Back to WORK !

I've finally completed 2 rounds of interview with one of the biggest and most reputable Travel Agency in Singapore and I've got the job!

The relief is it didn't take me that long to hunt and “get” the job. Infact, it’s my ex-boss who highly recommended me for the position. Well, she recommended me for the position but it’s the Director who interviewed me. It’s a drag but I’m glad it’s finally done and over with.

The splendid news is, the numeration is what I asked for (and slightly even more ….) *wooohoooo*

The downside is, I have to work on ALL weekends. Yes, that means every freaking single Saturday and Sunday *sigh*. Oh well, with monetary as the ultimate compensation and a wedding to finance, I reckon, I’ll just have to sacrifice my weekends and earn myself some extra dough.

The other down down side is, the job title that I am attached to it – Assistant Manager. To me that title, it’s an unspoken additional job responsibility and indirectly placed me as the 2nd on the queue towards the chopping board. *double sigh*

Regardless, I would be starting work on coming Monday, 5th May. This also marks the end to my “retired” life and put me back into the work force.

Thus Goodbye Rusty Brain and Hello Haggard face! =)

P/S: And NO, I don't get any discount on travel packages or airticket. I only work there, I have not own the Company yet nor do I have any partnership in the airline!

AMD

It’s been a week since the diagnosis of my mom’s Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) disease. She had also gone through 1 treatment for her problem eye since. Today we returned to the Eye Doctor for a follow up.

To those of you who have been praying for my mom, your prayers worked!

The Doctor gave us the good news that there’s no sign of infection on her eye and she’s also recovering progressively. The bleeding in her retina had stopped and the fluid which was once there had also disappears.

Nevertheless, to be on the safer side, the Doctor wanted my mom to go through another round of treatment next month. From now till the next treatment, we are still keeping a close “eye” if there’s any sign of deterioration but other than that, it looks like my mom is heading for the road of recovery.

Once again, Thank You folks for the prayers! =)

P/S: Triplets are still mischievous and I am still the prison guard! hahahah

Prison Guard - Day 3

It's Day 3 of me being the prison guard and somehow I feel mentally, physically and emotionally drain. It's NO joke, having the 3 of them running around in all different directions and all of them require your undying attention is deadly.

I've reached a point whereby the cane is my shadow. The adoreable thing is, when I left the cane in the living room and returned back to my bedroom, either one of the triplets will take the cane, run after me and returned the cane back to me. Gosh, I can't help but wonder was I that fierce and aggressive ???!!!

The good news is with my "prisoner" behaviour, the three of them haven't start any riot. My mom's problematic eye is also improving as each day goes by. I can't imagine how my mom and my maid handle the 3 of them when the ratio is 3:2

But each day for them is filled with playing, fighting, crying, laughing, screaming, shouting, messing things around and more crying. I can't help but wonder, it's so nice being a kid.

I've took some pictures of them at play....

My Sweet Valentine =)

Today I received one of the sweetest card from Paul and I realised how bless I really am to have a husband who is across the globe, instead of creating havoc and partying but is missing me that much. =)

Since the day that I know Paul, I am aware that he is not a man of "sweet lovey dovey" words but that's cool with me since I'm not the most romantic person in the world either. But little gesture that he does like making breakfast for me on weekends, filling up my water bottle on my bed stand or driving an hour and out of the way just to bring me for Tim Sum proved and works wonders for me as compared to any love notes or love poems.

However, I have to admit that once a while I will "pressure" and "harrass" him for a love poem despite the obvious fact that Shakespear is not his best friend nor even remotely acquainted with him.

But today he send me a card (with the text below printed on the card) and the moment I read it, I know that if there is ever a day when Paul and Shakespear are friends, this is what Paul would write :-

I wish I could take all the beautiful words in the world and arrange them perfectly together in a love letter to you.
I would tell you about how great we fit in each other's lives and each other's arms. I would go into detail about everyday moments - times when it's just the two of us talking, listening, laughing, and loving...
My love letter would go on about how amazing you are and how great it is to have you to come home to, because home is the place in my heart where our love lives.
So even thought I can't express my love with as much eloquence as I'd like, what I can do is go on loving you with all my heart and soul.
And I will.
Always.

P/S: The above is not written by him, he did however spend sometime in the store hunting for the perfect card and for that, I have to give him credit since Paul is the sort of guy who just pick and go. =)

PP/S: In addition to the love, my adorable husband also gave me some $$$ to spend. SWEEEEETTTTTTT =)

I am a Prison Guard

Today, I spent the entire day in the Eye Hospital with my mom. What's more scary was a blurry eye had turned out to be something much more serious. I can't imagine should my mom have chosen to ignore about her eye's discomfort, she could turn blind. Again, I am so relief that I am back in Singapore and accompanied her to the hospital today cause there was tons of exams that was being conducted today and I know how lost, helpless and scared she would be if she's there alone.

We arrived at the hospital at 9.30am this morning and as usual, we visited her regular doctor who later found my mom's eye were "more than meets the eye". Thus he referred my mom to another specialist who apparently is an expert with what my mom is experiencing. After having her eyes dilated, the Specialist found the problem : AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION(AMD).

What is AMD?
AMD is related to ageing, hence the name age-related macular degeneration (AMD). There are two forms of AMD: Dry and Wet. (For my mom, she's suffering from Wet AMD).

Wet AMD occurs less often (10-15% of all AMD cases), but causes more severe sight loss. It is characterised by the development of abnormal, leaky blood vessels in the macula. In advanced cases, scar tissue may form, causing irreversible blind spots and in many cases leads to registered blindness.

The fortune thing is, we detected the problem early and we have begin treatment today. Yes, it's going to be a monthly treatment for a minimum of 3 mths and painful as well. She would also be having a monthly injection right into her retina to stop the leaky blood vessels and dissolve fluids in her retina. Beside that, we have to be very careful with infection. My mom was also given anti-biotics eye drops to instil for this entire week. We would also have to return back to the Eye Specialist next Tuesday for a follow up on the progress of today's treatment.

One of the side effect of today's medication is stroke and elevated blood pressure. As such, I have seriously warned the triplets not to provoke Grandma and they have to be "good boy and good girls". Since their concentration span last no more than 5 mins, I am currently the prison guard and walk around the house armed with the cane just so they don't anger my mom and indirectly causes her blood pressure to sky rocket. But the triplets have been really sweet, hugging my mom and said "Mama, I love you".

It's not an easy treatment and neither is it going to be a cheap one. As at today, I estimated I've spent about $650+ just for the doctor's consultation, eye examination, the treatment and the injection. And we have to repeat the process for another 3 to 4months.

Regardless of how much money I've spent and will be spending, as long as my mom is healthy and safe, it's all worthwhile to me. Like I've always said, I can always earn the money back but I only have 1 mother, whom to me is irreplaceable.

Triplet's 3rd Birthday ! =)

It's the Triplet's 3rd Birthday and I am finally here to celebrate it with them.

Okay, so there were about 80 people who came and celebrate their birthday with them as well. Among the guest are my closest friends and our relatives. With food catered for 100 people, we have definately enough food to go around.

I had a blast, I was surrounded with the triplets, my family and most importantly my friends. I am positive that the triplets have a jolly good time as well. During the entire party, they were either playing at the playground with their cousins, running around in circles or passed around relatives to "perform tricks" hahahahah. For Renee, I had her singing songs to my girlpals and hugging each one of them. She was thus also awarded the best Public Relations Officer among my girlpals. She is definately "shameless" as compared to the rest of them and thus more adorable.

Despite the occassion as the Triplet's birday, personally I feel that it's more of a gathering for the adults. As for the kids, I presume that everyday is their birthday as long as they can eat anything they want and escape from the clutches of the adults and play till they flop.

How time flies, I remembered the last time I celebrated their birthday with them, they were only 1 yr old and was still swing and swaying as they walk. Now at 3 yrs old, they run unassisted and can even sing to each other and themselves their birthday song.

I hereby wish them wisdom, health and always safe and be protected from all harms.

Darrius Injured !

It's a bloody battle for Darrius and Rachael (the youngest girl) today and yes, it got bloody !

Here's the story, Rahmi (our 1st maid) was getting Renee ready for her afternoon shower and they are in the bathroom. I was in my room packing my stuffs with the door wide open and to the three muskerteers, that's an invitation for them to come in and play.

I know the 3 toddlers have an addiction to my exercise ball. To them, it's a giantic ball which they can bounce, throw and play with. They never have a trouble with it and never fight over it. They always have heaps of fun and I always let them go insane. That is until today, while I turned my back towards them, Rachael and Darrius decide to roll the ball to the living room and play. While Hah-yu (our 2nd maid) is in the kitchen, the two little one within a split second got into a fight and next I hear is Darrius's thunderous cries and him on the floor with Rachael staring at him.

Yes, Darrius was defeated. He hit his right ear against the cabinate and gave himself a cut along with the blood. I panic and so did he, he covered his ear with his hand and saw when he saw how his hand were covered with blood, he screamed with a vengence. As for Rachael, she's still staring.

With his thunderous cries, Rahmi dashed out of the bathroom along with Renee. As for Darrius, he doesn't allow anyone to touch his ear except for Rahmi and good thing, we are able to hold him down and clean his wound....

So where is my mom ?? She's out doing her daily marketing ! When she returned, all that was presented to her was Renee in shocked, Rachael STILL staring and frozen, Rahmi carrying Darrius in her arms, me pressing Darrius bloody ear with a handkerchief wrapped with ice cubes and Hah-yu joining Rachael staring at the entire commotion.

It took some chocolates and candies to calm Darrius down. I was thankful that the cut wasn't on Darrius's face or he could be disfigured for life or even hit right at his eye for he could be blind.

Two hours later, Darrius and Rachael made up and begin their usual hopping, jumping and goofing around as if that incident never happened.... What am I going to do with them, Kidssss !!!

Starvation Diet ...

Day 2 of STARVATION DIET - END Of Diet !

Seriously who the hell am I kidding ?

Even I want to laugh my own butt off when I link the term - Starvation Diet to me. Okay, so it's not starvation diet but rather diet of some kind (I think). I've been trying to convince myself that I am living in the 3rd world country with only 1 meal (or none) a day to survive. In reality, being in Singapore with the temptation lingering left, right and centre, I'm only deceiving myself.

Yes, I've been cutting down the intake and turning down food which is definately not my nature. I even locked myself home the entire Saturday just so I can avoid the temptation and risk the chance of sabotaging my own diet. Despite my sacrifice, NO SIGN OF REWARD !

Okay, so it's just 2 days and there's no miracle, I get that ! But it's like the saying "The heart is willing but the mind is weak".

With much regret, I have to terminate and abort my Starvation Diet hahahahh

P/S: I am munching my all time favourite - Fish Crackers as I am struggling to type this. (Fish crackers - Compliments from my Mom) *GRIN*

Guilty as Charged !

Since Monday, I've dine out 3 times this week and the week is not even over ! Even more so when I have my buffet dinner with my group of funny and "gossipie" ex-colleagues, it seems the happier you are, the more you eat. Yes, we shared our experiences in relationship and my two cents worth of marriage life. How weird it seems when 2 yrs ago and I'm this happy-go-lucky singleton. Yet two years later, my ex-colleague, Angie told me I am still the same happy-go-lucky but this time married woman.

The nice bit is, they commented I have this "glow" of happiness hahahah Yah, sounds good to me as long as it's a nice glow and not glow of misery. It is nice to be married - provided you married The One. As for me, I married The One and the bonus - I've gain a SIL who is now more than a SIL, she have become my Sister and my BFF. Did I mention that my SIL is now my wedding invitation card Designer ????!!!! Yes, with her expertise and her keen, strong sense of style and design, she's the first one I turn to for help with the mission of designing my wedding card. Thank God for her super dooper style and fast speed cause we've already got the final artwork and design finalised ! So that's 1 mission off my list.

Okay, let's recap on my guilty sins :-
MONDAY Night - Thai food for dinner and followed by the insanely guilty Ice-cream dessert with the girls.
TUESDAY Night - I stayed home and let the three muskerteers take their turn to torture me.
WEDNESDAY, Revenge Night - It's my turn to harrass them.
THURSDAY Night - Dinner with the girls for Chinese Food.
FRIDAY - Thai Food Lunch with Ex-Boss, followed by Buffet Dinner with ex-colleagues.

Seriously how am I going to lose weight when all I do was to stuff myself with sinful calories ???!!!!

RESOLUTION - Starvation Diet begins tomorrow.... I also have a wicked hunch that the diet will end tomorrow as well *sigh* .....

Shoe Hunt !

Since my return, I've been out with a vengence. Last night, we girls head down town for Thai food. Let's see, we have the perfect company, the splendid delicious food and lastly on the agenda - Shoe Hunting for my BFF- Tricia and me.

As a self proclaimed "shoe-a-holic", I've been rather tame the entire time when I'm in US. For more than a year there, I only bought a pair of wedge heels, a pair of shoes and a pair of sandals. As compared to my old habit in Singapore, shoe shopping is a hobby for me and my shoe shopping buddy - Tricia. Infact, our highest record was buying 5 pairs of shoes each at one go in a single shop. And on an average of buying at least a pair of shoe each month. I've officially classified shoe shopping as my retail therapy and one of my guilty pleasure !

Last night, after our dinner, we begin our hunt... as ironic as it is, each time when we're out hunting, we end up empty handed. Thus it's a giantic disappointment when Tricia and me return home, once again empty handed.

But before we return home defeated, we stuffed our face with the "yummy-iest" ice cream. And Cecilia have her fixed with the chocolate cookie cheese cake. The moment the ice cream was presented right infront of my face, all disappointment about the shoes vanished.... Oh, and how can I forget the $2.50 a piece of the tiny macroon that Tricia bought (she bought 5 pieces!) Seriously, for a moment I thought the macroon was dusted with gold flakes.

Oh, we've allocated this Thursday as our Shoe Hunting Day and hopefully this time we'll return home with our reward ! I'm so desprately in need of a new pair of shoes as all the current ones that I have in my shoe closet are breaking down into pieces by pieces ! =/

P/S: Cecilia took some pics of our dessert with her 5 MEGA PIX mobile phone. Notice that I emphase on the 5 MEGA PIX ? Tricia, got it ! *=)

Saturday Girl's Day Out ! =)

It's my Week 1 in Singapore and I finally have the opportunity to enjoy a pampering Girls' Day out with my BFF, Cecilia. I suddendly appreciate the transport system in Singapore and it's convenience cause for less than SGD2.00, I can hop on a double decker bus and head to Town, with sight seeing as an added bonus.

I am also super excited to have my first pedicure after more than a year in US and I really enjoyed the pampering. Instead of choosing a funky Green or Gothic Black, I sticked with my signature "Red" for my toes. Next on my list is my desperately needed Facial !

After the relaxed session, Me and Cecilia head off for Sushi. I am never a Sushi fan but after missing it for more than a year, it all seem so delicious to me. How can I forget the conveyer belt with the wide variety to choose from. I also recall how Sommer enjoy Sushi as well and suddendly wish was she's here with us.

As I don't want to go home after dinner (for everyone at home is out with their own activities), I continued a later session with another ex-colleague for local coffee and get caught up with all the gossips and dirt that I've missed out and catch up with each other's life. I later returned home and chat on the phone for another 2 hours with another friend of mine. I suddendly realised how enjoyable it is to be back in Singapore and being surrounded with all my friends. *sigh*

Check out the pics I've took ....

Food ! Glorious Food !!!!

Last Friday, Christina (Cecilia's older sister)'s friend, LY arrived from Taiwan. Being the ever-so friendly hostess, we decided to bring her for a Steamboat Buffet. For those who is clueless what Steamboat is, it's actually a pot of hot soup such as Chicken or Spicy Soup that is presented infront of you and you have to put any types of ingredients/raw meat, whichever you want to eat into the soup for it to cook. As for the word Buffet, being an international term, am sure everyone understood by now hahahah

Okay, actually it's Christina who arrange for the dinner but I would like to think of us being the friendly and warm hostess hahaha.

So we began our Steamboat Buffet war. To me, it's a battle between us and the Restaurant Owner, it's either we wiped out his fridge or at least cause enough damage or he'll end up laughing at us for being a whimp and eat like a "sissy".

However, having Tricia - The "Server" with us is half the battle won. Being The Server, this volunteer and publicly nominated position is to ensure that all our plate is full and filled with food at all times and it can never ever be empty (according to her standards). And she'll constantly "serve" food into our plate despite our protest. With our Carnivour Eater - Cecilia, she will probably finish most of the meat that's in the fridge. Even when all of us surrender, Carnivour Cecilia still demand 2 more plates of meat ! Yah, she's that superb !

Having Steamboat is always a physically and mentally challenge for me:-

- Physically challenge because I have to personally cook whatever food that I want to eat in the pot of hot soup which is right infront of me. Like the saying "What goes in must come out", thus when we dump the raw food into the pot of hot soup, we also have to fish it out. Did I mention that there is a risk of you splattering the hot soup on your delicate hands and thus destroy any dreams of you becoming a "hand" model ? And perhaps have your hands be disfigured for life ??? (Okay, maybe such questions only appear to paranoid folks like me).

- Mentally challenge for the fact that I am paying the restaurant in which I end up having to cook my food ! And if I am cooking for myself, why am I paying so much to dine out ? ALSO why am I being charged "Service Charge" when I am serving myself !!! TELL ME WHYYYYY !!!!!

But before I even have the opportunity to raise the questions to my fellow diners, I am distracted by the varities of food presented to me and the challenges that lie ahead - to wipe the Restaurant Owner clean. Not forgetting, my fellow diners did a very good job at entertaining and humouring me.

Yes, we did have more food than we can managed. We also ate till our belly stretched to the maximum but we also secretly saved an empty spot in our belly for Indian Tea later.

Indian Tea - Something which I have been secretly craving during the entire time when I am in US. The Tea is so unique that it can only be found in the South East Asia... So good that I am speechless thus just check out the pics of our eating spree !

My Heart Broken Cat ....

It's Day 5 since I've "abandon" my Husband and our child - Mooch.

Everyday when I speak to Paul, without fail, I'll always ask him "How is Mooch doing today?", "Is he behaving better today ?" and followed by "Have he been eating ?" I've been heart broken ever since Paul told me about Mooch's weird behaviour since I'm gone.

The very first day when I left, Paul told me Mooch walked in and out of the house looking for me. With no success, he would then walked into the house and go in and out of every single room in our house to track me down. After no signs of me, he would then hide in the laundry room and cry. I was so sad when I heard of Mooch's behaviour and his desperate search for me. Next, Paul told me with my departure, came Mooch's depression. With his depression, Mooch turned down his favourite food and it was an instant shock since I know how much Mooch LOVE to eat and suddendly he stopped eating.... *sigh* perhaps he is really depressed. Cause even when my MIL left him, he was still eating and Mooch never turn down food.

But now there's slight improvement of his behaviour. Mooch have resume eating and he is also sleeping on the same bed with Paul now. When I was there, he would only sleep with me when Paul leaves for work. I only hope he have moved passed my departure and is a much happier cat now. With my webcam set up, it's another mode and way for him to see me via the webcam.

Check out some of the pictures I've took before my departure. My Final attempt to ambush Mooch during his potty session, snaps of Paul "having a talk" with Mooch and Us petting him.

It's a RIOT !!!

IT'S A RIOT !

With the triplets in the house, it's a riot ! Especially when the 3 of them locked you in as their target and then they start to work on you and everything around you. I arrived home from my Aunt's Clinic helping her to finish her annual accounting mission and the moment I unlock the doors to insanity, the 3 of them dash to me and start chirping like there's no tomorrow.

Amazingly for one who is allergic to toddlers and child below the age of 5, I totally dig them showering me with their attention and had a blast. I've been making them running in and out of my room to give everyone in the house for a hug just so during the few seconds that they are in and out of my room then I can reply and write some emails to my pals.

Oh, I even have to tell them that I need to change my blouse just so I can update my blog. But it's amusing, when I tell the three curious toddlers that I need to change my blouse and they can play later, they all nod their little head and flash me this cute smile and say "OK". Then they regroup and re-focus and attack our maid.

Yah, the 3 is a riot and it's a chaos...but every time when I look at their reaction and their innocent face, it's such a blessing and I asked myself "Would I be able to leave them in a few months time ?"

During my dinner with the 3 of them crowding around me, I have to ask them to take their chairs and sit infront of me just so I can feed them some soups. When the three of them drag their chairs, I can't help but asked myself "Am I asking for trouble ?" It's my first time feeding any toddlers and it's been fun and cute all at the same time. Their little smile when they are done make all the trouble worth while... *sigh* How can someone with such sweet and innocent face can drive you bonkers and at the edge of insanity all at the same time ?!

Check them out at play and goofying around in my room .....