Halfway Home — A Sweet Recharge Before the Storm
- Ethel Siow
- Sep 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 12
台北，台湾
2025年9月｜姐姐版
Meeting Halfway
I’m not sure how to explain it — maybe the timing was just right.
Maybe it was God’s way of pressing pause.
Or maybe… it was simply what our hearts needed.
We met in Taiwan.
Not in Singapore. Not in Japan.
Just somewhere in between — halfway home.
No coaches shouting.
No courts. No chlorine.
Just two tired athletes… who also happen to be siblings.
Breathing the same air.
Finally.
It wasn’t a holiday.
It was a quiet reset. A soft landing.
A breath before the next climb.
Two Fighters. One Moon.
We didn’t have big plans.
Didn’t talk game strategies or winning plays.
Well… we did squeeze in a quick gym and a swim.
But mostly, we were present.
I looked at him and saw the weight he was carrying —
the kind only athletes understand.
The pressure to prove. To grow.
To show up — even when you’re tired.
And he saw it in me too.
Not just as “姐姐 who ran off to play semi-pro volleyball in Japan,”
but as someone who truly gets it.
He told me about Pesta Sukan.
How he’s been training hard.
How he wants to prove he belongs.
How sometimes, it feels like a lot.
And I didn’t need to give a pep talk.
Just a smile. A joke. A reminder:
That fire he’s looking for?
It’s already in him.
Sometimes, you just need someone to hold up the mirror.
We’ve both chosen roads that aren’t easy.
But every now and then, you need a moment like this —
in the middle — to remember why you started.
The kind of moment that whispers:
"You’re not doing this alone."
The Magic in the 夜市.
We wandered through night markets.
Laughed at nothing.
Shared bubble tea like we used to back in Singapore.
No medals. No pressure.
Just us — in our own little bubble.
And I couldn’t help myself:
"You sure you ready for Pesta Sukan? Or just training for Taiwan food fest?"
He shot me that look — half insulted, half secretly proud.
Classic.
But I saw it —
that spark in him that doesn’t need fanfare.
Doesn’t need cheering.
Just a good roast… and someone who believes.
That’s Emett.
He fights. He falls. He climbs again.
Day by day. Inch by inch.
And watching him —
I’m just so proud.
That’s why I believe in him.
No Goodbyes — Just Quiet Strength
There’s no goodbye — not yet.
We’re still here.
Still laughing.
Still sneaking bites off each other’s plates.
Still teasing. Still recharging.
Still giving each other strength without even realising it.
I don’t say “good luck.”
Like Dad always says — “It’s not about luck to pass IPPT. Either you’re ready, or you’re not.”
So I look at him and say,
"You’re ready. Go be the storm."
And I mean it.
Because he’s becoming that.
And so am I.
Not just stronger athletes.
But steadier hearts.
Sharper minds.
Braver spirits.
We may train in different countries —
but we rise together, always.
We define our paths.
Taiwan, 2025
没有比赛的灯光，也没有加油的声音。
就只有我们两个，在同一轮月亮下，
一边走着，一边喝珍奶，一边讲废话，一边笑。
举头望明月，
低头思故乡。
—— 李白
那几天，家不是一个地方，而是我们 —— 能在一起，就是最好的事。
对我来说，这个短短的相聚，给了我们彼此更多力量，去面对接下来的挑战。
"不是每一步都容易，也不是每天都不痛。但我们有爱，有信念，还有承诺：再难，也一起走下去。" 伊吟 (UDA)
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