Ready to Go!

After meeting up with a prospective client, I decided to give my colleagues, Aveline, Sally and Louise a treat at a coffee shop which is famous for their zhi char (selected dishes) at Dickson Road. The stall is particularly famous for their prawn salad, pan cake mee hoon and braised tofu.

When I came back home, I was surprised when my tenant, Yi Wei, asked me excitedly if I felt the tremors at about 7.30p.m. At 7.30p.m. we were in Aveline's car, and hence did not feel any tremor. However, this morning as I was typing on my computer, I felt my table and chair moving, and even the electrical wires were moving! I called out to Yi Wei. At first he felt nothing, but later he could feel the floors moving.

"Better open the door and get ready to run out!" On the TV he heard the news asking Singaporeans not to panic. No evacuation would be necessary unless cracks appeared in the buildings. Singaporeans were also advised to hide under a table, and preferably near a water pipe.

I asked Yi Wei why we should be near a water pipe. "So that you will have water to drink." "In that case, I will hide in the big fridge....plenty of food and water to drink," I suggested playfully.

Indeed earthquakes are not to be trifled with. Our hearts go out to the Indonesians and all those whose lands are affected as they face one earthquake after another.

My friends who know me well, all know that I am ready to go anytime. I have packed so much into my 53 years 9 months that I am very contented now to depart from this world. As Pastor Woo York from Melbourne had once asked the congregation, "If heaven is indeed such a beautiful place, why be afraid to go there.? Many Christians want to go to heaven, but some are afraid to die."

I am not being morbid when I talk about death. I am just facing up to the reality that all of us have to go at God's appointed time. Sure, if God gives me good health I will live to be a good, useful, old citizen, contributing my share to society. Perhaps it is this readiness that gives me the peace and joy. I always remind all my relatives and friends that when they come to my wake, they must celebrate and not weep. :-)

Gan Chau