By My Side

She's the first cousin of her cohort to tie the knot.

Sophie and Ivan made it to the isle !

Congratulations to the couple.

 

A marriage witnessed before God and blessings full.

Both made their vows of love and trust before the Lord.

May God's unction and guidance be their source of wisdom as they sojourn on earth.

The bride and bridegroom; man and wife.

To Sophie

...Many women do noble things,

   but you surpass them all.

   Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

   but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised... Proverbs 31:29,30

May you be a constant support to Ivan.

To Ivan

...Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself...

Ephesians 5:28

May your love for Sophie be steadfast.

Though the wedding is in London, many flew in to celebrate the joy including 3 Seafieldians...
Esther, Megan and  Shaun. 

A happy day indeed.

 Family
Everyone happy for them.

This evergreen tune adds to the ethos of this memorable day.

God Bless Ivan and Sophie

04.08.2013

The Common Talk

You don't have to be anybody to want to talk about it; it's on the tongue of every parent. 

The welfare of children is never too much to talk about as parents bring them up and aspire very hard  for the best to happen to them.

 At the market this morning, I met an ex-colleague and after the usual exchange, the first topic we dwelt on was the welfare of our girls. Coincidentally, both of us have 3 daughters and she congratulated me on the impending wedding of my first girl. Next, we asked about all the other girls on both sides and our most common hope is that they will get reliable spouses and thereafter happy ever after !!!

Aha; so easily said and done too !!! We bade each other goodbye after the good greetings .

Then I walked across the street to buy my soya drink.

 Guess what ?

I only had to say I did not want sugar added to the drink before he gave me the rantings of his heart; his children. His humble beginnings and hard work are greatly rewarded as he shared that 3 of his 5 children are all graduates of local universities; two of which are public ones. Very commendable indeed. He told me his 3 children have started working but the remuneration is hardly enough to meet the inflation of today. He recalled that in those days milk powder caused a third of the price now; how much is enough to see to the challenges of today ? So the rantings went on and on. He said he needed to carry on and is highly relieved that his younger two will complete soon.

I like his fight in life; not afraid of hard work and is adamant that all his children complete their tertiary education for a better future. 

I am humbled by his simplicity and outlook in life.

I went home ready to also do something for my daughter.

Guests would be coming and I need to sew some curtains.

It is a happy occasion.

 The lady of the 50s are all ready to charge in the company of oldies of the 50s.

 The old faithful is rolled out; and the task is on.

 It is therapeutic to step on the pedals and the quiet sounds make the sewing enjoyable.

I want to have some new curtains added to the rooms.

 Daddy also says he wants to touch up as the excitement is mounting up; good old workers turn up to render some help and hopefully cheer up the place further. 

There will be more action in the next few days ...

The Teresa Teng beats are a real accompaniment and they make the sewing a breeze.

Notice the song is made easy with the romanized writings.

Sing along !!!

The common topic of children is evergreen like the song above.

A Day Of Giving

 Some days end differently.

Today is one such day.

It is the epitome of gifts as the day draws nearer to the festive celebration; everyone has a heart for someone. In school, there were also some gestures of generosity and appreciation.

 As head of the staff club, Puan Maziha collected donations and gifts to appreciate the general workers of the school in a short ceremony.

 Gifts were beautifully packed and distributed to the delight of some.

That's my favourite girl; Sukarti. She cleans well and is obliging.
These girls work hard to earn a living here.
 So, it was a pleasure to say thank you.

 The flower girl of the school today extended her creativity to a greater height.
 Almost everyone had a share of her concoction !

 Ms Chan lifted many hearts with her array of colours including the principal's spirit. 

The little spark spread far and wide as smiles lined many lips at the gesture of love.

 He delighted me too but the ever shy Leong says no, no, no; please don't snap !

 A surprise from his mama ! So I had that for lunch . Thumbs up.

 Daughter Grace texted me to say she received a gift from a patient who appreciated her for removing an ingrown nail an hour ago.

Indeed today is a day of gifts !

No coincidence but real incidents.

 There was also an exchange of packets for the young and generous donations for special needs.

The camaraderie ethos was strong and encouraging.

We like to feel this way; safe and warm.

But the best news of all of course is; today is the start of a 2 week break !

Everyone travels here and there for the festive celebration in the Hari Raya mood.

Malaysia is indeed a land to be envied by many; so many holidays!

Happy holidays and stay safe.

The Bubble Map

 One of the tools for thinking, the bubble map we have been told is created to guide students to associate it with adjectives especially in describing a person.

It is particularly useful when teachers embark on topics which require their protege to recall words that best depict their imagination of a personality may it be a hero, loved one, teacher or a friend.

 Today, someone caused me to think about her in this way.

What caused me to use the thinking tool?

 This bouquet of sweetness. She came up to me and said "for you". She caught me by surprise but it is indeed a pleasant one. You do not receive impromptu acts of kindness often as everyone is caught up in big and small ways but when that happens ; it really brightens your day. So, a simple gesture extended made me really appreciative and so I will talk about her via the bubble map.

Ms. Chan is pretty; that you can see for yourself. She is creative and more often than not comes up with great ideas in the teaching of English both for the weak and strong. She would come to me for opinions and suggestions but she has already said them all. She is skilful and  I have often wondered at her language skills. It is hard to find a teacher who can teach 2 languages at one time; Mandarin and English. Ms Chan proves many wrong as she handles both languages well. So, you can find her conversing in English and at the next instant, babble in English.
 A linguist at heart.

Then I must relate that she is the form teacher of a bunch of boisterous ones who need maximum patience and help. This helpful teacher coaches with her heart and her kindness I believe must have touched them. I hope they repay her with good results too.

Ms Chan is a blessing to the school.

 

I went through the day delightfully.

The flowers reminded me that it is good to be kind and appreciative.

The teacher's gesture made me happy indeed.

Thank you, Tsuey Ni.

3 Scores + 10

To the congregation the speaker reminded us of this:

1 score = 20 years

Therefore if a normal life span is 3 scores + 10 and if we were to begin life on a Monday, at what day is our present state?  Tuesday? Wednesday?

Mine is on a Friday evening.

The theme of the camp was " A good start to finish well".

To these campers, the speaker called it an inter-generational composition. Some are on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and I saw a couple way past Sundays. But it is indeed a timely reminder of our present state.

What are our regrets?

What are our insecurities?

What are our hopes?

We are told to start well and aim to end well; may it be our spiritual, personal or working life.

He spoke much, he shared much and he reflected much.

But of all that he shared I remembered this best: the hope in Naomi's life.

Even after being widowed and having lost her sons, there was still hope in God.With her daughter-in-law Ruth, they etched out a new life in their land of origin on God's timely intervention.The speaker pointed out that despite adverse circumstances, there was still a second chance for Ruth to begin life with Boaz, a man of reputation in those days.

So, the speaker told us that we have to take life stately and be ready to accept losses and get on; to be courageous and not live by regrets.

To believe that there is always hope in God.

It was a hope that we clung to; you would have been blessed by his quiet disposition and explanation.

But I was also most amazed by this mother -daughter relationship.

They must have a lot of fun together.

Perhaps this is the way it should be; that at every stage of our life we must choose to be delightful and make it a point to be happy.

The little girl is on a Monday morning and the mama must be on a Wednesday morning; a long journey to sojourn together; here on earth.

May it be not be too late for me to learn that truth; to be joyous and enjoy the company of people around me and take life as it should be.

God help us through; we pray.

The Beach

 It was a weekend at the beach.

The long weekend was a time for a getaway from the city.

Along with members of PJEFC, we landed at Lumut for a time of learning and fun.

 The beautiful beach was a sight to behold and ponder over. Somehow the sea surely leads you to a time of reflection and taking hold of oneself. You think of what has happened, you try to foresee the future but the best is to tell God you need Him and to rest in His promises.

The ocean tells you that you are but a drop; of no significance and fragile.

So, we must treasure moments.

 It's good to see dad in a relax manner. He works hard and is not slothful. He is also thrifty and careful.

When he strolled along the beach, he recalled the days of old when the girls were kids and willing to follow us wherever we went. Now we cannot assume their keenness anymore.
 In fact, we can only invite, never force.

So, we had to concede to the fact that we had to be on our own without them.

The Damai beach is quiet and serene.
 We noticed the patterns created by sea creatures; almost undisturbed.

Then we saw children building castles and sand mounds. Oh, it seemed like only yesterday that we played with our girls too. When I saw the little girl in blue, I asked dad whom did she remind him of and without hesitation replied: Grace.

That caused me to dig for old photos .

That's Grace with dad. Who had more fun? The father or the daughter? You see, fathers are all out to please their girls. So dad buried himself and gave the daughter a chance to feel great. Now Grace is a woman; ready to be the wife to a man. How does dad feel, I wonder at times.

Dad doted on his first girl quite a bit. 

He would be giving his full attention whenever the need arose.

 He made sure fun was the call of the day. 

The girls like dad because they associate him with fun; not mum.

Occasionally though mum did give in to them; that's mum with Esther in her bikini.

 Now you know why she likes bikini; trained from young.

Beach times were always good; you get to make a mess of everything without being chided.

We  also made sure we had holiday moments for them to remember by.

But the best memories are when the girls are less opinionated, more accommodating and simply love each other. During those days, their only boyfriend is daddy and this common factor draw them close together. But times change, perceptions change and aspirations differ. The girls have grown into women who are highly opinionated; not easily persuaded. But mama prays that they will continue to love one another and ready to accommodate peace and accept differences positively.

 May they strive to be wholesome beings and graciously develop into adults that please their Maker.

May they continue to remain friends and sisters in good and bad times; protecting one another through thick and thin; and know they belong to one another.

God bless the good memories we had with them and may they stay good.

Oh, how a beach walk can evoke emotions.

We have to walk more.

The Sweet Stay

 Last week I experienced reminiscences of the past.

A series of meetings in Johor saw me traveling back to my home state and gave me a chance to put up with my parents in Muar.

Muar, as has always been mentioned, occupies a special corner of my heart.

 Overlooking the Straits of Melaka, my parents' abode has a magnificent view covering the town. The evening breeze adds a feeling of nostalgia and I am grateful to God that they have a lovely place to stay. I cannot help but recall my childhood days when times were hard and to have a chance to stay like this was beyond imagination. So, My memories stretched and stretched. I can still remember the streets that I trudged on in the evenings after dinner and the small joys in strolling with my mum.

 When I became a trained teacher, I was sent to the outskirts of Johor in Rengit, Batu Pahat and Lenga, Muar. See, I looked fresh and bright; eager to teach and lead. My rural stints lasted for at least 5 years and it was a daily challenge to drive from the towns to the school; a journey that lasted an hour, one way. Back then, I did not really complain so long as I could be home each day with my parents.

 Last week for the first day, my father repeated an act he did during my younger teaching days. He drove me to town to wait for my transport to Batu Pahat. I remembered. Back then, Kong Kong would get up early in the morning, waited for me and then sent me to town just like on that day last week. I held back myself as I saw history repeat itself. I am thankful to God that I still have this privilege of having Kong Kong do that bit for me again. As caring as he always is, he waited and waited with me till my friend came. He refused to move otherwise. I am touched by his steadfast love.

Oh, I must mention what Por Por did. She got up, cooked my oats, made my Milo and insisted I drink a bottle of Brand essence of chicken for alertness. These acts are made in their precious care for me.

I must emulate their ways.

3 gruesome days of brainstorming for the best to come to the school; that was the mission of the trip. It has been a long, long while since I left Batu Pahat and it was indeed great to have a chance to visit the town on a working trip. The iconic building of the town, BP High is equivalent in status to Muar High but has recently been awarded the cluster school status just like Seafield.

As a cluster school, it is mandatory that both students and teachers perform their best to maintain the good reputation. The instruction is clear; do well.

Besides holding the instruction, I held good memories of the stay in Muar with my parents. 

May I have the privilege of many of such stays with them.

A sweet stay indeed.