Birthday blessings

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to MEEEEE,
Happy Birthday to me!

Yes, I'm older, grayer, not much wiser today...but I did learn something last night that makes me believe even more in the existence of God...

My whole family (see photo) went for dinner at Imperial Treasure (not a product placement hor!) at Great World City. Like most families, or maybe not, we have had our ups and downs over the years, especially among my brothers and myself, and my eldest brother was actually MIA from our family gatherings for several years...which is something that grieved my beloved mama a lot but didn't seem to have any solution.


However, over the past year, there has been a gradual reintegration and healing within our family, and my big brother and his wife have somehow found their way back into our family. For the past few months, the Ong family has had dinner together at least once a week, followed by a mahjong session led by my mahjong-obsessed mama! I would grumble at the noise (hate mahjong!), yell at my big bro for smoking in MY home (Hey, I'm the spoilt youngest sister, okay?) and disappear into my room once the mahjong started... :-P

Last night, I felt surrounded by such love when my two brothers, their wives, and my mama had dinner with me. I know it was a sacrifice for my big bro cos he was supposed to have some business meetings last night, yet he somehow managed to come for the dinner, bearing wine and a birthday cake...and dinner was paid for by my second bro, the one I nickname Scrooge for his miserly ways...

I am truly blessed...and I thank God for my family today and everyday!

P.s. I also thank Him for my friends...over 10 of them remembered it was my birthday today and sms'd or called me with birthday wishes!

Reflection on unity

Some of my friends, who know me well, know that one of my favourite series of all time is Babylon 5. There are many reasons why it is my (and not just me, but many others) favourite, which is not what I'm planning to talk about today...don't fear... I'm just thinking that as today is the Muslim festival of Eid aka Hari Raya Haji, and Christmas is approaching, it is a good time to reflect on unity and the common things that hold us humans together....love,hope, dreams, compassion. Yah, there's also hate, anger, pain and fear, but I want to choose to focus on the positive things that hold us together.

At the end of it all, we are one. We have to keep remembering that when the world seems filled with anger and hate. We have to hold on to that when we feel alone and misunderstood. We have to continue to believe....

"The universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The language is not narn or human or centauri or gaim or minbari. It speaks in the language of hope."
"It speaks in the language of trust. It speaks in the language of strength and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors speaking through us and the voice of our inheritors waiting to be born. The small, still voice that says: 'We are one. No matter the blood, no matter the skin, no matter the world, no matter the star. .. We are one. No matter the pain, no matter the darkness, no matter the loss, no matter the fear. .. We are one.' Here, gathered together in common cause, we begin to realize this singular truth and this singular rule that we must be kind to one another. Because each voice enriches us and ennobles us and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light our way to a better future. We are one."
"We are one." J. Michael Stracynski, The Great Maker, speaking through G'Kar in Babylon 5

Death of a song master

Was surfing the Net today and read that Dan Fogelberg, the writer and singer of such classics as "The Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne" has passed away. He was 56 years old, and died of prostate cancer, apparently.

This really saddened me cos I was just talking about his songs with my pals during dinner at Hog's Breath Vivocity on Saturday. The restaurant had a singer-guitarist, and I mentioned that he sang like Dan Fogelberg in some of his songs. I've always liked "The Leader of the Band", which was written in tribute of his father. Even though my father was never a bandleader, yet the lyrics of the song have always touched me cos I was "Daddy's Girl", and I think about my father every day, even tho it's been 22 years since he went home to God.

Rest in peace, Mr Fogelberg.

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through
My instrument
And his song is in my soul --
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
Im just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
I am the living legacy
To the leader of the band.

Shopping madness

Yup...Heather has started her Christmas shopping (a bit last minute cos I'm a chronic procrastinator)- in fact, I think I'm early this year cos I tend to be a Christmas Eve shopper....

Went with 2 pals to Vivocity....the CROWDS OF PEOPLE!!!! Singaporeans really hang out at shopping centres a lot...Just imagine that there are so many shopping centres all over the island, and every shopping centre will be jammed packed with folks each weekend...If 4.5million people can cause such crowds, if we really ever hit the targetted 6/8 million that our Gahmen wants, we'll be hanging on to the sides of the buses and folks would be dropping off the edges of the island....

Anyway, I've done most of my shopping now. Just have a couple of specific items to get for folks, perfume for the ladies and men in my family, and I'll be done for the year! then I'll have to start wrapping....yikes! Thank God Christmas only comes once a year..think I'd convert to some religion which doesn't accept Christmas if it came more than once a year!

:'P

Luka

Oldie but still pretty powerful song about child abuse....

I did it!

Yes ! I did the marathon this morning and got the "tee-shirt that money can't buy"!

It was BAD! I got cramps in both legs, calves and a stitch in my left side around the 35k mark and walked the last few kms because the stitch just wouldn't go away. I was trying to jog still, but when I saw runners by the side needing help from the first aiders around the 40k mark, I decided that I should focus on finishing the race rather than on my timing! But when I saw the finishing line, adrenaline kicked in, and I sprinted (well, more like hobbled quickly!) to the finishing line! It's the most amazing feeling in the world to cross that line. That's why I run. And the camaraderie is great, cos we're cheering each other on to cross the line, and we high-5 each other when we're done.

The Singapore Marathon has this tag that I like - "Run your own race". And that's what a marathon is all about. Yah, there are the elites who run for the money, but there are scores of others who do it for all sorts of reasons, and we're not competing with each other, it's just the test between your body and your mind and spirit. Many people put signs on their backs, like running for Jesus, running for a person, running in memory of the 5 dragon boaters who died etc. There was someone who put the sign "For the teeshirt". I liked that. Cos to me, the teeshirt symbolizes an achievement attained through sweat and pain. It means SOMETHING. You can't buy it, you can't borrow it. You have to earn it.

Right now, I'm not looking forward to the days of pain while I'm recovering, but I'm already thinking whether I should try doing it again next year, to try to improve my timing. It's true. Marathons are addictive.....and I'm hooked!