Haha, Salmon from Above

I was in some zzz stupor and my husband asked if I wanted salmon fishheads. 

I said - I thought we are going steamboat? Haha, and he said - look at the Rihan Heights Group. 

Wahahahaha - my neighbour from above posted this. 

And I quickly commented - I WANT. Now? 

Hahhahaha. 

Salmon from Above. 

TYJ - you know how much I love the fishy heads. 

And - I've made a new Jamaican friend. She said she will keep these heads for me now. 💓

Happy Birthday to a very special friend

My dear friend, Sabie, is celebrating her bday today, 20th August, and I can't be in SG to celebrate it with her. :) There are just so many beautiful memories with this dear friend, and I don't even know how to start... but i shall attempt. 

Many many years ago, when we were still in our mid-20s... she appeared in my life, kinda mysteriously, for 1 week. Wished me all the best, and then, I jetted off to Japan. 

When I was in Japan, then, email was the tool for communication. Oh, and this blog. And there was no WA, FB, Insta, Social media, and I wrote emails - colourful ones, and wrote on this blog, to keep the cg family updated on my life, and Sabie was one of those who would respond, and who would also write her own blog, and I would read them, and follow the activities in SG. It was sooooo nostalgic. 

And then - I returned to SG, and a new chapter began in our friendship. Together, we served in church, I recall so many beautiful fond fond memories. We built the cg together, and she was, and is, always so steadfast, calm, unfazed, gentle, patient, caring, loving. 14 years passed by in a whirl. We had crazy adventures, lots of laughter and fellowship, and also, many tears - she for me, and me for her. She is one friend who stood by me, hear me cry, saw an extremely failed and raw part in my life, and always loved me and cared for me. 

Those 10 years in SG somehow just flew by. I would think it must be one of the best 10 years in my life, and Sabie is one key reason why it was so precious and so good. And here, I want to remember and cherish this friendship, even as I cannot celebrate for her in person, on her special day. 

And fast forward to the last few years, from 2017, it must have been another chapter in our friendship. Time does not separate. And neither does distance. 2017 onwards, I started my Abu Dhabi journey. She - continued hers in SG - again, steadfast, steady, supportive - the same sabie. :) Every time I am back in SG, she accommodates me, visits me, fellowships together, shop together, worship together, eat together. Every trip back, she would meet me at the airport and send me off. Every trip back, we would enjoy the same cai peng, enjoy the hthts, enjoy the simple fellowship, attending service together. It's really the simple things that makes me love and treasure Sabie so much.

Here, I want to wish Sabie a most beautiful birthday. We are now 1 decade older, but the friendship has grown 1 decade sweeter. :) Lots of hugs, from XC@AD.  

My simple love gift to Sabie - an entry here, with 1 picture chosen since our friendship encounter in 2006.

2006 - her first email to me.

2007 - I was still in Japan. :)

2008 - Friendship blossomed, and below 2009 - one of my first bday celebs for Sabie. 

2010 - Haha, I don't know when this was taken. 

2011 - I think we were at some buffet?

2012 - Emerge Dance Competition, supporting Ranie

2013 - SOT Grad I believe!

2014 - CHC 25th Anniversary Celeb

2015 (actually 2016), but I can't find a photo of just both of us for 2015 - Christmas fellowship. :)

2016 - Memories in Hong Kong

2017 - above, celebrating Christmas in Abu Dhabi (and Blogger is recently driving me nuts with their new interface and somehow it can't align). 

And 2018 - Me Run, She Walks, at MR, in the evening.

 

2019 - Best time of the week, service together @ CHC.

2020 - this year, March, just before I returned to AD. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SABIE! 💗

Self-Regulate

All the more, so so important, especially during a past week that was lived on some form of time elasticity. And I was okay all thru' out the week, except that when Friday came yesterday, I suddenly felt so tired. 

I had woken up very early every morning, earliest being 330am, and one time, woke up at 4am only to realize the first meeting was 430am (SGT 830am). I was also scared that I couldn't wake up in time, and hence, kept waking up intermittently. 

Some form of adrenaline sustained me, and then the next thing I knew, the week had passed, and it was the end of Friday. :)

To be honestly truthful, I am really okay to wake up early for morning meetings, because, I will tell myself that by 3pm UAE time, I would technically have "knocked off", and then I have some good hours to also finish other thinking pieces or clear other stuff. And especially when I know my colleagues have already tried their best to schedule a good time and they thought of me, and have tried to arrange a good meeting timing. :) And I know sometimes, it also cannot be helped especially in larger group setting meetings. 

So, self-regulate has become very important to me. :)

This past Friday was also a very key one for me, because thru' one discussion, I know that God has been very good to me. He has just somehow caused some matters to align, and brought quick acceleration to one project. The week's conversation, my own musings, the sermons that I've heard... was brought together thru' this one discussion on Friday. I could only really think about it today after I heard PT's sermon today.

And so to self-regulate, I do the following:

(1) Madang, madang, madang - I must be their most loyal customer. And this place - I just somehow like. The hot spicy jyampong, the korean fried chicken, and... the beer. 

It is just soooo satisfying. And - when food arrived, I tucked in very very happily. So so yummy. 

(2) Run - I think weekend morning runs have become a habit. The sweat is non-stop; the zoom fly 3 has given me the magic oomph and brought strength and lightness into each stride. My timing has also improved. :-D

2nd best timing ever since I started tracking the summer runs on Runkeeper, last week. 

(3) Spend time with Kenji - the best ever thing I can do, to spend more time and follow his pace at walks. He just walks more slowly, but is still so inquisitive, bright-eyed, alert and maybe, thinks he is still a puppy. 

This morning - walking him after the super humid run. 

(4) And for this week, the highlight must be the massage. :-D So so good. I have tried to get good massages here in the past, to no avail, until I met Liezel at my compound's spa. I was initially skeptical, because I haven't experienced any good lady masseur here. All those I have tried have no strength, and do not massage the sore areas or know the muscle points, until I met Liezel. She - is good. And she knows where the muscles and the tendons are sore, and she knows how to press the right points. I found out that she's nurse-trained, and she knows about sports massage too. No wonder. :) I was really really so thankful. 

And so, she came over to my place late Friday night, just to do a really good one for me. I needed it quite badly, I was so tired. So, I am very thankful. 

And my darling Kenji just sat there with me, like he is watching over me, and protecting me. Haha. K is so so so so cute. 

(5) And finally, study the word of God with @steveywonder. This season, this is the most precious ever that has taken root, much more deliberately and intentionally. It's such a great joy that every Saturday, I am able to tune in to do a bible study and to watch at least 1 service. I just love it so much, and then the discussions and reflections. Today, I heard one of my favourite BS teachers - Dr ARB, and he went thru' a near-death experience as he contracted Covid. In the QnA portion, he spoke with so much clarity, authority, direction and also, common sense, as he discussed about the Future of the Church. 

So the weekend again, is now 1/2 way thru this Sat night. I have had a good Saturday too, with some curled up time on the sofa starting on 2 reads, and watching a food comedy on Netflix. So enjoyable. :) My back is still sore and tired, but I am glad I still have the night to wind down. I look forward to my Sunday run in the next couple of hours. 

The Entrecote Experience, again

It's been about 2 weeks since he's started talking about eating steak, and every time I said, "yes, let's go", he will always ask me if I am truly okay with eating steak, and would I really enjoy the food, and would I find it nice enough, would I be okay since it's just meat... and I always say that if I say it's good with me, it's really good. (I guess cos he always thinks that besides fish, none other can satisfy. :-D)

But I am truly really good. 

And so tonight, it's just an - "ok, let's go" moment, and we went to Entrecote, to relieve the good old days of Lebanon, where we were first introduced to this French restaurant, a no-frills steakhouse that Captain Paniscos recommended - just purely serving steak, and salad and fries....

And it was, nice for a change, to have entrecote again. 

The medium rare steak aside, wine also makes me happy, and I ordered a glass of Chilean Merlot. :)

And then, another glass, and stopped short of a 3rd since I have to be up about 5am. 

I am just happy to see him enjoy the food. Truly, it's not always about what I want to eat. Definitely I am more fish than meat, but then, it's really nice for a change... and seriosuly, the whole ambiance was quiet and chill too. 

We talked. I shared about my MYR chat, we talked about many "what ifs", and we just enjoyed the dinner. Around us, the patrons were all men-in-white and women-in-black (basically, all Emiratis). Most came after us and left before us and we just chilled and ate slowly. I truly enjoyed the time tonight. :) We were also transported to the Lebanese experience.... the first entrecote experience, and I managed to find the old photo. 

We also bickered a little in one particular conversation, but... oh wells, that's quite normal? I think the quality conversation and listening to each other and appreciating each other is priceless. 

Just a rare Monday date-night. No frills, both of us in polos, and just so nice. :) And the Abu Dhabi Entrecote does have a similar feel as the one in Lebanon. :)

A good dinner aside.... it was also a wistful experience. This souk used to be filled with life. We've strolled down this place, ate at a japanese restaurant here, admired some arabian art, taken the mini-boat cruise... but tonight as we walked thru' the souk, so many places have closed down. The shutters are down; the tapes speak of the covid threat; the empty alleys just remind me of how businesses have been affected because of covid 19, and I just wonder - when will this new-normal return to the good old old-normal, and will that happen? I am not sure, but I am nonetheless thankful that some form of the old has returned, even if we all now have to don masks and wear gloves. 

While such pictures remind us that nothing is permanent and we all have to adapt and change, nonetheless, I am thankful tonight. It's a random entry, but one filled with some good old nostalgia, that tinge of wistfulness like I've mentioned earlier, and also, of 感謝です。

Half-Pro

#3 writing this long weekend. *Gasps* It's Sunday already. 

And... half-pro means exactly that. Top pro... and bottom, not so. :-D

I wonder how many folks are like me, where now in the WFH world of meetings and zooms, that we dress as much as much (or as minimum as we need to), to stay professional. Haaaa... or am I the only one who is generally the "half-pro"? 

I love this funnily-coined word. It was a word a zealous friend texted me when I sent her my "get-ready-to-take-part-in-panel" shot. Haha. She also said looks like Korean office lady? Because now they wear shorter shorts to the workplace? Hahaha. 

My legs have also become different colour tones. It's the result of different shoes on different hot days. :)

Am thankful - more seriously, that I had a chance to share some thoughts on higher education transformation with some European counterparts. This was a programme in Spain, and I've been in discussion with this young ed-tech entrepreneur since beginning of this year, mainly on CET, higher ed and ed-tech. On the discussion was also Pierre from Open Classroom - very cool e-learning solutions firms from France, where there's a lot of good work there too. And, another older gentleman.... who only spoke in Spanish and unfortunately I couldn't understand what he was saying. It was a really good session of discussions, QnA, with the spanish folks listening in collectively in their own class / lecture room. Thankful!! :)

And... still on the subject of being professionals and on online sharings, am very very proud of the interns in our team, and of Fiona, for the interns sharing with their graduating cohorts on the labour market Jobs-Skills analysis, the graduating cohorts' sentiments and anxieties and thereby, the resources, programmes and schemes we have to help them tide thru' this period. It was very encouraging to see the 3 interns work together closely in less than 1.5 months (amidst their other responsibilities) to put together this meaningful sharing.

And of course, must teach them, and ensure that they look at least.... Half-Pro. :-D

And with the SSG backdrop too. 

So, it's been an amazing work week and *gasps*, it's back to another packed week ahead very soon. :)