The Opera Populaire

Bro set off for Aust last nite with most of the extended family sending him off at the airport, to his slight embarrassment, as he doesn't like limelight. So glad that the luggage, which I estimated to be 40 kg at least, was in fact less than 30 *phew*.

Was rather worried abt him. He never does like to go venture beyond this little red dot of an island and had never taken a flight of more than 4 hours away. Now he had to go abt 6 hours plus, without anyone, not even a fren with him. But thank God, he called back to report that all was fine and he's settling in. Hopefully he makes great frens there and come back with nothing but fond memories of his time there. Feel a trifle blue with him gone tho. Yet how envious I am of those who can go overseas to study!

NUS was actually my 2nd choice. I had actually hoped to study nursing overseas under a scholarship as my father vehemently said he won't pay a cent for my studies if I was gonna be a nurse. My family thot it a huge waste considering my qualifications; at e very least I shd be a doctor. But I wasn't thinking of being a doctor becos I wanted to be directly involved in caring for e patients, which as a doctor I would rarely do. Plus I din think I had the discipline and it would be a waste of resources to study to be a doctor when I din have the aptitude for it. In the end I guess God's destiny took me to this direction as I was rejected by the presitigious scholarship due to my less than perfect grades. But I loved NUS, esp my Hons year, and neva regret coming :)

The 2nd attack on Bali was the most unfortunate. I rem being there abt 4 years ago, having lunch of BBQed fish at Jimbaran beside the sea. The waiters looking out for customers there tried to talk to me in Jap, then later switched to Chinese! The natives there depend so much on the tourism industry; they can speak everything from French to even Italian. I rem our host, a biz assc of my uncle's, saying with pride that Bali is a very safe place to be in becos they have the favor of the gods. In fact, after the 1998 riots, many Indonesians from the other islands fled to Bali for refuge, to the dismay of some natives there. But of course, as the events later showed, it was not spared.

The Mood Indicator test was surprisingly true! Except for the 1st paragraph, I think. Yeah had not been overly uplifting for the past few weeks, over a variety of issues. Sometimes it's even hard to hear from God. But I have faith He is with me, even till e very ends of age. I oso wanna acquire serenity to accept those things I cannot change, esp when I have done all I can. Had a sudden realisation that these may have been compounded by something. Oh how I pray to get well soon! Health is wealth.