This is a HORSE!

Yes... I'm not kidding... This is a HORSE!

I may sound crazy (Crazyhorse?? duh...)... But it's just a matter of a game of definition...

We decide meanings to words... Once the wider community or all the people around starts to tell you that what you see above is a HORSE, you'll never think that it's a deer...

History has already provided this wisdom for us... I remember a chinese proverb (指鹿为马)... which literally means, "pointing to a deer but proclaiming it to be a horse".

This story came about back in ancient China, during the Qin dynasty... A powerful and power-hungry government official named 赵高, had evil intentions to oust the Emperor, 秦二世(son of 秦始皇) and take over the throne... in an attempt to test out how much power he had in the court, he played a trick with the rest...

He brought a deer into the court one day and pointed to it and proclaimed that it is a horse. The Emperor laughed at him for how could a man say that a deer is a horse? 赵高 proceeded to ask the rest of the court officials and MANY of them, for fear of him doing something nasty to them, agreed with 赵高 that the animal was indeed a HORSE... only a handful of honest and righteous officials insisted that it was a deer.

After that incident, the few officials who insisted on what they saw were sent to jail by 赵高, and this incident further consolidated his power in the court and moved him closer to oust the Emperor...

Such behaviours still permeates in modern day living... When the voices around us are powerful enough (or irritating enough for that matter), we'll believe that what they say is true (even though the truth may be far from it)...

And it makes sense to follow and conform to these voices... for you'll be deemed to be crazy or rebellious if you don't...

So... it was a HORSE that Master Choco fed back in Melbourne in 2001... no doubt about that... or was it???

Practicality vs Passion...

Practicality is buying a generic mp3 player that's functional and does its job...
Passion is having an obsession over iPods and having the perception that nothing else in the whole wide world is anywhere as good as an iPod...

Practicality is doing a thorough research and plan a travel itinerary so that the most economical and competitively priced package is found...
Passion is to travel without a fixed itinerary, and stop at any place along the main route of movement that appeals to one's taste, even though it may not be the most cost-efficient...

Practicality is to cover as much places as possible while travelling so that it seems like time is well spent and one could go back home and boast that such and such places have been covered...
Passion is to stay at a location longer than most would think necessary, and stay and watch the sky change color, watch the clouds move, watch the waves crash along the coast, wait till the sun peeps out of the clouds...

Practicality is to avoid offending and hurt other people even at the expense of hurting oneself...
Passion is to listen to one's heart...

Practicality is to remain status quo since it doesn't disturb the superficial normality, suffers less financial loss, possibility of living a comfortable life in a luxurious house, and lead a seemingly less stressful life...
Passion is jumping out of a plane, tagged onto a stranger, having the faith that the parachute which is packed by some unknown character will open when required, and just experience the freefall and thrill and exuberance...

Practicality is choosing a car with the most fuel-efficient engine, most freebies, most spacious interior and boot, and the most powerful engine that one's budget allows you to get...
Passion is choosing a car that gives you that inexplicable feeling with you look at it, and knowing that that's the one for you...

Hmmmmmm... Looks like Passion = Irrationality = Insanity...

Just perfect...

Then & Now...

Opportunity presented itself, and Master Choco found himself standing at the exact same spot in Christchurch, over the Avon River...

On the left, it was June 2000, winter...

On the right, it was November 2005, late spring...

5.5 years...

Then... Choco just began life as a Jedi apprentice... he just converted himself from the Dark Side, and was young and adventurous and was full of enthusiasm...

Now... Choco has become a Jedi Master... young at heart (hopefully), adventurous (see skydiving entry), and well, wisely enthusiastic...

In between, he has reached the 3423m Annapurna Base Camp, gone on solo travels, trained hundreds of padawans, been through ups and downs emotionally, seen Simpleville transformed from an almost dilpidated building into a spanking new headquarter, acquired a new RSP, seen his light saber change colours... and most importantly, he still believes in what he's living for...

It's a new year... who'll know what's in store 6 years later... Choco might end up going back to Christchurch's Avon River once more... whatever for, he sure hope it's for a wonderful reason...