Birth Station, Platform 1

28 October 2009, Wednesday (Zulkaedah) 

Dearest Abang, Adik, Ina, Ayie. Do you want to hear this story?



On 16 October 1959, after a long and difficult labour, a little girl emerged into the world and her mum and dad named her Wan Sallehah Wan Mahmood. I was told later by my late mum that of all the deliveries she had to endure, mine was the most arduous as my neck had been entangled with the umbilical chord and I was already turning blue when the midwife delivered me at Jalan Bidara, Kampung Ubi, Singapore.


It was really unfortunate and sad that I couldn't recall my life and infancy at Jalan Bidara at all. Despite looking at photos of me at Jalan Bidara, my mind simply refused to recall this period. However, I have vague memories of my childhood at Jalan Lada.


Anak Cina


My House at Jalan Lada






Sickly






Childhood Station, Platform 2
The first 10 years of my life was spent in Singapore at both Jalan Bidara (absolutely no recollection at all) as well as Jalan Lada (vivid recollection). And I enjoyed my childhood tremendously. I remembered playing all the kampung games, as opposed to the super hi tech games that my kids and other kids indulge in today. I remembered studying at Jalan Eunos School, which wasn't too far from my house, but my parents hired a trishaw to take me to school everyday.


The Kmpung Games


Jalan Eunos School


The Trishaw


My friends


Gula Tarik


Sanggul Mak Inang


Doll Jelly


Neighbour Electrocuted by Fan

Happy Memories

Painful Memories

Mugging Station, Platform 3

Slogging Station, Platform 4

Marital Station, Platform 5

Motherhood Station, Platform 6

Semi-Retirement Station, Platform 7

Retirement Station, Platform 7

Blogging Station, Platform 8

Stop and smell the roses

25 October 2010, Monday

Hey Wan
Where you going in such a hurry?
Don't you think it's time you realized
There's a whole lot more to life than work and worry
The sweetest things in life are free
And there right before your eyes

You got to Stop and Smell the roses
You've got to count your many blessings everyday
You're gonna find your way to heaven is a rough and rocky road
If you don't Stop and Smell the roses along the way

Before you went to work this morning in the city
Did you spend some time with your family?
Did you kiss your husband and tell him that he's lovely
Did you hug your children to your breast and love them tenderly

You got to Stop and Smell the roses
You've got to count your many blessings everyday
You're gonna find your way to heaven is a rough and rocky road
If you don't Stop and Smell the roses along the way

Did you ever take a walk through the forest
Stop and dream a while among the trees
Well you can look up through the leaves right straight to heaven
You can almost hear the voice of God
In each any every breeze

You got to Stop and Smell the Roses
You've got to count your many blessings everyday
You're gonna find your way to heaven is a rough and rocky road
If you don't Stop and Smell the Roses along the way

You got to Stop and Smell the roses
You've got to count your many blessings everyday
You're gonna find your way to heaven is a rough and rocky road
If you don't Stop and Smell the roses along the way

Wan, you're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry. Don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.

Life's Predictable Rails and Ohhhh....Not So Predictable Rails

29 October 2009, Thursday (10 Zulkaedah)

I was reading this book, Life Lessons for Women, and the author had suggested that at some stage in our life, we need to reevaluate our position, in what she termed as Life Review.

This aroused my interest as I reckon this will help me recognise who I am and the path that has led me to where I am today.

The author, Stephanie Marston had said, "Although your life must be lived by moving forward, it is best understood by recognizing what you have already lived through and how far you've come. Just as your fingerprints identify your unique physical makeup, your life choices will reveal the person who did all the living - your self."

It is important to assess yourself  in order for you to know yourself more intimately. Stephanie had suggested we divide our life into decades.

Personally, I would have preferred to term it as Life's Predictable Rails. A woman usually goes through life's predictable rails, and stopping at the usual stations, i.e. birth, childhood, work, marriage, motherhood. Is my rail predictable? I would say Yes, and No.

It's really fascinating, mesmerizing and enthralling when you pull out your old photo albums and look at pictures of yourself during the different stations of your life. It's wonderful to trace your life back to the different platforms you were on in Life's Rails.

Sometimes life affords you many choices... but in the end is it your choice, or is there a switch operator somewhere who has you on a predetermined path... On what track will you enter the station?

I've stopped at the following stations in My Life's Predictable Rails, and Oh...some Not So Predictable Rails...

Birth Station, Platform 1 
Childhood Station, Platform 2 
Mugging Station, Platform 3 
Slogging Station, Platform 4 
Marital Station, Platform 5 
Motherhood Station, Platform 6 
Semi-Retirement Station, Platform 7 
Retirement Station, Platform 7 
Blogging/Facebooking/Twiteering/Enjoying Life to the Fullest Station, Platform 8

Check out this space - All the Stations are Under Construction.