Someone visited me in the office a couple of days ago. He was an old friend of my ex-boss in KL, and knew many of my mates in Klang. He dropped in together with another Klang gentleman, who was an old friend of my father in law and who has been living here for many years. We talked a little, he was planning to invest in some properties here and he looked like a very nice guy. Apparently well connected (politically) and has therefore made it business wise (he was in the construction business). Yesterday, he called and invited the family to a dinner in a restaurant nearby.
Last night we had dinner with this new acquaintance and it made for a relaxing evening as I didn’t have to cook and also, it took my mind off the unhappy events in Klang. Strangely, this fellow didn’t drink, which was unusual for a construction guy. So the 2 bottles of very good red was untouched and the one bottle which my father-in-law’s old friend brought was finished between him and I. We went home just in time for the start of “24” so I only telephone my brother again around 10.30pm (8.30pm in Malaysia) but he must have left his phone on silent mode because he did not pick it up.
This morning, as I tried to imagine what the funeral conditions would be like, I prayed for peace. A funeral can be such an emotionally wrecking experience and given the circumstances of my uncle’s passing, it is potentially very gut wrenching. So I prayed several times, through the course of the morning, that the peace of God would descend on that place. Somehow.
I really should be there with the family. This is the most difficult part of emigrating.
This morning as I listened to the news for the situation in Lebanon, news of the efforts by the Australian government to evacuate Aussies continued to flow through. It turned out that a majority of Aussies who are there actually live there. Lebanon apparently allows dual citizenship so many Lebanese came over to Australia, got their citizenship, and returned to Lebanon to live. Few are there on holidays – they either lived there or were there to visit their uncles, aunties and cousins. They are in a position I would love to be in, that’s for sure.
Earlier this afternoon, I had a client who talked about spending time with the family. He’s a 45 year old Greek man – big fellow but so very family man. He talked about his very old parents in such an endearing manner. It’s amazing the sort of people God sends my way…
“So, I commend the enjoyment of life.” (From the Bible – really. Eccl 8:15)
Ante 