Dear friends, Hello and how are you? In the blink of an eye, this is the last bulletin of the year. Time really flies since I was given the task of writing my first bulletin to you in December 2006.  It has been enjoyable writing these bulletins and more importantly, I have made many friends. Here, I would like to convey my sincere thanks to those who took the trouble to drop me a line.  I hope you had fun this year with lots of good memories.  Let me share this story with you. I shared it with my colleagues during our last branch meeting. Just like the horseman in the story below, we may have encountered a number of challenges this year. As you read this story, take time to reflect on the year 2007.  What Life is About
Long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered. Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible.  When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible. Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."
The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love to do. One day when we look back, we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we cannot turn back time for what we have missed.  Life is not about making money, acquiring power or recognition. Life is definitely not about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.  Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence. So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy Life!
I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I did. Looking back on this current year, in what way are you similar to the horseman? Perhaps you could take a moment or two to reflect on this. Sometimes, we subconsciously ride our horses hard and fast without realizing that life is passing us by and we lose the very essence of living life. The new music video by Carrie Underwood serves as a timely reminder to us to appreciate the time we have with our loved ones. As the school calendar year comes to end, some of my colleagues here in TN will be posted to schools. Let me take this opportunity to wish them well in their next posting. I am glad I got to know them and will miss them very much. To Sasi, Pek Har, Yen Min, Daphne, William and April – We will miss your company as we have grown with you. Thank you so much for your friendship and keep in touch, always! Finally, let me also wish our Director, Mrs Angela Ow a very happy retirement as she moves on to another challenging phase of her life. Happy holidays! Ed

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