"...It is so good to have such warm memories, and even better that we take time to savour them. Let us not be pressed into the mould of today's society, in which many things are so mechanical and routine, that people can function like machines passing through life without savouring the experience. Let us instead be sensitive to God's working in our life and his manifold blessings, however ordinary they may seem to be."
"...it gives a glimspe to your reflection on life incidents. It is always good to be connected with things happening in life, and not live life in oblivion, or in total haste. Few people have time to reflect nowadays."My two responses speak of a real threat of oblivion -- of which we can find ourselves in when we are too busy to think, to feel and to experience.
The yearly update of a former supervisor stirred up something deeper within me. Indeed so, because I was there prior to two years back, and there were some common memories... To see how things finally turned out testifies to God's faithfulness -- indeed God is faithful to those who persevere in Him. But the Christmas update also led me to reflect on my progresses these two years. The saddest notion came upon the realization that I have gradually lost touch with what drives me along, and had gradually grow to be contented with the present situation. I realise that there is still a research dream latent in me, now buried evermore deeply in the layers of my heart. I thus mulled in response to his sharing:
"For me teaching in Singapore was enjoyable in the sense that it was like a continuation of PhD research! Preparing lessons was like doing some piecemeal research, and revisiting things I should have learnt during PhD days! Of course, days were hectic and quite lack of rest during term time. I miss the long stretch of time to concentrate on one project, and also the excellent library facilities in UK. So I have been giving pressure to the librarian and my dean to stock up the library here! [forgive me here...] The researcher in me did not die after PhD ended... As for my attempts to publish, they were very modest, and quite slow compared to some of my other PhD mates...! But I have not given up hope of doing it, as I still believe what I have in my thesis is really a step forward in the understanding of the book of Revelation."It is up to me to make this work. I am given a chance to revise my thesis for a second assessment of its suitablity for publication in a particular series. But next week, a new teaching term starts.
