Left Down Under, Now Wandering in Vancouver

WHEN I created this blog in 2007 in Singapore, I never knew that its title would be so prophetic - "Wandering Princess..." Having traveled and lived in so many foreign countries for the past eight years, I am now on my third continent, amazed and grateful for the experience and opportunities that I didn't see coming. I'm learning that life is indeed full of surprises and that a way to enjoy it is to embrace change.

Australia is a really great country to live in. I enjoyed Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne very much. The spaces are massive - parks, subways, buses, beaches and churches; the local produce succulent, fresh and varied. I experienced my first winter in Sydney in June while the rest of the world was going sunbathing and swimming in seas. For someone who had lived in the tropical island of Singapore for six years, it felt like stepping out of a warm oven and into a pool of chilled mixed berries smoothie. I saw kangaroos everywhere, even in supermarkets' frozen aisles. I can say that my listening skills improved a lot in Australia since understanding Aussie accent(s) was quite a challenge at the beginning. My stay there has been a memorable one not only because of the good friends I met through BSF and Hillsong, but also because I got engaged and married there. ♥

But somehow deep down I knew then that the land of Oz was just a transitory phase. Just when we had acquired a cultivated taste for vegemite and beetroot, we found ourselves moving 14,000 kilometers away from it. 

Vancouver is an open door. It's a relatively great city like Sydney yet so different in vibe and culture. There are still unfamiliar places to discover, new friends to meet, and more food to taste but I am in no hurry. I don't know how long will we stay here and what other surprises await us. What I'm certain is I am meant to cherish all I've been given today. =)

English Bay Inukshuk 

A Done Decade: Farewell, Twenties

 Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty. -Robert Frost

I love to be in my 20s. I had the grandest time living it - finishing college, enlarging my network of friends, working in the corporate field for the first time, committing a lot of embarrassing mistakes, falling in love, making life-changing decisions, knowing God, moving countries, saving for a house and insurance, and becoming completely independent. Sure, there were some things I'd rather not do if given a chance to re-live my life, but looking back I realized that even the silliest mistakes gave me something valuable to keep.

For some reason, now that I hit 3.0 I don't really feel pressured or anxious to join the society's cultural bandwagon. I often hear people say that once you hit a certain age, you should have already accomplished something revolutionary and have made a mark in the society. Jesus started his ministry at 30. Martha Stewart made a career change at 30 and became a billionaire in her 30s. Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity at 30. And my favorite comparative analysis - my grandmother already had seven children by the time she turned 30. 

At Madame Tussaud's wax museum

But never mind Einstein or my grandma! Life is not a competition where we are required to collect as many medals as possible. I've come to realize that each of us has a unique background, a unique set of experiences and competencies, and are created for a specific purpose that's not like everybody else's. So let's just make the best out of what we have and be who we are supposed to be.

Saying goodbye to my 20s has given me the courage (as well as a good excuse) to grab the opportunity to move to a new continent. I left a promising job and six years' worth of friendship and books to migrate to a country with reversed seasons. I have yet to settle in completely but I am definitely enjoying the change of environment (oh so much space)!

I consider 3.0 as a rebirth. I know I am about to enter into a new season opening up to a different set of issues and challenges but the past decade's memories are not far behind me. I'm expecting some major changes, especially on the anatomical front (ugh) but I hope to still be the same girl who's in love with life and her Creator.

Here's to Jules 3.0 promising to be the best daughter, friend, worker, and princess that she can possibly be!

So help me God.