Updates

Wow, it's been a while since I update this blog. Too busy, or perhaps, too lazy :p

I'm now engaged :) It was quite awkward to call myself someone's fiancee. Even Eid feels the same way. We are so used to declare ourselves as 'matair', that the idea of introducing him as my fiance or vise versa seems too dramatic. Maybe because nothing much has changed in our relationship; we still play the same roles as before. For me, it's a good sign.

Many friends have warned me about the challenges that one normally faces during engagement period, "guy becoming more obsessive" tops the list. I tried asking Eid about his expectations of me after the engagement, whether he needs me to be more obliging (haha!), to cut down on my working hours (the hours are crazy, i tell ya) or to report to him every single things that I do (like wanting to go down to the shop etc.) or anything else that he may have in mind :p

Yes, he does expect one thing from me. To slim down. hahaha:P

After discussing about this, we thought that it's best that we stay the way we are. The open communication remains. Engagement i is merely another bond that tightens the relationship towards bringing it to another level. It is an indication that we are treating marriage matter seriously.

Since the engagement day, Eid had come to visit my parents and some other relatives. It's exciting to have another member introduced to the family. Oh Allah, I badly want this relationship to last.

There's an unexpected calmness that I feel after getting engaged. Knowing that the person you really want to be with, is accepted in your family; that's precious. It's been 8 looong years... :)

Work's great nowadays. Tiring but fulfilling. Previously, I handled family cases but I'm now transferred to Ain Society Gen-Y Youth Hub. Working with the youths is a dream come true for me. Not that I don't enjoy doing what I did previously (working with families), but handling youths are more challenging and meaningful, especially when we consider long-term results. Youths has so much energy in them, that you know that none of them should go wasted. It is the ray of hope that youths can cling on to, no matter how bad their life seems to turn out to be.

Together with another 4 of my colleagues (now I have a team! ;) ), we run programs for Out-of-School Youths (OSYs). Personally, I hate to label them as such. They are to me, just a group of youths who are currently not attending mainstream schools due to various reasons.

The profile of the youths also varies. We have youths who are expelled due to discipline issues, youths who left mainstream school to studies overseas but was forced to return to Singapore; but what saddens me most is that some of these youths left school at primary level and some don't even have previous school education at all!

I just can't believe it. How can a parent not doing anything when his child was expelled from school when he was only primary one?? How can a parent not allow children to go to school at all??

It is really an eye-opener for me. Singapore being a developing country, and there are still these pockets of people who are not equipped appropriately to face the challenges ahead.

The Youth Hub practices the Therapeutic Community (TC) approach that holds on firmly to the family milieu concept. Students are treated as family members; and being youths, the sense of belonging is very important. This concept/approach is also meant to instill discipline and confidence in every members and to allow them the avenues to deal with their feelings. The focal point of change in them is the behaviour.

After completing the first phase, students are then assigned to their N levels class or other courses of interest.

Whatever the outcome is, our concern is the well-being of the family members. We believe that with the right attitude, these youths will be able to make it ;)

~to cross the line might be the way across~