Randomness.......

I have been back to Sibu, Sarawak for almost a month. Things have fairly settled in a routine with household chores, church on Sunday and surfing the net during the free time. But, it's getting really boring. I love to read but there not much reading material around. When I was in Perth, I often visit the Willetton Public Library where there are lots of novels, magazines, periodicals, etc to keep the day going. One can borrow up to 10 books for 3 weeks.

I hope that mum will start renovating the house sometime next week, at least, I will have something to occupy myself with. I am also looking forward to our planned tour of Beijng in October with a few church friends from Perth. Hubby had always wanted to visit the imperial city with its iconic Great Wall, palaces, Water Cube and Bird's Nest Stadium.

Hubby's in Adelaide visiting Ruth. He also took the opportunity to fly to Alice Springs, to see first hand   Ayers Rock, a famous tourist attraction in the Northern Territory.

Oops! It's the empty nest syndrome.

I came across the phrase " empty nest syndrome" on several occasions in the passing but never seriously dwelt on the implication until Ruth left to continue her tertiary education in the University of Adelaide, South Australia.

For about 17 years, she has always be my confidante, friend and someone for me to nag and boss around. After she left for university, I began to miss her. Suddenly, it hit me hard, that I am experiencing the empty nest syndrome. Like many others, I did not anticipate it coming that soon. The first few months were difficult as I was feeling lonely and lost without her. Although our mother-daughter bond remained strong, her presence gave me the assurance that everything is well with her.

Like many parents, letting go for the first time has been difficult, especially when she is my only child. When she chose to study away from home, I questioned the decision many times and wondered about the implications, more on her well-being and ability to cope on her own. But she told me that she wanted an opportunity to manage her own life and learn to live independantly.

After about 4 months, I visited her in Adelaide. I found that she has grown into a more sensitive and mature lady, able to manage her studies and make decisions in her life. I realised that she needs to be "away" to grow as I will not be able to "accompany" her for life. By letting go, we learn to appreciate each other more.

Latest news.......

I am really ashamed. After almost 2 years MIA , I finally decided that I had no further excuses not to continue my blogging. Time really flies. Ruth finished her high school last year and move on to university. It had been a long and challenging  road but we made it.

I have also worked on a casual basis as a cleaner for almost a year, trying to make ends meet. It's an eye-opener, as back home in Malaysia , most of such menial tasks were done by our Indon maids. In Australia, cleaners are quite well-paid but the work is hard. I work with another guy and we sometimes clean up to 4 houses a day.

I have also managed to fulfil my 2 out of 5 years of permanent residency requirements, so we can apply for the return visa to maintain our PR. At the moment, I am in Sibu, Sarawak keeping mum company and helping her with the house renovations.
Looking back for the past two and half years in Perth, I found that God has been good. He has seen us through those good and not so  good times. I really receive lots of prayer and support from our church and friends.