Cray Cray Week

It's not even been a full week yet, but technically, if you count it from last Thurs, it's almost.
Cray Cray because of the amount of fizzled brain cells. I can see them totally restless. They are darting left and right, doing hoola hoops, maybe running a 100-m sprint, or doing a hip-hop dance.

I do not know where time went to, and now it is almost the last week of June.
So, while in this type of hyper frenzy mode, I can't believe that I am going to go to Azerbaijan tomorrow. Friends ask - Where is this place? Honestly, we also do not know much about this place. But we just decided to do a quick-long-weekend-kinda-trip, go to some far-flung, lesser-known place, and all I know is - there will be lots of hiking, walking, trekking, volcanoes, and the old old medieval things. I am very sure though, that I will enjoy this quick break very much! I am reminded of Serbia. :)

Time really flies.
Writing is therapeutic.
Even as I type away, I feel my heart slow down. 
Even as I stare at the screen, I feel my body just...
Breathe. 

:))
We have just put Kenji at the concentration camp.
It is always a difficult thing to do. He looked so miserable earlier I felt I am missing him so much already now... But it will be really soon that he will snuggle up with me again. :))


"MISERY" vs "I AM KING"

So tonight, shall be of fellowship, good makan, world cup fever, pack for Azer, and....
LOTS OF SLEEP. 

Weekly Saturday Affair

Yesterday was so so good. At service, Pastor Paul Scanlon preached from John 6 - the 5 loaves and 2 fishes and the feeding of the 5000. I've read and heard this chapter and story so many times; but yesterday, I learnt something else, about the discarded and in particular, for me, about how Jesus already knew the answer, but He asked the question, to test the disciples.

John 6:5-9 (NIV)
"When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 
Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

1. That He, as a leader, allowed room for the disciples to dig beyond themselves; to find solutions (the situation was impossible in man's eyes, feeding of the 5000). A good leader always allows the team the room to grow, to think, to suggest. That is so good. Leadership 101.
2. And it struck me the most that it was written clearly in V6 that He already had in mind what He was going to do. Hence, Pastor Paul explained that while He went along with Andrew's suggestion of the little boy's 5 loaves and 2 fishes, we never really knew what He had in originally wanted to do; that was clearly never revealed. The intention and end outcome was clear - to feed the 5000. How He had intended to do that He didn't reveal, and perhaps it did not matter. The point is that He could really work miracles as long as there was an attempt at a suggestion and effort (even if it were one like Andrew's - V9 "how far will the 5 loaves and 2 fishes go among so many?") 
3. As for Philip, Philip did not even attempt to answer Jesus's question of where to buy the bread. Rather, Philip did his sums and practically said it would cost them a lot of wages to buy enough bread. Jesus's question was where they could buy the bread for the people to eat. While Andrew didn't have the answer either, he provided a suggestion, one that he himself was unsure of. And Jesus could work with that. :)

It was so good for me - am I an Andrew or a Philip?
There were moments of reflection. How do I look at situations in my life? Practical; even resigned, or see a "half-full glass"? I do not know, but the Saturday me decided that it was just worth the time to contemplate a bit more, to slow down a little and ponder over His word. No wonder the word of God is called the living word. It speaks so vividly. :)


My weekly Sat affair - even Kenji is intrigued. :)) 

Alcohol Tax in Abu Dhabi

Taxes are being imposed more and more so here. The 5% VAT was introduced beginning this year, and the latest is the alcohol tax, a 30% increase... starting today! 😱 At the petrol kiosk, we learnt too that there will be a 10% service charge if we'd like the attendants to fill our tanks. It seems like price of petrol has gone up slightly too. Nonetheless, it is still affordable, when compared to SG prices.

So.... Of course, we had to stock up on the essentials. :-D See the loot from last night.
It was the last Hendricks on the shelf. A lot of people were stocking up, like us. 

It was really good to have a gathering at our place; I think the last time we shared life and talked, ate and drank together, was probably really many months back? :) I enjoyed listening to the ATC work chat, the challenges of their type of work, the dynamics at their workplaces, the HR and training functions, their learning and using of new systems, etc. In their line of work, perhaps in the near future to come, the machine will really augment the man and replace some of the work. Steve thinks that while that can certainly happen, in highly complex situations (e.g. life and death types; accident-crash types), the man - with his understanding - must still step in to make crucial decisions. I thought that it is a very reasonable assessment. In norm, the machine can do the work. In critical situations, the man has to make decisions. 

I've also been into some fishy business recently. Can't believe myself... I am getting incredibly good at this fishy stuff. Glaze them with some teriyaki sauce, sprinkle some pepper, grill them for exactly 12 minutes, and they are done! We have been cooking dinners quite a bit. Haha. You can tell who eats what from them pics. 

4 dinners over the last week. Everyday same same. :-D

My super delicious Salmon. :-D

Luckily cost of salmon remains the same. :-D

Sports in Summer

How wonderful it was - the earlier conversation with お父さん and お母さん just moments back on Line. This is such a great change from 10 years back, thanks to technology, where previously, we talked on phones via pre-paid cards. Now, obviously we can see each other via video chat. I'm glad to know they are visibly much happier. compared to a month ago... Then, Choco had passed away... and they were incredibly sad. おとうさん felt that it was his fault and that he didn't do enough to save Choco's life. He told me he dreamt of Choco, felt Choco's presence and heard his little paws. This time, we talked about... Kim-Trump summit. What a world-first and I believe it will be a step forward towards a better future for the whole world.


Choco - I met this little one several times in Japan. Played with him, hugged him. A dog is man's best friend. He must be in heaven. :)

I wanted to write about Sports in Summer because this weekend was one about that. I ran, played tennis and swam over the last few days. As the weather becomes much hotter and more humid, I think strangely, that added on to how I further enjoyed the work-outs and sports. I think I recently got addicted to the intense feeling of a good work-out, fueled by the hot weather. I will pant even harder, like crazy. But it is so so therapeutic - to feel my body breathing in air and oxygen like mad, to feel the sweat dripping like nobody's business, to feel the stretches as my body cools down.

For tennis, it is that release of energy. It requires concentration and at times, I rely on my raw instincts to hit the ball back. It takes a lot of practice and also a good racket... and the list goes on. Through the game, I anticipate, I concentrate, and I immerse myself into it. I really like the feeling where I could return a very difficult, fast and deep ball, or where I could hit the ball at that exact sweet spot, turn my whole torso around and follow the swing though, and watch the ball sail just over the net and land at the baseline, and especially if that were a back-hand hit. :) I also love it when Steve and I could rally for a longer period, much better than we could 2-3 months ago. That means we have improved a little.

Tennis with Neoh and Ernest. Neoh calls himself "Penang Kia" on whatsapp. Laugh Die Me.


We watched Simone Halep win her first Grand Slam title yesterday too. Very emotional moment for her because she... finally won a grand slam. :) It was a match well fought, especially after she lost the first set. Such emotions as she hugged her coach.

As for Running and Swimming, to me, they are individual sports. Deciding whether or not to play tennis is easy; sometimes the company just makes you feel like playing. For running and swimming, at times, it is the thinking about whether I should run or swim that is harder than the actual doing (and many times, the flesh does get the better of me). It is hard at this deliberating and decision stage, but yet once I step into my running shoes or put on my swimming gear, I would feel that I am transitioned into the motion. Ready for it. Just do it. And I never once regretted these decisions.

Running and swimming help me clear my mind and it is actually the humdrum of the mundane that provides the zoned-out space for me. I pray, I think, I count (and lose count, and re-start the counting... familiar?), I focus on a specific rhythm, I push on when I am tired, looking forward to the end-rewards of the whole routine. I think I enjoy the running and swimming very much because nobody can interrupt my thoughts; it is a personal quiet space, and I always feel better, more recharged and refreshed thereafter.

Two consecutive runs the night before and the evening after. Beautiful skies. :)

Oh, and another sports-in-summer episode was Ernest... who crashed (physically crashed) after our tennis session yesterday. His whole body went into severe muscle spasms after a... sneeze? I was still thinking about where we should go do lunch after our showers, when omg... we saw him flat at the hotel lobby. He is a strong man, and so... it was kind of incredulous to see him immobile and in pain. Thankfully, the whole episode ended well. He was brought to the hospital, and I pray no more such huge sneezes for him. :-D


My first time with the UAE police and medic in their ambulance.

Sports to me, is a huge part of living well. I must have gotten these genes from my dad who taught me the importance of exercise. :) May I always be able to run and play sports.

Oh.... so random... mixtures of thoughts

Understanding myself
I must say that I've felt some slight disorientation the last 2 weeks, and finally, am more at rest and ease back here in Abu Dhabi. I found myself once again, 2 weeks ago, arriving back here, stepping into a hot and humid environment, and in my mind - I was thinking - There are so many ways I can see life. See it as an adventure and be amazed at how rich life can be and where it can take you. Or see it as choices I have made - and so why did I make a certain choice, how did I decide? Or perhaps, see life as one that can be filled with surprises - the whatever-will-be-will-be outlook? Or be unfazed by what life throws at you and always have 平常心。Pastor Tan once preached about 平常心。I am sure there are just so many ways to reflect.

One of the key things that happened recently was that I began to understand myself a bit better. I did the VIP24 profiling tool. And so, for sure, profiling tools are not new, and I've done multiple assessments in the last 10 years (all the MBTIs, DISCs, Gallup, etc etc). But this time round, perhaps I asked myself how I can understand myself better so that in all areas of my life, I can become a better person - a better wife, a better colleague, a better daughter, a better friend. My natural inclinations and preferences, my strengths, my weakness... I found myself asking some deeper questions. I am still in this journey of self-discovery.

My profile. The MBTI bit is pretty consistent. I've done 3 over the last 10 years (all E,N,T/F,J/P).
First time looking at RIASEC.

Pain
Perhaps one of those things that got to me was the hand eczema. It just developed out of the blue in Singapore, and I found that it would flare up, especially after I hug or touch Kenji. So naturally, I wouldn't know when I just came back. I ruffled him, hugged him... and then the itch and pain got real bad. It stung like crazy in the showers. :-(
I am glad though... to say that it has gradually healed. I am much better now and while there is still the slight itch, I know it is healing. I think now, I can say I understand a little bit more when I see my close friends go through their eczema pain and skin problems. Sometimes, even minor things like that prick and affect the whole life.


Sobs for that first week. Now, my skin is really much better.

Liverpool Loss
I was, naturally, very saddened by Liverpool's loss, and it is weird how external circumstances affect, when logically speaking, in all honesty, I watch football and support Liverpool primarily because Steve lives and breathes YNWA. So while I watch with him and enjoy many games, I can't understand why I felt pretty affected this time. The next morning, I woke up wondering if there could be that possibility that fate could be so cruel?

Because none can ever know the future. What happens if Klopp's lot in life is always to bring that underdog team to the final, but never to win the cup? What happens if there were such high hopes to achieve, and in an illustrious career the whole season, an injury would have to cripple a man at the most important and crucial time? What happens if this were to be a person's lot in life?

We have always been taught to achieve, to reach that dream, to be that goal-getter, to give our best. That's why we fight, we believe, we give our 100%, we compete (both within ourselves and w others). But what happens when life becomes hard and cruel? Who can explain why it had to be like that? I suppose recovery will take time, and they are professionals who will move on. Still, the immediate aftermath was very hard. So hard to bear. Acknowledging the pain is part of the recovery process and so I thought long and hard over why I felt that way. Life. Is. Hard.

Ramadan
It's the Ramadan period here and restaurants are not open for lunch here, though there would be some approved places that still open for business. Probably not anything new to the people living here, but the restaurants, cafes would be draped by cloth pieces so that one can't peer into the restaurant. Even the costa cafe just at my place would have its entrance blocked by an ornamental decorative piece though you can still do take-away. The key idea is that the drapes would shield passers-by from the sight of the food and restaurant activity inside. The roads are also pretty empty during the day and work starts later and work hours are also reduced, and this is an official direction from the UAE government! :) Haha, pretty cool. During the evenings though, the whole place comes alive and shops and restaurants open until midnight. Steve told me that last year, during Eid Al Fitr (end of Ramadan), the whole place was just one big celebration, and that Yas Mall was open 24 hours with huge crowds and massive sales. Super super. :) I would love to experience that soon.

And so yesterday, Steve and I attended an Iftar dinner here yesterday. Iftar is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. Here, the canon blast from the nearby Grand mosque would signal the end of the fast for the day, and then the makan times begin.


Honestly a super warm gathering. Mostly Malay friends from SG, and they come from all over UAE to attend this event organised by SG Kampung, SG Embassy and another community group.


Can you see them screening live - the canon blast to signal the end of the fast?


I also picked up a book at the Iftar event; thought it would be interesting to know more about the Muslim faith. I believe that it is compatible.

The S in me
I also got to, in these 2 weeks, deepened some friendships.
As per my profile, I am SEI - Social, Enterprising, Inquisitive. So, it is really quite a part of me to take an interest in others. :) No wonder no matter how tired I am, I always have strength after-work, for friends and family. :) No wonder.

And so, I somehow got to know an "unlikely" friend here better. I first got to know Prashanth last year during WorldSkills, but we never really kept in touch though once in a while, there would be the exchanges at embassy events. And I found myself on the same flight with him back to Abu Dhabi 2 weeks back, and we chatted for some good 2+ hours?! And we chatted about religions, beliefs, work, and... even love. :-D Haha, and it was a very refreshing chat.
Chance meetings like that connect. Getting to know is always a 2-way process. Hence, it was just uncanny that we became friends. I certainly wish him the very very best as he finishes his last 6 months here at the embassy. :)

Lunch at Andiamo - Naise Naise. Got all-day breakfast too. :) If you open the door, you will have to walk through the draped curtains.

I also got to know Lily better, otherwise better known as the Tai Tai friend. :-D
And she is happy to be a Tai Tai. She and Herman are generous people and have many times invited Steve and me over to their place for dinner. And they can cook, and they can drink too. Last night, it was just me and Lily. She shared about her life's experiences in SQ, her son, her life... and she is taking Arabic and French lessons here, volunteering out at events and societies, and organizes lots of parties and events. Pretty cool. Ha.

She is so Mei. She tells me how to take care of skin and hair, and that I ought to put on more make-up and sunscreen. The portrait behind is of herself. Thankful somehow we connect.


And Ernest. To all his good jios, food recommendations, helping all of us get courts all the time, the chats and sharings. Really one of those that make a difference for me here in Abu Dhabi. :)

It is the time of the evening here where they will break fast soon, and the city will come to live again. I shall continue my FinTech learning journey.