I have a prayer to say.

Today, my mum will be going through her second of six chemotherapy session, for stage 2 ovarian cancer. Three weeks ago, i was sitting beside her when she went through her first session. She was scared, she was nervous, she was unprepared, but she was also strong. Since that fateful day, she has been coping well. She is still as positive as ever. Even though her hair has started thinning, my sis told me when i called home a few days ago, they managed to turn it into a positive outcome by being playful and making jokes.

 

At this moment, as i am writing this, my mum should be receiving her second dosage. My heart, mind and soul goes out to her. I pray for her well-being. I pray for her, strength to overcome the side effects that may arise, and love from above.

 

I love you, mummy, and i miss you too. Take care of yourself, you will be better soon.

Mom's Hands

REENA SHARMA

To the strongest woman I will ever know.
At first glance Mom's hands may seem crippled and meek.
She flinches when you bump them and her grip is quite weak.
But these hands are a reflection of the woman inside,
although burdened with limits, still strong with pride.
When opening a jar seems too great a task,
it's only after great hesitation that she finally asks.
Don't let that mislead you for you must understand.
It's not what they can't do, but rather what they can.
These hands have the strength to raise a family right,
to wipe away every tear and hold you real tight.
They come together each day in prayer,
and whenever you need them, they're always right there.
So if these hands don't appear all that tough,
Remember they're full of tenderness and love
and for me that's enough. 
 

I have a flashback. Part 2

After escaping winter by going back to Singapore for holidays, i came back towards the end of July 2007. I was, again, staying at the student accommodation, as i signed a one year lease.

 

If you look closely, theres a bottle of vodka hidden in the wardrobe.

Common area.

This semester, i was asked to take over as the treasurer of the Singapore Students' Association, which i was happy to oblige. The social club brings together Singaporeans from the university, and organizes activities for everyone to participate and bond.

 

Go Singapore!

Throughout the semester, we celebrated quite a number of birthdays;

 

Surrounded by guys.

Birthday celebration.

Birthday celebration, again.

Incidentally, it was my housemate's birthday too. We celebrated twice (unfair!) for him, once with Singapore friends, and once with our accommodation complex's friends, which we decided to play a bit of dress-up-the-birthday-boy fun;

 

Surrounded by girls.

 

Cake and wine makes one fine.

 

Like a dad teaching his son how to tie a tie.

 

Officewear fetish, anyone?

The 2007 Australia University Games was held on the Gold Coast during the mid-semester break (this year it's in Melbourne). I took the opportunity to take part in the squash event, with which our uni sent in 2 teams. Overall, we did okay, the two teams came in third and seventh, out of eight teams. Hehe.

 

Squashies.

 

Both teams, together.

 

Don't be deceived by his looks, he's German.

 

Canadian sausage and German Frankfurter.

At the end of the semester, 5 of my friends and me decided to rent a car and drive down to Sydney for a week. We rented a 7-seater SUV which fitted all of us comfortably. We took turns to drive, as it was a 10-12 hours' drive from the Gold Coast to Sydney. We reached Sydney early in the morning, and decided to go to Bondi Beach to look see.

 

Bondi.

 

Expensive houses fronting Bondi.

 

Aussie surfer dude.

Towards the late morning, we met up with a lady whom we are renting our week's accommodation from. We rented a penthouse in the Parramatta suburb, about 20 minutes drive to downtown Sydney, and got it at a steal! If i remember correctly, we paid slightly more than $1000 for a week, which works out to about $180 per person, or $25 a night.

 

Welcome home.

 

Where the drinking, card games and mahjong happens.

 

Bedrooms.

 

Kitchen.

 

View outside the balcony.

We went to the famous Sydney Fish Market. In fact, we went twice, the second trip there towards the end of our holiday. Peter's Fish Market cooks up the best seafood platter, whereas the chinese cafe just outside Peter's does quite a nice salmon laksa;

 

Fishy business.

 

Peter's Fish Market.

 

Yummy.

We went to downtown Sydney, to the usual icons like the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Pancakes on the Rocks,Chinatown and Max Brenner;

 

Harbour Bridge.

 

Opera House.

 

Massive pancakes at Pancakes on the Rocks.

 

Chinatown, where we went around looking for sambal kang kong.

 

Max Brenner.

 

One legged bird!

We visited the Three Sisters up at the Blue Mountains, and also Scenic World;

 

We are prettier than the Three Sisters.

 

Scenic World.

 

Relaxing outside Scenic World.

 

Got Milk?

 

One of the many lookouts to the Three Sisters.

Towards the end of our stay, we ran out of places to go, and things to do. So we decided to pay the Olympic Stadium a visit;

 

Olympic Stadium.

 

Wide open fields of green.

 

Final parting shot.

This wraps up my second semester flashback! 2007 has been a happy and wonderful year. Many friends were made, beautiful bonds and memories were created, which will remain with me for the rest of my life. =)

I have been blessed.

It is an amazing feeling when the things you ask for gets delivered to you right before your very eyes. Seek and you shall find, this age old saying is applicable to our lives in more ways than one can imagine, ask and you shall receive.

 

This morning, i was waiting at the bus stop for a good 15 minutes, thereafter i realised that i had left something behind. So i went home to take the item. Realising that i may be late for my appointment, i did something before i stepped out of the house again. Took a moment to compose my thoughts, closed my eyes, then visualise that i'm walking towards the bus stop, crossing the road and sitting on the bench. Afterwhich i turned my head towards the on coming traffic, and there comes the bus! To be even more specific, i visualised the number of the bus that will be approaching, then i opened my eyes.

 

I set of from home for the second time. I was walking down the pavement, crossing the road, and sitting on the bench the exact way i had visualised. When i sat down, i turned my head to the right, no bus! About half a minute later, i turned my head again, and i saw a bus! As the bus came nearer, i could see the number on the bus, and it was the same number i had visualised, bus 703! I hummed a silent Thank You in my head.

 

What happened was a meaningful coincidence, and also a gift, an acknowledgement, and a blessing, for which filled me with gratitute.

Ode to Coincidence

Hans C. Moolenburgh

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me.
I do not choose the colours, He worketh steadily.
Offtimes he weaves sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent and shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the skilful weaver's hand
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. 

I have a flashback!

Since this is my last semester on the coast, i should do a recap on what i have done so far, things i have done, and places i have gone to. We shall start with my very first semester, from March 2007 to June 2007;

 

My first accommodation was a rather simple affair. I stayed at a student accommodation which was about 45mins walk from school, and the bus stop with the only bus to school is about 20mins walk away. Sometimes the buses don't come at all, most of the time, i'll be better off just walking or cycling to school.

 

Looks like a resort, doesn't it.

 

My untouched room.

I was staying at this place with 2 other Singaporeans, one of whom i have known for almost 10 years, the other just requested to stay with Singaporeans, so we kena him. =)

 

One of the things i did was Dolphin Kayaking, which was organized by my uni's Singapore Students Association. We had to buddy buddy up, kayak to a breakwater island, called Wavebreak Island, hoping to see some "dolphins" on the way. When we reached the island, we snorkelled around for a bit, hoping to see some "dolphins" too.

 

Paddle! you bit**!

 

Oh look, it's me.

 

The ever elusive dolphin.

The last pic was a picture, amongst others, that the tour operator included in the CD that we bought. We did not see any dolphins in the end. The operator told us to come back and try our luck again, we gave him the -_- look.

 

During the mid-semester break, my housemates and me, together with another two friends studying up in Brisbane, rented a car and drove up and down the region. First up, Byron Bay in NSW, the easterly most point of the main continent of Australia;

 

Lighthouse family.

It takes 45mins to walk down, from where i'm taking the picture.

Macho man, no jacket.

We also went to the Sunshine Coast, to Noosa, Eumundi Markets, Ginger Factory and the Macadamia Nut Factory;

 

Gingerbread man, anyone?

Eumundi.

Noosa.

Not forgeting Brisbane City, which i don't particularly fancy (i prefer the coast more). Maybe thats why i don't have any pictures of Brisbane, its like how Singaporeans don't take pictures of Singapore? Haha. We went to University of Queensland to eat their fish and chips, which i must say is one of the best i've eaten so far;

 

Heaven on a plate.

Of course, being at the coast, we don't neglect the beach. Let me introduce the characters one by one, first up, my housemate;

 

Salivate, people.

Ain't he cute!

Next, my good friend for ten years;

 

Hmmm...

Double hmmmmmm.

  Also, other Singapore friends, no more solo shots though;

 

Oh please.

 

Bikini.

Last but not least, meeeeeeeee;

I'm here, y'all.

Hehe, Queensland got water restriction, so must shower together, but noone wants to shower with me.

 

Anyway, these are a few things that i did during my first semester back in 2007. Looking back, it was a rather enjoyable experience. Though i was homesick at times, i managed to pull through with minimal pain. =) At the end of the semester, i went back to Singapore for holidays, my results were fairly good (all the hard work put in at the beach pays off!). Hope you all enjoyed reading the entry. Semester 2 happenings soon. Cheers.