Rainbows After the Storm!

I love rainbows. Yet this colorful phenomenon takes place only after the storm! This is why I have never allowed the storms in my life to affect me too much, because I know at the end, I will see the rainbow. This optimism gives me added courage, strength and joy.

Yesterday, I woke up at 5.00 a.m. and felt nauseated. I threw out but it was only some gastric juice as my stomach had been empty since I did not take any dinner the previous night. I drank some water and went back to sleep, only to wake up again to throw out. The vomitting continued till 12 noon. Nothing could be contained in my stomach and I began to wonder if I should admit myself to hospital in case I became severely dehydrated. I had originally planned to go to the market in the morning to buy some food for I wanted to cook Penang Curry Chicken for the AIA Alexandra Toastmasters' Club. I prayed really hard that God would heal me and make me better as I had to present my speech at the club in the evening. Patrick Chang, the President, would be very disappointed if I did not turn up for my appointment.

God answered my prayers! The vomitting stopped and I phoned up the cleaner, Auntie May, in our Dennis Wee Group, to wish her a happy birthday, and to tell her I wanted to pass her a birthday present later on in the afternoon.

Wow! It rained the whole day. Some buildings could not even be seen, so thick was the rain and mist. However, being the optimist that I am, I think of all the positive things. I need not turn on my fan or aircon.....save electricity. The rain watered my plants .....save water. I went down to collect a big pail of free water from the sky.... will use them to water the plants in the next few days. Etc. etc.

I wore some plastic shoes to the office. As expected there were puddles of water on the road. I began to think of my childhood days. We were always so happy when it rained for we could play in the rain and sail paper boats! We would make the boats using different colored papers or just number them and see which boat would come in first. I could see so many colored umbrellas. Somehow it all seemed so romantic!

I met a colleague at the Dhoby Ghaut mrt station. "Come, let's go," I beckoned her. "This damn rain", she mumbled. "Raining continuously for only one day, and you're complaining!" I smiled.
"It's only one day of rain, not 40 days like in Noah's Ark", I comforted her.

When I took the bus to AIA, Alexandra, it was still raining heavily. It was so lovely to see so many members already enjoying their refreshment. It was a combined meeting with the Singapore Nurses' Toastmasters' Club. The lovely and gracious president, Suzanne Yew, also prepared some tasty delicacies in addition to the lovely sandwiches provided by AIA Alexandra TMC.

I won the award for the best prepared speech. My speech, "Funny, yet Miraculous Moments" tickled the funny bones of the club members. After the meeting, I was glad that the rain had stopped and the air was exceedingly fresh! After Bus No. 14 dropped me at Orchard Road, I walked back all the way home in Little India instead of taking the train. I wanted to enjoy the cool, crisp and very fresh air! Irin, my neighbour, smsed me to help walk her two dogs which I readily obliged.

Fresh, cool air.! Rainbows! Storms or continuous rain are not so bad after all!

Gan Chau