Dad

The clicking of his walking stick woke me up from my sleep. I was hoping it's not what I think it was but dad was indeed trying to get downstairs on his own to my horror at 4.30am. His legs had been extremely weak lately. He fell three days in a row two weeks ago when we came back for a visit. Not off the stairs thankfully but terrifying enough and the possibility is no doubt very high if no one watches him.

As I sit here observing him trying to nod off, I find it so disheartening to watch a loved one in this state. I wonder if the dialysis procedure in the last five years had hasten up the deterioration of his body but we see so many others still very much their normal self in the hospital during regular check-ups.

I put it down to his mental state. Right from the start, he had given himself a death sentence. He knows that a person on dialysis will not live as long as he wishes to. So instead of making the best of whatever time he has left here on Earth, he just gave up altogether. Along with the depression, there's mom's constant nagging as the primary caregiver which probably further discouraged him from wanting to do any better than he already is. I don't want to blame Mom because everyone knows how much she's been through. She had been sticking to him through thick and thin and I can only give her credit for what she is doing.

I dread THE day but worse still, no one knows who will actually go first. We human are so dependent on one another without us even realizing sometimes. Without one or the other, life will be tough but it goes on. It always does. So it's only best to pick up the pieces soonest possible and move on.

I am thankful that I have come to know Jesus in my life. That makes living a little easier sometimes knowing that Someone out there is watching out for me. Life is still tough but there's also plenty to look forward to and be thankful about...

Art

I remember there was once we were asked to draw and paint. I was probably still in primary school then. Maybe something like Primary Three? The theme must have 'Your House' or something to that extend. Mom had helped me with the painting. Ok, she drew and painted it! The very next day in school, I gladly took it out of my bag to hand it up. My classmate next to me immediately asked me if I had done it myself and I said 'yes' without hesitation. It must have been obvious that I wouldn't have produced wuch work. Well, the teacher didn't say anything and that's what mattered then! Hah...

Half Boiled Eggs Tool

This morning I was thinking of the yellow half boiled egg equipment that we used to use to get the perfect half boiled eggs! There are markings on the container and you just have to pour the desired amount of boiling water in, leave it as the water drains to the bottom half and voila! The perfect half boiled eggs! Gotta go ask Mom if it's still around and then nick it!

Taken from http://www.chocolatesuze.com/2010/06/07/soft-boiled-eggs-kaya

Update 5/12/2015 - Just this year, one of the companies I buy eggs from, QL, had a redemption programme and I managed to redeem my very own half-boiled egg maker!! Soon after I received mine, Mom came with hers. Now there are 2! So happy to finally have the perfect half-boiled eggs for breakfast whenever I wanted some now. Was told that this equiptment is actually invented by a Malaysian! Whoa! After a lot of 'research' on the amount of boiling water for the required number of eggs. Cool!

School Bus Part Deux

Bro and I used to compete all the time. We both always want to win and this almost always leads to a fight. One competition occurs after school. Uncle Bus will drop us off at the end of our street and bro and I will run for our lives to reach our house, heavy school bag on our backs and a water bottle in one hand. I can just imagine the scene - two school kids scrambling along the street. The last one to reach has to close the gate which somehow is something that we dread. Silly I know but I guess at that age, closing the gate feels like a chore and no kiddo likes chores! Hrmph...