Oh it's true

Many people would have heard it from me, but I'll say it here again for dramatic effect - 2011's been a sucky year for me so far.

First off, I've been sick TWICE. I spent the best part of the year-end holiday lying in bed with the flu, only to catch it back a week after I recover. That means no proper exercise for a whole month and a whole lot of flab.

Next comes my mum, whom manged to get her arm fractured from falling. It's in a cast now and she's got 20 more days to get better before she gets to see a specialist for a review.

Finally comes my dad, who's currently in SGH waiting for a bypass operation on his heart. His constant breathless spells have led him to a treadmill test at KTPH, which then led to his admission into SGH. The family's been really strung up with his episode and hopes he gets out soon.

As an aftertaste, my mum's been so affected by dad's admission that she's starting to be careless around the house. Today's drama involved her leaving the stove on after making some chinese medicine for dad - I returned home to a whiff of burning metal that is the dried up pot left atop a small flame for at least 12 hours.

And don't get me started about Dad's condition. It's been a roller coaster ride and I hope for the sake of us all that it ends soon.

Latest news - the operation's going to be on Friday if the CT scan on his large intestines turn out negative. The house is in less of a mess because of hired help, so I'm a little less bothered by it all.

We're all tired. Trouble is I don't see an end to this yet. Not till Dad gets wheeled into the operating theater for a procedure that involves stopping his heart.

I've got to remember this...

Just because the world you see is small doesn't mean you've seen the world.

How true. I must do my best to remember this the next time I shoot my mouth off at someone for being less of something I expected them to be.

The Pier

Today we know contentment. With the new days before us, let us tell the hungry voices in ourselves that from the very beginning, all we've wanted to do was sit and be happy.

Let us all cast our lines and be glad that the weather is fine. And if we catch something we'll be glad that we have a meal. And if it rains we'll be glad we won't have to kill a living thing. And if we go hungry let us be glad for the motivation to fish tomorrow.

If we do this, then we will be happy. But if we started saying if only, then happiness will never come.

Ask for nothing and know contentment for all that comes. Let that be my resolution for this year.

Back to One

I sat down to breakfast at Starbucks, deprived of coffee for the last few days because of the flu bug. Those who know me enough will remember my drink, but this time it was a decaf, and the devil chocolate cake is replaced with a nice Old Fashion Chocolate - a warm lava cake disguised as a doughnut.

The Starbucks at Yishun has also since changed it's unit, relocating from it's ideal second storey space facing the main road to a noisy corner right up the escalator. Sure it's 24 hours and the human traffic's heavy, but there's no replacing the ambiance brought by a second-storey balcony view yes?

And it all felt familiar - the way the coffee smells (mostly heavenly, but slightly trashy ever since I discovered Highlander Coffee Academy), the sound of the barista slamming the hammer down to empty the pressed beans, the nostalgic thump of my cup hitting the wooden table.

I guess it's like riding a bike. So many years and still I remember.

What a way to end the year.