Can you believe it's been an entire week since I came back from Amara? Time sure flies by...
In some ways, our stay in Amara did feel a bit lame this year. When we three were much younger, Ma used to take us to Amara annually. During the week we're there we would visit all the interesting places in Singapore, have fun, take pictures, relax, basically have a tour around Singapore as if we were tourists ourselves. Back then, it was always so much fun. Now, Ma's work is more hectic, I sometimes have to teach, Di has his own commitments and training, and Kor has NS, just makes it that much more difficult to coordinate amongst us. Ended with Di being there most of the time, me there sometimes, Ma there a day or two, Kor only there on Sat...
Ma mentioned that it seemed that the suite's smaller now. I think really the suite had always been around that size, the difference is that we have all grown since our last trip there so the place just feels relatively smaller (since it's meant as a perk it really wouldn't have made any sense for them to offer a larger one to us). She's right about the couch though, would be nice if the couch were still around, would have been one extra place to crash on...
Nevertheless it was still a great opportunity for us to spend time together. =) Before Amara, I can't recall the last time the four of us sat round to eat a leisurely meal together. The buffet we managed to go to on that Sat gave us that opportunity. It gave us to reason to make time for each other and have really family time you know? Can't express how much I really appreciate that....
Next year we'll probably have to plan ahead and make better arrangements. Maybe take Dequan's suggestion, split it up and have a few days each and maybe have one or two 'family days'. Hmm... We'll see...
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Went K-Lunch with Xinrong and Zhixian on the Tuesday of that week. Was really fun as usual! The food for once came early and wasn't half bad. Probably finally decided that it's not worth it to always have to think up new things to serve...
Xinrong really has a great voice, as well as a lot of confidence. I can sing, but I simply lack the confidence to believe I can sing well. I waver, all the time. Besides, I really don't listen to Chinese songs all that often, so most of the newer Chinese songs that I sorta know would have been introduced to me by Xinrong or TV ads. ;p Wished they had more English song selections nad a more comprehensive song selector for English songs. One like the one they have for Chinese songs. Would be infinitely easier to find songs that way.
I teared when Rong was singing Ye Zi by Ah Sang and then again when she was singing Tong Hua. The MTVs were just so sad that I got very affected emotionally. Zhixian had to pass me a tissue twice, it was totally embarrassing! Nowadays, I get affected by notions of death very easily. It reminds me of things that I'd rather forget but most likely never would.....
Went shopping around Kino and just generally around Taka. Wonders of wonders, we actually bumped into Yaozong and Zixu. Was pleasantly surprised that Yaozong still remembers me, it has been years since we've met after all. Really great to see them, it's not everyday we get to see old schoolmates on the street.
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Hoping we do get to meet up for a primary school gathering sometime soon. There seems to be talk of it but nothing's confirmed so far. Maybe it was a self-fufilling prophecy, it happened that the last gathering we had was the one at Mrs Ng's place on Chu San of the Lunar New Year 2003. Legend has it that that's not a really good day for gatherings as San1 sounds near to san4 which means to separate. I'm not good at organising at all, and so far, I don't see much confirmed responses online. Sigh... Might not materialise after all.....
Hope for the best and pray that we can arrange something. Really hoping to see how's everyone doing now...