新年快樂！

I've had a lovely beginning to the lunar new year, much more so than in the years past. I've been to chinatown 3 times in the past 2 wks, which is more than the number of times I've been there in 24years. Man, is it an interesting place! Was there at 1am on chu yi, thanks to Dale's crazy idea about searching out his friend in amongst the insane crowd. (you move at approximately 1m/min) There was an absolutely ridiculous amount of Taiwan mua chee on sale!! And though I'd told myself not to buy anymore, I ended up..er.. buying more. Including some jelly stuff, which, to my surprise, was delicious! Was also sucked into buying some super absorbent mega-sponges promoted by an extremely opportunistic salesman. Be assured that I will give an update on its efficacy. :)

It was different going to grandpa's place without grandma around. Though she hadn't been able to talk for the past few years, her presence and saccharine sweet smile were enough to fill the atmosphere with the love she always exuded. The air was thin and lacking her beautiful soul. Ah well, such is life. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, spirit to heaven, where I'll see her soon.

My last family visitation today was to a grandaunt's place. Her husband is debilitated, whilst her daughter has been polio-striken since childhood. But both her and her daughter are such icons of optimism and inspiration, forever cheerful, joyful, and never ceasing to praise the Lord for His goodness! Couldn't help comparing them to my other relatives, who, throughout the day, only cared for talk about wages, shopping, television shows and self-improvement.

I just want to learn how to give thanks like that, in all circumstances.

Days gone by

Looking through the pictures from a student friend in Melbourne...
Realising once again that it's all behind me now.
A twang of reminiscence spirals through my heart...
It sort of hurts.
Friendships left behind, scattered as leaves fall from an autumn tree.

天下無不散的宴席．

What's on TV.

After a hamster, rabbit, and 2 dog pyometras in one day...
Warm dinner at 9.45pm, thank the Lord.

Sat back wanting to catch a glimpse of Desperate Housewives to see what all that aggressive advertising and Golden Globe fuss was about. But oops it only begins on Feb 6.
Today it was the Victoria's Secret fashion show. Fabulous lingerie on absolutely stunning strutting supermodels with angel wings. Glitter and glam, seemingly magical stuff, magnetises me for a moment but vanishes into a cloud of dust down to earth in the backdrop of the scheme of real life.

Ugh

I met a man called Almeida at Southbridge the other day. Before even knowing who I was, he offered to buy me a drink, just because Jason and I looked like a pleasant-enough couple who actually appreciated the music. After chatting for awhile, he decided that he liked me, a lot, because I like Charlie Gabriel, Thelonius Monk, and have no interest in Kenny G. He said that he had a few Gabriel CDs which he could dig out and pass to me. To my surprise, he wrote to my workplace a few days later mentioning that he hadn't been able to track down his CDs, and instead, enclosed a 4-page long dissertation by Pat Metheny slamming Kenny G's work. (it was pretty convincing actually.) To top it all off, he postscripted a question about whether I was related to Dr J.Tan.

Geez. People are strange. (though nice I must say)

....

You can leave problems with work at work.
But problems with family will stay, shrouding your life.

Mushy Post no 2.

Oooooops. You know, I made a mistake. I had thought that your poem was meant to be for today, and that my post for today was meant to be for yesterday. >.< (but it's still not as big a mistake as yours la hor. Hee2.)
Well, you earn! Bleah. So here's a lil one for you too.

Wide night, expanse through the sky
Moonbeam cast shadows I find
For you are there
And I am here

Twinkling star so winsome
I wish I may
I wish I might
Behold you once more

For your eyes they speak
Of a heart after His
And your spirit
Of kindness and compassion

Placing my hand in yours, I regard
My soul complete
I could sit hours beside you, wordless
And be the blessed-est girl on earth.

P.S. Underwater World was fantastic!! All these marine creatures, absolutely stunningly God's display of creativity!! The cutest ever was the Dugong and the leafy seadragon. :)
(and though Mr Cheong claims to have donated some kind of big fish, I did NOT see it. I reckon it's died and they've been bluffing him.)

Trust His Heart

2 years back, and 2 weeks back. Have we changed?

Hi honey! :) I love you!
(Gee I'm gonna be looking back at this post in a few wks and be puzzled at how I've become even marginally mushy. Really not used to it. It must be your influence. Ha!)
With a tune and music, this song can pierce right through your heart... hope it'll encourage you as it has me.

Trust His Heart

All things work for our good

Though sometimes we can't see how they could

Struggles that break our heart in two

Sometimes blind us to the truth

Our Father knows what's best for us

His ways are not our own

So when your pathway grows dim

And you just can't see Him

Remember you're never alone

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

So when you don't understand

When you don't see His plan

When you can't trace His hand

Trust His heart

He sees the master plan

And He holds our future in His hand

So don't live as those who have no hope

All our hope is found in Him

We see the present clearly

But He sees the first and the last

And like a tapestry

He's weaving you and me

To someday be just like Him

He alone is faithful and true

He alone knows what's best for you

There he goes

New Year's eve at the 4th floor of Taipei 101, waiting for the countdown to begin. The marble floor circumferentially encircling the cafe in the middle had names of almost any city in the world you could think of. Just so happened that we sat right in front of this. The place in which we met; in which he has returned to with a heavy heart; in which lies the path I must take.









My better half has flown away again, and I am left behind in a-fluttering of dust. I feel... sad. He's feeling really sad too. Today I know not how else to describe it.

Innocence

"It's her eyes. They're so big and bright... and empty. Just like Ken's."
-my mum, on Tink (my kitten) and Ken (my brother).

I'm a greenie

Qing, your true color is Green!

You're green, the color of growth and vigor. Good-hearted and giving, you have a knack for finding and bringing out the best in people. Green is the most down-to-earth color in the spectrum — reliable and trustworthy. People know they can count on you to be around in times of need, since your concern for people is genuine and sincere. You take pride in being a good friend. For you, success is measured in terms of personal achievement and growth, not by status or position. Rare as emeralds, greens are wonderful, natural people. It truly is your color!

Some Tickle.com test. "Green, your true color is Green!" Donch know about the way it describes my personality, though.

Hello goodbye

Soaring above the plains
Yet again
My heart heaves
How many farewells
Can one's soul withstand?

I floated afar
As an apparition thereafter
Drifted out of surreality
Into tangibility
Responsibility
Conformity

Fear, a mist
Renders me myopic
Blind to the path which might
Or mightn't? Be there
But to linger
And linger
Over more than a thousand morrows
Only tears down further

I came back to discover that the globe had completed another dance around the sun.
It is 2006!
Another year of beginnings. And endings.