Exhausted!

It's Monday morning and I'm Exhausted! It has been a hectic weekend afterall.

Here's a rundown of the events, starting from dinner on Friday at a zhi-char stall tucked away in Tanjong Rhu. According to the owner, they've been in business for a long time which explains the crowd. The food is good and prices are very reasonable.

The hae chor (minced pork and prawn rolls) was fragrant and tasty, though the texture is quite different from the ones I make at home. I like my fillings chunky with more bite. The ones served here is slightly pasty like they've added yam inside.

I like this interesting dish, stewed duck thigh in lotus leaf. For only $12, the portion is generous and good enough for our group of 4. The meat was stewed until very tender. I found pieces of chestnuts and mushrooms inside too. Very delicious!

The sambal crab was nice too, slightly better than the normal chilli crab because of the addition of fragrant sambal.

We were so stuffed after dinner, even Chris' suggestion of durian for dessert didn't tempt anyone of us. Instead we ended up in a dark Middle Eastern cafe in Arab Street called Ambrosia. It was a mistake actually. The drinks that we ordered tasted so weird, we had to force ourselves to drink up the icy concoctions. Maybe that inspired us to make a pact to go hiking the next morning.

EY and I with our disgusting drinks!

SATURDAY was spent hiking at Macritchie Reservoir along the Treetop Trail. Though we were blessed with good weather, the air in the forest was heavy and humid, we worked up a good sweat.

My camera lens was foggy after nestling next to my ice cold water bottle, giving the photos a soft edge. I quite like this effect.

Some of the trees in the forest are really old and massive!

Tall bamboo cluster framing the trail.

A question mark?

This slow moving monitor lizard's stomach was bloated. It had just swallowed a prey.

Heading towards the treetop walk.


Lovely view from the top. Tree canopy and the reservoir in the distance.

The macaques were so bold and came so close towards us.

SUNDAY was a rather exciting one. I got up at 5am to get ready for the launch of our gardening products at the funfair. It was an interesting experience. The fair was a huge success and we managed to sell all our products within 5 hours. Huier, my blog reader, even came by to visit, bringing a box of Cedele muffins. She's so sweet!

Best friend and I in our apron.

We roped in CH to help.

Fund raising is hard work!

The boyfriend's so sweet! He bought her a planter box of vegetables for the windowsill at her university hostel.

Nonya lady selling traditional Nonya kueh (cakes).

The stall opposite ours was selling shoes and handicrafts designed by kids from the special school.

The satay stall was one of the most popular ones there. It filled the entire church ground with smoke and smells of barbequed meat.

A young gardener with green thumb.

We donated all our proceeds to the church.

These 2 friends came by our stall. Seeing them so interested but with insufficient funds, I gave them a huge discount. Afterall, our aim is to promote gardening amongst kids.

We sold everything before the funfair came to a close. The entire exercise was an eye-opener, we learned that retail business is hardwork and left the place feeling exhausted and thirsty.

Last night, we were back at best friend's house again for a celebratory dinner. The food was good and the mood was excellent!

The three Amigos.

Frightful night

It's hard to be cheery this Friday morning, not after what happened last night. I kicked something wet and cold at 2am in the morning and woke up to find a pile of Rusty's vomit at my foot. I turned on the light to discover his entire chicken dinner was regurgitated on my bed, in 2 piles.

I sprung out of bed, pulled the sheets and mattress protector off immediately. On the way to the bathroom, I stepped on another wet spot on my rug. Ughh!

After putting the sheets in the washer, I went to sleep on sofa. Just as I was dozing off, YK appeared before me. Rusty had gone into his room and vomitted on his bed. YK took over the sofa while I changed his sheets.

Then we realised he vomitted all over the shaggy rug in the living room too. I spent an hour wiping, disinfecting, spraying, cleaning and drying the rug. I was so freaking frustrated (not to mention hungry from the hard work) the whole night, too angry to give the sick dog any sympathy. He wasn't sick actually. The dinner he ate didn't agree with his stomach, that's all.

I can't blame a dog for being sick, can I? Keeping a pet is like having a baby. One should expect all kinds of mishaps. We can't afford to be squeamish about such things. Dogs shouldn't be kept in an apartment but that wasn't how it started in the first place.*

We were living in the farm and the carefree life and huge expanse of space suited him perfectly. We moved into an apartment five years later while Rusty stayed behind at the farm. When he started getting into all kinds of trouble and dog fights, we had to bring him to live with us.

From the acres of land he grew up in, he's suddenly confined to a small apartment and left to his own devices most part of the day. The space is already so small, it would be too cruel to restrict him from going into our rooms. When it comes to hygiene, we just have to wash him and the sheets (in hot water) more often than normal. To be fair, he doesn't walk all over the beds. He sleeps in his own little corner on my King sized bed at night. Luckily, he doesn't like the sofa and does not attempt to sleep on it.

Anyway, it's 10.30am and I'm still at home. I took the morning off to clean up the house. Besides I have a meeting with an important customer this afternoon. The client is the corporate type who's always dressed to the nines, I can't show up looking like I've spent the night cleaning up vomit. I need time to disinfect the furniture, Rusty and myself before donning decent meeting attire.

Yah, I wish I don't have to multi-task so much but until I get permanent domestic help, somebody just have to get the job done. The next question is, where is the domestic maid going to sleep? Not share the bed with Rusty and me, I hope!

* Sadly, many big dogs are given up for adoption every year when the owners move to an apartment as it is against the law to keep big dogs in a flat. To me, it's like giving up a child.

The natural life

I smiled when I read about the cows in Japan. When the sky darkened briefly during the solar eclipse yesterday, many cows in the villages stood by the feeding stations, thinking it was meal time. How cute!

Last night, after being harrassed by a mosquito in my bedroom in the wee hours of the morning, I decided to sleep on the sofa. As I was tossing about, I heard the pitter patter of Rusty's little paws as he went about searching for me. He had awoken to find me missing on my bed and went looking everywhere, even in the kitchen, thinking I left the house without feeding or walking him!

CH was telling me how he doesn't hear cockerels crowing at dawn anymore. How true! Growing up, we could always rely on the trusted cocks to do the job. Nobody owned any alarm clocks in the village.

Then when the sun sets in the evening, the crickets and cicadas will start their symphony. The bullfrogs joined in ocassionally.

During the day, when we heard crows call, it was a sign of rain to come. Just before dusk, we watched swallows sweep across the pastures, so gracefully and swiftly as they foraged for food.

We would prepare for rain at night when we saw huge gathering of flies (the kind that shed wings easily) around the lamp. They may be harmless but so annoying because they leave a mess on the floor the next morning. It was common practice to leave pails of water beneath the lamps to invite them to plunge right in.

Living near the reservoir had its charms. Sometimes we were lucky enough to see fireflies twinkling in the dark or bats swooping over the fields to catch a meal.

Toads came out in droves after sunset, sometimes hopping into our canvas shoes to nest. If we were not careful, we would step into a squishy soft body the next morning.

Sadly, all the insects and animals, even the dreadful toads are becoming such a rarity now. Urbanisation has driven them to near extinction on our little island.

All we hear now is noise from manmade things. I do miss the simple, natural life.

Daydreaming

What I would really love to do right now is to take a three month break from work and chores. Go somewhere, anywhere. Do something physical and active all day long and fall into deep sleep at night. Spend lots of time outdoors. Live simply, eat heartily and savour the moments. Then return home, refreshed and invigorated.

Then and now

Yesterday, I wore a skirt my sis-in-law bought in Hong Kong years ago. It has been four years but it still fits me albeit a little snug around the waist. Naturally, the body is a little padded now that I'm older and less active.

When I first wore it, my niece Ting was just a baby. I remember SK took a photo of us that day. Since I was in the same outfit yesterday, I decided to recreate the scene. This time, I had Rusty in my arms.

Upon closer examination, the face is now rounder with more lines and wrinkles. But the smile is still happy. Still acceptable for now. I can't imagine what I'll look like 30 years from now. Will I age gracefully like the Queen?

By chance, my friend Amy sent me an email this morning showing photos of the Queen and the 11 Presidents of USA. It's interesting to see how she had aged through the years. Here's a photo of her looking so beautiful and radiant with Jimmy Carter and a recent one with President Obama 30 years later.

I begin to appreciate photos more and more as I age. They help bring back memories of events, celebrations and vacations, some long forgotten.

My mind is not as sharp as before. I often find myself searching desperately for words. Words that used to roll off my tongue are now tucked in the deep recesses of my memory bank.

Shortest walk ever!

This morning, I took Rusty out through the back gate only to notice dark clouds forming quickly, bolstered by the strong gusts of wind. Then I led him back home via the front gate. Naturally he was reluctant but the thunder-fearing dog had no choice when the rain started pelting down. It was his shortest walk ever!

Of course the rain must have dampened the spirits of many, especially those eclipse watchers. While driving to work, I felt the sky darken briefly at around 8.45am. For a moment, it felt like 7.30pm. That must have been due to the eclipse but the sun was hidden behind the clouds anyway.

On the way to school, YK and I were discussing about the solar eclipse. Teenagers like him are skeptical about how the energy of an eclipse can affect one's well-being. To them, it's all about science.

What's interesting is how we're able to banter about such things now. Just not too long ago, they were little kids and all we did was discuss about dinosaurs and caterpillars.

He's afraid of needles and is nervous about getting his Hepatitis jab today. It's mandatory for him as he will be handling blood specimens in his studies. I assured him that it will not hurt one bit. In fact, he didn't even cry when he got his shots as a baby.

Surely it can't be as painful as giving birth to him!

Just move on

For some reason I woke up feeling really happy today. I made breakfast, walked the dog, dropped the kids in school, breezed through traffic and arrived at the office at 8am.

The rising sun was peeking through the clouds and I told myself it's going to be a great day. And that will be today's tip on Happy Ideas - When you wake up, tell yourself you want to be happy today. And chances are, you will be.

The irony is, by 9am, I was already in tears. Only one person in this world is capable of driving me to tears that easily, and that is my ex. He called out of the blue, from another continent, asking about the kids. The conversation started civil enough but soon escalated into a shouting match. We both slammed the phone down in anger.

It's hard to imagine that even after so many years, we still can't conduct a decent conversation. All that can be forgiven and forgotten had already been done. Still, some bitterness lingers. That, combined with his temper and my defensiveness, can become a mixture potent enough to make one (him) explode or implode (me). Whatever it is, it just makes the day suck.

After the tears had been shed, I reminded myself that it's supposed to be my happy day. And then suddenly, I snapped out of it. Just like that!

It goes to show that the theory works. I could choose to wallow in self pity and misery all day. But I decided to focus on the other good things in my life, and the entire day takes a different turn.

I have learned over the years that we are the ones in control of our emotions. If I allow a bad incident to affect my mood all day, I'm the foolish one. The other person would have moved on and there I am, still nursing and licking the emotional wounds hours later.

So the earlier we move on, the better it is for us, isn't it?

The weekend

I was so tired and lethargic on Saturday (it's that time of the month), I practically did nothing all day. Then suddenly I woke up to a whole mountain of chores on Sunday! Thank goodness I had regained my vitality and tackled them throughout the day.

In fact, after I loaded the last set of bedsheets into the washer, the boys and I popped by best friend's place to help her pack our gardening products. We're taking part in a funfair next Sunday to help raise funds for the church. It will be the first time we're launching our product.

We had been busy getting our act together all of last week. While I'm in charge of design and printing, best friend is an expert in production. Hand in hand, we've managed to put together a decent product.

Everything is done in the backyard for now. We like the fact that our business is one that starts this way, like the way Bill Gates and many successful entrepreneurs did.

It was drizzling when we arrived at best friend's house. I found her working diligently with an apron on while the rain pitter-pattered on the roof.

YK and I quickly chipped in to help. The labels were pasted and products were packed into carton boxes. The job was done within a couple of hours.

I brought a bottle of wine but we didn't even sit down to relax as we wanted to get home for dinner and watch Harry Potter which started at 7.45pm. Before I left, I took a peek at our other product in the shed. The seeds have not sprouted yet, I hope they'll be ready in time for the fair.

A perfect day

We had a perfect day. It began with breakfast at the Kopitiam in Katong where CH ate roti prata while I had fried carrot cake.

We drove to Telok Blangah Hill so that we could see the sights along the Southern Ridges, an area steeped in history and is home to some of nature's greatest gifts of flora and fauna. The walk began at the shady park.

We walked in the direction of Mount Faber and arrived at the Henderson Waves, an unique bridge built to connect the two hills of Mount Faber and Telok Blangah.

The bridge has a unique wave-form made up of seven undulating curved steel "ribs" that alternately rise over and under its deck. The curved "ribs" form alcoves that function as shelters with seats within and also to accommodate large number of people during public events. I like the timber decking.

The Mt Faber hilltop offers a panoramic views of the city, harbour and the Southern Islands. Here, you can see the tree canopy in the foreground and the CBD in the distance. The buildings in between are residential apartments.

We walked back to Telok Blangah Hill park again and continued our journey in the other direction. The vegetation in the park is very diverse. I like the coconut groves very much.

Then we entered the forest walk, an elevated walkway that meanders through some 50 metres of secondary forest and connects to Alexandra Arch. The raised walkway with heights ranging from 3 to 18 metres brushes the canopy of trees and offers a bird’s eye view of the forest.

From the elevated platform, I looked down and saw a small stream flanked by large elephant ear plants.

When we arrived at the beautifully manicured gardens of HortPark, the weather was becoming very hot and humid. We were very tired.

CH jumped on the first opportunity to relax when he saw the garden swing.

We walked through the gardens and found a bench under the shady tree to settle down for a well deserved rest. We had been walking for several hours!

I brought out the birthday cake (without candles!).

I brought too much food. We didn't pop the bottle of champagne or make any sandwich.

From the park, we could see some beautiful black and white bungalows (my dream house) in the distance.

I love the mosaic mural on the wall in the foyer.

We decided to walk back to the car before the sun got any fiercer. We spotted a bird house high up on a tree. We didn't encounter any interesting animals like monkeys or squirrels throughout the walk. We spotted a vine snake and lots of birds.

Then we got home and soaked in the pool before heading out for dinner.

We went back to Santa Fe, the Tex-Mex restaurant that was too full to admit us last Friday. The buffalo wings were delicious!

The BBQ pork ribs were so tender, the meat literally fell off the bones. The best part of the dish is the tangy BBQ sauce. It's fruity and sweet, the best I've ever had. Oh, and the fries were heavenly. They stayed crispy throughout dinner. I ate every single one of them!

We felt the fajita (beef) lacked the oomph. I can't really pinpoint what was wrong with it but I suspect the dish lacks seasoning and the dough is too thick.

By the time our chocolate dessert arrived, we were stuffed. The chocolate ice cream tastes very ordinary like the ones sold by the ice cream trucks down the road. Thank goodness the chewy pieces of brownies saved the day.

Still, we had a wonderful day. I give it a perfect 10!

A happy day!

It's CH's birthday today and we're taking the day off to go for a leisurely breakfast followed by a hike along the Southern Ridges, a 9-km trail that connects several parks along the southern ridge of Singapore. I've got a bottle of American bubbly with me, maybe we can have a picnic along
the way!

It's also best friend's wedding anniversary! A happy day indeed!

All grown up

I had breakfast with YK in the city this morning. Not a big deal but to me, it's quite a milestone.

Until recently, my suggestions to eat out together were usually met with lukewarm reception. Maybe it wasn't cool for a teenage boy to be seen about with his mummy. But lately, I'm beginning to see some changes.

Firstly, he suggested going out for dinner, just the three of us. Well, we went to Porta Porta and had a great time. We're already planning the next one - fish head curry at Muthu's. Lately, he's been talking about going on a family vacation again. Our last one was more than 2 years ago. After that, he wasn't keen on anymore family vacations. This change of heart is great news for me and I'm starting to make hay while the sun shines!

Last night, when he suggested going for breakfast in the morning, I was quite skeptical. Firstly, he doesn't normally take breakfast and secondly, he's asking me out?

We ended up at Killiney Kopitiam in Purvis Street, the same cafe where SK and I had our Wednesday brekkies in the past. When we arrived, YK offered to line up for food and pay for breakfast. I like this reversal of roles.

Sitting there, watching my son, who's all grown up and taking care of me, filled me with motherly pride. He returned to the table bringing a tray of noodles and my favourite steamed yam cake. We ate, chatted and raved about the food like good friends. Then we continued chatting as I drove him to school.

I really cherish the good relationship I have with my kids. I do enjoy chatting with their friends too. Incidentally, YK has been showing his friends my blog. As his mother, I take it as a great compliment.

Things happen for a reason

This morning, a lady at Joan Bowen told me "Things happen for a reason" and I like that.

You see, I stumbled upon a quaint cafe while walking to the bank near our office and was instantly attracted to the creative motifs and charming graphics on the walls. The decor reminds me of the cafes in the French countryside. After visiting the bank, I made a detour to take a closer look at the cafe called Joan Bowen.

Maybe I should pop in for a cuppa. It's not something I do very often but for some reason I was drawn to that place. Three ladies were huddled over a laptop as I entered. In the kitchen, I could see a group of teens with eager faces moving about, keeping themselves busy.

"Can I come in for a cup of coffee?", I asked.

The ladies stepped forward with smiling faces and explained that they're not ready for business but yes, they're very happy to give me a cup of coffee (for free). As it turns out, I'm their first customer even though the cafe is slated for opening on 9 August 2009.

There I stood, gushing over their generosity, the gorgeous decor and nice little touches in the cafe. It's really my cup of tea! Suddenly I felt very comfortable in the bright cafe, amongst the ladies.

We began talking like friends. One of them has green thumbs like me. She grows lemon grass, basil and lots of herbs in her garden at home. We talked about dogs, travel and the little French cafes that we all love. I showed them my blogs and they showed me theirs.

What impressed me most is the philosophy behind the cafe. I learned that 5,000 students with special needs enter the job market every year and these kids face alot of challenges trying to get a foothold in the market. The 6 youths I saw in the kitchen had just started culinary training this week and should be skillful enough to whip up a meal by the time the cafe opens.

Joan Bowen aims to empower youths and children with special needs by training them with a range of skills that will enable them to make their own mark and contribute as an active member of the larger community. Ultimately, it aims to be the link between youths trained in culinary, print and craft and the industry to provide them with a pool of trained and confident workforce.

Talking to the women behind this company makes me feel very inspired. In fact, I hope to be able to participate in their activities in future. They had invited me to their opening cum flea market and I've promised to attend. I could even sell my gardening products for a charitable cause.

It was by sheer coincidence that I ended up on that street today. What started out as an errand for a friend led to a wonderful discovery. When I said that, the lady beamed and said, "Things happen for a reason."

Yes, indeed!

Close encounter

Rusty and I started hurrying home when we saw dark clouds gathering very quickly in the sky. We were walking several metres behind a teenage girl who was sauntering ahead of us, lost in her thoughts. I think she wasn't wide awake yet at 7am in the morning.

I pulled Rusty close to me so that he wouldn't wander too near her legs. Maybe she heard our shuffling feet, she suddenly stopped and turned around. Then she let out a blood curdling scream as if she had seen a gremlin instead of a dog.

I didn't know whether to be amused or apologetic, so I stared at her with my eyes wide open. She looked shocked and mumbled "Oh my God!" with her hands on her chest.

Well, to be fair, nobody was at fault here. Rusty didn't go too near her, she just didn't expect to see a dog so close behind. That must have jolted her out of her sleepiness.

I decided to apologise anyway. After walking ahead, I turned back to say sorry but I think she was too traumatised to notice.

True enough, it started raining when we got home. By the time we left the house, it was raining cats and dogs. There were reports of accidents and traffic jams on all the major highways. It is on wet mornings like this when I'm so thankful I no longer have to drive across the island to get to school and to work.

Healthy obsession

CH makes a face when I say I'm having mixed cereal (again) for breakfast. I wonder what he'll say if I tell him I'm having it for lunch too.

Everyday, I carry a thermal pot filled with piping hot gruel to my office. Before I go to bed each night, I pre-boil a cup of mixed grains in the cooker and let the mixture soak overnight. In the morning, I toss in some Japanese sweet potatoes and let the porridge simmer away. YK thinks it smells lovely but will not eat it under any circumstance.

It became a healthy obsession after my friend gave me a small bag of mixed grains. I got hooked, I went out and bought another bag from the Korean supermarket. It's certainly not cheap (almost $30 for 1kg) but there's brown rice, soy beans, black beans, black glutinous rice, barley, wheat and a whole lot of other grains in it.

As if not enough, I add barley, green beans, black-eye bean, rolled multi grains, raisins, pumpkin and sunflower seeds to the mixture. A bowl of thick gooey porridge is chockful of goodness.

My colleague thinks it is disgusting. It brings back memories of an improvished childhood where they were fed brown rice gruel instead of fragrant rice. The porridge made her gag and she would secretly empty the entire bowl into the bin below their flat.

While I didn't have to eat brown rice gruel in my childhood, mum made me finish a bowl of oatmeal porridge before I left for school every morning. Oh, how I hated it! But now I thank her for my strong bones.

It's strange how I'm beginning to embrace the food that I used to avoid. It's probably a sign of aging. I've acquired a taste for simpler things. On most days, I adopt a completely vegetarian diet. Sometimes I supplement my dinner with steamed or grilled fish.

For the boys, I make sure they eat a more balanced diet as it's important for their growth. If only I could make them eat a bowl of oatmeal porridge every now and then.

Based on sound medical and nutritional advice not to routinely eat the same foods every day, I should really adopt a more varied diet instead.

My BFF

I chuckled when I read about Paris Hilton testifying in a civil trial involving the box office bomb Pledge This!

The trial is being heard by Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno, who reacted with surprise when Hilton gave him a little wave before testifying. "I've never had a witness wave at me before," the judge cracked.

In another exchange, Moreno was puzzled by the title of Hilton's current reality show, "My New BFF."

"What does that mean?" he said. After Hilton gave the title — "Paris Hilton's My New Best Friend Forever" — the judge remarked "This will be my best case forever."

Without missing a beat, Hilton replied "You're my best judge forever."

I think Paris is a real smart lass. While there are plenty of girls as rich as her, none is as shrewd and clever at making news as her. Who cares if she's really dumb or not, she's on the front page news almost every week!

Thanks to her, now everyone even those living under a rock, knows what BFF is. Soon, the term BFF will be rolling off the tongue of every granny in the USA.

Today I met up with my BFF, that's why I think of Paris. Incidentally BFF and I were in Paris together not too long ago, but that's not what today's post is about.

My BFF is a kind and big hearted person but she's often misunderstood, by me that is. I'm guilty of whinging about how she's often indifferent towards me but in reality there's nothing wrong with her. She's a wonderful girl who calls me whenever she has the opportunity but her work load is so hectic, it makes me look like a slacker.

She only managed to read my e-book today (a week late) and gave me some good suggestions in between her meetings. She encouraged me to forge ahead and never give up. And the whole time I thought she didn't give a hoot.

I realised that I'm the one with the issues. While I love her as a friend and am always very happy to see her, somedays I just can't deal with her success. Instead of focusing on her attributes (she has many), I was busy looking for faults in our friendship, one that has spanned over four decades. How many people have this priviledge to have an enduring friendship like ours?

I want to tell my BFF that I'm sorry for misunderstanding her sometimes. I know she doesn't read my blog (not because she doesn't care about me, she just doesn't have the time and habit to do so), but I cherish her and treasure her as my best friend.

We'll stay Best Friends Forever!

Caged dog

On my regular walks with Rusty, I come across all sorts of dogs in the neighbourhood. Most of them live a good life except for an active jack russell in a terrace house down the hill.

That is one of the most unkempt houses in the entire estate. All kinds of junk and construction equipment are strewn in the backyard. And if you peer through the clutter, you will see a little dog in a small metal cage. Actually, you don't have to look very hard because this excitable dog will bark, jump and twirl about in that tiny space he calls home.

His companion, a larger-sized mongrel which doesn't share a similar fate as him, will then dash out from the gaping hole in the kitchen door towards the fence to create a rukus. Both dogs will bark so loudly, all the dogs in the neighbourhood will join in the cacophony.

My heart goes out to the smaller one because whilst he's the same breed as Rusty, he leads a really different and difficult life.

Home is a tiny cage barely twice his size. As if that's not enough of a torture, it sits in the open yard, exposed to the hot sun and rain. I imagine the metal cage must be burning hot under the scorching heat. Many times I've peered through the broken back door to find a pair of feet shuffling about in the spartan kitchen but I've never seen anyone feeding or tending to the dogs in the yard.

I wrote to the SPCA about the caged dog but didn't receive any acknowledgement from them. One day, I realised the cage and dog had been moved into the kitchen. Though the dog was no longer exposed to the elements, he was still being caged up. Jack russells are very energetic and require lots of exercise. It must have been a torture to be locked up all day and night.

While walking past the backyard last week, the little jack russell came dashing to the fence, barking incessantly at Rusty. It sure is a hyper and yappy little thing but I wasn't at all annoyed. In fact, I was so happy to see him free at last.

Today I received an email from an inspector at SPCA saying that he had visited the owner after receiving my letter. However in another visit, he couldn't find the dog in the front or backyard. Hence, he wanted to know if I had seen the dog around.

I reported my latest observations and assured him that I will continue to keep an eye on this doggie. To be honest, I haven't gone by that area for several days now, he could have escaped and found a better home, who knows?

Well, I'm relieved that the SPCA has taken action. Pets rely on their owners to care for them, so we must always treat them right.

Choosing to be happy

Petunia wrote a post which I feel everyone should read. It touches on why people like us choose to be happy. I can't describe it as beautifully as the way she does, please read it for yourself here.

The letter

I had an argument with YK last Sunday. It happened after I heard him chatting with my friend. Through my observation, he sounded like a discontented person. Everything, from his house to the school, is either useless or not good enough.

In the car, I questioned him about his negativity. He denied he was being negative, then he gave me the cold shoulder the rest of the night.

I'm easily affected by someone else's moods. His displeasure made me very uneasy. When he left for school the next morning, I sat down and wrote him a letter. I knew that I could put in all my thoughts in a letter, words that you can never get across during a fight. True enough, my letter was 6 pages long.

I spoke of many things, about how I'm always advocating positivity yet I seem to have an unhappy kid at home. What happened to that sweet, loving and compassionate boy I once knew.

I sat and admired my untidy but lively handwriting before placing the letter strategically on his computer keyboard, the first thing he would see when he returns home.

I felt ill at ease the entire day at work. Had I been too harsh? Teenagers like him are supposed to be angsty afterall.

When I got home, the letter was still there. He wasn't back yet. By then, I was no longer angry, maybe I should chat with him instead. I folded the letter and kept it in my handbag.

He was chatty during dinner and the letter was forgotten. Three days later, he spoke to me, "I've read the letter. I saw it earlier while I was looking for the camera in your bag."

"Oh, it was meant for you. Can you tell me why teenagers are so full of negativity these days?", I asked.

"Some of my friends in school are much more whiny than me!" Then he looked remorseful and asked, "How do you want me to change?"

For a start, I don't want to hear him saying the word "useless" again. He may use it appropriately on an object but not on a person.

I appreciate that bad habits can be hard to break. That day, I caught him telling his friend, "This Rusty does nothing but sleeps all day! He's so not useful."

Well, I can see that he's trying to change. It made me smile.

Anyway, his friend replied, "Rusty is useful, he makes people happy."

Polar bears

Today I put a picture up on the wall. The photo of a polar bear mummy with two cute little cubs takes pride of place in the living room. You see, YK bought the 100x70cm poster from National Geographic store several days ago.

"Aren't they cute? It's for the house.", he said.

I think my kids are so cute. They buy little things for the house. YK came home with soup spoons once. Another time he bought drinking glasses and salt/pepper shakers.

When SK was only ten, I gave him some money for a school trip to Malaysia. When he came home, he couldn't wait to show me a present. It was a silver charm bracelet with little playful dolphins. To think that he must have stood there fingering the bracelet before buying it for his mummy made me touched beyond words.

Looking at the polar bears reminds me of our family. "See, that's me. And the two little cubs in her embrace are you and SK!", I pointed out to YK.

You see, when he was little, he loved to snuggle like that too.

Accidental discovery

Never underestimate the power of the blog! Take last night for example, we were so looking forward to dinner at the new Tex Mex restaurant called Sante Fe after reading a review by Ho Chiak that we went there at the first opportunity.

On the way there, I told CH I had not made reservations. Well, it's a large restaurant in an obscure location, surely they can fit the both of us in. But no, the place was fully booked, we were advised to return next week. How many people have read the food blog I wonder?

So near yet so far.

As it turns out, they were celebrating their 10th anniversary. All the mains were going for only $10 (this is super value, as they are almost real Texan sized servings) and yesterday was the last day of the promotions.

Since they had no room for us on the riverboat, we went for crab at the Chinese restaurant round the corner. It was a wise move. The food was good, ambience was very pleasant as we could enjoy the seaview and cool evening breeze and the service was excellent. It would have been noisy and crowded if we were seated in the Tex Mex restaurant.

The crab bee hoon was very good value for money. For $30 (July promotion), we had a large Sri Lankan crab with so much bee hoon in a flavourful stock, we couldn't finish everything. The crab was sweet and succulent, it tasted better than many of the chilli or black pepper crabs I've had in the seafood restaurants. The quality of the food here is really commendable.

Similarly, the pork chops, one of the signature dishes recommended by the manager, was cooked to perfection. It was so tender and well marinated, I almost didn't have to chew at all.

Last night's accidentally discovered restaurant turned out to be a real winner. We shall return to Santa Fe someday to find out for ourselves if the ribs are as tender as that pork chop just round the corner.

Old friend

I met an old friend yesterday. I heard he went through a bad patch recently, seeing his face light up and hearing him chuckle made me happy too.

"You look very good!", he said. I protested, "No! I just came from the container yard, I'm covered in dust and sweat."

So we sat down and chatted over coffee. "You should settle down", he advised. Again I protested, "No lah. I'm happy the way I am."

He's married with two kids and he likes to promote the happy marital lifestyle. Just as he was about to start a long lecture, I quickly distracted him with other topics. An engineer by training, he loves to tinker around in the backyard. So he spoke passionately about his latest home-made invention, the solar-powered climate-controlled greenhouse. The irony is, he has the perfect little greenhouse but he knows nothing about growing things. Just like he loves deep sea fishing but doesn't know how to cook his catch.

When I got home, I began thinking about his advice. What's he trying to tell me? That I should make hay while the sun shines?

Come to think of it, I'm not exactly the best candidate for marriage, not that I'm desperate to get hitched anyway. The kids will be embarking on tertiary education soon. They're not scholarship material, so funding falls squarely on my shoulders. If they're heading for an oversea education, it could cost me an arm and a leg.

It's probably not the best time for anyone to marry me. Better to wait until the kids are armed with a degree and see if mummy still has all her limbs intact. There are plenty of fishes in the ocean anyway.

Canine nightmare

Yesterday, YK told me about a new reality show which totally grossed me out. In it, the celebrities were made to eat a rat's tail, iguana's tail, blended pig's stomach, boiled tripe, tarantula, scorpions and alot of other gross things to compete against each other.

Then he went on to describe very graphically how he had seen tripe being removed from a butchered cow on Youtube. We both agreed that working in an abbatoir must be the worst job ever and how we would never ever eat tripe.

It was no surprise that I had a nightmare last night. I was working in an abbatoir and the animal I had to slaughter was my little Rusty. Maybe I was playing with him on my bed before I fell asleep but why in heaven's name would I ever think of harming my dog? But in my dream, I sliced Rusty up and laid him flat on the steel table like a bear rug, wondering why people would eat cute little dogs like him.

I woke up very early this morning, feeling so guilty about the nightmare. I was especially hungry too, so I had breakfast at 5.30am. An hour later, I brought Rusty down for his walk.

As usual, we saw this lady with her two white maltese or shitzus (I can never tell them apart) running freely in the field. The more aggressive one charged forward to bark at Rusty. It makes a really annoying high-pitched bark which made Rusty growl.

For a jack russell, Rusty is a mild mannered dog who usually ignores other dogs unless provoked. To avoid any confrontation, I picked Rusty up in my arms immediately. As I turned to walk away, that dog sank its sharp tiny teeth into my right leg. Despite its small size, it was a painful bite. I shouted "Your dog bit me!".

The owner nonchalantly summoned her dog back and gave it a little spank. She did not even come forward to apologise or ask if I was hurt. I rolled up my pants and found punctured skin and some blue-black marks on the area.

I could have kicked a fuss but I decided to let the matter rest. The least she can do is to leash up her dogs up in future or I will complain to the authorities.

I used to think that dog owners are compassionate or nice people but I'm surprised to come across many sulky owners who pull a long face when our dogs check each other out. Their attitude makes me feel awkward.

Today's incident makes me think twice about bringing Rusty to the same area in future. I certainly don't wish to meet the dogs or the owner again.

Blurting Happy Ideas

For years, I have always yearned for a steady stream of income on the side. Nothing ambitious, just a passive income for the kids' education in future. Parents in Singapore are so savvy these days, they start an education fund the moment their child is born. I've missed the boat and my kids are growing too fast, the 'future' is almost here.

Then a month ago, I suddenly felt inspired to write a book. It began as a simple idea. I'm a happy person, so I shall write a book on happiness!

Maybe the process was too exciting, I got carried away. Perhaps I should put in pictures. Add in quotes as well. Some graphics would be cool. I need more colours. Make the words bold and colourful!

That was when I started worrying. Would anyone want to pay for my e-book? Are the photos up to standard? Is the content exciting? Would people feel happy after reading it?

Then I emailed the book to a handful of friends and braced myself for criticisms. They were all very kind. They say it is a lively book with beautiful photos, and the topic is one that speaks to people. Some say it contains good reminders of how to step back and conduct our lives. My sis-in-law says the ideas are simple, nonetheless good reminders of things so simple and yet so frequently forgotten and overlooked.

I've also received many good suggestions and constructive comments from the savvy bloggers. A couple of them think I'm not showcasing my best. I even had a good conversation with one who's on the verge of publishing her book. She gave me lots of inspiration.

Best friend, as usual, didn't even acknowledge receiving the book, let alone give any comments. It made me quite sad.

It was after a meeting with an artist friend yesterday that a new and better idea was born. It gave me new direction and inspiration to start all over again.

So, last night, I decided to put my Happy Ideas on a blog for free. To be honest, it doesn't make me happy collecting $5 from people for something which I think is not my best. Afterall, my original intention is to share happiness with people.

When YK heard my announcement, he was quick to console, "You book is good! Really! Please don't kill it."

I'm not shelving it or killing it, I plan to share it with my readers, one happy idea a day. I hope it makes their day a little happier. It's called Blurting Happy Ideas.

A new crown!

I wish I could show you my new crown but my camera cable has gone missing. Quite mysteriously too. So, you'll have to live with pictureless posts until I get a new cable or camera.

But really, why would anyone want to see my crown, especially if it's one that sits snugly in my mouth? I'm talking about a dental crown of course.

It's funny how the fear of visiting the dentist has diminished greatly over the years. When I was young, I hated everything about the dentist, from the chemical smells to the horrible drilling sounds. The nurses and dentists were like monsters from hell and the dental chair was the torture chamber. The clanking sounds of the metal instruments, sterilising equipment and bright operatory light were so intimating and terrifying, especially to a little girl.

Then I grew up and realise that dentists can be rather charming people too. A visit to the dentist isn't that daunting anymore. If he's handsome and macho, even better. Today, I discovered that a dental injection doesn't hurt more than an ant bite if administered properly. The dentist was tugging so hard to remove the temporary crown that he decided to inject novacaine to reduce any discomfort.

I usually pop a painkiller before sitting on the dental chair but I forgot to do so today. Naturally, when I saw the needle, I was bracing myself for the worst. Surprisingly it didn't hurt very much.

So, here I am, crowing about my new crown when I certainly don't wish for another one no matter how macho the dentist is.

Entrepreneurs

In a meeting with an old customer yesterday, I found out that he will be leaving his post as head of operations in Singapore soon. In a way, it was like a retrenchment exercise. The news was rather shocking because he's a really good boss whose loyalty to the India based company has always been very apparent. Yet, what surprised me most was the way he embraced the news with such positivity.

Instead of feeling bitter and resentful, he saw it as an opportunity to strike out on his own. In his own words, he said he would never consider leaving the company because he loved his job and the people working under him too much. It wasn't right for him to abandon ship but now that he has been made redundant, it presents an opportunity for him to realise his dream of setting up a cafe in an upscale estate in Mumbai.

Yet, being the good man that he is, he couldn't bear to leave his ex-employees stranded and jobless, so he is shelving his own F&B dream to build another company so that the retrenched staff could continue to work together again like family. Even in a situation like this, he's still holding the fort like a true leader.

Incidentally, this man is a permanent resident who had, in the recent years, moved his family from India to live in Singapore. I'm impressed that he's willing to put his own dreams on hold so that he could fulfill the dreams of others. Such magnanimity is hard to find these days, especially amongst Singaporeans.

He hopes that I would continue to support him in the business like before. Most definitely! I recognise that business is made up of people. It's the people running it that makes the business successful. I gave him lots of encouragement at the meeting yesterday. It takes a lot of courage for one to start a new company in an economic climate like this but I have full confidence in this man. People like him with the never-say-die attitude will be blessed.

Family

At best friend's party last night, we caught up with her brother and sis-in-law whom we've not seen for years . While the adults still looked pretty much the same, I was surprised at how much their little girl has grown.

Four years ago, I was holding their infant daughter in my arms. When I tried carrying her last night, she was all arms and legs. Oh, she's such a tall and lanky girl now!

Then and now.

Looking at how they interact with their kid, I realised they've become such 'accomplished' parents now compared to how anxious they were when they first became parents.

Parenting is indeed a lifetime learning experience. Even now, I sometimes doubt my parenting skills. As I watched best friend's loving family joking and laughing as we gathered around to watch their scuba-diving holiday video, I was awashed with envy.

Maybe my kids felt the same way too. Then I began to think that I'm often overwhelmed with work and chores, I have become too pragmatic and serious a mum. After my day is done, I hardly have time to chat or watch TV with them. I know they really appreciate it when I do it sometimes.

While driving home, I got into an argument with my son. Angry words were exchanged and then I realised the kids don't really care if I've done a million chores or kept the house spick and span. But they'll remember the hurtful things that I had said or promises broken. They also remember the good times spent together like family vacations or watching a movie together.

Looking at how much time my friend has spent in nurturing her kids makes me wish I had worked harder all these years. For me it's a struggle because our conditions are different but there is room for improvement.

Healthy start

Seeing my 12 year-old niece looking so cute in a little black skirt that could fit me 3 years ago inspired me to go running today. Oh, how my butt jiggled and wobbled with every step I made but it's a good start.

I haven't been running for 7 months and boy, it's nice to be active again. If I keep up with this, perhaps my skinny belt that's looking so forlorn in the wardrobe will see the light again.

As you can see, I'm feeling very upbeat on a Sunday morning. I even bought a bag of healthy muesli to kickstart a healthy week.

Soon we're heading to the marine fish farms. It's beginning to dawn upon me that YK's hobbies are surprisingly similar to his father's. When they were little, their father kept several marine tanks at home. Weekends were spent at fish farms when I wished I was somewhere else. Yesterday I realised that YK's favourite arcade game, right down to the game character, were the same ones his dad used to play. Too bad he doesn't see his father often, or they could exchange ideas.

Unfortunately, being an absent father has made the kids awkward when they see him now. Parenting means being there for the kids all the time, not as and when one feels like it. Like it or not, it takes alot of effort to be a good parent.

Oh well, it's time for us to go fish hunting.

Saturday

There is nothing interesting to report today unless you wish to hear about me doing housework. The house was in a mess as a result of neglect, so the morning was spent cleaning and moping.

Finally the annoying little ants that are coming in droves to invade my room are gone. The best thing is, we can finally use the dining table again. For months, it has been piled with YK's books, notes, laptop and paraphernalia, we had to resort to eating at the coffee table.

I can become quite a fanatic when I get started on housework. Nothing in my way is spared. I even stripped the cushion covers for washing. Only trouble is, the weather surprised me with a sudden downpour while the cushions were out sunning in the patio, now the wet cushions are waiting in line to use the dryer which is already working overtime today. The comforter's in there now. The bedsheets will go in next. As you can imagine, I'm hovering over the dryer like a vulture.

CH has been under the weather the past two days, so we had a simple dinner at Katong last night. I picked the Old Hong Kong Restaurant thinking he could eat something plain like congee. As it turns out, his appetite was poor and it didn't really matter what I ordered.

I had a milky red bean drink served with crushed ice. The liberal use of evaporated milk made the drink super milky and milk is not exactly my favourite drink.

We shared a plate of roast pork and char siew rice. Even though the meats were tasty, we didn't finish the entire plate. CH is not the kind who would let food go to waste, so he really wasn't in the mood for eating. I hope his appetite returns soon.

The shrimp dumplings and stock were full of flavour even though the restaurant doesn't use MSG. We ate up all the dumplings and wished they had put some green vegetables in there instead of just a sprinkling of shallots.

We wandered around the supermarket for a while and decided to head back to rest. Here's his dog Bobby who kept coming for cuddles while we were watching TV.

Please help Charmaine

When I read about this angelic girl called Charmaine in Karen's blog, I couldn't just sit and do nothing.

You see, she's a four year old in Singapore, who has just had her birthday yet she is dying of a rare cancer. She has already had chemotherapy and a major abdominal surgery last week. This has bought her some time, but the cancer has already spread beyond her abdomen, and as you read this, she is having even more chemotherapy.

Charmaine’s chance at survival will be improved to 50/50 with a treatment only available in a US hospital. However the treatment for this rare cancer will cost over US$300,000. By any account, it is a huge sum of money, even more so for her mum Cynthia- a single parent who gave up her job to take care of two young children.

Family and friends have rallied round her, supporting in any way they can. They're fighting for time and raising half a million S$ is no easy feat. If you are parent, you would understand the anguish they're going through and the fierce determination for a mum to save her own child. I hope my readers will help in any way they can. Every little bit helps.

Not too late

Before I start any work in the morning, I make sure I scan through a list of blogs. It doesn't matter if there are no updates, just clicking to check gives me enough satisfaction. It's a routine, almost an addiction like the way I don't come to life until I have my first cuppa of the day.

Over the years, I have endeared myself to some bloggers and became friends. I've seen them fall in love, fall out of love, get hitched or divorced, move house, have babies, eat good food and so on. Some of us have met in Singapore and other parts of the world.

Sadly, some of the bloggers who used to bring me inspiration and joy every morning simply fall off the blogging bandwagon. Day by day, I check and see no updates, then their blogs simply disappear altogether. It's sad, almost like a break-up but one learns that it is part and parcel of blogging.

A blog is afterall someone's personal diary. It's a privilege to be able to peek into the life and thoughts of a blogger. The writer has the power to thrill or charm the readers or shut them off completely at his own will.

When I started blogging, I didn't know how long I could last. It has been 2.5 years and I'm still going strong. That surprises me because I could never sustain my interest in something for that long. Readers would have noticed I had stopped doing things that I was once crazy about.

Remember the time I took up sailing? Well, that phase is over. I've stopped running in marathons too (and is now suffering from the consequences). I brought out an old belt this morning and found that it could no longer fit my waist (by alot!). Gasp!!

I had better do something about that expanding wasitline before I turn into a whale. One thing I'm happy about is I haven't stopped writing. Maybe writing is really my passion. I started writing 25 years ago, then I stopped for some years and I'm back at it again. It must be something that I love doing very much. I also realise that writing is easy now, like second nature.

So if your kids don't know what they are good at, you can't blame them. It took me 25 years to realise that I enjoy writing. I guess it's never too late.