Tale of Two Meals
What is it about Chinese New Year and food?
I spent a good 15 mins scampering around Toa Payoh Lor 1 in search of a decent lunch on Sat.
The
best gourmet stuff I could find - McDonalds.
Tragic.
Thankfully, reunion dinner at Jumbo Seafood Riverwalk more than made up for that.
Price was reasonable, food was excellent, service was warm.
And the restaurant was spacious.
Nothing more my family and I could ask for.
It was a dream meal sitting on the sidewalk along the S'pore River with the gentle evening breeze, watching the bum boats cruise by, enjoying sumptuous seafood...
Tips for CNY reunion dinner (if you're eating out)
1. Book at least six weeks in advance.
2. Always go for the later sitting.
3. Avoid crabs (impossible for me to do).
4. Talk your way out of paying a deposit.
Cost
The work bar has been lifted. Expectations increased.
I'm trying to lift my game. But taking this step up requires much effort.
Is it worth it?
Worth sacrificing more time with family?
Your social life?
Some sleepless nights?
Constant swallowing of pride?
Your health?
Your dreams and ideals?
Some days, I'm just filled with so much worry, anger or discontent.
And caught in two minds about everything.
The path ahead seems rocky.
You thought school's over, so there's no more exams to sit. However, now you've to take a daily test...Surely there's much more to life than this...
Gratitude
The brevity of life hits hard when you discover one friend's met with a bad car accident, and another was threatened at knife point - all in a week.
Though I'm not close to both, the shock's still felt, the trauma so real.
It's worse when all you can do is pray because you are not close enough to do anything to help.
The first happened in Singapore along the ECP on her way to work - a car skid.
The second took place in London while she was grocery shopping in a supermarket car park, 2-3 miles from my final year home.
By God's grace, there were no fatalities in both instances.
I will not go into specifics, but these two incidents jolted me from the routine of waking up, dragging myself to work, overcoming the stress there, and coming back late at night only to repeat the same cycle the next day.
Surely, there's more to life than this?
I'm reminded of the two times the Lord delivered me from the hands of crime - the first when a Brit hooligan tried to exort money from me in a phone booth along Oxford St in broad daylight, and the second when I got my wallet back from a pickpocket gang in Barcelona.
It also heightened my senses toward the things I have taken for granted - good health, a decent job, ample finances, and a loving family.
For all these, and even the bad that I encounter in my life, I'm able to say - thank You.
Hola 2006
From the euphoria of Bangkok back to the rut of the newsroom, 2005 became 2006.
Thankfully I spent the final moments in church, and not watching Liverpool crush West Brom.
Bangkok was great, company lovely, food superb, spa & massage memorable.
As usual, holidays are too short.
Got my first annual work report card on Wednesday.
Was praying before the above happened - a case of calming the first-time nerves.
Thank God it went well. =)
Work ok, attitude ok, keen willingness to learn. Just need to speak up more.
But the bar has been raised, and more is expected this yr.
Lord, pls empower me to rise to the challenge.
Nothing has changed in the workplace - the only thing certain is uncertainty.
Got recalled on Mon to cover the West Ham-Chelsea Game in exchange for Tues off.
But later that night I was told to work on Tues as well in exchange for Sat, which means I get a long weekend *fingers crossed*
Currently recovering from a swollen throat and blocked nose...
