Wow, I can’t believe this account still exists..  fast forward to 2023, I am currently on the SJ Nord train heading towards Oslo, from Trondheim. The Nordic winter landscape is beautiful, wisps of white snow and snow covered mountains. Houses with a whipped cream layer of snow on roofs and warm cosy lights in the windows..  feeling very contented and amazed and how I managed to travel so far in the cold winter season. 

Am here with a new friend and partner that I met just in November 2022. Did a lot of things since Mum passed in May 2022. I still experience intense flashbacks of the moments of suffering, interspersed with a tinge of regret that she isn’t around to check on me anymore or to see this magical wintry landscape. 

Often, I think about how my perspective of life has changed since then. I’m able to do things that usually scare me, or that I over worry about.. such as travelling like this. Also thanks to Ed for pushing me to walk and trudge on in the snow, in extremely cold weather and condition that I would have never been able to convince myself to do. 

I’m glad I’ve moved past the stage where I am afraid to do things.. I still am, but I do it anyway. Applying for jobs was not easy, I had a short stint with ST Engineering, and another period of frantic submitting of resumes and letters and applications. Failed attempts.. and finally one unexpected offer from GovTech. 

Managed to do a long travel in the Scandinavia-Nordic arctic circle region, PLUS have a job when I get back.. I am grateful and contented. 

Cheers to life and living. All is well. All in good time. 

Came across the word 'indolent' in a P5 composition and hesitated as I was not sure if that word existed. I knew of 'insolent' but never knew of 'indolent'.

Searched the dictionary and learnt something new today!
[Source - https://www.dictionary.com/browse/indolent]

indolent

[in-dl-uhnt]
adjective

1. having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful:an indolent person.
2. Pathology. causing little or no pain; inactive or relatively benign:an indolent ulcer that is not painful and is slow to heal.

I came across the word "tidbits" in a P5 student's composition about "An Unwelcome Guest" in reference to rodents attracted to leftover food in the home.

It got me thinking, what is the word origin of 'tidbits'? Shouldn't it be 'tit bits' instead, as 'tit' could be from titillating? Of course, there is the consideration or the association with 'tit' as in 'breast' or 'boob' which might have caused the adaptation of another word to replace it.

Interestingly, Google satisfied my curiosity. I found this:
[Source - http://grammarist.com/spelling/tidbit-titbit/]

Either 'Titbit' or 'Tidbit' is acceptable. The latter has an earlier historical significance.

Exams and Freckles do not go together.

Here I am, "religiously studying" for forthcoming exams taking place 2 days away, and somehow my gaze drifted to the balcony just beyond my study desk. There is where Freckles (my not-so American Cocker Spaniel) is prancing about in a open space scattered with landmines he laid (his poo).

To my amusement (and part horror), he sniffed at a particular pile of poo for approximately 2 minutes, (serious sniffing business, all angles covered, nose almost touching bio-hazard kind of sniffing) then nonchalantly sauntered off, settled for a place to lay flat and spread out, then proceeded to lick his paws.

For that 2 minutes I was transfixed with his doggie world, disgusting as it may seem.. I just wondered.. what was he sniffing for? Did the poo smell good? Oh, to me, its horrible. Your poo, my poo, its all horrible. Now, please stay away and don't lick me.

Then I remember, I have the unfortunate task of clearing it up later. Time to roll down the blinds and back to study. Out of sight, out of mind. ;)