Memories, the Fruits of Our Choices

Dear Diary,

Not feeling too well for the past 2 days with dysphonia, mild fever and a sore throat. Then again, it did not stop me from working and going out to enjoy myself! ;-) Despite an uncertain future, I am beginning to slow down my pace of life and starting to appreciate the little things in life which I usually have no time for. In fact, just minutes ago, I just concluded a long email reply to a friend who asked me for advice on her morbid guilt resulting from a failed boy-girl relationship (BGR). I tried my best to offer advice as much as possible (yes, bearing in mind that I haven’t really even have a BGR at all in my life) and volunteered to refer her to a female church worker and a priest from St Andrew’s Cathedral if she needs further assistance. I guess that’s the best I can do as a friend. What she needs most… I can’t provide but God can. She needs to know Him.

Today is a public holiday and I happened also to be on-call standby… but thank God, I am spared, haha… At 12.15pm, I left with the whole family for the Botanical Gardens for a walk. It was a perfectly cool weather except for a slight drizzle. Ate some food at the nearby NUS Law faculty canteen. Quite surprised that they are open even on a public holiday. Continued our stroll in the Gardens before we had a long car ride to Jalan Kayu to eat their famous roti prata. Frankly, though the prata is good… I can’t understand the hype over it. We then went on to Hougang’s Heartland Mall. It has been such a long time ago since I went to Hougang Central. I remembered the days I used to hang out there with my favourite cousins who used to stay there. It is a pity that I am no longer that close to them. Sigh… Oh yes, and they like to say that Hougang is a Teochew-populated town and that the girls are pretty there, haha… I bought a small portable bible from a “Daily Gifts” bookstore there at a bargain. It is the English Standard Version (ESV). Timely buy for me to bring the bible to reservist camp in January next year. I guess the rare outing we had as a family is something to be cherished. At least, we talked a lot about our lives, our future plans and our views. Haven’t really have much opportunity to talk to them on more personal issues. Today is good! ;-)

Yesterday was great too! Haha… Yah, all the goodie good days… hee… I stepped into my pharmacy and saw this huge present at my counter. It wasn’t wrapped too neatly with silver glittering wrapper and I did not take too much notice of it. I thought it was from some pharmaceutical companies and their usual “bribes”, haha… Then it suddenly occurred to me that why the envelope is hand-written. I stopped my work and took out the card and read… behold! My first Christmas present of the year 2007 on 19 Dec! Yay! ;-) It was from a colleague and how nice of her with that surprise. A beautifully written card (oh yes, you guessed it right… it is beautiful because there are praises for me in there, hahaha…), a huge Charlie Brown soft-toy and a box of Redoxon Vitamin C for me to tide over my flu…. How thoughtful of her. =) Love it!

Love it a lot even though I had to lug it along when I left the pharmacy to meet up with another friend at 3.30pm. =P We visited three post-graduate institutions from Tanjong Pagar to Dhoby Ghaut. It was quite a enlightening process I guess… haha… Caught a movie at the Cathay Building at 7.30pm and I must say that “Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” is a great movie that lost its plot. I love that relaxing tone the movie set but somehow while it reached the climax, it failed to deliver badly with an abrupt end. I was like… huh? Did it just ended? It does teach us that to achieve or do something well, we must first believe in ourselves before external factors, if any, can make any difference in their assistance towards us. Natalie Portman’s character eventually believed that she is able and she brought the magical toy store alive once again! Sweet little story.

I took a walk with my friend down Orchard Road and there were many festivities along the pavement. There was even a Nativity scene played out just outside the Paragon. The “Celebrate Christmas in Singapore” (CCIS) activities are being organised by the National Tourism Board and the National Council of Churches to bring in tourists and to tell the true story of Christmas respectively. Kinda enjoyed seeing those people celebrating and enjoying themselves on stage although the crowded pavement of audience made the experience a little uncomfortable.

As the year draws to an end with Christmas, I thank God for all the nice experiences I have this year. Sometimes, I wonder if I would have beautiful cherished memories if I did not study pharmacy 6 years ago. Of course I still will! However, the uniqueness of the joy and experience I am having now is precisely because I chose pharmacy. Many Protestants like emphasizing that the Christ Jesus could have come to Earth through other means other than Mary, the blessed Virgin. However, the fact that He came through her because of her obedience to God will automatically bestow her the honour none of us can claim. Similarly, each decision we make for our career or family will open the joy and woes of that particular destiny… which we should not regret (over other alternatives) but gladly embrace and cherish. Remember… we must cherish our lives as God cherish us! =)

I am really excited about this coming Christmas… although Dad and Mum are not attending Christmas Eve’s evening services again… awwww…. They are only attending the Christmas Day morning service. Not sure if I will attend the midnight Eucharist on Christmas Eve but will most probably be going for the 1-hour “Songs and Carols” service at 10pm. Anyone interested? You can join me… if I know you well enough…. Hahaha… ;-) Leave you with a nice little Christmas cartoon clip!

God Bless,

Andrew