Children are deprived not because we do not give them things, but because we do not sufficiently value what they give us. We need to be alert to welcome what children have to offer. You remember how Kahlil Gibran wrote about children, You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have […]
Author: Ann Yeong
Before the dawn
Of late, I haven’t been sleeping well through the night. In probably the third time in the last week or so, I woke up pre-dawn and can’t go back to sleep. This morning, I woke up at 4:30a.m. and as much as I tried to keep conscious thoughts at bay, they crept in to the […]
Victorian romance alert
There was a time in my teens when Elizabeth Gaskell’s Victorian novel “North & South” was my favourite book. Indeed, after Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, I don’t recall ever liking another novel quite so much. The novel was masterfully written, the themes were (social and economic divide, religious dissent, romance) compelling and the characters, while […]
Swan Lake Redux
I vividly remember bringing Zibin to his first ballet, Swan Lake, back sometime in 2000 (i think). He barely managed to stay awake. I think he would have had more to comment about if he had watched Matthew Bourne’s male version of Swan Lake instead. Although I usually dislike modern re-interpretations of gold classics, Bourne’s […]
Fondly Osmond
Over the past few days, hubby and I have been watching and re-watching this 1970s video of The Osmond Brothers performing ‘Love Me For A Reason’. As corny as it may seem, we like it. We think the brothers’ synchronized steps and gestures are cute! It’s also pretty cool to check out a teen Donny […]
Tucked In
These days, you’ve been leaving for work before I wake up. Dimly through the fog of sleep, I feel you tuck the comforter around me and kiss me on my forehead before you go. And right then, even before I’m fully awake, I start missing you. In that simple action of tucking me in, you […]
An anchor for transformation
Jesus said, ‘Take up your cross.’ (Mark 8:34-35) It is not something you go looking for in faraway places. Sooner or later the Lord hands us a cross, and our job is to recognise it. For each of us there are events that made a difference. Our sorrowful mysteries will be different for each reader. […]
Friendship & Love
When it comes to romance, many like it hot from the beginning. Tales of ‘love at first sight’ are enduringly popular. Another popular take is that of enemies becoming lovers where at first the two can’t stand each other only to find that their simmering caustic chemistry can actually lead to passion. But for me, […]
'Turn the volume down'
This morning, as usual, I was still sleeping when Zibin started getting for work. I managed to sleep through most of the usual movement noise until it seemed as if someone suddenly blared the radio. Half-asleep, I raised an arm in protest and groggily demanded, “Turn the volume down!” “Sorry darling, but I can’t control […]
My Hokkien 'education'
As I mentioned in an earlier entry, my extremely pithy understanding of Hokkien is unfortunately limited to vulgarities and a few ‘name-calling’ nouns. However, over the last week, I’ve doubled my Hokkien vocabulary (which roughly means I’ve learned half a dozen more phrases or words). Why? Because of an amusing Hokkien song that John gave […]
Journey of the Heart 