Category: life and love

2011 In Pictures

2011 was scattered with very few posts, but hopefully this year there will be more. Overall, it’s been a year full of family reunions, schoolmates’ gatherings, and weddings. Early in the year when I just got back for good, I couldn’t help but wonder if coming back is the “right” decision. But as time goes by I find myself forgetting that question completely- being back and being closer to family (including extended family) and friends have been great for me. Yes the traffic sucks; some drivers really piss me off (especially when they don’t use the freakin’ signal lights!); and yes I could go on and on about what’s dissatisfying here. But really, every country has its own problems. As I grow older, priorities shift, and I find myself wanting to be closer to family, in case they need me. I care less about my ideals for the country, and whatever else for that matter. Perhaps in due time, I’ll have different ideas of whether to settle down in this country. But right now, I’m happy I’m back home. Even happier and absolutely thankful that I’m on the right track to pursue my dreams.

Anyway. Here are some pictures- they’re by no means a complete account of 2011, but they are some snapshots of what happened over the past year, and they’re the people close to heart. 🙂

Grandma and I sharing ice-cream waffle at A&W. 😀

Melacca day trip with brother, Choon (who’s kinda like a brother too), 
Yan Ru, Yuen Mei and Aaron.

This is Aaron the big bully. 😛 

Asam Laksa, my eternal love. 

Paternal grandma, at an aunt’s wedding.

My second family- granduncle, grandaunt and their son.
Lived with them when I was in Singapore.

Best friend’s wedding dinner, in May. 

SG – ex-colleagues at our company event. Sports day I think (or something like that).

Des and I, we go wayyyy back. 
She’s the sister I never had. 🙂  *Hearts*

High school friends who hung out with me when I was in SG. 🙂

High school friend’s wedding. One of the best gatherings ever. 

Aunt’s tea ceremony day, before the wedding dinner. 
We’re only 4 years apart, so she’s more like a sis to me too.

Oooohh my new friends, classmates, and pioneers. 🙂

Another wedding dinner in November. High school gathering #2. 🙂 

We knew each other since forever! Val (on the left) was my first and oldest friend. 🙂
A reunion lunch after 5 years.

My birthday cake. And family. 🙂 

Checkout the footprints. Hopefully I’ll get to travel this year. 😛

FRIM’s canopy walkway on Christmas day.

Hello relatives from Penang. 🙂

my brothers and i. 🙂 

On Passion

It’s great to be surrounded by people so passionate in what they’re doing. They never tire in teaching or sharing their knowledge, they keep pursuing further knowledge, they love that you want to know more and they get excited about you asking questions. And the best part is that no matter what these people are passionate about, their love of the subject, their bursts of energy and enthusiasm never fails to seep out and affect the others around them. It’s just wow. It’s completely inspiring. I’m just grateful to be here, to know these people, to learn from them. 
A professor left us with this before he returned to the States: “You know, I always tell my students, whether it’s clinical medicine, research or teaching, you should pick one and excel in it. It doesn’t matter what. Just pick one and shine in it. If you wanna excel in all three, that’s fine. But if you don’t want to excel in anything, well. Then I don’t know why we’re here at all.” 

Note: Picture above was taken in Singapore Art Museum. I loved it the moment I saw it. So vibrant, so full of life. 🙂

Rats and Horses Don’t Get Along

You know what they say about people born in the year of Horse and people born in the year of Rat? That they don’t get along. Well there are 3 “rats” in my house right now- my mom, my uncle (dad’s brother) who stays with us on weekdays, and myself; and 2 “horses” – my dad and my (maternal) grandma. It’s funny now when I’m writing about it, but sometimes things can get really heated up, and it doesn’t always end well, especially between my grandma and mom; and between dad and myself. It’s not that big of a deal most of the time, but it’s really interesting to see how grandma always likes to irritate mom; and how dad likes to do the same to me. It’s like he finds joy in pushing the button in me and will declare victory when he succeeds in pissing me off. Well okay, I do agree it’s kinda fun (and funny) at times. Now that I’m not a child and he doesn’t play the dominant paternalistic role as much anymore, it’s okay for me to “answer back” when he said something that clearly doesn’t make sense. And so, it’s become our little game that we play so very often. It’s the equivalent of “poke” on facebook, or if you wanna use the ping pong analogy, that works too- this is our secret ping pong game. Other people may find it weird or see me as the disrespectful daughter, but that’s just what it seems from the outside. All I can say is, it’s not always what it seems to be.

Anyway- today is his birthday, and it’s the first birthday that I get to celebrate with him in the last 5 years. When I was away I didn’t really think it was a big deal to miss occasions like these, but it sure is great to be back home and being able to be there on birthdays, weddings, and all that stuff. Dad and I don’t always get along, but he’s still a great father to all of us, and he makes sure he gives us the best that he can afford. The reason I am who I am today is in large part due to him; and for better or worse, I wouldn’t want to change a thing. He won’t be reading this, nor do I intend to let him, but I do want to jot it down in words, in my not-so-private virtual space, “Thank you for everything, love you dad.” 🙂

In One’s Dotage

My new job requires me, among other things, to integrate and coordinate the operations and activities in a nursing home, so the first thing I have to do is to get to know this nursing home. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past two weeks. It’s been great, I’m slowly getting the big picture of how to run a nursing home, but it’s still a long way to go before I fully grasp the in-and-out of the facility.

The learning part aside (which was really exciting), I got to see a lot of the old folks in need of care. Some of them still mentally alert, some physically disabled, some with dementia. Almost half of them are bed-bound; many are abandoned by family members. We have another facility, at a different location, which houses the chronic sick, mostly with congenital diseases; those were even more heartbreaking to witness. Those ah-peks and ah-mahs reminded me of my grandma, though her condition is not anywhere close to theirs. I found myself feeling sorry for them, and at some point I was at the verge of tears. But almost simultaneously I felt ashamed of myself — for someone who wants to serve in healthcare, how can I be so weak? No, emotions should be refrained. These people need care, and I have work to do. I have to remind myself not to get too sentimental. It’s a tough job, taking care of those residents. I salute the nurses, I really do. Note to self though- I’ll never put my folks in a home, no matter how great those homes are. And I won’t want to live anymore, if I can’t be of any use to the society, OR, if I can’t enjoy the simple pleasures of life. 
Aging. Something all of us have to go through. How you want to look at life and how to live the autumn and winter of your life, however, is completely up to you.

Chant

It’s about the will to live. To live each day better than the day before. When you look at how some people around you going through hardships for decades without even hissing a sigh or whine, it makes you almost guilty for feeling deflated because of whatever obstacles you face. They are peanuts compared to what those people had to go through. It’s high time to put aside all heartaches, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Go gather your spirit of fighting and get ready to set out again, because you still have a long way more to go. 

The World is a Beautiful Place

The World is a Beautiful Place
by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t mind happiness
not always being
so very much fun
if you don’t mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don’t sing
all the time

The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn’t half bad
if it isn’t you

Oh the world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen

and its various segregations
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to

Yes the world is the best place of all
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people and
making babies and wearing pants
and waving hats and
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally
‘living it up’
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician