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Resolutions Anyone?

It is a tradition – well, almost a tradition, depending on where you stand on making New Year’s Resolutions…

i’m not one for making resolutions; i used to, but i found myself disappointed with myself rather too quickly at not being able to keep them.

However, i found myself thinking about it when the clock chimed 12 midnight on 31st Dec and 2011 became 2012. And then again yesterday in the car, on the way to church.

Reflections

i look back on 2011 and am very grateful for it, even the low points. But i realised that there was something missing – something which i have always missed since moving to a country where the lingua franca is not my mother tongue. i missed having meaningful conversations – conversations which moved me and the other person in deeper ways than just a chitchat about the weather or the children’s school day or where they were going for the next holiday. i want to be able to speak about matters which makes my heart beat and my mind soar; to share my strange ideas with another person besides my husband, who has been wonderful about listening to me jabber away but is a man of few words, which is not a bad thing; he has taught me to listen more and speak when it truly does matter. Nevertheless, i am a woman who loves to talk so that’s what i miss; someone to share insane thoughts with, to discuss issues with, to laugh about the stresses of the day with – to have meaningful conversations. Not just once in a few months but at least weekly.

Please do not be mistaken and think that i do not have friends here. i do and i do have good friends but they live a fair distance away and we don’t see each other very often. And the women i got to know who do live in my neighbourhood all speak either Swiss or German or Italian or French; and culturally we seem to have such different reference points that an eloquent, substantial exchange is just not easy. It is just not the same expressing myself in a foreign tongue. True, i do speak enough of the language now but still that level of communication i desire is not yet within reach.

So that’s my resolution for 2012 – to have more meaningful conversations with the women who live in my neighbourhood. This is not something i feel i can do by myself so i ask that God would help me to have these meaningful conversations in 2012. It may not sound like a resolution when i’m asking for divine help – of course i will work at it but i just know i need that little exact hand so God help me here. Thanks.

What are your new year resolutions?

syc

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2012…A New Year…

…A New Beginning…

Old Blog - Wir Sind Auslandern

The blog previously known as  ‘Wir sind Ausländern!! – regarding the misadventures of a Singaporean family in Switzerland’ is relaunched as…

trippingdifferently… 

Here’s a little about the transitition.

Why trippingdifferently?

1st of all, living away from our home country has really brought differences & the meaning of being different to the forefront of our thoughts.

2nd, tripping as defined by dictionary.com:
1. light and quick, as a step or pace,
2. proceeding with a light, easy movement or rhythm.

There are days when it seems that life is like this – smooth & carefree.

Tripping comes from the noun ‘trip’ which is defined as:
1. a journey or voyage

Which is something we are all on – everyday trips, life’s journey.

but it is also defined as:
5. a stumble; misstep.

Far too often, the feeling of constantly falling over one’s feet overtakes us as we try to make sense of the things/situations/people we face daily.

As with all travels, there are ups & downs, there are laughs & tears… we hope to share some of these from our daily life in a different country, different culture; share about our loves & joys, sorrows & dislikes; share about being different & appreciating (or lamenting) those differences.

So come tripping along 😉

Here’s wishing all of you a very Blessed New Year & have a Fulfilling 2012. May it be a wonderful year filled with big and small surprises & good times with family & friends & good health.

syc

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It’s Snowing! It’s Snowing!…

FINALLY!!
This year the snow is soooo very late – it arrived just 7 days before Christmas!
We suffered cold winds & rains for a fair number of weeks, which ended in a big storm on Friday with 50km/h winds.
Then at last, the snow came on Sat & has been coming down since then… today is the 4th day of snowfall…
i’m ecstatic as is Tobias! 😉

Here’s a picture from Saturday’s snowfall:

Here’s one from yesterday (3rd day):

Today it snowed steadily from the wee hours of the morning till about a half hour ago. So i would say we have had a good 6 to 8 inches of snow 😀 – the kids are absolutely loving it – having snowball fights along the way to school & of cos at break time in school. It made Tobias & a few others late for school yesterday – the teacher let them off with a warning this time, next time they get a strike against their names.

While we suffered the rain storms before the lovely snow came, Tobias & myself went & made candles in the old hospital by the river in town. Tobias fell in love with candle making after he got to make one with our friends who live in Fribough. So this year he really wanted to go make more. But school timetables did not allow us to go to there again & make them with our friends there. Instead we made them here… which i feel is much better – not so crowded here as it’s not in such an open place like in Fribough.

Have a look at our works of wax 😉

Tobias made the greenish ones on the left & i made the other two. We sent 2 of these to Singapore, one to each set of grandparents. Hope they will like it.

May the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ brighten this Christmas season for you & May His Light shine on your path in the coming year.
syc

PS: i sit here writing this blog, listening to the song, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” – it certainly does look that way 😀