Beautiful weekend

Well, the weekend was certainly packed with activities! I did not get to sing karaoke like I planned but that was because my friend got sick. Really sick. Seems like there is a viral fever going around so please do drink lots of water and take care.

The dating outing thingy wasn't that bad after all and I got to meet some very nice people! While I have some friends who still frown upon such events, I think that I can now safely say that I do not mind attending them as a way to increase my social skills, broaden my social circle and to simply tell people that I have been there, done that.

Today was spent with good old friends from school. Remember my friend who came back from the States? Went to her house to celebrate her birthday. We ordered KFC and I brought her a cake from Cedele, which was surprisingly good. It was a hands-on learning experience for me as I see the children interacting with one another and how there was a 'power' struggle even when they are so young. There were many opportunities for me to put what little I have learnt about children into action. Helps me one step closer for when I really become a kindy teacher (if I really become one).

Nevertheless, the kids are all adorable and I am thankful that they have great mummies and daddies to take care of them and that they are living such wonderful lives. I felt this even more when I came back this evening to watch a fund-raising programme for the Si Chuan Earthquake victims. There were so many stories to be told and so many tears to be shed.

Two stories struck me most: One was the guy who managed to stay alive under the beams for goodness knows how long. He wanted his unborn child to know what the daddy looks like. He did not want his child to be born without a parent and he did not want his wife to be a widow so young and so alone. Yet, after he got saved and when he was on his way to the hospital, he stopped breathing. That to me was already very heart-wrenching.

Then came this one which really gripped me: The rescue team found this woman, dead in the most un-natural position. They dug deeper into the rubble and found that she was hurdled over her baby who was safe and alive under her protection and wrapped together with the baby was a hand phone. There was a message on the hand phone that said something like "If you managed to come out alive, know that Mummy loves you very much".

There is so much to ponder about after watching and reading about all this and then suddenly, all my personal problems seems so much smaller and insignificant as when compared to the losses of these people.

Even with so much sorrow and emotions going on, I must still say that I am thankful for such a beautiful weekend spent together with close friends.