Blog Prompt : A book my mother shared with me

My mother shared with me this book : The 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey. She first read the book many years ago when she was just starting out as an Accountant. It took her an entire week to finish the book, after which she constantly referred to and studied the various codes. It was a groundbreaker for her as she saw both her professional as well as personal situations brought to new height. It was a book she referred to and read and re-read all these years as she saw herself evolved from being a professional to a mother.


The author put forth a framework that articulated the 7 habits, which are common knowledge to all but not necessarily practiced. By working hard to internalised the 7 habits, my mother developed a proactive attitude to setting goals, taking charge, leading and exerting influence , and at the same time ensuring win-win situations.

I recalled that my mother introduced the book to me last year. Her very first advice: have a paradigm shift, to think out of the box, to change your perception and interpretation of how things work as suggested by the author. At first it seemed like commonsense but to be effective requires constant awareness and efforts. Right now, I am still utilising the 7 habits to improve and develop myself as an all rounded student, a responsible and caring son and brother. It is one book I will keep with me for a long time, like my mother.

Blog Prompt: Aftermath of a Natural Disaster

I was awoken by the violent tremors that shook through my room. My bedside lamp flickered and was dead the next minute and while I groped about in total darkness, things – books, files, picture frames started falling off my shelves and were strewn everywhere. Something must have gone terribly wrong.

I ran out of my house in a flash just in time to see a blast of great cloud of fiery hot debris erupted into the air. Oh no, the century year old dormant volcanic mountain, Mt. Fujiyoshi which is ACTIVE! A fountain of fiery lava spurts to a height of several hundred feet or more.

Lava flows swiftly out of the stratovolcano’s side vents and joined the sharp, spiny surface of the ʻaʻā flow from the main caldra. It set fire and burries everything in its path, ranging from houses and trees to roads and cars. A shiver chilled my sipne.

There was total chaos as everybody made a beeline away from the mountain, as far and fast as our legs could carry. The ash-laden gas explodes one after another and steaming ash forms a whitish cloud at the upper cone of the mountain. We were racing against the thick lava clots that were streaming down the slopes in fiery rivulets, leaving behind it a trail of debris and destruction. There were volcanic ashes, mudflows, landslides, rock fragments, animals, people and their belongings all mixed up and rushing downhill at breakneck speed.

There was a cacophony of piercing screams and shrieks. Panic, frantic and helpless were painted in all our ashen face. Although it was mid morning, the whole place was pitch dark because of the volcanic ash had formed a thick blanket blocking out the sun’s ray. Fortunately for some of us, we were able to move to safer grounds. There was an acidic and sulphide odour in the air. Then it started raining ash. Many lives were lost and dead bodies coated with hardened lava were beyond recognition.

For those who survived, it will take a long recovery in the cramped hospital which has never handled such a catastrophe before. Most of them were burnt by the lava flow, bubbling at over 300 degrees Celsius. Homes were lost and families separated. Property was destroyed and transportation came to a standstill. It was a devastating scene with a sombre atmosphere.

Although the local government and the rest of the world acted fast, the progress was slow. Relief started pouring in but because of the inaccessibility and the poor visibility of the place, transportation of medication and food was slow. I craved for drinking water and simple rations everyday, something I had always taken for granted. However, these meagre rations grew less and less with each day.

All the survivors rallied among us, encouraging and spurring each other on. Our spirits were high and there was enormous teamwork. Finally, when the rescue arrived, we were taken to a make shift shelter to recuperate from the physical and emotional scar. We were well taken care of while the rescue team worked round the clock to restore our village.

Although mine is a poor and remote village, the rest of the countrymen helped in one way or another. They were generous, compassionate and big-hearted. It was a warm and heart-wrenching moment for all of us in the village. Everybody pitched in to help and we were assured that in 6 months time, our village will be given a new face with new amenities and structures.

My experience of temporary blindness

Oh no! Why is everything pitch dark? Why is this happening to me? I started bawling and screaming my lungs out hysterically. Frantically, I faced up to reality. I have lost my vision, something which I had taken for granted. Groping my way to the toilet, which used to be a 10 seconds journey, took me forever. It was tedious, knocking over my chair, some books, an alarm clock and bumping my head against the toilet door. I almost died trying to find my way around, feeling very frustrated and impatient. Everything was far from routine although I once joked that I knew my room so well I could go blindfold without any problems. Now it seems like a maze to me, I do not know what lies ahead. I was filled apprehension, uncertainties and self pity.

Fortunately, my ever loving family members encouraged and supported me. They became my ‘eyes’. Not once did they complain when I needed help in the middle of the night or when I became fiery-tempered. They were always patient and understanding, sometimes too much for me to bear that I wept in silence at my handicap. But I had to be strong. I really hated the complete reliance on my family members. I felt like a burden although nobody ever complained. In fact they pampered and indulged in me. My first independent help came in the form of a walking stick which had a little bell. After much training I was able to move around with much ease and I was proud with that little achievement.

Since one of my vital senses has failed me, I had to rely completely on my sense of hearing, touch, smell, taste and my sixth to guide me along. I am amazed how quickly these other senses kicked in and worked collectively to help me through this very difficult period of adjustment. I could smell the food, the exhaust emitted from the vehicles and the fresh air in the park. I love the sounds of birds chirping, cricket piercing and all the other cacophony of voices everywhere. Even the croaking of frog seems like music to my ears. I became more aware of the shapes and sizes of things which I paid little attention to previously. Do you know that durians, though thorny, can be therapeutic to the touch? One of my achievements was to rely solely on my sense of hearing to play one of my favourite pieces on the piano.

I missed seeing the beauty of everything: the sky, clouds, roses etc. Once we were in Swenson’s and my sweet sister painstakingly described the sundae we ordered in great details like lime green mint ice cream topped with crimson cherry, rhombus shaped nuts and snowy fresh cream. It made my mouth water even before tasting it.

Thankfully, the doctors were able to isolate the virus which caused my temporary blindness and after a course of antibiotics, I was back to my ususal wide eye self after being blind for almost half a year. How glad was I to have my gift of sight back. Now, I am more appreciative of everything I have and I really admire those who are visually impaired. I realized how much I had taken everything for granted and now my life has taken on a new meaning. I resolve to volunteer more of my time at the Centre for the Visually Impaired.