“Verbal bullying constantly uses words to gain power, belittle and control over a target. Those words have nothing to do with who I am. What's important is how I contribute to the community. My personality, who I am and what I can do for others is more important as a human.” - Izi Lee

To my shock, this is my first post in both 2023 and 2024 combined. I almost forgot I have this blog, which is really naughty of me. Looking back, my past year can be summed up in one word ‘Turbulence’. I experienced the first acquisition of the company I worked in, with probably about 30%-40% of the employees getting retrenched. It has been a period with lots of fear and uncertainties. At this moment, the company is still undergoing a lot of transition, and I still can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I went on a holiday twice since my last blog post, and both times was to Japan, a country I am very familiar with and is very child-friendly. And I made it a point to do something really different compared to previous times - learning to ski. And with much effort, I was able to ski, at least on a beginner-level course on my own. Staying in a tropical country, never in my life would I imagine I would be able to ski one day.

I have always been someone who enjoys the company of friends and family. I would put in the effort to be a sport and organize our gatherings. However, there will always be friends, relatives, and even family members who have so much hate, making them really difficult (impossible) to love. From now on, I decided to give up. I’m done trying. I do not want to be affected by them.

I have been staying in my current house for the past 16 years. We love the house and in fact, are convinced it will be close to impossible to find a better place than where we are. However, due to Singapore’s primary school system, and the fact that there are no decent primary schools near where I stay, I am forced to relocate within the next 1 year. I just hope that I will be able to find an ideal new home, with a good primary school for my daughter.