I really don't know why my friends think I'm "atas" (Malay word for 'upstairs'). Maybe they think it has the effect of upgrading my social status to someone who's very upmarket, which I may find flattering. I admit I do like some things that are expensive, but that does not mean I can always afford them. A friend once commented that no one on earth will believe me when I say I'm not loaded because I'm driving a BMW and live in a 3-storey terrace. Please, for the record, it's not a Lamborghini and it's not a Sentosa Cove bungalow. Besides, owning these things mean I have less available cash now, and possibly in a lot of debt. Plus I only own a regular branded watch and just one miserable pair of Ferragamo pumps (which are falling apart, by the way), and a few handbags. Half of the clothes in my closet cost less than S$50 a piece. It's unfair to label me as atas right? So many women out there have a whole walk-in wardrobe full of Louis Vuitton, Prada, Hermes and what have you!
It was getting annoyingly amusing (or amusingly annoying - sadly I can't decide which), when a 'colleague-of-a-significantly-higher-rank' remarked that he thought I was a spendthrift, lived a high-life and shopped a lot during my 2 years in Shanghai. Hellooo..... I was a poor tai-tai of a low-ranking employee, who travelled in smelly public transport. All the branded goods I came across were triple-A fakes, I did shop a lot, for groceries in the local supermarket, and spent in Renminbi! And just today I was being teased for not knowing Harry Winston! What is Harry Winston?? Who is he? I know my hero Harry Potter, but why would I know what Harry Winston is?? I learnt later, for the first time, Harry Winston is a luxury jewelry brand, whose website has this gigantic hope diamond smashed overwhelmingly into the face. [And yes, towkay, if can, now I also want THAT box (inside joke)]. See, I'm so suaku when it comes to the really atas stuff! What is Lee Hwa and Rolex man??
Maybe I should really feel flattered because people regard me as one with expensive, and I hope, good taste. Afterall, maybe despite my S$50 clothes, I still look pretty presentable everyday. Anyway, maybe I should do some introspection and conduct a thorough review of my past words and behavior to assess if I had fraudulently misled any of my friends into thinking I'm very rich. Sorry guys, to have caused you such an embarrassing misunderstanding! =p
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Chloe had HFMD!
We've had a difficult week. Chloe started to have fever last Friday evening out of the blue and I gave her baby paracetamol every four-hourly. Her fever fluctuated between 38 degrees and 39 degrees and refused to go down up till Saturday evening. As I noticed 2 small ulcers on her lower lip, I suspected Hand Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD), but dismissed it as I thought she could have gotton those blisters from poking herself accidentally with the Vitagen straws. I was also in denial as she doesn't go to school, hardly goes out to meet other kids, so how on earth could she have got it? After visiting the 24 hours clinic at Thomson Medical Centre (TMC) that evening, the doctor sent her home with antibiotics for a bad sore throat. [Indeed Chloe’s throat was very very sore indeed.] Mom started to beat herself up, thinking it was the biscuits she had let Chloe eat the day before.
On Sunday, the fever was still high and Chloe grew more irritable and restless. She was drooling badly, crying and whining, refusing to eat or drink anything and kept pointing to her mouth and said “pain pain”! Usually active and jumping all over the place, Chloe was reduced to a feeble child slumped in the sofa, not uttering a single word. We thought something was amiss and decided to take her for a second opinion at TMC again. On the way there, I noticed very tiny red spots on her palms, and was praying hard it was not HFMD. But the doctor (not the same one on Sat evening) confirmed it! Fortunately, he did not recommend admitting Chloe into the hospital and told us to let it blow over but to keep her well hydrated.
Keeping her hydrated was a challenge. With a mouth covered with sores, she cried in pain every time she tried to eat something (she was definitely hungry but did not dare to eat). It pains us to see our baby crying in pain and there was nothing much we could do to ease the sores. We were increasingly worried as she had not had milk for a few days (sucking on the bottle hurt her tongue), nor much water, not to mention her usual peanut butter bread and macaroni treats. As a last resort, we gave her ice-cream as the doctor suggested, and thank God she ate a fair amount for some source of energy (sugar and milk).
I’m glad Chloe’s better today – although still not drinking much milk, she is eating lots of soft baby biscuits and drinking barley water. Looking back, we had the worst week ever since Chloe was born. Losing sleep from having to pacify a crying toddler who woke up every hour throughout the night was one matter, but going through the heartache of seeing your darling daughter suffer terribly was even more difficult to bear. I really hope none of your kids will have HFMD. God Bless!
On Sunday, the fever was still high and Chloe grew more irritable and restless. She was drooling badly, crying and whining, refusing to eat or drink anything and kept pointing to her mouth and said “pain pain”! Usually active and jumping all over the place, Chloe was reduced to a feeble child slumped in the sofa, not uttering a single word. We thought something was amiss and decided to take her for a second opinion at TMC again. On the way there, I noticed very tiny red spots on her palms, and was praying hard it was not HFMD. But the doctor (not the same one on Sat evening) confirmed it! Fortunately, he did not recommend admitting Chloe into the hospital and told us to let it blow over but to keep her well hydrated.
Keeping her hydrated was a challenge. With a mouth covered with sores, she cried in pain every time she tried to eat something (she was definitely hungry but did not dare to eat). It pains us to see our baby crying in pain and there was nothing much we could do to ease the sores. We were increasingly worried as she had not had milk for a few days (sucking on the bottle hurt her tongue), nor much water, not to mention her usual peanut butter bread and macaroni treats. As a last resort, we gave her ice-cream as the doctor suggested, and thank God she ate a fair amount for some source of energy (sugar and milk).
I’m glad Chloe’s better today – although still not drinking much milk, she is eating lots of soft baby biscuits and drinking barley water. Looking back, we had the worst week ever since Chloe was born. Losing sleep from having to pacify a crying toddler who woke up every hour throughout the night was one matter, but going through the heartache of seeing your darling daughter suffer terribly was even more difficult to bear. I really hope none of your kids will have HFMD. God Bless!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Flu Away....
For quite a long time, I remained relatively sick-free. Two weeks ago, however, I came down with a bad cough and cold. I think the virus must be rather strong because I had 'survived' past a number of sick colleagues sitting in close proximity. When it finally came on me, it was like all hell let loose - I've never needed so many days of MCs in my life. The doctor warned that there was some virus going around, and I should expect myself to be well in 2 weeks, and she was right-on.
In addition to having to exile myself to sleep alone in the spare room for a few nights lest I wake hubby and Chloe with my noisy coughing in the night, I had to endure a few suffocating days behind surgical masks. I was so worried that I might pass the virus to Chloe. Alas, she did come down with a 38.5 degree fever one night, but thank God she was well after a day's doze of baby paracetamol. She still looked like she had fun anyway....
Being a germ-freak, I am very conscious of spreading my germs to other people. I also thought that after SARS and H1N1, people are more wary of coughing and sneezing people near them. As such, I wore surgical masks when I was at a bank (that I was inspecting) where we were put in a meeting room. I suppose my team mates were grateful and understanding. However, on one occasion a bank staff entered the room, and he was immediately taken aback. He stared at me with horrified eyes as if I had contracted ebola, and I swear he was contemplating during that split second whether to run from my presence. He muttered something jokingly, albeit nervously, like whether I'd had my temperature checked or something, dropped the documents he came to deliver and fled. Duh.....
So it appears like surgical masks are still not widely accepted in public. Honestly, when I see someone on the streets wearing mask, I will also take a second look to assess if that person is so sick I should walk 20m away from him/her. I think people should be more open to this very considerate gesture of wearing surgical masks, rather than spray their germ-filled saliva onto others in the MRT and enclosed places like the office etc. Agree?
In addition to having to exile myself to sleep alone in the spare room for a few nights lest I wake hubby and Chloe with my noisy coughing in the night, I had to endure a few suffocating days behind surgical masks. I was so worried that I might pass the virus to Chloe. Alas, she did come down with a 38.5 degree fever one night, but thank God she was well after a day's doze of baby paracetamol. She still looked like she had fun anyway....
Being a germ-freak, I am very conscious of spreading my germs to other people. I also thought that after SARS and H1N1, people are more wary of coughing and sneezing people near them. As such, I wore surgical masks when I was at a bank (that I was inspecting) where we were put in a meeting room. I suppose my team mates were grateful and understanding. However, on one occasion a bank staff entered the room, and he was immediately taken aback. He stared at me with horrified eyes as if I had contracted ebola, and I swear he was contemplating during that split second whether to run from my presence. He muttered something jokingly, albeit nervously, like whether I'd had my temperature checked or something, dropped the documents he came to deliver and fled. Duh.....
So it appears like surgical masks are still not widely accepted in public. Honestly, when I see someone on the streets wearing mask, I will also take a second look to assess if that person is so sick I should walk 20m away from him/her. I think people should be more open to this very considerate gesture of wearing surgical masks, rather than spray their germ-filled saliva onto others in the MRT and enclosed places like the office etc. Agree?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Team Lunch
My very kind Team Leader a.k.a Towkay offered to buy the team lunch to thank us for the hard work in the past few months. At the rate work goes, I wonder if he will buy us lunch every month! Anyway, we headed to Lenas at Bugis Junction, which serves reasonably priced Italian meals. [Given the general austerity drive in the public sector, and on my Towkay's 'gahmen' pay, we paiseh to request for Les Amis.]
Another colleague was raving about the cream sauce carbonara something.... with ham or whatever, so I ordered it. Again, pardon my clueless-ness about Italian faire (see my previous post here). It was rich and creamy the first few mouthfuls, but as it started turning cold, it was all gluey and sticky. I only finished half a plate - well, also in consideration of the trillions of years my body will take to burn all that cream off given the lack of any form of exercise.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the opportunity to lunch with everyone in the team. It would have been more fun if team mates can be more like my friend SL, who doesn't mind posing for photos anytime and at any angle. No one wanted to be in the direction my Canon s90 is pointing, except these 2 sweeties!
My sticky Italian noodles!
Another colleague was raving about the cream sauce carbonara something.... with ham or whatever, so I ordered it. Again, pardon my clueless-ness about Italian faire (see my previous post here). It was rich and creamy the first few mouthfuls, but as it started turning cold, it was all gluey and sticky. I only finished half a plate - well, also in consideration of the trillions of years my body will take to burn all that cream off given the lack of any form of exercise.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the opportunity to lunch with everyone in the team. It would have been more fun if team mates can be more like my friend SL, who doesn't mind posing for photos anytime and at any angle. No one wanted to be in the direction my Canon s90 is pointing, except these 2 sweeties!
YY and HN looking sweet as ever!
After lunch, while we were all fussing about what desserts to order, the waiters appeared with 3 slices of brownies on a hotplate, with a candle each. Little did I realise it was a birthday surprise for me (and 2 other gals whose birthdays fall in May). Of course the singing of the birthday song could sound nicer and more coordinated, but whatever! It was still a pleasant surprise!
Yummy brownie on a hotplate with lots of chocolate sauce....
LOL! I think these extra desserts to celebrate our birthdays went into the lunch tab. Thanks everyone for the little celebration, and thanks to....
The man who paid....
Monday, May 3, 2010
A 13-Year Promise Fulfilled
My family usually celebrates everyone's birthday with dinner. It could be something fanciful or something simple. Yesterday, we had a really simple one for my birthday. Brother-in-law could not join us for dinner as his mother was in hospital and he was on evening shift to watch over her. Both my nephew and niece were sick, on 'quaratine', and kept away from Chloe. So my parents, sis, hubby and I headed down to our favorite kopitiam zhi-char store at Ang Mo Kio to have a simple dinner. It was yummy nonetheless and oh-so-cheap and good!
I claimed my off-in-lieu for May Day on 3 May 2010 (today) and set it aside for a day of relaxation and shopping. Yoo-hooo! This picture below doesn't quite qualify as cam-whoring, but nevertheless it's to be a record of how I look when I'm ahem... 37 years old!
The Promise
The real celebration is to take place today. My hubby insisted on taking me to Dan Ryan's at Tangling Mall. See, I used to be wearing orthodontic braces when I was in the university, which was the time we started dating. To cheer me on with the painful braces-experience, he made a promise to bring me to Dan Ryan's to taste the fabulous ribs after I remove the braces. That was 13 years ago!!! Well, somehow we never got to dine there for whatever reasons. Occasionally, I do complain about that 'broken promise' and how amazing it is we could procrastinate about those ribs for so long. So today, a promise is finally fulfilled!
After lunch, we went to Takashimaya to spend the shopping vouchers that my sister sponsored. Bought a pair of Italian handmade calf leather shoes. I think they are good enough - I don't need another pair of Ferragamos as they are way too expensive! As for my birthday present from hubby, I received it three weeks ago already.... : )
Fried stuff are so yummy.... !
I claimed my off-in-lieu for May Day on 3 May 2010 (today) and set it aside for a day of relaxation and shopping. Yoo-hooo! This picture below doesn't quite qualify as cam-whoring, but nevertheless it's to be a record of how I look when I'm ahem... 37 years old!
The Promise
The real celebration is to take place today. My hubby insisted on taking me to Dan Ryan's at Tangling Mall. See, I used to be wearing orthodontic braces when I was in the university, which was the time we started dating. To cheer me on with the painful braces-experience, he made a promise to bring me to Dan Ryan's to taste the fabulous ribs after I remove the braces. That was 13 years ago!!! Well, somehow we never got to dine there for whatever reasons. Occasionally, I do complain about that 'broken promise' and how amazing it is we could procrastinate about those ribs for so long. So today, a promise is finally fulfilled!
My first visit to Dan Ryan's. Truly American style.....
The must-have baby back ribs?
Was it really finger-licking good and to-die-for? Nah..but it's ok.
I had charcoal grilled chicken.
After lunch, we went to Takashimaya to spend the shopping vouchers that my sister sponsored. Bought a pair of Italian handmade calf leather shoes. I think they are good enough - I don't need another pair of Ferragamos as they are way too expensive! As for my birthday present from hubby, I received it three weeks ago already.... : )
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Avoid the Rain!
My mom called me Thursday afternoon while I was at work, and gave me a strong warning not to get into the rain from today until 28 Apr. She said that her friend read “from the internet” something about toxic rain that’s so poisonous it could cause skin diseases if you come in contact with it. She did not have more details, but before she hung up, she emphasized, almost in a panicky tone: “你千万千万要拿雨伞 har!”
Whoa, sounded like a serious thing. I looked out of the window – oh man, it was about to storm anytime, and hubby would be walking over from his office to my office to pick up the car. Immediately I texted him to convey the message and repeated the "你千万千万要拿雨伞" [die die must take umbrella] reminder. I imagined my hubby’s umbrella sizzling and dissolving away as the acid rain pelt on it, and feared for the paintwork of my car as we drive home. Shudder.
I suspected it’s got to do with the ash in the air from the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, causing acid rain or something. Hubby thought it’s quite remote that the ash and smoke can travel all the way from Iceland, but according to my colleague, traces of volcanic ash were actually found in the rain in Korea?
So I did a quick search on Google – if what my mom said was true, it’ll be splashed all over the internet right?
I did not find any confirmation that we are to avoid rain this week. However, I learnt that fine particulate matter in the ash could cause irritation to people suffering from asthma, emphysema or bronchitis if breathed in. The World Health Organization even said in a statement that the plume (ash cloud) does not pose a health threat as long as the ash particles remain in the upper atmosphere. The ash may cause health effects if it reaches the ground in high concentration, but these are likely to be minimal.
Lo and behold, this morning, hubby forwarded me an email in Chinese that he received, warning people of the acid rain from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. That must be the same email my mom’s friend read. See, the power of such emails causing panic to aunties!
Anyway, with environmental pollution these days, I do believe that rain with or without volcanic ash particles is extremely dirty. This explains why I never leave home or leave office for lunch without a brolly. : )
Whoa, sounded like a serious thing. I looked out of the window – oh man, it was about to storm anytime, and hubby would be walking over from his office to my office to pick up the car. Immediately I texted him to convey the message and repeated the "你千万千万要拿雨伞" [die die must take umbrella] reminder. I imagined my hubby’s umbrella sizzling and dissolving away as the acid rain pelt on it, and feared for the paintwork of my car as we drive home. Shudder.
I suspected it’s got to do with the ash in the air from the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, causing acid rain or something. Hubby thought it’s quite remote that the ash and smoke can travel all the way from Iceland, but according to my colleague, traces of volcanic ash were actually found in the rain in Korea?
Credit: AP Photo/Jon Gustafsson
I did not find any confirmation that we are to avoid rain this week. However, I learnt that fine particulate matter in the ash could cause irritation to people suffering from asthma, emphysema or bronchitis if breathed in. The World Health Organization even said in a statement that the plume (ash cloud) does not pose a health threat as long as the ash particles remain in the upper atmosphere. The ash may cause health effects if it reaches the ground in high concentration, but these are likely to be minimal.
Lo and behold, this morning, hubby forwarded me an email in Chinese that he received, warning people of the acid rain from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. That must be the same email my mom’s friend read. See, the power of such emails causing panic to aunties!
Anyway, with environmental pollution these days, I do believe that rain with or without volcanic ash particles is extremely dirty. This explains why I never leave home or leave office for lunch without a brolly. : )
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Girls Night Out!
I had a fun night out with a bunch of girl friends (who are my colleagues) last Friday evening. I haven't felt so carefree for a while, and I think that's because I was in the company of girls who are at least a decade younger than me! One of them even calls me "Janet Ma-Ma". Hahaha!!
We left office early and headed to Itacho Sushi at Ion Orchard. It was just 6:20pm and already we had to queue for half-an-hour before we got a table! These 2 volunteered to pose for my new Canon Powershot s90, while in the queue.
JJ said the seafood at this Jap restaurant is very fresh, and very fresh the seafood was indeed! Boring me ordered California maki, and we also had some sushi to share.
We left office early and headed to Itacho Sushi at Ion Orchard. It was just 6:20pm and already we had to queue for half-an-hour before we got a table! These 2 volunteered to pose for my new Canon Powershot s90, while in the queue.
JJ said the seafood at this Jap restaurant is very fresh, and very fresh the seafood was indeed! Boring me ordered California maki, and we also had some sushi to share.
An advertisement shot for Itacho Sushi, taken with my brand new Canon s90!
SL took this shot of the tea cup. Nice angle!
My California maki was wrapped in really crispy seaweed. Yummy!
This plate of sushi costs S$27! Wah... young girls nowadays have big food budget....
Very fresh scallop sushi at S$3.70 apiece
It's fun to be out with people who don't shun the camera. I myself am one who avoid because, as mentioned in an earlier post, my eyes will appear uneven sized in photos (and I haven't mastered Photoshop editing!) or look spastic altogether. Here's one which I look spastic, but this was because I was making a facial expression at dun-no-what, can't remember. I think I should still put it here becoz ZZ looked so serene and all lady-like!
The forever camera-ready SL and ZZ who's looking so demure!
Ok, here's a proper one. Us, plus JJ. QY was the camera woman
The girls already had the agenda planned out - we're to head to Marmalade Pantry next for desserts. Again, we had to take a Q-number. Before that next stop, we visited the 'vanity room', for some vanity....
Now we confirm who is the one who is game to pose anytime. LOL! I love SL!
I whipped my camera and take photos here and there, the girls laughed at me and said I was behaving like a tourist who's never been to Ion Orchard. Honestly, that was just my 3rd visit there....
Looking cool and cute at the same time.....
We were actually quite full already but since all the desserts on the menu sounded so delicious, we ordered the top 3 most appealing one...
Sinful choc fudge cake and apple & cinammom spice cake
This warm date pudding with ice-cream had all our top votes! Heavenly!
Well my day had to end earlier because I try to be home by Chloe's bedtime at 10pm. Thanks girls for asking me out - I really enjoyed myself! And seriously, I need to diet liao!
Thanks gals! SL, (me), QY, JJ and ZZ
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New Blogging Equipment
I've seen how other bloggers have been so spontaneous with their photographs and they write fun snippets about their every day life. I want to learn to write more like them! I think having nice photos do help to make the stories come alive. However, my photography hasn't improved much even though I have a Canon D1000 DSLR. That's because it's a bit too complicated for me to operate! Furthermore, due to the sheer size and weight of that thing, it's not convenient to carry the camera with me everywhere I go.
I decided to buy a compact camera which does not cost too much, since we already own a DSLR. Purchased a sleek 10 mega-pix Panasonic Lumix on sale for only S$188 at Gain City.
My darling daughter was very interested in the new toy and kept playing with it. It was my fault to let her have it, thinking she should be old enough not to bite it or bang it against the wall. Alas, on Day 4, Chloe dropped the camera on its lens and the whole thing just could not retract. The warranty would not cover the damage and estimated repair cost was $90, almost half the price of the camera. We made the painful decision to chuck it. That was the most short-lived camera we ever own! Sad...
A replacement was definitely required, and thank God I could afford another one with my April bonus. After some research, I learnt that the Canon Powershot S90 is quite popular and has similar functions to a DSLR although it's a compact camera. I don't totally like the look and feel of it, especially it's cased in a super smooth plastic with lousy grip. But I've seen some beautiful shots taken with this camera on some blogsites and I'm totally sold!
Introducing my new equipment below! I hope to make good use of it instead of letting it collect dust on the shelf. And I will NEVER let Chloe play with it.
I decided to buy a compact camera which does not cost too much, since we already own a DSLR. Purchased a sleek 10 mega-pix Panasonic Lumix on sale for only S$188 at Gain City.
My darling daughter was very interested in the new toy and kept playing with it. It was my fault to let her have it, thinking she should be old enough not to bite it or bang it against the wall. Alas, on Day 4, Chloe dropped the camera on its lens and the whole thing just could not retract. The warranty would not cover the damage and estimated repair cost was $90, almost half the price of the camera. We made the painful decision to chuck it. That was the most short-lived camera we ever own! Sad...
A replacement was definitely required, and thank God I could afford another one with my April bonus. After some research, I learnt that the Canon Powershot S90 is quite popular and has similar functions to a DSLR although it's a compact camera. I don't totally like the look and feel of it, especially it's cased in a super smooth plastic with lousy grip. But I've seen some beautiful shots taken with this camera on some blogsites and I'm totally sold!
Introducing my new equipment below! I hope to make good use of it instead of letting it collect dust on the shelf. And I will NEVER let Chloe play with it.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Gym in my Slippers??
I had been eyeing FitFlops since I first read about it on some beauty blogs. According to some satisfied users, these cool slippers can make your "bum smaller and legs leaner"! The FitFlop footwear is built with patent-pending muscle-loading microwobbleboard midsole technology which promises to increase activity in the muscles involved in walking by 10% compared to a normal pair of athletic footwear. It also promises to reduce knee joints and ankle joins stress. [I bought my pair for S$119.90 at Isetan Scotts.]
It pleases me to think that when I'm doing my shopping, I'm actually exercising and, what a great bonus if I can tone up my bum at the same time! I insisted my hubby buy a pair too (the men's design, without sequins of course) so that when he's shopping with me, he will have no reason whatsoever to whine about leg and back pains!
It pleases me to think that when I'm doing my shopping, I'm actually exercising and, what a great bonus if I can tone up my bum at the same time! I insisted my hubby buy a pair too (the men's design, without sequins of course) so that when he's shopping with me, he will have no reason whatsoever to whine about leg and back pains!
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Most 'Unlikeable' Service People
Are there ‘service people’ who put you off? I’m naming a few categories here based on personal experience:
Facial Therapists
Have you encountered facial therapists who give unsolicited assessments of your facial condition and describe your face like it’s an Amazonian mangrove swamp or Sahara Dessert? Full of grime, slime, clogs, acne, blackheads, whiteheads, dehydration, broken capillaries, sun-spots, age-spots, open pores and what have you?! All they hope to do is to instill great fear in you like you’ve got a face-Armageddon, and so please sign up that $3000 treatment package and buy their products.
Lingerie Saleswoman
I know I’m no Fuji mountain, but don’t have to look down on me (practically), size me up and announce my cup size loudly such that all shoppers within 20m radius can hear. Can do so more discreetly or not?
Cosmetics Counter Girls
When they look up from their mirror whilst at their 24th coat of mascara, you can almost hear them go “Tsk” under their breadth. They don’t know the products well, fail to explain the efficacies of that cream, and still expect you to buy it right after you try out the texture at the back of your hands. Me: “Can we really expect this whitening serum to be able to lighten freckles which I had been born with?” Mascara-coated counter girl: “Oh sure, this product is very popular and saleable!” Huh?! And whenever you walk away not buying anything, you can see the corners of their lacquered lips tilting upwards. Tsk!
Domestic Helpers
It is human nature to be defensive. But I cannot stand liars. Whenever you point out that some part of the house is dirty, they will say “But I clean already!” What a stupid reply. Aren’t you slapping yourself to say you clean already and yet it’s dirty?? And when you point out some lizard-poo that has been stuck to the wall for 3 days and asked how come it’s still there, they will answer, “Oh, the lizard must have just done it.” Hah…. please, you think your madam is stupid?
Secretaries
In my 10 working years, I have not meta single secretary many secretaries who are truly at peace with her job. They are either bitching about their bosses, appearing very stressed and busy all the time, or out-rightly nasty to anyone else. Sometimes I tremble in fear feel really intimidated when I have to seek the secretaries’ help to block the boss’ diary for some meetings. Depending on their mood, you either get a warm reply, or a rude slam-down of the phone. What’s the problem??!!
My secret ambition is to be a secretary one day. I will give all the secretaries in this world a run for their money. I mean, it’s such a cool job – how difficult is it to maintain your boss’ diary, schedule his meetings, book his air tickets, make cappuccino or prepare meeting folders. There’s no econometric modeling involved. These days secretaries don’t even have to take minutes – we officers do it. Why so stressed? I’d serve with a smile and be nice to all my bosses’ subordinates.
I agree with the saying that secretaries are "powerful" people and they control your access to the boss, but that power should not be abused? I personally think a secretary’s conduct reflects on the boss, and I would like my boss to be proud of me. I hope the bosses out there will impress upon your secretaries to try to be more helpful and approachable. And I hope bosses out there who need a new secretary who’s smart, highly organized, proactive, resourceful, helpful and radiating a warm and pleasant personality, to contact me for an urgent interview.
Facial Therapists
Have you encountered facial therapists who give unsolicited assessments of your facial condition and describe your face like it’s an Amazonian mangrove swamp or Sahara Dessert? Full of grime, slime, clogs, acne, blackheads, whiteheads, dehydration, broken capillaries, sun-spots, age-spots, open pores and what have you?! All they hope to do is to instill great fear in you like you’ve got a face-Armageddon, and so please sign up that $3000 treatment package and buy their products.
Lingerie Saleswoman
I know I’m no Fuji mountain, but don’t have to look down on me (practically), size me up and announce my cup size loudly such that all shoppers within 20m radius can hear. Can do so more discreetly or not?
Cosmetics Counter Girls
When they look up from their mirror whilst at their 24th coat of mascara, you can almost hear them go “Tsk” under their breadth. They don’t know the products well, fail to explain the efficacies of that cream, and still expect you to buy it right after you try out the texture at the back of your hands. Me: “Can we really expect this whitening serum to be able to lighten freckles which I had been born with?” Mascara-coated counter girl: “Oh sure, this product is very popular and saleable!” Huh?! And whenever you walk away not buying anything, you can see the corners of their lacquered lips tilting upwards. Tsk!
Domestic Helpers
It is human nature to be defensive. But I cannot stand liars. Whenever you point out that some part of the house is dirty, they will say “But I clean already!” What a stupid reply. Aren’t you slapping yourself to say you clean already and yet it’s dirty?? And when you point out some lizard-poo that has been stuck to the wall for 3 days and asked how come it’s still there, they will answer, “Oh, the lizard must have just done it.” Hah…. please, you think your madam is stupid?
Secretaries
In my 10 working years, I have not met
My secret ambition is to be a secretary one day. I will give all the secretaries in this world a run for their money. I mean, it’s such a cool job – how difficult is it to maintain your boss’ diary, schedule his meetings, book his air tickets, make cappuccino or prepare meeting folders. There’s no econometric modeling involved. These days secretaries don’t even have to take minutes – we officers do it. Why so stressed? I’d serve with a smile and be nice to all my bosses’ subordinates.
I agree with the saying that secretaries are "powerful" people and they control your access to the boss, but that power should not be abused? I personally think a secretary’s conduct reflects on the boss, and I would like my boss to be proud of me. I hope the bosses out there will impress upon your secretaries to try to be more helpful and approachable. And I hope bosses out there who need a new secretary who’s smart, highly organized, proactive, resourceful, helpful and radiating a warm and pleasant personality, to contact me for an urgent interview.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Oh So Osvaldo!
Had lunch today with two of my best friends who are also my colleagues, at Osvaldo Ristorante Italiano along Maxwell Road. My friend was bought in by the rave reviews found on the internet and suggested we have a "glamourous" lunch there to celebrate her glorious bonus. Okay... for the regular office-people, lunching at a happening Italian Ristorante is glamourous.
It was a nicely decorated restaurant, almost homely. The moment we were seated down at the table, the waitress came and offer me a handbag hanger. I have not been offered such a gadget at restaurants before, thus was pleasantly surprised by their thoughtfulness (notwithstanding that it was an "al-cheapo" one, as my friend described).
I ordered some funny hor-fun looking pasta with "duck ragu" sauce whatever that was. Friend 1 ordered tagliate with some pork sauce, which was, according to the waitress, immensely popular. Friend 2 ordered pasta-of-the-day, which was spaghetti in the shape of a thin tube with tomato sauce. Clearly I'm not a Italian food connoiseur so the Italian names don't register with me.
Our food reviews? So-so only lah! My duck ragu was some minced duck meat in soya sauce, Friend 1's pork pasta did not taste better than the regular bak-chor-mee-pok and Friend 2 complained that her tube spaghetti was very salty! Boo!
Being unsatisfied, we ordered tiramisu and warm chocolate souffle hoping for a beautiful finale to the meal. The tiramisu was quite something (*love*) but the chocolate souffle, in my opinion, was somehow overbaked on the outside and did not melt on the inside! Fail!
Well, that cost us S$150 (but lucky for me, my generous Friend 1 paid). Despite the not-so-fantastic food, I enjoyed the lunch tremendously. I always enjoy lunch with these two. Our friendship started from 10 years back, and it's amazing that we can actually find bosom friends at the workplace!
These are the friends that make leaving the organisation difficult. How silly we public service people commonly cling on to the belief that those private sector people out there are so unfriendly, so political and the workplace so menacing, that most of us fear the world out there! I'm not sure if that's true, but having been in my fluffy and woolly organisation for so long, I actually do have this fear too. Or maybe it's a fabrication planted by management to deter people from leaving the organisation. LOL!!!
It was a nicely decorated restaurant, almost homely. The moment we were seated down at the table, the waitress came and offer me a handbag hanger. I have not been offered such a gadget at restaurants before, thus was pleasantly surprised by their thoughtfulness (notwithstanding that it was an "al-cheapo" one, as my friend described).
I ordered some funny hor-fun looking pasta with "duck ragu" sauce whatever that was. Friend 1 ordered tagliate with some pork sauce, which was, according to the waitress, immensely popular. Friend 2 ordered pasta-of-the-day, which was spaghetti in the shape of a thin tube with tomato sauce. Clearly I'm not a Italian food connoiseur so the Italian names don't register with me.
Our food reviews? So-so only lah! My duck ragu was some minced duck meat in soya sauce, Friend 1's pork pasta did not taste better than the regular bak-chor-mee-pok and Friend 2 complained that her tube spaghetti was very salty! Boo!
Being unsatisfied, we ordered tiramisu and warm chocolate souffle hoping for a beautiful finale to the meal. The tiramisu was quite something (*love*) but the chocolate souffle, in my opinion, was somehow overbaked on the outside and did not melt on the inside! Fail!
Well, that cost us S$150 (but lucky for me, my generous Friend 1 paid). Despite the not-so-fantastic food, I enjoyed the lunch tremendously. I always enjoy lunch with these two. Our friendship started from 10 years back, and it's amazing that we can actually find bosom friends at the workplace!
These are the friends that make leaving the organisation difficult. How silly we public service people commonly cling on to the belief that those private sector people out there are so unfriendly, so political and the workplace so menacing, that most of us fear the world out there! I'm not sure if that's true, but having been in my fluffy and woolly organisation for so long, I actually do have this fear too. Or maybe it's a fabrication planted by management to deter people from leaving the organisation. LOL!!!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Long Week End
Recently I visited some random blogs which carry awesome pictures and interesting stories. I am so inspired. I also learnt that some of the photos had been "altered" with the help of Photoshop and that got me pretty interested as well. My use of Photoshop has so far only been limited to cropping, re-sizing and enhancing the brightness/colours of my photos. There is so much more I could do and I can't wait to master the tools!
So, in an attempt to create beautiful pictures to load up on my blog too, I lugged my Canon DSLR out along with my hubby and Chloe to Pasir Ris Park on Good Friday morning. Here's my first wanna-be-artistic shot...
And another one... of some canoes or kayaks (I'm never a sea sports person. Can someone tell me what's the difference?!!!) behind the coffee house we wanted to have breakfast at. Alas, it was not opened, and we were hungry! We decided to make this a 10 minute visit to the park and go find food elsewhere....
Shooting still objects is definitely easier than snapping pictures of Chloe since it's so hard to keep her still for more than 2 seconds at a stretch. Managed to snap one of her with daddy. Notice how she's twisting her leg?
These days Chloe's very into posing. Whenever we say "Chloe pose" as we take photos of her, she would turn her body this way and that, look over her shoulders, and stick out her butt. Pretty much like this:
It's hilarious and amused my parents to no end. I really wanted to upload a post on her posing, but as those photos were mostly taken with our handphones, which are not of very good quality, I need lots of time to edit them. Let me master Photoshop first ya?
Anyway, we left the park and had breakfast at McDonald's nearby. There goes my outdoor photo opportunities. Chloe didn't seem to mind as she had fun "driving" after breakfast. I noticed she likes "driving" a lot. It could have been a passion cultivated by my dad, who used to sit her on his lap in his (stationary) car when she was still a baby. I hope she'll do better at driving next time than Mommy.
Later that day, I visited my dear friend, who just gave birth to Baby J two weeks ago. Ohh... so cute... It was quite funny. On two instances, her confinement lady shoved Baby J into my arms and asked me to carry. She said the moment she put him down, he would cry. Then I realised she wanted me to help carry Baby J so that she could go and clean up the kitchen and boil water, and do whatever chores. Haha... I totally understand. When my maid was "stuck" with carrying Chloe, she could not do any housework at all, and couldn't go to the toilet too!
I enjoyed carrying the little one in my arms. Surprisingly Chloe wasn't jealous (it would be a different story if the daddy was the one carrying the baby).
So, in an attempt to create beautiful pictures to load up on my blog too, I lugged my Canon DSLR out along with my hubby and Chloe to Pasir Ris Park on Good Friday morning. Here's my first wanna-be-artistic shot...
And another one... of some canoes or kayaks (I'm never a sea sports person. Can someone tell me what's the difference?!!!) behind the coffee house we wanted to have breakfast at. Alas, it was not opened, and we were hungry! We decided to make this a 10 minute visit to the park and go find food elsewhere....
Shooting still objects is definitely easier than snapping pictures of Chloe since it's so hard to keep her still for more than 2 seconds at a stretch. Managed to snap one of her with daddy. Notice how she's twisting her leg?
These days Chloe's very into posing. Whenever we say "Chloe pose" as we take photos of her, she would turn her body this way and that, look over her shoulders, and stick out her butt. Pretty much like this:
It's hilarious and amused my parents to no end. I really wanted to upload a post on her posing, but as those photos were mostly taken with our handphones, which are not of very good quality, I need lots of time to edit them. Let me master Photoshop first ya?
Anyway, we left the park and had breakfast at McDonald's nearby. There goes my outdoor photo opportunities. Chloe didn't seem to mind as she had fun "driving" after breakfast. I noticed she likes "driving" a lot. It could have been a passion cultivated by my dad, who used to sit her on his lap in his (stationary) car when she was still a baby. I hope she'll do better at driving next time than Mommy.
Later that day, I visited my dear friend, who just gave birth to Baby J two weeks ago. Ohh... so cute... It was quite funny. On two instances, her confinement lady shoved Baby J into my arms and asked me to carry. She said the moment she put him down, he would cry. Then I realised she wanted me to help carry Baby J so that she could go and clean up the kitchen and boil water, and do whatever chores. Haha... I totally understand. When my maid was "stuck" with carrying Chloe, she could not do any housework at all, and couldn't go to the toilet too!
I enjoyed carrying the little one in my arms. Surprisingly Chloe wasn't jealous (it would be a different story if the daddy was the one carrying the baby).
Monday, March 29, 2010
Dreamt of Lift Again....
It has happened again. I dreamt about being in a lift. I was in a glass lift at a unknown MRT station, which served B2 to Level 3. I wanted to get out of the station but the lift went all the way up and opened its doors at Level 3. I stepped back, wondering which button I was supposed to press to get to the correct floor. In the dream, I did not know if Level 1 or 2 was where the exit of the station was.
This is the third time in recent years that I dreamt of being in a lift. Coincidentally, the previous 2 times happened when I was making career choices. In one of the dreams, I recall, I was in my office lift which sped all the way up to 56-storey (my office building has only 30 floors) and it moved laterally out of the lift-shaft and floated in the air! How strange! I checked for interpretations of such dreams, and read that I could be seeking directions in my life and was confused. How apt!
I did a quick search on Google again this afternoon and here's what I found....
"...Commonly, these types of dreams occur in females between the ages of 30 and 40. This dream is associated with you trying to accomplish something in your life. This may be connected to your career or alternatively a relationship; in order to find the true meaning of which situation is bothering you it is important to think about what is worrying about in your waking life.....
This dream is a sure sign that you are spiritually being grounded. It’s time to come back to reality in life. If the elevator or lift is not working correctly then this shows the emotions you hold have become out of control. As mentioned in the opening paragraph above this dream is popular in regards to your work or career life. Maybe you are feeling stuck in a job? If you do not know what floor you actually want to go to or are confused about how you're going to get out then this indicates that the future is not clear. It is important to step back in a situation and reconsider and evaluate your profession...." [Extracted from www.auntyflo.com]
Yup yup yup!!! Accurate to the dot! I need to step back and consider my life now. So many uncertainties in the months ahead!
This is the third time in recent years that I dreamt of being in a lift. Coincidentally, the previous 2 times happened when I was making career choices. In one of the dreams, I recall, I was in my office lift which sped all the way up to 56-storey (my office building has only 30 floors) and it moved laterally out of the lift-shaft and floated in the air! How strange! I checked for interpretations of such dreams, and read that I could be seeking directions in my life and was confused. How apt!
I did a quick search on Google again this afternoon and here's what I found....
"...Commonly, these types of dreams occur in females between the ages of 30 and 40. This dream is associated with you trying to accomplish something in your life. This may be connected to your career or alternatively a relationship; in order to find the true meaning of which situation is bothering you it is important to think about what is worrying about in your waking life.....
This dream is a sure sign that you are spiritually being grounded. It’s time to come back to reality in life. If the elevator or lift is not working correctly then this shows the emotions you hold have become out of control. As mentioned in the opening paragraph above this dream is popular in regards to your work or career life. Maybe you are feeling stuck in a job? If you do not know what floor you actually want to go to or are confused about how you're going to get out then this indicates that the future is not clear. It is important to step back in a situation and reconsider and evaluate your profession...." [Extracted from www.auntyflo.com]
Yup yup yup!!! Accurate to the dot! I need to step back and consider my life now. So many uncertainties in the months ahead!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
First Hair Cut
Chloe has so little hair - she did not need a hair trim until now. For the past week, I kept preparing her for the haircut and reminded that she would have to keep very very still during the process. I was so worried she would wriggle around in the chair and risk having her ear snipped off by the hair-stylist.
My fear was unfounded......
The hairstylist was probably used to wailing babies, so she started to snip away, pretty cool and unaffected throughout, while Mummy and Daddy tried all ways to coax the little girl with toys. Chloe continued crying and only opened her eyes, 3 minutes later, when the ordeal was over.
So that's it. Three minutes and it was over. The hairstylist said there was not much hair to cut except to trim the uneven wisps at the back. That costed me S$20!
My fear was unfounded......
She started to cry the moment she was put on the high chair.
Can you see the tears streaming down... so poor thing!
The hairstylist was probably used to wailing babies, so she started to snip away, pretty cool and unaffected throughout, while Mummy and Daddy tried all ways to coax the little girl with toys. Chloe continued crying and only opened her eyes, 3 minutes later, when the ordeal was over.
So that's it. Three minutes and it was over. The hairstylist said there was not much hair to cut except to trim the uneven wisps at the back. That costed me S$20!
Chloe happy again....
Thursday, March 18, 2010
iPhone Craze
Many many people are using the iPhone now - it's almost become the standard handphone. Once I was in the MRT, and I noticed at least 5 persons within my sight tapping their iPhones away furiously, playing with the Apps, games or listening to music. To rub it in, there are Ah-Soh iPhone owners amongst them. The last straw came when I spotted an Ah-Mah (around 60+ years old grandma) using the iPhone too! I have to get one!!!
Hubby bought me the iPhone and I have been using it for 3 weeks. Honestly, I don't think it's much better than my Samsung Jet! Ok, I must qualify that I'm not into Apps for everything i.e. checking maps, monitoring stock market, getting suggestions where to eat, what to wear etc. I use my phone primarily for calling, sending text messages, managing my appointments using the calendar, playing games, and last but not least, the camera to take impromptu pictures. Apart from being extremely responsive, I really don't find much benefits of iPhone over Samsung. Let me explain:
Ringtone and Volume - I don't like the fact that the best you can do when you go for a meetings is to switch the little switch at the side to activate the vibration mode. Otherwise you have to go to Settlings > Sounds and make your selection there. Why so inflexible?!! With my Samsung, I could select Normal, Meeting, Silent, Driving, Outdoor, and within these options you could vary the ringtone, volume and intensity of vibration. I usually choose to put my incoming calls on vibration and a ringtone for incoming messages. With the iPhone, it'll be loud all the way!!
Camera - This is my greatest grouse. The iPhone camera is only 3 mega pixels (compared to 5 on my Samsung), and it does not have a flash, nor a zoom function, nor any function allowing you to adjust the colour mode, scenary etc. Why so lousy?!! Most of the photos taken on my iPhone are not very nice. And because it's touch-screen button, it's quite difficult to balance the phone in one hand to take a self-portrait.
SMS - I can't quite figure this out. While I like that the messages with one party appear in an individual string of conversation, sometimes the time-stamping does not appear. I'm not able to trace what time a particular message was sent or received.
Bluetooth - Apparently you cannot bluetooth photos or other files in the iPhone to other non-iPhones. This is so frustrating as it does not facilitate sharing of my photos with my sister or Dad, who are using Nokia!
Disappointing! While I can still live with my iPhone, I do miss the convenience of Samsung Jet, which is really super user friendly come to think of it. It's a pity no one really raves about Samsung Jet, while half the world is converting to iPhone already..... : (
Ringtone and Volume - I don't like the fact that the best you can do when you go for a meetings is to switch the little switch at the side to activate the vibration mode. Otherwise you have to go to Settlings > Sounds and make your selection there. Why so inflexible?!! With my Samsung, I could select Normal, Meeting, Silent, Driving, Outdoor, and within these options you could vary the ringtone, volume and intensity of vibration. I usually choose to put my incoming calls on vibration and a ringtone for incoming messages. With the iPhone, it'll be loud all the way!!
Camera - This is my greatest grouse. The iPhone camera is only 3 mega pixels (compared to 5 on my Samsung), and it does not have a flash, nor a zoom function, nor any function allowing you to adjust the colour mode, scenary etc. Why so lousy?!! Most of the photos taken on my iPhone are not very nice. And because it's touch-screen button, it's quite difficult to balance the phone in one hand to take a self-portrait.
SMS - I can't quite figure this out. While I like that the messages with one party appear in an individual string of conversation, sometimes the time-stamping does not appear. I'm not able to trace what time a particular message was sent or received.
Bluetooth - Apparently you cannot bluetooth photos or other files in the iPhone to other non-iPhones. This is so frustrating as it does not facilitate sharing of my photos with my sister or Dad, who are using Nokia!
Disappointing! While I can still live with my iPhone, I do miss the convenience of Samsung Jet, which is really super user friendly come to think of it. It's a pity no one really raves about Samsung Jet, while half the world is converting to iPhone already..... : (
Sunday, March 14, 2010
New Hairstyle
I've worn this new hairstyle for 4 days but have not gotten used to it. 50% of the people I meet don't notice any change in my hairstylte. Maybe in their eyes, its not a drastic change, so I should not feel so conscious about it.....
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Seek God
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
As charismatic Christians, we believe in the living word of God and the works of the Holy Spirit. When I say 'living', it does not only mean God's words that you read in the Bible, it includes hearing God's voice. I have so many times witnessed the manifestations of the Holy Spirit at church gatherings.
God spoke to Moses out of the bush fire. He spoke to Abraham and Joshua and so many others. God does not only speak in the Old Testament. He spoke to me before. At cell meetings, my spiritual leader used to urge us to open our hearts and listen to God's word. She said that if we can't hear, it's not because God is not speaking, it's probably because we're not listening!
Indeed there were a few desperate moments in my life when God answered my prayers. One of the moments happened as I was doing my Quiet Time (QT) at my roof terrance (at my old condo) early one morning, praying and crying out to him. Another time happened when I was on my knees praying and seeking an answer from God for my predicament. Yet another time he spoke to me through a dream. When God speaks, it happens in a split second, in a clear voice, and in a flash, with a message impressed upon your heart. You'll know it when it's God speaking to you.
Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord,
‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’.
There was also a time when God gave me a direction in an unusual and funny sort of way. A few years ago, I was contemplating whether to quit my job because I was feeling terribly weary and was whining about the lousy public sector pay. It was a Sunday morning, and I was praying in the car on the way to church, for God to give me a 'clear direction' for my career. During sermon that morning, the Pastor flashed some powerpoint slides and lo and behold, in big and bold red print, were the words "DON'T QUIT". Immediately I felt a tugging in my heart I knew that was a message for me. It couldn't have been more obvious! A few months later, I got a promotion and a substantial salary increment.
These days, with a demanding daughter who depletes my time and energy at home, I hardly have QT. Given her inclination to snatch anything off my hands, books, magazines or Bibles alike, I resort to reading short passages of the Bible every night after she sleeps (like at 11pm) under a miserably dim book-light. I long to spend more time with God, but sometimes I knock-out in the middle of my prayers. (Super guilty!) As James 4:8 suggests, God can't draw near to you if you don't draw near to him. I have not heard God speaking for sometime as I have not quieten myself down and seek His voice. I really hope to hear clear directions from God on how I should deal with the challenging situation at home and at work in the coming months. I need to get back into the QT routine.....
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Fun with Sunglasses!
Daddy bought Chloe a cute pair of retro-looking sunglasses in pink. She probably liked the shaded look of the world and enjoyed putting them on and taking them off. When I said she looked so cool, she went "Mummy take photo!". I whipped out my new iPhone and asked her to make the victory sign and smile. She however had difficulty holding up 2 fingers, so she ended up looking like she's ready to fight. LOL!
"Don't Mess with Me OK?!"
Chloe posing for the iPhone
Happy 11th Anniversary!
Yesterday was our 11th wedding anniversary. We had planned to have a nice dinner together. However, as Chloe's running nose hadn't cleared up after 2 days, we decided to take half a day off in the afternoon to take her to the PD.
As the PD appointment was at 3:30pm, we still had time to do a nice lunch, at Pasta Brava along Craig Road.
Nice ambience.... food was good.....
Chloe was anyway overdue for her 18-month injection. Usually, she cries because she is forced to lie down on the examination table, and not because of the pain of the injection. Yesterday, she cried a fair bit because it was an unfamiliar PD who administered the injection for her (her regular PD was not around). Poor girl....
Chloe crying in Daddy's arms.....
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