A new beginning.

Alhamdulillah. Catheter and bag removed last week and I am back to work. Everything happens with a reason and He knows best. 

Hopefully this episode strengthened my spiritual well being. 

Who am I

Time passes very slowly, mind wondering, thinking, travelling back and forth asking what has become of this body. What has become of me. 

It has been 7 days, a very long 7 days since I was incapacitated due to urinary retention. With a catheter attached, every movement that i took is painful. Every steps need to be planned well or end up with more pain. Things that we always took for granted. 🥲

No body is greater than Allah. A little ‘nikmat’ taken away from us, we are done. 

These long 7 days are filled with many reflections on life. Its a wake up calls. Pray that I am given the ‘sabr’ to go through this episode and becoming a better Muslim, a better person that benefited everyone around. Amin Ya Rabbal Allamin

Welcoming 2021

 One year has passed with so many uncertainties and thats 2020. The whole world was grapling with the sudden appearance of the Covid19. 

It was sometimes in Dec 2019 when we heard the news about a new virus emerging in Wuhan China. But just within a few weeks, it spreads across the globe like wild fire affecting millions. 

Borders close and are still closed as I write this blog resulting in a tremedous effect to the tourism industries. Airlines go busted, Tour Agencies shuttered, Airports suddenly emptied and the list goes on. The world economy goes upside down and will continue for many more months. 

Reflection: We are not as strong as what we think. The corona virus which is million times smaller is more impactful.           Money is not everything. With borders closed, travelling and flying is impossible and consumers items getting harder to get.                                                                                     Status is nothing. Today we are a big boss earning high income and suddenly we are out of job - bussines closure due to the virus pandemic  

This is a reminder that no matter who or what we are we are actually nobody. Be humble and thankful to the Almighty we are still around despite all the challenges in 2020. 

When life knocks us down, get up and turn to Him. When life puts us in a higher position, kneel down and turn back to Him.  

With His blessings we will have better days in 2021. 

Retro

Lately I was bitten by the ‘retro’ bug. Am just feeling nostalgic about the past. Be it about music/ songs or decor. To live on that feeling, I kept spinning music of the 70s on my vinyl collection for weeks. Old records were taken out, cleaned and spined - Deep Purple, Bad Co, Santana and what not. 

Now, the family room is in the process of being transformed into Retro Decor. Is this a mid mid life crisis?

 

Being a Grand parent

Kids give us endless disturbance and harassment, bouts of anger and headaches. Yet we yearn for them, love them and thus 'endure' especially if they are our grandchildren. They are the ones responsible for our new title - grandpa, grandma, amah, akong, yayi, nenek or any names that we picked for them to call us. Whatever the new name is, nothing sounds sweeter than hearing it in our grandchild's voice

Being a grandparent also raises the awareness that we are going down the age curve thus, we need to slow down and enjoy the present. Many would have retired from full time job therefore having more time to spend albeit lesser energy.

Realising how quickly our children grow up compels us to enjoy every moment of our grandchildren's childhood. We fly kites with them, camping by the beach or walk in the park. In fact we are always ready to be with them - to be in their company. And many a times, we spoilt them. We learnt that rules are made to be broken - negotiable bedtimes or leaving toys on the floor etc. The pressure of bring them up is off and we simply enjoy playing with them.

A walk at a park

Taking the Singapore Flyer as a birthday treat

At home with the only boy

After coming back from Tokyo, we had a road trip to Tg Langsat - Johor on the week end. One of the few villages namely Kg Kopok was where my paternal grandmother lived with my dad when he was a kid. Majority of the villagers are family members, each with their own plot of rubber plantation. I remembered during my younger days staying there during school holidays or whenever relatives there were getting married. Uncles, aunties would invite us to bunk in their house. But usually we will stay in my grand father' s house. Now the villages are all gone and relocated at Kg Kopok Bahru nearer to Masai since more than 20 years ago.
The whole area of Tg Langsat was planned for an industrial area. But till date, after more than 20 years, large part of it is still an empty land with pockets of small villages by the coast.

Kg Perigi Aceh. One of the existing village in Tg Langsat

On the jetty facing Changi

undeveloped land after more than 20 years

Nothing better to do

coastal village

Chiba and Tokyo - 2015

Having a short break from work and travelling leisurely once in a while is refreshing for the mind, body and soul. As Singapore is warm and humid, I prefer to go places where the weather is cooler. For a short break, Japan and Hong Kong are my favourite. These places shared some similarity with Singapore - city milieu and ease of transportation and of course the availability of LP shops. In 2015, after visiting Hong Kong in early part of the year, we visited Japan sometime in December. This time round, we stayed in Chiba and Tokyo.

In front of Chiba Port Tower

wifey outside the Royal Palace in Tokyo

waiting for public bus in the hearts of Tokyo

LP hunting

a walk in the garden

some of the LPs hunted

gift for the special day

A gift from the kids for the special day early this month. Has not been playing the Alto Sax for more than 10 years. Will discipline myself to practice it at least once a week. lol

Bye Bella

Its time to say good bye to my Bella. Had the best of my driving experiences with this Italian marque.
Whether driving up North or just cruising in the city, she was up to it. Her looks is admirable and even 7 year old Aliyah and Alisa said they would buy one when they grow up. Its a kind of sad to let go of this beauty but 'life is like that'. When it's time to go, we will go.

Now another Dame is replacing her, a Mercedes CLA 200.  Hope this will be a decent drive although it can never beat the Alfa Romeo 159 in terms of power and beauty.

By next weekend, my Bella will be gone on an early retirement. She has always been a good ride albeit misbehaving lately. We are so attached that no one in the family dares to ride on her. A little crankiness will be attended immediately without fail and lots were spent just to pacify her. However, as in all relationship, one day it will come to an end. Thus with a heavy heart, she will be reluctantly put to rest next weekend and another Dame will have to take over her role. Hope life goes on as usual without her. Bye Bella.

during one of our weekend drive

ditto

2016 - with gd children on a road trip to Kota Tinggi

2017 - Aliyah behind the wheel with Alyssa as her passenger at Tg Putri Golf Club

2018 - Driving up North to Genting

ditto

2018 - At one of the horse ranch up North