World over people mourned his passing. I am in disbelief. It's true when we have something precious we don't often realise it ourselves
Bhutan flew their national flag at half mast as did new Zealand and India. The funeral was telecast live in Malaysia Nepal China Malaysia where people I served a minute silence for him.
Nz cricket players wore a ribbon on their sleeves as they played the world cup.
Nz and Australia devotee time in parliament to speak of him
There is so much to ponder
Singapore has grown but in some ways we are still so immature.
Take Amos Lee. A 17 year old who shoots his mouth off on you tube. Uses vulgarities . Slamming lky during the week of mourning. Comparing him to jesus and calling both hypocrites.
The kid was spoilt and an attention seeker. But not one I would take seriously. What us both amusing and disturbing is people's reactions to him. It's saddening to see adults respond to hin using vulgarities too. Like the line of civility is a fragile thread very easily broken . Why be so provoked by a young man that you demean yourself with such language?
Adults have filed reports against him and he has been arrested. That is disturbing and for me embarrassing for Singapore. People should be allowed To Say Things Against the Government and lky. Otherwise it would make our genuine outpouring of grief last week seem contrived . That's sad. If people can genuinely feel sad they can genuinely feel not sad or even mad .
Today was the final send off.
We watched glued to the TV from 12.30 to 5.00.
This is a time of reflection
Before the start I watched the video of our separation from Malaysia and I was moved to sobbing tears..
Just to think about how lucky, how blessed we are to have had a leader who cried for us , who took it upon himself as a personal responsibility , that he has a few million lives to account for.
Minister heng 's article about the red box and how if he saw a tree dying he would type our something to go on the box , that even while mourning for his wife if he saw rubbish in the river he would take note and get someone to act on it... to have leader think of the trees and rivers as his.
Pm Lees eulogy was so moving .
Singapore people were so moving
They stood in the rain just to wave bye calling out Lee Kuan Yew.
Over the four days public were allowed to pay their respects half a million people turned up queuing for 4 to 10 hours just to shuffle past for a few seconds.
The best of Singapore emerged. Free water stalks of flower .
We queued too. For 5 hours with aisha in the wee hours of the morning pram in hand saro had just turned up at midnight . We left home at 1.30. I was determined. So what of the wait was 10 hours I would still make it before the cut off time. But aishu didn't sleep from 3 to 5.45 and I was worried for her. The queue had been suspended since 11 and we didn't know if they would open it at all. I nearly wanted to leave. But spoke to a saf man who reassured me it would Def open maybe 6 or 7 am. That they were trying to clear the padang completely before letting in everyone again.
The queue management was fantastic. They responded as situation grew and grew. They did not expect such a crowd. It was so moving so amazing. We appreciated our stamina to wait. For something that we all felt was important as a nation.
At a course now about a picture book about family violence
I'm afraid. Am I a violent mum? I'm beating pinching a lot more nowadays and shouting a lot more...
I must remember to say thank you god for the kids when they do something I feel they should not have.
I asked him yesterday
Me: Did you talk about Lee Kuan yew in school today
A: Yes! Who passed away? Lee Kuan yew passed away. Passed away means dead. We are not dead. We are not passed away.
Haha! So precious so innocent so devoid of understanding!
Akshaya wants to say death but corrects herself to say passed on.
Really was preparing myself not to be able to pay my respects to the great man.
But by God's grace I did.
I'm in the queue now. It's possible I may not get to pay my respects to him. I suppose I only have myself to blame.
Wed morning. I could have gone. I stayed home with three sick kids.we had quality time together I noted it as one of the best days with kids.
The idea of a 8 hour wait put me off then .now I embrace it. Amazing what a couple of days of normals can do to perspectives.
Thurs morning I had a branch meeting afternoon till 8 pm I was at work preparing for ltlt. I am here now with my baby. Am lucky it's windy. I may not make it. But I would have tried. Friday morning I could not go. 2.30 to 4.30 I was up working again
Thinking Fri aft I could not have made it coz of the ped sharing.
Part of me didn't want to queue alone. I wanted
I poured my heart our but did not publish and it's gone!
So I was saying .. different duties pulling on Me
Work - prep for ltlt vs notes for fgd
Personal - uplifting lunch
National - taking daughter to help her pay her respects to lky
Striking a balance between all these is hard.
The passing of lky marks a historic moment. The passing of an epoch?
An end to an old guard?
The passing of a founder of a country - now that is rare . Most countries have been around for awhile @ ! We are only 50. Younger than my dad.
So ya.
Our kids today will grow up knowing lky as a historic figure. We grew up knowing him as a man . As a leader. Our leader.
We witness these changes and everyone - nearly- can feel the immense weight of this moment. This moment in history. never have we mourned as a nation. They did not expect the crowds to throng to see him
My colleagues and I feel we have to pay our respects. It's something we will regret if we don't do.
In this day thru Facebook
On the radio thru sad love songs. The love songs really tug tug at heart strings but very odd to think of Mr Lee as "baby" which is so often used in such sad songs!
Thru memorial services. Island wide.
Thru half mast for a week
Through minutes of silence that I would like to observe though have not had a chance to as yet
Thru conversations
Thru 8 hour long queues for people to pay their respects to him
Thru cancellation of some events
Through publications
Through support for him online and bashing of those with different views
Through posters in tamil nadu villages!
Tributes at foreign embassies and parliaments
Through giving out flowers and drinks for free to people waiting to pay their respects to him
Through flying down especially for his funeral - from the US- delegation led by Clinton with Henry kissing, from India - prime minister modi , premiers from Jakarta and many more places.
Rajini kanth has penned his tribute too.
Through cards and letters
For me through not posting anything not related to lky during the period of mourning, not advertising my house for rent wearing muted colours ensuring we have no plans on Sunday so we can watch the funeral
Writing and writing and reflecting
Yesterday the person whom I could grieve with properly without holding back things turned out to be my 6 year old daughter!
She came home from school and felt so sad she just sat by the piano for a few minutes . For that I hugged her .
Later we talked about him and she played a song on the piano for him. We looked each other in the eye and solemnly acknowledged we'd continue Mr Lee 's good work and help build up this country
Thavam irunthu petra magal. Thavam irunthu petra kuzhanthaigal. I'm so ery very blessed. In my parents my grandparents my children my country my leaders. I have so much to be thankful for. The accident of birth has placed me in a position so far more secure and safe than millions of others. This is no accident but the grace of God.
How can we start work today without speaking of his passing?
My daughters primary school the p said. Although I'm happy to welcome you back I also have to share some very sad news.
I burst into tears and had to leave
At the bus stop I had to leave to sit under the block to cry and gather myself.
At work - nothing ? Or soon?
It's new.
Gracious Singapore is what I want to see.
Success we have. Graciousness we can strive for.
Respect for all.
Every step I take today weighs heavily
Every step pregnant with meaning
I step on grass and soil he has made safe for us
I step through turnstiles at the train station thinking this too he made possible
What have we become that I cannot call my best friends and weep?
That a son mourning hus father has to keep his tears in check constantly on live radio
When you grieve
Sometimes
You feel the world grieves with you
Does it?
Probably not.
But it feels that way
I feel ...
Our tears will raise a flood today
For this great great great leader
My grief today is a nations grief
You are gone to heaven .
We mourn your passing here
You left us a country
You left us a home
Thank you
So simple. These words cannot contain the tears pouring from our eyes
All of Singapore cries today in a way we never have and never will for there is only ever one founding father
We are blessed to have lived in his lifetime.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
A legend we owe our lives to.
So I sit here at 6 am. Crying tears no one can see or hear but him. These tears are my anjali. These and a promise to give to this country as much as I can give with all my heart. It may not always be right but the intentions will be and always using the resources the information I have at hand.
God bless this great great great man
He meets his wife ... and my iyya in heaven.
