Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The lambs in the wild
So one of my ex-housemates in London, who now lives in Scotland, had a very scary moment when her new husband was admitted into hospital for pneumonia.
Sara... how I love Sara!
She's a talkative Italian where if you asked her one small question, she might very well start her answer with a story from when she was a child leading all the way up to her adulthood just to answer a very small question!
She was one of the very very few who I could get to a very deep and raw level of soul-baring. We shed tears a few times in some of our most vulnerable moments.
The day the Lord revealed I would leave London for Singapore, I was shaken and close to tears the whole day. Leaving London was always at the back of my head, but the moment the realisation of that reality hit me, it did not feel good. But I did try to fight off the dismay in me the whole day through reason and fact.
By the end of the day when I finally got back to 52, I thought I had my feelings under composure. The first person I saw in the kitchen, as I always do, was Sara and I tried to tell her nonchalantly and as matter-of-factly as I could of what I had learnt.
But I burst out crying immediately the moment I started telling Sara. I didn't even know then how I would get to Singapore, and I felt I was already packing up to leave! Sara always seemed to stand before me bare to the core of her soul and that just forces me to strip my own self-protecting layers away in reaction. That is the kind of affect Sara has over me.
Knowing some of the hurts from her own past, the news of her husband ill sank straight down to my stomach when I heard it.
I just had to give Sara a call tonight. I just had to. And to hear her voice, to hear the tired but firm strength in her voice, it was so good. It was a relief to hear that her husband will be discharged from the hospital. But after giving me as much news as she could in a short time, she could still turn her eyes away from her own situation to ask me how I was.
And it's funny, it's a phone conversation across a great span of distance, but it still felt as if she was still looking into my soul as she did standing 3 feet away from me in 52's kitchen. And I told her in as much words as possible that Singapore's great, and then proceeded to cry.
I think it was that little place of refuge in London that all of us hurting souls had somehow found ourselves converged to shelter from the battering storm, that I was missing. That moment where we learnt to heal in that shared moment of vulnerability, trusting in one another as we sheltered under the love of the Father.
And I missed that. How I miss that fellowship. That sharing of hurt, joy, fears and hopes with absolutely no pretense, no wariness or guards put up around oneself.
Before we hung up she told me she loved me and I her. One lamb stuck in the wild of the cold to the other lamb stuck in the tropical wild.
Labels: Church tales, Friends, Travels
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Attempted Setup #1
So a church member recently wanted to set me up with someone from her boyfriend's church. And she was describing him to me:
K: He's a worship leader in church...
Me: Hmm... (yeah, no, not a selling point to me)
K: He plays the guitar and sings really well!
Me: Nnnhh... (well, nice to know, but again, not something I look for in a guy)
K: He's 35 and still single but it's not because there's anything wrong with him. He's got loads of girls interested in him.
Me: Mmm... (ok, at least he's single)
K: Oh oh... and the best part is! He loves his mother a lot!! He accompanies her everywhere!!! *Looks expectantly at me*
Me: Yeah?No.
And with that, he was written off.
I have loads of respect for men who love their moms, and I think it's important and if I've got a son, I want him to love me loads too. But I'm opinionated; I can be headstrong and if I'm really convinced with something, I'll stick to my guns. But I'm also soft-hearted and I believe in creating a win-win situation as much as I can without being stupidly stubborn.
The picture of this chap K took made me feel that he was a gentle and caring man. And no offense to Singaporean men, but to date, the impression I get of them is that they have an inherent culture of conformity. Individuality and rebelliousness is not appreciated.
These days I avoid female power plays as much as I can. Too much energy wasted trying to manage women who feel they should be in the alpha position. And so a gentle man whose mother is used to having his full attention is not something I want to go near. What more a gentle man who is used to accepting established authority.
Of course I can't know everything just by a short description and a picture. There is of course more to my thoughts than just this behind my utter conviction that this guy is not the one I'm waiting for.
Guess I'll just keep waiting!
Labels: Church tales, Friends
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Wingman Buruk
Jingz and Mingz, the Fashion Brothers
One of this days, when I think it's safe for public consumption, I'll tell this story about my friend, who I now call Wingman Buruk. It's a funny one to me, which really tickles me everytime I think about it.
During the weekend, I was in Malaysia, and I caught up with a small group of friends from management trainee days. Working in the Singapore office now, with my group of networks pretty much resetted, I realise now what a real blessing it is, to have been part of the management trainee program and get to grow up as adults with this bunch of people.
Loads of us have gone separate ways, but it's still pretty fun coming back occasionally and sprouting nonsense and laugh at each other's lame jokes and talk about secret alliances amongst one another.
Labels: Friends
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ana
This is Ana, my lil' godsister.
She is a star.
She's intelligent, speaks quite adult-ish despite only being 4 years old, because she's usually surrounded by adults.
She's got a really good memory, as her father will always remind me, especially when it comes to memorising Bible verses, to make me feel deep shame of myself (he didn't achieve his objective though, because I have no shame). She also remembers each adult she meets even despite a lengthy time lapse between the first time she met them to the next.
She has a really strong sense of justice and she will not brook any perceived unjust, unfriendly and un-nice word or action said against her or anyone she considers her friends.
She's one of my biggest joy and blessing in Singapore! Every weekend when I meet her at church, she always lights up my day. Although, we did make her cry last Friday night because the adults were too interested to talk to one another and no one wanted to play with her.
It reminded me of Hannah L who used to warn me not to do any boring adult talk!
Labels: Church tales, Friends
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Kids
I think of my church in London (IPC) a great deal as they have been a model Church in the love they have shared amongst one another and for anyone and everyone that touches the members of the church in any way; through joining the services, or having met a member on the streets.
Despite having moved to Singapore for a few months now, I still feel very much remembered and loved by the church. Sometimes I think they miss me more than I do them!
But the ones I truly miss... are the kids! I feel more heavily the regret of not being able to watch them grow up, and knowing that by now the toddlers would have forgotten that they once smiled readily at me when I see them during the weekends.
Pastor Paul and Claire L's baby Noah opening his birthday present from me. This was during my farewell party and after I spent an hour crying. No one could coax me out of my tearful state until Claire sent Noah to say hi to me.
I've been attending a small, nameless church in Singapore and I am so glad that there are children within the church! When I first met JT and her four kids, it was a challenge to get them to warm up to me because of the family history and the kind of temperament the family has.
But after a few weeks of regularly meeting this family and praying over them, the ice is beginning to thaw at an accelerated pace. The most clingy toddler is now willing to allow other adults other than his mother to hold him. And today he willingly climbed up my lap to play with me.
The 9 year old ADHD child has been hungrily seeking more and more affirmation from the church and it is nice to see the edge of her rebellious streak softening just ever so slightly.
The independent and aloof 1 year old baby girl who only allowed the maid to take care of her has surprisingly been quite clingy to me today - very quick to extend her arms to me to carry her. She even hit the pastor and gave him a glare when he was talking to me and keeping my attention away from her.
Today, despite having 4 adults taking care of 3 kids while their mother had some time off to have Bible study, some of us were feeling exhausted by the time we called it a day. The best part about kids is undoubtedly the part when you can nudge them towards their parents and say, "Time to go home!!! Bye!!!"
Labels: Church tales, Friends
Friday, July 23, 2010
Some things will never change
The phone rang yesterday morning at 10am and I saw it was Gurjeet. As I was having a busy morning as work is finally hitting me hard, I picked it up with my crisp "I'm-working-what-do-you-want" voice.
Guju: Errr... hello? Ooo... errr... I called you? Sorry... wrong person!
Me: Stupid woman.
Guju: I pressed the wrong speed dial... I wanted to call someone else to ask to go for lunch later...
Me: GURJEET!!!! It's 10AM in the morning!!!! 10 YEARS GURJEET, 10 YEARS!!! And you are STILL thinking about lunch early in the morning!!!!
Guju: Hahahahha...
Sigh... some things just will never change. Most mornings, she would come to classes during college days, sit down, stare at the few of us and declare, "I'm hungry. What are we going to have for lunch?!"
Honestly, at least 50% of her brain capacity is geared towards food.
Labels: Friends, Random things
Friday, July 16, 2010
Old friend weds
Being in London for 3 years, I missed a number of weddings of friends in Malaysia.
Jo's wedding is the first Malaysian wedding I've gone to in a while. It felt amazing, seeing so many familiar faces I've not seen for years, and each bringing back a memory or two of a long forgotten past.
Before I left the wedding lunch, I was speaking to his dad, he told me that he thought his son would propose to me. And he asked if I remembered how I used to come to their place all the time when I was much younger.
I forgot about it, but I used to pass their house every week on my way to Math tuition. I did spend quite a bit of time in the same circle of friends with Jo as well. It was nice to see how his wedding really comprised a lot of friends he had known most of his life growing up, and it was the first time it struck me so clearly that Jo is a sentimental softy who values his friendships deeply.
It almost felt as if the wedding was a celebration of Jo growing up.
Labels: Friends
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Unemployed
In Singapore, waiting to be given my start dates at work. In the meantime, I
have to learn to enjoy my break from work. Or rather, learn to spend money without being stricken by sense of poverty just because I don't have a source of income replacing money spent.
I think of London occasionally and wistfully muse to myself of what life would be like if the Lord decided the best would be for me to remain there. But even so, I can't imagine life beyond what it was.
It is good, to be where I am right now, even amidst the state of "unemployment". Certainly learning the discipline of delayed gratification.
It's only a shame that I would not be able to enjoy the English summer skies for a third year.
One spring Sunday afternoon in 52. Games after lunch. I was not part of this group as I was with another group of people in Paul and Claire's home for lunch. I came home in time to take a few pictures.
Labels: Church tales, Friends, Musings
Monday, October 12, 2009
Hong Kong 09 Part 4
My one year in Newcastle for my undergraduate was a truly truly blessed time. It was filled with so much rich friendships, despite how little of each other's lives we actually knew. As long as we connected with one another during that period, the friendship was special, no matter how briefly that connection was.
I met up with Christina in Hong Kong, who I got to know better when she visited Malaysia after my time in Newcastle. We had a great time catching up. She asked me what I would like to have for dinner and I immediately declared -
hawker food! And she accused me of being like Ah Chan, who demanded the same thing last time she was in Hong Kong.
As she took me around err... one of the many Hong Kong markets (some place that sold lots of goldfish), we passed a stall that sold
chow tau fu (smelly taufu) which smelt like rotten chicken. I made a face at it but when Christina told me how much Yvonne Chan looooooooves it I thought I would give it a go.
This is me just before sinking my teeth into it.
This is me not being too impressed with it and thinking, "
What is wrong with that Ah Chan!?!"
This is me trying to drown my chow tau fu with sauce to mask the taste
This is me trying to brave a smile
Boneless chicken wing... this I liked!!! I think I look like my pa in this picture.
Yep, I likeys this boneless chicken wings a lot
Fishballs. Yum. I'm making myself hungry now thinking of all the good food I had in Hong Kong.
Some mango drink that was really good.
Mango tau fu fah!!! Yep, Christina was finally having her revenge from us overfeeding her in her visit to Malaysia.
Labels: Friends, Travels
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Nottingham
While Malaysia had May Day public holiday on Friday, the UK had theirs on the Monday. For some reason, public holidays tend to fall on Mondays though I've never been curious enough to ask why. I decided to visit Doctor Ming at Nottingham, where he's based temporarily before he heads back to Newcastle.
When I arrived in Nottingham on Saturday afternoon, he whisked me off in his Mazda sports car (his habit of claiming of being poor and with no money earned no more sympathy after I saw his car) to Birmingham for a Malaysian lunch. Birmingham is about an hour away.
The next day we went to Peak District, which was also an hour away. It was an interesting drive, to picturesque country side and I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I was awake.
I can't help it! I've been programmed since young to sleep the moment I am in a car. I like sleeping in cars. You can only see that much of trees for so long.
You can take a girl out of Malaysia, but you can't take Malaysia out of the girl. Especially if she's from KL. We went to Buxton, and the well, countrysides can't really have that much to differ from one another right? Trees are trees. Fields are fields. And it was cold.
In short, nature is nice, but well. Anyway. I did enjoy myself, I really did. But one experience is enough for me thank you!
We arrived a bit too late to do some tree climbing activities that includes high wire walking, flying fox, etc. We ended up taking a cave tour. The guide was pretty good in explaining the cave and the stalagmites and stalactites and stuff. And it really made me feel in awe at the Creator's intricate design of the world. But the Malaysianness of Ming and I was questioning why we paid £7 per person for a 15 minute talk, where walking one end of the cave to the other would have taken 2 minutes.
We then hiked a bit to where there was a stone structure named Solomon's Temple.
Ming, tying his shoelace in front of Solomon's TowerWe climbed to the top of the tower but couldn't stay up there for too long because the wind was so strong.
On Monday morning, before I took the train home, Ming drove me around Nottingham city centre to make sure I can at least say that I've visited Nottingham!
Labels: Friends, Travels
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Yummy Sunday lunches
A couple of weeks ago Shanx2, who is a fantastic cook, invited a bunch of us for lunch at the church garden after service.
As she refused all form of help prior to lunch, the rest of us after setting up tables, played with frisbees and enjoyed the lovely summer afternoon.
The guys hard at work setting up everything
I had the important task of taking pictures of course.
The bluebells appeared out of nowhere to grace the church garden
Chris and err... forgot her name. She recently joined the church after spending a number of years attending All Souls (a famous and very large and rich church I might add, physically and spiritually in Central London). Whenever someone from All Souls joins little IPC, the pastor feels like Robin Hood. Taking from the rich (ie All Souls) to feed the poor (ie IPC). Though to be fair, we're as rich as rich can get.
Sarah on the left end, William on the right.
We spent quite a bit of time looking for the frisbees that were thrown wildly into the thick bushes
The absolutely amazing lunch Shanx2 prepared. William on the left, Shanx2, Chris and South-African-girl-whose-name-will-come-back-to-me
Rupert, Rhiannon, Sarah and Paul H
Labels: Friends
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Happiness
How is it that life can be so busy without you really realising it?
Work has been much slower pace since my last job in Malaysia, but still no less busy! Sometimes I am dead bored and feel my will to leave sap through the cracks of slow moving time. But when I start to moan ever so slightly, I am reminded to be thankful to have a job in times like this. Especially a job outside my own home turf. God's blessing has been numerous.
It has also given me the time and energy to pick up other things. I'm again thankful for the Lord to help me sit one afternoon to decide to do different things this year, learning new skills and new hobbies and helped me to actually follow through with it though I was tempted to just forgo it and slip back to my comfortable pattern of last year's life.
I've since met new people, learned new things and have a fresh shot of adrenaline running in me! Nothing like adrenaline.
I only recently realised that I've had to contend with huge learning curves in the last 5 years, with change of jobs, new environments and new people dynamics. And last year, the learning curve slowed a bit and I was not used to it. So now that the learning curves have picked up again, I'm a much happier person!
In between classes, work, church activities (which is certainly much less and balanced!), I'm also learning to squeeze in time to read books (I've already started on my 3rd book for the year!) and even in the small minutes in between work have squeezed in some revising of lessons. I'm having an unexpectedly good start to the year that I'm quite happy.
But as always, my problem is I have poor skills on multi-tasking and relationships is once again not doing all too well. I don't spend as much time with friends anymore, and trying to squeeze in as much alone time as I can (thus more blog posts).
I'm glad that during working hours and being stuck to the computer as I do, it has allowed me to have good chats with friends across the globe, and I think that that has been feeding me with my interaction needs. I can't chat with too many people at one go, usually only person at a time, so I'm actually glad things has worked out that I chat with one of them in the mornings, another person in the afternoons, and sometimes catching some time with another person in the evenings! The three people that have been absolutely essential to my well being for the last one year plus! Without these three, I think I could be half mad by now.
Anyway, life is good! :)
Labels: Friends, Musings
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
RM150
To the dear friend,
I'm glad I risked betting on a RM150 I did not have, in absolute confidence that I would not lose a RM150 if you came with me to the camp.
I'm also glad God made sure I wouldn't lose RM150 that I did not have, and that you did not know I did not have RM150 and would not be able to honour my promise for a long time after that.
Funny how our friendship started from RM150 and is now invaluable. Funny because you were the last person I wanted to say yes to the camp at that point of time. :)
Labels: Friends
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday nights
Every Tuesday nights I have the church homegroup at the Andrew and Nicky's. Unlike most of the other homegroups, ours is the only one that has dinner together before Bible study and prayer. I've always joked with a few others from different homegroups that they are too boring, just having Bible study and that's that.
There are always new faces appearing in our homegroup because it's meant to be more geared towards internationals, and students from the local university, so attendance is always very fluid.
Having been away for 2 months, I was surprised to see 80% of the people there tonight were new faces but funnily enough, all of a sudden the internationals have now become the minority and the English folks are again the majority.
I got to A&N's early from work, and the family was setting up their Christmas decorations.
Andrew and 6yo son
Nicky and 7 yo daughter
Alistair intimidates me. Yep. Coz he tends to get rough when he gets too excited playing, and I got hit by a stick on the head and whipped on my back by him before. But he's actually a sweet sweet boy. When I was cleaning the church alone one time, he stopped and asked me whether I needed help, when all the other kids were playing. And while his sister (and parents!) can be very competitive, he tries to help people win and makes the rules biased enough for other people to win.
Dominic is the cutest kid in the church! He speaks with a lisp, walks with a wobble, an earthquake can't wake him when he sleeps and he gives the shiest looks. I try to be very careful not to be impartial to him when Alistair is around, because although Alistair acts tough, he's actually sensitive and would like people to be just as affectionate towards him as they are to his little brother.
It was so sweet, apparently when I went to the first Sunday service after I landed on Saturday evening, I sat in front of Alistair and Dominic and apparently they both told their father, "Supergirl is here!"
I have a superman T-shirt which all the kids from church know and they always ask why I'm not in my superman T-shirt.
Rupert helping with dinner preparations while Paul H supervises.
Waiting for the rest of the people to start dinner
South Africans - Alicia and Maria
Labels: Friends
Monday, December 08, 2008
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
I'm trying to make it a point to take more pictures to accompany the blog, since it makes things a little more interesting and family and friends can see what I'm seeing rather than them trying to imagine it.
Last Friday, I went to Hyde Park with Anna, where they were having a German Christmas market, which had food, drinks, rides, knick knacks, band playing Christmas music and a ice skating rink.
I must be getting old. Anna wanted to go on a ride but I was not keen. But also because the ride she wanted to go on was just going round and round and round in the air. I was not keen with the idea of getting motion sickness, which I can be prone to. Anyway, the weather was so cold, I probably get motion sickness
and freeze. So no.
We had mulled wine, which was nice and warming. It was only a small little plastic cup, but we met one of Anna's German friends after that and she was talking about how she could only finish half the cup of the mulled wine which made Anna and I look at each other guiltily, because we had finish our own cups.
Afterwards, when we were in the tube on our way home, we both struggled a bit, because we were a bit sleepy from the wine.
Band playing Christmas songs
Anna's German friend's store selling German Christmas decoration
Labels: Friends
Friday, June 06, 2008
And so we roughed it
So Jono, Martin and I went camping. We borrowed Ali H's 5-man tent, which fit 3 air beds just nicely, so we agreed that it was meant to be a 5-man-cram tent.
We actually set up camp in the backyard of Jono's friend's parents' house on Friday night, splitting the 4 hour journey to Wales over two days. After a 3 course supper that was prepared for us, the three of us settled in the tent and since we all were tired from work we were eager to fall asleep. Ten minutes later, Jono and I shouted in the darkness...
"PARSLEY!!!"Jono's friend's big black Doberman decided that he wanted to sleep with us to and came barging into the tent. We had to push it back out and zipped up the tent, to which the Doberman sat outside whining for a bit.
After that, I slept beautifully sound, and woke up in the morning to the guys muttering about some stupid bird that kept them awake from 4am onwards and they couldn't believe I slept through it. No, you can't underestimate my abilities to sleep anywhere anytime at all.
On Saturday morning, we went horseback riding in Wales! It was a bit weird when I first got on top of the big horse, but liked it very much. Jono, being a little more experienced, went of on a separate galloping route, while Martin and I stuck with the walking trail. But at one point, it so happened our guide was behind the two of us making sure that the horse was alright or something, and Martin decided to be a little adventurous and kicked his horse into a canter, without knowing that my horse was used to following the lead of the horse in front of it. So without me being prepared for it to move, was caught in surprise with one leg free of the stirrup and trying to hold on to my balance while trying to pull my reins to stop the horse.
The poor guide, who was a student in Cardiff University, was so frightened, because she shouldn't have allowed that to happen because we could have had a bad accident. But it was a good thing that we didn't really go that fast and my horse was only really interested in eating grass and plants than exercising herself.
Later in the afternoon we decided to hike up one of the hills, to which Martin proved himself to be one of the most straightforward guy around. He basically decided that the best way to hike the hill was to go straight up. Literally. Even despite me saying that there seemed to be a proper track going round the hill. No, he said. Straight up, he said. Tempt the wrath of the strong gust of winds, no proper trail to let us know it's perfectly safe, ignore the heart-thumping fear in face of the possibility of the winds blowing you over the steep hill and plunge you to your death, he might as well have said.
Naw, just being drama mama. It was perfectly safe although I did realise that I do have a slight fear of heights after all.
Jono and Martin posing for the camera
To be continued...
Labels: Friends, Travels
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Malaysian week
The month of May was very meriah indeed! The Monday evening after KC and I got back from Paris, we met up with Ezreen and husband and Razim, who so happened to be in London that week. Yes, I have many rich friends indeed.
And Shiva and KC decided to be a tag team. Shiva arrived in London a day just before KC went back to Malaysia, to make sure I'm not lonely.
I took them to Four Seasons, apparently the best roast duck ever, according to one of my ex-colleague who is a typical cinapek who loves his food. When a cinapek like him declares that it is good, you
have to believe it is good.
And it
was good.
Four Seasons is so popular, we were thankful we arrived there when we did, because though we had to wait for half an hour before we could get a seat, 10 minutes after we arrived, the queue of patrons suddenly ballooned and some people were told that they had to wait for more than an hour.
I never really liked duck myself, but the duck in London somehow seems fatter and more succulent than any duck you can find in Malaysia.
Shiva
Me and KC
The long awaited roast duck
Yum....
Yes, it was goooood.
See the happy face. KC was complaining the whole time about how the food in London was bad. He was finally happy to have the best meal just before he was due to leave.
Obligatory group shot outside the restaurant.
As Shiva said, it was good to be able to have a meal with friends, which meant more to me than him, because he would go back to Malaysia and meet KC again. But it was a rare blessing to have among my closest friends from ex-company to talk, catch up on news and laugh.
Labels: Friends
Friday, May 02, 2008
Needed R&R
On Wednesday morning, I got caught in the train without my umbrella. Having had my throat tingle for a couple of days, I was on the verge of falling ill anyway, and being caught in the rain sealed the deal for it.
I left the office half an hour early, but adulthood being less fun and glamourous (though still fun and glamourous just less glossy in reality) as I had imagined, still required me to buy groceries, get some stuff done before my body began to really protest at 11.30pm to make me rest.
The next morning I woke up wondering if I should stay home or not. Because though I felt tired, I'm always tired every morning anyway. After praying about it for a short while, it didn't feel like I was being purposely lazy, so stayed in bed.
The demands of adulthood responsibilities kept me up and out nonetheless. Was out getting stuff needed around the house, though the weather in the afternoon was nice enough for me to have my lunch out in the garden and spent 15 minutes sunbathing while lying on the grass. You really appreciate the sun whenever it's not clouded with rain.
Had a few hours of solid sleep after that in my room despite having my two terrorists housemates running upanddownupanddownupanddownupanddown the corridor, making me so tempted to tell them to just play in the lounge. When I managed to fall asleep, I was thankfully oblivious to them.
Then Anna came round in the evening because she needed a break from her studies. Went on to help with the weekly youth work at church, and after that spent time hanging out with friends. Rather than lie about 'resting', for the most part I've been up and about, and it's funny how I feel so much more refreshed this way.
Labels: Friends
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Internet junkies
One of the big reasons I'm moving out, besides my new place being cheaper, is because my current flat's internet connection sucks big time. -_-
Do remember I used to spend 70% of my time working in one of the top three IT companies in the world, where speed in doing business was key. And the connection in my home in Malaysia was suitably satisfactory to internet junkies thanks to my brother.
The connection here is so bad that it takes forever to upload something, impossible to download files, and annoying to chat online.
I kept telling my new landlord that I'm not a demanding tenant, except that I have one uncompromising demand, I
need broadband.
Then the other day I was talking to someone and it occurred to me that I may not have mentioned that I need
wireless broadband.
So when I saw my landlord on Wednesday evening, I clarified with him that I preferred wireless. He looked at me and patted his chest saying, "Don't worry,
I need wireless broadband."
Then it occurred to me, South Korea is among the countries with highest broadband connectivity, and another Korean from church complained to me before that the broadband speed in England is very very slow compared to that in Korea!
And my landlord shook his head as he lamented of the deprivation of high-speed connectivity in England. I warned him about the poor connection from my flat's current provider and was more than happy when he declared that he'd rather pay more to other providers as long as he gets the best connection.
Yeeap. Moving in with them is looking more and more positive. We'll get along just fine.
Labels: Friends
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Hopeful
I've started to bring bits and pieces of stuff to the new house I'm moving into throughout the last few days (by last few days I mean Sunday and today) so that come Saturday, I can move the main bulk of my luggage with ease and no fuss.
KiCheol and I were in my room talking this evening, and his very loud and outspoken daughter kept calling me trying to interrupt our conversation. I finally looked at her and told her firmly to say
excuse me if she wanted to get our attention, to which her father told me to help teach her manners, because she could be quite rude at times.
Then just before we moved out of the room I squatted down to look at her eye to eye and told her very firmly to promise me that she would not touch my things and that when I moved in, my room was off limits to her. She hesitated a bit and her father repeated my instructions in Korean before she said yes. I think that dashed her many hopes to have a 24/7 playmate.
They also had another Korean man as a guest in their house, but he didn't speak much English. As we sat drinking Korean tea he started talking animatedly to KiCheol and wife while waving his arms at their daughter and 4 year old son. KiCheol and wife started laughing and despite not understanding a word he was saying, could easily tell he was describing how the girl's character was a strong one and was not hesitant to charge ahead while the boy was quiet and shy.
KiCheol then described to me that his daughter is like a man while his son was like a woman while he grinned at them.
The very next moment his daughter started fighting for a bag of chocolates as did his son, but their mother was trying to dissuade them from grabbing it, so sitting furthest from them, I took the bag away and his son immediately burst out crying while his daughter dove across the table to snatch it back, and tried to escape the moment she caught it, tangled her legs with the chair and fell down.
Everyone started laughing and KiCheol gleefully pointed at his children and told me how that proved his point.
I've had my reservations about moving in with a family with young kids, but seeing how warm they were with one another and me finally deciding to be a firmer adult with the two of them rather than trying to be too much their chum and seeing them respond, I think it could be quite good after all.
Labels: Friends
