Chapters ~ by Lee Ling

第一百八十四章：来自心底的笑

好久没有打从心底地笑。这次的笑真的是所谓的“眉开眼笑”，简直是笑得见牙不见眼。

手里握着钥匙，脚下踩着的是一个家，叫做“我们的家”。

接下来应该有的忙了，但我深信我这一笑将会持续下去。

不久后，我就可以对你说“欢迎光临”！

~

Chapter 183: May is coming .. May is coming ..

May is coming tomorrow!

Besides being a public holiday tomorrow (Labour Day), May holds much more significance to me. It is perhaps, a turning point in my life, but definitely a new chapter with every bit worth exploring.

Our house is finally completed and is now quietly waiting for us to knock on its door. It is a long 3-year wait and I have been careful not to mention it too much because by doing that will only make the wait more unbearable. And now it is ready and key collection will be in May for our block. We are very fortunate to be one of the first batch to collect the keys (I must have whined too much until they are sick of it), and hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, the official date should be known soon.

Apart from this big present, my braces are going to say Goodbye soon. After almost 2 years of depriving myself from the pleasure of food munching, I believe I can soon enjoy my food once again. Of course, I know there is still the retainer that I heard can give one a lisp, but at least I don't get to eat with it.

Among these piling excitement, I have 3 exams that vows to kill my joy and burst my bubble of happiness. Must they all come at the same time? I reckon that my May is going to be a busy one.

My good pal shared a saying that goes "It is either nothing happens at all, or they all happen at the same time". I guess I couldn't agree more.

~

Chapter 182: The "unsinkable" Legend - Titanic

http://www.starway.org/Titanic/

A century ago on this day, the largest ship of that time set off on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York, bringing with her 2,224 passengers, each with his own story, life and dream.

5 days later on the sea, a collision with an iceberg took the ship down to the cold ocean bed, putting a close to everything except for a legend that goes on for another hundred years.

Titanic. The "unsinkable" legend.

~

Titanic & me

I have always felt a strangely close connection with the Titanic. Sometimes, I ponder upon the possibility of me being one of the victims on board who died in the cold sea and hence now reborn to live in Singapore so that I won't get cold anymore.

My first encounter with the massive liner and its tragedy was from my primary school Chinese textbook, where there was this short passage narrating the incident briefly in short, simple language.  I wouldn't know exactly why, but the painting of a half-submerged Titanic left an imprint in my memory that just wouldn't go away.

http://www.thepaperwall.com/
wallpaper.php?view=cbd5756166f04a05bcba4a3671444aa8eff0b7a8&fol=vintage_historical

Perhaps it was the unbelief that such a grandeur piece of human work could be totally defeated by the power of nature that had me feeling overwhelmed every time I think of it.

In 1998, Titanic was made into a movie and I submitted my first ever thousand-words review to 星期五周报 after watching it. And it was then I earned the first $6 in my life. Quite little, maybe because they only used one-tenth of my work. :S

I fell in love with cruise ships after that though every time I board on one, there is always a mixed feeling of excitement, fear and uncertainty.

~

Titanic - The Artifact Exhibition
100th Anniversary

For many years I haven't been thinking much about Titanic, until the exhibition comes along to Singapore and it was then I realised the connection hasn't been lost after all.

A fantastic exhibition with apparent effort put in, I would say. Each visitor was handed a "Boarding Pass" with real passengers details, where at the end of the trip, we could find out if the passengers had survived then.

It could be the extra powerful air-condition, but every once in awhile during the exhibition, I experienced that shiver down my spine. How could I not? Every artifact I was looking down was taken from the real Titanic that was sleeping somewhere 3,784m deep in the middle of the North Atlantic. Plates, door knob, nuts, each had their own function on the ship. People and their belongings, each had their own story to tell.

Camera was not allowed in the exhibition so photos will be scarce in this chapter. Below are some facts and stories worth mentioning:

#1 Because of its 16 watertight doors, the Titanic was believed to be unsinkable that time.

#2 Captain Edward Smith had planned to retire but decided to accept the invitation to lead Titanic for its maiden voyage as his last trip. (lesson learnt: when you decided to retire, do so and do not accept any final task. Same thing if you are a cop)

#3 A coal strike happened just before the departure of Titanic. As a result, many crossings were cancelled and coals were transferred from other ships to Titanic so as to ensure it could depart as planned. Many passengers initially taking other ships were also transferred to Titanic.

#4 Safety boats were reduced from 32 to 20 due to aesthetic reason as 32 safety boats were believed to have made the promenade appeared to be over congested.

#5 It was a rush departure for many of the crew and binoculars were left out in the packing. Hence, the crew could only rely on naked eye for lookout of ice bergs.

#6 Most passengers had died from hypothermia due to the freezing water instead of drowning.

#7 Crews were not properly trained for emergency evacuation, hence many of the safety boats were barely half-filled.

~

Having submerged in the deep water for a hundred years, the Titanic now was covered with red iron-eating bacteria, and it was believed that all that will left between 40 to 90 years could be just a pile of rust.

Yet, if that really happens, I believe the legend of the Titanic will go on. Unsinkable, it was believed to be, and it really is.

~

Chapter 181: Winter in Suzhou-Shanghai (Page 2)

Finally, a slight breather after 2 consecutive deadlines in a week. Excitement seems to gather up recently, especially in the coming May. But first thing first, I should at least finish up my second part of the Shanghai trip.

Here we go again (back to the cold):

Thanks to dear pal Hui, we managed to have the business suite at Howard Johnson which showcased a separate bedroom and a cozy living room. Not that we needed it for meetings anyway, but who will reject a bigger room? And yes, we had a view of the busy Nanjing East road while being safe from the crowd.

Most food formed fond memories, especially the 小杨生煎 and 佳家汤包, which had us regretted for only eaten once. Read more about what I have to say about them here.

Places in Shanghai were often crowded, but we made our way through somehow.

Next thing to babble, Legends of the Sea with Royal Carribean. :)

~

Chapter 180: My dream within a dream

It has been a long, 3-year wait. Just when I almost thought I won't live to see my first home to call my own, I heard the sound of keys tingling. Yes, key collection is soon on its way.

There isn't a day I don't daydream (or dream) about our house, slowly building up somewhere in Toa Payoh. It isn't just a shelter over my head, it is the entrance to a paradise. In my dictionary, paradise is a place when I can simply be happy anytime. It will be the biggest luxury I will ever get.

And then suddenly, I feel I was the least prepared for its arrival. So I started jumping into the world of home furnishings, interior design, and all that are related to home, flipping through magazines and scanning online photos for inspiration.

There are a heap of messy ideas in my head but there is one thing that I have been holding on for the past 2 decades. A dressing table that I believe every woman deserves to have. Yes I don't deny, it seems to be an idea of the past. As time passes and rooms becoming smaller, we chunk away a dressing table to make space for a TV or even an extended wardrobe. Yet, in any possibility, I'm still grabbing onto this little dream dearly.

A complete set of dressing table with 3-way mirrors, many drawers and compartments and a swivel chair seems perfect for me :D

It's time to give my legs a rest as I squeeze the blemish balm cream to my freckles-invaded face. :)

image from
http://homeinteriordesigninfo.com/furniture-inspiration/beautiful-dressing-table-mirror-girls-room/

Chapter 179: Winter in Suzhou-Shanghai (Page 1)

LEAP!

It was Feb 29 yesterday, a once-in-4-year occasion. It was amazing that now is already March, and many things have been going so quickly. I'm not sure why but I seem to get busier too. But one thing i'm sure is that I keep getting the excitement vibe recently. Besides the positive forecast I received from Mr Seah, 2 major events are just around the corner. My braces and our house! One is going and the other is coming.

Floating among the clouds recently, I know I have been neglecting my writings. My post about the winter trip in China is really late, so here it is. :)

~

25-28 Dec 2011 ~ Suzhou

It was quite a last minute trip and cold, biting wind kissed my face the moment I made my first step onto the land of Suzhou. Hubby's four students were in the province for 3 months, not just for their internship but a totally new experience in a foreign world.

There were plenty of meetings and meals with them and it was apparent that they were quite happy to see a round, familiar figure visiting them in the cold. :P

It was well-known that Suzhou's food leans to the side of rich and flavorful, but I was surprised that my taste buds have succumbed to most food over there. Many meals had left me with pleasant memories, especially the Teppanyaki lunch in In City and the Korean meal with a heated seating.

As it was just a short stay, there wasn't much time to be a real tourist but we managed to 'touch & go' a few places.

Coming up next, Shanghai!

~

第一百七十八章：留下的是谁？

昨日与2位好友一起拜访了Mr Seah,距离2年后又再算了算流年运。去年如果也有算，或许可以避开一些吓人的事。既然错过了，今年就别再错过，还是算一下，好知道哪里该注意。

这一算，真是值得。或许现在才是我人生的真正起跑点。过去9年过得太辛苦了。我可能真的有机会过一下顺利的人生。

这阵子感慨也多，在想为什么周围会有那么多想让我辛苦为难的人？工作是这样，私下也是这样。或许我前世真的欠了你们，但抱歉我不打算要用这一生来还。

感谢大肚扬和几位友人在我人生低谷时始终给予支持。至于轻易放弃我的朋友，我能够理解。既然可以轻松地放弃我，想必我并不是一个重要角色，因为尊重你们，所以我也不该在介入你们的人生。也许我真的卑微渺小，但也没有人可以任意践踏我。

9年的辛苦日子虽然很难熬，但至少我看到了留在身边的，是谁。

~

Image: supakitmod / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Chapter 177: Here comes Draggy ~ puff puff

Shoo away rabbit, you had made my year unbearable. Welcome dragon! I'm supposed to be on the lucky side this year but why am I still coughing my lung out despite today is already the fourth day of the dragon year?

Hubby caught a bit of the flu bug 2 weeks ago and I secretly thought he must be the last one on the rabbit's list of "Persons to be tortured before I rest for the next 11 years". I must be an idiot to think that because hubby always has been luckier than me. Always.

While he recovered quickly, I soon realised that I was in fact the last one on the deadly list. As I count down to the year of Dragon, I waited for that miracle transition moment where my nose will stop being runny instantly. But that did not happen.

As I brood over my itchy throat, school is starting in a week and again I'm not prepared to get busy. However, also in a week time, something good is happening ... A long-awaited trip that will bring us to "The nation of Why not".

A bit of enjoyment before the reality hits. Why not? :)
~

Chapter 176: If you love to write, you are WANTED!

If you love to write, consider contributing your articles to Lexuanwang and your work will stand a chance to be featured as their "Article of the Month"! Plus, the writer will receive a little gift of NTUC vouchers worth $30. Relieving your groceries expenses could never go wrong, I guess. :)

Visit Lexuanwang now for more details: www.lexuanwang.com.sg

~

Chapter 175: Joining Club 30 and loving it (page 2)

Once again, the long-time friends of 14 years gathered and chit-chat over good food as they celebrated the last Big 3 of the year. And it was mine!

We chilled out at Medz, a mid-range restaurant with an open-market concept similar to Marche, selling Mediterranean cuisine that includes signature dishes from countries such as Greek and Turkey.

I have lesser candles on my birthday cake now yet the light of hope hidden in the back of my head is getting bigger.

Toast to Big 3!

~