Christmas with family

We have not expected to be able to enjoy a good chat over the cafe in Orchard during a Christmas eve. Maybe it is still early, the streets are not as crowded as we have imagined. I am always happy to be able to build a better relationship with all my little cousins.

Although this year our family has a quieter low-tone Christmas, our spirit of togetherness is still there and i hope it always will. I am always glad that my mother has been so encouraging. She thanked me for helping her to fulfill the duties to attend the Christmas celebration in Grandma house, something which she need not have to mention but she is very kind to say so.

Festive Cheers

This has been our third year of celebrating Christmas in Orchard Road. I really hope that this tradition would continue on always. As there is always be a better reasons to feel happy during the festive season.

Little Squirrel's Birthday

Quite Creepy...

Another Creepy Shot...

Finally get the best shot.. quite difficult to keep the attention of all the little children..

Sinterklaas

it's good to play Santa. He can ask girls to sit on his laps or holding their hands because - "don't worry, I am just a Santa Clause"... Hohoho...

26th Year Birthday

Birthday Celeb with family @ Baker's Inn- thanks boy meow for the treat



with uni classmates @ Thai Express- thanks all gals for the treat and thank you Amy for making me look so beautiful



with sec school friends @ Ah Yat Tian Xia- thanks you gals for being with me through the 13 years



and Wenqiang who is born on the same day as me (14.12.1983, O+ blood type )- 11 yrs of friendship. it's a surprise small meet-up for our birthday celebration. I hope to find a few more of us to do the celebration. I will put in more effort to maintain the contact link, but also keep the lines clear to avoid complications.

silly me

I felt so stupid looking back at how I have spent my birthday. I was feeling moody since the early morning. It felt like have a dark cloud hanging above my head the whole day long. I should be happy, and I have received many wishes asking me to be happy, but I couldn’t up the positive spirits strong. I was praying for a smooth day and indeed it was, but I still feel unease. The happiest moment was probably when I was on my way to our family dinner. Blame it on my depressing mood, I got upset very quickly as everyone came late and I stood there waiting for more than half an hour. Just as we are about to start dinner, my brother has stomach pain and went to the clinic. When we find him, the nurses urge us to bring him to the hospital immediately as he is found to have kidney stone and is in great pain. We took a cab to the emergency department and after the registration; I could only stood outside and wait. There can only be one accompanying family member. Seriously, it doesn’t feel good being in the hospital during a birthday, especially when it a place where it bring back the hidden memories. There is nothing I can say, but maybe only crying to release out the emotions that was pent up.

Like what happen after rain, the dark cloud that hangs above me has turned into small white clouds. I can better handle the next day and even better the day after next. I will learn to handle my emotions better, especially when my brother has returned home now. Looking back it just looks silly that I have allowed my negative emotions to overrule me during a birthday. Being happy doesn’t mean that all problems will be gone, but I could be emotionally strong to dealt with everything that comes.

Tie the Knot

I am very happy to be there witnessing Gernice and Desmond solemnization. It brings back the memories we had 10 years ago, on the day of our chalet where first they met and the sparkle ignite, to this day where they take the vows together. I could feel their happiness within and did very well to make us all feel welcome, and has really share joy with us.

The most dramatic part of the day event is when I asked about the rate for engaging the better solemnizer. Huihui said that she has got the contact through the recommendation of the restaurant, and this was when that realized that that they have forgotten to pass the solemnizer the token of their appreciation. No wonder during the time when the solemenizer is saying that he is leaving, he is hold that hands and is giving them a very long bidding handshake each.

The happy news is that for their customary, which as said to be in September earlier on, has been on the same month with my other friend. These two weddings are so important that I felt I must attend, luckily I was able to do so now as on the same day, I was been told that it was finalized on the 12 September and 19 September. I’m proud to say that I will sure be there. =)

Stunned

Life is full of expected events, I was not so affected when things goes wrong or when something did not turn out as what I have expected it to be. So long as I do not pin on high hopes, there should not be much of a chance for me to feel disappointed. However, I still cannot help but feeling dejected when I meet when people who put up a false front. I have been so lucky to have such caring immediate and extended family members whom have showered me with so much love that could make me feel so saddened whenever I have encountered with hypocritical person. Every time when I have experience some exceptional people, I could feel so emotionally affected that could bring everything spiraling down. There is a sinking feeling when I heard that someone is plotting against me. It is puzzling to think and figuring out what could be the possible benefits for insisting something that I did not do, and could she do bad things to me while continue to smile at me. No harm is done, but it is making me wary of the person even more.

Just a day before I was beaming with joy listening to the good news (friends’ wedding bells & good bonus), then the next day dropped to the pit bottom with the some lousy news arriving together. I just had the joy of climbing over a mountain and I was stunned to see an astonishing high peak standing right in front. I know that these are the passing but I still hope that I could escalate through the tough process. May the change be needful and lead us to success. I should just let the truth speaks for itself as I have no time for it. If a rain is coming, please let me have my rainbow. There are still lots of kind people around holding on to the umbrella and helping me to embrace the rain and sheltering me though the wet weather.

The Unsung Heroes

Even the simplest things we see are more often being prepared by people who have spent a tremendously amount of time practicing to deliver.

It takes a snap to get good photographs, but it also takes a zillion hours of practice to master the professional photography skills.

It takes hours to run a dance performance but many years of practice to improve the steps.

Even the simplest task such as cooking is actually not so simple after all, it takes repeated practices on the wok and culinary skills to whip up a meal of delicious and healthy dinner.

I guess there is nothing we can’t do but only those whom invested time in the learning could makes the difference.

It takes me a while to notice that what we see today is not the result solely from the task on the day itself, which makes me appreciate more of what the others have done for us.

As what I have heard, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master new skill. I believe every skill could be learn with time and great determination.

Rudolph the Reindeer

Once Upon a Time

Dinner:: Sports Day

Being on a tighter budget this year, our Company still willing to invite us for pre-dinner games and have continue to give everyone a red packet. The entertaining company we hired is charging us a lower price but reducing the invitation cards and the games and other perks. They are also cheating us on the receipts. The entertainer is using vaguer words and dirty jokes which I feel is a shame. I am disappointed that the votes are a fiddle but looking pass them all, it is the nice people and colleagues that make the night merrily. I am happy to have obtained the opportunity to get Amy and her husband to be our appointed photographer. I am feeling really bad that there are some additional demands and Kelvin has taken leave to prepare for the shots. They are really nice people and I am making sure that the committee and my boss knows about it. It has been so tiring with all the demands from my colleagues and I really feel indebted to them. I am surprised yet happy that my boss has come forward and questioned me why my friends are not eating. Tommy is nice to have taken the liberty to invite them for food and pick them up from the pre-event to the dinner. There have been so much hiccups but I am still happy that the night has ended smoothly. I am surprised at my own hyperactivity during the dinner and it is all the nice people around me that make this event a joyous occasion.

Pre-events:: Air-Pistol

I am extremely happy about the air-pistol that we are playing. I have never tried shooting games before and never expect myself to be good at it. I am not a perfectionist, but I consider being able to hit the centre dot accurately and getting the ten points is an achievement for a first-timer. Playing the hunting game, I was able to hit all the animals I have chosen, except for the last shot which I miss due to the pressure that I am giving myself. I feel that this game is all about good eyesight and an stable arm to carry the pistol. I really enjoyed the game. My colleague is jokingly telling me to report to the NS tomorrow for the marksman. I would definitely want to come back and play the games again. Our Company has been divided into 5 teams and our team miraculously won the third prize. I think there must have been an error because our team as a whole did not do that well, it is not true but I am still happy with the results.

I wasn’t very happy with the re-shuffle of the role. For the past two years since I entered the Company, I have been told to keep track of the sponsored prizes, because the previous staff was said to have stolen a Bangkok trip voucher. This year, I have been asked to pass on the role to another girl, due to the ‘unaccountable differences’ we had last year. My manager looked into my eyes and asked if I still remember what have happened. I seriously cannot remember that there is anything wrong with the collections. Especially when our Company is so strict with the supplier gifts and gratitude, who on earth with the right set of mind would want to take anything from the contributions. I am so angry that I could almost burst out in tears. However, I do not want to create any argument, all I wanted is to present all the supporting documents (attached sponsored letters and the accurate balances) to prove my innocent. If I am being said as someone who did not handle the accounts properly, there is no more meaning for this work anymore. All the cares and the efforts have gone wasted, not only that my work has not been appreciated, I am being now falsely accused. And if there is any suspicion, why wait until one year to ask me if I remember anything. I am sorry; there is nothing I could remember at all. I know is that when somebody’s mind is playing trick on their memories, it would be locked and being it whether it is true or false, it is hardly replaceable.

I could not hold myself or controlled my emotions as I am trying very hard to hold back my tears. It’s tears of anger. During lunch, I told one of my colleagues who checked on my work and her replies is a comfort because all she could remember is that the final sums are accurate.

The very next day, I gathered all the supporting documents to place them in front of my boss, asking which part of the spreadsheet is not clear. She told me it was another issue, and not that she has suspected that I have taken anything. I pushed and demand for a reason, as I want to be very sure that my work is clear. My boss said it is another matter which is hard to explain to me. I pressed on to ask what the matter is, as I do not want any ambiguity that could affect my reputation. If I am wrong, please tell me where because I am a person who will admit all mistakes, but I do not accept falsely accused mistakes. I have then been told that it is due to some inaccurate currency exchanges (even though I took the exchange rates from the accounts department), I still buy the story since my boss has make effort to make excuses and my un-contentment about this matter has been so obvious enough that I am sure I would not be falsely suspected again.

When more people are involved, things just gets messier, I remember doing a lot of things alone, and the workload is much more than this year, but it seems a lot easier as there are less confusion and unnecessary communication which gives me more time to concentrate on the actual work. This year the consolidation is messy. Another person took charge of the collection, yet we still need the figures but not all information has been revealed to us, and we need to create another spreadsheet and re-enter the details to the exact column as we need to compare with the previous year. The prizes have been collected by different people and the committees are involved, other department has also got the gift and place directly at the collection area. It only means that some gifts are not recorded and then it was reported that there are amount missing. As far as I know, the girl who is now doing the collection has balance the supporting letters and gift vouchers, and I have telly both the figures too. I have hence passed on all the vouchers to the committee members, it was then said that one supplier has already contributed but the vouchers are missing, and in another day said that the vouchers re-surfaced and the lost is from another supplier. One committee member passes the blame on me to clear her conscious. We are being ask for an explanation on the lost together. Since the day the committee members have detached the vouchers from the sponsored letters, there is no way that I could trace for the lost anymore. I could not come up with any reasons and there is no way I could find anything because the story is one-sided and I have not come across the supplier, the letters nor the vouchers. If we are being insisted to give any reasoning, the easiest way out is that all the parties who are being suspect shall pay for the vouchers together. I would rather pay money to show that I am innocent and willing to take up the responsibility for the lost than giving myself headache thinking of something which I do not know. The said committee member wanted not to pay anything but push it to me, as she has long lost her creditability, I think my boss would agree with me on this.

I get rather tense and have lesser tolerance for people who purposely want to make things difficult for me. I must get my backache treated; otherwise I would turn into a tigress soon. The bad part about seeing the government doctor is that the queue is extremely long. I was given the date 13 Jan 2010 for my next appointment. I need to take special care and last myself through the next month.

Reoccurrence

I almost thought that I have recovered from my back injury (it occurs almost every year but has stopped two years ago). Each time with the pain returns, it is more painful than before. I could hardly walk, sit and stand. The usual 5mins walk to the clinic seems like miles and miles away. It is embrassing, as I think any old lady could walk a lot faster than me. I am scare, the feeling of not able to sit properly and the pain from every step I took is terrible. It has happen many times before and it is hurting so badly that I cannot remember what exactly happen during the last clinic visit. I only can recall the injection and the test of reflexes (which my legs couldn't even move when the doctor uses something to hit my knees). The pain is so intense that I am feeling faint. I need to note down what what has happen because the memory of this period will be lost whenever I recover. My mind just doesn't want to remember.

The pain is runs all the way from my lower back to my legs. The doctor says that the misalignment has pressed onto my nerves which is causing the pain. I must lie down and avoid carrying heavy things. He has given me mc for the next 3 days . I really hope that I can be well asap, as my manager is rushing me to come back and work.

Maybe the doctor is just scaring me, he says that my back pain will not be able to recover and the pain would be worst as I age. If i starts to have difficulties going to the toilet, I would need to be admitted to hospital immediately. I am feeling so tie down to the pain at my back, even though the doctor says the injection would be very painful, I could feel nothing on my hands. During the bad times, I couldn't lift my lower body up and need to stay in an awkward position for 5-10mins. I wish to get a second opinion but I couldn't move to the clinic.

I struggled to the first clinic with so much pain that my tears are rolling uncontrollable. I am not able to celebrate my mother's birthday outside. Initially she asked me to go temple with her to pray for recovery, after she sees how slow and painful my every step was, she decided to leave me at home and ask my brother to take care of me. This is the first time he is there to give me a helping hand in everything I do. Kaixuan has also come over to pass me fruits and help in the housework. I am surprised what the love and care from my family, hope that this pain would be over soon.

BM Birthday

Drinks at Suntec Harry's Bar, everyone is already drunk even before drinking..!!! It a pity that the Paulanders is over crowded and we miss the celebration with Jarrod, Renaee and Mark.






BM Family Dinner at Zhen Fa Live Seafood

Dinner @ Sweet Indulgence





Ending with a sweet note with dessert ice-cream @ the Daily Scoops

It's a simply birthday celebration as we are saving money for a bigger cause.. ^^