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Winter Break
Published Thursday, January 18, 2007 by Robin.I also caught up with so many friends. Really grateful to Marisa for opening up her house on Christmas Eve; like every other year, her family prepared a wonderful Christmas spread. We played a game where we had words pasted on our backs and we have to guess them by asking yes/no questions. I pasted ‘Lim Chu Kang’ behind Celisa and I was surprised she managed to get it. (Lim Chu Kang is this area in the western part of Singapore that consists primarily of cemeteries, military training sites, a few farms and a university). For those of us outside Marisa’s family, Christmas Eve at her place can be something of a Lonely Hearts Central; and the fact that spending Christmas Eve at her place has become something of a tradition for me says something. Sarah couldn’t make it back this year; her parents gave her a call just before midnight and had us sing carols over the speaker-phone. Her mum was really excited to hear her, and after her parents spoke to her, the entire clan took turns at the phone. There’s something very funny and heartwarming watching that.
Played Cranium at Ivan and Chris See’s house on Christmas evening and on the public holiday after New Year’s Day. Somehow, I became very effective at the sculpting tasks, and my teammates managed to guess items such as ‘ice tray’, ‘cowboy boots’ and ‘Buddha’. Thankfully, we didn’t play any of those hand-slapping-action-reaction games at Chris’ house; when someone suggested that at Ivan’s place I excused myself for the toilet and then went to help finish the food. Little Caleb was a bundle of joy. Whenever he needed his dad’s company, he’ll imitate his mum calling his dad ‘darling, darling’. He’s becoming very coherent; with a little effort you can actually make out the words coming from in between those cute little cheeks. Very clearly, he’s starting to develop a very lovable personality.
I don’t think many people knew that I would be home for Christmas, so I was pleasantly surprised to receive quite a few cards and Christmas gifts. Hanging out with friends from church is undoubtedly one of the best things about going home. Laughing with Guonian and Jansen, sharing a ride with Colleen on Andrew’s car, breakfast at the airport, catching up with people from YAM and eating cockles with Amanda Hannah Bennett.
Singapore changed quite a bit despite the fact that I was only away for a little while. There is now a spectator stand between the Esplanade and the Sheares Bridge, and the axle for a Ferris-wheel has been erected on the other side of the bridge. Vivocity is now open for business. The National Museum is opened after years of revamp, but I couldn’t find time to go in to take a look. Centerpoint has an extension. The car parks on both sides of Specialist Shopping Center as well as the grass patch in between Wisma Atria and Wheelock have been turned into construction sites. The tunnel near Stanford Road is just about ready; it is pretty short and I wonder how much traveling time the tunnel is going to save. I still think that they shouldn’t have pulled down the old National Library. While driving through the area, I was talking to Bernie about the red brick building that stood where the tunnel is now located, the green space between City Hall and the National Museum on which SMU now sits, and the area near Istana Park where Cockpit Hotel used to be. Despite her short history, our country’s landscape has changed so much; and despite my youth I’ve been witness to the dramatic nature of that change.
So, again, I left Singapore with a heavy heart. Was really touched by Amanda’s little booklet and got a little depressed when the plane was taking off, then I fell asleep for the rest of the journey to Hongkong. From Hong Kong to Chicago, I read a little of 1 Samuel and Proverbs, watched The Queen (good) and The Last King of Scotland (so-so), and slept through most of the rest of the journey. From Chicago to Pittsburgh, I solved two Sudoku puzzles. My mind constantly returned to the book, the Encyclopedia of Chinese Overseas, which I had read during my last few days in Singapore. Essentially, the book is a survey of the experiences and histories of the various communities of emigrant Chinese that had taken root all over the world. The book studies the waves of migration, their social institutions, relations with the Chinese mainland and interactions with native cultures. Somehow it gives me a little comfort to see myself in their context. I suggested to Mummy that we make a trip to ShanTou during my summer vacation, but she said that most of the things I want to see have probably been destroyed by China’s modernization. She told me about the junk boats from China she had seen at Keppel Harbor; passengers slept in the open on the deck and within spaces marked out by chalk. Compared to our grandparents’ experiences, the journeys that we take today are so much easier, our partings so much less painful and our goodbyes so much more temporary.
Meteor Sightings
Published Sunday, January 07, 2007 by Robin..jpg)
Against the backdrop of a meteor-shower, the Right Honorable Member of Parliament wishes one and all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Fortunately, I was not driving when I saw the banner; the reflection from his shiny forehead (superimposed) would have caused me to lose control of the car.
What were they thinking when they bought their Photoshop project to the printer?
Someone was being very creative.
Belated Happy New Year
Published Friday, January 05, 2007 by Robin.In retrospect, 2006 had been a good year. At the beginning of 2005, with more than a year to go in the army, my only hope for the year ahead was that it will pass quickly. But 2006 had been different. I felt fairly certain at the start that the year can only be better than the one that just passed. It was a year of clear beginnings and definite endings. As 2006 progressed, the countdown to my ORD dwindled to two digits and then came to an end. Ops Bassinet, cleared my leave and then the pink I/C. Another countdown had been going on; but it was only when I had about a month left in Singapore that I realized the countdown was coming to an end. Met old friends and looked at familiar places with a dateline in mind; I did not start packing until the very last week. Beyond that college beckons.
Countdowns are meant to usher in new beginnings.
Here are my resolutions:
1. Make better decisions faster. Plan objectively.
2. Not to swear unnecessarily.
3. Swim, jog or go to the gym. Exercise more.
4. Pray more often.
5. Do something crazy. Something to the effect of running a marathon, swimming across the English Channel or taking part in Beauty and the Geek.
6. Listen more, and ask more questions.
Here’s wishing one and all a blessed and prosperous 2007.