My Sweet Man

I am grateful for having him.

Many times I get incensed or enraged by him.

Many times I get hurt over his insensitivity.

Many times I get angry at him.

But many times, I am grateful for having him.

He has been plying up and down to Marine Parade co-ordinating on the renovation works and waking up fairly early in the morning over the weekends. He goes over early to the new house, buys packets of coffees for my cousins (but they turned up late). He is always thinking of others.

That evening, I saw that he looked tired. Oh. And he still took the time to do my laundry. I ran out of shorts to wear,, I had to borrow his. And he quickly did the laundry in-between takes.

He sent me to the hotel where I attended the wedding dinner and he waited around, went for his dinner and waited for me.

We have quite a bit of fun sometimes.

We started calling ourselves "Kiki Daddy" & "Kiki Mommy".

I asked him to take some pictures for Kiki Mommy (me),, and so he snapped away.

Then he asked, "How about Kiki Daddy?"

And so I snapped a picture of him. Half dressed but all game.

And so ladies & gentlemen, this is Kiki's Daddy.

Grammar Nerd

Janice recommended me this blog some time ago and I do enjoy this guy's humor
http://metrodad.typepad.com/

He talks mainly about being a dad to a 4-year-old.

Then there was this entry about him being a "Grammar Nerd" (entry March 08, 2009)
I laughed to myself because I am also sometimes like that, you know, getting either on others' nerves by correcting their speeches or getting on my own nerves by not correcting them!
The thing is,, my grammer is less than perfect and I am sure I make numerous fundamental mistakes too. I am not the authority, no where close. But, still, I cringe when I hear broken-English sometimes, and I am unforgiving with commercial companies / businesses making grammar mistakes on their prints or websites. I often wonder,, once, someone asked me if a fat person could judge another person for being fat or ugly. She said, if you're not good looking, you cannot critise another person on the looks. She said unless you are very pretty or gorgeous, then you have the right to comment. Err.... that doesn't seem to make sense to me.

So anyhow,, I cringe each time my colleague says "Did you heard me?", "Did you received my email?" I cringe. And they always ask "can you borrow me your charger".

Recently, I was surfing an on-line store which sells baby stuff.

Quote from the webiste:-http://www.pupsikstudio.blogspot.com/

"It has been a hectic week for us at Pupsik Studio! With much excitement, we are happy to announce that our new pouch designs have arrived! Not only do we have more colours and designs this time, we are also introducing reversible ones for those of you who like having 2 pouches in 1!

While design aesthetics have always been important to us at Pupsik Studio, we never compromise on other important aspects such as safety, cost and comfort. All our pouches and made from special durable fabric with a slight stretch and triple-stitched together with one of the strongest and best quality thread available in the market. So fussy we are about the safety of our pouches that we actually sent them to be tested by an internationally certified professional body. Needless to say, our pouches passed with flying colours and has been proven to be able to carry weights up to 20kg without any visible signs of stress." End Quote

Firstly, having a REVERSIBLE design DOES NOT GIVE YOU TWO POUCHES IN ONE!
IT GIVES YOU TWO DESIGNS IN ONE POUCH!
Gosh, DO THE MATH!
You use one side of the pouch on day 1, fine.
You turn it inside-out on day 2 to use it, you're still having one number of pouch.

Okay, so this isn't a grammar mistake, I know!
But it still irks me.

Next;

"So fussy we are about the safety of our pouches that we actually sent them to be tested by an internationally certified professional body."

Sent? If they had only done it once and don't plan to do it again, then "sent" is ok.

If testing & certification is an on-going part of their manufacturing process, then the word should be "send".

ok, ok. I shall not write further.

Ciao.

Earth Day

In support of Earth Hour, (or was it Earth Day?), we were supposed to switch off non-essential lights & electrical points for 1 hour between 830-930 pm on Saturday 28th March. We joked about it cos I'll be at a wedding dinner. We joked that maybe I'll be eating with candlelights. Well, it didn't happen. It was a regular dinner banquet. Good thing it started at 8.00pm, not the usual 9 or 930pm! Nevertheless, it was really a struggle for me to attend. Eventhough I only had to walk from the drop off point, to the banquet hall, and back to the lobby, the pain / ache at the bottom was quite severe that night, despite resting for the whole day.

I don't know how else can I ease the discomfort besides limiting my walking to as minimal as possible.

Cousin Anna said I should prepare at least 5 sets of front-buttoned blouses / pajamas. Good idea but I need to go get them and now I can't really walk too much......... I wanted Marks & Spencer but Val said don't waste $$, go get from the market. Well,,, logical, since I'll only be using them for a short time but I'll look so terrible in them. Well,, we'll see how it goes.

Propping Up

View from the floor

I spent half a Saturday propping up my feet to make the water retention go away.

Luckily it works.

I find it very warm and peaceful just to lie on the matress on the floor.

I looked around the room, it glowed with sunlight and I felt very contented and peaceful.

I like being alone. I am quite a loner really.

Browsing through O magazine, reading about how Oprah struggled with her weight & thyroid issues and how she finally decided it is not about weight but rather, about self-love and embracing optimal health. About some people choosing "Simple Lives", leaving their city homes to live in the forest, about a woman saying how she stopped dying her grey hair cos she does not want to hide herself anymore.

One Updated Look

Not Glam, just One Updated Look.

My Swollen Feet

Oh,,,, so ugly,,,,,,

The effects of being pregnant.... swollen feet.

I count myself lucky that I only get this now...

Bear with it. It will go away.

Meantime,,,, I have ugly feet!!!!!! =(

~*sob*~ *sob*~

Earrings

My collection of earrings.

Mainly hooked, dangling ones.

Why?

Simply because it only takes a second to put them on.

You know, I'm lazy.

Make A Wish Ticket

While packing my stuff, I found some "21" bus tickets in my "treasure chest"

These tickets are a least 15 years old.

When in school, there was a fad to collect bus tickets with serial numbers adding to "21", for an example, if you get serial number 5835, means you add 5+8+3+5= 21. You can then use that ticket to make a wish. We always do this and feel that it is effective. One ticket for one wish.

This is some time in 1987 and I did this till I started working in the 90s (!!!!!) and to think that I saved these remaining tickets, oh I must have been taken in by this magic. Ha Ha.

Pettiskirts

Ai Yo! I love the greens & oh, the sunshine!

Pettiskirts for girls. www.pupsikstudio.blogspot.com and other baby stuff like sling pouches etc.
Mini bean pillows, plush pads, maternity stuff.

Portraits

Artist: Claerwen James

I like pop art, portraits & abstract (in this sequence).

One day, I will paint like this.

One day.

梅阑芳 Mei Lan Fang

The man who brought Peking Opera (Beijing Opera) to New York in 1937.

I am always enthralled by someone who lived through the ages, through major historic or cultural events. For instance, Mei Lan Fang, an opera artist- who lived through modernization, brought the first ever Peking Opera performance to New York, lived through second world war and was born in 1894, pigtail era! That is like one hell of an exciting lifetime. (If you survive that is)

Okay, what did I observe from the movie?

Firstly, revolution, resolution to stick to your guns in times of cultural upheaval.
Mei Lan Fang challenged his mentor in artistic terms. In the past, his acts were limited to silent performance, sitting at a corner and was like a prop character. When he ventured to a slight tilt of his head or by showing his profile,, the crowd went wildly crazy for him. He then challenged his mentor who agreed to have simultaneous performances where the performer with the most sold-out performances is winner. Defeat was too much to bear for the old mentor and he took his own life. Still, he encouraged the young performer to venture. 输，不可怕，怕才可怕。 There is no fear in loosing, there is only fear in fearing.

Secondly, I don't think I can understand the degree of sticking your ego to your passion.
The Japanese general commanded Mei Lan Fang to perform for them, either that or die.
Mei Lan Fang chose to die. He said no one would later on watch a "tinted" Mei Lan Fang should he perform for the enemy. This sentiment is the same with many war heros. But don't they think they should safe their lives so that they live on to contribute? I think we modern people may never know that degree of dignity they have.

Lastly, 悲美
Why do I say this?
Mei Lan Fang was a lonely boy, a lonely teen, a lonely adult. His suppossedly unique and supreme skills were by-products of his loneliness, melancholy, or some form of pining, longing for something missing. When he found his true love, he was all delighted, wanted to go on dates, was a happy man. But his "support system"- the people around him, his wife, his managers, business partners, All thought that it was disastrous. They forced them to seperate. A happy man will not be a good artist they deemed. They think that love will destroy him. And so the lover left him and his life was sacrificed for his art per se. Does it have to be 悲 to be 美? Why is this theme so common across artists of all era and cultures? Does it mean that the general public unconsciously enjoy being sad or see sadness as a form of beauty?

Weekend of 21st March 2oo9

I was out of action these few days mainly because I was having some kind of pain at the pubic bone. The doctor clarified if I was talking about my left and right thighs cos that is more probable to pain rather than the pubic bone area but I said no, it is the pubic bone. He then asked me to point out to him where exactly am I talking about, and so I pointed to the centre of the bottom which is the pubic bone alright. I mean, I did take Human Social Biology for my O Levels and I did score a B3 though I don't think you need to learn the subject to know what a pubic bone is but nevertheless I think the doctor was just trying to be sure he understood me correctly. So anyway, his guess is that baby's head is at the bottom hence the pressure and true enough, it is. Which is a good thing and that he said baby's head is quite big, hence the pressure again, which I think is expected, given that both Brendan and I have averagely bigger heads too. And I do hope that Kiki (baby's baby name) will make good use of the bigger brain mass and be cleverer and more intelligent than either of us. So as I was saying, I had to restrain myself from walking too much or even sitting upright for too long cos sometimes the pain is quite severe that I have problem lifting my legs to put on my pants. Given that I am so used to moving about, this self-imposed constraint takes some getting used to. Can you imagine I gave up shopping on Thursday just after 30 mins of walking, and to think that I took a cab home too. So, come Friday, I was homebound and been watching the stack of DVDs that Val loaned to me. I watched them over the laptop though, cos my TV is going kaput and has black lines across half the TV screen. It has been raining more than cats and dogs given the relentless lightnings and thunders, I talked to Kiki to let her hear my assuring voice over the thunders at the background. The rain recently is very severe, it unplugged over 20 medium sized tress at Jurong and the ironic thing is that at other times, the weather is so humid and dry that we perspire a lot. The adverse effects of global warming that was once a textbook theory is happening at our backyard. 

Oh ya, met up with Steph for dinner last night. Did some catching up and she's also having a baby girl this year! It'll be her second girl and she's due in July I think. 

Today is painting day at our new flat. you know, as much as we try to cut down on the renovation, it is still gonna cost a substantial amount, but like I've told Brendan, we'll just do whatever's necessary and whatever we can squeeze in, then leave the rest to phase II. The contractor we've got is really slow with the work and I guess we will have to give him some pressure to get going. He has only removed the kitchen cabinets and nothing else much in the 2 weeks that passed. We really need to complete all works in the next 2 weeks as I still need some time to get settled in before Kiki comes along and I have a hunch that she might be early. Whatever the case, I hope baby can wait a while more cos she has to gain some more weight. Talk about that, I'd better go get dinner. Anyway, we also need to get used to living in the new flat at least, and I've got to go collect all the baby stuff that my friends are handing down to me. The crib, the clothing, they all need to be washed don't they? And I still do not know what else I need to prepare....... gosh, talk about being last minute. So anyway, today is painting day and my brood of cousins had volunteered to help. So there they all are and I'm at home. I feel like I'm missing out some fun though. Well,,, really grateful for their helping hands. 

The case of Hoodwinking the human mankind

There was drama in my office last Friday & part II on Monday.
It affected the office atmosphere and I was rather upset for 3 days.
Today, I decided it was unhealthy for me to be occupied with this, hence I did a sketch to express how I saw what happened.
I am appalled by how a person could come up with trickery and how some others would be hoodwinked. Emotions ran high, but due the refusal to talk in an open manner, they continued to be deceited.

Well, I have pinned the sketch on my pedestal prominently.
For anyone who may get the message.

You know,, in the olden days where the commoners would be beheaded for commenting about the king, they embed their messages in the forms of songs, poems, idioms, puppetry, paintings, dramas & nursery rhymes.

Picture Like This

I like picture like this.

Last week, I read about a nobel man,,,,, who according to the article is an artist.

He runs free painting & art workshops for ex-prisoners, HIV patients, unemployed, the destitute. He says art is a form of theraphy, which i fully agree and applaud. What i had to "party-poop" here is that the things he does for those people are not art! Come on,,, painting on clay or wooden templates on mass fabricated materials are what,,,, art & craft. Not art. He went on to say about how he also consults his teacher from Paris etc. If that piece of thing did not stir or intrigue you,, how can it be loosely called art. (note that i didn't end with a question mark)

Of course his efforts goes a thousand miles, but it is not art.

TV from the 70s

Someone threw away an antique TV set at the lift lobby area.

My uncle used to have something similar but it was a more modern-looking Aiwa brand if I remember correctly. There is a shutter in the front that could be locked. I think it was because in the past, watching programmes from the TV was a luxury and was a controlled activity. Or else I can't think of the use of having the shutter. Oh,, maybe it was to keep away dust.

I wonder why did my neighbour keep this apparently broken TV for at least two decades before discarding. (there are cobwebs on the frame). Maybe he has just cleaned out his house.

Weekend of 7th & 8th March 2009

Lunch at Khansama- Norris Road (Serangoon)

Pam & HJ

There are many friends on wait-list to have dinner with me........

I have to do it one at a time..

On schedule:-

Pam- 7 Mar

PW- KIV

Steph- trying to squeeze a date. 13th? Got to work on 14th....

Val & A- trying to squeeze a date,,, maybe 20th

MH ex-colleagues- 21 Mar

PH's daughter's wedding dinner- 28 Mar

And I have lots of running around to do too..

Saturday **

Went to CityGas to try and get a cooker-oven. People tell me the cost is about $600++ but they are outdated. Cookers are now $800++ to over a thousand dollars. We've checked like four different stores and they are all that price range. Guess what, Mustafa has the best prices. So, we're getting our cooker stove from there, along with 3 nos. Mistri Standing fans, (no budget for air-con!), 1 no. washing machine, 1 no. refrigerator and 1 no. instant water heater.

Met Pam for morning tea while we wait for HJ to finish her "whole brain development" class and Abacus class at Delphi Orchard. She still has Chinese Drama & Violin at NAFA in the afternoons. Not forgetting swimming on Sundays. Wow, that girl's schedule is full but she enjoys it.

Then, we headed to Little India for lunch cos Bren & I were going to Mustafa to survey the price for the electrical items we needed. Pam brought us to this Tandori restaurant and I fell in LOVE with its tomato soup! I loved it so much, I asked Bren to bring me there again on Sunday to have it. Only this time the captain forgot my order and when I reminded her,,, she said I did not order it!!!!!!!! You cannot disappoint a pregnant woman on food!!! It is terrible. I didn't get over it even after my evening nap! I did not have the soup back ordered because I was already full by the time I realised it was not coming. I could only blame myself for not asking the captain to repeat my orders. Lesson learnt!

** Sunday

3 groups of people came for house viewing in the morning. Thankfully the agent arranged for all of them to be present at the same time. They were all young couples and from the look of it,, they were just scouting.

Then it was that disappointing non-appearance of the tomato soup episode.

Then,,, while we were out of the restaurant,,, I had a vein in the womb that became painful. So painful that I couldn't walk further. SOS,, headed straight for home. Took a nap and woke up fine. I think baby in the tummy is growing, hence the pressure. So,,,,,,, I should better rest as much as I can. No more galivanting?

What I do with my i-pod Touch

I've recently bought some lessons on baby signing on-line. I'm learning to sign the alphabets, and later on some food signs and 2 nursery songs. I am just gonna explore whatever I read or come across for early childhood education and have fun as I go along.

I play a round of Checkers almost every day too.

I don't play Chess,,, it is too sophisticated for me. I am not a sophisticated learner and I tend to give up quite easily too. So, Checkers is good enough for me.

It is not very fun playing with the computer because it is very adamant in winning. If we are at a dead-lock stance, it will go on and on flying its only King to and fro until you, - the more sensible one of the two, give up or end the game.

I now train my brain muscle to re-think a little by reversing the chess board, instead of moving forward to win, I move inward to win. Don't underestimate this small chage in view, your brain will have to re-wire a little and still form its winning strategy.

Arcade Games Alike

To keep my reflexes in check, I play these arcade games,, like shooting bubbles and making hamburgers while the clock is counting down, ticking away.

Not Daytona

Well, this is not as exciting as Daytona but for a hand-held device, the motion is smooth and given that this easy mode is downloaded for free, I must say it is above satisfactory for me.

I have lost the confidence & skill to drive for real, it is something that was suddenly switched off in me and I couldn't get it back. Plus I have given up on myself already. So, until the unlikely event that my skills are rekindled, I will have the cheap thrill with racing games instead.

Doodle Kids

I am quite simple when it comes to games & applications.

I think I am still quite kiddish.

This is like a blank sketch board, you just let your fingers do the drawing.

Instead of a common pen or crayon effect, the lines that you form are in a string of stars, shapes, asterix, arrows, symbols; of varied colours.

To clear the sketch board, you just have to shake the screen.

I was told that this software was written by a 9-year-old Singaporean boy, for his little sister.

Wow.

Geometric Circles

I like to look at this application in the dark, especially at night, in bed. The glowing techni-colours are very attractive and I often gaze at them.

With the i-pod touch, you can use your fingers to just expand or compress the circles, forming various geometric circle-designs. With your index finger, you can twirl in circular motions to see the multi-techni-colour changing, and you can draw the lines with your fingers too.

Many of us are reminded of the plastic template we have when we were young, you know, the one with 3 circles template with holes for your coloured pens, you just twirl as you draw to form geometric circles with varied number of pencil lines & colours. Now this is just the more advanced version of what we had I guess.

Exciting New Home

No, this is not a newly built flat, it is old, like 34 years old.

It is new to us, as in, we're moving there soon. So, yes, this is our new home.

Chop-chop, quickly, we're starting the renovation work and got to quickly have everything done in month of March.

Oh, I was so very tired last Saturday. We went over the the flat, there was no stool or chair. I waited around only from the afternoon to evening and boy oh boy, was I exhausted. I had to paste Tiger menthol plasters on by lower back and knees when I got home! I was aching all over and I am rather prone to Rheumatism too. Really ought to take care.

Well, although I won't be physically invoved in the reno-work, there is still lots of running around and decision making,,,, so, I'll really be busy these few weeks!

Our Commonwealth Nest

Our Commonwealth flat is being put on sale.

We advertised on the classified in the Straits Times last week and there were a few responds.

Because we are asking for very high cash above valuation, something like $50,000 cash,,,, there were only three viewings we conducted over the past 4 days. There is an offer made today but I don't think we will take it. Let's be patient and find that happy, willing buyer currently at large.

I will miss our commonwealth flat for sure, cos it's where it all started. But I shall just retain all the great memories and move on with my life. To make matters seem a little worse,,,,,,, there is this new neighbour on the ground floor, she is from Philippines and she has a twin son & daughter and she is expecting another baby in April. Several of my neighbuors gather at the lift lobby's sitting area which is outside her house. They have been doing that often and chit chatting. Every time Bren & I come out of the lift,, they tease us,, like "oh so loving." etc etc. They are very excited about me expecting a baby and they always say "oh, bigger already hah?" pointing to my stomach. Makes me wonder why this sweetness comes at this time when we're gonna say goodbye =(

Well,,,,,,, we can visit them as and when I guess. Or at least for now, I just ought to just savor the moment.

The Painting's Up Again

Okay, let's see.

Brendan's father is working-in-progress on the wall in his living room.

Can you somehow picture what he has in mind?