30th

1. Company Holiday

The 2nd one of the year...I never know what is actually being celebrated but who's asking. It gives me the chance to send Becks off to school, fetch Mong back, seeing their faces light up when they see it's mine and not the maid's. This is not a daily affair, given that I'm a working mom so I cherish every moment of it.

2. QT's Birthday

QT...one of the 4some whom I met last Wed. Also 2 months to RJ's (another one of the 4some). 4 months to mine.

3. Last Day for WL at her current working place

Locating close to me, we have managed to catch up often enough over lunch instead of over instant messaging. Today marks her last day so it does make me wonder when the next time would be.

4. Last Day for "Nanny" at her current working place

It wasn't too long ago that we were invited to her personal office space to mark her 1st day as an(very very brave) entrepreneur. Alas the main office didn't wish to wait long to see success so she has made the difficult decision to plough on on her own. So from May onwards, she will work from home. New age thingy one may say....

Motherhood

"Sometimes when you pick up your child, you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood - finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without. It is the feeling you get when you place the last scrap of the thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle; it is the last footfall in a photo-finish race; exhilaration and homecoming and stunned wonder, caught between those stubby fingers and the spaces where baby teeth have given way..."

- Perfect Match
By Jodi Picoult

Resting

I'm at home now, thanks to major 'turbulence' in my stomach which started since Wednesday night. Also the same night when I had so much fun catching up with the 3 galfriends. The night was certainly marred by an unknown thingy which caused me severe stomach ache and fever and hence a sleepless night.

Despite that, I had to pick up a Shanghainese guest the following day (yesterday actually), did PR work, had meeting the whole morning, did more PR work over lunch, conducted a presentation thereafter and did the last bit of PR work over dinner. That was through gritted teeth. And so today, I decided to 'go on strike'.

With some time later when the troops nap, I have bought my favourite snack (Whittaker's Almond Gold Bar!), readying myself for a good movie or read - I can't quite decide yet. :)

Food

Sze Chuan food is not for me...

Fab 4?

This picture was taken 2 years ago. Also the last time 4 of us managed to squeeze time to meet.

Today, with one of us facing the stress of her son's primary 1's CA (do you remember this?!) and another facing the success of her newly-renovated shop at Plaza Singapore, we have finally set on the date to meet again.

Friends from my college during 1st 3 months...at Temasek JC...16 years ago. We never lost touch.

New Addition (to the family)?

I really didn't expect it...not that it's a bad thing. I wish I can embrace it whole-heartedly but Becks may have mixed feeling about it. She's growing up so fast, possessing and expressing her own feelings and opinions already. M and I need to realise they cannot be ignored.

I think we have until July......

New AddiCtion

Addy came all the way (she stays in Clementi) to Kovan to meet me for breakfast on Saturday *much appeciated*. It was a great catch-up over caffeine (4 cups in total) and not without smelling like char kway teow from head to toe.

She gave Becks a big packet of colourful gummis which I thought nothing of except for the gesture. But good things always come small and disguised. True enough, a few hours later, it became my latest addiction. The sweet and sour taste provided the much needed physical boost over the weekend, especially when Mong's temperate rose to 39.9C. That was madness.

Morning Indulgence

Eating spoonfuls of my 3-in-1 milo powder...

Jennifer

The last time I met and blogged about this fast-talking friend of mine was more than 6 months ago (26 Sep 06) and that was a sub-topic. Something which I wanted to enter like a diary, simply.

This time, she becomes the header of the topic because I'm blown away by her updates! After 7 years, she's finally moving on to another company for a 'more challenging' scope and greater capacity (investment banking which translates to 'bigger better bucks') and she's driving a SAAB convertible! And er yes....she's still single. Not married, not attached, not dating.

Any trade-off? I guess there are none where she's concerned. Would you know what you are missing if you dun have it in the first place?

Ramblings

1. Constipation

When people say you look 'constipated', it's not a compliment. These days (pardon me for the intimacy) - and I dun usually keep score - if I look it, that's because I believe I haven't done it for DAYS! Now I'm wondering where all the food went.

Oh crap!

2. Soundtrack

I haven't come across a truly nice song on the radio for ages. Besides enjoying the powerful performances of the leads in 'Snowcake', the soundtrack made it unforgettable.

Thanks to the lack of 'happenings' at work today, I managed to google my favourite. I wonder if it's intentional to use the group so aptly named "Broken Social Scene". Afterall, it featured Weaver playing a verbally-expression autistic woman and 'autism' is characterized by difficulty in social interaction.

Anthems For a Seventeen-year-old Girl

Now you're all gone got your make-up on and you're not coming back.
Can't you come back?
Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that. (x3)

Now you're all gone got your make-up on and you're not coming back.
Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under your breath.

Wonder if Sembawang (music store) sells it...

Phonics

It's coincidental, definitely.

When Becks was 3, she was really close to a gal named "Natasha". She couldn't stop talking about her then. Now that she's almost 5, you can imagine how incessant she can be if a person makes it to her "best friends' list". So now there are 2 - "Narrell" and "Nathaniel". And recently, she told me about her classmate whom she calls "Amanda Salamander". Talk about applying phonics!

#9

After several futile attempts of searching at various libraries (and I didn't bother to learn how to reserve), I thought the chance presented itself before me when I passed by a Sans bookstore while waiting for Becks to finish class. Sans the popular rental bookstore....Jodi Picoult's book #9.

So now I look forward to my trips home again. I'm sorry SPH, The ST just doesn't do it for me. :P

Increment

This is the month when I will know whether the next 12 will be filled with a tad more motivation or dread.

I am not hopeful though of course, people will console and remind that it is always better to have an increment, regardless the percentage, than none at all.

And oh, I'm not in the public sector.

Welcome Home!

Folks returned on Sunday afternoon. Becks was excited to see them again, especially her gong gong. She made them a "welcome home" card, delivered in her own handwriting and drawing. :)

Namesake - Travis

:B and I have been exchanging emails more feverishly these 2 days. Thanks to the latest subject on Chris Daughtry, she gave me the idea of listening (and re-listening) and watching (and re-watching) his songs and video clip on YouTube. DUH.

Whenever I get pissed or restless at work, I can re-watch Blink 182's I Miss You. The same video that I saw a few months before Mong emerged into this world and the same one which made me fall in love with the style of its drummer Travis Barker...whom I knew Mong shall thus be named after.

So while parents hope their sons become lawyers or doctors, I hope Mong possesses 2 things - a good sense of rhythm and a talent in music (producing, composing, singing, drum-playing, whatever!). Not really kidding.

A "pilot" no more?

I blogged about David once...unkindly. That guy is actually M's ex college mate. He has a notorious reputation among his close friends - he tends to 'fly aeroplane'* so agreeing to meet him for lunch today actually required a leap of faith.

I'm glad my skepticism towards him can be discarded. It feels nice seeing a friend back from a long time ago. The last time I saw him was 5.5 years ago, my wedding day.

So anyway, "Invincible David" who had a 6-pack and uniform leanness despite his drinking habit and lack of strict diet regime, has become visibly fatter. The truth about being in our 30s. That dreadful slowing down of our metabolic rate. But he makes no apology about that 'spare tyre'. Still a big fan of Elvis Presley, he merely told me even The King got fat and ugly.

I didn't dare probe about his fall-out with 'Pit Bull' (another of M's ex college mate. We used to hang out together oh-so-often). I'm sure he has good reason to spare me with the details. I just thought only women friends fall out with one another, not men. So my wild imagination took me to 2 main reasons - either or OR both - a woman & money.

Whatever.

I hope to chat with him again.


* One who makes arrangement to meet but cancels/postpones at the last minute.

Ho Chi Minh

Folks left this morning for HCM to visit sis. I heard about sis' exciting plans to bring them around.

They, especially my mom do deserve the break!

PS: I hope they bump into Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie . Ha.

Raccoons & Me?!

Just a few seconds before the raccoon got me, the alarm clock rang. I can't describe it...the feeling was scary! And it isn't the first time I'm dreaming of raccoons.

BullSh**

Some of the things that have been going on in the office are the epitome of BS. I'm glad I don't take this part of my life too seriously. I mean I am serious in areas I should be...to ensure tasks are completed on time and I get paid at the end of the month.

I can't remember if this has always been my perception and attitude, that I've always lacked this drive to excel in my career (if this word even existed in my vocabularly in the 1st place!).
Maybe that's why while I could, I chose to have a child "quite early" (considering current times).

I don't believe people can strike a balance between career and family. "Balance"-now that's another BS.

The Time Has Come

A few comments....my own reflection....it is time for another hair-cut.