RUSHING

There's been a crazy load of rush.

Rushing to read up for the next clinical procedure,
Rushing to fill up the appointments for patients,
Rushing to hand in assignments.
Rushing to finish up lab work.
Rushing to do mock preparations.
Rushing to sign folders.
Rushing to get patients assigned.
Rushing to read this, rushing to read that.

Just when you thought you are done, another load piles up or the cycle starts all over again.

It has been a good week for my family to steal some time off to visit HK for a family trip. Everyone had to make time for this trip as all of us are somehow busy with schedules and datelines. So it didn't really sink in that we were going on a holiday until I boarded the plane. Even so, there were 101 things running my mind, reminding myself the list of things-to-do when I get back.

Proverbs 4:23 written on sand in Golden Beach.

All in all it was a good trip. One word to sum up HK - BUSY. Amidst the buzzing city life; we managed to capture a few heart warming experiences with local HK people. A little girl by the name of Lam Lam. We met her on the bus on the way out from Gold Coast to Tsuen Wan MTR St. She boarded the bus with her mum and baby brother. We gave up our seats so they didn't need to stand. At first she was rather shy, then I started making weird faces at her - and she imitated me! =) Unexpectedly she tugged my sleeves and asked..(in cantonese)

LL: Nei cho le..(please sit)
I: It's alright. You just sit with your mum..

We boarded the same MTR and she came up to me again.

I: What's your name? LL: Ngo hai Lam Lam ah. I: How old are you? LL: Ngo sei sui. Ngo hai Yuen Long lok. Nei hai bin dou lok? (I'm 4 years old. I'm alighting at Yuen Long St. Which st. are you going to?) I: I'm going down later than you. (noticing her badly decayed upper anterior teeth..I asked.. - a typical dental student's question) Hey, how many times do you brush your teeth a day? LL: Once a day. =D
We managed to chat a little longer and she had to leave. She bid me goodbye and left. What she didn't know was that - she made my day.

Many questions came to mind that day:
How many of these conversations are held in a day?
Do all four year olds converse with such intelligence and concern?

As I observe a few more schooling kids alight and board the MTR, I came to realise that it is an entirely different culture altogether. Maybe it was because I was a born and bred Penangite through and through and have never really been to a metropolitan city other than Singapore. I realise how blessed it was to have dad and mum send us everywhere in a car. Some may call us spoilt brats - but I truly believe these were the precious few moments that worked immense wonders in drawing us closer to our parents.

I remember relating to my parents about my day in school - and if I was tired, they would like to know why. They used to wait for me and send me to a myriad of tuitions/piano/church activities - a rather routine schedule for them. Come to think about it: they really made it a point and make time to send and pick us wherever we went, however busy they were. I guess, deep down inside us kids, these are the little things that accumulate and assure us of our parents love for us. Through these few minutes too that I've learnt to listen to their day at work, views on politics, current issues - their concerns.

Ah..my little thoughts.

One more thing...

Naw, who taught that kid to brush only once a day? =P