An extraordinary artist

Three of us who came from Malaysia got invited last night by a co-worker, Sally in my job-place for a pizza dinner. I get to know her only for like 3 months ago when they warehouse start hiring more workers to cope with the Christmas period orders. Honestly, I didn't get to know her well since when she started working in the warehouse, I was in the midst of my holiday in Central Europe with Mei. A remarks I get to know from my roommate was she's a miniature doll maker , running her business at home. Until yesterday, when I went to her house for the dinner, only I got to know bit more about where she comes from-an extraordinary artist of its kind i would say. This is the first time for the past whole year that I had got the chance to visit a real English home, to interact with an English family. After the dinner, we had a tour of their lovely house. Sally's family welcomed us so warmly that they show us each of every rooms in their house just openly without fearing that it's an intrusion to their privacy. At that moment, I was thinking even we Asian wouldn't have welcome any friends whom we had just known for 2 months to their houses and showed them everything open-heartedly. The most interesting part of this gathering was when she showed us her working place, where she makes her miniature dolls for the dollhouses. Looking at the miniatures, I was in awe how detail she can go making the dolls clothes, hair even animals like dogs, sheep etc. While she was showing us the vast materials that she has in order to make those dolls, all neatly organized in cupboards and boxes, I can feel her strong passion in what she's doing. Even her husband and children have been very supportive as well as are interested in that hobby too. She told us she has been doing this for 20 years, most of the time she got her inspirations of making different characters through characters from the kid's program, or even teddy bears.

For years, I had been forgetting what I used to like or what I used to dream of. I can't even answer a simple question on 'What's my dream?' Sally's passion towards what she likes left me thinking for the whole night: Where had my passion gone to all these years?

Last entry for the year 2009

It's 7 hours till the new year begins. 2009 had been and exciting year for me. A chance to step foot in the foreign land, moreover to travel to Europe countries that I had been dreaming of. It was also filled with all sorts of happy, sad, anger, Loneliness,friendships etc emotions. Like the Chinese saying 应有尽有. First time ever in my life too I experience a white Christmas in a European country, watching the snow fall in front of lovely cottages. What else could I asked for other than gratitude for what had been given to me. A year of relaxation and no stress for me. My only resolution for the coming year is to move on, to come out from fantasies and back to reality. Hopefully 2010 will be as good as this year with good health to all my families and friends too. Happy New Year 2010!!!