My 2014 & Into 2015

2014 was a very eventful roller coaster year filled with ups and downs, both at work and in my personal life.

At work, due to departures, I had a new section head and 2 new team leads. Separations aren't easy, and working chemistries and bonds have to be rebuilt.

In my personal life, I got married to the love of my life on our 10th anniversary. I couldn't have the wedding in my dream setting/location, so I had to settle for less and found Regent Hotel, who could bring the garden into the hotel ballroom. It was a crazy tiring day. It didn't help that the hubs was puking the whole night and the rented suit and shirt was stained with vomit... But all was good in the end thanks to my brilliant laundry skills *flips hair* and we still managed to get back the full deposit.

Then, I lost my granduncle... He may be my half granduncle and stays in Selangor, Malaysia, but distance (be it in blood relations or in actual kilometres) doesn't reduce the hurt of losing him. I vividly remember how doting and caring he was to everyone around him. There was once during the school holidays while I was still in primary school and we had a family trip in. I didn't have any appetite for dinner. So knowing that I shared the love of durians with him, he took out his basket of durians, sat down with me and told me that we are going to have durians for dinner. I don't like unripe durians and loved only ripe ones. For me, durians must be creamy and not crunchy. When we opened one which was unripe, he would say lovingly in Cantonese to leave it for him while taking another one out from the basket for me to open. So there we were, sitting on the floor, opening one durian shell after another.
And he could pass off as George Lam's, a Hong Kong singer, twin or long lost brother. I kid you not. He looks really like George Lam.
Now writing this, I can still hear his voice and remember his expressions in my head...

And then the retirement of Derek Jeter. Why oh why...

Moving into 2015, life seems a little rosier. Collected keys for our new flat and now we are awaiting to welcome a new addition into the family come September. 2 new chapters await...

In the meantime, I am having weird cravings in the span of just 1 week.
Just other night, I was craving for Blackball grass jelly really badly. I could even smell it and taste it.
And just a few minutes ago, I craved for Coke. I hardly drink carbonated drinks and even when I do, the preference is Pepsi or Root Beer. But I craved for blardi Coke... Perhaps the kid takes after Papa...

Oh yes, and Man United is no longer in mid-table this season following the sacking of Moyes and appointment of van Gaal. Yes, 2015 should continue to be just as rosy.

Childhood Silly Memories Part 4

Date: On a weekend during primary school.

Time: Afternoon

Venue: On SBS bus service/ route #7

Activity: Going to grandma's place at Geylang Lorong 40.

Silly Me:
I was on a old double-deck non-aircon bus, sitting nearest to the driver on a single seater with a Transitlink machine behind me and the exit in front of me. It might not be a Transitlink machine, but it was definately some kinda self-paying device.

I fell asleep somewhere along Holland Road, and woke up somewhere along Orchard when I heard someone say something like, "sit here. 2 kids can share one seat." As always being such a nice little sweet gal, I moved in a little to share the seat with the other kid. Then I fell asleep again...

As the bus was nearing the Geylang area, I woke up to an elderly lady coughing beside me. Remember those old tv serials where people pass the "cough of death" around? I thought when someone coughs around you and you develop cough later, you'll die from coughing. I didn't know there was such a thing called tuberculosis and vaccinations I had when I was even younger could actually immune me to a certain extent. Being paranoid, I ran to my maid who was sitting across the exit and held back tears, because I thought I would cough to death. I can only remember asking my maid why she didn't wake me up when there was someone coughing beside me and then told her I would die.

Finally reach grandma's place and I felt that my throat was kinda itchy. Back then, I only thought I would cough and drop dead, but thinking about it now, my mind really knows how to play games with me... I kept thinking about it and cried. My mum was kinda shocked and asked my maid what happened. My mum then came to me and said something like "orbi-good, sit alone, something bad happen then you know." That was not comforting at all and my crying didn't stop.

Finally a family member, I forgot who but definately not my mum or maid, came and explained to me the vaccinations that I had would immune me to these illnesses and that coughing to death does not happen as frequent as in those tv serials.

Talking about vaccines... Ladies, please be informed that there is vaccination avaliable in Singapore against cervical cancer. Please check with your doctors meanwhile, while I source for more information... ;-)

Childhood Silly Memories Part 3

I haven't been doing this childhood memories thingy for a very long time...

Date: Pre-primary & primary school days
Time: Hmm, anytime?
Venue: At home
Activity: Playtime!
Silly Me: Besides keeping you warm, blankets have many other uses, as I discovered while playing with them when I was younger.
1) I'm a big vainpot. From young, I always wanted to have long hair. So I would take a blanket, place it over my head and secure it using clothes pegs, ah-mah clips, hairbands, rubber bands, etc and pretended I had long silky tresses. Being so intrigued by those Chinese period dramas and those hairstyles they had, I would pretend those ugly clothes peg were my jewel-decorated jade hair ornaments.
2) Again being influenced by those period dramas, I would drape the blanket over my shoulders and pretended to be a princess. With the blanket dragging on the floor, I would walk around in my "robe" pretending to look pretty. I would never forget how many times I had to tug at it so it would hang and drape nicely on my small frame. After taking a few steps, it's tugging time again. But after a while, I would be perspiring, and I would get throw the blanket away and played something else. However, after a while, it would be back to the "pretending to be princess" game with the blanket, fully knowing so well, it's gonna be damn hot!
3) Me, the big vainpot, pretending to be Miss Universe or Miss World or something like that. Draping the blanket, as a "robe" over myelf as I got crowned.
4) Period drama time again. You know those flowing curtains and silkscreens? In my days, made of blankets.
5) Think I've used blankets as tablecloths during pretend times too. If during dining times, I would have gotten killed by my mum.
6) I would play "pretend sick and dying in hospital". With the blanket right up to my neck and one hand sticking out for the "drip", silly me would be perspiring again after a short while.

Its just funny now recalling how blankets can do so much when I was younger. Now, blankets only keep me warm.

Childhood Silly Memories Part 2

Date: Can't remember. It's one of those primary school days.
Time: Afternoon
Venue: At home
Activity: Ice-cube making
Silly Me: It's one of those days when i played "pretending". This day, i pretended to be a chef, n i wanted to make pear flavoured ice-cubes. I decided not to use pear juice, but decided to slice the pear skin in smaller pieces n place them into the ice cubes. so, there i was slicing the skin off the pear, throwing the UNEATEN pear into the dustbin thn i realised that my mum told me there is wax on the skin of fruits n its not good to be eaten. so i acted smart n washed the pear skin in detergent, yes, detergent as in ma-ma-lemon... thn i carefully place each piece of skin that i carefully cut into each slot of the ice-cube tray. i then poured water into the ice-cube tray n placed the tray into the freezer. when my mum came back, she did not notice the pear skins nor that the ice-cubes were not fully formed yet. she emptied the entire tray into the ice-cube box! whn i heard the plonk plonk sound of the ice-cubes into the box n mum saying, "aiyoh, ice-cubes not formed yet", i screamed. i told her to throw everything away cos the ice had detergent in it. i got a scolding, n i told her, all i wanted was just pear flavoured ice-cubes.

ahahaha... silly me...

Childhood Silly Memories Part 1

Just in case i go senile one day, whtever i can remember of my childhood, i'm gonna record it down...

Date: Can't remember. It's one of those primary school days.
Time: Late morning
Venue: Public bus-stop
Activity: Waiting for school bus to pick me up to school.
Silly Me: Remember those old bus-stops with 2 bars of green coloured railings. pple usually sit on the top one, resting their foot on the bottom one. As kids, we love to imitate adults. I n my few other friends sat on the railing too. but i decided to do a small stunt. i flipped myself over the railing n landed beautifully. there were encores to do the little stunt again. however i denied by cracking up an excuse that the bus is coming soon... why? i banged my head on the bottom bar n was in a giddy state. but because my friends were cheering me on, i pretended nothing happen, but held on to the railing for support.

Hahaha... silly me...

Childhood Memories

Its abt slightly more thn 2 weeks since Chris moved into the new place. After thy offically moved in and slept thr, I had gone over aft work in the evenings. I got off from work one afternoon to prepare for my bday party. Since I had to buy him lunch, I decided to take the MRT down and walk ard the area.

After alighting, I walked to Tanjong Katong Complex, not much change. The major occupants of tt building like Shop n Save and 2nd Chance were still ard.

I thn crossed over to City Plaza. Major changes in shops there. Swensens was over taken by a small Muslim food court. There was a bubble tea stall. The stall selling tidbits had lesser variety, corn-on-the-cob no more, only corn-in-a-cup with Daisy margarine instead of Planta margarine. Oriental Emporium on the 4th floor is now Yun Nam Haircare. Most of the shops are wholesales n retailers of female clothes now. Compared to the large variety of shops in the past. Boys n Girls, where I bought clothes in the past was still ard. Sinma and a few jewellers are still ard. So is the money changer cum 4D, Toto stall. The open space opposite to tidbits stall is now converted to Mr Bean n A & W. Standard Chartered is still ard too!

After drawing money, I crossed over to Lion City Hotel, using the pedestrian crossing as usual. Although there's a bridge, I dun use it. Not because I'm lazy to climb up the steps, although the up-going escalator was still in operation years ago. It was because I once fell down thr... My mum's cousin, my aunt, was carrying me, say abt more thn 18 years ago. We were crossing the bridge over to the Mcdonalds for a ice cream treat at Lion CIty Hotel. I heard from my mum tt she had missed a step n fell down the stairs. Although nothing happened to us, I was dazed n didn't eat my ice-cream. Bad memories, so I dun use the bridge... Hehe...

Mcdonalds at Lion City Hotel seemed smaller in size and there was a KFC n Slimming Sactuary there. The cinema which always showed Bollywood films is now Giant Supermart. Oriental Emporium is now Bestway, Starhub and Old Chang Kee. 7-11 now occupys a space along tis stretch too.

I walked further down to Haig Road Food Centre. I walked one round before deciding to buy chicken rice from a very familiar stall. It has a big display area, hanging all the chickens, roast pork and char siew. Behind the display area, stands the "chopping man", who prepares the plates of rice and cutting up pieces of meat. Tis whole display area is flush to the left hand side of the stall, leaving a small entrance on the right. Thr's an auntie who would stand sideways at this small entrance of the stall and take down orders. She'll write the orders down on paper and hook thm on a hook placed on her right which is stuck on the display area's side panel. Now she no longers write as thy have printed pieces of paper and all she has to do is the circle thm. When I was younger, I remembered thr was once a long queue. Tis auntie was writing more n more orders till the hook was full. She had to placed the order slips on the writing area instead. As I watched the chopping man extract the order slip, I kept wondering if the slip he was holding was mine. Hehe...

Lunch was bought and I walked over to the bus stop to take a bus down to Chris place. I boarded the bus and as the bus turned at the junction near the MRT, I looked over to my left, staring at my grandma's ex-place. The corner shop carries bicycles instead of fruits, although the hampers are still ard, thy took over a medical shop tt was beside too. The drinks vending machine thy had in the past is gone. My grandma's ex-place, a hair salon and a bank was over taken by a lighting shop now. The coffeeshop at the corner is now a shop selling office chairs. Memories of me in tis area flooded my mind n i held back my tears...

Neighbours in the area calling me "chili-padi" cos I was small size n skinny. Always getting coins frm my mum to get drinks at the vending machine. Running into the salon to look for my mum who's washing her hair. Running down to the next block of shops to get chalk so I could play hopscotch outside my grandma's place. Drawing "samples" of clothes and standing at the front area (whr customers bring n collect clothes for my grandma to wash, my grandparents were in the laundry business), pretending to sell thm, sliding open n shutting the wardrobe (hanging grandma's customers clothes) letting my imaginary customers choose. Kitchen area whr I helped to wash the floor, see my grandma n mum cook and tried to help, opening n closing the fridge to get drinks, throwing away n refilling a dish of water so the condensed milk would not flood with ants, sit on the HUGE washing machine, HUGE ironing table (whr my uncle pratices pool) and a HUGE table whr clothes are laid out, placing empty metal hangers (rust free) on the rods in the backyard pretending to dry clothes, soaking myself in a water tank (those china-type told in the story of Sima Guang), soaking myself in another huge water tank in the bathroom (this one is made out of concrete) constructed in a corner, taking out the plug at the bottom of tis tank n letting the water gush out (hehe...) n running halfway up a stairway tt leads to the occupant upstairs which is blocked n locked. Last but not least, the corner coffeeshop where we would carry a huge metal mug to buy coffee.

So much memories, can't finish writing all of thm down...