Hello everybody!

Im shiyu!:) This is my 2nd visit and we’re back at Bedok Uncle’s this Saturday morning! Met up with Keith and we went to meet Elvina and Hongyu at Bedok interchange. And since walking is healthy( Hongyu’s idea:)), we walked to Bedok uncle’s home. But DING DONG DING DONG!! 1 second…a few seconds…a few minutes past…there was no answer:s oops! For a moment I thought that we’re all gonna return home again on an early Saturday morning! But thankfully, we found Bedok Uncle at a nearby hawker centre, munching away happily on his noodles:) We sat there with him for awhile before JunHong came to join us. Haha Bedok uncle seemed to feel stressed having us looking at him while he ate, he rushed through his breakfast. We went on to get some bread and yakult before we all went back together to Bedok Uncle’s place. P.S Bedok Uncle seems to like green:) From the Gardenia wholemeal bread he chose to the apple-flavoured yakult that were all green:)

YAY!!! Time to start work!:) Keith volunteered to wash the toilet while Elvina and I helped around with the cleaning. JunHong mopped the floor while Hongyu was there talking to Bedok Uncle. For a moment, I was gald to be there. I was glad I was able to see and feel everything at that moment. How will it feel like to be Bedok Uncle, living alone, eating alone, sleeping alone. Does he feel lonely, sad or wishing there was company? Behind his smiles and funny jokes that make us all burst into laughter, is he really happy?

After all the cleaning spick and span, we all gathered in the cosy living room talking to Bedok Uncle:) He shared with us umpteen stories about the history of Japan, and all his little life expereiences here and there. The time when he went over to watch aqua show with his friend!!! HAHA he even told us about how “pretty” those aquas were, much prettier than women and that they had VERY FAIR skin, according to Bedok Uncle!!! And not forgetting how much Bedok Uncle loves singing and his little english phrases once in a while that made us all laugh. I will never forget his funny tone as he says ” ok…BYE BYE!!!”:D:D But throughout the entire conversation, there were indeed much to learn. Thankyou so much to JunHong, our language translator of the day, for translating Bedok Uncle’s stories for us from Hokkien to English!:) Keith, Elvina and I were struggling to catch Bedok Uncle’s stories. Bits and pieces here and there. YES!! It’s time to pick up a new dialect! I wanna understand what Bedok Uncle wants to say and I want to convey our thoughts to him. For the sake of Bedok Uncle and all the Aunts and Uncles we’re gonna visit in future, let’s speak Hokkien! The new “speak good Hokkien movement”:)

It’s been 2 Saturdays. And each Saturday stirred different emotions and thoughts. I rememebered for the first visit when I saw Bedok Uncle’s feet that were turning black, I didnt dare to look at it. It felt painful, very painful it hurts me too. But this time, looking at Bedok Uncle’s feet didnt feel that scary anymore.  Perhaps his smiles made all the pain go away. It was already something that was part of him. He had accepted and lived with it. It became only a part of him. And what mattered most is his joy and his laughter. ROCK ON BEDOK UNCLE!:D:D

Many many more Saturdays to come!:) And in the meanwhile, let’s WORK HARD TOGETHER for final papers!!! GO GO GO:D:D:D

p.s oops this is essay:s