There is always time for pao

Fined!

2012-01-19T16:22:00.001+08:00

Ayesha's first day at infant care (6 months ago). She's sitting on the green bumbo chair.

So I was stuck in a massive traffic jam last night which made me 20 minutes late in picking up Ayesha from the Infant Care. The penalty - a 25 dollar fine! It's a 15 dollar fine for the first 15 minutes and after that 10 dollars for every 5 minutes. Haay. At least her teacher said she didn't cry at all and was playing and running around while waiting for me. I hope they won't start imposing this rule in my workplace or my salary will just be reduced to coins.

Dada?

2012-01-18T16:01:00.003+08:00

Simon is in India for a business trip since Sunday, that means I have to shower really really fast in the mornings and hope Ayesha won't wake up while I'm still in the bathroom. This morning, I was still brushing my teeth when I heard her voice. Muppet's awake! She's in a very good mood though and was just playing with the stuffed toys inside her crib. Once she saw me though she stood up and started pointing to Simon's side of the bed and asked "Dada? Dada?". Awww, she's looking for dada!

Ako at si muppet

2012-01-10T23:49:00.002+08:00

Sarap pala maging mommy!

Tambay with muppet

2012-01-09T10:09:00.001+08:00

Medyo huli na ko sa uso pero ngayong weekend ay sinubukan kong gamitin ang instagram. Ang instagram ay isang sikat na iPhone application kung saan pwede kang kumuha ng pictures at i-apply ang kanilang filters na magreresulta ng vintage looking photos. Cool sya, di naman kase kailangan palaging perpekto ang mga kuha at sumunod sa rule of thirds at iba pang guideline sa photography.

Malakas ang ulan nung linggo(akala ko pa naman ay summer na), kaya tambay lang kami ni Ayesha sa bahay kaya syempre sino pa ba ang magiging subject ko?

Paborito nyang silip-silipin ang washing machine (wala pang filter ito)

Eto may filter pero nakalimutan ko na ang pangalan basta ganito ang itsura ng mga childhood photos ko

Habang nagluluto ako ay nanonood sya. Sa kuhang ito, washed out ang kulay lalo na sa bandang mukha nya. Ok rin na effect kase naili-lead ang mata ng tumitingin papunta sa mukha nya

Naaaliw nyang umupo/tayo sa bumbo chair nya. Trip ko lang dito yung border atska naging warm browns yung kulay

Napagod din! Medyo grainy ang kuhang ito pero ok sya para sa kin, mas nagiging interesting ang ordinaryong kuha

Lalong sumikat ang instagram dahil madaling mai-share ang mga kuha sa facebook, twitter, at iba pa. Interesado sana ako kung paano diretsong mai-post sa blogger pero di pa ko marunong. Sa susunod na weekend, try namin ni muppet maglakad-lakad sa park at gamitin ulit ang instagram : )

Habang naghihintay sa car wash

2012-01-08T16:39:00.001+08:00

Nanggigitata na ang kotse, ilang buwan ko na syang di napapa carwash. Tag-ulan pa naman nitong mga nakalipas na buwan kaya talagang di mo na halos malaman ang kulay ng kotse - blue ba o gray o green? Kaya kaninang umaga minabuti ko ng dalhin sya sa talyer, napakahaba ng pila at sabi nung naglilinis ang dumi daw ng kotse ko kaya dapat yung gold package nila ang kunin ko - kinakailangan na ang matindihang waxing at polishing. Ok, 75 sgd ang damage pero sige na nga para makabawi naman ako sa kotse. 30 minutes daw yung waxing kaya tumawid muna ako ng kalsada at umorder ng Prawn Mee(5.50 sgd ang isang bowl). Sikat ang hawker** na ito, ang daming tao! Pag dating ng bowl ko, ang bango! Langhap ko agad ang hipon at chili. Napakalasa ng sabaw, pinapakuluan daw kase nila yung shell at ulo ng hipon (ganun din ginagawa ng nanay ko!). Tamang-tama ang pagkakaluto ng hipon at hinahati na nila ito sa gitna mula ulo hanggang buntot kaya di nakailangan kamayin, kagatin na lang mula sa chopstick at pagkatapos ay itapon ang shell sa table.

habang hinihintay ko ang prawn mee ko, tingin-tingin muna sa kapitbahay

Eto na!

Si Lee Kuan Yew ang ka-table ko

Ayun naubos ko agad ang Prawn Mee at nag takeaway pa ako para kay Jack, ang aking father-in-law at ang nag-aalaga kay Ayesha habang ako ay nagrerelax sa talyer.

---------------------------------

Ang ganda nga pala ng kotse pagkuha ko sa talyer. Ang kintab! Ang dulas! Ang gwapo! Kinagabihan night shift ako sa trabaho at naiwan kong bukas ang bintana, ayun umulan nang malakas at nabasa ang mga upuan at dashboard. Lintek.

** Beach Road Prawn Mee Eating House sa East Coast Road (katapat ng Caltex)

Pa ikot ikot!

2012-01-08T16:25:00.000+08:00

Yehey! Marunong na sya magpa ikot ikot! 1 year at 2 months sya dito. Sana di nya mamana ang pagka mahihiluhin ko.

Save the bookstores :)

2012-01-04T18:25:00.000+08:00

Muppet's books

There's a new mall in my neighborhood, I only need to cross the road to get there. Anet and I and the muppet checked it out one night and we were impressed - they got Marketplace and Food Republic and restaurants and coffee shops and we found a lovely toy store selling wooden toys. The muppet even enjoyed walking and running along the carpeted floor. But one thing the mall didn't have was a bookstore, and I think that's sad. I thought I even saw one, a small shop named "Chapter 5" (or 2?) and I thought it's a specialty bookstore but it turned out to be a hair salon :(. Anyway, stupid name.

I remember something I heard from a radio station while I was driving a few weeks ago - that pretty soon bookstores will cease to exist. And I think that the dj is right, everything is electronic these days. Borders which probably was one of the biggest bookstore chain in the world closed down last year. I used to hang out a lot in Borders Parkway Parade, I can just sit there and see if the first few pages of a book I'm eyeing to read can hold my attention and convince me to buy it. Now, the nearest bookstore from my house is Takashimaya in Orchard which is a pain to get to. And I avoid Orchard like the plague, just too many shoppers and you have to drive into these spiral car parks which make me dizzy.

And okay I admit it, I am helping to speed up the death of bookstores. Currently I'm reading 4 books (all at the same time which I think is a bad habit) and 2 of them are e-Books:

1. A brief history of the future by Stephen Clarke - this is a paperback that Simon got me for my birthday last year. He wrote the "Merde" books which I love love love but this book is kind of slow for me therefore it has become my toilet book haha

2. Hard truths to keep Singapore going by Lee Kuan Yew - I've been eyeing to get this book from Borders but they closed down so I borrowed it instead from a very nice guy (local) I work with. I think it's a very good read though I've only read 1/8th of it (maybe we should give it to every government official in the Philippines?), he is honest and tactless and passionate and you can tell how much he loves his country hence this book. But it is hard-bound and it's heavy and I don't like taking it to bed therefore it's my living room book (when Ayesha's asleep during daytime on weekends).

3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - this is a free eBook I got from an iPhone app. One day I went to the Singtel shop to get a replacement for my ailing iPhone (button wasn't working properly) but the queue was quite long and I forgot to bring a book so I started reading this. It's sort of a coming-of-age book narrated by a boy and it's got a pirate in hiding named Bones(cool name for a pirate!) and the promise of a treasure and it's a fun read. I was getting into the juicy bits when Bones was visited by another pirate named Black Dog(another cool name) but my number was called and Singtel told me they won't replace my phone even though it's still under warranty because they can tell that water touched the button's sensor. Bastards. I can pay up 350sgd to get a new set but I'm not willing to pay so much so Simon brought me to a small iPhone repair shop and they replaced the sensor for 80sgd. The iPhone's been perfect since then. Anyway, this book is my queuing book.

4. A dance with dragons by George RR Martin - another eBook unfortunately. I've been waiting for years for this book to be released but when it did get released, I couldn't get it anywhere in Singapore. So Simon got this for me last Christmas and to be honest I like it that I can read it from my iPhone - I can read it in bed without turning the light on so Simon can sleep in peace. And I read it during my coffee break yesterday, and I've been sort of reading it when the red light is on on my drive to home haha. Anyway, it's the fifth book in the series and I've read the last one a few years back so I can't remember some of the characters anymore. I'll probably read the old books again :).

I hope if bookstores must die, then it will be a very very slow death. I hope it will not happen during my lifetime (haha how selfish!). Ayesha at 1 year and 2 months loves her books, every night I read to her "Are you my mother" by PD Eastman and she loves leafing through the pages and I think reading it from an iPad won't be the same (sometimes Simon will read it to her but he changes the story and adds a lot of side comments haha). Her Grandad Jack reads to her "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Peekaboo Zoo!" and "Peppa and George's Noisy Day" and a few more and she enjoys them a lot. So I'm hoping she'll grow up with real books, and that she'll still experience going to a bookstore and buy a book maybe because she fancies the cover or she loves the author or she heard that its good or she's buying it as present.

So if you don't want your favorite bookstore to close down, then don't be so lazy. Go visit it, open any book you feel like reading and get lost in the heady scent of crisp paper and ink and new adventures and whole new worlds.(This is just me psyching myself to drive down to Orchard)

Hello new year!

2011-12-31T18:53:00.003+08:00

It's new year's eve and I've been trying to do some spring cleaning but I'm failing miserably. Simon and the muppet just got back from the barbershop, and the muppet just sat on Simon's lap while the barber was cutting his hair. She even tried to pick some of the hair and feed it to Simon haha. I wish I'd seen it or even just a photo of it. Anyway, she liked the barber and his shaver and his scissors so I think we'll have no problem when the time comes to take her to her first haircut. I wonder when will that be? Her hair's still very short and wispy.

It has been an incredible year for us (getting married finally! and Ayesha turning one) so thank you 2011! :)

Happy new year every one!

Why am I still working??

2011-12-30T18:16:00.001+08:00

It's the last working day of the year and only a handful of people are here in our cold cold office. They're letting us off at 3pm but it seems like time is really moving so slow. To pass the time, I tried to eat this gingerbread man that HR gave us but I felt sorry for it and oh yeah it tasted like cardboard. I remember when I bought my nephew Johnzen a Spongebob Squarepants chocolate lollipop but he couldn't bear to eat it because he liked Spongebob too much, in the end he just ate the edges of the lollipop hehe.


Leave me alone Lala! (I'm definitely bored at work)

Balloon girl

2011-12-19T14:13:00.001+08:00

This is what happens when you give a dozen helium-filled balloons to the muppet:

Simon's reaction is priceless haha

oops!

walking around with the balloon strings wrapped around her

the muppet

Daddy trying to untangle her

It was Zoe's fun-filled 1st birthday party yesterday (we met her parents from a Hypnobirth class). More cute photos later but back to work for me for now. (Hurrah for blogger iphone app!)

Be a man... smoke cigars

2011-12-14T13:17:00.002+08:00

Okay, I admit it, I'm an online shopping addict. I just love it how I can get stuff from anywhere in the world these days as long as you have a a paypal account. Last year while planning my wedding, I discovered Etsy. They mostly sell handmade goods and I got everything from our wedding invites to my wedding dress there. A few weeks ago while looking for a christmas present for Simon, I saw this brilliant and funny pair of cufflinks and I knew Simon would love it. I couldn't wait for christmas to give him the cufflinks so as soon as the mail arrived, I handed him the package and yesterday he was happily wearing them.

I got them from noveltycufflinks for 13sgd and they offer free worldwide shipping. Perfect! :)

To pierce or not to pierce

2011-12-12T14:17:00.001+08:00

"Hello little boy!"

"Cute baby boy!"

"Boy or girl? Really she's a girl? Oh looks like a boy to me.."

So these are just some of the comments from strangers that Ayesha get sometimes, sometimes even when she's wearing pink or a dress. So what if she's still a bit bald and most of the time I dress her up in leggings and shirts (it's cold in the infant care!)? Anyway, she's happy as as long she gets attention from strangers and Simon and I don't care either. Sometimes we will get suggestions to get her ears pierced so people will know immediately that she's a girl. I don't think that's a good enough reason to get one. There's no rush, I want her to have that choice when she's old enough to think that she wants one. She might drag me or her dad or her friends to get her ears pierced and I'll be thrilled to get her a dainty pair of earrings when that day comes.

She was at a children's day event at Simon's office when I took this photo, a lady just called her "little boy" hehe. And yes, Tita Jao taba was here. Thanks for the Sumatran tiger, Tita Jao!

Raiding mummy's wardrobe!

2011-12-06T14:53:00.001+08:00

This is what I found on my phone today! :) Apparently, while I was still in the shower this morning, Simon caught the muppet pulling clothes from my closet. So he let her have fun inside it while he took these cute photos!

Aha!

Gotcha!

I think she wants to try it on?

Stuck in a 1970's wardrobe (that's how Simon describes my clothes)

Simon has been accusing me that when he met me I own 2 dresses, that's it. But now I own hmmm... let's just say - quite a lot. I even have dresses hanged in the guestroom because they won't fit in our bedroom anymore. And let's not start with all the dresses that won't fit me anymore. So Ayesha if you can read this, someday all these will be yours :).

North east run (or walk - same same leh)

2011-12-05T14:50:00.000+08:00

So I was late again. And I was slow. And I had the worst stitch at 2km. And I walked a couple of times. But I finished it! And okay, 7k is really not impressive but I'll get there. Soon, I hope.

My support crew(Simon, the muppet and Granddad Jack). Ayesha's even wearing my finisher's medal :)

Ayesha meets Yumi (Joey's daughter)

Traffickers without Otep (he said he had to work until morning before the run. hmmm)

So this is our last run for this year, and we're planning to run a 10km for our next one. I was planning to run a full marathon last year (and drag Simon with me) but I got pregnant, I wonder if I can attempt to do it next year? In my case, the best motivation is to sign up for one and so I'll be forced to train. I just want to do it once, see how it feels to finish one. I was talking to a friend just now, and he ran the Standard Chartered marathon yesterday barefoot! Actually, he was wearing sandals for the first 20km and barefoot up to the finish line. I guess he wanted to do something different since he was yearly joining that run. Wow right? But I don't know, a girl from work just asked me if I was pregnant again. She said I look like one because I'm wearing this silly dress haha. Hmm I can't think of a better excuse for not running a marathon next year...

Us

2011-11-30T10:40:00.001+08:00

One rainy tuesday morning, I was still sleeping when I got this call from Jao:

Lala: Hello? Jao? Why are you calling me at this time??? What time is it? Where are you? (still very disoriented)

Jao: What? Why are you still sleeping? Wake up! It's 7:30! Anyway I called you even though it might kill me because I'm listening to the radio and they're playing your wedding song. Hehe can you hear it? (She's driving, by the way. And I think she was giggling.)

Lala: Yes, I can hear it! (I can hear Regina Spektor singing "Us" in the background) Okay, concentrate on your driving and let me go back to sleep! Thanks for calling! Mwa!

I wasn't able to go back to sleep because I was gonna be late for work. And that call woke me up, I love getting out-of-the-blue phone calls like that. Sometimes I even get a phone call/text from her when there's a full moon or when she's wearing a shirt I made fun of previously (it was floral and had lace and ruffles and feathers so she deserved it!).

Anyway, I was driving the other night when the radio played "Kiss me" by Six pence none the richer. The band played this song on our wedding too when my mom and Simon's dad and Ayesha and all the flower girls/ page boys/ bridesmaids/ maid of honor were walking down the aisle. It might sound cornball and all, but it was one of the happiest days of our lives. So I don't know what's stopping us from watching our wedding video. It was shipped via Fedex from Boracay and arrived 2 weeks ago, but now it's just sitting next to the TV. The videographers sent us an edited 1-hour video of the wedding and 8 unedited DVDs! They even made a great job with our on-site video, at the start Simon & I didn't want to get one(we were cringing at the thought of forcing everybody to watch me apply make up or Simon putting on his pants etc) but my maid of honor Jao convinced us on the day before the wedding to get it. Simon even chose the song ("Us") to be used for the video on the wedding day itself.

So here's our wedding onsite video that until now still makes me smile, even Ayesha loves watching it! By the way(if you weren't there at the wedding), at the start of the video I was shouting "Ay no! Not yet! Sorry!" because I got carried away that I kissed Simon after saying my wedding vows. Then I remembered I wasn't supposed to kiss him yet. Hehe.

Call me Sugar Puffs

2011-11-29T10:32:00.001+08:00

It's tuesday morning here at work but you won't hear anything except me munching my Sugar Puffs. Yum! I was buying diapers and baby food last Sunday at Cold Storage Siglap when I saw boxes of it in the cereals section. Of course I had to get them, and bought 3 boxes. I was pregnant when I first tried these yummy sweet puffed wheats, I think I finished 1 box in 2 days. After that 1 box, I couldn't find Sugar Puffs anywhere in Singapore anymore and I was always disappointed whenever we go to the supermarket. So now I know where to get them yay! Even Ayesha likes them, I left an open box on the floor last night and her granddad caught her snatching as much puffs as she can fit into her chubby hands.

Anyway, everyone's at the company townhall meeting except me because I have to finish something so I was excused. So back to work now...

Diving? Don't forget to bring petroleum jelly!

2011-11-24T11:50:00.001+08:00

So I didn't take this amazing photo, but I saw something like it 2 weeks ago in Bohol. Actually, in my mind what I saw was more impressive than this. It was our first dive in the very rich and healthy coral reef of Balicasag dive site, visibility was good, we've already seen a few turtles and a lot of colorful tropical fishes when we just bumped into this huge tornado of jackfish. They were feeding, and didn't care that we were so close to them. I was so happy and started clapping and when I looked at Simon - he was already doing his happy dance. I used to bring an underwater camera on our dives, but I've decided to just enjoy the dive on our recent ones. I sort of regretted not bringing it but hey we've seen it! And if we want to see it again, we'll just have to go back to Bohol!

Anyway, as usual I got seasick again and started getting dizzy when we were doing our safety stop. Once we surfaced the water, I threw up my fried corned beef breakfast. I always assume I'll outgrow my motion sickness but now I think it will never go away so Bonamine should be on my to bring list together with petroleum jelly for every dive trip. And yes, back to the title of this post - I always have this problem with my unruly hair getting inside my mask. I tie it and clip it but some hair will escape and try to unseal my mask. Well, in our dive boat I saw this girl asking her husband to apply petroleum jelly to her hair along the sideburns and just about anywhere near the mask. I read some divers with mustache use this technique as well so water won't seep into their mask. I'll definitely try this next time.

Let's get physical!

2011-11-18T13:54:00.001+08:00

Dear Abs,

It's been a year now since I gave birth, but look at you - you are still flabby! Last week on the beach, you didn't look cute at all. Even carrying Ayesha while in my swimsuit couldn't hide you anymore - you were just all over the place. I want my old toned abs back!

-L.

PS
And I also want my old belly button back, this one still looks weird.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, now that the little one is not so little anymore, it's time to go back to my old workout routine. I used to workout 3x a week on average but now I just don't seem to have the time anymore. And I'm lazy. And it's so much fun to spend time with Ayesha than work my butt off.

I know I have to make time for it or I'll never shake off this extra weight. And I used to genuinely enjoy cycling/swimming/running/yoga so it should be easy to just tie my hair back, wear the now-quite-tight dri-fit clothes and just do it. Well, 3 months ago I got the chance and the much needed push when our company sponsored me and 3 guys at work to join a charity 5k run. For 2 months before the event, we were running at least twice a week and I almost felt normal again. I would get thursday nights and weekend mornings to run while Simon baby sits. (He gets friday nights to go to the pub so he's happy too.)

Our target was to finish the 5k run in 30 minutes but 2 weeks before the run, I adjusted my target to 35 minutes. Even before getting pregnant anyway I was a slow runner. I can only finish 10k in 1 hour 15 minutes before, so 5k in 35 minutes is a pretty decent time for me. The day of the race came, and I went for a quick toilet break first before stretching but when I came back they've already started the race! So I just ran after them without even stretching haha. It was a fun morning though, and even if I started slow I tried to sprint to the last 1 km and overtake a few runners. One girl took up my challenge and we raced up to the finish line, we even gained some applause from the crowd. It was a nice surprise then when I saw that the girl was Gea, a kababayan I climbed with on a few mountains in Malaysia.

Red bull & banana to jump start the day

The bonggang bonggang traffickers (traffic team runners). Probably too much picture-taking at the start that's why I didn't have time to stretch

"Bakit masikip sa 'kin? Atska nakakasakal?" Otep was asking Nilo why his event shirt felt too tight on the neck. He was wearing his shirt wrong way round haha.

running buddies Nilo, Joey & Otep

Fast forward: we got too excited after this run so we immediately signed up for another run. We chose a 7k run and it's gonna be this Sunday already. I didn't get to train at all though (Ayesha got sick, and we went back to Philippines for her birthday, and it's raining everyday in Singapore and you can't run in the rain or you'll get sick, etc etc etc), my last run was more than a month ago and it was the 5k charity run. So we'll see this Sunday, maybe if I suffered enough, the fats in my tummy will just die and melt away.

And she's off!

2011-11-12T23:23:00.000+08:00

Yay she can walk! She's 1 year & 5 days here

baby steps

2011-11-12T00:18:00.001+08:00

Ayesha practicing walking at the very green Marina Barrage with Simon and my mom

Her bedtime is supposed to be 8:30 but she didn't want to sleep yet. At first, she wanted to play and then she decided to practice walking on the bed. She could only make 2,3,4 steps at the start but in the end she made 5 steps on her own! She's still too scared to walk on the floor but I think it won't be long now - a week or two and then she's gonna be off and running.

happy friday!

2011-11-11T14:32:00.001+08:00

This photo was taken exactly 2 months ago at Bukit Timah Saddle Club when we celebrated Ayie's birthday. It is one of my favorite photos of her, she just looks so happy! I'm certainly looking forward to this weekend because the past few days with Ayesha have sapped all my energy - just imagine being vomited, pooped, peed at and cleaning up all the mess as well. Anyway if I had a tough time, poor kid must have had the worst week ever and it was her birthday! We've also finally experienced being the parents of a wailing baby on a plane and we were traumatised! She had diarrhea and she was tired and she pooped and it leaked on Simon's pants and she HATES having her nappy changed - anyway you get the picture. I used to think it annoying when I find myself sitting next to a crying baby on a plane but now that I have Ayesha, I can sympathise. Okay, I'll probably still be a bit ticked off but I'll understand.

ready!

2011-11-04T22:55:00.001+08:00

sick

2011-11-04T22:46:00.002+08:00

They did warn us that once Ayesha starts to go into infant care, she will get sick. She'll be exposed to more kids thus more germs, and she can even get colds up to 12 times a year! We thought we were ready for it, we said she'll be immune to a lot virus/germs early on. Well, she got her first fever on her 3rd day at school. And I think since then, she almost always had a snotty nose. 3 fevers to be exact, and 2 diarrhea. She's actually at the infant care right now but in solitary confinement because she got loose stools which might be diarrhea. The teacher told me she'll probably cry because she can't play with the other kids, poor kid :(.

What we didn't expect though was whenever she gets sick, either Simon or I or both of us will catch her virus too. Ugh. Sniff sniff.

Ayesha with a cold patch on her forehead (with Lola)

nurse checking her bp at KK Hospital

waiting for the doctor at KK

1

2011-11-03T13:32:00.000+08:00

She's turning 1 on Monday! I didn't want to organize anything fancy for her birthday - no clowns/magicians/kiddie games/balloons/pink everything so we decided to go the beach instead. Her granddads, grandma, 3 aunts and 2 cousins are coming too so it's all good. (I can finally use my never been used Suunto D4 that Jao got me last 2009)

Her granddad Jack just arrived from Burnley this week and he brought loads of gifts from Simon's relatives. This is his second time to visit Ayesha, and last time his luggage was full of presents as well. Ayesha can't appreciate opening the gifts yet but I can picture a few years from now how excited she'll be everytime granddad Jack visits her. :)

the birthday girl

birthday loot!

today

2011-10-18T17:41:00.000+08:00

Nothing's going my way today:
1) My program wouldn't run properly,
2) I just found out I made a big mistake during our deployment last week,
3) All the nice resorts in Panglao are fully booked,
4) It's going to rain really hard soon, and I'm about to drive home and I hate driving in the rain

and then I got this email from Simon with a photo of Ayesha smiling and waiting for me at home. Today's not bad after all. :)