I have been learning a lot, through such communities, over the past few days.

But, as an eccentric-yet-wise elder said, “I learnt a lot. But by the time I learnt a lot, I am dying. So I wrote a book to pass on what I have learnt.”

This is by way of passing it on.

P. S. I am grateful for no Covid lock-down today. shivers at the thought.

music

The young pianists – twenty-somethings, they looked like – were performing on either a Steinway or a Fazioli: grand pianos. Bach, and Liszt, and Mozart seemed to be popular choices. One of the pianists even nourished the audience with her own composition, a piece for a small ensemble: 1 harp, 2 cellos, 2 double basses, 1 percussion (drums), 1 horn, 1 flute, 1 clarinet.

That pianist-composer thanked God for holding her hand while walking through difficult times. She shared that her hands had suffered an injury while preparing for a performance.

The audience numbered about twenty to forty, and ranged in ages from very young, to elderly.

The following Venn diagram highlights some of my experiences.

biodiversity

We were talking about how your surroundings affect the way you behave around other humans. It makes a difference whether you are facing a wall of skyscraper buildings, or a forest of 200-year trees.

A young gentleman, Nasry, said that the most knowledgeable researchers of tropical trees are located far away from said tropical trees. He hopes to visit the U.K. to learn from one such researcher.

social work

In the segment of society known as hearing-impaired – who affectionately call themselves “deafies” – a tea-selling shop employs only deaf people. I saw that deaf people can and do throw tantrums while on-the-job. It takes a certain kind of manager to work alongside them.

In the segment of society known as rough sleepers – a student dormitory has become a temporary residence for such people who have been sleeping “in the streets”.

A anonymous gentleman donated SGD$200 for the food-and-drinks of a dinner. (Above-pictured). The goal? Community-building: so that the ex-homeless feel less isolated in their new residence.

“Homelessness is not solved by providing housing. There is the next step of integrating the individual into a larger community, according to the individual's specific personality and make-up. There is no one-size-fits all approach.”

)

#PlagueDiary #HomelessAdvocate

Where are my classmates now? They are dying a slow and painful death, pretending to be impeccable adults in a cruel, hostile world.

My parents? One is losing his mind – maybe he never had one, and is suffering for it – and the other is experiencing torture by severe disease.

The library, where I used to find escape in books? The writers of recent months seem to be doing nothing but juggling balls, dishing out clever entertainment while, near by, war-mongers rain missiles on blood-soaked villages.

Nothing is here. What did I come back for? Maybe it is just to realise how dusty and weary this frail body has become.

And soon, too, nothing will be here, just the sun shining on verdant grass, growing and growing and growing, despite the impotent efforts of humans to curb the invasion of unruly weeds.

“We don't care,” the weeds seem to say. “We've been here for a long time, and we'll still be here after you're gone.”

A soft, quiet voice speaks now: “Know your place, and be still, for God is in Heaven and you are on Earth. God has wisdom and you have folly. Tremble and quake as you prepare to meet your Maker.”

#PlagueDiary

#PlagueDiary

• persistently rainy weather. Limits my energy, mood and travel options.

• public pianos tend to be occupied or broken-down. Limits my opportunities to practise my playing skills.

• former and present colleagues falling sick. May or may not be Covid. Gossip-mongers spreading tales of mental illnesses.

• spending more time at church and my part-time workplace. These people let me know they appreciate my presence, and make reciprocal gestures.

Overall I am feeling hopeful and blissful, which, I say, is an achievement in these troubled times. Thanks be to God.

#PlagueDiary

And I met Taki-san from Kamakura, Japan. Taki-san has a 5-year-old son who is enrolled in a kindergarten near Clementi Woods. Taki-san has only been in Singapore for five years.

And, I met a regular customer at the same izakaya, once more: Mr. Erkka from Finland. Today Erkka had his hair in braids. Erkka is suffering from a lack of permanent employment in Singapore. His employment contract with NUS lasts only one year with each renewal. He is hoping for better employment opportunities elsewhere on Planet Earth.

#PlagueDiary

I asked Cole how he deals with burn-out and being jaded. (He's been in the coffee industry for 15 years).

He suggested finding an outlet for your negative energy.

He shared that on his current tour, he has a public-facing event, nearly every day. It's hectic. But he and his team has a ritual of running every morning. He hated running at first, but he grew to enjoy it after a while. He said his morning run helps to adjust his energy for the events of the day.

But he also acknowledged that different people may have different approaches to dealing with burn-out. Maybe some people might want to take a long break every three months.

#PlagueDiary #Conversations

skills

• became more proficient in the skills that are expected of a barista:

1. brewing pour-over coffee,
2. making latte art,
3. Sparking and tending to relationships with customers, and
4. growing my cache of coffee-related knowledge.

• developed enough fluency on the piano to perform a couple of compositions that I like. And, received compliments from passers-by about my performances.
• received compliments and financial support for my efforts in photography, which is mainly in the genre of Street Photography.

finances

• pursuing money is not my highest priority. But, suffice to say that I feel thankful that I do not owe any financial debts to anybody. (At the time of writing, at least).

relationships

• from mere strangers, I have becomr friends – and even family – with my sophisticated, mature, wise and insightful sisters-in-Christ, named Olivia and Joy.
• I have made many friends at church, my barista work-place, and public pianos. (Well, maybe not that many, but it's the quality of these friendships that matter to me, not the quantity.)
• a woman from Myanmar/Burma trusts me enough to share her struggles and anxieties about experiencing breast cancer and the ensuing torture that claims to be “advanced, modern healthcare”. She calls me a good friend, a great friend, and I feel honoured.

Here are some questions, courtesy of Patrik Rolf, to help me reflect further:

1. Am I contributing value to my chosen industry? If not, it's time to leave my workplace.
2. Has my chosen organisation moved closer to its vision and goals, over the past period of time? If not, Patrik suggests that it is time to shutting it down, or submit my resignation letter.
3. If my work at my chosen organisation negatively affects other spheres of my life, it's time to leave that organisation.
4. My part-time jobs and hobbies are not must-haves for me to enjoy a fulfilling life. They are avenues to help me enjoy life. So, are they still the best avenues for me to arrive at my desired goals, dreams and destinations?
5. If my chosen organisation is not producing something I like to consume, it's time to leave.

#PlagueDiary #Lists

(I have heard these with my own ears, over the past few years, especially after COVID occurred.)

1. Resourceful
2. Kind
3. Generous
4. Knowledgeable
5. Thoughtful
6. Humourous
7. Earnest, focused
8. Sincere
9. Broad-minded, open-minded
10. Patient, forbearing
11. Industrious, diligent
12. Eloquent
13. Has a beautiful heart
14. Empathetic
15. Insightful
16. Zealous
17. Nice, pleasant
18. Interesting
19. Stylish, fashionable
20. Awesome, amazing
21. Dedicated

1. Untidy
2. Clumsy, ridiculous, silly, absurd
3. Socially awkward, oblivious
4. Slow in cooking food and beverages in a repetitive, industrial, mass-produced way
5. Lonely
6. Anxious, fearful, nervous

• eccentric

#PlagueDiary

1. Nick, a Bar Manager (from Australia) at a cocktail bar, named The Other Room.
2. Sarah, a barista at an outlet of a coffee-organisation, named Community Coffee.
3. Nicole, a barista at a now-defunct cafe, named Double Up Coffee.
4. Tim, a (part-time) barista at a cafe, named Puck Provisions.
5. Rathi, a (part-time) barista at two separate cafes, respectively named Puck Provisions, and Upshot Coffee.
6. Dinesh, the Person-in-charge of a small retail-shop, named Balestier Market Collective.
7. Han Nian, a colleague (from China) at Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee.
8. Jay, a colleague (from Malaysia) at Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee.
9. Melvin, a Gallery Manager at an art gallery, named Art Porters.
10. Bradley and Sue, members of the staff at an (now-defunct) art gallery, named Hatch Art Project.
11. Noon, a hostess (from Thailand) at a jazz club, named “Simply Jazz by TinBox”.

But now, may a Biblical God help the above-mentioned people to experience the love of Messiah Yeshua / Jesus, and to grow into the likeness of the Eldest Child of God.

#PlagueDiary

• Yuki Onishi, dead at 43 years old. (Acute heart failure). Famous for starting a chain of eateries, known as Tsuta Ramen.

• Alien Huang, dead at 36 years old. (Sudden death due to aortic dissection.) Famous for appearing on Taiwanese entertainment shows.

• Coco Lee, dead at 48 years old. (Suicide). Famous for singing.

• Victoria Lee, dead at 18 years old. (The cause seems un-revealed). Famous for Mixed Martial Arts.

• Sakamoto Ryuichi, dead at 71 years old. (complications from cancer). Famous for music.

At this point, if I'm not committing suicide, it's out of sheer defiance. “You want me to kill myself?!?! I'll show you that I'm gonna live on, survive, and thrive!”

#PlagueDiary #Lists