HEAVEN ON EARTH

We were on one of our random escapades and as the Dacia meanders the long stretches of country roads, the rolling meadows reminded me of a prayer I made a long time ago.

I asked Him for a piece of heaven on earth.

And He gave me Ireland.

Yes, it's all there as said in touristy brochures - the serenity, the calm and the awe inspiring landscape. The smile of a stranger, the absence of traffic jams. Picture perfect.

A place to call home, a place where there is hope and where dreams are made. Not only for me but for my children as well. When their  good grades and hard work are rewarded. When efficiency is recognised. When scholarships and promotions are given based on merit. When they are not put aside because of the colour of their skin. No more disappointments and tears because of the injustice of it all. No more strife. This land of Saints and Scholars.

I enjoy the sun. I enjoy the snow. I even enjoy the wind and the rain. Most of all I enjoy the lush green everywhere. Tranquility. The healing has begun.

A land of friendships. Meaningful relationships. Friends who care. And a husband who will die for me.

 I put the finishing touches on a quilt, himself navigates Sudoku and Simon & Garfunkel belts out The Boxer in the background while the flickering flames lick the stove.

I asked Him for a piece of heaven on earth. 

And He gave me Ireland.

                                                                      Happy St Patrick's Day!

GOING KOREAN

KOREAN drama series are very addictive they said. I didn't know what they meant. UNTIL.

Because of the many cold rainy days, I decided to watch one series. Any excuse to explain this queer addiction. And so I am hooked!

Why are the episodes so engaging?

I must justify this binge.

1. The Complete Story

Nothing in any episode happens at random. There is a beginning, a middle part and a conclusion. Even if a character appears in episode 4 and disappears for the rest of the episodes, he will definitely reappear as part of the plot, even if it is in the last episode. When things become complicated, you can rest assure that there is a proper explanation by the time the series ends. The number of episodes is just right: 16 - 20 approximately. You can cry or laugh but you know you just have to go through this number of episodes. Nothing drags on. There are some western series that just go on and on until the plot becomes so ridiculous, just because the producer needs to generate so many episodes to please the audience and of course to make money.

2. Soundtrack

I've never really listened to any Korean song before but the Korean drama soundtracks are so engaging. I go away humming the tunes in my brain.  Then I google the tunes on Youtube to see the lyrics in both Korean and English. I must say I have it bad. Of course the actors and actresses are just eye candy and I wonder how they can have such unreal porcelain-looking skin. Plenty of make up, photoshop or amazing lighting, I console myself.

3. Values

I can simply identify with the Asian values. My parents taught me those values and I practise them. I find it so refreshing especially when the bar has been set so low nowadays. There are different genres. I love the ones done in the Joseon dynasty most of all. Yes, I have to google the Joseon dynasty and learn about its meticulous history record keeping techniques, why the eunuchs can have wives and adopt children and the dynasty's relationship with the Ming dynasty. I love history so that suits me fine.

4. Food

There's always plenty of food around. Not big plates that make you overeat but dainty little servings. We went to Kimchi school in Seoul and suddenly I felt that kind of kinship with the preparation of those delicious morsels of food.

5. Love and language

But the best part is the portrayal of love. We are bombarded with plenty of lust and sex in the everyday media whereby a meeting of 2 individuals who feel a 'connection' almost certainly end up in bed in the next scene. Korean dramas just make watching a love relationship delightful. We may have to plough through 8 episodes for a single kiss or a holding of hands. It's the suspense and waiting that makes it more alluring and worthwhile. 

I can't find fault with the language either even though I only read the subtitles. The moment I finish watching an episode and revert to a normal tv programme, I can almost immediately hear foul language and curses whether it is an office scene, a family scene or a lover's quarrel. Lots of yelling to boot.

KOREAN drama series are very addictive they said.

I have just finished one series and I can't wait to start another. Maybe when summer comes and I can spend more hours outdoors, I may be weaned off them. But then again, who cares? 

This is the beauty of hard earned retirement.

THE LITTLE THINGS THAT I MISS

We were sitting on a bench on Calle de Alcalá in Madrid, listening to a group of 5 musicians playing  Pachabel's Canon in D when I became quite overwhelmed. How long has it been since I heard classical music performed on the streets.? Too long I must admit.

While I have approached the pandemic with a positive attitude, I can't help feeling that it has robbed us of 2 yrs of normal life, especially international travelling pleasure.

Now that the borders are open, the amount of red tape would put anyone off travelling outside Ireland.

What I dislike: 

1. Uploading covid related documents onto the flight app. It was good that I had helped a friend earlier to do the necessary. I had my laptop then and it was much easier. But in a foreign country I only had my phone so I had to figure out all over again how to manoeuvre fat fingers over a small phone keypad.

2. Wearing a mask for the whole journey. Friends had advised me to wear a KN95 mask and it wasn't exactly comfortable. I had packed a variety of masks and so I had a choice.

3. Going for the antigen test before returning to Ireland. The test was not scary but wondering what the results would be was nerve wrecking. What if the test turned out positive? That would mean an extended stay and another flight schedule. The inconvenience!

But that is what you call a first time try.

I had to do it. It had been too long not to go for a well deserved break.

And I am glad I did. No regrets.

Madrid is simply beautiful. We experienced the warmth of a  kind family. I haven't felt so welcomed in a very long time in the home of a people of a different language and culture. The extent of the food prepared for us and the time taken to accommodate us spoke volumes. It is not everyday that someone invites you to spend Christmas with his family. Christmas is usually family time, and very private. Yet, we felt nothing but love and acceptance.

I was dazzled by the lights. It was not just  the likes of Grafton or Henry street or the Christmas market that was lighted up. It was a whole city of lights. The artistry and colour coordination knew no bounds. I had never seen anything quite like it in any European city. 

Somehow the lights just blasted away - with a vengeance - the sadness and the darkness of the battle we had been waging for the last two years and are still waging today.  The battle that had crippled many and had robbed us of things we are familiar with, of hugging each other, of simply saying hello without restrictions. 

And we even went for a Spanish Christmas service. I didn't understand a word of it but the Spirit of God saturated my heart. God is the same, in any language.

And now I am home again in Ireland. 

Feeling restless. 

So I must plan another trip. 

Nothing will stop me now. 

Nothing will hold back the little things that I miss.

THANKSGIVING

I can't believe that another year is almost gone. Not much difference from 2020 except that I've got  more accustomed to certain practices: mask wearing , social distancing, queuing up for vaccines, more handwashing, avoiding crowds and generally just being careful.

This year is slightly better as we managed to travel beyond our county and visited some very lovely places. Wicklow National Park is stunning. The coast of Kerry is magical. Beehive huts and standing stones are my passion. Not forgetting lighthouses which always strike a chord within me. I would say Malin head is the tops.

 

I've also managed to enrol for art classes and I took to them like a duck to water. I've always liked drawing and everything else that my fingers do. 

Then just recently a group of us ladies from Clare completed a quilt for charity, showcasing 60 landmarks in Clare. The quilt will be hung at Shannon Airport Departure lounge soon.

If I were to summarise the year in just one word, it would be being THANKFUL.  Just last Tuesday, I woke up with a terrible pain in my stomach at 4 am. Having had gastritis before during my office days, I thought it would pass. But boy, was I wrong. The pain was relentless. Wave after wave of excruciating agony. I threw up 5 times and tossed and turned in bed to get the 'right' position to lessen the pain, all to no avail.

 

As a last resort, we went to the Limerick Hospital. Somehow the journey seemed never ending and I threw up again in the car.   

 

Praise God there were not many people there and almost immediately I was wheeled in on a trolley bed. The Pakistani lady doctor was extremely kind and attentive. In fact she was happy to tell me she had visited Malaysia before and loved it. The nurses too were reassuring and there was not one cross word heard. 

I knew I was in fine hands.   

                                                                                  

So as I lay on the bed waiting for this and that test to be done, every decade of my life flashed before me. Good times, sad times. There was one common denominator though. 

GOD. 

 

In every decade He was there - the 7 year old child with very simple faith, the university student questioning God because suddenly she was overwhelmed by the worlds of  Yeats, Kafka and Thomas Hardy, the mother in anguish over her young children, the associate professor who took to the stage to share her research .

 

And now there I was lying on the trolley bed still needing and trusting God. The only difference was I was ready to meet my Maker. I knew I had lived my life and there was no bucket list.

 

But God had other plans and I was discharged. Because I was still weak, I had to cancel a number of appointments that I had made earlier. One of them was meeting up with my friend Carrie for coffee in Quigleys cafe Nenagh. I texted her and asked whether I could see her on Friday instead.

 

I brought a pumpkin for her from my plot because I knew she would love to make delicious stuff out of it. While we were chatting, a couple approached us and asked where I bought the pumpkin from. I said I planted it in our Killaloe/Ballina community garden. Her accent sounded like American or Canadian.

I know what it is like to miss certain festivals or food from home. I remember Kevin Lim giving me a mooncake shortly after he had returned from Malaysia. It was just a mooncake, but it was more than a mooncake. It tasted like home.

 

So I asked her would she like one, as I still have one more at home. The rest is history and I hope she will bake plenty of yummy pumpkin pies....

 

It was a Kairos moment. A tipping point or a kairos moment is usually discovered behind the scenes of an ordinary day. 

 

I am going to trust God for tomorrow.  

 

For 2022. 

 

For our days ahead for as long as we live, we will rejoice in the faithfulness and the goodness of God.

 

                                                               Have a Blessed Christmas!

 

 

 

 

FROSTY DAYS

 

On the way to Dublin. He is driving. Can I have a fruit? He says. She peels the fruit and hands it to him. He eats it and hands her the peel which she automatically puts into an empty paper cup that once had piping hot glorious latte.  No words exchanged. Yet it is pretty symbiotic.

This is what I like. Peaceful and stress free and a lot of good stuff in between as the tyre hits the road.

I like to try things once, Sometimes just for fun and sometimes as a challenge. Now that Christmas is around the corner, there are plenty of craft fairs around .

There was a time when I had wants. Things admired, things desired. But there are not many things left in window displays or stalls that I would want to bring home anymore. I am content.

But it is still nice to browse and be inspired to make something new.

I had an indoor craft stall in 2013, just to see what it was like. It was quite an experience and I made a tidy sum. But I don't see myself doing it again in the near future because I like new experiences and before we know it, today has become yesterday. The ticking of the clock.

So I've made a number of artsy bits for friends instead. I find so much joy in giving. People remember givers with a smile in their hearts. I wonder how many homes have something that I made.

 

 

The days are certainly getting colder and shorter. The garden takes care of itself and the winter cabbages are flourishing. There's this occasional caterpillar that is feasting on the leaves. Very baffling indeed, How can it still be alive when temperatures drop? I suspect he must be wearing a warm red coat and shoes to match.

We've put out a lot of food for the wild birds and it is such a delight to see them. I don't know the names of some birds so it is handy to have a bird identification app. on the phone. It is with much joy to see a robin pecking seed from a swing that I made.

For me, the natural inclination at this time of the year is to hibernate. Who likes to be padded up like a Michelin man and brave the icy winds? I must convince the mind  that  as long as I am able, I must get out and do something. And I am thankful that there are so many free hobby classes to go for.

So as the year draws close , I look forward to hauling the Christmas tree home and putting up the lights. Most of all, I look forward to living another day, another month and another year with the ones that I love.

 

CROSS THE BRIDGE

 

It is certainly getting colder now and the air is crisp and fresh even as I write this. Although I like sunny days and lush vegetation, I must admit every season has its beauty. 

It is a strange thing but I find myself forgetting about what winter is like when it is summer and vice versa. Travelling from Malin Head in the North to Mizen Head in the South,  we’ve taken every opportunity to visit little towns and villages not often featured on the tourist map. Ireland is indeed very beautiful.  Both peaceful and wild. Her people both taciturn and friendly.

So with the change in the weather I'm naturally drawn to different activities.

In Spring I would be very busy in the garden. Come summer it is just relaxing outdoors. Autumn means harvesting and watching the leaves changing colours and Winter certainly mean slowing down.

Autumn and Winter also mean craft time. 

Automatically I gravitate towards keeping my hands busy with the sewing machine, the scissors or the hammer. I have to purposefully take short breaks or else I'll be glued to the crafting table.

The thing is I have a lot of stash accumulated over the years. All kinds of fabrics or mosaic tiles or paints. I refuse to limit myself to only one type of craft. I tell myself that I enjoy the process of making and it is always a delight to see how things turn out. The best part is there is no pressure in selling the products and there is no time line.  I like to give handmade stuff to friends and family members who appreciate them.

Getting back

The process of getting back to a sense of normality. The process of connecting with family far and near. It takes a little effort as my children are scattered in places with different time zones. I even have to set my alarm clock to remind myself when I should call or when they are calling. But it is such a joy to see and hear them in real time - telling me of their latest escapades, their gadgets, and what they just had for supper.

And child hood friends are such a fun bunch when we connect over zoom. We talk about anything and everything, as if 10,894 km apart, does not exist.

The baby steps we take, stepping into cafes armed with masks and Covid certs. The fear we feel when a person nearby coughs or sneezes. But with each careful step forward, we become bolder. I have not flown out of the country for almost two years now and we have decided to spend Christmas in Madrid. I’m having butterflies in my stomach thinking about it.

One thing is for sure. We must do the things we have done before the pandemic or do the things we have not tried yet. We must cross the bridge.

I LIKE THE NOW

A normal day will begin like this. If my alarm is not set for an appointment, I must have a lie in. I am allergic to mornings and I managed to find a sweatshirt that mirrors my inclinations.

After a quick breakfast, I will twiddle my thumbs and say, what are our plans for the day?

Go out.

But where?

Anywhere that the car will take us. For the moment. Until it is safe enough to fly.

So that's the modus operandi. Two people, very much in love with no pressing cares, on the road to no where.  

Just looking out of the car window, I see the beautiful picture of now. Cows grazing in the fields. Leaves turning orange and brown and red. 

 

And if I wind down the window I can taste the crisp fresh air even. Now I know why dogs love to stick their heads out of the window.

I like the now.

But to get to the now, we have had our  fair share of walls - some broken through, some yet to be broken. 

Walls of anxiety and pain - physical or emotional - delibitating in one way or another and we wish the pain would instantaneously go away. But most times it takes a while, and sometimes a very long time. And we are overwhelmed. 

The days are getting colder. My vegetables are not growing as robustly as before when there was plenty of  sunlight. The upside however is I have less slugs and snails to contend with.

I can choose to lament over the shorter days ahead or I can choose to be thankful that there won't be a famine in the home because the harvest has been great.

So, there's nothing better than what we have now. Because tomorrow has cares of its own.