Birthday Leave musings

I am always so encouraged by the WoG... it never fails to lift up the spirit and soul. :) I grow in my love for my Abba Father, and in my knowledge and understanding. This week, especially when I felt unsure about certain emotions that hit me a few times, God reminded me thru His word that in good or bad times (the super oxymoronic extremes in 2 Cor 6:1-10), that there is no better time than now being the accepted time, than now that He is still in the midst, that now - is still the day of salvation, and it is my responsibility too, to grow and mature. In addition, today's sermon about the cross speaks too - the great exchange on the cross shows His great love, but the moral character of ours, is ours to mould and grow, and to commit to Him daily.


Very thankful to the online sermons. Very.

And that's why - I am so blessed. I am not even thinking about my own challenges or emotions that I might have felt, but just touched that God knows already all in me, my heart, my thoughts, my weaknesses - and I seek to continue to live well, and live right. Daily. May God continue to work in my heart, and help me in areas that I am challenged by.

And yesterday, I took my Birthday Leave. :)
1 month has passed by just like this. 1 month ago, it was the eve of my birthday, and that night, I was desperate for some time alone, and went for a very late evening run at MR. It was beautiful - I haven't really gone there when the skies darken, but it was a good evening-dusk-night jog-and-run. Because I needed to just pray a little, and commit the next half of my life into His hands. The whole world quietened down... I can still remember the feelings I had on the bridge. Some levels of anxiety - because I do not know where the second half of my life would be; some levels of peace - knowing that God is always good and faithful; some levels of excitement - maybe a new idea, a new thought, a new possibility; some levels of resolute - work towards an existing commitment and vision.


To be honest, so I don't really know what I want for my birthday except to endeavour to live well.

And shortly after, the world has became topsy-turvey in the 4 weeks (and more) post 5 March. The covid madness really hits, and the 1-month-ago world and the now-world - are same same and yet different.

Steve remarked that I am probably the least affected in this situation because I am already kinda "isolated". Here, I don't really have a need to go out unless I meet friends, play tennis, go supermarketing. And I only do this during weekend as I work during the week - remotely, WFH. And it's true - I don't really feel that there's any great adjustment for me. Life is BAU...

... apart from the fact that we are also now taking much more precautions when leaving the house to walk K, buy groceries. And we don the masks. Here, there are daily curfews and basically, all public places except the pharmacies and supermarkets are open, and if you have no business to be outside, you stay home (or be fined / imprisoned, according to the authorities). So - yes, we stay home daily, apart from 1 supermarket trip, where I stocked up on Salmon. 肯定足够。:)


Everyone is in masks - some standard, some creative ones.


I bought so much salmon - I have 20 packets now. :)

And Steve also started to work alternate shifts (with stand-bys) due to the drastic reduction of air traffic. What this means is that he might not need to work for 24 days straight, unless he gets recalled. And so I joked about this. Never have we had the opportunity to spend so much time together alone, for such a long period, and in such an enclosed space. Ha ha ha. This is quite funny. Because - friends ask how we are; there are different articles about tensions rising and people leaving each other; and... Steve says the world is crazy. Ha ha ha. Today is Day 5. And... we kinda like it? We joke daily about this. We definitely erm, get on each other's nerves a tad more - like "oooi, can u feed Kenji since you have 24 days?", and "but yesterday I feed liao, so today is your turn".

But all's good. We cooked together, and discuss the books and articles we read, walked K together, and I dragged him out for a run (in our compound), another first of the many firsts this month.


Beautiful dusk few nights back - my first time running in rihan compound. :) Felt so alive! Felt so so good!! And I never knew I could actually run 10 rounds in my compound. But I did - while staying in. Basically, you are not allowed to leave your compound, but within, and with social distancing and precautions, I can still walk K round and round, and also run round and round. This compound is big, and so that's good. My neighbours and I, just walk or run round and round and round and round. Ha ha - and I thank God for it. :)


And walking K round and round and round. :-D
And before 8pm. Beautiful night stroll.

We did Bak Kut Teh yesterday. He he. This is easy compared to the Japanese curry stew I did last Sunday. And.... we always overcook. Ha ha ha. 5 eggs, 2 onions, 1 lettuce, and 1 whole pot of BKT. But... super shiok, and we finished... most of it. :-0



And - I concluded that I can cook if I want, but I have not yet found that passion. Maybe it will one day happen, like magic.

Finally - albeit the madness, everyone still tries to live the best that they can. I see the facade cleaners do their work. I see the delivery folks more from my level 1 window. The supermarkets here are also constantly being stocked up. And remote work continues to happen for all of us in SSG and in Singapore. This too, shall pass - and there will be that day when life resumes more normally in the new-normal way.


Terrible K - so angry. And. That. Face.