Times and chimes

I am getting real forgetful nowadays. It's a sure sign of aging and senility. Misplaced my keys, money, books and even forgot to pay for my food and drinks at the coffeeshop. On several occasions, Ruth had to remind me to jot down the more important things, names or numbers or write a note to myself in case I forget!

You see, I have never been good at remembering names and directions. Just imagine the embarrassment and akwardness when I had to enquire or ask again about the name of the person whom I had just been introduced or had the pleasure to meet. Or even, ask for the same direction several times before finding my way to the correct destination. An incident happened during our family vacation in Taiwan three years ago. Of course, during any vacation or tours, shopping for souvenirs, local delicacies, etc, is a must. Our tour guide recommended the best shopping "malls", eateries and reminded us to be back on the tour bus on time. So, off we went with all the eagerness and excitement. Ruth and I were so engrossed in our shopping and bargaining that we lost track of time and direction. By the time we realised it, it was time for us to head back for the bus or you can well imagine the "sour" faces of the guide and others in the group. We tried to retrace our steps but it seems that we just could not remember the route back. I began to panic and Ruth started crying. We were lost! I tried asking for directions but could not get our bearings right. There were buildings and people everyway. When the tour guide counted us missing, he went "hunting" for us. It was fortunate that he managed to locate two very lost and frightened tourists. It was a terribly embarrasing and humbling experience. After the incident, we kept very close to the group and hardly dared to out venture on our own. It was a lesson that we could hardly afford to forget!

Just some thoughts....

Ruth finally got back her examination results. Twelve papers in it all. Surprisingly, she did better than expected. But she needed to improve on her Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.. These two subject grades stood out like a sore thumb in her results.

Looking back, children of Ruth's generation had it alot easier compared to that of my time. During my schooldays, tuition classes were a luxury and almost unheard of. Neither could my parents afford them. But my brother John and me took upon ourselves to work hard and achieve the best we could. We watch our parents struggle to earn a living and understood that a good education is essential for a better future.We needed no second reminders. When our results fell short of expectation, we redoubled our efforts to make the grade.

But times have changed. Many a times, Ruth took her education for granted, grumbled and complained when her tuition teacher and me assigned her extra assignments and homework. Sometimes, she does not seem to appreciate or understand that a good education is the key to a better and brighter future. With all the creature comforts, conveniences around and most things at their beck and call, most of these children are seldom appreciative of the hard work, scarifices and the struggles of their forefathers. When things came too easy, it's even easier to forget the value or importance of it.
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A short note.......

Ruth's one week school break is officially over. So, it's back to school this coming Monday, facing another term of the homework, assignments, projects and examinations. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the brief respite, snoozing in late, reading her favourite storybooks and surfing the internet. Of course, there were homeworks and tuition slotted in between. Her school too, was in the limelight for the past week with the announcement and release of 2006 SPM and STPM results. As expected, there were several top scorers with a string of A1 and A2's (SPM) and also 4A's (STPM). These students, having scored well and done their school proud, can definitely look forward to a bright future. Hopefully, these are footsteps that Ruth will choose to emulate.

We did not visit my brother John as planned as he had yet to move into his new house. He intended to get some renovation done, so we postponed our trip until the mid-semester break in June. Ruth was quite disappointed as she was looking forward to visiting her cousin Jane, whom she had not seen for quite a while.

At the homefront, things are rather quiet at the moment. Hubby's planning a trip to Southern China in mid-April with his cousins and sisters to visit their ancestral village in Ming Qing County, Fujian Province, China. They will be visiting relatives and paying their respect and filial piety at their late grandfather's tomb. .

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A candle, it is...........

Phew! What a relief! Ruth's first semester exams were just over. For the past week, she had plenty of anxious and stressful moments as she grappled with some of the subject papers for the first time. Plus, the fact that she was not too well prepared for the exams. Well, there's nothing she can do except keep her fingers cross and hope for the best. The results will be distributed after the week-long break.

Hubby's back from Australia but he had to attend another meeting in Kuala Lumpur during the middle of the week. He had been real busy during the past months and we hardly get to see much of him. His job is demanding and sometimes stressful. Like many others, we were not born with silver spoons in our mouth and thus had to work hard for a living and ensure a better future for Ruth.

Just recently, I was reading one of the poems written by the reknown playwright and poet, William Shakespeare on life. The poem goes like this:-

Life's Brief Candle

Tomorrow, and to-morrow and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools,
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle,
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more, it is a tale,
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Although this poem paints a rather pathetic and dismal picture of life, it's the reality of it that hit me hard. Indeed, we are only actors in the stage of life. After our act is over, we have to exit the stage and make the journey henceforth.

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