A New Beginning

What a glorious way to cap off a wonderful year, especially with my advancements at work and John's amazing year of accomplishments in regards to his studies!!! A win for Labor after 11 years. The Australian public finally waking up from their long slumber of social degradation. Even though we may be prosperous, but our values have been corroded, and it is time to turn back some of the evil clock, and strive towards social justice and a loving environment once again.

Singaporeans who I meet generally like to ask the same question: What does Australia hold for you and how different is it from Singapore? My answer yesterday was an excited "After today, after the change in government, there is new hope. Hope that we will no longer be under an arrogant "dictatorship", where people and the media are afraid to speak up and tell the truth, afraid to say "Sorry" when an apology is overdue, and where minorities will no longer be "dumbed" down and will hopefully have equal rights as the general public.

I feel honoured to call myself an Australian today because the Australians have hopefully come to the realisation that money is not everything. There is a bigger thing in life known as relationships and how we relate to each other will dictate the ultimate quality of life we share as human beings. The economy is still high in the ranks of everyone's mind, but hopefully people will realise that without relationships, the place at the top or at the bottom is always going to be a very lonely place.

My holiday in Singapore has once again heightened this fact that people will always remember you for all the good you did and the efforts you make to build and maintain friendships. At times, I am moved to see how my friends will make time and effort to meet up with me, and this is a testament that even long distance friendships can stand the test of time. Even though we sometimes just move in parallel universes, never straying too far from the same conversations, there is comfort in knowing that fundamentally, we are all still the same people within.

Like my dear friend Leslie always say, we are the lucky ones who have made it out of Singapore. To learn, to grow and to give. What I give to my friends is perhaps the hope that we can survive an independent life and be happy. That is an achievement that is usually unsung and unnoticed in the spectrum of things, and it is usually then, that I recall the hardships that I have been through, to get to this comfortable place that I am in. It is also with my new circle of friends and my amazing relationship with John that has brought on new meaning in my life. For that, I am thankful to everyone for all the colours they added to all the chapters of my life.

With this new government sparks a new beginning, a new light. Through this trip, I have realised that I have been reading a lot less, and that is something that I enjoy and I have to pick up again. Until I do so, let me allow myself a little indulgence to celebrate this victory with my fellow friends.

Happy

I guess one can't ask for much more than a state of happiness.

Though there are many things that I may not have, still in my life, but I am contented with my current life goings. The reason for my lack of blogging recently is because of my busier work schedule, where I was trying to clear all my work before I embark on my holidays, which I am currently at. I don't like to bother others, so I wanted to make sure that I cleared the major work that I was meant to complete before I come back from my holidays, and I was elated that it all worked out in the end.

On my relationship front, things are going really well with John, and he has just capped off an amazing year of studies in two courses with distinctions in the end. I am really proud of him and he has really showed me a great example of how I should enrich my life with more fulfilling matters in the year to come. I will possibly be looking into a counseling course and finally do something more with my lifelong desire to speak Japanese fluently. I will definitely be looking into some singing lessons as well so that I don't massacre the cows when I open up my mouth. Ha! Ha!

I am also really fortunate to have a really wonderful and supportive group of friends, in Australia and in Singapore. It is so gratifying to know that all the years of hard work that I put into building and maintaining relationships have bore fruit and people still remember me for who I am. I wish that they would have moved on together with me, but it is more difficult to do with some than others. I don't have too many complaints at the moment, but I will definitely be seeking more frank and honest conversations with them about more important issues than just trivial goings, to improve the quality of our relationships.

On my family front, I am doing my best to do my part as a dutiful son, brother and uncle, and it has been a joy to feel so loved and pampered by everyone. It is no secret of my love for children, so it is absolutely wonderful to be "mobbed" by the two of them, and them taking turns to be frank and honest about demanding for attention and fighting for affection. If only, we don't lose these traits as we tailor our behaviour to life as we grow older. Will the world be a better place?

I am also working on trying to have a deeper relationship with my parents and getting to know them as people rather than two people who brought me up. It is not easy because it is normal for them to lapse into their daily roles, but I will try my best.

So, here I am, on my holidays, reflecting on the previous year and the coming, and putting into action the promises I have made to myself, in my voyage of life discovery and relationship building. Happy is a state of being contented with the mundane things in life that we take for granted, and I am thankful for all for that.