hello

Today I have to come back here to delete some photos as I was told to do so.  So very sad.

I realize there was so much love

When my mother passed away 15 years ago, we didn't think father would survive one year without her, for although they used to bicker a lot, he was very dependent on her. Surprisingly, he outlived her by 15 years and lived to 101.

I know that getting old is such a big and normal part of life and yet it was so hard watching father getting old, particularly in the last 2 years of his life.  I sometimes silently questioned myself, how could this happen? How could a once strong, independent, sporty and intelligent man become weak and frail?  Where is the man who used to play badminton, play tennis and walk to the lake every morning to fish?

When he stayed with me for 5 weeks last year while his caretaker was on home leave I tried my best to improve his health but I think I did nothing  for him. He was making the motions, but his life was over. I realize then that caring for an aging parent is the most difficult thing one could ever endure. I felt helpless,  frustrated, angry and sometimes even overcome with a lot of guilt that  he was getting so weak. 

 When I came across my father's 1992 diary while clearing up his belongings recently I realized how much I did not remember about my father when he was younger. It’s also pathetic how random are the things that I do remember about my father. When I read some pages of the diary I swallowed back my tears and longed for my old home when both father and mother were healthy. I realize there was so much love and there is so much I am grateful for. 

Looking so happy with his grandchildren at his 100 bd do. 

Shared Memories

This post has been specially composed to share with my Sister and 3 Brothers, my Children, my Nephews and Nieces in Malaysia, Australia, the  Netherlands, USA and the UK. I do not know how many of them read my blog but I hope some of them would.
 

Our Father Woon Sang Chew (departed 25 Jan 2013 and
our Mother Lim Swee Heng (departed 9 August 1998),
through the years

The 5 of us THEN, taken in Parit Buntar
 

and NOW, taken on 26 January 2013 in Petaling Jaya

 

 

 

 

 

 



Images of our house where we spent our childhood and young adult years with Father and Mother

 

1989, probably during CNY

2011 at Father's 100 birthday celebration

A French author said “We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break.” Marquise de Sévigné (1626-1696).

And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen. ~Terri Guillemets

In the far haven of eternity

As o'er the stormy sea of human Life
We sail, until our anchor'd spirits rest
In the far haven of Eternity,...

~Robert Montgomery

Father passed away very peacefully on 25 Jan 2013 at the ripe old age of 102.  When I lost Mother 15 years ago, I was overcome with grief for losing a person who had loved me so unconditionally for as long as I know.  Now when I lost Father I feel I had also lost a large part of my life. Memories of my childhood and young adulthood with my parents came flooding back, both the tribulations and the happy times that we went through as a family.  But as I looked at him lying so peacefully, I try to convince myself that he is now in a better place where he is no longer weak and frail. 

We cannot destroy kindred

We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break. ~Marquise de Sévigné

Tour of the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur with Father and Sis on 15 January 2013.  Thean Hou Temple, built by the Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association (clan association), 雪隆海南会馆 is 6-tier and is one of the biggest temples in Southeast Asia.   The temple is dedicated to Mazu, 妈祖, the Sea Goddess. The Mazu sculpture occupies the main shrine on the third floor of the temple. Next to Mazu are the Goddess of the Waterfront, 水尾圣娘, a Hanianese deity and Guan Yin, Goddess of Mercy, 观世音菩萨.  The Mazu birthday celebration in the Thean Hou Temple is supposed to be one of the largest held outside of China. The Mazu belief and custom has been designated as "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2009.

Korean barbecue with Sis on her birthday 14 January 2013

一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴

Translation: An inch of time is an inch of gold, but an inch of time cannot be bought with an inch of gold. 

This proverb tells that time is more valuable than money. Money spent or lost can be earned; time lost is lost for good. No money can buy it back. 

My re-furbished front yard

Mother's "must have" kumquat

Nurseries are enjoying brisk business in recent weeks due to the approaching Lunar New Year.  Flowers and and plants that have certain symbolic meaning are now in great demand.

One of these is the Mandarin orange kumquat plant.  Mandarin oranges are called ‘kum’ in Cantonese, the pronunciation similar to that for the word ‘gold’. Kumquat, therefore, is symbolic of wealth, good fortune, and prosperity.
 

Sister and I visited the nurseries nearby today. We were both reminded of how our late Mother used to ensure that a pair of kumquat plants were bought and placed at the entrance door every Lunar new year. CNY had not been the same anymore without Mother.  

Hard hitting facts!

• The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (of the world's countries) is less than the combined wealth of the world's 3 richest people!
• 20% of the population in developed nations consume 86% of the world's goods!
• Approximately 790,000,000 people in the developing world are still chronically undernourished, almost 66% of whom reside in Asia and the Pacific!
• 30,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death. That is about 210,000 children each week, or almost 11,000,000 children under age 5, each year!
• Across the world, 130,000,000,000 people live on less than $1.00 a day; 3,000,000,000 live on under $2.00 a day; 1,300,000,000 have no access to clean water; 3,000,000,000 have no access to sanitation; 2,000,000,000 have no access to electricity!

Adapted from http://www.globalissues.org

Pictures from: http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/asia_poverty.html

Percentage of population living below the international poverty line in Asia

Country	% population living under US$1.25 (PPP) a day	% population living under  US$2 (PPP) a day
Cambodia	22.75	53.27
China	13.06	29.27
East Timor	33.44	72.87
India	32.67	68.72
Indonesia	18.06	46.12
Laos	33.88	66.00
Malaysia	0.00	2.27
Myanmar	n.a	n.a
Nepal	24.82	57.25
Pakistan	21.04	60.19
Philippines	18.42	41.53
Sri Lanka	7.04	29.13
Vietnam	16.85	43.36

Anyone can spread the spirit of Christmas and volunteerism, no matter the age

Elderly residents of a Utah health care facility are proving that anyone can spread the spirit of Christmas and volunteerism, no matter the age. Copper Ridge Health Care in West Jordan has transformed into a doll hospital over the last few months, giving new life to old dolls that will go to needy children.

Residents at Copper Ridge have spent the past few months preparing the dolls to go to new owners this Christmas. But not just any owners, young children with mental health disorders whose parents can't afford presents this year because of medical bills.

The doll project started out as a way to get residents interested in activities they enjoy, like sewing. But the facility quickly turned into a full blown-doll hospital when community members donated dozens of raggedy old dolls.

Please read full story Elderly elves turn West Jordan health care facility into Santa's workshop by Shara Park http://www.ksl.com/

The tranquility of the evening

The complete life, the perfect pattern, includes old age as well as youth and maturity. The beauty of the morning and the radiance of noon are good, but it would be a very silly person who drew the curtains and turned on the light in order to shut out the tranquillity of the evening. Old age has its pleasures, which, though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth.

W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM, The Summing Up

My 101 year old Father enjoying the lake view and the beautiful flora and fauna around the lake. 

 

Any place can be beautiful

Some people look for a beautiful place, Others make a place beautiful -Unknown