The Rescuing Hug

Both twins were in separate incubators, with one twin fighting for her life. The nurses tried everything to make the weaker one feel better. Nothing seemed to work. Against the rules of the hospital, a nurse placed the babies together. The healthier twin placed an arm over her sister, in an embrace of sorts. She got better! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww........

Heart warming stuff eh?

Have you hugged someone today?

Growing Pains

I am lucky.

Singaporeans of my generation had it good. We do not have to worry about world wars nor do we have to struggle as hard as our grandparents or parents. We do not have to work as young as 12 in some hot and humid, overcrowded sweat shops. Our lives have been, in all honesty, very comfortable. We had Mcdonald's (oh, that is some kind of necessary evil right?) TV, radio, Cds, cassettes, walkmans, disc-mans, and nintendo. We could go out and play with our neighbours, school wasn't that tough, life was pretty relaxed and uncomplicated.

Look at what the kids have to deal with now. Tutorials after tutorials. Extra lessons, enrichment lessons, holiday camps, musical classes, ballet. swimming, TKD, phonics ( I gotta admit, learning phonics is GOOD ) and the list goes on. It is damn hard being a kid these days. I learnt from my mum that there is this child who attends 2 sessions of preschool a day! WAH LAU! SIAO!
It has gotten so competitive now for kids, or at least for their parents. Sigh, sometimes, these parents live their dreams through their children. So unhealthy, I hope I do not turn into one of these monster parents next time.

There are people my age who say that children these days take their comfortable lives for granted. They have hand phones when they are just 8 or internet 24 hours a day, the latest game consoles and maids to clean up their mess. Well, you know what? Times have changed, these are the stuff that have become a big part of our everyday lives, just because we do not have such things in the past does not mean that children now can't. Does that too, mean that since our parents had to start earning their pocket money at the age of 12, that we had to too? Or that they had no tv as children, we shouldn't too?

Ridiculous. I would give my child a hand phone when he is 8 if I think it will make my life and his life easier. I don't see why some people kick up such a fuss over it. It is just a phone, you have one too! Why, you 30 year old can have one, a 10 year old cannot meh? Please lah, stop thinking that you are the more deserving one can? I mean, of course you gotta restrict their use too, but I don't see why I have to bar it totally. Just because kids now may appear to have a more comfortable lives now doesn't mean that they take it for granted. How many kids do you know to pass that judgement? And how do you know that they lead cushy lives?
Isn't that what your parents used to tell you too? "You have it so good you do not even know it."????

I believe that every generation has its own struggles, stop comparing and whining. At least, school wasn't that stressful. Ice cream can be bought with a 20 cents coin. Unlimited use of the bus pass! Spare time to go out and play. I had a good childhood. My mum overindulged us, still do even now. Hahahahaha.

Land of the Rising Sun

I am going to Japan!

I must curb my enthusiasm and try to stay calm because the trip is a little less than 5 months away. Went to the travel agent checked out the rates, went for a coffee and a cheese sandwich, thought a little about it, then went right back to the TA and bought me tickets. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Easy breezy.. can things get any simpler? I do not have a lot of time there though, so I got to get it all well planned.

Think about all the food I want to eat, all the nonsense that I will buy, and oh dear, Geisha spotting! Tsukiji Market! And then there is the Tokyo Motor Show. That is what is pulling the Hubby over. That is what is getting him excited. That is how I get a Japan holiday! I think next year, I will entice him with the Frankfurt Motor Show.

I think I will try to get some online Japanese lessons from Elaine. Then I will see if it is a good thing to buy the JR rail pass in Singapore....... then settle the accommodations. and sniff out the great eating places and watering holes.. I want to buy fabrics. JAPANESE FABRICS!!!!!!!!!!...... visit kinokuniya, and tokyu hands.. and the huge food floors in the departmental stores! Cosmetics! I want to buy that certain brand from kyoto!!!!!!!!!!!
See like that how to not get excited?

Accentuate the positivity, eliminate (not all) the negativity

You know how we all get down once in a while? When you feel that nothing is going your way, and you are the poorest thing on earth?

Most of us have off days when we feel totally worthless and that the entire human race is against us. We end up feeling sorry for ourselves. Sometimes, this can go on for the longest time for some people.

It is time that you stop thinking that you have been dealt with the worst lot in life. Just because you got dumped or cheated on doesn't mean that life is over. Or that you have fat ankles. Or that you are missing a honours degree (or any degree for that matter)

When bad things happen to people, they tend to have a bigger impact that that of good things on our lives. We are a pessimistic bunch, remembering the bad and usually not the good. It is so easy to victimise ourselves and villain-ises everyone else when things go not too fantastic for us.

We forget the ones who love us when we realised one who doesn't. We forget how friends make us laugh all the time during fights. We forget the things our mums have done for us every time they nag, we forget how good the prata is at a particular store when we have a horrid one. We forget how tolerant our partners are when they had a bad day and get a little impatient with us. We forget all the things that we already have when we see a Chanel 2.55 in the window. (ok, not that good an example... but you get my drift)

When I have a bad day, I will think about the good things in my life. It usually makes me feel better. Doesn't have to be anything too significant, the little little things in life we take for granted we often overlooked. The longer the list, the happier you become, suddenly, the world doesn't seem so unappealing after all!

I love how my feet look.

I love my broad shoulders.

I love my legs.

I have a lovely family who loves me.

How I can talk a lot of cock with my family.

I have friends that I can really really count on.

I have friends who count me as their closest.

I love being tall.

I can wear my hair short and get away with it.

I have a husband who loves me to bits.

I have a place to call my own.

I am healthy and able.

My happy dance.

Ice cold ribena

Buying fabric and attempting to sew.

Buying paper other materials and attempting to scrapbook.

Great conversations with friends.

A successful baking session

My books!

The fact that I do not have to worry so much when I go out late at night.

My mum still makes coffee for me when I go over

Going on food hunts

Receiving snail mail from friends.

Watching a heck of a movie.
Laughing.

Receiving calls from mum.

Text messages from siblings.

Dinner with friends.

Listening to music alone at home.

Going on a dinner and movie date.

Going for walks.

Sleeping in on Sundays.

Marmite

I used to eat Marmite with porridge A LOT when I was young(er). Actually I eat more Borvril than Marmite. I love both, it is sad to know that there isn't any beef in Borvril anymore. Tis all the English men's fault. See lah, feed dunno what rubbish to your cows, all go mad!

I would stir a huge huge spoonful of that yummy stuff into my porridge and eat up. Simple, fuss free and comforting. I brought Marmite just to eat it with porridge. I used to stir it into hot water as a nice alternative to Milo, or spread it on bread. I know most people don't do that, so they will think that it is pretty gross. It tastes better than it sounds. Really. Have a go at it.
Don't ever buy Vegemite - unless you are Australian - that thing sucks. It shouldn't even be allowed on the shelves of supermarkets. I brought some while in Australia and boy, what a gastronomic mistake. I guess it is more an Aussie version of Marmite. I was at this Museum in Sydney and there was a little write up on Vegemite. The sales gotten so bad, they wanted to change the name to Pawill, with the slogan that goes " If Marmite, Pawill!" You say cock or not? It is even beyond corny.

Anyone going to UK or not? Buy this for me when you come back can?

Aches and Pains

Fenn decides to go to the polyclinic one day to get her chronic aches checked.

First and foremost - Queue at the front reception to get a queue number

Secondly - Queue to get yourself registered

Next - Queue for see the doctor.

And - Queue to get blood test done.

Almost done - Queue to get your prescription processed

Almost there - Queue to get meds

And.. - Queue for payment

Finally - Queue to get the next appointment.

Our polyclinics are really indulgent when it comes to the nation's favourite past time.

Reader's Block

Recently, I developed Reader's Block. It has been a frustrating few months. I would normally just pick up the book that I want to read and dive right in, no problems. Well, maybe struggling to get through the first bits sometimes when it is a little boring and when the build up is slow, but generally, it is always a stroll in the park. I could not seem to get completely into a book now. I find it so hard to concentrate, reading a chapter and not knowing what I really read. It seems that the more I try to concentrate, the harder reading seemed.
It is fucking pissing me off seriously.

I did the sensible thing, and leave the reading for a while. I thought I have lost the joy of reading. Then, a few days ago, I picked up The Remains of the Day went through the first few pages, then the chapter, and I knew I had it in me again!

Fennilina has gotten her groove back!