February!

There wasn’t any impetus to write in all that time, probably because I busied myself with proper living rather than spending a disproportionate amount of time stuck behind the computer, which is often the norm when I am back here in Brisbane. This probably explains why I am updating this space again after having settled back into the humdrum, 4 weeks in.

The 7 week long holiday was just… splendid. Perhaps with the realisation that intern year looms, one starts to try and make everyday count, a case of visualising the end to appreciate the present.

So what did I/we do?

We had Penang

We hosted friends

and fell in love with their bubs

We made a christmas tree… of sorts

I duelled a baking nemesis

Made a new friend, caught up with old ones and learnt of an engagement.

And amidst all of that, rebooted and turned another year with people I love

What does 2012 hold?

I’m not sure. Everything is sort of in flux at the moment, but we’ll work towards set staggered goals to get us to the end. Will we emerge victorious? The future’s an uncertainty isn’t it? We can only control what we can within our limits, leave everything else to fate/God/circumstance and cope with adversity with lots of humour.

If all else fails, we’ll always have the promise of Iceland and the endless of joy of discovery.

MADE IN ICELAND from Klara Harden on Vimeo.

Moments, moments.

Friendships are often the happy (or sometimes, not so happy) by products of chance encounters, and it was the result of an encounter some 6 odd years ago that kept me going this weekend. Support often comes from the most unexpected of places.

This humble heart is filled with so much gratitude.

To Carina/Sheepgirl.

Was it only 3 odd years since first dates and e-mail exchanges? I’ll never forget how pregnant with anticipation the air in the office was after each correspondence was sent, the recounting of tales complete with girly giggles a surprise party and then some.

Quoting Murakami, as we usually do

“What matters is deciding in your heart to accept another person completely. When you do that, it is always the first time and the last.”

To Cheryl

Who is juggling a life in medicine, a relocation, who is extremely capable and wise beyond her years. Thank you for putting things into perspective with your comment,

“We cannot contribute to the lives of others if our own is barren.”

Indeed it is so.

May yours be filled with abundant fruits of the land and lush bushes of eden as you embark on your pengull journey!

Ah…. Love!

Warms the deep recesses of one’s bowels does it not?

To me? Sonny is the most fortunate person I know, a dreamer subsisting in reality, creating a parallel/alternate universe through his narrative inviting all along on his journey. Buckle up!

I remember saying this to him some years ago:

“You started out questioning and wanting to find out answers to why it is the way things are then you progressed on to finding, refining then using the medium to best express your conclusions. Rather than writing a 5000 page thesis on Scifi you paint and make comics.”

Congrats boy, your list grows long

5 glasses of cider on an empty stomach later, I remember why I stopped drinking for the sake of getting drunk. The ill effects of acetaldehyde far outweighs the (small and diminishing) joy drunken revelry brings. Still! It was good fun hopping, skipping and talking loudly before the retching in the loo and stupor set in.

Unflattering photo with eye bags of samsonite proportions, but one for posterity, eh? It is the halfway mark after all

It is always nice to receive recognition and praise for one’s work/cause, especially when walking on the road less travelled.

Congratulations again, friend.

Full article here

Lovely postcard from the iwannagosingapore project. Thank you again Sheepgirl

The Australian Quarantine department finds Irene’s description of ‘Ornaments’ dubious And opens the parcel, quite neatly might I add! Private joke, shared
Emergency rations after a lament about cravings. Australian Quarantine includes pamphlets to remind, me, what can/cannot be sent into Australia.

Thank you Sheepgirl and Irene, support always comes from yous when I most need it, just like The Box around this time last year.

Pressing on, for yous.