Home Alone Chronicles

My 4-day Home Alone Chronicles flew by just like that - straight after a Lebanon trip.
Time whizzed by - dunno how and where it went, and suddenly Vesak Day slipped us by too, and Steve is back from his short SG trip. It's actually the first time I am "Home Alone" in AD ever since we came here.

But all's good - my Home Alone chronicles started out really eventfully. The wifi set-up decided to break down right on Day 1, leaving me pretty much immobilised for work. Now, really, all things are so wired, connected, on the web - that without access to wifi, I felt I was so handicapped. So I had to decide what to do next, how to get unto work meetings, how to resolve the wifi problem and troubleshoot - all by myself. Haha.

But All Is Good. Thankful for good neighbours, Sean and Huining, who offered me a space in their house, and I had to lug all my laptops upstairs to their unit. :-)). So, chill and just do what you can - and the Day 1 ended well, with the technician coming in mid-afternoon... and goodness gracious, it was an Etisalat-only adaptor that had gone bonkers.


Kenji was obviously not very pleased with the visitor in the house - less so when he has a cap on and a bag of tools. Haha, my lovely dog - such a darling. He stood there whole time, intently looking at the man, emitting growling sounds now and then.

And during the 4 days, I never stepped out of Rihan Heights surrounding, and had the same food for lunch and dinner each day, save for the night I was out with Robert. Haha - I marveled at myself and Steve started to really believe his incredible wive can save him a lot of money as long as I stay home. He stocked up piles of salmon for me, and 1 big lettuce and a packet of ready-to-eat spinach - and seriously, that was more than sufficient for me. :)) I really ate fish and vegetables for 7 meals straight. Ha ha ha. I think the amount of Omega 3 in me must be the highest in recent days. My MIL couldn't believe it too - sometimes, I also cannot believe myself.


It's the same old fish, cherry tomatoes and vegetables. He he. 真的很好吃。

I also thought a little about Lebanon. It was a trip that was decided at the last moment, and I wouldn't say that it left a huge impression - perhaps because I was feeling tired and it was packed with day tours with quite some bus rides. Still, we were very interested to visit because of Lebanon's rich history - where it was a part of Canaan - the land flowing with milk and honey.

Unfortunately though, while you could still feel its awe, with the towering mountain-scape and valleys, and we tried to imagine how it must have been like in the days of Joshua and Caleb, in the city, it felt like there was this void of life. There were very modern skyscrapers and office buildings, but in the midst, also the dilapidated, torn-down, bullet-holed abandoned buildings. In some parts of the downtown areas, there was really a quiet stench to it.


The Holiday Inn hotel in Beirut is bullet-riddled, and is a reminder of the city's brutal civil war. And it stands rather oddly, right in the midst of downtown Beirut's glitzy redevelopments.

Having said that, we still did enjoy the visit. And I tremendously enjoyed the chat with Walid, visiting his house and eating street food, which was a nice change from the touristy places. He married a Singaporean friend, and we hung out with him, drinking beer at his balcony. :)

Hanging out, chilling, eating shawarmas.

We also visited the Cedars of Lebanon. Again - in my mind, I was thinking about splendor and grandeur, but later learnt that with deforestation, only a small part of the forest remained. This is again, so so sad. Nonetheless, the cedar wood and its biblical significance was poignant. There was still snow (or slush), and as the sun rays beat down and shine on the forested patch, the walk thru' the cedar forest was a nice and enjoyable one. :)


The whole tracing of history from the biblical days till modern Day Lebanon was packed into this 4-day trip, and perhaps all that remained of the trip would be the photos and memories, and the long bus rides. Still, the scenery of the ancient ruins with the modern day city, the architecture of the houses, the mountains and the valleys, the gardens and the hikes (and into limestone caves too) - remain a refreshing break from the work life, from the AD-SG life. Am still thankful for this short trip and getaway - so, some snippets here and there.


弹指神功。轻而易举。哈哈哈。This was at the site with the largest human-carved stone slab.


And there's really breathtaking scenery. :))


The limestone caves were super amazing. Super super amazing. It's deep inside the mountains. We glanced around and remember the thai boys stuck in the caves. There really doesn't seem to be a way of escape if one were stuck inside the caves...


Ruins, and ancient villages, and more ruins and more stones and more ancient villages.
And tired people all over the world like to squat down. By Day 3, I reached a point where ancient ruins start to take a toll on me, somewhat.



Steve and me - enjoying the local Almaza beer and wine. And hor - the photo bomber behind us don't seem so pleased. Haha. What happened??


Soldiers and military personnel are a frequent sight in Beirut. We see them everywhere.


And a part of the atas downtown Beirut - very posh, and prices are very ex too.

And now - back to being Home Alone - I kinda liked it. Being alone is a nice feeling - I think I am sometimes more a hermit-type person, and so these few days, i went on nice long walks with Kenji, took some time to smell roses and nectar along the way. Also managed to capture a bee - diving right into the nectar. Haha, やったー！

I marvelled - how did I get this shot??? My LG camera is also not the best in terms of lenses, but this is just such a timely effort (with the wind blowing and with Kenji tugging at me).
I also so loved seeking K's snout sniffing and exploring. 💗

And tonight, I am so thankful that Steve is back. It's nice being home alone for a change - I am very much left to my own devices but still, it's nicer to have that familiar, sometimes "oh-so-annoying" man in the background. Hehe. Last night, I contemplated whether I should pick him up at the airport, but I was so tired. He would land about 1130pm, and that kind of unearthly hour means it should be bed-time. And so... he really couldn't believe that I didn't go to the airport. When he reached home, he woke me up from my slumber and asked if I saw the message. I didn't of course but when I read it, I laughed so loud... What a terrible person I am.


Luckily - all is well. :-D

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul

The weather here, in my opinion, has officially transited into the HOT. I can now feel the heat, and the sweat. And it will just get hotter and hotter from this point.

And tomorrow is Ramadan - which means most of the food establishments here go into the sleep mode, and open for business again after the fast is over for the day.

So today, kind of, before the weather becomes incredibly hot and unsuitable for outdoor lounge, I had a nice walk along this beach stretch, and then breakfast by the beach with Sim, and Kenji. 😍

Technically, you can't say this is a very nice beach. It is the same beach that I've been going to frequently recently (in the absence of Pasir Ris beach or MacRitchie reservoir) and it's a whole pretty quiet stretch, and some parts are littered by picnickers. I've ran the whole stretch, and I think it's at max 3km the whole stretch. Still, it's a pretty nice morning stroll and if I run (then I will do not just this stretch, but the Zayed Sports City Area).

And the Le Boulanger Cafe was just so quiet - there was NO ONE, except us.
And they also made an exception for Kenji - bringing out some water for him.

Fellowship was refreshing. Been in the UAE, naturally, in the faith, I begin to really see and experience how all different ones of us, with our own cultures, upbringing, teachings have different beliefs even while in the same faith. It's always a good conversation with Sim. We talked about healing, about tongues, living a victorious life, covenant-relationships, and caught up with each other's lives. It was just a good way to spend a Sunday morning, reminding myself that we all love the same, wherever we are. While there were differences in belief systems, the beautiful thing is that we all agree to disagree, and share and discuss. Maybe it's also because the westerners are more articulate and expressive - I enjoy this type of sharing, learning, sparring - I think there's some level of growth in me too. The articulating of a point, the framing of thoughts - require constant sharpening too.


Actually, Sim had suggested that we go to Saadiyat Beach - she said she was all ready to sun tan. Haha. Thank you for accommodating Kenji. I think this Rihan beach stretch is 3 / 10 for beach material. Saadiyat will be way more beautiful and we will go the next time round.

Sunday mornings are just beautiful. Certainly, my weekend has flown by again. In the midst of the busyness, I am glad for the simple things and the moments for reflection and faith conversations. This beach, will perhaps start to grow on me more and more.


You see - there's just no one on a Sunday morning - K has the whole patch to do his biz. :-D


And it's beautiful - to see the yellow foliage at another stretch of the park. Take time to breathe.


AMB's house is across the waters - at one of these nice big apartments.


And at another stretch, the irrigation system in full swing. The plants would all just wither if there's no irrigation. These houses (known as mansions) are also very beautiful... and BIG. The home group is in one of these houses just at the beach.


And - you can see my apartment from the beach park too - flanked by the 2 UAE flags and the Ministry of Interior.

Beautiful Sunny Sunday indeed!

The Regenerative Sofa

Ha ha ha.
I think, everyone has that place in the house that regenerates, and we found ours.

This sofa is from Ikea, doesn't cost us much, but somehow, it has become the place to just take that required deep nap. We have to fight to decide who gets to rest in it.... and sometimes, it's trickery from me. It's a pretty strange thing - it's not like the sofa is ultra comfy, but... when the cushions are propped at the right angle, when the body is tired out from some tennis or exercise, the best best thing is to just take a snooze in it.

I call it - the Regenerative Sofa.
Haha - much about this sofa. I 偷拍。


And hor - Kenji loves to squeeze unto the sofa with us... and in between our legs too.
We need to get a larger regenerative sofa. 💗

It was a GOOD FRIDAY

And it began on Thursday. Work has been fulfilling, learning new things but yes, it is time to slow down for this Good Friday and Easter weekend. 

I had a great time of fellowship on Thursday night with Sean, and then with Robert and Sabina. 

It's been a while since the last makan gathering with Sean, and finally, his wife and kid will be relocating here. 

Our recent fave is this Korean restaurant at the golf course, because of its ample parking space and one day, I am sure I will try my hand at golfing here. 😄

Certainly, the food was good - and the Korean fried chicken was just delish. I tried some puffer fish stew - anyone who wants to lose weight should really eat this. It's just clear clean soup with slices of puffer fish and lots of veges. Unfortunately, I didn't take a pic of this healthy food. 

YUMMMMMs.... I had this korean food 2 times this week. Super yummms, and with Soju too.

We had some good catch up too - Robert, Sabina and me. 

It started scarily though - we were sitting near Sportsman, at the benches when this 30+ yo man sauntered over to us and just sat opposite us (at very close proximity). At first, I thought he could be a friend of Robert or Sabina, and he looked distressed. His speech was a little slurry too and he was holding on to this brownish bag in front of him. And, he started to ask us some weird questions. Apparently, he asked Robert whether we are from the US, and his next comment was that he was going to kill himself. It was just .... so out of the blue. Immediately, Robert and Sabina stood up, and I followed suit, and we walked away calmly. Robert said he was all ready to respond (physically) should there be some untoward advancement. It was a very calm situation though. For Robert and Sabina, probably they've encountered such situations where they have lived. 

And eventually, we adjourned to the nearby Noodle Bowl. 

And it's been slightly more than 3 months since the trip to Ghana. 

Just glad we could catch up like this, in person, and talked about nurses on the move. 

But I had a good laugh over this photo. WHERE WAS SABINA LOOKING?? 😂

So you see, even before Friday arrived, it was already Good Thursday. 

And finally, I could physically be present in the house of worship here in Abu Dhabi (since I work SG time and Fridays are work days). 

Went with Steve to church, and it was a good service. Always, am so blessed so grateful to know that God is in control of everything, it is really the weak me that needs such a Saviour. No matter how much I strive, how much good I try to do, in the end, no one can wash away the wrongful thoughts, the sin in me except for Him. 

This service was poignant - a deeper understanding of the cup of God's wrath, Him being my saviour and also about the concept of being the best servant. The preaching was from Mark 10:32 - 45. It was a packed service - as always, key days like Easter and Christmas always see crowds and throngs of people. 

The one stark difference in church here would be the people. In Singapore, it would be primarily the Singaporeans and Asians. Here, wow... the diversity is amazing - the Ang Mohs, the Indians, the Filipinos, and yesterday, the newcomers came from places like Venezuela, Peru, Africa, etc, etc. 

Certainly, the songs too are different from the ones I am used to. They sing more hymns - but.... the presence of God was equally real; the opening of hearts were equally felt. 

And then, I jetted home for a zoom chat with Jenny Lee. It was a superb chat. We started following her last year, when we were thinking thru' about the Future of Work and decided to look at investments and the VC ecosystem. Then, I was thinking - how awesome it would be if we could link up and have a chat. She is an amazing Singaporean girl who went into China more than a decade ago, into the VC space, and is described as one with the midas touch, having led many start-ups to IPO exits. I was thinking then about her boldness, her journey, and it resonated when she shared then that there's so much she did not know and it was an exciting journey for her in this VC space (I believe it could be from one of the documentaries I've watched about her). 

In any case, the chat materialised on Good Friday. Haha - just thankful for the connection and learning about this VC space, and thanks too to WaiLum for the link up. 

So I told SJ - Wah, 笑到那么开心。哈哈。

So obviously by the time I had lunch, it was almost 3pm?!

But never mind the lateness, lunch with KFC and with Steve was worth it. 

Eat KFC also can eat until 很开心。I think I need to detox from chicken for a while. Too much chicken this whole week. 

We did the usual supermarketing, the buying of my 3 salmon heads, bought more notebooks for my work, and also.... I finally got my hands on some plants. Steve was vehemently upset about me wanting to buy plants... but I did it anyway. Why cannot buy plants and spruce up my "small office home office" (SOHO)?

Hehe. They make me happy, even if they are fake plants. Haha!

I am so so happy with this little add on to the desk corner. 

And... curtains are changed too. We have changed it to the black-out curtains so that it shields more light as we move into the hottest months here. 

And by the way, the weather here, really 说变就变。

It was a sweltering 40 deg one day, then dropped to a windy, rainy 20+ deg last week, and then now it is super sunny and hot again. The season is changing. 

Such a huge contrast. This is the view of the Grand mosque from my apartment corridor. It was last week vs right now.

Even good friday has to come to an end. 

At dusk, I had a superb nice long walk with K and Steve, and the moon was really beautiful. 

I couldn't get any good shots with my LG, though I kept trying and trying, also attempted to do the shot with the various different modes because the moon was really too beautiful to behold. 

My bestest attempt at capturing the moon. 

It was a Good Friday. :)

实在实在太美了

太好听了

歌词太美了

陶醉其中

感动万分

It's been the song of the season, or many seasons for now. 

The beautiful lyrics; the way they are expressed.

The song has become alive.

There are various versions but I found the JJ Lin one the best. 

(https://youtu.be/Lbjou1Ov5Kk)

輕輕，落在我掌心，
靜靜，在掌中結冰。
相逢，是前世註定，
痛並，把快樂嘗盡。

明明，話那麼寒心，
假裝，那隻是叮嚀。
淚盡，也不能相信，
此生，如紙般薄命。
 
我慢慢地聽，雪落下的聲音，
閉著眼睛幻想它不會停，
你沒辦法靠近，決不是太薄情，
只是貪戀窗外好風景。

我慢慢地品，雪落下的聲音，
彷彿是你貼著我叫卿卿，
睜開了眼睛，漫天的雪無情
誰來賠這一生 好光景？

A trip to Hamdan Bin Zayed School

I'd always wanted to visit a local school here, ever since I found out that the UAE schools are starting to incorporate teaching the Chinese language into their curriculum, alongside English and Arabic. So, a coffee session with Su Fen - a Singaporean Chinese teacher here - turned into a school visit yesterday. :)

It was a good one - I got the chance to visit Hamdan Bin Zayed School on Sunday, and joined in their morning assembly, sat into 2 classes to observe how the Chinese language was taught, and how the Emirati students learn. I was given a tour of the school and had some chances to interact with the students and teachers.


The morning assembly with the kids. Pretty much the same scene all over the world I believe; at least this is the same familiar sight in Singapore and Japan.



Peppered around the whole school and classrooms are posters and pictures - where 3 languages are simultaneously written together. The Chinese characters come with the hanyu pinyins too.


The upper grade girls reading and practising the spoken language, as I understand, for the HSK examination. Really cool effort. The girls could respond reasonably well, and 1 of them was quite good. They would be heading off to China this weekend for an exchange programme. I learnt too that the school is actively recruiting Chinese teachers from China - and there are already 20 Chinese teachers.


The Grade 2 kids learning thru' song and dance. They were reciting a poem and had hand and body actions to go with it. Pretty lively, and the whole class was participating in the activity. Kudos to Su Fen - she really took the class very well.



During recess time - where kids take out snacks from their little sandwich boxes. :)) Really very nice for a change to just chat with them in the open. And Su Fen is at the end of the table.
I was quite touched to hear her stories and see her passion. It is a calling to be a teacher, and it is a very important vocation. These kids have such potential in them, and there's so much life, energy, zeal, dream, belief. The teacher holds a pivotal role in moulding and building the next generation. :) I am glad I was a teacher too.

This visit inevitably transported me to the days where I was teaching in Japan, and also learning Japanese at the same time. Personally, I have always been very interested in languages - the acquisition of languages (and the neuroscience to it), the way a language frames one's world, the meaning of words and how communication is made possible thru' language, the different languages and their grammatical composition - the syntax, and the semantics, and the list can just go on and on.

My experience in Japan caused me to wonder if the UAE would be able to succeed in this effort - whether they could possibly nurture a new generation of Chinese speakers. I hope it would be for them - time would tell. From personal experience, that environment to practice the language continually is one key to success in language acquisition.
More about the UAE effort in teaching the Chinese language can be found here: https://gulfnews.com/uae/education/chinese-language-to-be-taught-in-100-uae-schools-1.2253926

Finally - as I reflect on this learning journey, there is also that nostalgia in stepping into the familiar school compound. :) Certainly a very good Sunday adventure for me, one well-worth waking up at 6am for.

23 March morning

The weekend is here again, only difference is that I am now back in AD. :)
Woke up to a superbly windy morning, and the temperature is getting less cold. Whole of this week, it was still really really quite cold.

And one of the trees toppled over this morning. Can u see the workers trying to move the tree? Thankfully no one was injured.


七早八早, I bugged Steve to wake up and we took K out for a walk, went thru' his usual hunt for tennis ball, and I went for a run thereafter.
While it was really windy, I really really enjoyed the morning flurry of activities - seeing the kids playing soccer in the fields, feeling the chill moment of the weekend morning, and also the fine sand grains hitting me. It is the feeling of being alive.
Then, when I am all done, it was barely just 9.30am. So good and happy. :)

Beautiful Sat morning

Now my relaxed limbs see me tap away, with a cup of coffee and with some Italian instrumental music. And the hum-drums of the washing machine in the background.

March ... marched by I suppose. I spent half of March in Singapore, and I've also become a year older (hopefully wiser too). Spent my birthday in Singapore, and there's nothing else that I can say, except that I am thankful for the good year - all the relationships, friendships are what made my year so meaningful. Spent a lot of beautiful moments with so many loved ones, ate so many cakes, drank so many drinks, flower surprises... :))
Significant and thankful moments - too much to say and yet words really cannot express how much I feel.

With Family. 💓


With my wonderful church family and colleagues.

And so as I settle back into AD again, I've returned to this life of remote work, spending more time with Steve and Kenji, re-playing tennis with Omar and Ernest and gang, discussions with Robert, eating at our usual fave haunts, cooking my salmon heads, and of course, getting involved in some SG events here. :)) Yesterday, I went to a congratulatory reception for the Singapore Special Olympics team. While I couldn't support the team at the games, was glad to have met some of the sportsmen and team in person, and was glad to be present to show support.

 

Today's gonna be beautiful. While the wind is still ferociously beating the life out of the landscaped trees outside, at least, in the house, I am snug and warm.
I am looking forward to this beautiful weekend. 😊

Getting a little bit lost

The pounding was good for my soul
I explored and ran alone
Countless thoughts ran thru' my mind
The joggers and hikers passed me by

I reached that intersection
To Bukit Timah or back to Mac
I decided to go back to Mac
And then the adventure began

I've gone right into SICC
and brought some hikers with me.
I heard them whisper behind me.
She looks like she knows where she's going.

And then... I found that I couldn't really get back
To the familiar terrain and tracks
I had wondered in too deep.
I had gone right into SICC.

I wasn't afraid I would get lost
I was just amused I ended in a club.
I had nothing on that Sat morn.
I really wanted just to run and feel.

Maybe I needed to add a few more km to my run
And then a small bus stopped right in front
Uncle beckoned me to get on it
And, inside, the hikers waved to me.

And so we got off at Lornie Road
And it became once again familiar to me.
I ran towards Braddell Hill
In my mind, so so amused. :-D

My little Sat morn adventure


The pretty golf course - and the beautiful morning. Get lost, but enjoy the moment.


And the funny hikers - I think they asked Uncle to stop for me. :-D

***********
It was just hilarious to me. I think my running mates would be so disappointed that I got lost?! But yet, I didn't at any moment felt unsafe. I think... the whole journey of exploration and getting lost is just the way perhaps I feel some times in my life.

I've been back in SG for really long, and everyday continues to be an adventure, most days are really good though some days, I do get lost and emotional in my own translation of life and meaning, but as always, clarity comes thru' the word of God.
Yesterday's service brought everything together. It was as if I was reminded of 1st Jan, 2019.
The tying together of a pure heart (being undivided in my thoughts - which Master do I serve?) and my favourite Matthew 6:25-34 (do not worry - seek God first).


I am super super thankful that it's been a great quarter. I look forward to spending the last 2 weeks here in SG, look forward to my last few runs, to more gatherings and celebrations, to spending time with Steve when he comes in next week, to doing meaningful work, to getting back to AD and seeing my darling Kenji.



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