新年快乐 - Happy Lunar New Year

Yes yes, CNY has long passed and it's now already the what, 10th day? At least this post made it within the 15 days limit, didn't it? :P First, a general shout out to everyone, wishing you all good health, good times, good fortune, good food and good company :)

Remember the dedication I mentioned previously? I've decided to take this festival to give thanks to a few special people who have been there for me in this short 23 years of my life.

Mum - The very fact that you brought me into this world despite the difficulties and trials you must have faced at such a young age proves how much Sis and I must mean to you. I am eternally grateful for all the sacrifices and hardship you've had to endure for our sakes. Mere words can never describe the love you've shown us. Hard love and all. Haha. Thank you for developing this sense of self and independence in me. Thank you for the discipline and moral values.

Ah Gong & Ah Ma - My paternal Grandparents. Even thinking about them now brings an ache to my heart and a slight mist to my eyes. Both of them have passed within a year of each other and I miss them terribly every year for the past 6 years. They essentially brought me up as a child under the roof of their household when things weren't very rosy at home. Etched into my heart are images of my grandma labouring at the wok to whip up a feast for the family, my grandpa's back as he sent me to school on his puttering motorcycle, the morning prayers as my grandpa waved the joss sticks, the cursing and swearing of my grandma driving (boy can she swear, learnt every single vulgarity in the Hokkien dialect from her I think! :P) I miss them. Ah Gong, I am in University liaoz. Thank you for the daily prayers. I don't think I can ever forgive myself for not being by my grandma's side when she breathed her last, but to quote myself - "Letting go doesn't mean giving up the memories" So, yeah, Ah Gong and Ah Ma will always be here inside even though it still aches to think of them as no longer around.


Uncle Han, Aunties Heok and Yang - The dear ones who helped my grandparents keep my sister and I in hand and were we ever more than a handful. Thank you for taking us in and treating us with patience for over 10 years in Lor. Ah Soo. Thank you for spending so much of what was the prime of your lives taking care of us.

Uncle Han, you were the only one who taught me what it is like to be a man - a gentleman. In between your sailing days and growing up on your own accord, you still managed to start me off onto the path of the straight and right. From that small first step, I have formed my own moral values and way of living over the years. They may never measure up to yours, but hey you had a 16 year head start! All the best to you and your family in New Zealand. May God shower your 2 kids with blessings and let them grow up filled with love and lofty aspirations for themselves. May you and your wife enjoy each other till the end of days. May your hairline stop receding :P

Aunt Heok, thank you so much for everything. You were like a 2nd mom to us. Cooking, washing, caning and all that. Hahaha. You were always there for us. Your voice never left us too. Nag non-stop. XP I am glad you've found someone in that pilot of yours. Whatever the case, just be happy, alright? Also, start thinking more for yourself and not fret over your younger siblings so much anymore. They should have long learnt how to fend for themselves. Do more things for yourself. Enjoy life more. Relax a little more and worry a lot less. Take that CPF and retire to somewhere else maybe. Get away from it all and I'll come visit you in "nothing" land once in a while :)

Aunt Yang, grateful I am to you for introducing me to God. At a time of turmoil and excruciatingly painful uncertainty, you offered me a place to seek solace in. It most probably is the major factor for my current sanity (well, what's left of it anyway). Thank you for the calm disposition that I possess today. Your courage and persistence in getting Uncle David accepted by the family was nothing but admirable. Hope everything goes well in your new job!


God-Brother Toh Bao Guang - Mr. Electric God (雷神王） himself! Hahaha, private joke. Bao Bao has been shooting down girls with his electric eyes since time immemorial! From neighbours>>buddies>>god-brothers Bao Bao is kin not of my blood but of my soul. We share too many childhood memories to count ever since we met in that spectacular way at our home's playground playing "catching". Keeping in touch even after I moved out of Lor. Ah Soo, it is now 15 years (and counting) that our friendship has gone on. You may never know and I've never told you, but you probably saved my life. Thank you for extending your hand in friendship to me when you did. It is something that I appreciate deeply. Hope all goes well for you, Mr. Deadly Faithful Womaniser. You know you break how many gals heart already anot? So faithful but yet still so attractive to so many gals. Tsk tsk. Hahaha XP Do well in NTU. I know when we next meet, things will be as ever for the 2 of us when we're together. Good laughs and great memories.


Jonathan She Rui Bao - or RB/Vege as we lovingly call him. My buddy from secondary school times. We got to know each other in the Military Band and never ever looked back since. I introduced Basketball and Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time to him, he introduced back vegetables and herbal life to me. Hahaha. Go back Singapore where do I go? JOOK! Because of who? RB and ML! He is someone that I really hold dear and close to heart.

Jason Lim Ming Long - Got to know ML through RB. They were already "Brothers" when I got to know him and entered into the Band Of Brothers Hailing from Jook. Might not have known him as long as I have RB, but he is every bit as tight as RB. Someone you can rely on in dire times. Impeccably good taste in food. Awesome choice of music. Put RB and him together and the night is pretty much taken care of with endless jibes from all 3 of us in all random directions. Even just sitting at a kopitiam and talking cock over teh-peng makes the time fly right by.


Of course, there are others who are very dear to me but I haven't mentioned. People like Patricia, Desmond, Nerissa, Jintao, Brian, Jonathan Siu, Stephen Wei and many many many more. I have had a blessed life in the fact that I've managed to have so many awesome people as my friend. Please do not feel slighted in the least.

If you know me well enough, you should know already that if you're my friend, your worth in my heart is immense. Good friends are hard to come by :) Just felt that these few above have stood by me and withstood the test of time. No, don't go "but most of them are your family members..." Because I can tell you now that familial ties carry no weight in the amount of sincerity you put into a relationship with anyone. I should know, because I've seen this sad fact come to pass in my own family.

So, once again, thank you :)