preview of our photoshoot

the rest

arrivals departures

farewell 3611

my first pd class i've followed thru from jan 11 -- oct 12
they've grown like my surrogates from strength to strength
i'd dare say they're my fave form class in my years at ajc (the other being my last civics class 98s64 in hcjc)

the difference being i was so much younger then. now these are almost my own kids' age.i really wish them the best for the a's.god knows they've worked really hard.

a little poem from a favourite writer for you all:

photosynthesis-- a fable of the tree and sunshine.

(based on our convo last night)

once there was an amazing tree made with love and unmerited favour. she was tall and slender, graceful in her artless manner, true in her spirit. but to thrive and become magnificent, she needed sunshine, not so much but enough to sustain her in love and light. somedays the sunshine however needed to retreat into the foliage of her comforting shade, feeling safe in its embrace, languishing in the scent and grounded sense of constantcy.

 yes this is indeed the beauty of symbiosis of my love. for as much joy i can bring you with my radiant personality there is also goodness in the quiet solace of your existence. i need you as much as you need me.and.god has made.that mutually clear. so let my love shine for you while you keep me safe, like chlorophyl we make together, our love will grow.

and yes i love trees.they are reliable n rooted, much like who you are to me baby!

family matters always

so my ah-ee Irene, Ray's mom just passed away last night, short of 4 months after my own mom. they were close and solid as a family, especially since she was the eldest and raised and supported them after my maternal grandparents premature deaths. my mom, the second youngest was only 17.

anyway what this has taught me this year is the importance of keeping blood ties. since my mom's passing i have grown closer to my own immediate family as well as my cousins. it has inadvertently created family reunions, as i've always observed as a child and wrote that as a feature in my primary school composition of that title.funerals bring family together in the same way birthdays or chinese new year. it's odd but unavoidable. oh add wedding, but i have a feeling some weddings actually tear families apart...

the best part of a sad situation is how i've become closer to my own kids, after they witnessed the death and finally grasp the importance of mortality and loving those around you while they're here. as for me, i especially feel grateful for having nice relatives who don't try to hassle you for favours or money and instead extend generosity and kindness. as for my siblings, they will remain eclectic yet always reliable for support and loyalty. i know these baby steps since the era of estrangement has been much provided from above.

regroup recharge revive

it's been one of the most fruitful weekends thus far well at least i didn't resign to lethargy. we started the morning with a gym workout and i'm glad to say i feel like my weights have increased again. short of attaining the ideal lats and delts which i know will materialise by year end.

had a yummy lunch at our latest haunt at tiong bahru which we can already see ourselves setting up a future abode together. i love the throwback ambience to the 60s where life was simple but halcyon


then we drove to tampines for her antique procurement leaving with some really lovely additions to the home, crashed at the beach before having a sumptuous thai feast with really good eats and prices before watching her make and proof her loaf of bread which i could see she relished in the process. i love watching her in action. such devotion to her craft done with commited vigour. i think i don't have the patience nor skill coz i'd probably end up making unintended unleaven bread or worse, rock buns haha

 am drooling just looking at the finished product.heck was drooling during, well for more reasons than one hehe

and today baby whipped up a flavourful array of roasted veges in balsamic and herbs. delish


i love the simplicity of our domesticity. it feels like home,mom,love.

bucket list

1. swim with manta rays and dolphins in Maldives
2. see the bigass moon atop Nepal
3. watch the sunset with baby in Tuscany
4. drive a Maserati at 180kmh
5. own a genuine Gibson Les Paul matched with a classic Fender tube-amp

so i believe putting things down stamps its possibilities and claims its promises


as for us, i can forsee a retirement plan with much aplomb. presenting our glorified antique-procurement service, or otherwise known as garang guni haha

the kids and pooch can ride out back and double up as lovely assistants to load and display our wares. baby is an avid junk collector of dead people (read hailing from 50s-60s). the other day she stopped a garangguni ah pek in his tracks and bought a CNY goodie tray off him. must've been the most profitable sale till date haha

and at the end of the day it wouldn't hurt to return to a loft either 

virtual reality/insanity

my listlessness is much equated with cabin fever at work. invigilation and marking and testimonial writing is only what stands between me and getting away with my loved ones, yet paradoxically they also get me to where i need to be. 

the parable of the mellifluous manatee.

once there lived a cow in her halcyon existence grazing grass in a secure realm of her existence. although she was a free roaming bovine most of her life, even once letting herself be carried to the ocean and its surprising flux, she eventually decided to stay in one place where she was tended by a kind farmer who had nothing but good intentions.in commiting his time and focus on this lovely creature for the rest of his life.

so life continued in this tranquil manner until a manatee emerged from its marine surroundings where it once spent its days restlessly searching for its mate. as a sea-cow it was never able to remain in one part of the ocean as the expression goes, there were just too many fishes in the sea. why then would the manatee wish to be tied down to anything with all that uncharted span of possibilities? anyway it decided one day that it was time to come home to who it once felt was its stability, a secure and comforting presence of love and warmth which it had become callous about. it saw the cow and her blissful existence and felt suddenly empty. it yearned the same but couldn't rekindle that once passionate reaction from the cow, which only drove it to be more tenacious about its intentions.

meanwhile the farmer observed the events which followed, dumbfounded and somewhat befuddled at the manatee's attempts to atone for its past misgivings, making the cow feel somewhat affected by its returning presence, for deep in her she knew there remained a soft sentiment. all he could do was to observe and await the manatee's next move with an unsettling discomfort, yet a little.jaded in doing anything about it. for he had learned from.past errors that humanity is ruled mostly by free choice and less wisdom.or sense. for the heart often wants what.the heart wants. as for the cow, he trusted that she would be sensible and wise. for he had learned also that free will is but an essential.human prerogative and trying to comtrol. it would often be counter-reactive if not futile, with potential consequence of suffering all aroumd. so he conceded to let this unpleasamt situation run its natural course, trusting in the grace of providence to guide all parties to act with discernment. after all, he had mostly learned that what will be, will inevitably be, regardless of the actions we take in the present.

the end.