Remembering....

Time truly flies. Already we're in the middle of December. Another ten days to Christmas and then another week to the end of 2009. This is the time of making new resolutions but to keep them...i doubt. It's fun to take stock of the past year and then try to make some new resolutions but how many of us even remember the resolutions that we make on midnight 31st of December each year. As for me, i stopped making resolutions since i know i would have forgotten them when 1st January arrives.
January 2010 is going to be a significant year for me as i watch my girl getting married in the church she was brought up in. Most ot the church members will be in church to witness the wedding blessing. I have already baked the wedding cake and also prepared the gift items for the guests. The menu for the light reception has been prepared and the dishes for the dinner party at night have been selected. 3 days before the wedding, a group of us ladies will be in the church to decorate the pews and the pulpit area. Preparations for a wedding is very exciting and stressful too. Every little details count. Hope and pray that the special day 22nd January will be just fine.
I'm also very glad that many friends and relatives will be coming to Teluk Intan from far and near. I only wish that my mum is here to enjoy all the fanfare...........

Remember.....

Mum grew up in the little town of Teluk Intan. Her mother had met a motor mechanic then and married him. So mum and her brother grew up with a bunch of half sisters and brothers. Obviously, her brother being a male was okay....but mum has to do all the house work and cooking and also to take care of all her half siblings. According to mum, her mother was an autocrat....anything she said was law. Instead of being a daughter, she was made a servant. She had to slaughter tortoises and boil them with herbs for her stepfather to drink who always abuse her with words. He had never appreciated all that my mum had done for the family and also part of her inheritance that she had brought into the family.
When she was twenty years old, she was forced to marry a guy she doesn't even like....and bore him few children. After ten years,she just left everything and went to find her own life. She sold sweet potatoes to earn a living. She was just going into the next phase of her life.
I have always ask her why she didn't go against her mother's wishes and endure such hell for ten years? In those days, no one go against their parents or there will be consequences she told me. I know that it's true because her own brother never came to see her.....she went to the grave without any reconciliation with her brother. As for me, i could never understand this sort of a relationship.....letting someone rule your life even from the grave.........

Remembering....

After a marathon viewing of the film " The Little Nyonya", i thought of what my mum told me about her own life. My mum was born just after World War l...that was 1918 in Kampar, a small town in Perak. She was privileged enough to be born into a quite well to do family. He father's family owned a well known restaurant in that town and also had timberland concessions. Unfortunately, her father died when she was three years old and her younger brother a year old. Her mother, being a young widow, was at the mercy of her in-laws. However, she was brave enough to defy them and brought a case against them. Subsequently she was awarded sixty thousand dollars but had to leave the family. Her young mother took her two young children then went to Chenderiang and Tapah. My mum remembered her childhood days at these two places very vividly.....the waterfall and the river where the water was so cold. The waterfall is still there today but the river water is not so cold nowadays. Meanwhile at these two little towns her mother tried to start a restaurant business but was unsuccessful. So they moved again and came to Teluk Anson....as Teluk Intan was called then.
In Teluk Anson, they stayed at Sungai Nibong...the place is still called by that name today but have changed so much in recent years. That old wooden shophouse where my mum grew up is still there. It is now an abandoned building and it will be demolished soon to make way for a new one. My mum passed away this year and it looks as if the house where she grew up will also have the same fate as her. My mum told me lots of stories of her growing up years and also her many friends. I would like to record her stories so as to remind myself of her strength and courage and to draw lessons from her life..........

Remembering....

Time really flies. This is already the month of November and Christmas is just round the corner. In the neighbourhood, three families are remembering the passing of their loved ones. Two young men have gone home to be with their Maker almost a year ago and the other one almost a month ago. All of them young men......just about to embark on life's journey and their lives ended in such tragic circumstances. We always think that heart attacks are for the older folks not young people. How wrong we are. We hear of more young men succomb to this disease than older men. Just can't seemed to find the answer.
Is it because of the food that we are consuming these days...especially those fried foods. Children nowadays are introduced to so many varieties of fast food by their parents. My niece and nephew just love the fried chicken, the burgers and the fries....and also those frizzy drinks. I just wondered whether at such tender age, the clogging of the blood vessels have already started. I also noticed that parents tend to take their children to these fast food haunts to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries....or the passing of their exams.
November is the month children in most schools have their end of the year parties. The first dish on the menu will be KFC...fast and easy, every pupil get a piece of finger licking chicken. Every one is happy as there is no necessity of toiling in the kitchen. Other choices are burgers and pizzas. We have to move with the times so they say....who wants to cook? Parents are too busy to do the cooking and you can't expect the teacher to cook for 40 pupils........

Remember.......yesterday's foolishness

Yesterday i nearly fell victim to a hoax. Women are usually very gullible and i am certainly one of these women. I was checking email when i saw one of my contacts online in windows live messenger. This person ,who happens to be my pastor, told me that he is right now in London and has lost his wallet and air ticket. He asked for my help and asked whether i could remit some cash to him asp. I then asked why he did not contact other members who are in better position than me to help him. The answer was they all turned him down. Then i began to call other members to inform them our pastor's predicament. After a few calls, it was found to be a hoax. Pastor was away in Kampar, a small town about an hour's drive away.
At that moment, when i read about him being stranded in London. All sorts of thoughts went through my mind except the rational ones. After it was found to be a hoax, i went through the conversation and i was really silly to fall into this. First of all, pastor being pastor, will never travel in a taxi cab in London. He would have certainly use the underground to go places. His return ticket would not be in his wallet. And he would certainly have gone to the nearest Methodist mission to seek help.
So yesterday, i was thankful i am not a cash rich person. I survive on my monthly small pension only with occasional sale of soya milk and cookies to go by. But then, if i am cash rich, will i be willing to part with my cash......that is the question.

Remember.......

Tuesday 13th October 2009....my neighbour's son passed away suddenly. He complained of severe chest pains suddenly and his friends sent him to the hospital or clinic. The doctor tried his level to save him but it was all in vain. This young man was only 29 years old....in the prime of his career and life. It was so unbelievable. In this modern age it seems the heart attack syndrome is happening amongst the young people. Why? Is it because of the food we eat or is it because of stress? The doctor or anybody for that matter can't give an answer. All one can say is it just happens.
In retrospect my sister indeed had a lucky escape so as to speak. She too had the chest pains on a Tuesday. She is alright now, thank God. In a way i was glad i was there when it happened. I just kept praying for her. I remembered that that very afternoon just i felt an urge to sing praises and just kept repeating certain prayer confirmation. So when it happened that night, i did not panic or felt any worry....it was as if everything was under the control of someone greater than i.
Well, life is uncertain but death is certainly certain. It will happen to everyone at anytime....so we must be prepared, even though it may sounds morbid.

Remembering....

How times have changed....i just contacted one of my old classmates for a social gathering at the end of November.....and the answer is ' i'm sorry , i can't'. The reason...i have to take care of my grandchild. When i first retired from teaching, i thought i could visit my old school friends and have occasional meetings together. Well, that's not the case. The grandparents of today love their grandchildren too much to leave them to the whims of maids...or babysitters. In this so called modern society, we hear or read in the papers how children are being abused by maids and sometimes even babysitters, we just can't leave our next generation to these hands.
The other day, i asked my sister the real reason for her to take care of her grandchildren. For starters, she gave me a very direct answer....for money. Obviously, my niece gives her a very good allowance for taking care of her children. The second reason being she loves the grandchildren too much to leave them in the hands of others. Everywhere she goes, the grandchildren have to follow her and obviously they have picked up some bad habits.
For me personally, i feel children have to be disciplined....or they will turn into spoil brats. As i observe around me, i can see that most children today are totally spoilt. They do not know what moral values are. They just do things the way they want...without any regards to other people. I remembered while i was still teaching in school, this parent parked his car right in front of the school gate to wait for his child. As i was in a hurry to go out, i asked the guard at the gate to tell him to move his car so that i could go out. This parent refused and i just had to sit there until his child came out. I remembered the next day i went to the class and gave the pupils a lesson on what it meant to be considerate. From that day onwards, i noticed that that parent parked his car right in front of the gate. Some adults need children to tell them of their faults. The parents of today forget that they need to be good examples for their children to follow. They can't seem to know they will reap what they sow.
Anyway, this classmate of mine cannot come to the social gathering because she has to take care of her grandchild. She will be missing all our jokes and talks and most of all the stories when we were young. Well, we will miss her at the party and hope she will be able to come for the next one.......

Remembering.....

6 October 2009 at 9 p.m. is one night i will not forget as long as i live. I was attending the wedding dinner of one of my distant nephews when my sister was seized with terrible chest pains. The pain must be excruciating as she was screaming away and wriggling her body. i just could not calm her...so we rushed her to the nearest clinic. The doctor at the clinic just could not record her blood pressure even after four tries and he decided to do an E.C.G. The result was good as there was nothing wrong with her heart. So the doctor advised us to take her to a hospital immediately after giving her a pain killer. We then rushed her to a private hospital 60 km away, thinking she would be given adequate medical attention. Believe it or not, this hospital after examining her, told us that we need to send her to another hospital as there was no cardiologist in that particular hospital. In the end we sent her a better well-known private hospital20 km away. There she re-examined by the doctor and some heart imagery was performed on her. Again the conclusion was there was nothing wrong with her heart
What i'm recalling was that at that moment in time , i could have lost another member of my family again. Life is so fragile.....one minute you're here and the next second you may have slipped away. It brings to mind again that nothing is certain in life except death. I kept recalling that we were just talking and laughing and the next minute she had this terrible attack.
This brings to mind that i need to value relationship even more now. Nothing matters any more except our loved ones may be taken from us any time...any where. So value people...loved ones or friends........

Relationships....

Yesterday, Bethany Home celebrated its 43 anniversay...not 42 as i thought. Today, the Wesley Methodist Church in Teluk Intan celebrates its 60 anniversary. It was a time of reconnecting with people who had left the church for another place but came back today to celebrate together with the members who are still here in Teluk Intan. It was a joy to meet again the former members. So much to catch up.......so much changes.......and also a time to exchange handphone numbers and email addresses.
The guest was the Rev. Dr. Ong Hwai Teik. What he shared with us was so true. The moral values of most people is so low that no one cares for anything, let alone people. We behave as if laws are made to be broken, and we just do whatever we like regardless. There is no longer any check and balance. Society has evolved to such a sick stage. Any change must come from people who know the difference between right and wrong and willing to stand by it. We must not be afraid of being ridiculed or mocked at....when we are standing on the right principles.
I'm glad i met many old friends today. Most of us are already past 60years of age......and all of us agree that from thence on we live from day to day. Though we may have many plans, whether these plans will be fulfilled or not are not up to us but in God's hand. We live each day by the grace of God and we need to learn to be thankful for all things ...both great and small. At the moment, i'm thankful for all the people reading this blog and i'm happy to share my thoughts and opinions with you. Have a great week and God bless all of you............

Remembering....

Today is the 42 anniversary of Bethany Home. It is a place founded in 1967 by Swedish missionaries to help special children with disabilities. From a humble beginning, it has now grown to a famous institution which is known both locally and internationally. It is indeed very heartened to see the dedication of the staff taking care of these special children. It is indeed great to know that these special children are not forgotten and left to be. It is good to see the hand of God at work touching people to work with these special children. I have been going to the home for many years now and most of the staff is still working there...truly dedicated people. I believe that dedicated persons like them have big hearts full of love...and this love can only be from God.
I was indeed very thrilled tonight a few of the children came and greeted me. They still remember me...and they can tell me stories and even crack a few jokes.
My friends came from Ipoh to join in the celebration too. Yes, it was a time of reunion too for them too. They too were supportors of Bethany Home while they were residing in Teluk Intan. Now they still support the home with their prayers and donations in cash and kinds.
We also took time to remember Dr. Victor who was for many years provided medical assistance to the children of the home. He left us suddenly in May, and now the good Lord has provided another doctor to care for the children. Certainly, there is no shortage of volunteer for the work in Bethany Home.....the home which was named after Bethany in Israel......the place which i had the opportunity to visit in 2005.....a beautiful place.

Remembering......

Today is the first day of the 8th month according to the Chinese Lunar calendar. Throughout this month many young people will be tying their knots in marriage. So tonight i shall be attending a wedding dinner at a local restaurant. The occassion is to celebrate the marriage of my neighbour's daughter. I still remember the little girl....thin and lanky....when they first moved into the neighbourhood. Wow, today she is getting married. How time flies. This month of September also saw the wedding registration of my own girl in Sydney, Down Under on 09.09.09. Well, the neighbourhood children have all grown up now and almost every one of them is starting a family of their own. This reminds us that we are getting older day by day.
This afternoon i visited Dot...a grand old lady of our church. She's over 80 years now and still very hale and hearty. She still has a good memory and never fails to ask about my nieces or nephews. A person with a big heart.....showing so much love and concern for others. God willing, she will be attending my girl's wedding dinner on 22 January 10. Whenever we meet, there's so much to share.....about family members, personal needs and of course TV programmes.
This month also marks the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. There will be plenty of mooncakes for sale. Through innovation, there are plenty of flavours for mooncakes....durian, pandan and so on. This time though i'm trying one type...black sesamee lotus paste .....for filling. I do not know how's the taste is like but since i like black sesamee, i guess the taste should be alright. Generally, i prefer to stick to the more traditional type of filling for mooncakes....hope this will turn out well for tomorrow..........

Realize.........

It will come a time when one will realize what true friendship is. I just came back from Ipoh after spending two days with a long time friend of mine. This friend and i have lots of mutual friends too. As usual, when we meet, she will ask about the welfare of our mutual friends. She has never fail to show care and concern for friends that she does not often meet or has not seen for a long while. A true friend is indeed a person who we can share all our thoughts, our dreams and all our aspirations.......and also someone who can point out to us our weaknesses and our strength.....so that one can improve oneself. Hence one can always learn to be a better person.
We had a good time going round eating the delicious hawker food. Just hoping i would not put on much weight. We also spent our time shopping...and it really takes a good friend to go round the shops with you.....patiently waiting for you to finish your shopping....not a word of complain.
Yes, it was time well spent with a good friend....so we plan to meet again next week but this time in Subang and i shall be taking them back to Teluk Intan for a flying visit to her old friends before going back to Ipoh. Thank the good Lord for good friends and i know in my heart this friendship is for keeps.............

I love Fridays....the start of another weekend. I always remember TGIF...thank God it's Friday.....this was what my American lecturer used to say to us students during our English lesson on Fridays. Those days i still have to attend lectures and work on Fridays but these days Friday is the start of a long weekend for me.
Today i shall be visiting my friends in Ipoh. As usual it will be a time of chit chatting and going round the town for some good food. My friends have been telling me the prices of food in Ipoh has gone up tremendouly and it is no longer cheap as in those days. The cost of living has gone up so much......and the income of the people simply cannot cope with the rising cost of living. Yes, there is not much money to spread around but living in this country is much better than many countries in the world. At least the government here does hand out goodies to the lower income group. So, in life we should not complain too much but learn to appreciate the little that we have, then living is so much more pleasant and happier.
One of my cousins called yesterday to invite me to her son's wedding party in two weeks' time. I just can't imagine all my nieces and nephews getting married and having children of their own when my memory of them was they were just kids. Now they are all grown up and ready to face the world on their own. Not too far in the future i would have little kids addressing me as grandaunt........this thought is certainly very daunting. Well, that's life.........

Reflection......

The three days long weekend, i was at a secluded place in Gopeng. The place was called Harvest Haven ....a beautiful place for retreats in the middle of a vast palm oil plantation. You can see some low hills in the distance and as far as the eye can see, only palm oil trees. The whole place is very quiet and except for the people staying in the bungalow, not a soul is in sight.
Eighteen of us gathered at this place for a time of reflection and also re-energizing ourselves. This is our fifth spiritual retreat.....we have been meeting once a year for the last five years. It is good to get away to a quiet place, away from the 'busy-ness' of daily living once a year to reflect. It is good just to sit amongst some plants and have a quiet contemplation of the past year. To be in oneness with nature...to feel the peace and to breathe in such fresh air is just too indescribable.
The eighteen of us too share our experiences of the past year and also share some of our more personal stuff. It is good to be able 'unload' all our baggages and burdens so as to speak. It just makes us realize that all of us are so vulnerable and we are so easily hurt and we carry these hurts with us thus making our lives miserable. We learn to release all these hurts to the Almighty and ask for healing so that we can go on with our lives....to live a more fruitful live. The tears and the laughter were all part of the learning process.
We will meet again next year, and i hope that by then our lives will be richer and fuller. Till then.......Shalom.

Remember.......

The journey through this life is not an easy one. Every day there are choices to make. It is the art of making these choices that will help us to determind what quality of life we are going to have. If we want to be happy, then we have to make a concious effort to think of happy things, to remember the happy moments of the past, to recall the good things in other people....to see the good that is in others. Not easy but not difficult to do. This calls for an exercise of the will that is in all of us.
I have a neighbour who truly irks us most of the time. Thank goodness she is not my immediate neighbour. She is friendly to only few people. Those she is not friendly with ...watch out...as her immediate neighbour found out one day. I do not understand why certain people behave in such manner. If they are not happy with anything, why not talk it over and resolve the whole issue whereby come to an understanding...instead of keeping others guessing their motives. So one day this was exactly what my neighbour did and asked her why she did all the stuff like throwing away all her brooms or clothes she put on the fence to dry. This funny lady just kept quiet and walked away.....so issue not resolved till this day.
Conclusion...some people are just too difficult to be liked. However, she has a good point that i can see in her......she's very helpful to the ones she likes...like doing errands for them.

Remembering......

In the news this past few days, there is talk of reconcilation among the various races in Malaysia. This is good as we should think of ourselves as Malaysians. We are decendents of various races but we do need to cultivate the idea of being Malaysians. As for me, i'm proud to be Malaysian. In this age of technology where one can receive instant news, it makes me realized that Malaysia is one of the best countries in the world. The various races here do practise tolerance. The citizens of this country do have good health care. The government provides hospitals in most major towns and health clinics in rural areas. Here we too have private hospitals to cater to the rich and famous..or if one can afford it....one can take up a medical insurance. In the past weeks, i have been following the news on T.V. that even though the US is the richest country in the world, the majority of its citizens do not have access to health care. This is indeed very shocking. So, Malaysians, you are indeed very blessed.
I just hope the leaders of this country realize that reconcilation is more of action than of words. They need to formulate policies that will unite all the people rather than segregate them. I still remember in my working days, we need to fill forms regarding our personal particulars. There was always a part that marked 'Nationality'. We were supposed to put our race in this blank, and i always wrote 'Malaysian' in the blank. This showed that no one ever read or check the forms as no one pointed that out to me that somehow i have made a mistake.
Interestingly, the people of Kenya too dislike the idea of stating which tribe they belong to in their registration form....i heard this over the news. Tribe or race is such sensitive issues these days.....so we need to regard each other as just people.....nothing more .....nothing less.

Remembering....31 August

Last week in August.....the country will be celebrating its 52 anniversary of independence on 31 August. I remembered so vividly the year 1957, 31 August when Malaysia got its independence. I was in year 2 Primary School. The Union Jack was lowered down from the flag pole and the Malaysian flag was raised and we all sang the national anthem. Obviously, we were taught the national anthem weeks before so that we can all sing the song by heart. Ever since that day, on this auspicious day, we had gatherings and parades on the town field. While in Primary School, i was always a spectator at the parades. When i entered Secondary School and joined the Girls' Brigade, i took part in the parades. I remembered also certain years we had beautifully decorated floats going round the streets of Teluk Intan after the parade in the field. Of course it was always the Boys' Brigade Band that led the parade then. How proud i was of the boys in blue. Our school has the only band in the town then.....the Anglo-Chinese Secondary School.
Many years down the line, on 31 August, i remembered this day my Dad passed away. It is already 22 years now. I too remembered this day so vividly. We were watching the T.V. when my nephew called me and told me that my Dad was gasping for breath and within minutes he was gone. So this special day will always bring back sweet and bitter memories for me.....the day the country celebrates its independence and the day my Dad chose to migrate to another planet.

Remembering......

I heard over the news last weekend that the NZ government is going to reverse its anti-spanking law for children. Personally, i think it is a good move. Children need to be disciplined. A little spanking would certainly not do any harm. As the saying goes...spare the rod and spoil the child.
I was staying with my sister in Klang for the last two days. My... i have never seen such undisciplined children in my life. I am talking about her two grandchildren. They fight over each other's things. When they can't get their ways..they bite each other or bang their heads on the floor. When they cry, they scream at the top of their voices ....i thought their throats may burst.
Coming back to my own childhood, we never cried unless we had had a good thrashing our parents. Maybe then we had nothing to fight over. Now as i recall my own girl and my other nephews staying together in the same house, they too hardly fight with each other. Of course, there were the usual disagreements but i don't they ever screamed their heads off.
So today i had a long chat with my girl. I remind her to discipline her future children if she plans to have any. I can't imagine my grandchild screaming off its head or creating a spectacle in a public place. Of course she just laugh the matter off. Anyway, i just shudder to think if i ever have such a grandchild....

River of No Return

I wonder how many of us still remember this song ' The River of No Return' by Marilyn Monroe? How apt this song is. Our life is just like the river of no return. Many things that are gone will not return . Happenings of yesteryears are just memories..... some are fond memories, others not so happy ones. Yet life goes on....like the river......the water never stops flowing. My other nephew asked me just now what is life all about. So i used this metaphor of the river to explain about life to him. I reminded him that whatever the situation we may encounter in, life is certainly worth the living. Life is very precious and should not be taken lightly as some people do. I recall someone one once told me in life there is always hope. No situation is ever hopeless.Yesterday a student asked me what keeps on adding and cannot be subtracted. The answer...our age. How true! As the days go by, we are getting older. This weekend i am going to Klang to celebrate my nephew Clement's eighth birthday. I know he is very excited..just waiting for us to buy him a birthday cake and all the goodies for him and his friends to enjoy. Only the little ones want to celebrate birthdays...we older folks will just keep our mouths mum.
I am looking forward to this weekend....meeting my family members after so many months. So, have a nice weekend everyone.........

Remembering....

The third week in August, how time flies. Next week is semester break, a week of holidays for students in schools. A welcome break for both the teachers and students. After the break will be examination time for the students, one exam after another. Boy, aren't i glad i'm retired? No more stress....no more evaluation of exam results. Yes, remembering those days sure make me glad i'm retired now.
My nephew Clement will be celebrating his eighth birthday next week, on 26 August. He will be getting a PS2 play station and a carrom board for his birthday. This reminds me of how times have changed. Children of today always remember their birthdays. When we were young, none of our siblings remembered our birthdays. If mum ever remembered our birthdays, the child concerned will get to eat a hard boiled egg. That would be our birthday present. Anyway, i don't remember i ever celebrated my birthday until i was 21 when some of my friends celebrated my birthday for me. Then was my first year of teaching in Kajang. I still remembered the few friends who gave me my first birthday present....a gold bracelet. I wonder where they are now. The last i know May May was in Singapore, Siew Luan and Eddie in Klang. If i were to meet the three of them now, would i be able to recognise them? These three friends, wherever they might be, i just want to ask the good Lord to bless them and grant them good health. It's so funny ...the birthday of my nephew could bring back such memories. I guess this is what life is all about. So i wish everyone whose birthday falls in the month of August....'Happy Birthday'.

Readings.......

Today i need to rectify some mistakes that i told my friends about the Garden of Eden. There was never a tree of life in the Garden of Eden. There were other trees in the garden but the tree that Adam was instructed not to touch or eat of its fruits were the tree in the middle of the garden.....the tree of knowledge. The tree of life was only mentioned in the new city of Jerusalem in the book of Revelation...the last book of the Bible. Very sorry for the misinformation indeed.
Still on the subject, i began to ponder about temptation. It struck me that temptation is a very subtle feeling. It clouds our feelings, our sense of sight and create a desire of wanting something. What Eve felt when she saw the fruits of the tree of knowledge.....the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for....., i think this is the same feeling most women have when we go shopping. The modern pastime or hobby...window shopping....never did end up just that, window shopping. There is always something that catches the eye and we ladies will most of the time end up buying something home. We can never resist a temptation of buying because at that moment in time it is such a bargain and we just do not want to miss the opportunity. Well, maybe now we can learn to understand Eve and not ask the important question...Why did she eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge?

Reunion

Time truly flies. This the beginning of another weekend. I love weekends. This is the time where i can be on my own, doing the things that i like to do, or to catch up with some house cleaning chores or to do some gardening.
This weekend however, is a time for reunion. The Past Pupils Association of the Horley Methodist Secondary School is having its annual reunion dinner. This is truly an exciting time, meeting up with classmates as well as school mates. We also get to meet up with some of our teachers who have taught us so many years ago. I sure am looking forward to meet one of my teachers who is now more than 90 years old and is still strong and hearty. I wondered if he still remembers us...the class of 1965...the year we completed our secondary school education. Many of my teachers have since migrated to another planet, but he is still with us and his good wife too.
As for my own batch pupils, many too have left us. It will certainly be a time of recalling memoriesof the things we did when we were young. Many of us have since retired and living in different parts of the country. This will be a time of meeting in this town where we were born more than sixty years ago. The town of Teluk Intan has changed much....no longer a sleepy town. There is much economic activity in town, being an agricultural area. There are also many biscuits factories around the different parts of the town. I know many of my friends would be wanting to buy these different biscuits to take back home as gifts for friends and neighbours.
Not far from Teluk Intan are also many fishing villages. These villages are along the sea coast or the Perak River. Many of my friends will be going to these places to get their fresh fish, prawns or crabs. Yes.....sure am looking forward to see all my friends again.

Readings.......

This morning, as the three of us were having our usual walk round the field, the subject of human nature came into the conversation. As always, the fall of the human nature is an inevitable topic. I was listening to these two friends of mine relating the fall of Man in the Garden of Eden. It never fails to amaze me how people interpret the story of Adam and Eve. My friend A was telling my friend B that Eve ate the apple from the tree and asked Adam to have a bite. Somehow the apple got stuck in Adam's throat and that was why all men have the Adam's apple at their throats. It was so funny and the three of us was laughing hilariously.
Suddenly, Friend A said to me," Soo...since you're a Christian...you should explain the story to us". Yes, I'm a Christian but i'm a low profile one. Since they asked me, i tried to explain the story as i understood it.
First of all, the fruit in the Garden of Eden was never recorded as an apple. It was simply stated as a fruit of knowledge. There were two trees in the centre of the garden....the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. If Eve had defied the serpent and taken the fruit from the tree of life, i guess all of us would never die. However, Eve chose to listen to the serpent and ate the fruit of knowledge....so sinned against God. And this consequence is separation from God...and finally death. If one study history, one would realize that the human race may have reached the pinacle of knowledge in the present time.
Coming back to Eve eating the fruit in the garden....this has resulted Man to be born with the sinful nature eversince. We always blame other people for our own mistakes. When we have done something that is not right, we never account for it. In fact, most murderers always plead not guilty.The famous last words..."you are only guilty until you are proven guiltly".Human nature... i wonder who can explain in a better way?

Reunion.....

This weekend has been a time of reunion. It is good to attend the anniversary of any occassion as it is a good opportunity to meet up with old friends. I was indeed very blessed to meet up with friends that i know i would not have made an effort to look them. The Chinese Methodist Church in Teluk Intan celebrated its 90th anniversary yesterday and i had the opportunity to meet up with the different pastors that i had made friends with. It was certainly good to see the pastor who baptized me more than forty years ago. I also met the pastor who baptized my father and later conducted his funeral rites. There was so much catching up to do and so much to talk about that we found that time was indeed too short. Most of these pastors serve in a church for a few years and then move on to serve in other churches. Meeting them is always by chance. One good point about these gentlemen of the cloth is that they might not remember your name but they can always remember your face and guess which church you belong.
During the dinner party, i also met up with many friends who have left Teluk Intan many years but came back to attend the dinner and also to meet up with old friends. As i look around, i noticed that we do not change much in our physical appearance but we have lots of silver threads on our heads. Guess we are all getting old.....i just hope we will all grow old gracefully.

Reasons.........

Today, the little town of Teluk Intan has been hit by the so called disease swine flu. Many students have been tested positive of the H1N1 virus. This has caused even one of the schools to be closed for a week. Many other schools are placed on high alert. Students are advised to stay at home if they have symtoms of coughs and high fever. Some schools even asked students to wear masks. This terrible disease certainly put fear into every one...teachers and students alike.
We are finding reasons how this could happen to our town. Obviously there are none. Lots of things can happen without we finding out the reason why. Many people travel about, that's for sure....but in these times we need to be careful and vigilant. We must not take things for granted...we need to learn to take precautions even for the smallest things. Parents who have to travel about on business have to exercise some degree of caution. Many people seemed to have forgotten the proverb......Prevention is better than cure.
Many weeks ago, two of my friends who had terrible flu symtoms were quarantined. One of them took the initiative of self imposed quarantine because she was in Singapore for a reunion with her brother who came back from Melbourne. The other guy was attending a retreat in a hill resort with a small group and one of members was tested positive of the H1N1 virus. This caused the whole group to be quarantined by the health officials of the various states. The government is certainly taking this disease seriously thank goodness. Many of us are still looking for reasons why this virus can 'travel' here.....but there seems to have no answer.

Reunion

This weekend was certainly a hectic weekend. Going from Ipoh to Ayer Tawar and back to Ipoh again in a matter of hours. The time spent with old friends was so very, very short. Howeever, we had a good time together...eating the famous food in Ipoh and talking. It made me realized that true friendship is so very precious. Though we are so busy with our individual lives, and we are seperated by sea and distance, the moment we got together that's so much to share. We are not shy or ashamed to unload all our feelings to each other. We talked about our lives' journey these thirty years.....our children. We really can't believe that all our children are already in their thirties...almost all of them are married with children too. This year my own girl, Christina is getting married at last. In a couple of years i hope to be blessed with one or two grandchildren. The next round of meeting there will be more to share then.
We shared some tears when we share about our trials, our pain and tribulation. As we share with each other, it made us realized that we are more matured now, more understanding and have empathy with each other. We now know that every one has their fair share of problems and we should never judge a book by its cover. We should learn never to judge others or be critical of others.....instead learn to be more understanding and tolerant. Well, it is easier said than done,but if we never try, we will never know.
When we recalled our past days ......there was much laughter. The silly things that we did when we were young. How could we have done this thing? we asked ourslves and really had a good laugh. Life is ongoing.....never stagnant. We need to learn from our past and try to improve on our future. Life is certainly worth the living........as we are all in our sixties now.......we have to make the best of everything.

Reunion

Today i make a trip to Ipoh to meet old friends of mine...a couple. It is really good to be able to keep in touch with each other all these years. Imagine to my surprise i was treated to a lovely lunch to celebrate her husband's birthday. As i look round the table, i can't help but realized that we are indeed getting on years. I just wonder how many more birthdays can we celebrate......so we must learn to enjoy each birthday that we celebrate. Anyway, a very happy birthday to my dear friend.
Tomorrow, we shall be saying goodbye to another good friend of ours who will be flying back to Down Under. Though the time we spend together is short but it is certainly good to see each other again. Will be looking forward to tomorrow when we can enjoy the famous food of Ipoh and have a few hours of fellowship together before she flies off to Singapore and then to Australia. Well, i hope to see her again when i next visit Sydney in the distant future. She has promised to fly down to Sydney from Brisbane when i go to Sydney next year if i let her know well in advance.
So, i wonder how the three of us will spend our time together tomorrow.........

Responsiblities......

Finally, i met up with my friend from Down Under. It has been ten over years that we last met. Actually, she comes back to Malaysia two or three times a year, but we can't seemed to find the time to meet up. The real reason is that we have to take care of our loved ones at home. ....and there was no one else who would help out. Though our hometowns are only an hour's drive away from each other, it was quite difficult to make time to meet. Now that my mum has migrated to another world, it's possible for me to meet her. However, she has her own responsiblity to care for her brother who is almost blind and immobile. I truly admire her .....she is willing to fly back to Malaysia few times a year just to take care of her brother for a month then fly back to Australia. Her two brothers here in Malaysia would not take up this responsibility of taking care of this younger brother. ...so this guy is left alone in a big house to fend for himself. Every trip that she came back home, she is more depressed than ever with the family situation.
When we met yesterday, i told her that i too am in the same position as her. Even though mum has gone, i still have to take care of a nephew who is a schizo. It is not easy taking of sick persons or someone who is an invalid. We have lots of adjustments to do. I have learn to take things as they come and not presume too much.....learn to keep the mouth shut and not to offer any advice or opinion, lest this will lead to arguments or quarrels. I also learn that sick persons have their own personality too and we have to respect them as they are.
Well, the learning process is a ongoing process. I guess it will only stop when we stop breathing. If we are willing to learn each time we encounter a problem and learn intelligently, i guess life is certainly beautiful and worth the living.........

Reunion....

Today i'm meeting an old friend whom i have not seen for almost ten years. She left Teluk Intan in the early eighties and migrated to live in Australia. Though we met once or twice in between the years, this is the longest period since i last saw her and her family members. It is indeed very exciting when old friends meet up. From the photos that she posted in the computer, she still looks the same....as young looking as ever. All her children are married with 2 or 3 children and so she is a grandmother already.
I just wonder how the meeting will turn up to be...after such a long time. I'm sure we will have a lot of things to talk about....... how our lives turn out to be like after almost 30 years. If she had stayed in Malaysia, will our lives be different? I wonder how she will react when we asked about many of our mutual friends who had long departed from this earth and migrated to another planet. Certainly lots of things have changed since then. The town of Teluk Intan has changed too....the roads in town are all one-way. If you make a wrong turn, then you would have to make a big round to go to your destination. So it would be better for you to plan all your errands, park in one central place and walk. This way, it is faster and saves a lot of time instead of going round and round.
I am planning in my head where to take her for breakfast....I wonder whether she would like to have 'chee cheong fun' which is the famous food in T.I. 'Chee cheong fun' is just batter steamed with a bit of fried filling and rolled up like a sausage. It served plain or with some chillie sauce.

Reflections.....

Living in this modern world is certainly not what i would have imagined some years back. Those days i imagined a peaceful world....one that every living person would want to live in. Today, however, when one turn on the T.V. or open up a newspaper to read, one couldn't help but hear or read about wars, violence, bomb blasts and so on. I sometimes wonder why human beings like to kill or destroy each other. I believe there are better things for them to do than to think of ways and means of destroying each other.
This week, Teluk Intan was placed on the Malaysian map. There were pictures of a gruesome killing of a local resident......naked and with many stab wounds. Seeking peace and settlement with dialogue seemed out of the question. The only way of seeking peace is through the gun or the sword.
The town of Teluk Intan is so different now. Vice is just at every corner. Neighbours keep to themselves and hardly greet each other. Most houses erect high walls and gates to 'protect' the people living in them. The Teluk Intan of yesteryears was so different. Neighbours protect each other. Most houses were left unlocked and nothing was missing. Nowadays, one cannot even leave a pair of new shoes outside the door.....you can be sure that it would be missing the next day. What has the world come to? I certainly don't know. Can someone please enlighten me?

Remembering........

Many months ago, i wrote something about Carmen my niece. Today, i have something good to share about her. This little girl was born in Indonesia in April 1998. Ever since that day she has been the holder of an Indonesian passport. When she came back to Malaysia that year, i took her to the Federal Registration Office and applied for the Malaysian citizenship. Since that time till now, we have waited for more than 10 years. In June this year, we received a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs that her application has been approved at last, and the citizenship certificate will be ready for collection within 90 days. This is something which the Soo family is always very thankful and a big 'Thank You' to the Malaysian Government.
Carmen is a very bright young girl. She is now in Primary 5 and next year she will in her last year in Primary School. The future is in front of her and i know she can go very far if she puts her mind to it. Right now, she only needs encouragement and guidance.....that is why i always encourage her to attend Sunday School where she can learn values which will help her to be a better and responsible person. As her aunt, i will certainly help her along this journey....and it is not an easy road to travel. With help from the Almighty, i am confident i can take up this challenge.

Reflections.....

So many days had passed by. Had to send the computer to the shop. Just pressed the wrong button and the whole screen went blank. As i have observed, the young kiddos are so much better at the computer. Why are the more elderly persons so inapt at the computer? Maybe, the action and reaction of elderly persons are slower....the co-ordination of the limbs may not co-ordinate very well. The many times that i pressed the wrong buttons and had to send the computer to the shops really embrassed me. Thank goodness this time there was nothing wrong with the computer.
This week, i realized again that friendship is as thin as a sheet of paper...thus a Chinese saying goes. It looks as if there is no one on earth that one can trust.....so have to be very careful when cultivating friendship.

Reflections.....

It is very true when people say that everyday that we're alive, we are learning. The learning process never ends. Today i learnt that the person you thought you could trust most is the person who in the end rips you off.......financially or emotionally. The people of today is just out to out best each other, and after that they just move on to find other people whom they think they can try the same trick again. I remember someone once told me that no one can force you to do what you don't want to do. How true...no one can force us to do what we don't want to do. However, when your good friend approach you for something and you are in a position to help, of course,you will help. That is what friends are for. I always remember this proverb which i learnt in my primary school days.....A Friend In Need is A Friend Indeed. Nowadays, this proverb does not apply anymore. You can help a friend in need but be prepared that that friend may not be your friend indeed. I have learnt that if i help anyone....that's that....expect nothing more. Get on with your life and be happy. Life is too short to mull over all these unimportant things. One thing i have learnt...there's plenty of people out there who would like to be your friends. Isn't that nice?

Relationships....

This morning, while we taking our usual walk in the Speedy Road field, one of my friends commented about her relationship with her daughter-in-law. This brings to mind how are we going to form an amicable relationship with our daughters-in-law or sons-in-law. To be able to get along with other people is so important. If we don't cultivate the art of getting along with other people, then we will not have many friends. This is very sad indeed as no man is an island. The human nature is such that we need to interact with other human beings. To have few friends or no friends is indeed a sad existence. Some are friends..that is just friends. Other friends are only your friends if they can get something out of you...sad isn't it? Thank goodness there are others who are more than friends. They are closer to you than your own brothers or sisters. They are always there when you needed them most. They will call you up when they don't see you at the usual place and usual time......they show concern for you. They care what happens to you and make sure you are all right. Thank God for such friends. You are truly blessed if you have such friends. I confessed that i'm truly blessed today because i have such friends.
My girl, Christina, has got herself engaged. From today onwards, i not only have to cultivate a good relationship with her but also with Peter, her fiance. One of my friends commented...' hi..soo..so you are going to be a mother-in-law, hah...' I quickly replied,' no..no...i'm going to be the mother-out-law'. From now onwards, i just want to have a good relationship with Christina and Peter, and also with all my nieces and their spouses.

Reflections.....

Today....the second last day in June......i received a piece of good news. My niece Carmen has been granted the Malaysian citizenship after a waiting period of more than eleven years. She will be celebrating her twelve birthday next April. What a waiting period......there was much anxiety because it is better to be granted a citizenship when one is a minor. All thanks and glory to our Almighty God. Indeed He is the Alpha and the Omega...the beginning and the end....and He makes all things possible.
In fact, my brother and i were contemplating to see some politcal persons to help. We were just waiting for another sister to come back from Korea to go together. Meanwhile, i was praying that God would intervene in this case before we seek help from humans. Truly, he has answered my prayer in His time. His timing is perfect. Praise be to God.

Remembering........

Today...the last Sunday in June 2009. How time flies. We are now going into the second half year of 2009 in two days' time. Most of the time we would experience hot weather at this time but this year there is a significant change in the weather. The rainy season seems to have come sooner. The thunder and lightning are more frightening. The winds of course are stronger than ever......some roofs are even blown off.
Just hoping that the second half year will bring us finer weather, as plants will start to rot if there is too much water. The mango tree has begin flowering and this will not be good news. No mangoes to eat.
Will try to complete 2 of my patchwork blankets. Started doing them many moons ago but was kept away for almost a year. Life is funny at times. When Mum was with me, i was kept busy. But now that she's gone, i'm also equally busy with other stuff. Things that i can't seem to find time to do, i'm trying to do them all now. Also, i have been trying some recipes....well, the dishes turn out quite well too.... . Maybe after a few tries, i may be able to share in this blog.

Remembering........Michael Jackson/Farrah Fawcett

Today...it was a shock to learn of Michael Jackson's passing. I remembered the young boy who sang in the Jackson 5. That was in the sixties.....then we had black and white television sets in Malaysia. Obviously those days we did not have a T.V. set at home.....my parents couldn't afford one. If we wanted to watch anything on T.V., we would go to a neighbour who had a set. All of us would stand outside the door or peer through the window to watch the programme. So, those days i would remember the Andy William Show and the Ed Sullivan Show wihout fail. Since we only got to watch these two shows once a week. Amazingly, i could remember the day and time without difficulty. On the dot i would standing at my neighbour's door or window waiting for the show to start.
Only in the seventies could i afford to have a T.V. and watch these entertainment programmes at home. The only regret i have now is the fact that i did not have the opportunity to watch his live performance in K.L. I'm thankful that i shall be able to get some his videos. May he rest in peace.
I also remember Farrah Fawcet today. I had always enjoyed watching 'Charlie's Angels' too. May she rest in peace too.

Reflections.....

Yesterday i attended a meeting of the Christian Cemetry Committee meeting and a member of the Perak State Legislature. The main purpose of this meeting was to bring to the attention of the authorities that the Christians of Hilir Perak has run out of burial plots to bury their dead. Two weeks ago, a family had illegally buried their dead relative on a grave site belonging to someone else. This had caused the caretaker of the cemetry to make a police report, and the authorities realized now that for a number of years, the Christians in this area has been burying their dead relatives condominium style because of the lack of land for burial purposes.
A guy who is not a Christian suggested that the Christians should sell the burial plots to generate income so as to be able to buy more land for this purpose. The price of burial plots can vary from a few thousands to a few hundreds depending on the location of the land. Well, this sure can generate a great deal of money. However, he does not understand that the Christian cemetry does not make money out of a dead person. The fee collected is for maintainance only and it is a one-time collection. Moreover, the burial plots are marked accordingly so there is no expensive plots or cheaper ones. All are the same and no one can choose where they want to be buried. All have to follow the line. Well, it was sure interesting to attend such a meeting...one can certainly learn a lot .

Reflections.....

Yesterday my church celebrated Parents' Day. This was the first time that i did not have a parent to celebrate with. I was feeling sad and a bit down, but then i pulled myself up and thank the Almighty God i had sixty odd years of mum with me. I had good memories of the times we spent together......going out for dinners and giving her an "ang pow"(i.e. the little red envelope containing cash). This would make mum very happy.
This makes me wonder how i would be spending Mother's Day in future. Christina will be settling down in Down Under. Unless i make a trip Down Under, i would be all alone. Thinking over, maybe all the mothers who have children working in other places can get together and celebrate this special day together. Well, we need not go out to a restaurant. Each of us can cook a special dish and bring it for the celebration. If there are ten of us, imagine the ten types of cooking we can get to sample. Thinking of it now makes my mouth wants to water because the ladies i have in mind are fantastic cooks. Yes, i think we shall have a wonderful Mother's Day celebration from now onwards. Thinking back, our parents will leave us one day and our children may have settled down in other parts of the world, yet we still have good friends around to celebrate together......what a wonderful feeling.

Remembering........

Today i had the privilege of helping in the Sunday School to prepare the children for a concert tomorrow to celebrate Parents' Day. The children of today are so fortunate.They have almost every thing that their parents can afford. Because of this culture of giving the best the parents can afford makes the children take things for granted. Truly i have never seen a bunch of kids so spoilt and indiscipined. They don't listen to their teachers at all and just do what they fancy. They keep shouting at each other and just walk about. The poor teachers had to keep on calling them to pay attention to instructions. I just wonder what these kids will turn out to be twenty years down the road. Any way, i just hope that every thing will turn out right tomorrow.
This brings me back to my childhood days where i too attended Sunday School. What a contrast....all of us just sat in our places quietly. We were so frightened of our teachers that when we talked to each, we whispered. What ever work the teachers handed us to do, we just did them without murmur. I remembered i just love to go to Sunday School. I'm thankful to all my Sunday School teachers for teaching me and disciplining me. A'm also thankful to all the Sunday School teachers who had taught Christina..my girl...and helped to mould her to be what she is today. She's a lovely young lady....helpful and caring.....someone who makes a parent proud of her. So a big thank you to all you Sunday School teachers. I now know that it is not easy to teach in a Sunday School as i found out today. God bless you all.

Remembering........

Today, i want to pay tribute to the woman who brought me up and gave me a chance to be what i am today. Mum was a woman who placed great importance in education. I attended two national schools while i was in Std. One to Four. In the morning, i went to an English school, while in the afternoon, i attended a Chinese school. For these three or four years, she would bring me lunch in a tiffin carrier, my Chinese school uniform and school bag to a friend's house opposite the Chinese school. When morning school was over, i would walk to this house. There i would have my bath and lunch, changed into my other school uniform, took the other school bag and walked to school. Then she would gathered up my other uniform and school bag and other stuff and cycled home. At the same time, she would also be carrying my younger brother on the bicycle too as there was no one else to care for him at home. Attending two national schools came to an end when the Education Department sent a circular to inform the schools that every student can only attend one national school. So i made a choice to stop my Chinese education.
The growing years was quite a struggle for all of us. Dad was out of work most of the time, so Mum had to work to support the family. She was a laundry lady for several households and in the afternoons she has to go back to those households to do all the ironing. By then, we were all in our teenage years. Many of our friends and relatives advised Mum to stop my schooling and go to work as a domestic servant. However, Mum was adamant that i should continue with my schooling as i was not a bad student....and she even went with me to the Social Welfare Department to apply for book loans. So for my generation, i was the only one who had the opportunity to go to college and trained to be a teacher.
Now i have a good life...and it is all thanks to my mum who cared so much for me. Thank you Mum.

Remembering........

It is almost a hundred days since mum passed away....the mourning period is almost over. It is fitting now that i want to remember mum before memories of her fades away. Mum is always Mum to me as she's the best person in the world. I truly thank God that i had more than 60 years of sharing my life with her. To see her getting weaker and weaker in her twilight years would always remind me that one day i may have to go through this journey too. I'm also afraid that i would have inherited some of her traits.....stubborness, independence, wilfulness. On the other hand, i would certainly hope to inherit her other traits....generousity, helpfulness, charitable, hospitality, the ability to love under all circumstances and to continue to hope even the circumstances seem so slim. Mum is always so hardworking.....i still remember the days when we were so poor.....there was always little food on the table....yet mum always worked to put food on the table for us. This is why now i learnt that the most important thing in the world is to have a roof over one's head and next enough food on the table. As for other things, they are just distractions. Mum, thank you for teaching me the most important thing to survive in this world. I love you always.

Remembering........

The last time i wrote seemed ages ago....yet it was just more than a month since. In these few short weeks, so many events happened. I still can't believe that i have to say goodbye to two of my family members. 23 March, Monday, an ordinary day....this was the day my brother met with an accident and he passed away. Up till now i still wondered why he and his son both had the same fate.....to die after an accident. Now i understand why people say that life is unfair.
1 April...the day my mum chose to leave us. She was 93 years old...a ripe old age they say. We were all prepared for her departure, but the minute she breathed her last, we felt a vaccum in our hearts. I know i should thank God for allowing us to enjoy her company for more than half a century. Many people do not have this priviledge of having a mother with them....much less when one is already a grandmother or a grandaunt. This is one blessing that i shall cherish always. Brother and mum...wherever both of you maybe....rest in peace. Love always...

Reflections.....

Another day gone by. Another uneventful day. It was a hot day but by the evening, the sky had darkened and the rain came, pouring from the sky.
Mum asked me today to take her home....she wanted to go home. She just could not understand that she was already home.....or was she asking me to take her home to that special place? I don't know....her thoughts were so muddled up. Hope she would be better today.
I made soya bean milk. It was delicious.....so much better than the drink that I bought from the shops. So today I am going to make more of the soya bean milk and also make some 'taufu fah'. As some of my friends say 'yum...best in the world'.
What is installed for me today? Something good I pray. Anyway, all I know is that I'm going to watch a documentary at 3 pm...just hope I don't forget.

Reflections.....

It's been so long since I put my thoughts into words. This is already the middle of March 2009. How time flies! Between January and now so many things had happened. The economic downturn has turned to economic depression. My mum's health has deteriorated as each day goes by. Every day I just wonder whether it is her last day on this planet earth. But, being a resilient person, she keeps bouncing back. Caring for her these few months set me thinking about life and death. Is it worth living a long life when at the end of it all there is no quality of life? Looking at my mum's body now that it has been reduced to only skin and bones, i wonder where has all the muscles gone? Her diet has been the the puree stuff these few weeks and she has difficulty in swallowing....even water she finds it difficult to swallow. Though she may not be considered as bedridden, she could hardly walk a few steps. She could hardly talk and all she does now is to whisper. Her thoughts are all muddled up and even I do not understand what she is saying at times. She keeps talking about people I do not know and of places and times about a hundred years ago. As the Malay saying goes...sangat susahlah....caring for an old person. Now I begin to think about myself....am I caring for her because I love her as my mother or because it is simply my duty to care for her? She has other children too but .........????? Do I want to live to such an old age myself? Certainly not if I have a choice. The only choice I have is to pray every day that I age gracefully and healthily. Will God Almighty grant me this wish?......I certainly hope so.

Musings........

January is almost coming to an end....and the Chinese New Year is just round the corner. Thank God all my baking has come to an end. The whole month of January was a mad rush to meet datelines and orders. Despite the tension and stress, it was quite fun too, come to think of it. This time around, it makes me realize that as the years go by, we can do what we can. More than that will bring tension and stress. So if i am still around the next CNY , much thought will have to be given to planning and time strategy.
My niece and nephew together with their parents will be with me to celebrate the CNY together. Well, a part of me do look forward to their visit..but another part is dreary of the cooking, cleaning and washing. Ha, ha but that's family and we need to spend as much quality time together as possible. After all the celebrations, everyone will go back to their routine and getting together will be less and less as each has their own things to do.
so, i take this opportunity to everyone of my friends a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year.

Reflections.....

Well, 2008 has gone by nearly a week now. What would i like to remember about the year 2008? Well, the year 08 had seen me meeting some of my classmates which i have not seen for more than 40 years. Many of whom i have not seen or heard from since the day i left secondary school. We went on to pursue different carreer and thus hardly had the opportunity to meet. It is only now that most of us are retired that we have the time to organise a dinner meeting and try to get in touch with as many classmates as possible. Thanks to boon leng, tham poh thiam, chiam and a few others for the task of getting us together. However, it is also sad to learn that a few of us classmates had also migrated to another world. Life is certainly too short ...so make the most of every moment to make others and also ourselves happy.
2008 is also a year i like to remember good friends who had passed on...Baby chi (tit hup), sister siew, uncle teh. Baby chi and sister succomb to the dreadful disease cancer and uncle teh of old age. I shall always remember their smile....their jokes and most of all their encouragement.