Mother's Day

 

When it comes to expressing love and gratitude for mom, where does one even start?

Waiting for love

On a wet and tiring Tuesday, J waits for me in the drizzle right across my office.

This is how I 'survive my time in the cell' - looking forward to the end of the day when I get to see J after work. Unlike most people who suffer from Monday blues, I find Tuesdays the hardest and J knows this.

Technically it's not my birthday

This is the birthday cake that got cut up before the birthday song was sung and the birthday girl got to make a wish. No, seriously, I kid you not.

And the conversation that took place?

You cut the cake??
Ya.
But you haven't sung me the song and I didn't get to make a wish!
Oh... (Pregnant pause) But it's not your birthday yet. Your birthday is tomorrow.
So am I getting a cake tomorrow?
Nope. This is it.

?!?!

Happy 36th birthday to me in advance. I wish myself good health and lots of joy in the coming year!

April

came and went and boy am I glad!

The month saw me busy right from the start. Deadlines were impossible but continued to stream in like nobody's business. At least once a week, I slept at 4 am on a work day. While I know many people who can survive on just a few hours of sleep regularly, I can't. I turn 36 in 2 days time but I still need at least 8 hours of sleep daily. 10 hours if possible!

Thanks to the crazy work schedule, my body took a beating and I fell terribly ill towards the end of April. Even on the 2 days I was on medical leave, I was pushed to produce 2 separate piece of work. No, it's not the cure to cancer but for some inexplicable reason, the papers were important to the people who set me the 24hour turnaround deadline.

The end results? 2 pieces of work produced, 2 trips to the clinic, 3 days of medical leave, 7 types of medicine and 1 pregnancy test.

The last was a shocker. Pregnant?! Are you kidding me? I haven't even the time to  sleep, much less get pregnant. But the good doctor insisted on playing it safe. He thought it was weird that I was feeling so nauseated all the time and got even more worried when he found out that the last menstrual cycle was unusual. I told him it was probably a bad case of flu and gastritis but nope, the doctor was bent on me taking the test.

Of course, I am not pregnant. 

So there goes money down the drain.

But every cloud has a silver lining. J learnt how to cook porridge because the doctor had given strict instructions that I was not to eat oily or spicy food. I know porridge is  not really difficult to cook but considering how he never has to cook it till today, I'd say he did a pretty good job!

Oh and did I mention that I bought a happycall pan for J? He saw the TV ad and decided he'd like to experiment with the pan. I'm happy to eat whatever he cooks with it, as long as I don't have to do any work in the kitchen!

buy buy buy...

This 'Eat cake for breakfast' iPad folio makes me laugh. :)

Back in the uni, 2 colleagues and I were talking about China and poverty over lunch one day. While on the topic of people being so poor and living in such cold climate that they bathe only once or twice a year, I carelessly said maybe there'd be a market there for wet wipes. I mean just imagine the convenience! My colleagues looked at me in total disbelief and burst out laughing. Marie Antoinette, they said I reminded them of her. Rumour has it that the French queen said 'let them eat cake' when her subjects told her that some peasants were so poor they had no bread.

SH and XF, I miss you, my dear friends. :)



This is for travel. Black and white, quite inconspicuous, shoulder carry and roomy, the perfect travel bag. Now all I need is to get my leave approved so I can actually use it!

pin buttons

kate spade pin button, FOC


TMD pin button, $2 from Books Actually

Blurry pics

What I do on most days ...



Bear my fangs Yawn.

How I feel on most days ...



Bored.

Roast meat

This is apparently everyone's favourite roast meat stall. By that, I mean J, his buddies and my siblings.



It's somewhere in Serangoon but I don't know the address.



Apparently glazing with honey before roasting makes all the difference. I think my pictures do it injustice.

The exception

On a very rare occasion, a cute little girl allowed me to hold her hand. *beam*

I say rare because little people don't like me and much less want to hold my hand. I think they sense my fear uncertainty towards them and tend to gravitate towards J who has greater self-assurance when it comes to kids. That plus he exudes more warmth towards them.

Me? I don't really understand them at the pre-speech phase. I don't know their needs and leave them frustrated. If I have to play with them, I want to play fair and not let them win all the time. Apparently, that's not how they perceive play with adults. :P

Breakfast without you

sucks.



In so many ways, on so many levels, I miss you.
I miss going to work with you.
I miss our meals together at the university.
I miss being at work knowing your office is just a block away from mine.
I miss picking up the phone, dialing your extension, and hearing your voice.
I miss going home from work at unearthly hours together with you.
I miss bumping into you in the library, at the cafe, in the canteen by chance and the surge of happiness that follows.

I miss you.

My first Nakamichi!

This is all I can afford for now! :)

Since our dating days, J and I have been taken by Nakamichi speakers. We promised each other that one day, just one day, we will give our home a set of fantastic Nakamichi speakers and sound system!


But for now, I shall be contented with my iPod Nano and Nakamichi mini speaker! Hahaha! :)

My heart goes out to them

On one very cold wintery night in Taiwan, we saw these dogs bundled in thick clothings, raising funds for a cause - Homeless dogs who need food and shelter to survive the cold winter.



Look at those sad eyes. :(



This darling has only 3 legs. He lost 1 in a car accident. :(



All 3 were cruelly abandoned. :(



The dogs were really sweet and did not resist human contact despite being mistreated by human beings in the past. I was so busy stroking them and taking photographs that I forgot to put money into the kitty. Luckily J remembered. :)

Blessed is the teacher who is loved

My favourite guests every Chinese New Year!

These gorgeous people who make an effort to visit me every Chinese New Year turn 22 this year. I taught them when they were 11, 12 year olds. Time really flies. I mean one of them is already married! I have nothing but good wishes for them. In my heart, they will always be my lovely 12 year olds.

The story of a man and three women

These are J's favourite food for CNY. Every year without fail, he buys and eats tons of these. Me? I like neither.


Muay Chee - a sort of sweet glutinous rice based treat.


Ba Kwa (肉干) - roasted dried meat. The Asian version of beef jerky? Just sweeter and juicier. Mind you, not any brand will do, only the one shown in the photo above.

Every year, I'll tell him to eat in moderation. He ignores me every single time.

Enters his mother-in-law who only has to say it to him once how we are what we eat and obediently he will stay away from these food for a good few days. This pattern repeats every year without fail.

My mother-in-law? She joins him in the merry eating! Hahaha!