30 Apr 2010 – Happy 60th Bday John WT 

How is it possible that I know of only one male friend who is not a family member born on my year??? 🙂

Today, exactly 5yrs ago was the 1st day of my AT Thru-Hike. All my fellow-hikers and especially me, could not understand how we were going to survive on the Appalachian Mountains for four months then! But we did and so much has happened since. The best parts are that most situations were not planned or expected, like traveling around and meeting interesting people, experiencing and learning to deal and see things in different angles. With decent health, family & friends, yummy food and excellent wines in the belly, who can ask for more in the golden age! Live life fully as who knows what tomorrow will bring? Time really has gone by like the wink of the eye and it is already the last day of Apr. Strange how most things have a way of working out when you live and work with good intentions from the heart.

Wed: Gave another AT Thru-Hike talk to a small group at WINGS (Women’s Initiative for Aging Successfully) Junction 8 office tower, Bishan. Enjoyed the closer connections with smaller groups, more time getting to know the people and for personal Q&A. Thank you to WINGS http://www.wings.sg for hosting the talk and to Eleanor YAP director, http://www.agelessonline.net for arranging it.

Thu: thank you to Leslie & Ivy for lunch at Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck@Paragon*** with guests, Catherine/Kitty and her son-in-law Steve. Met Kitty (the name my family would know her by) at the St Patrick’s Reception and discovered that she and Lawrence were good friends from his Dublin days in the 1950s/60s. And my parents visited her family when they were in Dublin. Did not have the chance to get her contact that evening we met. Thanks to the Irish Embassy that we all got connected up again. She will be heading back to Ireland via Dubai. Kitty has a house in Spain, 20mins drive from where I will be in Jul/Aug. Hopefully she will be there around the same time and we will meet again. Another unexpected and unplanned surprise and how delightful to know her.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Fate is the raw materials of experience. They come uninvited and often unanticipated. Destiny is what a man does with these raw materials – Howard Thurman