my legacy to my children

Our 'Second' Honeymoon

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:42:00 +0000

When we got married, Mommy insisted on going for a honeymoon, even if it was to a nearby destination. And we did, going to Kuantan and Port Dickson. Yes, two entirely different locations and we felt like we drove more than we stayed. But it's still a honeymoon.

Then, Pey Gyn came along and we have travelled everywhere together since.

After a decade of occasional holidays together as a family, we felt that we are ready to travel as a couple again, just Daddy and I. So, after some careful planning and co-ordination and getting some free insurance quotes on travelling, we will be having our co-called 'second honeymoon.

We're off to Bali today, and will be back in a week. It's the first time that we are leaving you two behind, in the care of Ah-Mah and all your uncles and cousins. Initially, the idea was met with disapproval and frowns from you, asking us why you cannot come along, etc, etc, etc.

But over time (the planning began 6 months ago), you started accepting the arrangement, and Mommy is glad to see that you're no longer complaining.

Now that your part is settled, it's Mommy who is feeling bad. It feels as if we are abandoning you and going off to enjoy ourselves. And the worry. Oh, the worries!

Will you be ok? Is the transport arrangement going to be smooth? Will the aunties remember to pick you? Will Lik Jun remember where to wait for Auntie Li? Will Ah-Mah be tearing her hair getting Lik Jun to complete your homework?

Most of all - will you miss us? I'm starting to miss you two already...

Imagine not seeing your faces and hearing your voices for one week!

More Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Work at our apartment took a break during the Chinese New Year and resumed last week.

And finally, things are looking a bit more in place.

The contractors have begun work on the plaster ceiling and the electrical wiring and we can start imagining the final product, though still a little hazy.

Against advice given by those who have "been there, know that", we still decided on the L-box for the ceiling and then place concealed lights for soft lighting to our home. Sure, it traps dust and will require constant cleaning and at the same time, the ceiling must not be wiped with a damp cloth (or we risk it disintegrating), but it's really beautiful, so we will try not to regret our decision.

Mommy never bothered to know how plaster ceiling is made. And now I know how it looks like underneath.

And it does look very 'cheap'. So why are we charged so much for it?

The contractor has been a case of so far so good, not quite as demanding as those that we have heard about before. Asking for money before delivering anything, and in the end running away with the money collected. In fact, this contractor, who is a friend of a friend, has been rather shy about asking for payment. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he does not turn out to be cunning in other ways.

A Good Change

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:41:00 +0000

It's been a while since Mommy talked about my work at the office. Mainly because, there's nothing to say. The boss is still the same one, and his contract due to expire only next May. He has been a pain to work with, and not many people will disagree.

The most sore part of having him in the office is his tendency to nag and swear. His nagging puts a granny to shame, I tell you. Don't start an issue or approach him with a difficult situation requiring a managerial level solution. He will start his charts and pull in things all around him to illustrate his point. And he gives sad examples to stress it too. Once, he said "What if Tommy dies?" Tommy is the manager in the department, and when he said that, Tommy was right there in front of him! How is that for being a good leader?

And did I tell you that he swears? The F- word is his best friend. He has no qualms about using the word in his conversations, be it in person or on the phone. And he throws things around too. Stashes papers when he's upset, kicks the dustbin, bangs the window, raises his voice, flares his hands in the air - these are just a normal part of his day at work.

The only good thing is that, thank God, Mommy is spared of the above. But it pains my eyes and ears to hear and see Uncle Tommy being subjected to all his whim and fancy.

The better part is, he's leaving soon. Fingers tightly crossed. When you have a good boss, time flies. With this one, Mommy keep counting the days. And they seem so very far away.

However, strangely, just when we thought he will never change his ways, we're starting to see some positive vibration in the office now.

People are chameleons, I tell you. Can we swear at someone, only to smile and have soft conversations with him the next moment? Well, he can! It comes to a point that I'm not sure which is real and which is fake. Did he fake the scolding? Was the smile genuine? It's like putting on work gloves and removing them, just like that!

But one thing for sure, our department made money last year. In fact, we were the only department to surpass our budget, which is really good news. And it makes Mommy more proud because essentially, the department consists of the boss, the manager and myself. The boss does all the planning, the manager does the sourcing and handles inquiries, while I do all the documentation. Just please let that transform into monetary figures!

Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:39:00 +0000

If it's not messy, it's not called renovations, right?

We went to our apartment today to inspect the work that has been done so far and it was messy alright...

The parquet flooring is totally gone, and some serious hacking has been taking place. Due to the apartment rules, all debris are to be packed into bags before being carted away. Anything left behind will be penalised in monetary form and the management is holding a deposit for this purpose.

So, things are slowly falling into place and it's supposed to be a good feeling, right? After all, we worked hard for this, and it will soon be called a home. Our home.

However, we are more occupied by minute details like tile selections, type of tiles, position of switches and power points, cabinet handles, type of lights, etc. And colours! We had to be sure that the overall colours blend in well with the tiles and our contractor gave so many suggestions it was difficult to decide anything. We wanted to play safe and go with common colours, but thought about the excitement of trying something totally different, like colourful panels for the kitchen cabinet doors. Hmm...

This is not good. Mommy cannot wait to have all the decisions done and over with so that we can all wait impatiently to move in, and start getting to know our new neighbours, and feel the life of living in Kepong again.

Smoking, Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:48:00 +0000

We're lucky that nobody in our household smokes. Koong-koong used to be a heavy smoker but managed to kick the habit a few years ago. Ah-Gong managed to quit, thanks to knock-off cigarettes which he bought at a discounted price (it was that simple!)

Is smoking something you learn, or is the hate of smoke inborn? Many years ago, a friend offered Mommy a cigarette during Chinese New Year. Since it's the festival season, Mommy felt it rude to turn down his offer, so I took it. And I did not like it at all. So the question is, if Mommy had been persistent and still took a few more puffs, would I grow to like it eventually?

Daddy claimed that cigars like the Rocky Patel might be more acceptable since it contains less nicotine and/or tar (?). Thanks, but no thanks. I have decided on that day years ago that cigarettes and I don't go together.

Safety First!

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:00:00 +0000

This is your first helmet, just for you.

Since moving to KL, you're travelling a lot more on Ah-Gong's motorcycle to the market, on an average of three times a week. Even if Ah-Mah has nothing to buy, Ah-Gong will find an excuse to bring you there for breakfast. In fact, you have become a familiar face in the market, especially among the eatery outlets. And Mommy won't be surprised that you will soon be able to point out to me which stall sells what.

This is a dream come true for you, right? You love motorcyle rides so much that just a joyride around the block will make you happy.

And Ah-Gong is just the right person to complement you. With nobody to fight with you for a place on the bike, it's just grandfather-grandson bonding daily.

Sending CNY cards

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:11:00 +0000

Who still sends CNY cards nowadays? We have evolved to sending e-cards, let's move with the times, no? But of course, it's more for convenience than being personal. There is no sense of being personal when sending e-cards, especially when we click on many emails when sending just one card, so we become very general. Mommy, for one, don't normally keep e-cards. But I still keep cards received from a long time ago.

So it's heartwarming when Pey Gyn asked if you could buy some CNY greeting cards for your friends. After a count, you announced that you needed about 30 cards in total, for your friends from both the old and current school. And you painstakingly penned a long greeting in each and every card, mentioning the recipient's name in the words. Nice!

Lik Jun did not want to be left out when you saw Kah-cheh writing cards for two whole days, so Mommy gave you a few cards for you to send too.

And you decided to send to your favourite teachers - Computer and Moral teachers. Two more were for your classmates, but you would not disclose their names, only insisting they are "boys"!

You are proving to be quite popular among your classmates now. When we pick you up from school in the evening, as we make our way out of the school compound, Mommy often hear your friends calling out to you, and will continue calling out until you turn your head to see them say good-bye to you. Sometimes the kind you will respond, sometimes the cocky side of you will show and you refuse to acknowledge, but your friends won't give up. And their mommy or daddy will urge them to stop as you probably did not hear them. Such pride!

Let The Work Begin!

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:31:00 +0000

With symbolic knocks on the walls and burning of incense, work has started on our apartment.

Finally!

The last few months had been spent looking through quotation after quotation, adding a few items here and taking out a few items elsewhere, all about decisions and balancing our budget against our dream home.

If only money wasn't a problem, we would have started work a long time ago, and we didn't even have to be a nomad like we are now.

But finally, we managed to make a few compromise, both the contractor and us. But still, if Koong-koong had know how much we are blowing away for renovations, he will probably launch into nag mode. Why Koong-koong, you may wonder. Well, haven't you heard? The more money a person has, the more a miser he will be. And that is what he is exactly. He's very careful about spending money and if there is anything that he can DIY, he will DIY. Unfortunately, he could not DIY a bypass, so he had to spend quite a fortune on his surgery almost three years ago.

Anyway, in approximately two months, we should be talking about a housewarming party.

Yay!

You're Both Eating (Too) Well

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:56:00 +0000

While some parents about their children not eating enough or underweight, Mommy don't have this problem with you. In fact, you are both eating a tad too much, sometimes.

We know that Pey Gyn is approaching puberty (some of your friends have already got their first menstruation) and perhaps that is why you need a lot more energy than before, so you're eating more than usual. But helping yourself at the dinner table every time someone eats there is quite eye-raising, don't you think? It's more obvious if Ah-Mah happens to cook your favourite dish, and you will take every opportunity to pick at that particular dish.

The person most verbal about this is Be-Zhe, who is known to have a phobia of fats and thinks anyone who has a bit of extra meat needs diet aids to be beautiful.

But that aside, Mommy feel strongly against anyone attacking the dinner table when someone is eating there, so I gave you a piece of myself on this matter. If you want, get a bowl and sit down in the proper way. That will be more acceptable to me.

Lik Jun, meanwhile, is also a big eater. You can down a bun just an hour after a sizeable bowl of dinner and soup, and can still accomodate a bottle of milk before bed time. Sometimes, we worry that you're eating too much for your own good. There are times when you eat too fast for your tummy to register you're filled up, only to complain afterwards.

And the big question remains - how come you're still so skinny? Where did all food go?

Story Of My Height

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:14:00 +0000

For the record, Mommy have always been short. In fact, I stopped growing at the age of 15. Upwards, that is. I'm still growing sideways, unfortunately. Thanks to an almost non-existent active life in sports and genes inherited from Poh-poh, I stand at just 5 feet tall. Not flattering at all, and Mommy hope that neither of you will follow me in this regard.

Although there is this thing called the human growth hormone to promote increase in height, Mommy hope you will not need them.

Right now, Mommy is happy to note that Pey Gyn has reached my nose when we stand barefooted, and Lik Jun is one of the taller ones in your class. With more sports activities, Mommy is hopeful that you won't get the title that my Form 6 classmates used to call me - "kanak-kanak riang".

I Miss My Skincare Regime!

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:32:00 +0000

Since we're bunking in with Si-zhe and Si-zhim temporarily while our apartment undergoes renovations, we have to keep everything simple and to the barest minimum to reduce the clutter in our room. This means having to forego Mommy complete skin care regime, for one.

That means just the basic cleanse, tone and moisture. Forget essence, scrub and mask. One less bottle in the room means more space to breathe. As it is, we're talking five days' worth of clothes for each of us, and by the end of the week, imagine the pile of dirty clothes in the room!

After one month, I think I will need some serious skin id reviews for my face. It's getting congested, breakouts are more frequent and it gets oily sooner than before.

Dad! We need to speed up the renovations. It's way overdue and you know it!

2009 Annual Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:31:00 +0000

The annual dinner is an event that all staff of the company eagerly look forward to. Apart from having an excuse to dress up and splurge on hair and makeup, there is also the lucky draw where everyone is guaranteed a prize.

Thanks to the efficient negotiation skills of the organising committee and the generosity of the management, we got a slightly better allocation this year, allowing everyone to walk away with prizes worth more than the previous year.

In Mommy's 15 times of attending the event from 1994 to 2008, Mommy had been lucky only once, in 2003 when I won the first prize of RM1,000 cash. This year, Mommy got lucky again. Although it was the 3rd prize, it must be the best ever - an aircon unit, complete with installation. Perfect! Just perfect timing.

It was a heart stopping moment when only five names remained and the 5th prize was a digital camera. We already have one, so Mommy silently prayed that the GM won't call my name.

And he didn't.

Mommy sighed with relief.

And then came the 4th prize - 2 nights' stay in an executive suite at the Shangri-la Hotel, complete with breakfast.

At that, Mommy wished my name was called out for the 5th prize earlier. At least, we don't have to fork out extra money for lunch and dinner while we stayed at the hotel. And imagine the packing and unpacking for a stay in a place just 10km from our house.

Fortunately, a driver's name was called out instead. And Mommy later heard that he sold it for RM600. Nice.

The aircon was the only item that night that we really needed. The 2nd prize of a home theatre set and the 1st prize of a 42' LCD TV were wants, not needs. Now, we can buy one less aircon for our apartment.

My Experience With High Heels

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:51:00 +0000

From a very young age, Poh-poh already knew that Mommy wasn't going to grow very tall, so she started me on high heels when I was in my late teens. It was no Christian Louboutin but it was enough to get Mommy hooked on stilettos.

Each time Mommy go shopping for shoes, the heels are a deciding factor. If I like the design, but the heels are flat, I will not make the purchase. Even when Mommy was pregnant, I was still in heels, but of course, it wasn't the usual 3". In fact, I've gotten so used to wearing high heels that Mommy feel awkward in flats, and uncomfortable walking.

Now, Pey Gyn is slowly picking up the interest in heels too. The moment you spot a pair of shoes with a little heels, you will want to at least try them on. Never mind if the colour is a gawdy shocking pink. You must try them. Mommy remember losing a battle over which shoes to buy for you, just because the one that Mommy liked, was flat.

And you're just over 10 years old!

Just Because Of A Bad Sentence...

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:12:00 +0000

It has become a tradition in Mommy's office that we have a monthly birthday celebration for colleagues born in the respective months. And last year, we observed and learned to make the event as fair as possible for everyone.

The glaring fault that stared at our faces were the fact that one or two would only appear at their own birthday lunch, and missing for most of the others. The other thing is that the organiser seems to be the same month after month, with no volunteers to take over her work.

So this year, the de facto organiser set a rule - confirm your participation at the beginning of the year and for the next twelve months, whether or not you appear at the monthly lunch, you agree to pay for your portion of the food and present/cake. And volunteers to arrange the lunch are highly welcome. Seems fair and no room for complaints.

But we were surprised that a few whom we assumed were regular attendees opted out of the scheme this year. And Mommy found out that they were offended by this part of an email sent by a colleague in response to this new rule:-

Plus, fully agree with you that the organising of this birthday lunch on a monthly basis should be rotated.In this regard, my Dean at my Business School in Lausanne Switzerland, Xavier Gilbert,a huge,stern looking Swiss Professor of Economics(who looks a lot like Flavio Briatore, that F1 ex-Renault Team Boss) gave us, his MBA students, this parting advice during our last day there..." Remember, there are some people who just sit back and watch events go by.Whilst, there are those who stand up and make events happen.You decide which of the two roles you want for yourself when you leave this place!"

This colleague has a reputation of being very 'long winded' and always has wise words to add. Which, to some, are very annoying. Now, thanks to him, the monthly lunches will remind everyone of who prefers to "sit and watch", and who "makes things happen". Bleh!

Anyway, Happy Birthday to the January babies - Cham and Mary!

Hemorrhoids After Delivery

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:19:00 +0000

Let's just say, until Pey Gyn came along, Mommy had not the need to look around for the best treatment for hemorrhoids. In fact, I had no idea what they were!

After giving birth to Pey Gyn, Mommy had a serious case of hemorrhoids and had no choice but to bear with the pain. The night you were born, family members began flocking the hospital and every time they wanted to see you in the nursery, Mommy had to accompany them. The only way the nurses would wheel you to the viewing window was to identify the mother of the baby by matching the tags on our wrists.

So, the same thing would happen a few times a night - the visitors walking briskly and excitedly to the nursery, and Mommy tagging along behind them, holding the pain of both the stitches and the hemorrhoids. Up to this day, I can still recall the moment vividly.

If only someone had invented a treatment for hemorrhoids which is not embarassing and invasive back then...

First MC

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:19:00 +0000

It's Lik Jun's first medical leave in the first academic year. This morning, you complained of tummy pain and Ah Mah decided to take you to the clinic since you were also feverish.

As a matter of fact, it's not the first time since school began that you have complained of the same problem. And we could not pinpoint the exact cause of it. To say you were extremely hungry is hardly the case, since you have been eating heartily for the past two weeks.

Every day, we would hear of how much you had eaten before the van came to pick you up for school. A heavy breakfast of a bowl of noodles followed by a bowl of rice about two-and-a-half hours later is quite the norm for you.

Perhaps you had taken too much food, upsetting your tummy...

The doctor examined you and announced that you are experiencing an imbalance of input and output, judging by Ah-Mah's report that you have healthy bowel movements and soft stools, but your tummy is still taut, indicating the presence of stools still stored inside.

He gave you a dose of medication to loosen them, and Ah-Mah related how much poo you discharged afterwards!

We blame it on you for your gluttony, and also Ah-Gong for spoiling you with food. While Ah-Mah is in the market, Ah-Gong would take you for breakfast together and it being the first meal of the day, we can expect you to have a very good appetite. But the next meal, your early lunch is considered the more important meal of the two, since it would be another 4.5 hours before your recess in school. But Ah-Gong protested, and suggested that you have a light lunch instead. As it is now, you literally gulp down your dinner when we return home every school day. Imagine if you had just a light lunch...

One Week Later...

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:27:00 +0000

Just a week after school has reopened and we are already seeing some early signs of wear and tear on Lik Jun's school bag!

Well what can we expect when you don't treat your school bag with love like Kah-cheh does? When we were shopping for school bags, you insisted on a trolley bag, and we already know why.

See how you treat your bag? You pull, yank and tug at it at your fancy. Over curbs, potholes, mud, tarred road and up the stairs it goes, without mercy at all! While other children gladly pass their schoolbags to their parents, you held on to you precious Transformers bag, fiercely refusing Daddy's help.

Usually, on the way home, we would discuss about your day at school. And yesterday, you proudly announced that your teacher has put you on probation for class monitor!

You beamed with pride last night! Usually, you would start whining of tiredness and wanting to go to bed at 8.00pm. Usually, we would try and keep you awake with MP3 players or your PSP, but last night, you forgot all about them.

Class monitor eh? What does a class monitor do? We asked you. Your answer - take books to the staffroom, keep the children quiet.

We suspect you might make the loudest noise in class even.

Digging Deep....

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:43:00 +0000

Finally, Mommy is happy to say that we are in the final stages of our planning stage to renovations of our apartment.

We have narrowed it down to just two contractors and Daddy is working hard comparing their quotations, calling them for negotiations and meeting them to fine tune some works.

To have our dream home, we will be digging deep into our savings. All sorts of savings, including fixed deposits, health savings account and even your savings.

Let's hope we will be able to replenish them in time, shall we?

Our Walking Calculator

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:48:00 +0000

After four solid years of weekly Mental Arithmetics classes for Pey Gyn and an investment of almost RM4,500 we are proud to say that it was one of our most rewarding expenses. Mommy enjoy watching you as you do your homework and we sometimes race with Mommy pounding on the calculator and you scratching on an invisible abacus.

When we first began, we had no expectation that you would come this far. And then we began seeing progress when you will tackle multiplications with great ease. We were told that your dependence on the abacus will be reduced as you slowly 'build' it into your head, and true enough, this is what we see now. It's amazing when you can calculate (0.2 + 3.7 + 29.6 - 0.7 + 16.4 - 1.8), (743 x 13) and (544/12) by just moving your fingers and imagining the abacus there.

You're almost nearing the end of the course now, so we couldn't possibly stop right now. We moved you over to a new UCMAS centre nearer to our apartment, and began lessons last night.

We have never seen you in class before this. We would drop you at the doorstep and you would make your way into the classroom. But in this new place, which is really a house and not a shoplot, your class is in the living hall so we could see the class in progress as we filled in the necessary enrolment forms just a few feet away from you.

And what we heard was very exciting. The teacher threw a series of sums verbally in a single breath and all the children franctically worked on their abacuses. There was no time to ask for a repeat at all. Daddy and I looked at each other in amazement. We could not even remember the order of the numbers blurted out by her, let alone calculate them! And we found out later that you could follow, albeit a little clumsy in the beginning because your centre in Rawang before this did not do the same thing. So essentially, it was something new to you.

And you're happy. At last, you're in the same class with others in your level now, instead of being jumbled up with children from various levels. On top of that, your new teacher conducts games like memory tests and speed writing. So there is an air of challenge to keep your adrenalin pumping throughout the two-hour class.

As for Lik Jun, we have to finally admit that Mental Arithmetics is just not for you. We started you at Elementary level about 6 months ago and it has been an uphill tasks for all of us ever since. Somehow, you just cannot get the formulas into your head and your teacher had given advice to practise more at home. In actual fact, we do! But nothing's working and all we felt were just stress. And phobia too. Come Saturday morning, you would whine about having to go for classes, and although you didn't say it, we knew that you didn't enjoy it. At all.

And so, that's the end of Mental Arithmetics for Lik Jun. You're much happier now when you were told that only Kah-cheh will attend classes in this new centre.

And frankly, so are Daddy and Mommy.

Her Gutsiness Puts You To Shame

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:58:00 +0000

Last weekend, Wa-thai-Ma was admitted to the hospital when she suddenly developed breathing difficulties. After three days in observation, she was allowed to return home, but not before being diagnosed as an asthmatic patient and given a huge bag of medication to take home.

When we visited her at the hospital, she told us about how she had contemplated refusing emergency assistance as she struggled to breathe, intending to end her life on her own and not burdening other people at her age of 87.

If anything, being a burden is hardly the case at all. That she can still walk and find her own way to the hospital using public transport is enough to put many other younger people to shame. But somehow, she always sees herself as a burden to her children and her biggest fear is having to depend on other people should she be struck with some sickness that will render her immobile. Her one and only wish is to die a quick death and to have the simplest funeral rites, ending with cremation and her ashes scattered into the sea, without any need to instal an altar at home.

And did you know that she has set aside her own savings for the funeral? That, coming from a lady who used to work in tin mines in her younger days. In Mommy's heart, she will always be a hero in her own right.

The Nomad

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:52:00 +0000

As you adjust to your new environments, so do Daddy and Mommy.

For the time being, while our apartment is being renovated (which, by the way, has yet to start work and it's a story for another time altogether), we have no choice but to bunk in with one of Daddy's brothers.

Given a choice, Mommy would have opted to remain in Bukit Sentosa before the apartment is ready, but school is the deciding factor and unless we are willing to leave our house at 5.45am daily, the most feasible arrangement would be to move to KL for weekdays and return on weekends.

And bunking in with someone is not exactly to Mommy's fancy at all. Not only it meant loss of privacy for us, but also to the hosts.

And when our hosts are newlyweds, it's worse because Mommy feel like we're invaders and a total hassle.

Over and over again, Mommy get the impression that we're not welcome, nor are we wanted in the house. And frankly, I do not blame them at all. It's their house anyway, and it's their right.

But it just makes Mommy uncomfortable and not knowing how long this will go on makes it even worse. And it's taking a toll on the relationship with Daddy.

Mommy get agitated easily and our various conversation sometimes lead to arguments in a very short time. Somehow, all our conversations will end with Mommy sarcastically telling him, "We have got to move out, like, now!"

And then there's the packing to be done every week. We plan to return home every Friday to do our laundry and also to allow Si-zhe and his new wife the privacy that they deserve. Returning on Sundays, we would be hauling the following week's clothes. That way, we will reduce the clutter in our temporary room right now. While Ah-Mah used to haul back one week's worth of groceries when we were still staying in Bukit Sentosa, now it's Mommy's turn to experience that - only this time, it's clothes and not vegetables.

On a lighter note, we travel less. A lot less. For the past two days, Mommy would arrive at the office before 7.15am and it's still quite dark. Office is still closed, and Daddy's breakfast gang is just waking up from sleep.

It's a good time to consider joining a gym. Did I tell you that I used to very good in aerobics? That was eons ago. People don't even call it aerobics anymore now. They call it Bodyvive, Bodystep, Bodypump, Bodyattack, Bodycombat, and what-have-yous.

The Day Went Well!

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:13:00 +0000

You both could not stop talking about school when you finally met in the evening when we brought Lik Jun home!

The first question Lik Jun asked Kah-cheh was how many friends she had made in school today.

That would be a tricky area, understandably. Pey Gyn is joining the school halfway, meaning many pupils would have already found their best friends or formed a gang already. From the time we arrived in school at about 6.50am to the time when your teacher entered the class at 7.45am, you were practically alone and by yourself. Of course, there were one or two pupils like you, maybe from another class previously. But if anything, we were actually more worried for you than for Ti-ti. Nevertheless, we are proud to see that you refused to wallow in self pity and reassured us that you will be fine.

You even decided to try and buy your own food during recess and not pack some food to school. In the end, we found out that you only managed to buy yourself a stick of fishball due to the crowd. However, that certainly did not deter you because you told Mommy that you would like to try again tomorrow.

And you raved about the aircon, which are turned on after recess (for Pey Gyn) and the entire afternoon (for Lik Jun) unless it rains, I think. And Mommy heard these aircons were sponsored by parents, hence the different types for each classroom. And they don't need the school for maintenance. Parents will do them. Not bad huh?

Oh, there's also a wall-mounted TV and a desktop computer to each classroom. Not sure of the usage, but they're impressive enough if you asked me. And, they don't use blackboards anymore. Instead, whiteboards are installed over them. Easier to clean, Mommy thought.

Pey Gyn particularly liked this area within your school.

Some stone chairs for pupils to sit down with a book and read. Mommy suspect Lik Jun is not even aware of such chairs.

On the other hand, you gave us quite a pleasant surprise, already making friends in the first day of school, and telling us some of the things you did in school, some things you observed. Even before we said it, you already decided that you want catered food from the canteen during recess. You had no trouble locating your place in the canteen, but when we asked if you were seated at the correct chair (no. 22), you replied "Almost at no. 22, because there was someone else next to me" We thought that was really cute!

Unlike previous years when Mommy remember taking the whole week off to see you to school, colleagues were surprised that Mommy only took time off to meet you in school. I wanted to see for myself the transition period between the morning and afternoon sessions.

And it was organised mess! There were people everywhere. Those in the afternoon session were required to assemble at a designated place while the morning session students made their way down and then to their respective spots for transport home. That's the time when the entire school is present - students, teachers, transporters, and now, parents too.

As everyone tried to get accustomed to the environment and flow of traffic, Daddy and Mommy shuffled between the two different assemble areas to make sure that you two got in the right queue.

This is the area with the highest concentration of parents - the assemble area for Year One pupils. Some, like you, have both the mommies and daddies around, some even brought along their maids to carry the children's schoolbags, so the number of parents easily outnumber the students.

Asked if you like this school, it was a unanimous yes.

But I also heard that this school dumps a lot of homework on the children...

Mommy's Lil Boy Goes To School!

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:41:00 +0000

When Mommy see this picture, I really want to cry...

We have come a long way, haven't we? Just read this blog entry again and you will see Mommy's point.

Today, you start your formal education, starting with orientation and familiarisation tour of your primary school.

But before that, you will go through some Chinese custom for good luck.

Mee Suah is a must for all happy occasions, and this is definitely one. And this dish must be accompanied by some very auspicious food according to our beliefs. First is the Chinese celery (believed to make you hardworking), and spring onions (to make you clever). Another must-have is the eggs. Not one, but two eggs, for 100 marks.

Well, say what you will, but Mommy will admit to still being old fashioned when it comes to such things.

We spent about 1.5hours in your new school, where you were shown to your classroom, collect some books, pay some fees and then all students were brought on a familiarisation tour of the school, especially the toilets, canteen and assembly area.

While some pupils still hung on to their parent's hands, you were holding a very brave front, walking into the classroom and looking for an empty seat, and even paid attention to what the teacher was saying. Despite seated at the back row in a corner, with noises coming from anxious and curious parents loitering in the corridors, you still managed to catch the teacher's name and what she said about not running to daddy or mommy during the tour.

It was also a familiarisation tour for Pey Gyn, who will be starting school in a totally new environment next week. The school is much smaller compared to your last school, even the classroom and furniture seem smaller.

We managed to settle your transport arrangement on the same day too. Since Pey Gyn will be attending morning session and Lik Jun in the afternoon, our idea was to get someone to fetch Lik Jun to school and Pey Gyn from school after dismissal. In the mornings, we will drop Kah-cheh in school before proceeding to work, and fetch Ti-ti from school after work. And our priority was to secure a private car to save travelling time. In the end, we settled for a van for a reasonable price.

Okay, looks like you're ready for school...

Unfortunate Colleague

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:28:00 +0000

Let me pen down a story about a colleague who was unfortunate enough to end up in a comatose state after a corrective surgery to his hip bone.

Vitjay is a driver, and many years ago, he was the victim of a hit-and-run incident which ended up with him having to undergo a surgery to add a plate and screw to his knees to fix some broken joints.

He was to undergo another surgery to remove these parts sometime later, to which he procrastinated and to cut a long story short, skipped it. Years went by, and he started to feel pain at his knees. And over time, he started limping to accomodate the pain.

Now nearing retirement, he began to fear for this future. He had to continue working to support his foreign wife and a school-going son, but he worried that nobody would hire him because he walks with a limp.

Taking advantage of the company's medical coverage for all staff, he decided to undergo a corrective surgery which requires a "total hip replacement"

The surgery went well, but while he was recuperating, he developed a major heart attack, which somehow went undetected by the nurses at the hospital.

And now, he is in ICU, on life support. Chances are, he may not make it.

Imagine - he walked into the hospital a fine man (albeit in pain) and ended up in a coma after less than four days. And his wife does not know what to do.

We could only emphatize with her condition, and wonder if a Oklahoma City attorney would recommend legal action against the hospital and their staff.

The big question remains - how could a heart attack go unnoticed??

Dishonest Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Mommy) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:07:00 +0000

There are points to collect from the barcodes on the carton boxes of the milk you're drinking now, Sustagen. And many times, we do cheat just to collect that few more points for premium items redemption.

For economy twin packs, there is one barcode for the entire pack, and they paste this over the original barcodes, but we remove the new ones and use the old one instead, because the latter gives us more points. When we submit these barcodes and the staff scan them with a barcode scanner the barcodes function perfectly well and gives us the extra points.

So whose fault is it? Why should we be honest but silly when we could be smart? Not that the milk powder company will go bankrupt if everyone does it, right?

Oh well...!