Good-bye

My mother-in-law passed away peacefully in her sleep sometime on Saturday morning. She went through a lot in the past 7 months, most of it spent in the hospital. She outlasted the time that the doctors thought she had. There was a period when a whole room of doctors were convinced that she only had a few days left but she charged on probably for another 6 weeks. She had a strong will to fight on. She passed on not because she gave up on life, certainly not on those she loved; she passed on because it was time for her journey back home.

After being discharged from the hospital, she had good days when she was lucid and not so great days when she was incoherent due to the chemical imbalances in her body. She found it difficult to eat, drink and to take her medication, but there were occasions when she found something she enjoyed eating. My sister-in-law and her helper took care of her 24/7 and it was an emotional roller-coaster for them. Perhaps when someone is incoherent, they are less focused on the physical discomfort which their bodies have to endure. Even though it may be difficult for us to watch, perhaps it helps to numb their physical and mental suffering momentarily. A reprieve, a relieve. 

When we visited her on the night before her passing, she was again incoherent. Even so, she was able to sit up momentarily with some help. She said some things which my wife could not understand and she kept trying to readjust her sleeping position. I have seen her in worse conditions before the past few months, but I felt more emotional that evening. It felt like she was in a cocoon trying to break out of it to find her release. Little did we know that in a matter of hours, in the still of the night when nobody was watching, she found her release. I am glad that all the kids got to see her that night. Even though we didn't have much to say to her that evening, being there was enough. My wife got to hold her hands before she left. Some good-byes are just like that.

I was rather confused when my wife woke me up at 6am that morning. I thought she had forgotten that it was the weekend and that the kids didn't have school. I was surprised when she told me what had happened because we had seen her only a few hours ago. The kids were too. As we drove over to see her, "One Sweet Day" played over the radio. It was the first time I took noticed of the words to the song; how apt. When we arrived we gave thanks to God for her life and for His love for her, and we claimed the promises that we prayed together with her in earlier weeks. My wife gave her a kiss on her forehead.

This world is not our home. There are days of happiness and rejoicing, but life is also full of upheavals. We have the privilege of meeting many people along life's journey, some who will be with us for a lifetime. People embark and disembark at different parts of our journey. My mom-in-law whom we had shared the same carriage with on this life journey had arrived at her destination. Without her, I would not have met my wife and our children.  But all we can do is to thank her,  wish her well, say our good-byes and trust the Lord to watch over all of us until we meet again.

Phase 2

Kallang Basin

Woke up to another rainy day. I do like it though. It's cooler, the air is fresher, and you can watch the rain clouds rush across the rumbling skies. No concerns about the sun getting too hot if I were to do a long (and very slow) run at 8.30am. But no chance of that happening today because my body is aching from the run I did yesterday. I was actually quite reluctant to go because it was already 7am when I woke up, but seeing that it was cloudy, I dragged myself out. One third of the way, the heavens opened and it poured. I've not done a 30km run in a very long time, so it was a mental strain, but the rain offered a good distraction. Marina Run 2020 done, virtually.

In Singapore, we are in Phase 2 of the transition from the Circuit Breaker to new normality. More people are returning to the office (RTO), dining in at restaurants are now allowed so long as it is limited to 5 persons per table, and people can swim or go to the gym. This is at a time when the WHO has said that the COVID-19 pandemic is "accelerating and the world is in a new and dangerous phase". The world is a confusing place at this moment. Let's hope that people are sensible in whatever they do. No point asking why God doesn't put a stop to this when the answer lies with us.  

Kim Seng Park, River Valley

I think it is still too early to go to crowded places. Fortunate I don't miss being in a crowd. I am by nature an introvert, so running alone and work from home is more energising to me. A storm or a pandemic blurs out the surroundings, giving introverts space to think. Quietness is the opportunity to hear the sounds of the wind and the birds. It reminds me that we are guests in this world - enjoy it but leave it as we found it. Phase 2 is the chance for us to adapt to a new tempo, a more sustainable rhythm of life.

Circuit Breaker

It is Day 12 of the Circuit Breaker (CB). It is hard to believe that so much has changed in just a few months. It seemed like we had just returned from our December holiday in Hawaii and California, and getting ready for another year. COVID-19 which started out in Wuhan has since swept across the globe, causing fear and panic. To date, there are more than 2.1m confirmed cases with over 145k deaths. Both in Singapore and worldwide, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets any better.

There has been countless Hollywood blockbusters made about the Earth under attacked by aliens or some maniac, and after initial chaos, the Americans jump into action and saves the world with a bit of help from the other superpowers. There are just as many movie about comic superheroes saving the day. Yet, when a real global disaster unfolds, there isn't a cape crusader and we see how fragile our world is. There has been lots of politicising, finger pointing, playing with statistics, and treating human lives as an experiment for herd immunity. Would you have believed it if someone had told you earlier that New York would have to bury the dead in mass graves in this day and age? 

Probably the only thing that remains uplifted is the US stock market. It is looking for every opportunity to reverse the losses incurred in the previous quarter. The capital markets are not emotional and does not really care about the body count. It looks at what relief measures the government is dishing out that could make the valuations add up. It is a reflection of how far removed the investors are from the issues that plague the front-liners. The markets' behaviours is as confounding as the hoarding of toilet paper.

We do often take things for granted. We know that good times don't last forever, but often we behave like it will last long enough not to affect ourselves personally. Even now, people are still going to crowded parks and supermarkets without wearing marks. People somehow believe that if something bad is going to happen, it is going to happen in their own terms and timing, under their own control.We make assumptions about how healthy, strong, fortunate, powerful or righteous we are, and how these have somehow put us in a good stead. Upon that we make assumptions about how long and abundant our lives will be. Even though we know that there can be mishaps in life, we often assign a remote chance of these things actually happening to us. 

The truth is that we live purely by the grace of God. When I was dealing with cancer more than 4 years ago, I had a deeper appreciation of the verses from James 4:13-15:

¹³ Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ 

These verses carry the truth about life. Subconsciously, my belief had been that I will live healthily until I am in my 80s and slip away peacefully. The condition that I was diagnosed with completely threw those assumptions out of the window. Each day, I live by His grace. And because of that, I must live a more caring, kinder and a more responsible life. Observe the CB - wear a mask and keep a safe distance from others.

Running and Learning

41km mark Honolulu Marathon

After the Honolulu Marathon last December, I wanted to figure out what to do with running. Should I do more marathons, and if so is it to improve my time? I think I would burn out doing too many 25-30km weekend long runs without a clear goal to motivate me. Or should I just dial back and run 5km or 10km regularly to stay fit. If so how would I keep myself motivated? Eventually I decided I would try something new. I bought myself a pair of Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 as a Christmas present to try my feet on trail running. The idea is that it would increase the intensity of my runs, I won't have to clock up too much mileage and it should be fun running in the forest.

Lower Peirce Reservoir

I have done it a couple of times now but it was a difficult start. The varying terrain makes my heart rate swing and breathless right from the start. I make it sound like I am running in the Swiss Alps. It reminded me of when I first got myself off the couch to do a short run around my apartment. It definitely helps to draw on the experience of training for a marathon. So I thought it would be good to write down what I have learnt from running over the last year.

Macritchie Reservoir

1. Getting off the couch:

* Procrastination is energy zapping. You will always feel better getting yourself out of the door. Just don't pick a very hot time of the day
* Start with a walk, in your flip-flops if you have to
* Walk around the block so that you know you have the safety of getting back home
* It can be helpful to mark it out in the calendar so that you are not dependent on the right mood to come around
* Don't expect to do the same distance each time or at the same time each day of the week. Each day of the week will be different, so try to fit in what you can. It is more important to get out there 3 - 4 times a week, even if it for 20 - 30 minutes each time

Upper Peirce Reservoir

2. Starting to run

* Get a good pair of running shoes to motivate yourself
* Shut down the imposter syndrome. Everyone starts somewhere
* It is going to be difficult the first time so start small say 2km. You may tell yourself that you don't want to do it again but let tomorrow deal with itself. Just follow the calendar

Catchment Trail

3. Building mileage
* Slowly build up the distance at the rate that you are comfortable with
* Don't expect to always be able to run at least the same distance as the day before. Every run is a good run
* Try a new running route to motivate yourself to run further. Seeing new things makes it less mundane
* Your route doesn't always have to finish where you started. Run wherever you want to and take a cab home
* Consider signing up for a race, a distance that you may not have done before but within your reach based on your current mileage.
* Learn about hydration, fuelling, and start treating yourself with more running gadgets

Malasada and banana

4. Marathon

* Be patient if you want to run the distant
* It helps to make it part of a holiday
* You may never feel fully prepared for your first marathon. The last 5 - 10km is going to be tough no matter what. It is about mental stamina more than your physical strength
* When a journey gets hard and you feel like you can’t go on, just take one step at a time
* Although finishing the race will be incredible, it isn't everything. If you have to walk or sit down, do it. Don't kill yourself trying to finish it
* God is with you where you are, supporting you. He isn’t waiting at the finishing line wondering if you will make it.

15km Trail Run clinic

5. Trail Running

* It is about learning something new and drawing on the experience of road running
* It is going to be hard the first few times but keep at it
* It is far better to be patient than trying to overtake someone hurriedly and ending up spraining your ankle
* Time to get a running vest and learn how to use it
* Trail running shoes and good socks are crucial. Besides you don't want to ruin your road running shoes
* It will make you appreciate Singapore even more because the trails are beautiful

Dairy Farm

Although trail running has strengthened my legs, I don't think it can replace the need for long runs if I am to do another marathon. For me running a marathon has a lot to do with building up the mental strength to do something that can be incredibly mundane. You don't have the distractions or the shade from the sun that a trail runs offer. My current goal is to successfully complete a 25km trail run in April by God's grace. I have a 30km run meant for Feb which have been deferred indefinitely due to the Covid-19 outbreak. So I get to leverage on the 25km trail run to prepare for the 30km. Perhaps the rest of the year would just be about treating every run as a good run.

Marathon and Monterey

Star runners

Day 9 was the 47th Honolulu Marathon, my first time running that distance. If you recall, there was a car break-in on Day 1 and I lost a couple of things meant for the race. This included my Ultraboost, water bottle and sunglasses. But I decided that was okay, I was here to enjoy myself and see whether I could complete the distance in the hot sun. When I first told my wife that I had signed up for the marathon, she had concerns I would collapse and die of a heart attack. So I reminded myself to take it slow and if I have to walk or pull out, I would do so.  I woke up at 3.15am to get myself ready for the 5am race. It took me 6hrs 56 min to finish 

Last 5km

the run. I don't even sleep that long on most nights, so at least that is an achievement! The volunteers, supporters and hydration points were just amazing. My family came out to see me at the finishing line which was awesome. I was as stiff as a plank walking back from Kapiolani Park to the apartment. We took the rest of the day easy.

The next morning, my eldest son and I went to the Hawaiian Convention Centre to collect my Finisher certificate and managed to take photos with the winners. After that we drove out to the west looking for a suitable beach for the kids. We wanted to have lunch at a organic farm but turns out that it is closed on Mondays. I should have checked. We came across a Taco Bell so that was our lunch, the first time trying it. We went as far west as Kae'na Point

Kae'na Point

but the waves were too big for the kidsto swim in. Besides the afternoon sun was scorching. We saw a monk seal though. The west is quieter compared to the east and south but we noticed more homeless people camping along some of
the beaches. We decided to go back to Waikiki for beach time, which made a lot of sense. We haven't spent any time on Waikiki Beach even though it is right in front of the apartment. The stretch we were at had calm waters because it is protected by sea walls. We were there from about 4pm to 7pm and witnessed the beautiful sunset. We made reservations for dinner at Roy's Hawaii Kai. 

Day 11 was our final day in Oahu. We went to the Tantalus Lookout for a breathtaking view of Honolulu and Diamond Head. Not too far away is the Manoa Falls but it had been closed to the public for the past few weeks due to a land slide. We were about to turn the car around but saw another

car drive up a hill. We decided to follow the car and it led us to the Lyon Arboretum. What a perfect find - we took a hike through the tropical forest to Aihualama Falls. For lunch, we made the customary visit to the Ala Moana Center. We are not shopping people and got everything we needed from the ABC stores during our week's stay in Honolulu. It took me a while to locate the car after lunch.

The Kelp Forest,

We flew back to SFO that evening and drove out to Monterey when we arrived the next morning. The highlight in Monterey is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It has many unique exhibits so don't skip it even if you have been to many aquariums. Next morning, we drove south on US Hwy 1 making many stops along the way to take in the stunning views including Point Lobos, Rocky Creek Bridge, Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach and Mcways Falls. We ended the lovely day with 

Bixby Creek Bridge

dinner at Portabella in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a charming seaside town with interesting shops decked in Christmas decorations.

On our final day in the US, we drove around Pacific Grove, the 17 Mile Drive and Pebble Beach. There were so many

The Lone Pine

pictureque spots to choose from but try not to miss Lovers Point, Reckless Sea and The Lone Pine. We also managed to see some Monach Butterflies, which make their winter migration to a santuary here each year. We had lunch at The Bench, overlooks the 18th hole at the Pebble Beach Golf Link. What an awesome way to end the holiday.

After lunch we drove to SFO just in time for our 16 1/2 hour flight home to sunny Singapore. 

Oahu

Diamond Head crater from the plane

Although I grew up watching Hawaii Five-O and Magnum PI, I've never thought of visiting Hawaii. Ok, perhaps I did dream of being on Fantasy Island, but somehow I did not relate that to Hawaii. Just as well because I googled and apparently, other than the opening scene, it was filmed mostly in Burbank, California. I showed the younger kids the opening scenes to these TV series before we started the holiday but Spongebob Squarepants is probably more relatable to them. But here we were in Oahu, 8 months after the holiday planning began.

Hula Grill  Outrigger Waikiki

Day 6 of our holiday and first day in Hawaii. It was an early flight out of SFO and by the time we got to our apartment in Waikiki it was about 3pm. The only plan we had was an early dinner and a stroll along Kalakaua Avenue (I couldn't pronounce that until now that I have to spell it out) . The lady at the reception recommended Duke's in Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort but I could not get a reservation, so we went to Hula Grill instead. It was a perfect introduction to some local tastes, and a beautiful view of the sunset. We were served by a friendly waitress who was born in Malaysia and migrated to the US when she was very young. We talked a little bit about the difference between the Asian food in Hawaii and the ones back home.

We rented a car for the next two days. We took the scenic Interstate Highway 3  ( John A. Burns Freeway) toward the east and stopped at the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden (I resorted to cutting and pasting the name to this blogpost). I say stop but we actually drove around the Garden. There were instructions not to stop along the road to take photos, and we didn't, but you see many posts on instagram of people walking, dancing or lying on the road. It is not a surprise because it gives you a stunning view of the ridges of the Koolau Range. Next we went up to the windy Nu'uanu Pali Lookout. Be sure you have a good widbreaker, and some coins for the parking because the credit card reader on the parking meter doesn't work very well. Great view from up there so don't give that a miss.  It is also a historic spot where the natives of the island were forced off the cliff in their battle against the tribe from the Big Island.

La'ie Point

We stopped in Kaneohe (which I initially mispelled as Kaheone) for lunch at Zippy's (which we keep calling Ziggy's). We ordered Loco Moco for the adults, a Chili & Chicken, and a large Sai Min (which is actually a charsiew noodle, so I think it means small noodle in Cantonese). No prizes for guessing who had the Sai Min. We had Mochizada from Napoleon's Bakery for dessert. After lunch, we drove along the east coast from Mokoli'i (aka Chinaman's Hat) up to the north. We almost gave up looking for La'ie Point in Northshore but thank goodness we persevered. Found at the end of a road in a residential estate. it is a beautiful lookout to a sea arch.

Pineapple Whip

Further to the north, we wanted to look for turtles at Laniakea Beach but there was a massive traffic jam and no parking, possibly because of the surfing competition around the same stretch of Northshore. On the way back, we stopped at The Dole Plantation for the Pineapple Whip. If you have to go all the way there to get it, go get it anyway. It is so satisfying. But turns out that you can also get it from the Lawson's in Waikiki, although you may not get it with the pineapple cubes topping option. I am guessing that you can probably find it in other places if you look hard enough.

Hanauma Bay

On Day 7 we went to the Hawaii Convention Center to collect my race pack for the Honolulu Marathon. After that we headed out to get some masaladas from Leonard's and took the scenic drive on the Kalanianaole Highway. This route has many amazing lookout points including Lanai and the Halona Blowhole. We had lunch at Kona Brewing Co. before heading to Hanauma Bay ( which my wife kept referring to as Hanuman Bay - wrong  culture). I've read about the limited parking but we didn't encounter any issue, maybe because we got there at about 2pm which is only 3 1/2 hours of beach time before the beach park closes. That was more than enough time for the kids to do a bit of snorkelling and play with their sand castle set. It is worth coming to Hanauma Bay even if it is just for a hike to the lookout point. It was formed after a massive volcanic eruption which left a crater in the sea floor.

Laniakea Beach

Day 8. We were going to give turtle watching another shot. We stopped by at Haleiwa for shaved ice, acai bowl and to look at the surf shop. The road in the direction of Laniakea was again very jammed. We were about to turn around when we still could but made a last minute decision to join the long line of cars. Eventually we got there and to my surprised managed to get parking just as a car was leaving. We arrived just before 11am and it turned out that the best chance of seeing the turtle coming to shore was between 11am and 1pm. So even if we came here in the evening two days ago we may not have been able to see the turtles. We waited expectantly for two hours. The younger kids didn't mind as they enjoy playing on the beach. Slightly after 1pm, when we were about to leave, my eldest son spotted the turtle. We probably spent another hour waiting for the turtle to come up the beach but it didn't. It might have been feeding on the moss and seaweeds off the beach, so we could only see it bobbing up and down with the waves. It was fun and exciting in any case.

Parade on Kalakaua Av.

We made a quick stop at Sunset Beach to look at the big waves before returning to Waikiki for an early dinner. On our walk back to the apartment, we saw the 78th Pearl Harbour Commemoration parade on Kalakaua Avenue. It was an early night for me as I was running in the Honolulu Marathon the next morning.

San Francisco

The kids are not the biggest fans of city holidays especially if it involves some amount of walking. There were going to be some challenges keeping them  entertained in the next two days. We started Day 3 with a walk through Chinatown to the Transamerica Pyramid (TP). Being from Asia, the kids did not find Chinatown that interesting. It felt too much like home for them. I would have loved to take in the sights and sounds of this historical part of the city. We took a few quick photos and marched on.

I did not visit TP when I was in San Francisco many years ago. Come to think of it, I didn't do many things on that trip. And after more than quarter of a century, I finally see it, all of 10 minutes. The "What so interesting?" question came up a few times from the kids over the next 2 days, which made be laugh. They did however enjoy the Transamerica Redwood Park next to the iconic building. So for those who don't plan to venture out of San Francisco, you can see the redwoods right here. 

We went to the Ferry Building for lunch. Many of the eateries did not have sitting space so we decided on The Slanted Door, a Vietnamese restaurant. Although my son wasn't so keen to eat in Chinatown, he was quite pleased to find Beef Noodle Soup on the menu. The helpful waiter said that the soup was quite large and customers normally ordered to share for two. As the Beef Noodle Soup was in the Soup section of the menu rather than the Mains,  we asked him if there were lots of  noodles in the soup. He said there is quite a lot so we ordered three of those and a main for my daughter.  The waiter sounded slightly confused with our choice of order, I think because we were ordering 3 starters which would have been enough to share for 6 persons. But it turned out to be our regular order of pho by Asian standards so we were really happy. Slightly different cultural understanding between us and the waiter on whether Beef Noodle Soup is a starter or a main.

After lunch, we walked from the Ferry Building to Pier 39 to look at the sea lions. The kids were counting the number of piers they walked passed and were relieved to discover that the pier numbers skip. I loved the buildings at the piers, the sea view, the view of the north end of the city and the trams that run along the Embarcadero . At Fisherman's Wharf, my wife tried the clam chowder at Boudin and we visited its museum.  After a decent amount of walking for the kids, we headed back to the hotel for an early night. Later in the evening, I took a walk up to Coit Tower, which offers an amazing  night view of the city.

My eldest son arrived on Day 4 morning and we were excited to see him. He tried to catch a nap but wasn't very successful so after breakfast we headed out. My wife stayed in for the day because she caught a bug.  We headed to Market Street for the cable car. I was expecting a long queue but it turned out to be okay at this time of the year. I got tickets in advance on the Muni app the night before. We stood at the back of the cable car and got a great view of the city behind us. We spotted Swensen's first ice-cream store on Hyde Street before we disembarked at Lombard Street to stroll up and down the most winding street in the world, well next to it at least. After that we went for a walk on the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts, where we saw a car theft; two car related encounters in 4 days!  Later we went back to Pier 39 for lunch and to show my eldest son the sea lions. Another early night for the kids as we were heading off to Hawaii the next morning. I took a stroll down California Street to the Ferry Building for some night photos and used the extra cable car ticket that I had leftover to get back to the hotel.

All in all, I think the kids moderately enjoyed San Francisco, which was better than I had expected. At the very least they could better relate to the names of some items on Swensen's menu when we had dinner there last weekend. They also enjoyed reading a children's book on the Golden Gate Bridge which we bought from the Welcome Centre.

Next stop - Oahu, Hawaii.

Marin County

Our first family holiday in the US! The last time I was in the States was 26 years ago. We landed in San Francisco on a wet cloudly morning after a 14 1/2 hours flight. Only four of us as my eldest son only joins us on Day 4 after he finishes his exams. It was a bit of a hassle getting to the car rental. The car rental centre is at one of the SFO Air Train stops, but I didn't realise that Sixt and two other car rental companies were at off-airport locations. So we had to wait for a shuttle bus to bring us to the Sixt office. It did seem cheaper though. They gave us a Cadillac Escalate which was a massive car, and it  took me a while and some help from my wife to figure out which was the gearshift. It would be nice if car rental companies tell you a couple of basic things - how to start the car, where the gearshift is, how to switch on the windshield vipers and head lights, and how to open the fuel door. Thank goodness I took my friend's advice not to drive to Yosemite at this time of the year. I don't think I would have been able to manage snow chains.

The plan was to spend the first two days driving around Marin County. Our first stop was a lookout point for the Golden Gate Bridge before we headed over. We parked near the Golden Gate Welcome Centre and took in the amazing view of the bridge. We got back to the car 20 minutes later and discovered that the car had been broken into. One of the windows was smashed and we lost both our hand carries that were left on the passenger seat. The first thing that went through our minds was whether we had lost anything important.

Fortunately we had our passports, keys to the luggages and phones with us. We made calls to the car rental who advised us to report the incident to the police. When we called the San  Francisco police they told us that we had to call the US Park Police instead. As we were about to make the call, the police that was patrolling the area stopped by to help us. After filing the report, we had to drive all the way back to SFO to get a replacement car. We were wet because of the rain, cold because we were missing a window and somewhat unsettled by the whole event.

We were really thankful that nobody was hurt and nothing important was lost. We joked about how disappointed the thief would be with what they took. We decided not to let the incident spoil our holiday but it was sufficiently eventful to call it a day and head straight to the hotel in Tiburon. After checking in, we went to CVS to buy a multi USB charger for our phones followed by dinner and a night stroll around Tiburon. It was only just before bedtime that I realised that my Adidas Ultraboost was in one of the stolen bags along with some other items meant for the marathon in a week's time. Still, it could have been a lot worse. Thinking through what I had almost wanted to put in those bags when we were packing for the holiday I was so thankful to God.

The next morning we got up early to drive to Muir Woods National Monument to marvel at the giant coastal redwoods. Drivers are required to reserve their parking online in advance of the trip. When I was planning the holiday, I had debated about whether Muir Woods was worth the visit. It was, like how my second son puts it, "just trees".  I am glad we did - one part was aptly named Cathedral Grove. It felt like walking into a gothic cathedral; massive, hundreds of years old, quiet, and reminds you of God's presence. Even the drive to Muir Woods was beautiful.

We had to skip the Earthquake Trail because it started to rain so we drove to Sausalito for lunch. We picked Scoma's which was on the waterfront. We could see San Francisco and the Oakland Bridge from where we were seated. After lunch we went to Point Bonita Lighthouse. It is only open on Sundays and Mondays and offers an amazing  view of the rugged coastline. Not to be missed.

Our final stop was Battery Spencer for the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. Can't get tired of the view no matter how many times I see it. After that, we went back to Tiburon to pick up our luggage before heading into San Francisco. I would highly recommend driving out to Marin County if you are in the Bay Area. Just make sure you don't leave your luggage in the car unattended, not even for a minute.

Life is Short and Sweet

Island Creamery

There is no doubt that I am getting old as I have started to think of birthdays as indicators of another year "used up". But not in a negative way. No matter how good this life is, it is not our home.

God has reminded me that life is like children on a playground. It is exciting and fun, and we should make the most of it. There will be bullies and injuries, so we need to help one another. And there will be that slide that seems too steep or that tower that seems too high to overcome. You have to decide whether you will allow your fears to stand in the way.

At mid-life, I can comprehend that life is truly short, but it can be truly sweet. How should I make the best of it? For one, make more memories and record them down.  Our eldest son is in University and we don't see him as much, and the two younger kids are growing up far too quickly. Having records of the good old days is important to remind us that God has been so good. Another thing is to pay forward as God has intended rather than having His blessings stuck with us. We can only eat and wear so much in this life. Everything else is an excess. The third thing is to give life to those ideas that have been playing on repeat in my head.

At some point, playground time will come to an end and the child will need to go home for dinner. Friends will passionately plea for the child to stay a little bit longer. I see this happen every week when I try to get my younger kids out of the swimming pool - a series of "5 more minutes please?" Over the last couple of years, and also in recent months, there have been friends or their family members afflicted by serious illnesses. It is like that child who got hurt on the playground. As much as all the friends want the child to stay a little longer, the parent will have to take the child home.

Not too long ago, I too was hurt on the playground. The pleas of friends werr like prayers to God for "another 5 more minutes". I thank you for your prayers, support and friendship all these years. You have been such a blessing to me. I hear and I feel the intense grief of those who are left behind on the playground without their friend. I pray that you will trust and know that God wanted your love ones home for dinner and a good rest so that they can play with you again another day.

Yellow Ribbon Run2019

Changi Prison

I woke up this morning about 40 minutes after my phone alarm went off. I had decided to sleep in after looking at the PSI reading. It was above 100, at the "Unhealthy" range. When I looked through the window, I could not see outside as clearly as I normally would. Then I realised that it was because I had shut the tinted windows due to the haze. I opened the window to take a look and the sky was quite clear. I checked the hourly PM2.5 reading and it was at the "Normal" level. So I could go for the Yellow Ribbon 10km Run if I wanted to, but I would miss the flag-off. My colleague said on Friday that he would probably get there late as he wasn't planning to win the race. So, being late for the race wasn't a good enough excuse for not being there at all. I arrived at the Singapore Expo at 7am to catch the shuttle bus to Changi Village. There was a huge traffic jam because of the road closures for the race. By the time I got to the starting point, I was behind the 5km fun walk participants  who were flagged off about 1/2 hour before. 

I haven't ran for close to 2 weeks because I was down with a bug. I am still at the tail-end and it made the running this morning quite tough. Coupled with the haze, I could barely feel my lungs. I wonder whether I had completely given back all the mileage that I have been building up over the last 2 months. How was I going to do the two long races that I have signed up for in the coming months? It was silly to be overthinking this. I resorted to walking a couple of time. I read somewhere that there is no shame in walking. Better that than blacking out! The freedom wings that I had on my shoe clearly did not help my feet fly, or perhaps it was because I put them the wrong way round (I sorted that out when I got home so thag I could take a photo for this post). 

Slowly but surely I arrived at the prison complex. I have never been so happy to see Changi Prison. Yet it was a solemn moment when I saw the formidable dark grey walls and the white steel gates, made more dramatic by the dark clouds. Inside these gates are stories of many broken people and broken homes. There is a stark difference between life behind those walls and the outside world. Yet there are people who have to pass through these 2 worlds regularly - the prisoners' family members who visit them and those who work here. I wonder how they reconcile the 2. 

Very much like my run today I am reminded that ex-offenders face challenges getting back to nomalcy.  There can be a lot of self-doubt and overwhelming fears. They have hopes to catch up on lost time, yet they have to be patient and kind to themselves when faced with the harsh realities of life. And so we are all reminded that everyone deserves a second chance in life. We are reminded that ex-offenders should not be made to face a second prison when they have already served their time.

I am also reminded that by the grace of God we too are given a second chance. No matter what our offences or how thick the walls that separated us from Him, God made a way to reconcile us with Himself.

Ireland - Ring of Kerry

Cliffd of Moher

On Day 5 we travelled from Connemara to the Ring of Kerry. We stopped at the legendary Cliffs of Moher which are the highest sea cliffs in Ireland.  They are beautiful but we should probably have signed up for the cruises from Doolin to get a fuller sense of the cliffs. There are stone slabs about a meter from the cliff edge to prevent visitors from falling over.  I can understand why they need to be there especially in windy Ireland, but it makes you feel like you might as well be 5 meters away. For the same reason, it is unlikely for visitors to spot puffins here.

Kenmare

We rented a big, clean and comfortable house in Kenmare. The kids ran up and down the stairs and between rooms when they got there. They spotted what they thought was a large moth in one of the rooms but wasn't sure where it went. After a short rest, we went to town for dinner at

Mulcahys which had great food and one of the best tart tartin I've ever had. And I ordered a pint of Guinness, my first ever.  We went back to the house right after that because most shops were already closed. After shower, I was reading in my room when I saw something flying around. The moth that the kids saw earlier turned out to be a bat. It caused quite a bit of excitement until we finally managed to get it out of the house. The poor bat must have been so frightened by all the noise we made.

Torc Waterfall

On Day 6, I came across The Rose Garden on my morning run and brought the family there for breakfast later. A cosy place and just along the Ring of Kerry (ROK)  which made it a perfect starting point for our drive around the Ring. I read several articles and watched some videos on the ROK but could not fully appreciate how beautiful the drive is until we experienced it first hand.

Gap of Dunloe

Ladies' View offered a panoramic view of the Killarney National Park. Torc Waterfall is the greenest place I have ever been to.  During the drive we saw vintage cars driving the other direction. We detoured to the Gap of Dunloe. Don't miss this, it feels like the scene in the beginning of the Lord of the Rings movie where Gandalf rides

Sala Thai, Kells Beach

into the Shire on his horse-carriage.  We should have hired one of those.  

We stopped for lunch at Sala Thai Restaurant in Kells Beach. The rest of the drive around the ROK offered stunning views of the sea.  We made a number of stops for photos. Would have loved to go to the Skellig Islands but it's  not suitable for the younger kids. 

Ring of Kerry

We ended the day with dinner at the Boathouse Bistro back in Kenmare. It is on the Dromquinna Manor Estate about 2km from where we were staying. It too had great food and a beautiful view of the sea. And we spotted rabbits on the estate, although they were too quick for photos.

On Day 7, I made a last minute decision to go to the

Puffins, Saltee Islands

Saltee Islands in hope of seeing puffins. We didn't book the boat in advance, but thank God that a boat was willing to drop us off at the island for an hour as it picks up some of their passengers. We had to transfer from the boat to a dingy when we got closer to the island due to the rocky shores. And for the last 20 metres or so, we literally  had to crawl on all fours over the rocks that were covered in slippery seaweed. That alone took us 15 minutes, which meant that we had 30 minutes to find the puffins and get back to shore and do another 15 minutes crawl back to the dingy.  But puffins we found. What beautiful creatures.

Wicklow National Park

Satisfied, we drove to Avoca where our Airbnb was. We bougth Wexford strawberries along the way. The place we rented had a beautiful garden with flowers in full bloom and was next to the woods. We spotted rabbits again. We had dinner at the Wicklow Brewery. I have to say that the food in Ireland throughout our trip did not disappoint. The next morning, we visited the Avoca Mill, which is the oldest wool mill in Ireland. We had breakfast there before we set off for Dublin Airport. We drove through the Wicklow National Park on our way to the airport.

It does seem like there is a lot more to do in Ireland. Definitely worth another visit or two. God has blessed this place with incredible natural beauty and blessed us with the opportunity to see so much. When we seek out the natural wonders of this world, we catch a glimpse of God himself. He placed the foundations of the Earth and everything in it. He set everything in motion, and gave life to every living thing. Everything has His fingerprints and reflects His wisdom.

We are one of His creations, the ones who bear His image. As much as we seek out the natural wonders of this world, he seeks us out. He is amused by us, loves us, and does not take His eyes off us. Should we not praise Him like the roaring seas, the howling winds, the beautiful flowers of summer, the soaring birds, and the trees of the forest?

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” Psalm 150:6