For the past two years or so when I was having all the problems at home, I went through a very emo period.  Sikit-sikit feel emo.  Sikit-sikit feel emo.  I think I might have gone into depression if not for the sampat-ness that I had left in me. :P

During that emo period, I started noticing clouds again.  Yes.  Clouds.  Clouds in the sky.  

I knew clouds were always there, up in the sky but really I never took notice and appreciated how magnificent those buggers looked, especially in the evenings.  Perhaps I should say I forgot.  When you’re feeling emo, you tend to notice these kind of things.  The more I took notice of clouds, the more I loved them.  Yeah, you can say it.  Adrian is a cloud lover.  

Some times I would come across a view of a skyline filled with clouds of all shape and sizes, big ones and little ones, white ones and grey ones, and the sun shines at the perfect angle.  It’s simply breathtaking.  Makes me wonder why I never stopped to appreciate it more.  Perhaps the world just spins faster these days.  We’re living in such a fast paced world now and everyone seems to be rushing somewhere.  Rushing home, rushing for appointments, to beat the jam, to beat the rain, to reply emails, rushing for donuts, etc.

Clouds reminds me of my childhood.  A time and place when things weren’t so rushed.  Seemed like the days were longer then.

Clouds reminds me of the days when I grew up living with my late grandmother.  Those were the days.  Kids could go out cycling the whole day (oklar, maybe half a day) and parents wouldn’t be worried sick as they would be today.  My friends and I would cycle everywhere, and it was not just boys but girls as well.  I was in standard five which would mean I was just 10 or 11 years old.  I don’t see many kids at that age today given such liberty.  But of course, it’s a different world now where young children can be victims of brutal crimes.

My friends and I would some times go to a playground near our area and just lay on the grass looking up at the clouds in the sky.  We’d just point and try to imagine what the shape of the cloud resembled.

Clouds also remind me of the times when my brothers and I would sit in my dad’s old Ford Laser and we would turn around to look out the back windscreen, looking up at the sky, playing the same game.  My dad would shout at us to sit our asses down.  There were no rear seat belts then.

Somewhere along the lines, I grew up.  Didn’t have time for such ‘mou liu’ things.  Each time I looked up, I only saw the sky.  Didn’t even notice the clouds were there.  Each time I got stuck in a traffic jam, I only noticed how slow the cars were moving and how my time was ticking away.

But I’ve started noticing the beauty of clouds again.  I think it’s because I’m growing old and sentimental.  

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to go on a date just to lay on the grass somewhere and watch the clouds.  You could pack some sandwiches, some grapes and perhaps a bottle of red wine.  What to do you think?  Would that be a date you’d go on or would you think that your date is cuckoo? :P

Whatever it is, I’ve included some examples.  Just to help you get started along on how to identify what clouds could look like.  Let’s see how well you do.

Here we have a woman sitting on her bed reading a magazine on Home Decor.

Here we have a samurai warrior riding on a big wolf, trying to bake a chocolate cake. If I could also draw your attention to the bottom right corner, a young man listening to his iPod while waiting for his piece of the cake.

Here we have in the distance, a man trying to polish his shoes while trying to eat his laksa at the same time. He forgot to order drinks.

Here we have a slightly deformed crocodile trying to update his status on facebook.

Ok, joking aside.  Clouds are quite beautiful.  No?  Perhaps then you are more of a clear blue sky type of person.

Well life is not always clear blue skies.  Life is filled with clouds, all sorts of clouds, but it doesn’t mean clouds aren’t a good thing rite?  Sometimes we need to slow down and start appreciating clouds again.

ps: Did you know that there is a cloud appreciation society dot org.  I kid you not.  Do a search on google.