Rainbow

I went to IKEA Tampines recently and went into a sneezing fit and suffered watery eyes. 2 years ago, it was the same at Science Centre. My greatest infallible enemy - dust mites. Call it my curse or plain hyper-sensitivity.

The demonstration convinced me to plonk S$3,300 on the cleaning system - Rainbow. Even RJ, my dear friend who gave the referral and who had bought one set herself sent me this text: "Welcome to the Sucker's Club".

Sucker? Maybe...but I'm merely looking for a solution to better the quality of my life, just like everyone else.

Going Down Under

Finally my folks took their (enviable) 'annual break'; they departed this morning for Sydney to visit sis. :)

Inflation

The epitome of inflation...One goreng pisang at Maxwell Market Food Market costs S$1.20!!!

Year-end Concert

365 days...do they fly by so fast?!

This year's concert brought about a gush of emotions. 1stly Travis was participating (my l'le boy has grown up so much and expressing him well!) and 2ndly it's Becks' last year (after 3 full years there) and one in which she was given the lead role in her class' musical play. She was a natural on stage!

Blindness

Thanks to WL for inviting me to the special screening on Tuesday, I got to watch a movie which turned out unexpectantly nice - Blindness. I should have given more credit to the director, knowing he's shot other highly-acclaimed movies, that it wasn't going to turn out a typical virus show. His analysis on the human behaviour was remarkable, as was his ironical ending. I wonder how one can visualise something so vivid when one does not have.

Enough of my attempt to be profound here. I was just glad for the freebie, the company and the fulfilment of my craving in Long John Silver's.

Pap Smear

It's a necessary evil which I really dislike. EEeeeEeeks!

If all goes well, at least it'll be done just once every 3 years.

Quote of the Day

Miffy: Do you love Mummy?
Becks: Yes...
M: Now? At 6 years old?
Becks: Yes.
M: At 16, 26, 36,....? (trying to act cute and smart alecky at the same time with the introduction of arithmetic progression)
Becks: I don't know!
M *feign shock and sadness*: Why not?!
Becks: I'm not 16 yet. How would I know? I'll let you know when I'm 16."

And this is when I realised - again - that my little girl is growing up fast...and outsmarting me.

From the lazy/uninspired

The blog is getting barren....................................................

For Next Milestone

It was surreal, again stepping into an old-designed primary school premise.

M and I took leave to make necessary arrangement for Becks' Primary 1 next year, buying books, school bag, uniforms, etc. We had to sit at an old table and chair in a classroom, shading those circles which you see only in MCQ exam sheets to provide personal particulars *gosh, when was the last time for me?!?*

Another Change?

I'm not sure if I'm ready to embrace this one yet but I realise it doesn't hurt to be open-minded. People may think I'm being psycho-ed but if the change leads to a possibility of freedom (from the regular 9-5 jobs and working under stinkin uninspired bosses who care only about their own pay package and ego), then WHAT is there to lose?

Being the risk-averse person I am, I will take baby steps. Baby but steps (towards a change)nonetheless.

Change

Even if they are lying....!!! My colleagues have passed nice comments about my hairstyle and I'm happy.

Yes, after 18 years, I made a change. I cut my hair above my shoulders. It's finally short! And strange that I feel so liberated.

Our Faceless Enemy

With the recall of more milk-based products made in China, it's certainly taught me one thing - to be more vigilant in reading labels.

While I was ordering my favourite beverage (Chinese teh-c), I couldn't resist asking 'uncle' (seller) outrightly which brand of evaporated and condensed milk he was using to prepare. Laugh if you must but he assured me it came from Thailand, showing me the can as evidence.

The world is made chaotic by mainly greed and ego. We find ourselves at 'war' with the faceless enemy, don't we? We can never win.

2008

In Chinese culture, '8' is regarded as auspicious. Really meh? This year alone, the world has been assaulted with one crisis after another - China milk crisis, huge financial crisis in US...affecting worldwide, political turmoil in Thailand, Malaysia, etc.

So what's the big deal?
But the Chinese won't change their minds, huh?

Sick

Deeno puked and poo-ed badly...until he bled. Is it time already? :(

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I just returned from a short, packed business trip in Phnom Penh. I fell asleep while a nice hospitable staff there brought us on an introductory ride along Mekong River. Afterall, it was a business trip where every ounce of my energy was spent preparing presentation materials, presenting them, watching AXN, MTV and HBO till late nights and then fighting the fear of sleeping alone in the hotel room.

It's interesting that people can't get the pronunciation of this otherwise-believed-to-be-a-beautiful-capital-city right: "P-nom Pen", "Pom Pen", "F-nom Pen".

Unpredictability

With the collapse of The Lehman Brothers and sale of Merrill Lynch, I remember the one true statement in a movie many years ago that reminded us everything is unpredictable except for death and taxes.

My Piano

After almost a decade, I'm reunited with my good ole piano. My folks, ever so supportive of Becks learning the instrument had arranged for it to be transported to my place on Monday.

Now with its proximity, absence of Miss Chan (that fierce piano teacher of mine! But in retrospect, she was really talented and gave me lots of opportunities) and dreaded exams, I can see how fun playing the piano can be. Now to master Canon in D...

Mid-Autumn Festival *this time I got the name right*

It's the time of the year again when I have additional phobia, besides height. MOONCAKES!

Remembrance & Celebration

I just turned a year older. Nothing much to celebrate as one hits mid-life. But it's always heart-warming to realise close friends and family remember and bother to celebrate and wish in their own way, be it just short-message texting, receipt of birthday cards, simple lunch, a personal drive to wherever, surprised delivery of a 1kg-cake *thank you Mich!* and gift *Angie*.

PS: Photos will be uploaded in Facebook.

Loof

I was thinking of my usual selection of boring places to meet Anne for dinner when she told me, " Come, I bring you to where I usually chill out. It's a cool place."

OK, cool places are for cool people...and the last I checked, I am not cool. I don't even try to be but I didn't want to be a party-pooper, perhaps making her decide internally she will no longer hang out with me so of course I agreed - 100%.

It is a nice place. The drinks are not expensive and ambient music which I love is played. But I still think 'chill-out cool' places are not conducive to chat for long hours. The sofas may look plush but they lack the back-support! They are more aesthetic than aesthetic&functional.

OK, I'm complaining, a sign that I've aged (not gracefully)!