I've had just enough time to... listen to the sound of falling leaves...
Taken one chilly morning in the backstreet of The Rock, Sdyney
Leaves
fall
The
speed of tears
Smash
the ground
Silently
splash
Quivering
echoes
Through
silent streets
The
Giant cries
Tears as
many as leaves
Catching
the mournful wind
Through skeletal
branches
Till nomore leaf is left to shed
Then deadly
silence
Winter
is here to stay
Sometimes
you are sad. You may not be able to point out a single incident or even a
number of incidents that are making you sad. They may have some effects but you
know they should not make you as sad as you are. You are just sad. Stop looking
for the reasons. Indulged in it for a while. A sad movie, a sad story or a
sentimental song. Or a chat with an old friend, a long walk in the park, an
evening by the sea. Do whatever works for you. Sadness prepare us for happier
times. Just don't lay on It for too long. It may get so comfortable that you would
not want to get up again.
I've had just enough time to... be thankful for leaves
Taken in the garden village of Sungei Buloh, Malaysia
I was in the
town of Sungei Buloh (River of Bamboo) shopping for orchids before the Chinese
New Year. In those old less enlightened days, this place was used to isolate a
leper colony from the general populace. A vocation was needed for these displaced
people and in an ironic way, growing flowers and plants was the profession
chosen for them. Now it is a thriving town engaged predominantly in the
gardening business. The city has expanded and engulfed the area making it a very
valuable real estate. Now, those once shunted lepers and their descendants are
not only businessmen and women but also millionaires putting a final irony to
the Town of The River of Bamboo.
Everyone
was looking down because there were flowers in glorious bloom everywhere. On
both sides of the small lane, on every multiple racks, in every stall and
corners, any space that can be squeezed in, flowers of all varieties and colors
and forms smiled back at you. But my attention was up, at that wondrous spread
of rain tree branches and the millions of tiny leaves blinking at me. Whenever
the wind stirred, a few shook themselves from the branches and floated down in
an erratic but graceful dance to join the other fallen leaves on the roof.
I love
flowers but it was the leaves that talked to me that day. And leaves always reminded me of that sad song
叶子yèzi (Leaf ). I
heard that haunting voice as I stood by the road shoulder looking up feeling
deliciously sad while boisterous trading were happening all round me. And what
made it even more poignant is that I will never hear her singing a new song
again. '阿桑' (Ah Sang) had a hard life. She was discovered
singing in a pub and “Leaf” made her famous. Just when it appeared that Life is
finally giving her the break she deserved, she quietly left the entertainment
scene. Not long later, the world was shocked to learn that she has succumbed to
breast cancer. She was only 34.
叶子 Leaves
阿桑 Ah Sang
叶子是不会飞翔的翅膀 Leaves are wings that cannot fly
翅膀是落在天上的叶子 Wings are leaves dropped in the sky
天堂原来应该不是妄想 Heaven is not wishful thinking after all
I've had just enough time to... be fooled thrice and love it!
Taken of the thrid surprise - a juicy carrot cake
The next day, an ex-colleague
dropped by at the flour mill. They asked me if I have the time for lunch and I
said “Of course, there is always time for old friends”. We went to a
Thai-Chinese restaurant and I was surprised at the turn out. Hmm… Quite a biggroup. After fragrant Pandan chicken, fiery tom yam soup, steaming fish brewing
in salted vegetable and other sharp tasting foods that I missed dearly for the
last two weeks…
They brought out another cake with a
single lighted candle and sang the birthday song in the restaurant. I was fooled
again. It was a coincident that my ex-colleague visited us that day and my devious
colleagues made use of the accidental visit to fool me. That was the second
surprise.
Though that lifted my spirits, I
struggled through the day hardly able to keep my eyes open as I was still in my zombie state. After 3.00 pm, the
jet lag effect kicked in and after so many visits to the restroom, I must have
washed the skin off my face. So when the call came in to go home a bit earlier,
I was all for it.
After dinner, I thought I would call
it an early night when my sons brought in yet another cake with another single
lighted candle and sang the familiar song I heard thrice within 24 hours. This
time it was a juicy Carrot Cake with butter cream icing. The bakery bought me a
Black Forest because they think it is my favorite while the flour mill a Mixed
Fruit Praline because they think I will like it. 3 cakes and 3 surprises within
24 hours. I smiled, thinking the three different groups have different opinions
of the types of cake I liked. Maybe, they have different opinions of the person
I am too. Whatever, I felt most blessed that day, to have good friends and
family to celebrate my birthday with. Strangely, another strong emotion took
hold at the same time. I felt rependant at my good fortune and thought of
seeking forgiveness from all I have hurt one way or other through the years. Thankful
andrependant was how I felt on the day I was surprised thrice.
I've had just enough time to... be surprised not once but thrice
Taken of the new products that are launched on a very special day :)
June 11 2013, I have just returned
from US the day before after 30 hours of plane rides and waiting in airports. I
then had the longest sleep I had in years lying flat in bed for almost 12 hours.
But I was not fully charged. Two weeks of traveling through multiple time zones
have taken a toll on this old body. I knew I had to leave the office early and
planned to leave sharp at 5.45 pm. At least that was the plan.
At 4.00 pm, a call came in that involved
the future of a colleague and a long discussion ensued. I divided my time
between two factories. At 4.22 pm, I received a call from the bakery requesting
my presence. They said it was not urgent so I planned to go over before 5.00
pm. At 4.45 pm on the way down, I dropped over and have a ‘few words’ with a
colleague that lasted an hour and a half.
In the bakery, the factory manager surprisingly
ushered me upstairs instead of having the discussion in his room. By that time,
I was feeling groggy, running on auto and reserves, and wishing there was a bed
somewhere I could lay down to drift into blissful oblivion. In the meeting
room, I was surprised to see all the Heads of Departments waiting for me. I was
embarrassed that I’ve unwittingly kept them waiting for so long and apologized
profusely. They seemed strangely cheerful in spite.
They showed me the new company
products that they said will be launched tomorrow. I’m quite absent minded but
they laughed that I will never have to ask any of them the launch date for
these products because it was on my birthday! I was touched by the gesture. Before
I could settle down and digest the feeling, a few of them that left the room
earlier came in with a cake and a single lighted candle and the whole crowd
burst into the birthday song. I good naturally protested that it was unfair todo it a day earlier to catch me by surprise but I was of course naturallypleased that they went through the trouble to surprise me. I was a zombie that
day but they light a fire under the zombie to wake him up. That was just the
first surprise…
