Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Children
I only realized today how this Christmas I am constantly surrounded by children. Children of all ages, from 9 months old right up to 14 year olds. So much of drooling, wailing, shouting for attention, SCREAMING at pitches that must scare ghosts out of graves, fighting and protesting.
The fact I can come out of all of that and still want children of my own is of no credit to me. It can only be how God created women to cope with all that madness called children! Ie hormones!
Being part of the church in Singapore and having some really difficult children in our midst, and a generous allowance given by the mothers to be involved in 'teaching' their children, I've learned so much in the last 1.5 years in handling children. It's really interesting, seeing how the church has evolved to be a community that gets involved in teaching one another the ways of God.
I was going to say we don't even have any qualms smacking some of the more difficult children when they misbehave but I think it's actually only The Pastor, The Pastor's Wife and myself who do the smacking! :S What's this single and childless punk doing eh smacking other people's children?
In many ways, I am thankful my mother has taught me The Iron Fist methods of raising and disciplining children. I am also thankful the Lord had led me to London and established close relationships with Christian families, especially the distinguished L family (say their name and you can see a few eyes rolling as people sigh in agreement that they are as perfect as perfect gets). Seeing the different methods of bringing up children, I think it will be interesting what kind of mother I'll end up being.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Christmas celebration
My boss "arrowed" (Singaporean slang for volunteering someone to do something) me to organize a Christmas dinner for the team and I had such a headache looking at everyone's schedules because there was always someone missing for the entire month of December.
So we finally decided to have a Christmas celebration in November, a day before my boss disappeared for his holiday. We went for sashimi buffet. Yum.
The entire team including the extended support folks.
The present my boss bought for everyone. I demanded to know why I got the cow icon.
The funniest candid picture of the night.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
The year ends
Aaaahhh... it's that time of the year again.
Always it seems to happen just about this period, a few weeks before the year ends. When I start reflecting on the last 11 month, and then get a sense of what the next 12 months might bring.
The Lord has kicked ass with me this year, He was not bluffing when He said He would. Oh, He kicked it well and good. As a friend declared, we have sprinted, so tired, but with extraordinary strength, the Lord gives, that charges us up to keep running.
And what will next year bring?
I sense the word "soaring". That is, very good. Thank You, Lord.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Smell and sounds
It is the rainy season now, and weather has been pretty predictable. Strong sunny weather in the first half of the day, and then heavy showers in the second half of the day. Yesterday I was reminded of the many things that I love, and why Singapore makes me happy (for now...).
As I walked out to get some stuff from the nearby shop, the weather was windy and cool, and for some reason, the tranquility of the Sunday afternoon reminded me of Heaton, the tranquil neighbourhood in Newcastle I often walked across. It reminded me of a place children could run around the streets and grow up in, and where you could go home after work in the evenings and rest and enjoy the surroundings (I don't do enough of this).
Everytime I hear a certain type of bird caw at my condo, I always think of Taiping, where my earliest childhood memories are. I always remember of the time when I crossed the streets of Taiping town from my grandfather's store to the nearby night market, where there were yet trishaws and those birds cawed as the evening settled. I remember looking up to the skies trying to catch sight of the birds in the greying skies, and with my hand in my grandmother's I would wonder at the sound.
I wish I knew what those birds were called. I only hear them in Singapore other than Taiping, not even in KL.
Sometimes I would catch a whiff in the air that reminds me of Taiping.
A forgotten memory yesterday evening came drifting back, how when I lived in London, I would carelessly think to myself that I missed the heavy downpours in Malaysia of how the earth has been cleansed after a big shower.
Now, if only toads would croak loudly in the night after a heavy shower.
