Injection Party

For a different kind of family outing, we decided to get ourselves vaccinated (thanks Liz for the tip), so we trotted to TanTockSeng Hosp - Travellors Clinic.
After a quick consultation - the nurse was really efficient, going through all the kids' vaccination records from diff countries, and ticked off all the jabs we need - a total of 14 injections plus a blood test for the 5 of us... whooppie! Yes, 3 of each of us, with my oldest son getting only 2, and my wife getting the icing on the cake - blood test. "lucky" her....

Now, the kids were surprisingly not all that excited about this, when my wife mentioned it the day before (note: never tell your kids that they are going to get injections before hand). when I got back on Friday night, they spent considerable amount of time trying to get us to change our minds and skip this party! FUTILITY.

Where was I? oh yes, injection party. My oldest decided not to go first, so we got DiYann to go. I tell you, in 5 seconds, it was over.... 1 stab on the right arm, and 2 successive quick ones on the left. My daughter didn't even cry, scream... just looked a bit stunned that it was all over so fast.

My youngest went next... he did say "ouch" during the 2nd jab... but was smiley after that.
[my daughter was bit boastful, saying how she wanted more... bah!]
Well, my oldest went next.... froze, panicked, I grabbed hold, 2 jabs... and well... in case he ever reads my blog... let's just say that his reaction was unique. it's been quite a long time since we brought him for any injections.

[FLASH BACK! I immediately remembered some 8 years back. The first time we brought him to see the local Indon Paed, a Dr. Boy, he was ok. Stunned he was, when he got the first jab, the next visits... he really had the same fear/panic of needles.]

Anyway, we all had a good laugh, after it was over, with a sore left arm, and us covered with plasters.

Oh, we ended the party with a visit to Richard (see previous post), who was also at TTSH. Gracie had "invited" me a few days back to go visit, so I thot that since I was already there, and our kids have all been praying for him - it'll be good for them to see for themselves how God works!

When I got there, I heard Richard asking the doctor - so can I go home now? I nearly laughed. the doctor declined his request gently - wonder why.
But it was really nice to see him - reading newspaper, watching tv. He spoke pretty normally, with a slight swelling on his left head. My kids were surprisingly well behaved (i half feared that they would ask something really stupid/insensitive). We prayed together again, and left him to rest.

How God is so good. What a miracle of miracles... right before our very eyes. He is scaled down version of Lazarus, with all glory to God as God snatched him from the jaws of death. God indeed has a plan for him, a plan that would bring God even more glory.
We take our lives for granted - a good reminder that we are all on leasehold, with the tenancy agreement able to be expire at any notice.

Let us then live our lives, as how we shoud live - with God as God of our lives, and we as his children.

ARE YOU READY TO MEET GOD?
Better get your act together.
Don't wait for the eleventh hour, coz God could have arranged an appointment with you at half past ten.

be careful what you ask God for - you may actually get it!

The leadership in church wanted us to work on our prayer, so God gave us Richard Chiam during church camp (5-9 June 08) to prayer for... lots and lots of prayer.

Richard, whom we just had over for dinner before church camp, was suffering from a headache for abt 2 weeks. On Friday, he went over to the medical center for a check up, after a 2 hr observation, he was sent back with some medication.
He took a nap after lunch, but when Gracie (wife) went to him at about 4pm, he couldn't be woken! Off to hospital, CT scan and doctors find a blood clot in his brain.

Elder Adrian (alsoa gynae) broke the news to us all before night talk (abt 700 of us). I was stunned, and I found myself fighting back the tears. But we prayed, all 700 of us. We even rostered to pray through the night - I decided to do the unthinkable, and wrote my name down for the 3.30-4.30am slot. Thankfully, my wife agreed, and we actually set alarm, work up and prayed for 1 hour!

We really prayed at every opportunity - each morning, each evening, each bible study, each update on Richard. And I felt that we glimpsed at what heaven will be like!
I thank God for the opportunities to pray, I never prayed so much, and even with mom each time! That was a miracle in itself (an opportunity to prayer lots with my mom).

Well, we certainly met one of the objectives of the church leaders, God sure has his way of answering prayer, about prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

Of Fishes and Bugs, the Tale ends

It's a sad day whenever u part with cherished possessions.

It's a sad day, that I entrusted my fish bowl (pix left) to a good friend to take care off. I've had this for quite a few years, from my CM office in Sommerset, to Science Park 1, and finally to Science Park 3.
I've gone through a few batches of fish, some don't do so well (dwarf gouramis, clown loach, shrimps), some do (guppies, otos, kullie loach). I've had the pleasure of witnessing quite a few guppy births - abt 10-20 babies each batch, but only 4-5 survived (ok, most died eventually). I will miss my good trusty companion.

Last thursday (12 June) was another sad day - when I sold my bug (see real tears on the left, and the very last pix of me in my bug driving off into the sunset... erh morning sun, to handover to the new buyer, on the right)
This is a bug I've had for a year. I was apprehensive when I got it, struggling with the gears. But I grew totally in love with it, in all its mechanical glory. Every sound, smell, the wind in my hair (I always drive with the windows wound down), and even the memories of the car dying on me in the middle of CTE tunnel (ran out of petrol... again... sigh).

I advertised on sgcarmart (best website for selling/buying cars), and sold it to John - nice young chap, first time car owner, and bug owner (brave guy), real deja vu.
And the funny thing is, he ran out of petrol a couple of hours after I last saw the bug! hilarious. "Curse of the Bug" my wife says... but good thing that he had the tin can to get petrol. deja vu.
Hey John, take good care of her, and I hope that she's as good to you as she was to me.

Best ride I've ever own. Thanks for the memories.