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.