Hello 2010!

Time really flies. In a few hours, we will be bidding adieus to 2009 and ushering in 2010. As usual, it is also a time of reminiscences, recollections and making new resolutions. First of all, all praise to our Lord for his love, blessings, goodness and graciousness.

I must say that 2009 had been a challenging year. Ruth sat for her PMR in October and she passed with all straight A's. She wasn't sure whether she could do that well but we had been praying all this while and God answered our prayers. Praise His Name!

In anticipation of our move to Malacca and thereafter Australia, I resigned from my job since October 2009. After being a tax-payer for the past 26 years, it is a new experience altogether. A complete role reversal from being a FTWM to a SAHM. Our move was, albeit, quite a smooth one, but not without glitches, and Ruth will start her Year 11 at Willetton Senior High School in Perth, Australia next February. Of course, there will be some adjustments along the way, but we just have to trust the Lord to see us through.

Home to Malacca

Well, the MIA part. It had been 3 days' since we moved to Malacca. The final packing and stuffing our effects into the 20 foot container had been really one tired and frantic week but we managed to clear the house before the new owners move in.

After calling Bintulu home for the last 15 years, it was with mixed feelings that we left this quaint, friendly and fast growing township. No doubt, memories of those good, bad and not-so-good times will always remain close to our hearts. Not forgetting our friends, acquaintances, ex-colleagues whom we had " grown-up " together with. Thank you for prayers, care, love and concern during these years. God bless you all.

We are looking forward to our settling down in Malacca. Ruth is still enjoying her holidays and taking advantage of hubby's condominium facilities to enjoy her daily swim and walk.

To date......

Well, I have away for around half a month. Time really flies. Ruth started her Japanese course for beginners two weeks ago and she seems to be enjoying it! She can recognize some Japanese characters and speak several sentences. Hopefully, by the time she completes the course, we will have no problem communicating and reading those signboards on our next visit to Japan. Managed to take 3 days off to visit mum in Sibu. She was thrilled to see us and once again, we enjoyed her herbal chicken soup and sweet sour fish.

As for me, it's one month since my early retirement from work. Housework seems to be an inevitable routine now. Somehow, I missed the excitement and tempo of working life. But, occasionally, I do get calls from my ex-colleagues and friends for chit-chats and advice.

The packing is well on the way. Just last week I gave away 4 bags of used clothing to the Red Cresent Society and donated lots of old magazines, books, etc to my regular newspaper and scrap collector. But still plenty more to go.

And so on.....

Yipee! Ruth's PMR exams were finally over, 2 days ago. After 2 months of intensive revision, she can finally put her legs up and take things easy for a while. Of course, there were anxious moments, when she fell sick with diarrhoea two days before the exams started. With lots of prayer support from friends and family, she managed to recover in time to sit for the first paper. Again, God had proven to be faithful and merciful. Praise His Name!

With the long holidays ahead of her, she is planning to take up a crash course in Japanese, brush up with her swimming and visiting my mum in Sibu. I must say that this is one of the best times in a student's life, when you literally throw your books out of the window after the exams!

We will be busy packing up our stuff in anticipation of our move to Malacca. Tons of stuff to get rid off including books, toys, clothes, etc, etc. I can see a real big headache coming!

Birds of passage

Ruth starts her PMR examinations today. After about 2 months of intensive revision, she is standing at the threshold of another important public examination, the second one in her school life, thus far. No doubt, there will be many more along the way as she "studies" along.

But she had it alot easier than during my time. When I was sitting for my SJC (Sarawak Junior Certificate) examinations in 1975, I hardly had any assessment books to work on. I remembered that my subject teachers just handed the past year papers and some of the questions they spotted and we just had that to work on. My parents could not afford to pay for any tuition, so I studied on my own. This time round, I bought lots of assessment books and practice papers for Ruth. Plus, she goes for tuition for almost every subject. Times have really changed.

Examinations aside, I enjoyed my new found "freedom" as a housewife and Indon maid. A complete role reversal from the past 26 years, when I was working fulltime. But, there's plenty of backaches after all the sweeping. mopping, cleaning and cooking. Swinging my broomsticks and mops from kitchen, bedroom, living, toilet and bathroom with pots and pans permanently attached.

The countdown...

The countdown has began. Both for Ruth's PMR and my final days with the company I had been attached to for the past 9 years. Looking back, it seems that it was only like yesterday, when I stepped into its halls and now, it is almost time to bid adieus. But. it had been a good 9 years, filled with memories, highlights and of course, the "blues". A journey in itself, a part of life's travelogue.

Ruth is also counting the days to her PMR, which will be held from 7th to12th October 2009. A cumulation of three years of lower secondary education. Hopefully, she will do well.

Well, that's life. Sometimes, it can be so routine and mundane that you can predict what lies around the corner. But there are also times, when you do get a tight slap on the face and a jolt out of your skin! But, it's a learning process all the way.

Just a glimpse.....

Yes, it had been a while. Actually, more than a month since I updated my blog. Reasons being busy with office work, managing the household and supervising Ruth studies. Her PMR exam is only a month away and she is kept busy with her revision.

Mum and my brother John came over to visit two weeks ago. It had been a while since they last dropped by Bintulu. We had our reunion and celebrated mum's birthday. She still complains of aches and pains here and there. After her accident in June, she had some difficulty walking and not as mobile as before.

Hubby also came back last weekend. His plant ran into some glitches and he was kept busy for the past 3 weeks. He was exhausted and down with bronchitis and flu. Luckily, not H1N1. After some medication and rest, he recovered and flew back to Malacca on Wednesday.

Some thoughts......

It's August already. Time to reflect and take stock on the comings and goings for the past half year. Needless to say, I am still very busy with work and Ruth with school. Her PMR exam is fasting approaching and she is busy with her revision.

I am also looking forward to my early retirement by end of September. After being in the work force for the last 25 years, I feel that it is time to call it quits. Looking back, I must say that I enjoyed working, plus the moments of anxiety, stress and deadlines, of course! Well, like what they say, life itself is a journey, and the past 25 years had been part of this travelogue. Of course, there were times, too, when I admired and envied those who could afford not to work but bread and butter issues had to take centre stage.

I haven't thought much about how to keep myself busy after retirement, but I would seriously consider venturing into some small time business or try a hand at writing. See which venture turns out better.

R.I.P-Michael Jackson

I was watching the memorial service of Michael Jackson on the Internet earlier this evening. I must admit that I was never a Michael Jackson fan, although I enjoyed his music and songs. I always think that he was kinda weird personality both with his looks and lifestyle.

After viewing the star studded event paying tribute to the King of Pop, I could not help but reflect on the fragility and unpredictability of life. The one image that hit me hard was the gold plated coffin that was displayed in front of the stage during the memorial service. It serves as a grim reminder that death does not pick and choose, it comes for everyone, young and old. A man who once stirred the world with his music and songs is gone. Whatever remains behind are only memories and memorabilias. Such is life's inevitable cycle.

Remembering Dad-16th Anniversary

Two Sundays ago, we celebrated Father's Day. The occasion was celebrated in recognition and honour of the love, personal sacrifices and devotion that only a father could give to his family. It was also a day of remembrance of my late dad, who was called home in June 1993. Although 16 long years had passed since his home-going, it seems that it was only yesterday he was there, holding, guiding and mentoring me. There were so many things that I could have said and done for him, but it was never to be.

Dad's home-going was the first real blow that life had dealt with me. Although I experienced the loss of my paternal grandparents and an uncle before that, but this inevitable loss was so personal that, for a long time, I held stubbornly to the grief and ensuing mourning. During the first year of his home-going, I visited his resting place with trepidation as it reminded me of the one great loss of my life.

Dad's absence was sorely felt during our family gatherings and festive occasions. Somehow, our family circle was forever broken and there are only memories for us to fall back on.

The years rolled by. We moved on with our lives but dad was never far away from our thoughts. He still figured in our conversations and we never failed to visit and clean his tomb during the customary tomb sweeping or "Ching Ming" festival. Sometimes, when the tears came dangerously close, I chose to dwell on the happy memories that we shared together instead of the terrible sufferings he had to endure before his death.

Dad was born the fourth of ten children to poor foochow migrants from Ming Xing County, Fujian Province, China. My grandparents immigrated and settled at Sungai Baji, Sarikei, Sarawak in the early 1900's. They eke out a living as rubber tappers and pepper planters. As a young boy, dad survived the tumultuous times during the Japanese Occupation. He was a avid story-teller and would often relate his encounters with the Japanese soldiers whenever he had the opportunity. Although dad's education was interrupted during the war, he nevertheless went on to complete his fifth form. He served first as a temporary teacher, a court interpreter, magistrate and later as a district officer prior to his retirement from civil service in 1992.

My late dad was a man of long suffering and foresight. He sought to live by example and his lifestyle spoke volumes of his humility, foresight and determination to beat the odds. As a parent and father, he was always there for me, during my childhood, teenage years and even in my adult years. Many a times, he taught me to see things around the corner, which I failed to perceive due to my immaturity, inexperience and shortsightness. Inside and outside this door, he did much to shape my thoughts, aspirations and preception of life. Above all, he encouraged me to pursue my tertiary education, despite of the fact that he had to struggle to make ends meet. He was really proud when I was became the first female graduate from both sides of the family. Although, he lived a short 56 years, he was my great inspiration and role model. If he were still around today, I am sure that we would be writing his memoirs. Dad, you are truly great! We miss you.

A surprise

A surprise! On Monday afternoon, I received a call from my Indonesian maid who went back home sometime in April this year. In my April blog, I mentioned that she had to leave to take care of her mum who had at accident back home. She called once when she arrived at Pontianak and thereafter there was no news from her. I was a tad disappointed that she did not contact us when she arrived home but I suppose she was too busy taking care of her mum to bother. After all, for maids, it is often, the out of sight, out of mind thing. Not the usual, I mean, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" feeling.

She told me that alot happened since the 2 months she left. Her mum was discharged from the hospital but remains bedridden. Her sister-in-law is taking care of her. And she got married! Just imagine! She told me her husband is from the same village but working in a sawmill in Pontianak. Her family members decided that she is not getting any younger and advised her to get married. But again, it is not unusual as most maids do get hitched once they return to their villages. She did not have much choice in this matter and after the wedding, she followed her husband to Pontianak. She told me of her desire to came back to Malaysia to work, but now being married, she has to seek the approval of her husband.

Looking back, I was really surprised and touched that she called and ask about our family and Ruth. It's a nice feeling being remembered, even though, she was just our maid. After all, how many maids call back to ask about their employers after they left?

Long, long, story,,,,

It had been a while. Been too busy or lazy to update my blog. Not sure which one is the actual reason.

Well, we came back from our week long holiday on 7th June 2009. Had lots of fun visiting those historical sites, shopping and satisfying our tastebuds. Ruth managed to complete her history folio and holiday homework. But she also spent some time watching those romantic Korean movies and her favourite cartoons. With her PMR only 4 months away, I had to constantly remind her to complete her revision or else it could be another last minute rush.

I had to rush back to Sibu yesterday afternoon. On Friday evening, mum had a self accident while riding her motorbike to do some shopping. Her bike skidded on the wet road and she sustained bruises and cuts on her knees and elbows. Both were swollen and painful. She is still in pain and can only walk with a limp. According to the doctor, her knee cap was also injuried. After the swelling has gone down, he advised her to seek further treatment. It was a miracle that she was not run over by the other motor vehicles on the road. A kind soul brought her home and John brought her to see the doctor. With mum laid up, I tidied the house, took over the cooking and went shopping for groceries, fish and vegetables. It was tired and exhausting. Just returned back to Bintulu some 3 hours ago. As John is working and sister-in-law still in Mukah, we are looking into employing a part-time maid to cook and clean the house. Hopefully, mum will recover soon.

It seems that the cough bug is playing havoc on me again. Had been coughing on and off for the past week. Need to get some medication from the clinic tomorrow or else others will think that I've got TB.

Some holiday plans

Yipee! It's school holidays again! After a gruelling exam week, Ruth could finally take a breather. She had been burning her midnight oils for the past week, trying to complete her revision in time. The results will be out in two weeks' time and we will see.

I will been taking a week off to visit hubby in Malacca. We need to go round some of the historical sites to take some photographs for Ruth's history project. She is due to hand it up after the holiday break.

Work at office has somewhat ease a bit in view of the coming Gawai holidays. Most of my friends and colleagues who are celebrating Gawai had taken leave to return back to their respective longhouses to celebrate the occasion with family and friends. But, I would expect the tempo to pick up after the break. So, it's "Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai" for those celebrating Gawai and happy holidays for all of the rest.

Wither me....

Here I am sitting in front of the computer and staring at the screen. What am I going to blog about? I had been reading lots of other blogs and marvel at those bloggers who can find so many interesting topics to talk about, whether it is about babies, children, families, pets, travelogue, food, cooking, baking, job, current events, the political scene, etc, etc. Admittedly, I often run out of ideas on what to blog. I must be getting real "rusty" and run-down. Or I am too much of a private person to reveal my innermost feelings and thoughts.

Recently, I read about a book entitled " Against Tall Odds" by Matt Roloff. Matt was born with a disability, that is, he is a little person, or in other words a dwarf. He stands four feet, two inches tall with severe problems in his legs, knees, hips, shoulders, arms that makes it impossible to stand up straight or what without the use of clutches. He spent his childhood in hospitals, undergoing surgeries and going through incredibly painful rehabilitation and isolation. And, yet despite of his "handicaps", he had great success in his professional field- selling computer systems, having a happy marriage and four wonderful healthy children. He enjoyed a great life despite of his physical disability. He doesn't make any excuses or let his disability keep him from enjoying the things other people enjoy or keep him from excelling in whatever he choose to pursue. In fact, he thinks his condition has actually enhanced his life. And he readily admits that God is in control of his life. His story was really an eye-opener for me. And yet, here I am with all my faculties intact and yet I feel so "handicapped" by my so call many excuses and never good enough reasons. Ha! Good enough reason to get going.

So far......

It's already May 2009. Without a doubt, almost half of 2009 is over. Time really flies. I had been quite busy these past few days trying to get Ruth to finish off her geography project which is due at the end of May. For the past week, I was going round with a friend to collect information and maps from the various government departments and the public library. Ruth planned to hand in her project before her second semester exams starts in 10 days' time. Hopefully, she will do well.

Studies aside, I had also been quite busy with work at the office. Seems that there is no end to work, work, work! But, it puts bread and butter on the table and clothes on our backs. So, there is really not much choice hah?

We will be visiting hubby in Malacca for a week during the Gawai holidays at the beginning of June. It will a break from work for me and school for Ruth. We will go round visiting some of the historical sites there to take some photographs for her history project. She has to hand it in after the school break. It's projects, assignments and exams.......Sigh....

Tis it.......

I was surfing through my own blog two days ago. Gosh! it's almost end of April and I had updated it only once during this month. What excuse (s) do I have? True, I had been quite busy recently with work and household chores. Supervising Ruth's history and geography projects which had to be handed in by the end of May. It can be real tiring and exhausting by the end of the day.

After some due consideration, I decided to return to work full time again. I found the 1/2 day working schedule rather exhausting as I had to rush through work in the morning, rush home to prepare lunch, dinner and do all the household chores. After some "hunting", I managed to get a maid to help out in the household chores and cooking. So this will be our routine , hopefully until Ruth sits for her PMR exams. After that, it's holiday time for both of us!

Ruth is working hard on her slimming regime. She had been putting on a few fat pounds recently and found that some of her clothes no longer fit. So, it's back to the weighing scale, oats, steamed stuff and plain water. See how it goes.

Changes...

Changes here & there. In my last blog, I wrote that my Indonesian maid had surgery to remove a lymphoma from her back. She's fully recovered now. But she will be leaving us for Indonesia this Saturday. Four days ago, she received a call from her brother that her mum had an road accident. Her family members insisted that she return home to take care of her mum. So, I had no choice but to let her go. She had been with us for the last three years and I really appreciate her diligence and unassuming personality. Ruth is very attached to her and we were sorry to see her go.

I have decided to work 1/2 day in the mornings only. I had not been in good health for the past few months and I do not want to overly exert myself. With hubby away from home, I had to manage all household chores, decisions and supervising Ruth all by myself. It's really exhausting. Although it means less income, I believe we can adjust and manage somehow.

Ruth is currently very busy with her projects. She had to hand up her history and geography folios by end of May 2009. It's definitely a very busy year for her!

Bits .......

The last two weeks had been busy ones. My maid is recovering well from her surgery and she is helping with the household chores. At least, I could take a breather and take things easy for a while. Last Friday, hubby and I drove back to Sibu for the annual "Ching Ming" or tomb sweeping festival. John also took leave from work and joined us from Mukah. Mum was pleased to see us and prepared her favourite herbal chicken soup and yummy sweet sour fish.

We returned to Bintulu on Saturday as hubby had to fly back to Malacca on Sunday. It was certainly a hectic and tiring time for him. He had been real busy recently and often had to work late into the evenings to ensure that the plant is running smoothly.

Mum will be going for another tour to Turkey and China early next month. She enjoys fairly good health and financial freedom to go globe-trotting. I wish that I could take a break and join her but family and work commitments made it impossible for me to do so at the moment. Maybe some other time...........

A short note........

Phew! The last two days were frantic and hectic. On Wednesday morning, my Indonesian maid complained of pain in her back. I brought her to see our family doctor and upon examination revealed an egg-sized lump on her back. After some probing and scan, the condition was diagnosed as a lymphoma. As the growth was painful and increasing in size, the doctor advised that surgery should be done as soon as possible. I immediately made appointment with the specialist at the clinic and it was done on Thursday evening.

My maid will be laid up for at least a week. So, I had been real busy coping with work at office, housework, taking care of her and Ruth. I had no time for cooking, so I catered food. Of course, it was not as good as home cooking but I had no choice. Ruth also helped with some light housework but that lazy bum need lots of nagging to get things going.

I do hope that she will recover soon as Ruth will start school next week. Thereafter, it will be much busier as I had to be up at 5.30am too prepare breakfast and send her off to school. Hopefully, we can cope fine until things return to normal.

A bit here & there........

The school break is here again! But only for a week. Ruth had just finished her mid-semester exams on Friday. She cannot afford to take a break as she will be sitting for her Grade 5 piano theory exams tomorrow. She had not been doing much revision on her theory exercises, so it's a last minute rush to cover all the topics. Hopefully, she can pass.

Hubby recently install a webcam at our home computer. It makes it alot easier to communicate through Skype with my friend in Perth. And, practically at no cost. For the past month, I had been calling her using i-talk card, which is much cheaper than fixed line rates. She is taking care of her two sons, who are studying in high school and university there. At times, I really envy her. Before migrating to Australia, she was working in one of the local banks Bintulu. She opted for MSS, which paid her a handsome golden handshake. Now, she's enjoying the role of a housewife, taking morning strolls around the parks, cooking for her boys, taking care of her house, garden and participating in church activities. Just imagine, no rushing off to office in the mornings, no deadlines to meet, no job related stress, etc, etc.

Work at the office is getting more demanding with new projects coming up. Seems that I just could not get out from this inevitable "trap" and cycle. Sometimes, I do wonder whether I am born to work! Ha! Ha!

Just a walk......

I am 48 years old today. No grand celebration, just a cake contributed by Ruth, some presents and SMSes from friends. Looking back and taking a walk down memory lane, it had been some life. No doubt, there were highlights, disappointments, defining moments, denials, trials, temptations, blessings and a mixed bag of ups & downs. Memories frozen in time, chapters closed. I must admit that at times, I was careless, insensitive, selfish and selfcentered. Human traits no doubt, but there should be no excuses, right? I had always been guided by my late dad's maxim that "Life is measured not by time but by actions".

But foremost, I had experienced God's goodness, graciousness, mercy and love. Time and time over again, I went astray and sinned but He forgave me and led me back into His fold. Call me a religious freak, if you may, but I must admit that without Him, I would not have lived life to the fullest.

After 48 years, I must say that, life had somewhat made a philosopher out of me. In my younger days, I dreamed big and craved for more. But as the years passed, it mellowed me, drawing me into real life episodes and escapades with grim reminders that life and things in this world are only temporary and fleeting.

Recently, I read a best seller entiled "tuesdays with Morrie". The author Mitch documents his tuesdays with his college professor, Morrie on a journey of discovery on life, love, experiences, death as his professor lay dying. Something refreshing to ponder upon.

I smell roses....

Thank God. I've finally recovered from my nagging cough. But not after a heavy dose of antibiotics and cough medicine. I can say it's one of the worst coughing spells I have ever experience so far. The antbiotics and medicine had numbed my sense of smell and taste so badly that everything seems to be tasteless and odourless. Just the other day, my maid asked me if I detected any "odd" smell in the kitchen. I took a deep breath, plucked up my nose but just could not detect anything unusual. My maid was laughing her head off when she saw me trying to sniff into every nook and cranny in the kitchen. Finally, we found the culprit. A piece of uneaten fish, most probably dropped by our cat, underneath one of the cabinets. Suddenly, it hit me hard, my sense of smell had gone "missing". Even my favourite laksa dish, which I found to be quite spicy tastes rather bland.

Sickness aside, Ruth is burning her midnight and "early morning" oils as her mid semester exams will start sometime next week. She had lamenting over the loss of her beauty sleep. She can snooze up to 8.00am on weekends but now she had to wake up at 5.00am to do her revision. Hopefully, her hard work pays off !

Mum and John will be dropping by Bintulu next week. I am really looking forward to taste her favourite herbal chicken soup and yummy sweet sour fish.

Some updates,,,,,,.

Hai, I am back. But not after 2 weeks of hacking cough and fever. The sick bug seems to be playing havoc on me since the Chinese New Year festivities. First the sore throat, then the hacking cough accompanied by fever. The fever's gone but the hacking cough remained, like a leech.

Two days ago, it was so bad that I developed asthma. My nose was blocked and I had difficulty breathing. It was almost 1.00am when I ask Ruth to call my doctor friend for help. She responded immediately and came over with inhaler, ventolin pills, prayed and stayed with me until the morning. I was really touched by her love and concern for me, despite of the fact she had just recently recovered from cancer. God had been gracious.

Sickness aside, Ruth is busy with her studies. She just finished her PMR Pra 1 last week. The first round of her semester exam will commence in three weeks' time and it's another marathon.
She's been complaining in and out on the hard work she had to put in to do well. I told her that there are no short cuts in life, one has to work hard and smart to succeed.

PTL.......

Time sure flies. It's nine days into the lunar new year and celebrations had toned down considerably. Most businesses had resumed and it's back to work for those who had taken leave. Another year to face amidst the economic crises, financial meltdown and political blickering. Plus, the havoc mother nature played during this rainy season. Most parts of the country were inundanted by floods causing disruption to lives, destruction to properties, crops and livelihood. Looks like we are set to face a tumultous year ahead.

Hubby flew back to Malacca on Sunday. Mum flew back to Sibu on the second day of the new year. Ruth resumed school on Monday. So, it's back to the routine of living.

However, there's one bright spark in the midst of this "depressing" time. In my previous post, I wrote about a dear friend being diagnosed with breast cancer. She had her masectomy done in Kuching and then proceeded to Singapore for the follow-up treatment. She brought her specimen to Mt. Elizabeth Medical Centre and upon further diagnosis, the cancer was non-invasive and at an early stage. When I called her up this morning, she told me that she need not undergo any form of chemoteraphy and only need to take hormone pills for the next few years. We have been praying hard for this sister and it's a testimony of God's goodness and graciousness.

Gong Xi Fatt Chai!

Gong Xi Fatt Chai! May the year of the earth ox usher in happiness, health and wealth to all.

This year we decided not to prepare and cook the reunion dinner. Instead, we catered some dishes from the nearby restaurant. In the previous years, we cooked a tad too many dishes and we could only finish them after two days. Plus, there was plenty of waste and even our cat, Angel was not interested in the leftovers. It was a right move. We managed to polish off most of the dishes and the leftovers were thoroughly enjoyed by Angel and the neighbour's cats.

With the current economic crises, we felt the need to tighten our belts and purchased only the neccessary. Hubby did not even get himself a new shirt but Ruth and I got a new outfit each. When I was shopping in the supermarket for some candies, savouries and soft drinks, I noticed that the varieties of goodies displayed were much less compared to the previous years and alot more expensive. Hard times are really upon us. There were job cuts in almost every sector in of the economy. Hopefully, the government could came up with more innovative ideas and actions to stimulate the economy.

Thus far......

Hai, I am back. The last two weeks had been busy ones, adjusting to Ruth's new school routine and scheduling her tuition classes. In the middle of it, I fell sick with flu, sore throat and a hacking cough. I have recovered from the flu and sore throat, but the nagging cough is still there. Hopefully, I will make a full recovery soon.

Ruth is busy with her studies, as she will be facing her PMR this year. I reminded her to start her revision early, so that she will be well prepared when the exams draws near.

In about a weeks' time, we will be ushering in the year of the "earth" ox. As usual, it's the spring cleaning, getting rid of unwanted clutter, buying some new outfits and ordering of cookies and cakes. It's also the last minute rush to get savouries, candies, soft drinks, etc. etc. Hubby will be back this coming Friday and mum will also be flying in from Sibu. John, sister-in-law and Jane will be spending their lunar new year in Bali. Sister-in-law wanted to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the celebrations and work, so they decided that the resort island is ideal for their vacation.

We will be spending our new year in Bintulu, relaxing, welcoming guests and visiting friends. Happy New Year!

Ups & downs

School started today. Ruth insists that we arrive early to secure a good seat in her new classroom. So, when the alarm sounded at 5.15am this morning, we were rubbing sleep from our eyes and staggering to the dining room for breakfast. After a changing into her uniform, we left home just before six. When we arrived at school, most of her classmates were already there and but she managed to secure a good seat under the ceiling fan. I heard that some of the students were in school before 5.30am!

It will take a while for her to adjust to the routine of morning school as she had been attending afternoon classes for the last two years. She will have to brace herself for another year of assignments, projects, tuitions and examinations. That's the "glamour" of student life, ha! ha!

Studies aside, I was reeling from shock to hear that a very close family friend just had a mastectomy. For the past week, she complained of pain and a lump in her breast. She had a check up at the specialist and after the biospy, it was diagnosed as a highly probable case of breast cancer. When her husband informed me of the news, I was stunned. It hit me real hard, reminding me that cancer does not pick and choose, neither does it limit itself to statistics. A grim reminder of how fragile life can be. I can only beseech the Almighty God to heal and have mercy upon her.