Circle of Life

It's really been a while since I last posted. Not sure why but for the past 2-3 years, I just do not have that 'feel' to blog anymore. Perhaps as we grow older, we move past yet another chapter of our life and we have different priorities/needs/interests now. It reminds me of how most of us used to keep a diary when we were kids and we just outlived that habit of writing things down in that small book.

It's snowing outside now on Boxing Night. And I have been staring out at the window for over an hour now. I was brought back to what I have fondly dreamt about as a kid.

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When I was a boy, I used to dream that I would work in a country abroad, a country with cooling weather and snow for Christmas. And now that I am in Sweden, I guess that the dream of mine actually came true. Well, not exactly 100% as the weather here is Arctic cold rather than cooling hahaha. But nevertheless, I enjoy it just as much.

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Given that my time here might not be a long one, I reckon that I should take in as much as I can get to experience over here. Heck, this might be my first and last snowy winter, not as a tourist but as a resident. The culture here, where family comes first and money is secondary, gonna miss the most I will. You can just go around the town in whatever brands of clothes that you have and nobody will ever raise an eyebrow and look down on you. If only Sweden is nearer to home.

And since it's Christmas, we are heading to another year with or without a bang, depending on how you look at it. Without realizing the passing of time, old resolutions have to be ticked or crossed out and new ones have to be made just to keep our hopes alive. 

As always, my one and primary resolution in ushering the New Year is to STAY ALIVE. But for this year, I'll add another crucial one: To spend more time with my loved ones. It's too late to realize the love that you have for your family when they're gone, especially when you couldn't even attend the funeral. 

While my life and work here have been going smooth, to not being able to attend my Grandpa's final journey in life is disheartening. Looks like you just can't have everything in life eh? In the end, we still have to gain some and to lose some, to balance the equation so to speak. 

This is to you Grandpa! Cheers and thank you for the great time that we had together. Thanks for teaching me to save money for the rainy day and thus me being the thrifty that I am today :) Thanks for the football games at the playground. Thanks for the RM11 ang pows with your trademark 陈 on the red packets. I am gonna miss that most from you during the coming CNY's and birthdays. I will continue that for you alright? Thank you. And I am sorry if I had hurt you in any way. I am truly grateful that I got to spend time with you before I left for Sweden. That we got to chat, showed you some photos about Sweden, and putting my palms on your forehead. 

I miss you. 

Happy Xmas to you and your family. May you be well and happy. Be kind to one another. Remember, you only live once.