tell the rest of the country?

As of now, you can see BN's election strategy, which is the old and failing method of character assasination.
Seriously BN, is that the best you can do?
Not put up a proper candidate, who can think and articulate well?

You must give credit to the Man, his strategic planning is superb.
In one fell swoop, Anwar did 3 things by picking Kajang, an area with mostly Chinese and Christian voters.

1. Stop the Chinese bashing by pro-BN media. Have you heard anything lately in the media from those silly NGOs?

2. Reduce the Christian victimisation by pro-BN media.

3. Allowed Kajang to be showered by election goodies as expected from BN. (WTH? An airport too?)

Anwar, despite the mainstream media's best efforts to the contrary, is NOT going to be Mentri Besar of Selangor.
He does NOT want to be, nor does Selangor need him to be.

To clear the air on consensus between the PR components, I was informed by my DAP chief that they WERE consulted on Kajang. Despite whatever news trying sow the seeds of discord between PKR and the rest of PR, the higher levels of PR leaders were informed in advance.

The only conclusion they had during the meeting was, if you're going to do it, please do it in one of the PKR constituencies.
Those who complained they didn't know is because they didn't NEED to know.

Answer me this question. Which army will inform everyone of their strategies? We are at war!
Jay Leno used to joke that if Al Qaeda needed to find out something about US attacking them, all they had to do was to watch CNN!

Now that, my friends, is how this entire situation came about.

To my Kajang friends, please enjoy the new hospital.
No need to thank Anwar, nor anyone else.
I've been to Kajang GH and it's at breaking point, ok?



Perhaps PR should engineer by-elections in every area where the GH is practically broken down.
Wait, that would mean all the major towns and cities.

"I give up!"

  By Bob Perks

I give up whining.  It's such a waste of time.  What I find as a problem others see as insignificant little challenges compared to their own.  They may be right.  There's always someone worse off than me.  Whining doesn't make it better.  

I give up on losing.  I'm not a loser and never have been.  I may not win all the time, but when I don't, I don't fail.  I just discover something new.

I give up on poor health.  I'm sick of shoving stuff in my body in the name of "comfort food." Like calling it that means I'm reflecting back on my childhood. I ate crap when I was a kid.  I was over weight then and I am now.  Comfort food makes you feel good for the moment.  It kills you in the long run.

I give up on being broke.  I mean, I don't worship money, but I'm sick and tired of just getting by.  Or robbing one dream to pay for another. Or putting off the electric company so that the phone company doesn't shut me down.  I want more money.  So I need a plan.  Not a plan for wealth but a plan for being more fiscally responsible.

I give up on dreaming.  I love to dream of better things.  I love to dream about places I may never see.  But it's time I put feet on those dreams.  It's time I bring them to life or pronounce them dead and bury them already.  There's better things to dream about than those that have no real life in them.

I give up on trying.  Yoda said, "You do or you don't.  There is no try."  Yes, he's fictional and frightening looking.  But how can you argue with a guy that believes in "The Force?"

I give up on caring.  Hey, it's great to care.  But it's even greater to show you care and do something.  Action does speak louder than words.  In fact, the uglier life gets, the louder kindness, love and hope becomes.  I want to scream "I CARE!" by doing.

I give up on praying.  I mean, when I pray all I do is ask.  Like I was making a list for Santa.  My praying will now be praising.  Think about it.  God knows what I want and need even before I ask.  So why waste His time. Let God do what's right and by praising Him you are acknowledging it in advance.  If you're sick, He knows.  Praise Him for good health. If you are unemployed, thank Him for the job that's coming.  If you are broke, thank Him for the true riches in your life.  I'll be Praising for you!

I give up on love.  I tried loving and expecting love in return.  Now I am simply going to love unconditionally.  Hey, a little lovin' in return will not be rejected, but if I think you need to be loved I'm gonna love you anyway.  If you hurt me, I'll be hurt.   But if I love you for all the right reasons and with a forgiving heart...I'll love you anyway.  You don't stop loving someone with revenge in mind.  You can't use love to hurt. 

I give up on you.  Yes, I do.  I give up my thanks to God for having you in my life.  I give up my praise to Him for God's miracle when He created you.  I give up my "wanting" to ever meet you in person, because my faith says we will meet in time.  Time here on Earth or with God's Grace... time spent in Heaven.

Join me.  Let's give up together!

I love you, my friend. Even when you think no one does.

 "I believe in you!"

Bob Perks