As mentioned in my previous post, my younger sister Elise tied the knot with long-time sweetheart Tom in the presence of God, family and friends on 6 September, a glorious spring day. It still seems not that long ago that they started dating, but the union really has been a match made in Heaven; both my family and Tom's family have known each other for years, since my mum and his mum were former work colleagues at Mercy Private Hospital.
To get my sister's view on her big day, you can read her article here. Although I wasn't part of the bridal party, I nonetheless had a busy day, starting with a big breakfast and then getting dressed before acting as chauffeur for Grandma, Auntie Patsy and cousin Heidi from Hong Kong, and Vanessa. The wedding was a great time to catch up with family and friends whom I hadn't seen in a while, as well as an opportunity to introduce them to Vanessa.
Later that afternoon, Vanessa and I had the task of setting up a partition board at the reception venue with a selection of photos featuring Tom and Elise in their younger years and as a couple. We finished that job comfortably in time for me to partake in the traditional Tea Ceremony. This was then followed by a wonderful reception dinner, in which the only sour note was when Vanessa's entree dish had no Peking Duck pancake on it! Thankfully, it was quickly replaced by the waiters. Now that my sister has tied the knot, the attention has turned to me, since neither of my brothers have a girlfriend yet, as far as I'm aware. Let me say this now, that Vanessa and I are quite happy to take our time, and when the time is ordained by God to be right, it will happen.
Speaking of which, today just so happened to be our one-year anniversary. We celebrated the occasion by attending Vanessa's church, which also happened to be celebrating an anniversary, its 35th. After lunch, we bought tickets to a film of Vanessa's choice - and a good choice it turned out to be (despite the negative critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes) - Hector and the Search for Happiness, which got me thinking about what happiness is for me. More about that later.
Before the film started, we played a game of 8-ball on one of the pool tables, and I had to teach Vanessa how to cue the ball properly, which was an interesting experience. After the film, we enjoyed dinner at the Paesano Restaurant before I drove her home. God-willing this has been the first of many anniversaries.
So what is happiness for me? Well, among other things, happiness is feeling secure in the knowledge that you have somebody to love and that somebody loves you, whether that be God or your girlfriend, and happiness is also finding fulfillment in doing something you love that helps other people along the way to achieving their goals, which is what drives my passion for learning and teaching. What about you? What makes you happy?
After finishing another developmental experience at McKinnon Secondary College, I'm excited to announce that I've recently taken up a new position as a casual staff member at the Deakin University English Language Institute (DUELI), for which I have Facebook to thank. In fact, it's scary to consider how important Facebook has been in my life recently. Without it, I potentially might not have met someone like Vanessa until much later, and by responding earlier this month to a uni classmate's announcement of teaching vacancies at the institute, I now have a wonderful opportunity to expand my experience by teaching English as an Additional Language at one of Australia's most highly regarded English teaching centres for international students of non-English speaking backgrounds. I have my first day of teaching tomorrow and look forward to meeting my new students. Your best wishes and prayers would be much valued.
Cheers and God bless!
