Someone shared this, and I really like it:

Belief lifts your talent
Passion energizes your talent
Initiative activates your talent
Focus directs your talent
Preparation positions your talent
Practice sharpens your talent
Perseverance sustains your talent
Courage tests your talent
Teachability expands your talent
Character protects your talent
Relationships influence your talent
Responsibility strengthens your talent
Teamwork multiplies your talent
-- John C. Maxwell

Why doesn't Singapore have SLTs in our public schools??? I get so irritated by it, I feel like screaming. It does not help to tell a parent whose child needs speech language intervention to go to the hospital, because it makes it into a medical issue, which it isn't, most of the time. God, I feel so irritated, really. Only a fraction of speech and language difficulties are syndromic or medically-rooted; the rest just need a different kind of attention and teaching for language.

I've been giving feedback to parents of my research participants. When parents start unloading about their kids' difficulties and I realise that, hey, it sounds like there may be an issue, and I want to suggest, maybe you want to look into specialist help? and I mention hospital, parents get like this O.O !!! It's only understandable. I've been telling you my child has some trouble getting out a sentence and you want me to send him to the hospital? And then they start telling me, Errr, I don't think it's that bad...

It isn't that bad. And precisely because it isn't bad, that all the more reason, therapy will help so much and things will skyrocket and improve. But no -- we only get terrible, mostly intractable communication issues at hospitals, and all those who we can help, don't receive it. Ridiculous system that allows potentially successful children fall through our cracks. Stupid! SLT's should be in schools and help these kids.

Such ideas are always romantic, but how come no one says that they are also equally scary?

Because we recently installed a Samsung smart television at home and thence can surf youtube and the web on a very large screen, I stumbled on this:

I feel so proud of them, oddly. People of all ages say such wonderful things about them; and they're really becoming quite iconic. How can anyone not adore Arashi. It's true -- the other JE groups can look on with awe. Even SMAP, I say. 

This is one of my favourite bits from Shaykh Hamza. I have too many favourites from him, clearly, but this reminds me -- if you frame happiness with respect to God, the world really is beautiful, and it's all wonderful and uphill from here.

The Muslim Jesus

This was recommended by my brother, and now I recommend it especially to my Christian friends. (: A great and not very lengthy piece about Jesus a.s. from both religious perspectives, and conveyed in a very positive and balanced light, I feel.

“O my Lord, the stars are shining and the eyes of men are closed, and kings have shut their doors, and every lover is alone with his beloved, and here I am alone with Thee.”

- Rabiatul Adawiyah

There is not one ideal, but many.

I like this!

I think most of us have been at both ends of the single story, no? 

When you realise you were referring to a stereotype whilst in the real world, 

and when you encounter someone else trying to fit you into one.

---

On the plane rides this holiday, I managed to catch both installments
of Bokura Ga Ita (We Were There), starring Ikuta Toma and Yoshitaka Yuriko.

It was so, so lovely, and well-acted by both leads. I say trust the Japanese to make the best coming-of-age-growing-up stories. This made me cry like crazy even on the plane. It was thoughtful, sweet, reflective, so unbearably sad and heartbreaking, and yet filled me with hope and happiness about the world. I loved Yano and Nana to pieces by the end of the first film, and only learnt that there was a second movie on the way back to Singapore, and made sure I finished the second one too.

I find it interesting that Yano isn't featured at all in the trailer! And then I realise maybe that makes sense because it's mostly from Nana's point of view? And that Yano is just a memory; I tell you this story is heartbreaking and makes me want to cry even writing about it. I need to get this on DVD somehow.

If I die in this war, this combat with you,
I won't so much as sigh, for fear of troubling you.
I'll die with a smile, like a flower in your hand,
From the cruel charm with which you cut this wound.

Rumi

a final Ola!

It's the last night in Spain (noooo, I don't want to leave! meh...), and currently, in Barcelona.

After today's city rounds, I've finally understood the fuss about Antoni Gaudi's architectural work. It is awesome! and like something from a whimsical, fantasy land. The Sagrada Familia is simply an architectural marvel, with unique nest-like towers and all that sculptural detail. I kept wondering why people don't make buildings like this anymore. Why don't they!

Away from my holiday fun, I'm kinda stuck to the English news channels on television right now because of the Connecticut elementary school shooting. :( how horrific is this, man. I've always felt frustrated by the stupid gun policy US has, historically significant though it may be, and super grateful Singapore doesn't have to deal with stupid policy like this. Just ban civil ownership of arms, please! It's at least one thing you can do to counter the increase in violence within our societal consciousness.

One of the things that has been reinforced for me from my travels this time is that people invest the most in the most terrible things because the biggest industries in the world are... what? Drugs, porn, prostitution, alcohol, and firearms? Am I right? Eeeeesh.

I'd been seeing wineries and people demonstrating their love for alcohol, and just couldn't wrap my head around the gazillion numbers of varieties of alcohol, and the amount of resource and effort that goes into making something that does more harm than good. Seriously, people, why.

I am supposed to be on holiday, hello! Or rather, Ola! Tomorrow we are going to the Barcelona stadium that my brother declares he will visit or die trying -- I'm tagging along because there's nothing much else to do before we fly off and besides, I am the official photographer, hah. Also, I don't mind seeing Lionel Messi! Is it possible? :D

Another ola! from Seville

I'm standing along my hotel corridor (FYI: Hotel Alcora) where free but limited wifi is available, and blogging while hiding under my hoodie. I don't know why I'm doing this though, hah! It's like when there's wireless one must take advantage of it as much as possible. I wonder if this is a strange new world disease, haha.

Anyway.

Currently in Seville, Andalusia, South of Spain; we had a long journey today from Lisbon and only reached here near dusk. We managed to capture a few sights before it got dark -- gorgeous plazas. There's this little semi-secluded place called Plaza Elvira where the Jewish quarters of Seville used to be and it is such a pretty little place with fountains and orange trees and narrow cute alleys to die for. They have a few quaint hotels around there and in my head I'm scrawling this down as one of those little corners of the world I want to come back to and enjoy again in peace. In fact, I was thinking earlier about why people don't go to more awesome exotic places for their honeymoons! A quiet little piece of heaven that's just yours for this special time. Okay, it certainly isn't cheap... But omg, so pretty and special and unique and away from the world, I would fork out my $$$ for this, I would.

My online time is about to run out, so adios! Until the next wifi spot.

Ola from Porto, Portugal! :)

Although I'm not sure hello in Portuguese is the same as that in Spanish. I realize there are too many awesome languages I know zilch about and Spanish and Portuguese are just two of many. My father played a prank last night and called my hotel room just to say, "Muchos iglesias pistachio?", which of course makes no sense at all.

Anyway, Porto is a pretty coastal town with quaint little houses on the river banks. Every other thing we're visiting on this Iberian Peninsula is a UNESCO site. Things are ancient and cobble-stoned and Gothic or Baroque. It is photo heaven most of the time.

On to Fatima and Lisbon tomorrow! And I cannot get over how high-tech life is becoming now that I can blog from a corner of the world so far away from little Tampines, Singapore.

When December comes round, it's always a time for reflection of the past year.

Alhamdulillah for all the blessings I've been given, all the blessings I can't perceive, and all that I've yet to receive! (:

I've had a wonderful night, a memorable school experience, met and loved persons and so many people, and now there are burgeoning hopes for an exciting future. Being pleased that I am pleased? It's about rejoicing that I can enjoy all the blessings in life and not dwell on the things that hurt, and rejoicing that I can rejoice for others and be bigger than myself. My goodness, how could I not, with this many blessings.