New Year Holidays
The end of another round of holidays looms in the very near future. I am off work for one week, but my vacation includes two weekends, so I am very grateful. Chinese New Year begins on Thursday, February third, ushering in the Year of the Rabbit. I am enjoying friends, parties, practicing, replacing strings, spa, hot springs, biking, cleaning, reading, reflecting, planning and taking my time: the perfect holiday to stay home and enjoy life at leisure.
On another positive note, my father who had pancreatic cancer, has undergone chemotherapy and the Whipple surgery and is now home recovering and eating like a horse. It bothers me that an oncologist prescribes more rounds of that detrimental poison for him when no trace of cancer can now be found. I guess if it were me, I would say to the doc, "Well doc, since we can't visibly see cancer in you either, if you take the same treatment as you are prescribing to me, I would consider it." The problem is statistics and numbers do not take into account an individual's overall health. Dad's health is quite good and has always been a very active and energetic man. The treatments for the cancer have been far more deliterious than the disease itself. Another thing the statistics do not consider is the fact that dad has never had any pain from the disease, which is normally quite excruciating.
It is promising that his surgeon told him he was healing up perfectly and that he probably would not need to see him again. I am so proud of dad and my family for fighting this ugly disease, for the support and help of his doctor team, for friends who have prayed for him all over the world and many who went way out of their way to help out. The stress accompanying this disease is as bad or worse than the disease itself in my opinion, and learning to deal with that is a great life lesson.
Tom yam steamboat hot pot...Malaysian Chinese and one Chinese and I...one friend could not "curry the snake" which means get off work early to come to the party in Malay-English.
Yesterday was a baking day with two American gals and I. My contribution was the invention of pepper and cheese tiny tarts. I should write down the recipe before I forget it. They made cranberry oatmeal cookies and cranberry scones.
My dear friends tied the knot a few nights ago. Yes those are fireworks. Yes, it is indoors. The fireworks are so accurate that these fountains reached all the way to the ceiling, exactly 1 mm short of it, so as not to leave burn marks up there.
Welcome the new year! And let us celebrate right now! Welcome the new day!
On another positive note, my father who had pancreatic cancer, has undergone chemotherapy and the Whipple surgery and is now home recovering and eating like a horse. It bothers me that an oncologist prescribes more rounds of that detrimental poison for him when no trace of cancer can now be found. I guess if it were me, I would say to the doc, "Well doc, since we can't visibly see cancer in you either, if you take the same treatment as you are prescribing to me, I would consider it." The problem is statistics and numbers do not take into account an individual's overall health. Dad's health is quite good and has always been a very active and energetic man. The treatments for the cancer have been far more deliterious than the disease itself. Another thing the statistics do not consider is the fact that dad has never had any pain from the disease, which is normally quite excruciating.
It is promising that his surgeon told him he was healing up perfectly and that he probably would not need to see him again. I am so proud of dad and my family for fighting this ugly disease, for the support and help of his doctor team, for friends who have prayed for him all over the world and many who went way out of their way to help out. The stress accompanying this disease is as bad or worse than the disease itself in my opinion, and learning to deal with that is a great life lesson.
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