Ready.. steady.. Europe!

Once upon a time, well, or before that humongous poop hit the fan, there were dreams and plans for travel. A mother-daughter trip to Europe, an adventure in Israel with Darren, and a future honeymoon in Greece and Italy.. These were especially hard to think of when I was stuck in Singapore for medical treatment, discouraged to even step out of the house for what seemed like eternity. Now that I can actually make travel plans without having to think about whether they’d get cancelled because of a last minute infectious attack, or how I’d have to pack dressing supplies for my central venous catheter.. it honestly feels a little strange, but oh so liberating! And not having to hold my breath when I hear someone sneeze/cough on the plane, is the sweetest berry on top (surprisingly not a huge fan of canned cherries)! Yea sure, I only got to see the Eiffel tower through my eyes of haze, and had to limp my way through the beautiful streets of Rome. But at least I got (and get) to do it and share it with the people I cherish.

Our adventure in Europe started in Brussels, where Darren was based for a few months. And in just two weeks, we managed to fit five other beautiful cities in our trip. Most of them were work-related trips for Darren, that mum and I simply tagged along with, for funsies! So far, my favourite would be Ghent in Belgium. Not just for how lovely it looked, but how peaceful it felt. Granted, we explored the popular sights on a cold weekday morning, before the tourists started rushing in. Add good waffles and chocolates to the mix, and you’ll find my tummy (and my heart) stolen by Ghent!

Gorgeous Ghent!

Bruges with my love

Another highlight from our trip would be a mini tour of Paris, in a vintage 2CV. While most of our Paris journey showered us with bad weather, we did have a perfect day out as we were guided through the little streets of Paris by car. Which was most ideal, since I was still dependent on my crutches to walk long distances. We also discovered there are perks to being in a wheelchair at the Louvre museum. Especially when you want to see the Mona Lisa up close! It wasn’t fun figuring out the routes to get around the Louvre on a wheelchair though. Just too many stairs there, you guys! But it serves as motivation to strengthen my knee for our next visit to the Louvre.

Bonjour Paris!
Mum thought her pose to be uncreative, but I think she looks gorgeous as always

Wheelchair perks

Another favourite of mine (and Darren’s) would be Rome. As previously mentioned, you can easily impress me with food (take note if we are to be friends for life). So it was hard not to fall in love Rome when I was tantalised with fresh pasta every other night. And my goodness, the artichokes there.. tasted so, so good! Who knew artichokes could taste THAT good? Okay, I know I sound super uncultured for not yet mentioning how taken I was by the beautiful history and architecture of Europe. Which seriously, I was! Just that.. I like food. A LOT. I finally feel like food has redeemed itself for being inedible to me while I was sick. Except for the trusty rock melon, which was the only food I could stomach during the transplant. You served me well, rock melon. You.. rock (insert slow clap for lame joke points).

Sunset in Roma!

We did learn though, that not all strangers that try to get your attention in Europe are gypsies. Because not all people who persistently tap on your shoulder, are trying to trick you into buying a rose or force you into a bracelet purchase. Sometimes, all they really wanted was to let you know that a loose screw had fallen out of one of your crutches while you were crossing the street. And they were kind enough to have spotted it (props for amazing eyesight!) and chased after you to make sure your crutch doesn’t fall apart. Even though the first time they tried to tell you what was happening, you brushed them off, almost rudely, thinking they were a gypsy.

Yeppp, we learned this the embarrassing way. I’m not gonna say who protectively shouted “No!” to this good Samaritan the first time he tried to get my attention. *cough* Darren *cough* (got to love him for trying to protect his girl and his wallet!) But thank you, kind stranger, for teaching us a valuable lesson, and persisting despite having taken an unintended blow for your kindness!

I’m sure we’ll be learning more about living in Europe in the coming months. At times, I’m overwhelmed by thoughts like, how would I get a job in Germany without knowing the language, or my higher education has been been completely wasted on me, etc. You know, the things you think about when you’re mid shampoo in the shower? A lot of it comes from thinking that I’ve just been lying in bed all day, idle for the past 3 years. But my loved ones remind me that I’ve been doing the exact opposite – my body and I have been fighting daily to simply survive. And duh, no wonder I’m tired all the time when my body is getting used to produce blood with a new and an unfamiliar system; and my bones and muscles are working 24/7 to support my knee when I’m pushing myself to walk up and down the stairs.

It doesn’t mean that I should be a sloth all day, everyday (even if that is so tempting), but it means that I should (1) enjoy the miracle of being alive; and (2) recalibrate one step at a time. That might look like setting simple goals to aim for while my body recovers from “warfare”, as suggested by a good friend. And learning to navigate through life with my physical limitations, which has been a little less than easy, to be honest.

While I take these steps in the coming months, who knows? Maybe I’ll find new passions to pursue, or better yet, I meet Beyonce at a cafe in Paris and we become best friends (sounds impossible but you know, if God wills it!)! In all seriousness though, I’m glad and thankful for this season of rest and adventure. Not just for me, but for the people around me. We often forget how our loved ones are so drowning in pain to watch us suffer through sickness and trials; at the same time, having to stay selflessly strong to support us physically and emotionally. They’ve fought fervently by my side in this war for health and restoration, so this victory belongs to them as much, if not more. The same is to you, reading this – you who cried along with me as I suffered, and rejoiced as I rejoiced. You, my dear friend, share a part of this victory!

So now, we can stress a little less, and chill on a farm hill (???) and decide what I’m gonna wear the day I bump into Beyonce, and what I’ll say in my “best friends forever” speech!

If you haven’t already, you might want to meet me at the beginning: https://beebstory.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/first-blog-post/

Off We Go!

It’s been a while since I’ve journaled here, for a few reasons (or excuses if you want to be accurate about it). Really, it’s justifiable. Because the spacebar and the letter “N” on my laptop keyboard have either chocolate or popcorn lodged in them, and it’s stressing my index finger like crazy to type long sentences at one go! And somehow 70% of the words I type have an “N” in them (do NOT quote me on that)! I should probably take it for a clean.. and get a keyboard cover.. OrIcouldjustdumpeverythigIwriteinstrigsofwords <– like this! Anyway, I’ll just have to give my index finger a workout for now.

But the real reason I may or may not have been able to write (ahem, excuses) is because my love, Darren and I have moved to Germay! Germannnnnny. While we wish we were doing what the cool kids do, dropping everything and YOLO-ing our way through Europe; I think what we’re doing is pretty cool too! I’m so proud of Darren achieving what he’s achieved in the years of us being tied down by my illness. With all his hard work and commitment to being the best he can be, and with God’s grace, he was offered an important role over in Europe (at this point in time, in France, Italy, and Germany).

That being said, it’s not all fun and beers, given that he has taken on huge responsibilities to see this project through. You’d think that after what we’ve been through, something like this would be super easy to adapt to. But change is never easy, especially when you have to say “Hi” and “Thank you” in 3 different languages within weeks of traveling between countries, and always doubting if you’ve bought the right detergent for the right cleaning appliance (Google Translate is NOT always clear, people!). But we wouldn’t have been given this opportunity if we couldn’t handle the challenges that came along with it. And truly, this is an adventure we are thrilled to be on, together.

There are still a couple of things to do to before I properly settle down in Germany. Man ,who knew there would be a million and one handstands and cartwheels you’d have to do before getting a German visa? Darren’s lightyears ahead of me since he’s already worked in Belgium for a few months. All I have to do now is fly 15 hours to Malaysia to apply at the embassy at home.

But at least I’ll get to have my regular knee and blood checkups done while I wait for the visa to be approved. And why not throw in two eye surgeries in there since I’m due for clearer vision. After the first two cataract operations, my vision has been doing a Katy Perry/Masterchef Australia theme song number on me. My glasses used to help me see clearer. But with time, everything got blurrier and hazier, so much so that I’ve made more than one mistake of booking the wrong date for expensive international flights. And by gosh, there is no mercy on penalty charges for booking the wrong flight just because you were overly confident with what you can do with impaired vision. My glasses barely help me see anymore, especially in the dark. I’ve even resorted to using reading glasses to read up close. And I mean, really, REALLY close. My eye doctor explained that there had been a build up of inflammation post surgery, and like a dog looking to mark its territory, the inflammation has peed all over my new lenses with membrane, making it difficult for me to see.

Hence the plan is to get the membrane cleared from both eyes through surgery. Not at the same time though, but with intervals in between. So, in case the first operation proves unsuccessful (fingers crossed – not), we won’t risk working on the other eye. It’ll be a tricky operation, seeing that the surgeon will have to manually remove the membrane covering the front of the lens. But I trust that everything will run as smooth as the world’s silkiest.. butter? Yup, I hope it to be like butter!

Now that I’ve gotten the serious and boring stuff out of the way, I can finally tell/show you some of the adventures we’ve had in Europe! In another post though, because my index finger is killing me (not softly with his song). Stay (Looney) tuned!