sick (long) weekend

Most people i know had a long weekend as 7 May 2011 was declared a public holiday (GE polling day) and many companies gave off-in-lieu for Monday.

I took mine earlier (6 May) to celebrate but spent most of it being ill with an inflammation of the nasal passages, which left me hazy about the weekend, so much so that Monday and Tuesday was spent at home resting as well (despite an effort to make it into work on Monday). Urgh

This strain of flu is quite virulent and presents itself as inflammed tonsils to begin with (Thurs night) and i quaffed 2 litres of water to try to soothe it, but still woke up the next day with a sore throat and runny nose. Was on antibiotics at this point as the dentist found some inflammation of my wisdom tooth area. I did feel a bit better on Saturday with the throat clearing up but the nose just got worse and developed so much gunk that i got a cough to boot (probably from backflow). Come Monday i thought it was clearing up, but it just got worse and my nose became totally stuck and efforts made to clear it just made my ringing ears worse (although i still tried to clear it). Saw the doc on Monday and was given another course of antibiotics and more meds. Coughed and sneezed up quite abit of the gunk but still feeling groggy on Weds (today). I hate being sick.

So how was your long weekend? LOL

Our baby is one!

Another milestone today as she turned one. At the same time, she's also fighting roseola virus, so we've been dosing her with medication.

She can now stand on her own now, aside from cruising, and has even danced to some music, albeit on the spot without moving her feet. A few words have been added to her vocab and she is quite good at signing now (although we need to be more diligent in teaching her more signs!).

Hardly a day goes by when we are not amazed by her and her antics and as much as we want her to grow up, we also want to save this moment in the scrapbook inside us, to be taken out and savored when she is older (especially during her rebellious times).

Happy birthday little one, may you always be loved, blessed and cherished by all around you.

News placement fail

Saw this rather unforunate coincidence of new events on Asiaone. LOL

What is the quality of mercy

I felt sad reading about the teen who was arrested after an outburst at a meet the people session. He has low IQ with a medical condition to boot, and got upset after meeting the MP so after walking out of the MP's office with his mother, he hoisted an aluminium foldable chair over his head and slammed it against a glass door. The boy, who has been released on bail, has been told to report back to the police on 12 May, where he may be charged with committing a rash act.

Maybe it is early days yet, but the blogosphere has yet to pick up on this except for Mr Wang (respect!).

I believe Shakespeare said it best in 1596 from his play, the Merchant of Venice:

Portia:
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
The Merchant Of Venice Act 4, scene 1, 180–187

Clearly the teen was wrong in venting his frustration, whatever his IQ is. However, it is also clear that he and his mother need help, and when they sought it, they somehow tripped and fell afoul of the law. Sure, we can prosecute him, but what good would it do? As explained on the internet, only because mercy is voluntary—because it mitigates the compulsions of the literal law—is it true mercy, which drops gently like heaven's rain, a natural and gracious quality rather than a legal one.

Aside from this natural and gracious quality, the bard brings in a religious quality, going on to say (Portia con't):

Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice we all must see salvation,
We all do pray for mercy
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.

So where is our quality of mercy?