Damsel(s) in Distress!

I thought about this title two weeks ago when my climbing buddy fell from 10 feet high while climbing a boulder. It's not supposed to be a major issue, I don't think, unless one landed awkwardly - like on one side of her foot and proceeded to sprain her ankle. She had all the necessary attention to her injury but still hobbled around at the airport while I became her "blessed" porter.

I say "blessed porter" because we both happened to be travelling out of the country two Sundays ago. She was off to Singapore for work, while I was on my way to Bangkok. And since our flights were an hour apart, I was able to help push her luggage trolley along with mine while she concentrated on walking with three legs (the third being the walking stick acquired from a Mt Kinabalu climb some years ago!)

She resolved to requesting for and travelled on a wheelchair when she got to Changi Airport ... LOL!

With her injured, I too am in distress because ...

1. I now have to get used to climbing alone. And if I don't have a buddy, I can't do top-rope climbing and am restricted to bouldering, and even then, not where it involves climbing upwards (since I have no one to spot me), but rather traversing the boulders ... which really means I will visit Camp5 a lot less than I would like to ... except for doing fun climbing with my new climbing buddies ...

2. The reduced exercise each week has caused some restlessness that in turn may have led to sleepless nights. This all began while I was in Bangkok and has continued until now. The buckwheat tea one evening seemed to have been the miracle cure for insomnia, but then I really couldn't tell if that was THE reason I slept soundly that evening, or the fact that I had not slept a wink in two nights.

Given my resolution and theme to upgrade myself in 2008, it appears that being a damsel in distress has some positive perspectives as well ... the one-on-one private coaching for the time being should technically improve my climbing in leaps and bounds.

The other is I've made tremendous progress with my knitting. For the first project, I am almost at 20 inches with the first sleeve and if I work at this, I should be able to finish it during the Chinese New Year holidays.

I also started a second project - a neck scarf, which I hope can be completed soon, and should be on to a third piece - a simple cardigan.

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This has been a week of milestones ...

1. I've moved to a bigger room so I now have more space to spread the mess! And I think my room looks a lot neater and more tidy. I no longer see match-box cars crawling the streets of KL highways from the 65th floor room at the Twin Towers offices, rather I see the busy traffic of human silhouttes passing by just outside my room and heading towards the entrance/exit of the office. In short, I now have a window-less room and a different kind of view ... like a fish in a fish bowl ... feeling somewhat trapped!

2. I've also been offerred the opportunity to study again. And I really want to do this. While this is great news, it is under prayerful consideration as many factors need to come together before i can spread my wings and begin to fly with this mission. But right now, I need to figure out how to make ends meet ... my wings feel clipped!

So, in short, I feel like a "damsel in distress" ... but certainly not as bad as having kicked off my own fins while swimming against strong currents during the first dive on Christmas Day in Koh Bon last December!

OK ... as history and Hollywood dictate, the damsel in distress ought to have her Prince Charming/hero come to her rescue. Well, either I am blind or he's really late ... .

For all the good times and challenges in life, Psalm 136 bids us all to give thanks to God for His faithful love for us endures forever. This I will do.

Suddenly ...

The preacher talked about how God chooses to move in our lives at certain times. We may have planned our 2008 and picked a certain direction to pursue but sometimes, God surprises us and moves "suddenly" in a direction we never expected or thought possible.

I think the "suddenly" in life are great especially if you love surprises and thrilling adventures. On the flip side, the "suddenly" in life that result in bad news can be a horrible and very difficult time to go through, but as I discovered in 2007, we can never go wrong if we choose to walk in faith and obedience to God. We may kick and scream along the way or for a season, but we will someday, on hindsight, learn to understand and appreciate those tough times. The "on hindsight" moments happen when we realize we have grown in character and maturity, and have come to a better place, a higher level than where we were before the challenging season.

Frankly, I am excited about 2008 and the resolutions I have for myself. I love to learn and experience new things. I love adventures, and I love being on the move. I began the year with two things I would like to do/achieve in 2008:

1. To enjoy climbing and to climb with style - meaning climbing with proper techniques and hopefully come to the point of being able to "dance" on walls. Yes, I don't think I will ever escape from dance entirely because I was born to dance for His glory. Since picking up climbing at Camp5, my vision has broadened, and I desire to be able to dance again, but on walls for the time being!

2. To upgrade myself by excelling academically once again. This "little" project is still on the back burner but perhaps someday soon, God may work "suddenly" and I will indeed find myself studying again and be challenged to the next level of my personal and professional journey.

At the moment, I am still excited with the thought of these resolutions. Yet at the back of my mind, I am aware of the endless toil and physical pain that come with wanting to learn how to climb with style and much grace. As my private coach says, "No pain, no gain!" I totally agree with him on that one, but that didn't stop me from calling him "Mr Torturer!"

I think I would need to retire soon ... but not before I do a few more rows of what I "suddenly" picked up today!

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Speaking of the sudden things in life, something did happen "suddenly" on my way to climbing class today. I don't necessarily think it's a "God thing," but I think it is potentially a rewarding hobby. The simple act of knitting seems to help cause "the things of this world to grow strangely dim." I imagine the conversations with God can only increase as I get used to the pattern/routine of doing the knits and purls, row after row after row.

At the moment, I think it is the idea of being able to produce something while in quiet confidence and the opportunity to contemplate on God, that seem to draw me to knitting.

OK, ... I know what you might be thinking ... because I was probably thinking the same thing as you are now when I first saw my climb buddy sitting with a few middle-aged women and men (mind you!) ... all knitting up a storm in this tiny shop in Damansara Atria.

I walked into the shop after my appointment with the hairdressers and said, "Oh my gawd! You are not expediting your journey towards grandmother-hood are you? Knitting?" ... "Gosh, the world sure has changed ... even the men are knitting these days!" Everyone stopped and stared at me. I immediately shut up lest I got thrown out of the shop!

And today, I've had to swallow my words ...

When I think about "suddenly," this song came to my mind ...



The Beatles playing Yesterday live, in Tokyo, Japan, 1966.
The good news is, I wasn't even born then! :-D

I guess you can call me Ms Methuselah. In fact, if I ever have my own fashion label, Ms Methuselah would probably be the name since it's founded from a personal experience and implies exuberant agelessness.

Wise is good, decrepit is not!

It's officially the first Friday of 2008, and what do I do? I come home from work later than usual and turn on my PC. Determined not to check any emails, I turn to Facebook for some distraction. I receive a request to take a quiz to find out "what age do you act?"

OK, I can do this, and I was confident I would score well, too! Perhaps, the status of "Youthful Brilliance" or "Swanky 20s" or something to that effect. It's amazing as to the kind of questions that come up. Haven't heard of a third of the people, fashion or acted on the kind of behavior mentioned. Must be a minor who wrote the quiz!

I hit "Submit" after completing the quiz. And the results were shocking ...

Michele is Methuselah
That's it! No turning back, you have officially now received ancient status. Wrinkled prune, that people yell at for driving 20mph and you can't even remember what you say but you tell all of us the same story 20 times.


OH MY GAWD! I have officially been accorded the "ancient status." A wise, but decrepit "wrinkled prune" who can't even remember what I say and then tell it to my friends 20 times. Well, maybe not 20 times, perhaps 5 times!!!!!

I can't imagine what it would be like in another 10-20 years ... I would be history ... perhaps, a specimen on display in some museum.

But I am still so young, with many more oceans to cross and walls/rocks to climb ... so much more to experience and conquer!!!!!

Life doesn't seem fair, does it? Not very nice either. How rude! I am not "any living person with great age" as Wikipedia described the synonym of Methuselah.

OK, you have permission to Laugh Out Loud ... not funny.

Who cares what Wikipedia says! I am determined to live life to the fullest anyway. Time to upgrade myself.

I say "Go for it!" HAPPY 2008!