2006 recaps

Things are winding down a little for the new year... and so it's time to wrap 2006 with top/down moments of each month.

January: Giving thanks to renewed vision

Plagued with constant eye redness and itchiness, I decided to give Lasik a try. Thanks to Dr. Chan, efforts were rewarding. I felt new enthusiasm for my regained perfect vision.

However, it’s not all in the eyes…
Vision happens in the mind, not in the eyes. — Marc Maurer

February: Surviving V-day

Seated in the middle of the dreariest month... The day was entirely unnecessary; what is one day, really? The irony of having a day devoted to love is that, in practice, it becomes the one day a year I try not to think about love.

I have certainly woken up on February 15 with a sigh of relief ~ I have survived and everything's back to normal again!

March: 1-week immersion programme at Kyung Hee University
To gain a deeper exposure to the Korean language and its culture. That was my initial thought. Thanks to this wonderful educational experience made possible through partnership of NUS Extension and Kyung Hee University, I have met and made a few 좋은 한국친구
↖(^ω^)↗


I will always remember the 'panting slope' we have climbed every morning to reach IIE (Institute of International Studies) where our daily lessons were held. Hopefully I can return to KHU to further my Korean language in near future.

April: Falling short of good health
My mother fell and hurt her back end March when I was in Seoul. The doctor called it a minor compression fracture — the result of osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to progressively become more thin and fragile. Poor mum.. it must have hurt a hell lot.

When she stands or sits, she's slumped slightly forward. She's currently on medication and undergoing physiotherapy to strengthen her back. Everyone now helps out with household chores as any heavy lifting is a no-no for her.

May: 궁 overload

Yes!! 궁 fever started in May for me. I managed to steal a few glimpses of ending scenes during my stay in Seoul. After my return, I downloaded the whole drama on Clubbox in April. Yup... it's legal ^^"

信: 對星星來說，有它自己的時間，就像人有人自己的時間一樣。如同書上所說，大部分行星都有返回到原來位置的公轉週期。人也有一定的週期——2500萬年。從現在起，過2500萬年，會重新經歷我們現在所經歷的事情，重新遇見以前相遇過的人。

彩：星星有星星的週期，人也有人的週期－－2500萬年。2500萬年後，說不定我們這些人會重逢，所以我們也會重新再見。律君，如果2500年後見到我，拜託你那時就逃離我吧，萬一見到我，不要理我，走你的路吧，我也會那麼做，我現在雖然離開了信君，但2500萬年後，還是會喜歡信君。

June: Here comes baby niece Adrienne

She has brought so much life and joy to our family. Almost everyone has become her personalised part-time babysitter. Extremely tireless and hyper with loads of kicking, she is definitely a kungfu and yoga master in the making.

Coincidentally Adrienne also shares the same birthday month as her aunt.

July: Surviving in a harsh world
Of my 4 working years, I have never witnessed a stabbing instinct. Sigh... this year I wasn't spared of any. I guess learning to win at positive office politics without selling my soul is perhaps the street-smart strategy to survive in this harsh world.

August: 한국 수업을 시작해요!

After a 4-month break, my Korean class finally re-started. Many have questioned me why I started learning the language... sometimes I'm just too tired to answer... Perhaps the following reasons why I started to fall in love with the language help:

1. 한국드라마를 참 좋아해요. I love watching Korean dramas.
2. 한국남자들 만나고 싶어요. I just want to meet Korean guys.
3. 시간을 많이 있어요. I have too much time on hand.
4. 그냥... 이렇다 할 이유는 없어요. Well there's no special reason.

Well actually my real reason for learning the language:
옛날에 서울에서 출장가야 해서 한국어를 배우러 NUS Extension에 왔어요.

저는 2005년에 한국어를 공부했지만 아직 잘 못해요. 선생님하고 친구들을 많이 사귈 수 있어서 참 좋아요!!

September & October: Peace!

The day I have been waiting finally arrived early September. 3 months of peace and active job hunting!!

November: Farewells

I bidded farewell to my twin students who have been with me since 2003. Thanks for bringing such fun and liveliness to my classes and may both of you grow up to be wonderful ladies with aspiring dreams.

It was also hard to say goodbye to my colleagues who have been journeying with me for 2 years 4 months. I will take with me all the memories~ they will be my sunshine after the rain (*^‧^*)

December: New year's resolutions

For most of us, new year's resolutions are well broken within three days and we can safely forget them for another year! Happily, for Christians that doesn’t matter because every time we fail and fall, we can start over again. God picks us up and dusts us down and goes on loving us just the same.

So in the end we don’t really need new year’s resolutions. God himself is within each of us, helping us, loving us, forgiving us, supporting us, accepting us. This year, I will forget trying to make resolutions, and instead rely on Him to see me through in year 2007.

My trust in God is not a human trust - wavering, insecure, springing from my weakness, certainly not; it is the trust of God Himself which I borrow, which I make my own.