My Dream Funeral

I've always think I've done almost anything I need to do and even at one point of time thought I can now go deep in the jungle and meditate, be a nun or something to spend the rest of time life.

Thus far I hope things I've done never offend people, do not create negativities and hopefully have inspired a person or two, perhaps touched some lives.

I always think 'What if I die the next moment?' Have I done all that I could to prepare for death?

I have no regrets, no grievances, just perhaps some words left unsaid (which sometimes better off this way), hmmmm all these made me dare to die - putting myself on the operation table to part with 60% of liver, facing death at Kayak for Humanity expedition.

But I want to tell people my dream funeral. When I die I can't tell people about this so I better blog this so you guys know what I want. Yesterday I had dinner with a group of fun, happy people and when I mentioned my dream funeral, everyone seems to echoed and suggested something which just click on my dream funeral! Happy people think alike!

1. First rule, NO tears allowed

2. Karaoke is a must and I want everyone to sing!

3. Bring on the mahjong tables

4. Play bingo games, card games, board games, Wii games, Playstation games all you want!

5. Only happy news allowed, no one can come and complain or utter any grievances.

6. CKGord suggested face painting for my face and grafitti of my casket. Please use orange as the theme, my favourite colour.

7. Attire: up to you, colour: preferably orange!

8. If I'm married and I die before my husband, my husband must already start looking for another partner for the rest of his life.

9. All useable organs and tissues must be donated.

If you do all these, I will live forever.


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Things just happen, the rest is up to us to make it GREAT!

Hoong Ling
+6016-3310325
www.hoongling.com

Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone

I am very rich and wealthy!

Again, I grew up to understand giving is always better than receiving, service above self and give first then take.

Yet, learning to receive to empower the givers the joy of giving, was what to me most difficult to learn.

Since young, when someone is good to me, I always have the feeling that someday I'll need to repay them to show gratitude. At one point of time, I received so much ang pau money during Chinese New Year, I vowed that I MUST be rich.

I told myself there are so many people I want to take care of. Sure enough my parents, my aunt and uncle who brought me up, my Ipoh aunt who never fail to take care of me and my many relatives who have been very kind to me. If I'm not rich how can I repay them, I thought.

My skin is sensitive. If I wear something fake like imitation gold necklace, steel ring or earrings, I'll have rashes and itching. Thus if I'm not rich, how can I buy authentic jewelries, I thought.

I have a taste for luxury. Of all nuts, I don't like peanuts but love macadamias, one of the higher end nuts in terms of price tag. I enjoy scallops and abalone best although there are still certain foods considered luxury barely could enter my mouth. Again, if I'm not rich how to savour all these delicacies?

Giving to charity is my passion. I just can't help working for free, doing things for free and volunteer for free. Even in business, as a professional emcee I still allocate 5% of all my income for charity. I always tell myself I MUST be rich enough to do all of my passion!

Although it doesn't show, I also love a Mercedes Benz. Despite satisfied with my good old Proton Iswara which serves me very well, I will also daydream of one day my dream come true to own a Mercedes. So how can I not be rich?

My Dad loves China, Mom loves Macau and Las Vegas so how not to be rich when I too dream of luxury holidays!

Therefore I must be rich and wealthy. But when all things start with the seeds of thoughts, I've already planted seeds of being rich in myself and guess who will be the next millionaire? Me, of course! :)
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Things just happen, the rest is up to us to make it GREAT!

Hoong Ling
+6016-3310325
www.hoongling.com

Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone

The gift of hearing

I was born with left side hearing loss. At my time, no tests at birth to confirm if the hearing loss is by birth or due to other reasons.

Some of my friends recalled our primary school teacher who just like to slap us as punishment and asked if I was deafen by the slaps. I guess not.

Some asked, what's the difference between having both hearing and one side of hearing? I couldn't tell the difference! But later in school we learnt that both ears are to collect information and determine where sound comes from. True enough, if you call me from the left, I'd still look at the right side because that's the working ear and sound I heard only from the left. Funny people will always say 'here! Here!' to indicate their locations and I'd still look around on my right. Those who know about my problem will say, 'on left left! Look a bit more to the left' or 'behind you!'

At dinners, I'd only sit to a person's left side so I could hear him or her on my right ear. So on my left will be guests or new friends who do not know about my hearing loss. People tend to talk and I can't hear and some thought I'm arrogant for not replying. Or I may participate in the conversation but I'll need to turn so much to the left that my neck sores after a while. Good for neck exercise though!

When driving, a honk will make me turn around, look at mirrors to see if I'm the one being honked at.

It wasn't until more people whispering to me on the left that I finally gave up and seek need of a hearing aid. As a professional emcee, very often people run to me to whisper things to announce but they find themselves repeating again when I turn my good ear to them.

A hearing aid these days is not just an amplifier to amplify sounds. Hearing aids have digital noise reduction, multiple channels input, speech recognition, multiple channels selections, up to 20 channels output speaker, multi colours, multi function, multi program, even comes with music, linking to bluetooth devices, remote controls and many more different features.

Thus its price is also in the high range depending on the models. Staring at RM1,000 which normally only amplify sounds including background noise and will be difficult to listen to people talking, up to RM20,000 with bluetooth, remote control and all accessories.
Having know that, and knowing I need a good aid, I playfully posted on Twitter 'seriously need a hearing aid, who want to sponsor me?'. To my surprise, Tan Sri Kua Sian Kooi said he will. He also repeatedly asked for my name and account number.

We have not met and many of you know how difficult it was for me to receive things from others. Growing up with 'give first', 'giving is better than receiving', 'service before self', I find myself rather difficult in taking, which I knew I need to correct this. A friend said by taking when people give sincerely, I'm also giving, giving them the joy of giving I've always enjoyed.

I don't know someone by just @skkua as his twitter handle and profile says 'Kurnia Insurance founder and chairman'. When I asked and a friend said 'Tan Sri Kua?' Only did I know he is a Tan Sri. He said he's a close friend to Tan Sri Fong Chan Onn and in a few more days, Tan Sri Fong himself messaged me to say 'a friend want to give you hearing aid, can you accept?'

Cornered with guilt, hey when will you have two Tan Sris asking you to receive a sincere gift? We came out for lunch one day for a chat after I surveyed on a few models which may suit me. I proposed a mid range but Tan Sri wanted me to have a good one.

Now I'm walking tall as I can hear with both ears! Left ear, though is aided, but has more functions! Nothing beats natural hearing like my right ear but my hearing aid has got 5 channels to suit any environment, even comes with Zen music at a press of a button. It costs RM9,800 and I wouldn't have gotten my ear without Tan Sri Kua Sian Kooi.

Thank you and when I see Kurnia sign everywhere, I always point to the logo and tell people around me that my ear is sponsored by the boss of this company.

And he owns Kurnia, he kurniakan telinga to me. I gave a gift of life to someone, the gift of hearing to me almost equates that.

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Things just happen, the rest is up to us to make it GREAT!

Hoong Ling
+6016-3310325
www.hoongling.com

Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone