There are plenty of ways to stay healthy. Exercise, reduce sugar intake, eat more greens, blah blah blah. Those may sound rather boring to some, but I’m sure everyone is well aware of what is healthy and what isn’t. I mean, healthy lifestyle has been excessively promoted that those my age and older have grown pretty sick of it.

I have, however, come across several people who take healhy eating to heart, enjoy it and make it look like heaven. Mei is a good example. Though I’m not enthusiasted as she is in such endeavours, I too have begun on my own healthy diet routine. I suppose it began after hearing Albert declaring his diabetic state.

My ‘health’ eating doesn’t really involve cutting down on anything. I still eat plenty of carbs, just as much greasy stuff, just as much meats and still very fussy about veggies. All I’m currently doing is that I’m drinking more water than usual. I would usually drink about 3 large bottles of water, now I upped it to 4.

Quite obvious but I’ll just brag about it anyway. Hydration is important yada yada yada yada yada yada yada cools the body down yada yada yada yada yada hot Malaysian climate yada yada yada yada yada yada you should drink more water.

Okay, another habit I’d like to highlight is something I do to compensate the minute amount of veggies I eat. I eat fruits. LOTS and LOTS of fruits. Fresh cut fruits make the most awesome dessert during a hot spell. Tropical fruits are the best because they have high water content and are naturally very very sweet.

Screw apples, man. Bite on a guava instead. Guava, after all, has the highest concentration of vitamin C compared to other fruits. Forget strawberries, nibble on jambu air [I wonder what they're called in English], especially the bright pink ones. Heaven. Banana’s are okay, but I’d rather have slices of sweet sweet honeydew or papaya. Watermelons, too.

Eat your fruits fresh, and preferably without additives like asam or garam :p so you can enjoy the full original flavour that bursts in your mouth with every bite.

After a few weeks of such routines I feel healthier already. First of all I think it’s the psychological effect behind the label of ‘Healthy Eating’, but hey, that’s why placebos work, no? Second, and the most comforting sign of health, I’ve been pissing and shitting passing water and stool a bit more the past few days.

[warning: a bit of detail here might make you uneasy]

The amount of water intake has probably encouraged my kidneys to remove more and more wastes I have stored up in my blood due to the frequency at which I’m hosing down lately. The fruits, too, have made my toilet sessions a whole lot more comfy since I don’t have to exert any strength to conduct any investments.

Makan untuk hidup, jangan hidup untuk makan :p

Jason, one of our web developers came over to Faraa, one of my content team members. There was a small commotion about the network switch but as soon as Jason got to her spot, we were done with it. The rest of content writers just chuckled, but Jason said on a whim.

Jason: Now, I feel contented.
Me: You’re surrounded by content people. What a pun.
Jason: Oh yeah, hor.

Right at that moment, William, another one of my content team members was making his way around the web development team’s cubicles. Upon observing this, everyone was sent into a hysterical fit when Albert said:

“Hey, Will, do you feel developed?”

English is too entertaining to not poke fun at.

Before taking part in the local blogosphere, one of the bigger online communities I joined was deviantART, where artists, amateur and professional, hobbyists and students, gather to display and share their art and at the same time give out and receive comments and critiques. Being such a huge [worldwide] community, there’s a rainbow of variety when it comes to art quality and with it, attitude.

As a simple hobbyist myself, I find it rather hard to get myself involved with the big guns who get hundreds of views on the first day of their artwork update. Those kind of people are like celebrities, skilled and talented in their respective forte. We have masters in still life photography, fashion photography, anime art, digital paintbrushing, vector art and so much more.

Of course, I whole-heartedly admire and look up to their talent and skill displayed in their works, and I understand if they get too much responses and unable to reply personally [their artworks can easily get some 100+ comments, even more].

But what bothers me more is their attitude towards other lesser talented deviants. I made friends with one talented comic artist, Justin aka Pilatus, and I kind of initiated our friendship by requesting permission to colour one of his linearts. He was excited after seeing the result and I was glad about that, though personally I see there’s still so much room for improvement.

For one as talented as he is, I was surprised at the warmth in his gestures and eagerness whenever we interact. When it comes to issues of the less-than-humble deviants I mentioned above, Justin had this to say

“I have come to realize that all of us in this deviant community of ours have an opportunity to inspire others and I mean everyone of us has that power. I dont care if you’re 13, just signed up last week with 1 deviation or you’ve been here since the beginning and are a featured artist every week with your 12th comic book series coming out. We all have the power to inspire and we shouldnt take that lightly. I have unfortunatly come accross a few individuals who dont think their poop stinks…get over yourself…if you have someone looking up to you fuel it but not for your own satisfaction, for theirs.”

That is a very strong statement. I believe this same theory of inspiration can be applied to another new form of art as well. The art of blogging. Imagine the scenario I mentioned above, and compare that to some big shot bloggers that we have, and the small fries like me. A pretty similar situation, no?

What I wish to point out here is that, don’t take your audience lightly. Without an audience, an artist is lifeless.As an artist with an audience, your works entertain, inspire and initiate thoughts in the minds of your audience. Even if your entries aren’t profound or uber philosphical, it’s important to realize that you have people looking up to you.

No, it’s not about meeting up to expectations. It’s about fulfilment. Fuel that inspiration, not for yourself, but for them. They grow and improve by looking up to the big guns so they can learn by example. Fuel it, encourage it, grow it.

If you have a career in academics you should be able to understand the satisfacion of seeing someone improve because of your effort. Though this may not exactly be the main point behind a blogosphere, I believe this to be a very important element in any community.

Unless, of course, you’re kiasu enough to think otherwise.

Yun Chuan : i so hope someone keng sits bside me tmr
Yun Chuan : ahha
Silencers: hope all u want man
Silencers: at times like this you wanna pray to a god
Yun Chuan : nope….god cant help me do math
Silencers: :p
Silencers: lmao
Yun Chuan : if god could do math he’d be called da vinci
Silencers: i thought u called him laplace?
Yun Chuan : soli..laplace isnt god…he created smthing that hurts ppl..he should be called satan.

Such are the words of wisdom from a tired, jaded and tulan-ted soul.