Category: my thoughts

Posted in Blogging, my thoughts, my writing

30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 7

Posted on by marlytheadoptee
Your opinion on cheating on people.

This shouldn’t even be an opinion.  It should be a fact:
CHEATING ON SOMEONE IS WRONG. End of.  
There is NO excuse to cheat on the person whom has trusted their heart to you.  
Let’s set aside the notion of an open relationship because in that situation cheating isn’t an issue.  (Though I don’t agree with open relationships…I think that defeats the purpose of a relationship with someone.)
Cheating causes harm.  If you’re in a situation where you think that cheating is ok…if your relationship has got to such a point that you believe it’s the only way out…then you have a problem.
Don’t allow your relationship to get to this point.  Instead TALK to your partner, work through the issues together, and if you finally cannot reconcile your issues, then make the decision to part ways.  
Do NOT cheat.  It is not the solution.  
Posted in Blogging, my thoughts, my writing, personal

30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 6

Posted on by marlytheadoptee
The person that you like and why you like them

The person I like? Is this in reference to the person I’m in a relationship with because if so….

That would be my boyfriend.  On an aside it sounds weird saying boyfriend, considering our ages….
Anyway, this isn’t answering the question.  So…why I like them.  Well, let’s get something clear, first.
Liking and loving someone are actually separate things.  You can love someone without liking them.  But, it’s hard to like someone you don’t love.  With that in mind, here’s why I like my man.
He gets me. Even when I don’t understand myself.  By that, I mean he can tell when something is going on with me and he draws me out when I need it most.  And I think that’s a great thing.
To think we’ve been together just under four months and he gets me like that.
Oh and I like his beard 😉
Haha. 🙂 
Posted in Blogging, my thoughts, my writing, personal

30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 5

Posted on by marlytheadoptee

5 things that irritate you about the opposite/same sex

I think I’m going to just change this to 5 things that irritate me about other people because I honestly can’t think of ten things that irritate me about specific genders.

I don’t think I can even think of five.

Anyway, here goes…
What irritates me about people? 
First of all, people who cut you off on the road for no reason at all.  Basically Perth drivers irritate me….
Second, people who are arrogant and think they are all that.  When really they’re not.
Third, know-it-alls.  I am guilty of being this type of person though, so I’m trying not to judge.  
Four, atheists who verbally attack Christians for their beliefs.
Five, anti-vaccine advocates.  
Well that was actually quite easy… 
And definitely pertinent to my thoughts at the moment.  


Posted in Blogging, haha, my thoughts, my writing, personal

30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 4

Posted on by marlytheadoptee
What you wear to bed

Getting really personal, hey?
Well this really depends on the season, or weather, or what I feel like.  But, generally I wear nighties, or pyjamas,  or tracksuit pants if it’s really cold, like last night.  Even with my electric blanket on…
When it’s really hot…well.  Usually just a light nighty.  Though, if I’m going to be entirely honest, I have on occasion gone just the underwear route.  
Too much information?
Well, I am into honesty.  🙂
Posted in Blogging, my thoughts, my writing

30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 3

Posted on by marlytheadoptee
What kind of person attracts you?

Attraction is a complex thing, because it includes many different emotions.  Obviously society seems hung up on sexual attraction and how people respond to the opposite or same-sex, and my answer to what kind of person attracts me in that sense is probably many-fold.
In hindsight, I’d have to say from face value someone who isn’t Asian (for anyone who doesn’t know, I’m Chinese born Australian), someone who is taller than me, someone who has a personality that matches mine somewhat.  Someone who is willing to allow me to be myself and not want to change me.  And someone who loves God.
And I’m blessed to have that one person in my life that fits all that.  
Moving onto general attraction though.  Because we can describe the way we make friends and acquaintances in similar ways.  We are attracted to people platonically as well and that’s a more difficult thing to explain.  
But then again, perhaps not.
I’m attracted to people who share common morals, values and beliefs; people who have a sense of humour; people who love God and are passionate about serving Him.  People who can sing are a bonus 😉 
All my friends and acquaintances these days fit the bill.  So, I’m blessed in that way.  🙂 

Posted in Blogging, my thoughts, personal, Writing

30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 2

Posted on by marlytheadoptee

How have you changed in the past 2 years?


Taking stock of where I’m at right at this moment, compared to last year, is quite enlightening.  I feel a little more confident and definitely a lot happier and content than I was at the same time in 2013.  And definitely more so than I was at the same time in 2014.
I’ve grown closer to God as well, and my vision of the future, at least as far as the next year is concerned, has a lot more clarity than before.  
Sounds vague, hey?  Well, to put it in a nutshell: I’ve gotten closer to God and am more content than I was two years ago. Because as we all know happiness is fleeting.  True joy is everlasting.  



Posted in Blogging, my thoughts, personal, Writing

30 Day Blogging Chalłenge – Day 1

Posted on by marlytheadoptee
I haven’t blogged in a while, so I figured I would remedy that by starting a 30 day challenge.  So, without further ado… 


Day 1


Weird things you do when you’re alone


This is something I haven’t given much thought to; however, putting my mind to it there are several things that I do that some people may find odd.  
1.  I read books out loud.  I’m currently reading James Dashner’s The Maze Runner and I just read it out loud.  Not to anyone, remember this is something I do when I’m alone.  I remember mum catching me out reading books out loud when I was a teen and she told me to stop because it was silly and that no one reads books out loud.  However, I like doing it for some reason…not sure why?  Perhaps I like hearing myself using different tones of voice depending on how I interpret the writing, or dialogue.   Who knows.
2.  I wander around my apartment.  Not for any particular reason.  I just do.  
3.  This one is connected to number two, sort of.  An extension of it, I guess.  I turn on my iPod, putting my earbuds in and pace around my living room, telling myself stories in my head.  Most of the stories feature the Rebels of Scotland who are my own creation.  But, always to music.  This probably means something.  Maybe I should just bite the bullet and write about The Rebels.  I do know them the best after EP and the rest.
4.  I sometimes stand in the middle of my living room.  Doing nothing.  Just standing there.
5.  I will sometimes sit in front of my laptop after my shower with just my towel wrapped around my waist.
6.  The last thing I do that some may consider weird, and that I know is really a bad habit, is that I will sit and pick the skin on my hands and feet.…and I can waste hours of time doing that…. Without even realising.  It is kind of a problem.  
Posted in film review, FSoG, movies, my thoughts, my writing

Fifty Shades of Grey: The Movie Everyone Has an Opinion On.

Posted on by marlytheadoptee
“Because I’m Fifty Shades of fucked up.”
This quote somewhere in the middle of the movie when Ana, (played by Dakota Johnson) is probing Christian (played by Jamie Dornan) as to why his relationships are the way they are, basically sums up Christian’s whole character.  And explains why he wants to do women the way he does.  It also basically sums up the whole movie.
This is not a movie that can be taken seriously.  From the get go, it is flawed.  From the acting to the flow, it is as if the producer didn’t have the luxury of really getting the length and tone that the story needed to do the book justice.  Granted, turning a first person novel into a believable script for the big screen isn’t easy. Twilight, which FSoG was originally a fanfiction of – and it showed, a lot – also suffered from this not so easy transition. 
The character development was also of some concern as it didn’t give you time to really get to know Christian or Ana.  It just threw you straight into the story, and for those who haven’t read the books this doesn’t help endear them to the characters and their predicaments. 
Dakota’s portrayal of Ana did hit the sweet spot in places, her feistiness and willingness to stand up for herself came through to the point where Christian is flummoxed by her behaviour and can’t quite handle it.  Jamie’s portrayal of Christian was quite wooden to begin with but I subscribe this to the pacing of the film and the fact that a majority of the dialogue was lifted straight from the text of the book and didn’t quite fit the pacing of the film.  He did become more believable as the movie progressed. 
The supporting cast/characters were all two dimensional and served only as minimal support; I was particularly disappointed by the portrayal of Taylor who was one of my favourite’s in the book.
Without giving anything away, the more controversial scenes in the movie, for want of an apt description, were quite tame. 
The biggest thing that I did get from it though was that there was no abuse.  At least not when it came to the physical side of things.  Ana consented to everything he did to her.  She even tells Christian to do his worst so she can make her decision.  In fact I think the movie was more explicit than the book in showing that Ana wasn’t going to submit to him and that she had the control.
Topping from the bottom.
There were some flags of emotional abuse from Christian when he’s attempting to pursue her, but Ana’s naivety in some sense protected her from that.  And, as I’ve read the books and actually know where Christian is coming from, it’s understandable that he comes across that way. 
Of course, due to the pacing of the movie it doesn’t give any due consideration to the development of Ana and Christian’s relationship; however, I don’t really understand all the hype against the movie from media and other groups who have vocally been so negative about it. 
It’s honestly not that bad.  It may be triggering for some people, I will grant that, but it’s definitely not worth all the vitriol that’s been cast its way.  Yes, it doesn’t portray a healthy relationship; yes I agree it’s not what people should hold up as an example of a healthy BDSM relationship, but where Christian is coming from it makes complete sense. 
To be fair the movie’s biggest problem was that it was not made well.  It had a ‘teen movie/b-grade’ vibe to it and I was left feeling that it was one of those movies that would normally be forgotten in the annals of time, except for its controversial subject matter.  And it honestly just reminded me of Twilight most of the time.  Ironic that. 
Still, here’s my advice. If you want to watch the movie, go watch it and don’t let people tell you not to for whatever reason.
Make your own informed opinion on the movie.  Then you can join the discourse on what the movie is portraying and what it’s not. 
I don’t give ratings for movies usually, but I give it a 3/5 for trying. 

Suggestion:  Read all three books to understand the story better.  
Posted in 2014, film review, I don't write reviews, movies, my thoughts, stephen hawking, the theory of everything

The Theory of Everything: Not a Movie Review

Posted on by marlytheadoptee
L-R: Stephen Hawking, Jane Wilde, Eddie Redmayne [Hawking], Felicity Jones [Jane]

I don’t write reviews.  Dry, objective articles about movies, music, books.  I write opinion pieces.  Pure opinion, with a smattering of facts.  Basically I write my thoughts.  Because, I have this theory.  I can’t write what everyone is thinking, and often reviews don’t reflect what people will actually end up thinking.

I avoid reading reviews of movies that I’m planning to watch regardless of whether they are good or bad, at least until after I’ve watched the movie.  For me, I want to get my own impressions rather than letting what others think dictate my watching experience.

So, in light of that.  Here are my, probably, highly biased thoughts on The Theory of Everything.

1.  The score.  The musical score.  When a movie soundtrack is all original score and doesn’t have popular music I often find that a lot more effective.  And this movie was no exception.  Johann Johannsson’s original score [which won the film best original score at the Golden Globes] [wikipedia] helps draw the audience into the story; I definitely reacted to the music, coupled with the scenes, in a visceral way.  One of the best musical scores I’ve heard in quite some time.

2.  The story.  I truly related to the story.  Not in that my life is the same.  On a much deeper level.  It’s based on the book written by Jane Wilde Hawking, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen.  The movie explores their journey together through all the challenges that came their way.  I have always respected and admired Stephen Hawking’s contribution to science.  Even though his views on religion have been polarising.  But, as a fellow human being I am truly inspired by his human spirit and the fact that he achieved so much, despite the challenges.  And the fact that Jane stood by him for so long.

3.  The actors.  Eddie Redmayne was an inspired choice for the role of Hawking.  I already thought he was a pretty good actor, as I’ve watched him in Les Miserables and Birdsong.  However, I believe his portrayal of Hawking has lifted him into the echelons of the greats.  Premature, perhaps?  But, he won a Golden Globe for best actor and is nominated for an Oscar for the same.

Felicity Jones as Jane Wilde.  I haven’t seen much of her and I don’t know much about Jane Wilde, however, I felt that I could connect with her character and felt all her frustrations and her hope and her joys through the whole movie.  And her faith.

David Thewlis as Eddie’s Professor and then colleague.  It was funny seeing him out of the Harry Potter context, but at the same time refreshingly British.  Still playing a Professor mentor type character.

Other supporting roles:  Charlie Cox as Jonathan Jones [Jane’s second husband].  Jonathan was one of those characters you can’t help but love.  He was an imperfect human as we all are, but he had a serving heart, and though it was obvious that he was falling in love with Jane, he also became a very good friend to Stephen, so I never got mad when Jane ended going to him.  That whole dynamic between the three of them made sense, especially after Hawking’s nurse, Elaine, came into the picture.  After all, Jonathan shared the same faith as Jane.  And for Jane to stick it out so long with Stephen is testimony in and of itself.

Of course, there is most definitely more to that story as is the case with any movie from book/true life story.  But, I’ll get back to that.**

4.  The science vs religion aspect.  This was treated fairly in the movie.  It is known by most people that Hawking is an atheist, perhaps not as vocal as the Zoologist Richard Dawkins, but due to the nature of Hawking’s studies nonetheless pointed.  Considering Jane’s own faith the movie could have dissolved into a battle between atheism and religion, but that was not the point of the tale being told.

Other thoughts

Okay…all of that up there still sounded kind of like a review.  So, here’s something else.

This was such an amazing movie.  It moved me to tears.  The music, the message, and the acting.  I saw it with my boyfriend and there were moments where it just reminded me of our relationship.

I will be seeing it again next weekend, so I may write a follow up post, but go and see it.  It is definitely a movie worth seeing.  Put aside any prejudices you may have because of religion or personal views of the debate between science and religion, because this movie is not about that.

This a story of love, courage, perseverance and defeating the odds.  It’s a movie about a couple who experienced massive highs and devastating lows.

And, above all else, it’s a story about hope.  


**Next post…

Posted in childcare, life, my thoughts, personal, work

Reflections of Myself

Posted on by marlytheadoptee

Listening to:  Encounter – Riverview Worship
Mood:  Awake, content, happy

I’ve had this thought:  Taking initiative is difficult for me.  Unless it comes to direct interaction with the children at work.  I’m more of a follower and thrive when being directed by others.

I had a big win the other day.  I was settling a child to sleep, and by reading a book that he chose he eventually just dropped off to sleep.  Sleep time can be difficult; the key is to remain calm and ‘low’ as it helps to settle the children down.  Especially if they are still spending their energy.

I think allowing the children to make choices and to give us cues as to when they are tired and being flexible with rest times works.  Rather than having strict rest times.  Obviously, once we have more children that may need to be altered, but while we have low numbers and the children we have are getting used to the centre it has worked quite well.

I am still super excited about heading to work each day, and I pray that this continues.  I know there will be down days; every job has that.  However, I am excited for the possibilities and helping my centre grow and become everything it can be for the community it aims to serve.

This is my centre and I’m proud of where we are and where we’re heading and absolutely blessed and feel that it is such a privilege to be part of such an important journey.

I still feel I have more to offer and just need to figure out what that is.  I’m not artistically inclined and sometimes it takes time for me to come up with ideas for programming, or abstract thinking.  I feel that comes back to the fact that I have a ‘follow the leader’ approach to life.

Give me a task to do and I’ll set my heart and mind to it.

Being left to my own devices I often flounder and will just stick to the easy route of allowing spontaneity to ensue.

This also leads to me appearing lazy; but, I’m far from it.  I’m usually just off in my own little world, which is always busy.  If I could write everything that was going on in my mind on any given day, I’d probably fill pages and pages…even write a book in a day.

So, just because I may look like I’m sitting around doing nothing, doesn’t mean I’m not actively engaging with the environment I’m in.

I guess children are like that as well.

I’ve learned from experience that a child who is sitting by themselves with nothing at hand doesn’t necessarily need or want attention.  Sometimes they are just processing their environment and will eventually make a decision as to what/how they want to engage.

Of course, there will come a time when some encouragement or prompting is welcomed, but this often depends on duration and other factors.  But, allowing children to make their own choices is important in building independence and teaching them how to navigate their world.

It’s how they learn.  It’s how we all learn.

We never stop learning and growing.

And, reflection is a big part of that.  So, here’s my first one for the year.  🙂