glory

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Photo taken by the Torrens again. www.siewwai.zenfolio.com

I wonder what's on her mind.

If she was a school kid, she would probably think 'Mom is running late again to pick me up'

If she was an environmentalist she would probably think ' The Torrens is badly polluted .'

If she was a gym junkie, 'Ain't it cold for outdoor cycling?Better in the gym.'

If she was an Aussie, ' Are the pubs open yet?'

If she was a Chinese (just like I am), ' This bird will certainly taste yummy in BBQ'

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This was not even a black and white shot. I took it as it was. The clouds could not veil the glory. To be continued on this .....I am exhausted today.

10/4/08

(photo taken on 10/4/08, Glenelg ... more photos on www.siewwai.zenfolio.com )


I miss my sister terribly. That's the spot where we sat when she visited me 1 month ago :)

(photo taken by sw , www.siewwai.zenfolio.com

My revelation of the day:

Though the waves are angry and tall, yet I shall not be moved. I will not be intimidated nor will I be afraid, because no matter how strong and how tall the waves might seem, when they come against the pillar, they are crashed and broken into drops of harmless water. Then why shall I be afraid of the waves of life? God is my pillar.

Gorgeous

(Photos taken by sw , more photos are available on www.siewwai.zenfolio.com)

Children are gorgeous, they are God-given blessings to the world. Enjoy the photos, enjoy the moments that were captured with a camera.




As for me, I have been busy. Although busy yet I never forget to bring my camera with me wherever I go, and I have already taken about >800 photos in the last 2-3 weeks without having the time to organise them and upload them. These are just some of them....



I might have to slow down, as I've developed right wrist pain and finger numbess (repetitive strain injury) from shooting with the very heavy camera+lens.

a man with hepatic encephalopathy

This is a medical jargon. Hepatic means liver related. Encephalopathy means brain pathology.
So hepatic encephalopathy literally means brain damage secondary to liver problems. It is an end stage presentation of liver disease, because the toxins in the body cannot be removed by the liver and therefore causing injury to the brain cells...


Last year when I was an intern I met a patient with this disorder. He came in and out of hospital for the complications of his end stage liver disease. He liked me a lot, he was especially nice and sweet to me' and always allowed me to perform all types of medical procedures on him.


He said I was very hilarous, I always made him laugh. He called me the Mighty Mouse.


Then I left that department at the end of my internship. But I knew he'd been in and out of hospital again. Every now and then when I visited my colleagues there, they would tell me that he asked about me everytime he came in. He usually described me as 'the little chinese female doctor who tapped my ascites ( it is an invasive procedure whereby a long needle is poked into his tummy to drain out the excessive fluid)...' and he was very proud that he let me jab him.


Why am I telling the story of this man?


Because this is a story about missed opportinities.


Since I left the ward, I have never gone to see him even thou I knew he was back in, in spite of the strong urge of doing so.


Today to my shock, I heard he had deteriorated very quickly this time,in coma, he might die anytime.


I ran up to the ward. I could barely recognise him. He was so thin, the whole body has turned yellow. He opened his eye at my calling , but no longer responded to the Mighty Mouse who once made him laughed.


I heard a voice in my saying, ' Tell him about Jesus now. Now!'
Then my own voice said ' No not now. The room is packed with relatives.'
' But it is about eternity!'
'But I can't do it! Too many ppl here!....oh God help me please!Let someone else do it! '


I have already given up. At the moment of weakness and cowardice, someone knocked on the door. It was the Chaplain.


Oh my God..! I heard myself exclaiming ' YOU ARE HERE!!!!!' ...as though I saw a long lost friend.


She was puzzled at my response for we have never met before. It is ok. She might not know, but at that very crucial moment I knew God was standing right at the door.


I left the room quietly , with a very burdened heart and a lot of flashbacks of him joking with me and calling me the Mighty Mouse. My patient was dying but I couldn't do it , my flesh was weak :(


But nothing would stop God's plan, not even my limitations.

27- part 2, for papa and mama

Mom is so cute! She rang me on my bday's eve, precisely 30 minutes before the clock turned 12am. But at that moment I was actually just about to blow the candles(my best mate threw me a surprise party). Mom greeted me happy bday, then dad took over the phone desperately; then there was a commotion behind sounded like my brother's and his gf's greetings.



I had a very funny thought flashing thru my mind when I heard my mom's greeting. Why do mothers greet their children on their birthdays? As if it is to say ' Hello my little friend, welcome to the world again!' ...or to make it sound like a gentle reminder that she went thru the pain to bring her babies to the world...



Just when I was thinking about this , mom on the other side of the phone left a witty remark just before she hang up. 'And hey, don't forget I gave birth to you on this day!'



hahahhaha....she is so cute.



On my 26th birthday she sent me a very beautiful birthday card, said she loved me.





25th, she posted me a platinum necklace with a cross, with a scribbled note (ok, she is a very busy business woman), 'I hope you will wear it daily and may God keep and bless you' ...that was one of the best presents I've had. For she has not believed in Christ, yet.





24th, a very beautiful birthday card, a cash note in a red envelop :)



23rd, ...can't remember...



Then dated backwards were the ages of rebellion for me and endless nights of heartaches for her. That was before I met God and changed by HIM. I wonder, on those birthdays, has she ever regretted bearing me?





What's one of the most memorable presents? It was on my 9th birthday. I still remember she came home from work and handed me a very very huge (huge to me back then) present. It was like my dream came true. A quilt printed with colourful cartoons!!! I wanted one very badly after being influenced by the TV series shot in countries with winter seasons. I thought it would be very cool to snuggle into a thick quilt.


Like many baby boomers back then, mom and dad started off a family without anything. She told us stories of when we were very small, how she lived on just a slice of bread/just some steamed rice and a mug of coffee for lunch, until she passed out at work because of malnutrition. Her colleagues had chicken rice at lunch , she could only enjoy that yummy stuff with a glance.


A quilt did not come cheap back then, esp in a tropical country. She got it for me because I wanted it. I wonder how many servings of chicken rice she could have bought with that money.


And there she was squashed like sardines in the rush hour bus, carrying the very bulky present, coming home to celebrate my birthday.


I did not end up using the quilt for more than 2 nights because it was just too inappropriate for that kind of climate. I 'found' it in the store room a few years ago and brought it to Australia with me. It has been 'with' me for 17 years and till now it is still on my bed. I must sniff it and hug it to sleep every night. No one is allowed to touch it.

Did mom have her own dreams? Mom was still young when she bore us, what would she have done if she had not borne us? I am 27 and I feel my life has just begun, and there are many dreams I want fulfilled. What was she thinking when she was 27?

I could see in the photos how pretty and hot she was before she bore us. She wore this dress at 25, I doubt if I could even fit myself into it without breaking any thread. (I 'found' it in the store room too, and brought it to Australia) ...

It's all for us that she made many many sacrifices.

I thank God from the bottom of my heart for saving me, transforming me, and showing me the way to honour my parents.

This year I didn't get any present from her, but giving me this birthday is already the greatest gift.

27 - part 1- for my friends

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I've had a very blessed birthday...

Thanks to the vigorous publicity 'My Birthday is coming! My birthday is coming!', this birthday has drawn the attention of many ppl, and most have come to celebrate with me with the big relief written all over their faces, ' finally....' was the word what they all said :)

and, ' your REAL birthday has finally come, this will keep your mouth shut for at least a few months before you announce your next year's birthday again!'

:) you all know I was just joking whenever I said my birthday was coming, and I have been saying that since a few months ago. I WAS JUST JOKING...

I know I am very cheeky ...but what I am gonna say is from the bottom of my heart.

This was such a blessed birthday. Thank you..Thank you...and Thank you.

Thank you for the surprises, the parties, the cakes, the cards, the flowers, the presents , the SMSs, the emails, the phone calls , the blog comments, the MSN msgs....Thank you for the love, the thought, the effort. And thank u for remembering me.

Each gesture means so much to me. Truly.

May God bless your beautiful hearts.