Category: life

Eastcoastlife really scared me a couple of days ago when she posted “My last post” in her blog. Turns out that it was just a meme. I guess I overreacted and did not read that post carefully.

But what if it were really my last post? I cant peek into the future, I really cant tell. Will I still blog in the next 10 years? I’d only hypothesise in my romanticised mind that it’ll might be like these :

August 2009

Its my birthday! Will be celebrating with cartcart tonight. I cant believe I’m already 31 years old! I’m officially middle aged now … Bah! Most probably we’re heading down to Nemi and we’ll see the spectacular lakes there. Parents in law has been asking us to come over, and I’m still thinking of a good excuse not to. Hehehehe.

Just recently I’ve finally got my citizenship. It has been quite stressful the past year trying to adjust to the environment here. Luckily for me, Bruna has been such a good friend. And Cart has been very supportive too.

But I really miss home back in Jurong. Its just the little quirks and most especially the people that I miss the most.

September 2010

Oh my goodness! The doctor confirmed what mum in law has long suspected. I’m pregnant! I’m pregnant? Oh my goodness! So many things going through my head. This is so exciting! And yet kind of scary at the same time. Will I be a good mother?

If she’s a girl, I’d like her to be called Lisa. Funny how I’ve picked that name for my first daughter since Jurong Institute days. Hehehehe.

Going to call family back in Singapore now. I wonder how they will react!

December 2013

Cart, little Norman and me, are finally in Singapore for our December holidays. Its sort of cute to see mum fussing over little Norman. But at the same time its very humbling to see the family again. I always take it for granted that they will stay the same. I’m just shocked in the realisation that everyone has grown much older …

Speaking of change, wow so much has changed that I can hardly recognize anything! Went for a date with cartcart to Jurong Point. Was telling cart that I used to hang out here alot for my gossip sessions with Juli. But what on earth happened here? The place looks so different and much bigger and there’s a whole lot more people here than what I remembered.

I’m persuading cartcart to watch a movie with me. Its been such a long time since I watched a movie in english. Gosh, there’s a Rambo 10?

July 2017

I’m having chest pains again. I’ve had this pain since my teenage days when somedays, I wake up and feel it but it goes away in a few minutes. Its getting more frequent. I dont know what I’m doing wrong.

Anyway, I’m fetching little Norman from kindergarden now. He’s grown up so quickly. He’s got his dad’s skin and brown hair but he’s definitely got my eyes and mouth. Oh and my temperament too. Such a drama papa at such a young age. Looks like a beautiful day outside. Maybe the three of us can stop by at the Villa Schiarra park later and then have some gelato. Ah the simple joys of life. Vita è bella

As much as I love and enjoy literature, poetry is one of the most challenging aspect of literature to me. Many a times it isn’t easy to decode what the poet is trying to say due to its obscure meanings and hidden symbolisms. It is confusing. In the end, I try to avoid them altogether.

But on the insistence of Mr Chandran, our literature teacher, I forced myself to sit still and read the piece Karma, by Edwin Arlington Robinson :

Christmas was in the air and all was well
With him, but for a few confusing flaws
In divers of God’s images. Because
A friend of his would neither buy nor sell,
Was he to answer for the axe that fell?
He pondered; and the reason for it was,
Partly, a slowly freezing Santa Claus
Upon the corner, with his beard and bell.

Acknowledging an improvident surprise,
He magnified a fancy that he wished
The friend whom he had wrecked were here again.
Not sure of that, he found a compromise;
And from the fulness of his heart he fished
A dime for Jesus who had died for men.

At first read, I could not make it out. Who was the protagonist in this poem? And who is this friend? And why do I feel depressed after I was done reading it?

It was only later that I finally understood.

It was a story of a stockbroker, who betrayed his friend and made him bankrupt. He feels guilty about it. Due to the Christmas holidays, he tries to make himself feel better about it by donating to the charity. But his act of donating just ten cents makes the entire gesture farce.

The more I read it, the more I appreciated this piece of poetry. I can’t believe I actually decoded that one.

Mr Chandran says that a good piece of poetry retells a story in a very subtle manner. And suddenly I feel so enlightened.