Same sentiments with me regarding Bierhoff. When I looked at news reports and him breaking down when speaking to the media, that was when I realised this is the other side of Bierhoff I have never seen before.

Sorry to read about your former classmate. In my case, the last time I know about a former classmate who once tried to cut herself (we were not close, and so I never asked what led her to do it), she has since become a football referee. I knew about it when reading a newspaper article about the growing number of young referees in our local football scene and she was among the few photographed for the article. That was like two or three years ago. I can only hope she is still doing well because I have not heard from many of my former classmates since graduation, only a handful.

I still remembered in the first PE session, when the ball reached her, she kicked it real hard. I had to stand back. That was when I realised she’s not one to be messed with. So to read she has become a football referee makes me smile. At least the last I know, there is a happy ending.

You know, on the day of the memorial service for Robert Enke, I remembered how I felt on the day I attended the funeral for my maternal grandfather seven years ago. For some reason I felt nothing during the service, but it was only weeks later I realised something was missing when I went past the room he shares with my grandmother (who is still alive). His bed is no longer there. That was when I realised I almost cried. He and my grandmother live with my family for four years before stroke eventually claimed his life.

Given my paternal grandparents had passed away way before even my parents first met each other, my maternal grandfather’s passing had made me realised what it really feels like to lose a loved one for the first time. Back then for a period of time I actually felt that the world was against me (considering my grandfather died eight days before his birthday, eight days before Chinese New Year). Initially going back to school was tough overhearing classmates talking about Chinese New Year preparations, until my friend at that time told me of a similar experience she used to go through when her grandmother passed away.

It used to be that Chinese New Year was what I always looked forward to, even more than Christmas. Because it means that it is my grandfather’s birthday as well with relatives and all coming together to celebrate. But since he passed away seven years ago, it has never been the same since. Even if I tried to find reasons to enjoy the festivities since given of the number of relatives I have from my father’s side, a part of it has taken away from me since he died.

For my maternal grandmother, I really admire her for outlasting her husband that long. She’s still around, seven years on. Though there are times I wondered if she miss her husband even if the family maid shares the same room with her.