“Heaven” is something inherent - i.e. what you are born with and that cannot be changed. For example, some people are born lucky. They can strike 4D every few months. Some people are just pure unlucky. For their entire life, they didn’t even win a single lucky draw. For “heaven” factors, there is nothing one can do about it.

Next is “Earth”, which means the environment. In order to improve their luck, some people move to places with good “fengshui”. They buy special ornaments and plants to decorate their bedroom so as to activate their luck and find out which direction of furniture placement is most suitable of them.

“Man” refers to the people one knows. Generally the more good people you know, the better your luck will be.

This concept applies to love as well.

Some people have the “heaven” factors - born with good looks, gift of the gab etc… If you have them, you can further capitalise on your inherent assets to know more people.

To improve “earth”, you can consider going to places where there are more opportunities to meet members of the opposite sex. For example, guys can consider taking up cooking lessons while ladies can take up a sporting activity.

For “man”, try to know more people and widen your social circle. Who knows, one of the new friends you have made may be the one that introduces you your life partner!

In the movie, it was mentioned that 1224 and 1225 (christmas eve and christmas day) are the days when people need the most “warmth”. It is a day when people without partners will most likely long to have someone to go out with, or take part in a group activity.

It is actually an opportunity now to use this festive season to your advantage.

If you are still single, take this chance to ask the person of your dreams out. It is less likely for her to turn you down (unless she already has a date). Join Christmas parties and during the party, approach more people. You can try to know people by approaching them during Christmas parties, saying “Hi. Merry Christmas! I am XXX. You are?” Usually during the festive season, most people are in the elated mood and they will not do anything to dampen their festive spirits. Hence, reassure that they will engage in a pretty interesting conversation with you!

Finally, here is wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope that 1224 and 1225 will not be mere numbers to you, but the days when you find your true love!

Friend: I just missed an opportunity to make 3K. So sian.

Chelestiar: What happened?

Friend: I missed an investment chance.

Chelestiar: Don’t be too sad about it. Missing an opportunity to make 3K is better than gaining an opportunity to lose 3K.

Friend: They are actually the same.

Chelestiar: No. They are actually different! One situation is missing an opportunity to have a girlfriend. The other situation is having a girlfriend, but in the end, she is snatched away by others.

At this point in time, I suddenly realised that they are the same. Because in both situations, you end up being alone.

In life, would you rather give an opportunity to be with someone a miss, because you foresee that the relationship will not turn to marriage? Or would you rather be together with that person, enjoy the short term blissfulness of a happy relationship but later, endure the pain of an inevitable break up?

I guess there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Ultimately it depends on whether the individual is one who prefers short term pain or long term suffering.

Think of it this way. If you missed earning 3K at one place, it may mean that you will get to earn 5K in another place

There was one game in the entire tournament that made me learn a valueable lesson.

For that game, my opponent sacrificed a knight to me. For that short term material advantage, I ate it without thinking much. In the end, he gained much attacking advantage. The entire situation became very bad for me and I had to resign after a few moves.

This is true for relationships as well.

Initially, you may be attracted to that hot babe. You know for yourself that you lust for her more than you love her. For the girls, it may be an rich guy who pampers you with the most expensive gifts. You know for yourself that you love his money more than you love him as a person.

You jumped into a relationship for those short term benefits. In the end, you got what you want, but failed to see the long run and the big picture. Things became bad and the relationship soured to a point where it became unsalvageable. You made a hasty exit. You wondered if you have not been mesmerised by those short term gains and think more long term, perhaps you can avoid this heartache all together.

Till now, I was still thinking if I have not eaten his knight, I could perhaps avoid the defeat and gotten a higher ranking for the tournament.

But so what if I have gotten a higher ranking for the tournament? I would have still enjoyed the whole process just as much!

“… She started telling lies as the years go by. I still love the way she was when we first met. Then, she was so pure and simple…”

This is a true account. No doubts about it. This account made me think of a philosophy story which a friend told me.

In the story, an elderly monk lighted up a candle and asked his disciples whether the flame that is burning now is the same as the flame that was burning a few minutes ago.

Some answered that they are different, because they are flames that appeared at different points in time. Others argued that they are essentially the same because they originate from the same candle.

This made me think of another philosophy story which I read a few nights ago. The story was about the ship, Theseus. It was a very famous yacht, but as time goes by, its condition deteriorated. It was then sent for repair and lots of replacements were done. In the end, virtually the entire ship was replaced by new materials!

In order not minimise wastage, the ship workers used all the old parts to reconstruct another version of the ship.

Hence, in one hand, we have Theseus repaired with new parts, while on the other, we have another Theseus made from the old parts. So which one is the original Theseus?

“A woman loves a man, expecting her to change. A man loves a woman, hoping that she won’t change.”

You may love someone for who she is, but as time goes by, you may realize that the same person whom you love then, may not be the same person whom you love now.

So who do you really love?

Light a candle and find out!

-Chelestiar

Perhaps I should patronize more shops to find the chair most suitable for me. But atlas, I don’t have much time to spare. In the end, I ended up with no new chair in my room this weekend.

I remembered a story which my Indonesian friend told me when I was studying in Australia.

Once upon a time, a teacher brought her students to the sea shore. She told her students to pick up the sea shell that they like. They can only pick up one sea shell within a time limit of 35 minutes and you are not allowed to retrace back your route. (i.e. if u missed picking up a sea shell the first round, you are not supposed to go back and pick it up again.)

The first student ran off. He picked up the first sea shell he saw and ran back to the teacher.

The second student picked a beautiful sea shell. But along, the way, he saw a prettier one and discarded his first shell. And as he walked along the beach, he kept on thinking that the newer one which he saw is better. In the end, as time was running out, he just returned with the sea shell that he was holding on to at the 34th minute.

The third student walked along the beach and could not find any sea shell to his liking. He kept on thinking that there is the prettiest sea shell waiting for him at the other side of the shore. After 35 minutes, he wasn’t able to find any, so he went back empty handed…

I hope I can find a suitable chair soon.

- Chelestiar