Family announcements
This is just to say that Great-uncle Hong Hua (my cousin Moon's grandfather) passed away peacefully on 14 Oct in the afternoon / evening at the Johor Pakar Hospital. He was 88 years old, and I guess the family is grateful that he is now forever in God's kingdom. While I'm not very close to him, I'd just like to invite you guys to think about the circumstances and complexities of the concept we call death. According to my parents who broke the news to me last night, my mum was the last person to see him alive. And in the very morning that Great-uncle passed away, Moon gave birth to a baby girl called Hana-Grace Cheng.. and i guess, we are all glad that great-uncle knew that the good news of his great-grand-daughter's birth reached him just hours before he passed away. I guess, we are thankful that on the same day that a member of the family was called back, a new life has entered the family :) As for me, I'm now that happy (and old) direct-uncle of 4 kids: Hana-Grace Cheng, Alisa-Grace Cheng(of which Moon is their mum), Max Alexander Lüer (of which Belle is their mum; and if u're wondering about the name, the father is a German, and we had such a great time when i was in Germany during Christmas 2003), and a baby boy whom I still don't know the name yet (of which Siew Ping, dad's sister's daughter is the mother - born in August 04). Am I getting old or what? :)
Happy Birthday to (me?)
Yeah; i'd just like to record my appreciation to all those who have wished me happy birthday I guess, from the ever so ardent close friends, to the observant housemate (Yuen) who asked me this morning if my birthday was anywhere recent because he said "u've been receiving a torrent of birthday cards this last week"... well, it isn't exactly a torrent, u know.. and i told him it was today. O/wise, it's just an ordinary day simply because I've not chosen to tell anyone I know here that it's my birthday today. Plans today? well, 6pm - 9pm french class. and i guess, after that i might just go to domino's, buy myself a large pizza for just $5.95, together with free garlic bread and coke (using my guild coupon), plunge myself on my bed and get fat. haha. yeah, anyway, i was thinking last night (or rather, this morning) about how lucky i am to be alive, given the circumstances surrounding my birth, which gave rise to the name "will" (which btw, was given by my dad. my brother and sister's names were given by my mum)..