From now on, the weather will be getting colder. Today, the highest temperature recorded was 9*C. And tonight, it will fall below zero. As it will be a cold frosty nite, we are advised to bring into the house the potted plants (see below).
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We have been given good tips on keeping warm. First and foremost, test the heating system in the house to make sure it works. Turn up the boiler's temperature and adjust the thermostat in the house. Stockpile wood for the fireplace. Drain and turn off any outdoor tap because the trapped water, when frozen, can burst the pipes. I climbed up to the roof attic last weekend to swich off the attic fan (which was very useful during the summer to suck cool air into the house) and cover the ventilation hole with insulation. Also, I bought two extra sweaters to keep my body warm.
Charles Swindoll, one of my favorite Christian authors, once shared an incident where he came across an interesting message on a brass mantle above a fireplace, "IF YOUR HEART IS COLD, MY FIRE CANNOT WARM IT" Hmmmm, how true.... Fireplaces can warm bodies, but not our hearts! No fire can warm a cold heart!
But I can think of two things which can warm our hearts. Both are FOUR letter words.
- LOVE! Friendship and companionship. We are blessed to have so many family members, friends and students back home who, despite our absence and the distance, still remember us. Indeed, every e-mail, skype and phone call received from home truly warm our heart. We are also touched by the care shown by colleagues, neighbors and church community here in Happy Valley. On our arrival at the airport, two Singaporeans met us at the airport and helped us with our luggage. On the first day at work, a colleague passed me a bagful of brochures and information on State College, which his wife has collected specially for us. And then, there are our neighbors who have been so friendly, welcoming and helpful in many practical ways. Last week, we were pleasantly surprised to receive a knock on our door from a church member, whom we did not know before. She happens to live on the same street as us and came, on behalf of the church, to say hi and to give us a bag of gifts/brochures. Such acts of love and thoughtfulness have made our stay in Happy Valley truly happy, blissful!
- FOOD! In particular, comfort food that brings back warm memories. Thankfully, my loving wife is a good cook. Yesterday, we prepared peanut porridge, oyster omelete and "chili mussels" (too bad we cannot get any fresh crab here). Today, she is able to satisfy another of my cravings - "loh mei fun" (glutinous rice) which is on my list of comfort food. I also pickled more green chilies today; to stock pile for the winter.
This weekend, we have also been truly blessed by a visit from Jennifer, a close friend from Singapore. She stayed with us for one night. In addition to the warmth fellowship and news update from Singapore, she also brought 
us fresh supplies. Comfort food such as ikan bilis, dried shrimp, pandan essence, Bee Cheng Hiang meat floss, almond longan, Japanese green tea, plain crackers, Nescafe 3-in-1, curry sauce, blachan chili and thick black soya sauce! Our stock should hopefully last us till June 08.
So, no matter how cold it is outside, our hearts are already warmed inside by the love of those around us, here and back home.
