Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Courage
I wanted to refrain from writing out my thoughts for the past few days. I hoped it would be less subjective and emotional. And as a few days passed, it'll be clearer to jot down what it was I wanted to jot down anyway.
It's really a sad event that I witnessed for myself and made me re-think everything I thought I knew. Bearing witness to this event was an eye-opener like no other. I truly realised the old malay saying that goes "one mother can care for 10 kids but 10 kids cannot care for 1 mother".
It's heart-wrenching to see siblings being calculative and using analogies of how other people take care of their own parents (send to old folks home, sue the siblings to pay them pay) to harping on broken promises and on financial contribution with equality even for siblings who themselves need financial support.
Did I say the discussion was on taking care of their own mother?
I felt the need to say something for the old lady in the hospital room, barely able to breathe on her own but made the subject of this ridicule. It's funny and totally ironic.
I wonder if this is how society has shaped our people today. We used to believe in the practice where the one who can afford money gives money, the one who cannot afford money, to give time and effort, and those who cannot even afford time or effort to give well-wishes.
Yet, the spectacle I saw left me speechless. What could I have said? As an outsider, I could only cringe and say a prayer for that old lady and hope she can truly recover and not be at the mercy of her own children's misplaced sense of fairness.
At the same time, I whispered a prayer that one day, if I had to ever get to this point myself, I would have enough courage to speak up and make things right. After which, I also sneaked in an evil wish that God would make those who treated their own mother that way that day, will get their deserved retribution.
All it took was for one of them to have the courage to lead. None had. Nobody did.
Friday, 3 February 2012
My Birthday Thoughts
From Wikipedia:
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders (e.g., Buddha's Birthday), Christmas – which is celebrated widely by Christians and non-Christians alike – is the most prominent example. In contrast, certain religious groups, as is the case with Jehovah's Witnesses, express opposition to the very idea of celebrating birthdays
Coincidentally, people like Richard Bartel (American football player), Silambarasan Rajendar (Indian actor) and Gabriel Sargissian (Armenien Chess Grandmaster) were also born on the same day I was. As I sit here today, trying to immerse myself in deep thoughts and be philosophical about births and deaths, I came to the realization how "far" in life I have actually travelled.
Gone were the days when I played with friends outside my old home at Spooner Road (the Singapore government has taken back the land it stands on and the 2 KTM blocks will disappear into oblivion). Recalling my primary school days were hard as it brought back poignant memories of separations - particularly two main incidences. My parents divorced when I was in Primary 5 and my closest group of buddies left Singapore to continue their studies back in Malaysia.
As I went through Secondary School, I lost focus, started neglecting studies but debated excellently. Somehow, the studious part of me just needed an outlet to vent - debating. For 4 whole years, I represented my class in English and Malay debates. I also built an infamous personality of being "the snob" as my then-future wife said. Pulling my senses together, I decided since time waited for no man, I could make friends later.
I studied harder, making my then future-wife hate me more (hey, not my fault that the teacher made her read out all my compositions in class) and did well enough to enter Anglo Chinese Junior College. I disappointed everyone when I stopped studying in ACJC's pure science class to enter Ngee Ann Polytechnic to pursue Business Studies.
Poly days were vague for me. I floated through it somehow, graduated and waited for the dreaded NS call-up. Spent 2 years and 4 months in NS. Hated the first 8 months due to an old bitch officer but loved the remaining time when I got to build up an administration office of NSFs from ground zero. ORD oh!
Soon after NS, I joined MCYS on contract basis and finally ended up working full-time on permanent basis with my current company. Funny, it seems that I had more to say about my "glory days" than now.
On a good note, I am now married to my then future-wife. She hated me in Secondary School but we were friends since 1997. Married her in 2010 and we are now working on becoming parents, hopefully we can get a dragon baby. Life seems to pass you by, doesn't it? The older you get, the more you hate life but you love life more too. Other than my wife, there's one more person whose been the most important person in my life.
My mum. She's worked her guts off to keep our family together, lost her family and regained her family. But to this day, I believe, without my mum, I wouldn't be able to get to where I am now. So mum, in celebration of my birthday today, I wish you good health, longevity and happiness. I love you Mum!
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders (e.g., Buddha's Birthday), Christmas – which is celebrated widely by Christians and non-Christians alike – is the most prominent example. In contrast, certain religious groups, as is the case with Jehovah's Witnesses, express opposition to the very idea of celebrating birthdays
Coincidentally, people like Richard Bartel (American football player), Silambarasan Rajendar (Indian actor) and Gabriel Sargissian (Armenien Chess Grandmaster) were also born on the same day I was. As I sit here today, trying to immerse myself in deep thoughts and be philosophical about births and deaths, I came to the realization how "far" in life I have actually travelled.
Gone were the days when I played with friends outside my old home at Spooner Road (the Singapore government has taken back the land it stands on and the 2 KTM blocks will disappear into oblivion). Recalling my primary school days were hard as it brought back poignant memories of separations - particularly two main incidences. My parents divorced when I was in Primary 5 and my closest group of buddies left Singapore to continue their studies back in Malaysia.
As I went through Secondary School, I lost focus, started neglecting studies but debated excellently. Somehow, the studious part of me just needed an outlet to vent - debating. For 4 whole years, I represented my class in English and Malay debates. I also built an infamous personality of being "the snob" as my then-future wife said. Pulling my senses together, I decided since time waited for no man, I could make friends later.
I studied harder, making my then future-wife hate me more (hey, not my fault that the teacher made her read out all my compositions in class) and did well enough to enter Anglo Chinese Junior College. I disappointed everyone when I stopped studying in ACJC's pure science class to enter Ngee Ann Polytechnic to pursue Business Studies.
Poly days were vague for me. I floated through it somehow, graduated and waited for the dreaded NS call-up. Spent 2 years and 4 months in NS. Hated the first 8 months due to an old bitch officer but loved the remaining time when I got to build up an administration office of NSFs from ground zero. ORD oh!
Soon after NS, I joined MCYS on contract basis and finally ended up working full-time on permanent basis with my current company. Funny, it seems that I had more to say about my "glory days" than now.
On a good note, I am now married to my then future-wife. She hated me in Secondary School but we were friends since 1997. Married her in 2010 and we are now working on becoming parents, hopefully we can get a dragon baby. Life seems to pass you by, doesn't it? The older you get, the more you hate life but you love life more too. Other than my wife, there's one more person whose been the most important person in my life.
My mum. She's worked her guts off to keep our family together, lost her family and regained her family. But to this day, I believe, without my mum, I wouldn't be able to get to where I am now. So mum, in celebration of my birthday today, I wish you good health, longevity and happiness. I love you Mum!
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
In the mode of waiting...
They say time and tide waits for no man. How true! But when I have to wait for something, I feel like time passes by too slowly.
One example is my new house. We booked the flat a week before our wedding and signed the S&P agreement in late April this year. And the expected completion date is Sep 2013. Two whole years before I see the keys to the place I'll call home for probably the next 20 or more years of my life.
Of course, the good part is that we get to save before we get the place. Finger-print lock for main door, LEDs for lightings, rainfall-shower, etc, costs lots of money.
Another wait I have to do is wait for an opportunity to move on to. Been at the same company, coming to 5 years now. Not that it's bad but I worry if I miss the chance to move, I'll be stuck here forever. Application after application sent, with the occasional call for interview but nothing I fancy. Maybe I should work on the small business we started instead.
As you can see, there are many "waits" in my life that makes me feel I am losing time faster that others. In 2 years, I'll be 30. Can't believe I have lived for 30 years. Hopefully the Mayan prophecy doesn't come true. If it does, then I won't even know what it's like to be 30!
Anyway, gotta go now. Cheers!
One example is my new house. We booked the flat a week before our wedding and signed the S&P agreement in late April this year. And the expected completion date is Sep 2013. Two whole years before I see the keys to the place I'll call home for probably the next 20 or more years of my life.
Of course, the good part is that we get to save before we get the place. Finger-print lock for main door, LEDs for lightings, rainfall-shower, etc, costs lots of money.
Another wait I have to do is wait for an opportunity to move on to. Been at the same company, coming to 5 years now. Not that it's bad but I worry if I miss the chance to move, I'll be stuck here forever. Application after application sent, with the occasional call for interview but nothing I fancy. Maybe I should work on the small business we started instead.
As you can see, there are many "waits" in my life that makes me feel I am losing time faster that others. In 2 years, I'll be 30. Can't believe I have lived for 30 years. Hopefully the Mayan prophecy doesn't come true. If it does, then I won't even know what it's like to be 30!
Anyway, gotta go now. Cheers!
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Date is getting nearer...
The date is getting nearer but unlike when I was about to ORD. Then, the nearer I get to the date, the longer it felt for a day to end. Now, the weeks seems to zoom past. It's Like the hourglass gap got wider or the sands within got finer, time moves so quickly.
It's a very frightening time for me. Truly. I was never worried for exams, a tad worried for NS enlistment but this wedding thing really caught me. I can't believe it's happening! Seems so surreal, so dream-ish... Like it would all go away when I wake up. It's very unsettling as I do my best to inch towards that big day. Maybe like what some guys say, "Marriage is a death sentence."
Everyone around me is so excited, so looking forward to the big day. Yet, I hope that it will be just that little more time more for me. That maybe there was another week here and there more.
But in all fairness, the wedding is what I had hoped for to happen. As I get closer to being labelled "Married", I find joy in seeing my cousins whose kids are still young. Seeing how they bring up their kids. I wished I would be as blessed and be able to have kids soon. I wonder too, if I would make a good father but I guess only time will tell.
It's a very frightening time for me. Truly. I was never worried for exams, a tad worried for NS enlistment but this wedding thing really caught me. I can't believe it's happening! Seems so surreal, so dream-ish... Like it would all go away when I wake up. It's very unsettling as I do my best to inch towards that big day. Maybe like what some guys say, "Marriage is a death sentence."
Everyone around me is so excited, so looking forward to the big day. Yet, I hope that it will be just that little more time more for me. That maybe there was another week here and there more.
But in all fairness, the wedding is what I had hoped for to happen. As I get closer to being labelled "Married", I find joy in seeing my cousins whose kids are still young. Seeing how they bring up their kids. I wished I would be as blessed and be able to have kids soon. I wonder too, if I would make a good father but I guess only time will tell.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Relatives
There's no word to describe how blessed I am to still be able to realize what it feels like to spend time and do little things for one of your very own. I thought that was something I can never experience but all it took was one simple gesture.
For that bro, you made me change my mind on turning back on my own relatives. That there may be afterall a glimmer of hope that I could feel the joy of being with my relatives. That right here in this place I call home, there those who I can call my cousins, my nephews, my nieces without regretting it.
The saying that there's a silver lining to every cloud is true I suppose. Nonetheless, I pray for this happiness to last forever more because your family and you made my life more complete.
Once again, thank you.
For that bro, you made me change my mind on turning back on my own relatives. That there may be afterall a glimmer of hope that I could feel the joy of being with my relatives. That right here in this place I call home, there those who I can call my cousins, my nephews, my nieces without regretting it.
The saying that there's a silver lining to every cloud is true I suppose. Nonetheless, I pray for this happiness to last forever more because your family and you made my life more complete.
Once again, thank you.
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