Ups & Downs

Has been a busy ending to the month of October.
Let's talk about happier things first.

I got a few sets of new books that I have been eyeing for very long!
My mother got me the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.
I got most of my Rick Riordan books,
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series: all 5 books;
from the Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid & The Throne of Fire;
from the Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune.
That's 17 books in total.
Wow.
And I'm still short of a few.
Mainly, The Lost Hero, first book from the Heroes of Olympus (yes, I bought the second book without the first) and Inheritance, the fourth and last installment from the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (that has Eragon, Eldest & Bringsr as the first 3 books chronologically).
Inheritance will be coming soon on 8 November. Can't wait! That's my younger sister's birthday present to me. Pre-order already placed at Popular! (:
Book 3 of the Heroes of Olympus: Mark of Athena will be coming out Fall 2012.
Hopefully the third and last book of the Kane Chronicles will come out soon.
Never been able to cure myself of the addiction to children novels.

School reopened and it's almost the end of week 3 now.
Happy thing is, I have been able to get back to all the good food in South canteen and all my friends (although they are in different classes).
Finished reading 步步惊心续集 & 倾世皇妃.
I think I'm getting hooked on to ancient Chinese novels.
Alas, majority of them have sad endings hence I shall try to restrain myself from them to prevent them from messing with my moods.

I need a new earpiece!
An end suddenly died on me.
And my extra one was borrowed and SPOILED by my sister.
@#$%^&*

Haven't been watching my dramas much.
There really is not any nice shows running now.
The only two I'm watching are 真心请按两次铃 and 2 Days 1 Night.
And 2D1N is not even a drama. It's a variety show.
Well, at least I'm not as glued to my computer as before.
Can only watch these 2 shows, read Bleach, Naruto & Fairy Tail manga every week.

Mundane life is not bad too.
Just me and my books.
Enjoyment is a simple adjustment of your own perspective.
Which probably brings me to the most prominent event of October.
My maternal grandfather had passed on Thursday 27 October 2011, 2.56pm.

I got over it that day actually.
It was raining and I received the news when I was on the train home.
I went down to the hospital and arrived around an hour after he passed.
What was overwhelming was not the passing but what he left behind, the memories, his family and his physical body.
Death takes away only life and allows you to bring nothing else.
Everything looks so minuscule in front of Death.
I'll always remember him for his cigarette smell, quiet ways but strong will.
It just felt so real even though he has been hospitalized for a whole week already.
We kinda know there isn't a chance of recovery, just hoping that he will end his suffering.
He was surrounded by a huge family of his loved ones and passed peacefully and I think that is enough a legacy for an old man and a meaningful life.

落叶归根，万物皆空，
命终归土，脱离红尘，脱离世间苦难。

菩提本无树，明镜亦非台,
本来无一物，何故惹尘埃。

The pitiful ones are the living, not the dead.
煮豆燃豆萁，豆在釜中泣。
本是同根生，相煎何太急？

人生就是一场戏
因为有缘才相聚
相扶到老不容易
是否更该去珍惜

为了小事发脾气
回头想想又何必
别人生气我不气
气出病来无人替
我若气死谁如意
況且伤身又费力

邻居亲朋不要比
儿孙琐事由他去
吃苦享乐在一起
神仙羨慕好伴侣

Perhaps letting go is the way to happiness in life.
要懂得知足常乐！ (: