sincerity can move mountains and flood rivers..

what happened to the tagboard??

hey people, does anyone know what happened to the tagboard?

posted by Linus Chia @ 10:50 PM

a nice and touching article from TODAY newspaper..

She fed us, clothed us, raised
us, set straight our paths in life;
now she has left us with a
void in our house and hearts

By Desmond Chua

IT HAS been a month since Mother passed away, and all of us are still adjusting to this sad change.

Growing up in our old kampung home in Hougang, Mother had taught us to be strong. In the 1960s, life in Singapore was hard. The country had just gained independence; everyone was part of this young nation struggling to grow.

Our family was very poor; my father did not have a stable job and his hawker business never really took off. It was Mother who carefully managed our family finances. She made a resolution that, no matter how difficult things got, every one of her children would get an education.

She tried never to be too heavily in debt, fearing that the family would not be able to break out of the poverty cycle. And so she would make us live within our means. My elder sister remembers fondly having to share a single egg with four siblings at dinner.

Our family culture was such that the older children looked after and made sacrifices for the younger ones. But when Chinese New Year came, Mother would reward the older children with new clothes and pass the old clothes to the younger ones. This was Mother’s idea of fair play.

Father, who worked hard, was not home most of the time. It was our mother and grandmother who took care of all seven of us.

Mother was especially firm when it came to discipline, and she taught us integrity. She did not accept any form of charity despite our poverty. She also did not encourage borrowing.

When I was in primary school, she would never allow me to borrow books, stationery or money from my classmates. No matter how short on money she was, she always tried to give me enough.

The years of hardship paid off when every one of us found good jobs and started our own families. Mother loved family gatherings and always looked forward to her birthday, because no matter how busy we were, most of us would make it to the celebrations.

In her later years, she suffered from severe osteoporosis and high blood pressure, and could walk only short distances. We bought her a wheelchair — and had to get her to swallow her pride to use it, so she could join in activities with us.

Once she started staying with my family, our weekends were planned around her and my daughter. Being her caretaker at times was not easy — because of her pain, she was quick-tempered and we had to learn to understand her illness.

My wife and I had to sacrifice our own social lives, with my mother trying to get our attention. But I guess this was all part of looking after elders in the family.

In August this year, I was lucky to get four tickets to the National Day Parade at the National Stadium. Mother was really looking forward to it, as this was the first time she would be watching the parade in person.

On the day, she was especially moved when she saw Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew enter the VIP gallery. She told me the last time she saw Mr Lee up close was in the early 1960s, when he visited our old kampung house during an election campaign. He was young, energetic, full of charisma, she said, and she trusted his vision for building the nation.

Singing the National Anthem as a family, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I knew that what Mother and us had struggled all our lives for was worth it — Singapore was truly our home. I saw the smile on Mother’s face as she watched the fireworks light up the sky. It was a moment I knew I’d never forget.

As we drove home afterwards, she reminisced about how Singapore was in the old days. She repeated a Hokkien phrase she often proudly said: “Singkapo siang ho” — Singapore is the best.

Two weeks after National Day, Mother’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse. She was hospitalised following a mild stroke, with an irregular heartbeat and difficulty in breathing.

I contacted everyone in the family. Mother was barely conscious, but when told that my elder brother was returning from Hong Kong to see her, she smiled contentedly.

Our hopes for her recovery were dashed when she had a heart attack. The doctors advised us to prepare for the worst. I could not accept it.

As the youngest child, I had been showered with all her love; I could not bear to let her go. Mother’s condition remained critical for another day before her heart gradually stopped beating, and she passed away peacefully on the morning of Aug 30.

She was 81, and left behind seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

After her wake, I would very often wonder where she was. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her gentle smile as she watched the fireworks at the stadium.

The first few weekends after her death were the most difficult for the family; the house felt empty, and when I drove my car, I could feel her next to me enjoying the usual weekend ride.

I miss my daily routine of giving her medication before leaving for work and greeting her when I come home.

My daughter, Vanessa, misses her Ah Ma every time she looks at her grandmother’s bed. We will have to learn to move on.

I will always remember Mother for all she taught me, and I hope my daughter will learn the same important principles of life from her Ah Ma.

I will try my utmost to get tickets to the National Day Parades from now on, knowing that Mother will be there with me to watch the fireworks in the sky. Mother, I love you.

posted by Linus Chia @ 9:33 AM

back from the hospital!!

i just recovered from a bout of dengue, of which i spent about 6 days in CGH ward 25, bed 21.. it wasn't a really great experience staying in hospital, but as one of my friends say, maybe i was working too hard (am i?) and someone up there obviously wants me to rest..

firstly, of course i'll like to thank my family, namely my mum, my dad and bro.. thanks for coming everyday to see me and helping me 'clear' fruits that well wishers brought along with them =p

next, i'll like to thank peipei for spending ALL the days there with me, taking great care of me, even thought she had to take leave.. thought i told her not to come, she still inisited.. and brought me out for breathers on a wheelchair (i wasn't suppose to go out of my ward at all!)

and thanks to all these people who took time and visited me..

aunt janice and uncle andy
aunt gina and uncle robert
aunt tina and david
aunt suzanna and kelvin
aunt sharon and uncle boh
kenny, sujing, jiayi, lianna and bo
zhikai and kimm
junxiong and momo

posted by Linus Chia @ 12:34 PM

a hectic week finally over!!

this week was very hectic for me.. considering that i had 2 quiz and whole of of assignments due next week.. well finally my 2 quiz are over and i can breathe a sign of slight relieve.. at least feel a little more relaxed now..

tonight will be spending mid-autum together with peipei playing lanterns that were leftover from last year.. and i will be looking forward to it..

weekend.. here i come!!

posted by Linus Chia @ 9:58 AM

many many thanks!

i hardly have time to give me thanks and wishes for those who knew it was my birthday as i spend the weekend playing real hard and monday catching up on quizzes and assignments..

first i would like to thanks my family and girlfriend for making my birthday so wonderful..

dad
mum
my bro les
peipei

for giving me nice presents and having a great dinner with me on saturday night..

then i'll like to thank my friends for their birthday wishes too..

lianna
bo
seng
kenny (tay)
*alex
*sherrie
*edwin
*peter
wynn
florita
dixi
desmond

and special thanks to alex, sherrie, edwin and peter for their nice present.. and for the rest, to be optimistic, i believe you all didn't give me a present because we didn't have time to meet up? hehe.. :p

and once again, another year older.. and in time to come.. great responsibilities.. and as they say, when you grow older, you grow wiser.. i certainly hope that is true for me..

posted by Linus Chia @ 8:20 AM