Pregnancy Journal - 1

After 9 days of delivery of Baby Rae, I finally manage to find some time to sit down to surf the net and reply to some e-mails.
I've been busy caring for my newborn, breast feed her, pumping breast milk and learning to be a mother .......

I shall start on chapter 1 on my Pregnancy Journal now.

It all began with I quit my job in Feb'11 and went to KL for vacation in end Mar'11.
I was happy playing with SIL's 3 daughters and RY would visit me every weekend, those were care free days.
Then in mid April, I realized that my menses didn't come for a few days, I waited for sometime and them discussed with RY what to do and we decided to visit a gynae in KL for a check.
We were delighted that I was tested positive!
But the pregnancy was not stable as I was spotting.

As this was a precious pregnancy, RY didn't want me to risk losing this precious one so we'd decided that I should continue to stay in KL till all is well.
During the 8th week, I had a blood clog bleeding and BIL quickly rushed me to the clinic to check and was glad that the baby was fine.
The doctor informed that the bleeding could be an old blood clog which get pushed out to make space for the growing baby.

I was put on heavy dosage of progesterone to support this pregnancy.
Staying with the children had kept me busy and as I was out of SG, I was not contactable since I hardly turn my mobile on.
As such, I was able to get away from stress and remained happy for a period of time, my office colleagues tried to get me but I didn't answer to their missed call nor SMS text messages etc.

I stayed in KL till the doctor cleared me in week 14, I.e. End of Trimester 1 and I proceeded to stay in Ipoh since RY was still worried about the stability of the pregnancy.

The 13th week detailed scan really freaked me out as I was worried of the detailed scan result, fortunately, the scanned result showed that the baby was normal.
The doctor had recommended me to do amnio test to further ensure normality of the baby.
After much discussion, RY and myself decided not to do the test as there is a risk of miscarriage.

If you've read about my previous post, you'd see my write up on live in KL and Ipoh.

In week 14, as I was pretty comfortable and assured of the pregnancy, I started to do simple yoga posts and stretch exercise and continued till I was in week 40.

Throughout the pregnancy, I'd put on 14kg and most of the weight was put on during Trimester 1 which was about 7kg and Trimester 3, which was another 5kg.

To be continued .....

Happy Birthday, My Love!

Today 22 Dec is RY's birthday!
This year I didnt buy any birthday gift for him as I knew that he will be getting a bigger and special present, which is our precious baby girl - Rae!

Our precious arrived on 21 Dec which is a day before RY's Bday and he is really happy since from now onwards, he has a darling girl to celebrate his birthday!

As I am still in pain and on fluid diet in the hospital, we can't really celebrate his birthday with a big bash!
We just have a quiet time in the room, just the 3 of us, singing Happy Birthday song to RY!

Isn't it cute that all the 3 of us are December Babies!
Mine is 11 Dec, Baby Rae's 21 Dec and RY's 22 Dec!

Welcome Baby Rae!

Welcome to the world, Baby Rae!

I am proud to announce that I am now officially a SAHM!
I ve just given birth to a Baby Girl - Rae this morning at 10.30am via emergency c-sec!

I didn't post anything about my pregnancy earlier as I wanted to be stress free of having to update. But I ve told myself that once Baby Rae is born, I will pen my pregnancy journey down!

But now am really sleepy/ tired and shall only update the details when I am better.

My precious bb, Baby Rae, I love you and will do my best to be a good mother, and you also must do your best to be a good daughter!

Happy Birthday 2011

How time flies!
Today is my birthday!
What was I doing last year?
Oh I was a busy working career women and celebrated with RY during lunch.

RY has not planned any celebration for me so I guess it'll be another quiet Sunday for us to R&R at home.
He has just given me my birthday present, no surprise to get it right.
Yep, he got me another gold bar which he said it's a more practical gift which will appreciate in value!
I guess I will soon be a gold bar collector if he continues to give me as birthday gift!

As I aged, expensive meals, gifts etc don't seem to be appealing and important anymore.
All I want is to be able to spend time with my loved ones .....

This year is different from prior years as I am looking forward to a new role that I'm assuming soon .........

Updates:
RY brought me to Grand Park Orchard - Open House restaurant for a sumptuous buffet lunch.
This evening, he prepared hot pot fish head dinner single handedly without any help!
I feel loved!

Sad sad day ........

It is really sad to update that the baby born at 26th weeks Last Wed had left us yesterday afternoon due to internal brain bleeding.
My friend is grieving for her loss and I can feel her pain too.
I hope that she will recover soon.

May God bless her with another bb asap .......

I am very sad, feeling really sad for her......

Praying for my friend

While I am typing this post, my friend is dealing with a labour pain in the KKH hospital.
Yap, no big deal of labour pain, but having to deliver your baby at 26 weeks pregnancy is a big deal!

Firstly the baby is still very small and the organs are not fully developed.
Secondly, she has gone thru a lot to have this baby after many attempts of IVF fresh and frozen transfer cycle.
Lastly, she was admitted in emergency by herself while her hubby was away on biz trip, since yesterday, and have been in labour pain for the past 12 hours with 6cm dilation currently and not sure how long it will take for a full dilation to 10cm.

I am praying hard for her and hope that she and her precious baby is fine!
She is a brave mother and I am sure she can cross this hurdle to enjoy the bundle of joy!

Updates:
My dear friend has delivered her bb girl safetly at 1kg and the baby gotta remain in the hospital for 3 months to ensure her organs are matured and developed well!
I am really happy for her!

Neglected the Blog!

I just realised that I didn't update any posting for about a month!
Gosh, I ve been really lazy huh!
So lazy that I ve not visited my own blog!!

What have I been doing?
Ummm, I ve been busy doing shopping for grocery, planning dinner menu, cleaning and packing the house, napping in the afternoon, preparing dinner etc.

Ok, I shall be more diligent in updating my blog.

He Loves Me!

Just few days ago, I suddenly had the craving to eat Nonya Kueh (local snack usually make from coconut milk) as have not been eating for sometimes.

We were having home cooked dinner last Thurs and I casually commented that it d be nice if we can have a few pieces of the Nonya Kueh as dessert.

My love was so obliging and he went to get from Bengawan Solo immediately after dinner.
The Kueh was sweet and nice and the thought that my love specially went to get for me made it sweeter!
I know he truly loves me ........

Frugal Life Style

When I first decided to quit my job, I knew very well that our life style will be impacted.

True enough, I am very careful in every cent I spend, unlike previously, I d spent on expensive jewelleries, bags, shoes, clothes with no hesitations.
Now, shopping means window shop with no purchasing!
Even weekend meals now with RY are in food courts and hawker centre, unlike last time we used to have expensive meals every weekends
The only time we splurged was the weekend when I first came back to SG and really missed the Italian food at Casa Roma along Bt Timah Rd.

Maybe we will go for restaurant food once a month ....... Or when there's a reason or occasion to celebrate.

Despite being jobless, I still give my parents monthly allowance.
I d rather thrift on myself then to stop their allowance totally!

Is it hard to imagine that the once materialistic high flying & income executive is leading such a frugal life style now?

I admit that sometimes I do miss the "ability & freedom" to spend (the 5 figured monthly salary had enabled me to lead a very comfortable live previously) but I do appreciate the simple live I am having now as it is pretty stress free!

Currently, the only "stress" is to think of what to cook for dinner" and wonder if the food will turn out well!

Bad Eczema

I wonder if it was the change of weather which leads to a bad outbreak of eczema over my body.

Ipoh was very hot compared to SG, I would say it's drier and hotter.

After a week of returned to SG in early Sept, I began to have bad itch on my body, thigh and arms. Despite the generous slap of moisturiser, the itch still exist and very unbearable.
It was so unbearable that I kept scratching and left unsightly scars all over my body.

Last week, I finally threw in the white towel and went to The National Skin Centre to see the skin specialist.
It was not cheap to consult a specialist as it cost SGD60 just to consult him and gotta add additional cost for the medication, especially when I am jobless now. So I was procrastinating on the specialist's visit.

This skin doc have been my regular doc for the last 20 years ever since I was a teenager as I ve eczema history dated all the way then.

I was really shameless to tell him that I am currently jobless and asked him to give me repeat medication prescription to avoid having to consult him to get medication.
He obliged and even prescribed cheaper medication which cost SGD20 for a month's of supply.
He had suggested that I become a subsidised patient but the catch is I will never be able to consult him since he is a senior doc.
I was rather reluctant so I said I would think about it.

The medication prescribed consisted of a mild steroid Dermasone to apply after bath, pirition to consume when ever I feel itchy, potassium permanganate crystal to add into a tub of water for wash.
After a week of applications, the condition has improved and I gotta be diligent to continue with the medication for another week and hopefully it will recover.

Decided!

Yep, I've decided Not to go to Ipoh in Oct and shall stay here in SG to keep RY company.
So it means I gotta break the news to MIL.

I was torn over this and am now feeling really good having make up my mind!

My mom is also glad that I am staying put in SG.

Mommy's Love

My mom is very glad that I am doing my own cooking now.

We used to visit my mom almost daily for dinner and at times when she was not cooking, we would eat hawker food.

Now that I start to cook my own meals, mom is really pleased.
I would call her up for cooking tips and ideas of what to cook.
She would also call me up to check how am I coping and even buy cooking ingredients (fish, meat, veg, fruits etc) for me and asked RY to go to her place to collect the goodies.

I think I gotta learn how to do marketing in the wet market for fresh ingredients.
I ve been doing my shopping in supermarket which may be more costly.
Now with single source of income, I gotta learn to manage the household expenditure better.

Should I go back to Ipoh?

I am in a dilemma as I am not sure if I should go back to Ipoh ........

Before I left for SG last month, we had planned to go back to Ipoh in Oct to continue with my vacation stay.
PIL are looking forward to my return and had even deep frozen the home baked moon cake for my sampling.

This is my 4th week back in SG and I am rather reluctant to leave RY alone and enjoy myself in Ipoh while he suffers here alone.
He told me that during my stay in MY for the last 5 months, he was eating hawker food for dinner and would dozed off in the study room while working late at home.
The weekly over night bus rides were very tiring since he hardly get any good rest.
I feel very sorry for my love.

During the past few weeks, I ve been cooking simple dinner which he really enjoys.
On the other hand, MIL has been chatting with me over facebook telling me how she misses me and looking forward to my return .........

I must make up my mind soon and hopefully by next week .......

Happy ROM Anniversary

Today marked our 11th ROM Anniversary!

I thought RY would ve forgotten about it as he didn't mention anything for the past few days, but to my surprised, he wished me "Happy Anniversary" the moment I woke up from bed.

My love has bought me a bouquet of roses and had wanted to take me out for dinner.
But I declined to go out, instead I cooked him a healthy meal which consisted of grilled salmon belly, toasted salmon skin, green veg with soup.

I had also bought a slice of Exotic Choco cake and another slice of Strawberry Shortcake from FourLeaves as dessert.
The 2 rectangular shape cakes signify the number 11.

The cake was supposed to be a surprised to RY.
After dinner, he had wanted some apples, but I was worried that he may be too full to eat the cakes after fruit, so I pretended to volunteer to peel the apples for him.
Then I surprised him when I presented the cakes to him.
He was very happy.

This is a very simple anniversary celebration with no expensive meals nor gift, and I hope we can celebrate many more happy years together!

Sleepy Sleepy

It's amazing that despite doing nothing in Bintan for 6 days, I came back with a tired and sleepy body.
I was back in SG last Fri afternoon and had spent almost the whole of Saturday & Sunday sleeping.

I don't usually napped in the afternoon but yesterday, Monday, I actually dozed off on the sofa while watching TV.

This afternoon I was out for lunch and did some grocery shopping, so didn't have any chance to nap.
But I can feel the sleepy bugs bites ........ Soon I'll be in the la la land ......

R&R in Bintan

Yep, I am currently relaxing in Bintan Lagoon Resort with RY (not really a vacation for him since he is at a seminar in the resort).

RY came to Bintan last Thursday and he went back to SG on Sat to bring me here on Sunday.
By right I should come along with him on Thursday but due to the President Election last Saturday, I can't go till yesterday, Sunday.

It has been raining whole day in Bintan so there isn't much outdoor activity can be done.
So I've been lazing in the hotel room.

Prior to this Bintan trip, I ve read about Bintan Lagoon Resort and the comments in Trip Advisor.
The most common complaints are about the expensive food & beverages prices.
I gotta admit that it is indeed very expensive to dine in the resort, basically once you're in the resort, you're "trapped" here and no where to go unless you pay for the expensive transport to get out of the hotel to dine elsewhere.

Fortunately I am with RY for a company functions, so all meals are provided.
Else each meal on average would be SGD40 per pax, which I would not want to pay.

This is my first time in Bintan and I hope to be able explore this island during my 6 days stay.

Heavier Women May Have Less IVF Successes

Gotta watch your weight for fertility treatment!

But too skinny also may have problem too.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/us-fertility-idUSTRE77O0R520110825

California Couple Sue Fertility Doctor over "Lost Embryos"

A terrible IVF mistake by the clinic!

The clinic had implanted a couple's embryos into another!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/california-couple-sue-fertility-doctor-lost-embryos/t/story?id=14355815

Home Sweet Home

I'm back in SG!

Last Fri, I had followed PIL to KL and we stayed at SIL's place.
RY arrived KL in the late afternoon and we had a "mini" celebration of FIL's birthday in Taman Desa chinese restaurant since last Fri, 19 Aug, was his exact birth date.
It was a mini one because RY's younger brother had work commitment and not able to join us, and we had previously planned to have a serious celebration on Saturday.

Then the following day, RY brought me to cut hair at mid valley and also did hair henna at Bangsar.
We did some shopping and then came back in time to shower and dressed up for FIL birthday dinner.

We went to Unique Seafood restaurant at PJ, which was the same as last year when we celebrated FIL's birthday in 2010!
We were given the same VIP room with Karaoke facility.
It was a very enjoyable dinner as we sang out lungs out with the kids.
The dinner was pretty costly at RM1.5k!

We only reached SIL home at about 11pm and get tO sleep at about 1am.

The next day, Sunday, we had dim sum brunch at New Court Chinese restaurant.
We went to Tesco to do some grocery shopping before we drove off for SG at about 3pm.

We arrived SG at about 6.30pm.

It's nice to be home sleeping on my familiar bed with RY with me!

SG President Election 2011

In view of the SG President election on 27 Aug, I guess it's about time for me to end my MY holiday.

It will be a tough decision to make on the choice of the President.
I shall think carefully and make a wise choice.

This Fri we will go to KL to meet up with SIL to celebrate FIL's birthday and I shall follow RY to go back to SG on Sunday.

I am looking forward to going home and have gone shopping over the last weekend to get all the Ipoh goodies, like Heong Piang (a kind of biscuit with malt sugar filling), Orchid brand soya source and other snacks etc.

Home Alone

Last Thurs MIL received a sad news that her step mother (her dad had 2 wives, her maternal mum died years ago) passed away in the afternoon, so she and FIL went to the wake on Thurs evening after dinner with me. 
They returned home at about 2am on Fri morning and left for the wake again at about 11am same day.

The wake was in Kuala Kangsar (a royal town which is half an hour drive from Ipoh) and for 2 days.
The funeral is on Saturday, which is this afternoon and there will be a group dinner after the ceremony.

Since they need to attend the funeral early on Sat morning, they'd decided to stay in KK hotel for a night.

So I was home alone on Fri!

They didnt want me to go with them as they didnt want to tired me and also RY is arriving on Sat early morning, as such I need to be around to open the door for him.

Being home alone is fine except for the part on finding food for myself!

I had suggested to walk out to the nearby eatery for my meals, but PIL disallowed as Malaysia is generally not a very safe place to walk alone. They had refused to let me go out and also didnt want me to cook my own food since I may not be familiar with their stove, crokery etc.
Luckily we had home cooked fried noodle and fried rice for lunch and dinner respectively on Thurs and there was some left over, so on Fri, I had the left over noodle for lunch and fried rice as dinner.

I had the whole house (double storey semi-d) to myself on Fri till Sat morning and I was really lonely.

This was what I did to kill the boredom:

Friday
- At 11am, said goodbye to PIL and surf the internet till it was about lunch time.
- At about 12.30pm, I heated up my noodle and had my lunch.
- Surf internet and watch TV till 4pm
- Read my novel till 6pm
- Take my shower
- At about 7pm heated up fried rice and had my dinner while watching TV
- Chatted with RY before he left SG home to catch the bus to Ipoh
- At About 8.30pm, went up to the bedroom to surf the net and read my novel till I fell asleep at about 12 midnight

Saturday
- Alarm went off at about 5.30am on Sat morning and also received RY's SMS that he was arriving home via taxi.
- Hurray! RY arrived home at 5.45am (this was the best part since it ended my lonely ordeal!)
- From 6am onwards prepared breakfast and eat with RY and did laundry etc

I am glad that RY changed his mind to come to Ipoh this weekend, else I may need to spend a lonely Saturday too as PIL will only be back after dinner ............ and I may starve since no more left over food .........

Loving Couple

MIL has commented that RY and me are very loving and she is very happy for us.

I am surprised that ever since we've lived apart, I'm in MY and RY in SG, we have never argued or quarrelled.
As we only get to see each other during the weekends, we tend to treasure each other better.
This is unlike those times when I was living under the same roof as him in SG.

We spends short but quality time.

Hopefully when I move back to SG, we can be as loving.

My Love is Coming this Weekend!

I am really happy as RY has decided to come to Ipoh this weekend to spend time with me!

As mentioned earlier that he was contemplating not to come as he just returned to SG yesterday, but since he can't bear to see me spending a lonely weekend in Ipoh, he got his bus tix for this weekend last min at the bus station last night.

Next weekend, we will go to KL to visit SIL and at the same time celebrate FIL's birthday there. So RY will meet us in KL for the celebration.

Happy National Day 2011

Happy Birthday Singapore!
This year, SG is celebrating 46 years of independence on 9 Aug 2011, tomorrow!

I am very happy as RY is spending this long weekend with me in Ipoh, as he took Monday off to stay from Sat to Tue (6 to 9 Aug).

RY has been taking overnight Fri bus from SG to Ipoh (arrive Ipoh on Sat early morn) for the past weekends And return on Sun night to arrive SG on Mon early morning.
Since mid July, he had been trying to get return ticket on 9 Aug (Tue) instead of Te usual Sun so that he can spend longer time with me, but with no avail since the bus ticket was sold out weeks before. He was lucky to secure the bus ticket to come to Ipoh on 5 Aug Fri night and according to the bus company, the Sun return tixs were plenty as many chose to return late on Tue to have a long weekend with their loved ones in Ipoh.

For the last 2 weeks in Jul, we were calling practically the bus company everyday to hope for a return tix on 9 Aug but the reply was negative.
Just when we were about to give up, on the previous Sunday while we were seeing RY off at the bus station, we made a last attempt to enquire about the 9 Aug night departure bus.
To our surprise, the counter staff told us that they happened to have one last ticket as someone had given up his seat!

We were so happy and quickly grabbed the tix!

As RY is spending 4 days here in Ipoh, he is contemplating whether to come to Ipoh this weekend.
He asked me if I would like him to come, I said my answer would be biased so I told him to decide.
I think most probably he won't come, which I will know tomorrow since he would usually buy the bus ticket for the next visit at the bus station before he departs.
So I will only see him the following week!

PIL Relationship

After spending about a month with PIL, I think I understand both of them better.

FIL is a typical Hakka man, very thrifty (he only sting in himself but generous to others) and also a male chauvinist who expects his wife to be submissive to him.
If MIL doesn't listen to him, he will shout at her and call her stupid!
MIL is a well educated lady who is a retired teacher so she is not a submissive wife as FIL would like.

Frankly speaking, I don't approve FIL's behaviour and feels sorry for MIL whenever he blows his top (don't get me wrong, he doesn't throw tantrums frequently and he certainly has never raised his voice at me. His usually target is MIL - his wife).

MIL being a very understandable wife will not confront him immediately while he is filled with anger, she will wait till he has calmed down then she will reason out to him.

She confides in me that she is not exactly pleased with FIL's but has learnt to live with him for the past 30 years.
She said when they were younger and while her mum was still alive, FIL was vey gentle to her and had never raised his voice at her.
But it changed upon her mother's demise.
She had tolerated FIL's bad temper for the sake of the family.
If not, she would have seek a divorce long ago.

I applaude MIL for her wisdom and tolerance.
I gotta learn from her to learn the trick to sustain a marriage.
I do hope that RY would never be like his dad.
I may not be able to take it if he ever throws his tantrum at me.

Impressive Fertility Journey of a UK Mummy

This is an impressive story using donor's egg and sperm!
She is an amazing mum!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2011/07/05/he-s-all-mine-the-amazing-story-of-how-one-woman-overcame-heartache-to-conceive-her-baby-86908-23248952/

Blood Type Affects Fertility

This is an interesting article.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43711661/ns/health-womens_health/


Apparently, blood type O female tends to suffer premature ovarian reserve failure, compared to other blood types.

Kutu Girls Update

Last Fri we travelled from Ipoh to KL and stayed with RY's younger brother since SIL's family was infected with head lice.

PIL visited SIL on Saturday while RY and myself rest & relax, ran our errands like going to bank and I did henna hair dye.

PIL got back to BIL place to meet us up for dinner.
Once they reached BIL house, they took precaution by quickly washed themselves head to toes.
MIL informed that she had thoroughly checked the three girls, SIL and maid for traces of head lice and found none.
As such it should be safe for us to visit them.

After much consideration, we'd gone ahead to meet up SIL and family for Dim Sum lunch on Sunday.
We had a lot of fun and laughter, but as I was still weary about the kutu, I tried to keep a distance from them.
We also went to SIL house while SIL's husband sent RY to the bus station to catch his transport back to SG.

We were at SIL's place for only a short while and rushed off to BIL's house for a complete head to toes wash and packed up to go back Ipoh.

We departed KL at about 5pm and reached Ipoh 2 hours later.

It has been 4 days since we visited SIL and so far we don't feel and itch on the scalp.
Hopefully we are kutu free!

Kutu Girls

Last Wed, SIL informed that her 3 girls were infected with head lice, also known as kutu.
She asked MIL for remedy to treat the girls.

We told her to 1st cut the hair real short, then go pharmacy to buy the anti- head Lice shampoo and used on the girls, then follow by cleaning the house by boiling the bed sheet, pillow case in hot water, sun the pillows, blanket to detox.
After putting the shampoo, she should also get the special comb to comb thru the girls hair to get rid of the eggs.
Another important thing to do was to inform the school about the head lice problem so that action can be taken to contain it.
It's useless to wash and clean the girls, without having the source eliminated, which we believed must be from the school.

Every 2 days, SIL will update on the "termination" status.
We were really upset that SIL didn't follow our advise and take the prompt action.
She only get the medicated shampoo last Thurs night to wash the girls, no hair was cut, the shampoo supposed to be kept for 24 hours, she only left it on for 2 hrs.
Let the girls go to school as usual and when the girls back, use the shampoo for another 2 hours, then let the girls go afternoon tuition.
sat then bring the girls to cut hair.
The maid who helped to manually catch the head lice and comb thru the hair to look for the eggs, also got infected.
SIL also didn't call the school as she is afraid that the school may track down her daughter and accuse her of being the source of the head lice.
So I volunteered to make the call and informed the school on her behalf.

We had originally planned to go KL to stay with SIL today for the weekend since PIL missed the grandchildren.
But we have to change our plan since the girls still have head lice as at today.
We will still go KL but will instead with BIL.
As I am really afraid of kutu, I have informed PIL that I won't be visiting SIL even though I really miss the girls.
I got phobia since I was infected before when I was in kindergarden.
The process to get rid of the kutu is rather scary and I would not want to go thru the ordeal.
Not only I got to wash, clean myself, the house need to be "disinfected", also who is going to manually help me comb thru the hair to get rid of the eggs (if any)!
So PIL will be visiting SIL without me.
I need to take care of myself.
What if I go and get it then I pass to RY since he is coming to KL this weekend to meet us up?

In few hours time, we will be driving off to KL.
I hope PIL won't get infected and in turn infect me ...........
Please pray for me!

Unbearable Weather

Do you believe that it has not rained for more than a week here in Ipoh?
I've checked the weather forecast that for the next 8 days, the weather will be the same - no rain,dry and hot!

The weather is really dry and it got worst with the haze now, as heat is being trapped which makes it even hotter and drier.

During the day, I will sit in the living room, in front of the fan blowing directly at me, and at night, I will be sleeping under a full blast spinning ceiling fan.

MIL has asked me to turn on the air con but I'd refused since I do not wish to increase the electricity consumption which translates into higher utility bill.
Moreover, with this kind of dry weather it would mean much higher power usage to cool the house which is bad to the environment.

My simple wish now is for the rain to come!

Understanding PIL

I think I am one of the rare DIL who can get along well with my PIL, especially MIL.

My MIL was worried that I may be bored in Ipoh that she went to upgrade the internet network to a faster speed with wireless modem (previously it's lower speed and wire connection).
She even dig out all her book/ novel collections for my leisure reading.

FIL has been preparing yummy meals for me and when he is tired of cooking, we will have restaurant food. Looking at the rate i am eating, in no time I shall turn into a "tai fei poh" (I.e. Put on weight).

I gotta watch my food intake and do some exercise.

I also try to do my part to contribute to the household chores, like washing of plates after meals, do laundry.
Fortunately they've part time maid, else may need to help out in house cleaning.

Time Flies .......

Time really files ...... I've been jobless for 3 months!
I do occasionally miss corporate lives but I think I am pretty ok now since I am leading a carefree lifestyle everyday.

I only wanna be happy ........ And I am very happy now!

Move to Ipoh

After much discussion with RY, we've decided to move from KL to Ipoh to continue my long MY vacation.

No doubts the kids are very adorable and I'd enjoyed spending time with them, but I was gradually getting bored and would like a change of environment.

Last Sat, We packed up and moved all our barang barang to Ipoh.
After settling me down in Ipoh, RY drove back to SG on the following morning.
He will come to Ipoh this Fri taking a night bus which will arrive early Sat morning.

I ve been enjoying my stay in Ipoh since the air is fresh and food is yummy too!
I shall stay here until I am bored, then I may either go back SG or to KL.

Timing to Eat affects Fertility

This is interesting and the theory may apply to human too!

http://media-newswire.com/release_1152338.html

Expensive Movie Tickets in KL

We've learnt our lesson that advance movie ticket booking should be done for popular movie like X-men!

We didn't get to do Internet booking as it requires min 2 days advance reservation which we only know when we try to book the tix on Sat itself.
Note: this is different from SG since we are able to do Internet or phone booking on the same day.

We took a bus to arrive Mid Valley GSC at about 11.45am and was shocked to see the "long snake queue" - the queue was so long that it didn't seem to have any ending point .......

We ve queued for a while then RY went to check with the counter to find out that all shows for the day for X-Men were sold out.

We then moved on to the GSC Signature cinema which is at the Garden mall side.
We managed to get the last 2 tickets sitting at the corner front row which cost RM24 per tix, total RM48 for 2 tickets.
This is really expensive since a normal tix in any ordinary cinema is half it's price.
As we were eager and wanted to watch the movie fast, we relented to pay the expensive price.

Fortunately the front row seats were not that bad else we would regret paying for it .......

KL Public Bus - Part 2

Last Sat we went to catch X-Men First Class movie in Mid Valley cinema.

We were prepared to catch a cab as we walked out to the main road at about 11.10am.
Then suddenly, Bus U72 appeared and we boarded the bus and happily chosen nice comfy seats for the 2 of us.

Now that we know the bus timing, we'll most probably use the public transport more often to cut cost.

After the movie, we did some grocery shopping and also bought KFC & Pizza for the family.
As our hands were pretty full with the shopping bags, we got a cab home.

KL Public Bus

Last weekend, RY didn't drive to KL so we had no car to move around.
We learnt from the security personnel that there is a direct bus U72 which goes to Mid Valley from the bus stop outside the house.
Since we were really free and didn't want to trap in the house, we'd decided to catch the public bus to Mid Valley Mega Mall.

We left the house at 11.30am and waited till 12.30pm and still no sign of the bus.
Finally we gave up and hailed a taxi.

As we boarded the taxi, we saw bus U72 arriving .........
The taxi fare was RM7 and the bus fare would have been RM1 for each pax.

The long bus wait had certainty intimidated us and for a long time we'll definitely not try catching the public bus again .......

The public transport in MY doesn't seem to be reliable (with the exception of the KTM or LRT as they are pretty punctual but don't stop at the convenient spots which are more accessible by car or bus), no wonder everyone is driving here!

I Just Wanna Be Happy!

My objective now would be to relax and rest and not to be stressed up by anything!

I will do whatever I feel happy doing.

RY is very supportive, I know it's kinda weird that I stays in KL while he is alone in SG and travels to KL every weekend.
He said it's important for me to be happy and he is happy when I am.

My mum is not very pleased with what I am doing now and think that I ve neglected my husband.
I know she meant well but i am happy with this holiday arrangement now and can't be too bothered by what she thinks, as long as RY is not against it.

I may go to HK to join my sis in June since she will be there with her son during the school holidays.
I am still contemplating how to spend my free time now.
Let's see how it goes and my holiday plan may change.

Slack in my postings

I must admit that ever since I started to become a SAHHM and stay in KL, I ve been pretty slack in my postings.

I guess this is because of the stress free routine I am having now.

Everyday doing the same thing and the happiest days would be weekends since RY is with me to keep me company.
I would stay at home from Mon till Fri and RY would bring me out "path thor" to have quiet time by ourselves.
He'd drive me to Mid Valley mega mall or Bt Bintang to shop and dine.

Another reason being the kids like my IPad very much and will crowd around whenever I uses it.
So it kinda restrict my posting since it's disturbing to have them around me.

I'll try to update more whenever possible to journal my thoughts and daily lives..........

Extend MY Social Visit

The kids are having their exam during these 2 weeks and I am needed to tutor them in their Chinese subjects.
However, my one month stay in Malaysia (MY) will be due next week, so we decided to extend my social visit by another month.

Last Monday, RY brought me to the Malaysian Immigration office in Damansara to apply for the extension.
We were there at 8.30am to fill up the form and get the queue number. We get to see the immigration officer at 9.20am to explain my application.
It was smooth and the extension was granted.
But I only managed to get back the "stamped" passport 45 min later.

I am glad that the application went smoothly and extension granted.
I am able to spend longer time with the children!

Reduce stress to improve fertility

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/lowering-stress-improves-fertility-treatment/?partner=rss&emc=rss

This is a really interesting article!

Kind Soul

Last Monday, RY and myself took a bus back to SG as RY didn't drive.
RY would alternate between driving and taking coach to KL as it could be too tiring to drive consecutively.

As we arrived the Woodlands custom, we were pondering whether to take a direct bus or taxi to go home.
I insisted taking bus to cut cost as we are currently living on single source of income.

As we approached the bus stop, we realized that I didn't bring my Easi Link card (but RY brought his with him) and we also didn't have small change to take bus (SGD10 is our smallest note).
So we asked around for people for small change of SGD10 into denomination of $2 but none got. Then out of sudden, there was this humble looking couple who stretched out their hands with a $2 note to us, saying they didn't have the full ten dollar change but is willing to give us the $2 for free.
We were very grateful but we didn't want to accept their hard earned cash without repaying.
So RY took out a Malaysian currency RM5 to exchange with them.
They had initially refused but we insisted so they finally accepted.

The simple gesture from the humble couple really touched our heart.
Thanks for the $2, kind soul (sorry that we didn't get your name) ..........

Malaysia Bank Account

Last Fri, since it was a Good Fri holiday in SG, RY came to KL (we didnt go to Ipoh as planned since his parents are coming to KL instead)and he brought me to the bank to set up a joint account with me so that I can have easy access to Malaysian currency to spend during my stay in MY.

The bank not only issued me an ATM card but it comes with VISA Debit card function which will link to the bank account to deduct any VISA purchase.

I am really pleased as its one card with dual functions.

Having a bank account in MY may imply my prolong stay here .......

SG General Election 2011

For the last decades, I never get to cast my vote for my estate since it is a GRC and no opposition parties dare to take on the challenge.
I was very disappointed then that I didn't get to cast my votes ever since I turned 21 many years ago.

This year is the 1st time that I wished I don't have to vote since I am currently in KL and don't really wish to travel back to SG just to cast my vote.......

Sorry, I know I am being selfish to have such thinking, but the children are simply adorable and I just can't bear to part with them ........

Well, I will know the outcome on 28 April if I need to cast my vote on 7 May since the nomination cut off date is tomorrow 27 Apr.
I will be a responsible citizen (for the polling) and respect any outcome!

Extend my stay in KL

By right I should be going back to SG this coming weekend but as Good Friday is falling on 22 Apr next week, RY will bring me to Ipoh next week.
So Instead of me going back then pack up and go to Ipoh again, I've decided to remain in KL and he will skip his travelling to KL this weekend and instead come following Fri to bring me to Ipoh.

Loveable Children

The kids have brought a lot of joy and laughter to me!

You just can't get angry too long with them even when they really mess things up.
Just looking into their eyes and when they say "Please"' you sure melt.

The youngest daughter CY just ran to me with a piece of paper cut into shape of a crescent moon, and say "auntie this is for you!" and I asked her what is this, she said it's a moon for you and she just came with another triangle shape paper saying "it's a fish for you"!

In the morning, I will play YouTube video for her to watch cute animal video and she'll jump with joy over those cute animals she sees.

The 2nd daughter SY is a social butterfly.
This morning during our usual morning walk to school, we met an Indian gentleman who owns a tailor shop on the ground floor.
When she saw him, she greeted him politely and then they chatted.
I was surprised to see them acting like good friends.
SY told me that the indian man is her friend because he gives her sweets.
She is a social butterfly who can make friends with anyone.

The eldest daughter AY is a ver sensible girl who likes to sit on my lap whenever she sees me.
It is a breeze to tuition her as she listens and understands very well.
She is a really pretty girl with oval face and big almond shape eyes.

Daily Routine in KL

Morning wake up at 6.30am to see SIL's eldest daughter - AY off to school.
Then I will go wash up and then wake her 2nd daughter - SY, up to get ready to go to school.
At 8.05am walk SY to school which is just a stone throw away.
Back at home about 15 mins later to have my breakfast.
From 9am to 12pm, I'll either play with the youngest daughter - CY or play with my computer surfing the net.
Then at 12.05pm, I will walk to school to fetch SY home.
Eat lunch at about 1pm and then take break by reading my novels that I brought from SG.
At about 3pm, I'll help SIL to sort out her clothes stock which she sells on line.
Depending on the volume, I may finish in an hour's time or take longer if it's a bigger pile of stock.
Then I will tuition the kids in their home work till about 6pm to go for m shower.
At about 7.30pm is dinner time.
I will continue to play with the kids after dinner before I wash up to go t bed a about 10pm.

That's how I spend my day in KL.

How I wish I can do the same with my owns kids ......
I know this day is coming very soon, I just need to be patient.

R&R in KL

I am in KL since last Wed 30 Mar and is having a great time holidaying here.
The only work I need to do is to tutor the SIL's kids in doing their homework.
After staying with SIL for 5 days, I get to understand that being a mom is a full time job, the first to wake up but the last to sleep.
It's really tough ........ But I am prepared for the challenge to be a Mother myself!

I am glad that I came to KL to spend some time with the family.
The children has brought a lot of laughter to me, which I would share with you.
So I ve decided to stay 2 more weeks since I don't have to report to work.

RY came on Fri 1 Apr and will be going back to SG on Mon 4 Apr.
He will fetch me home 2 weeks later.
I don't allow him to come next weekend for fear that the weekly traveling may tire him.
But I think he will still come next weekend to KL to see his darling - Me.

First Day in KL

It was an exciting day because I nearly missed my bus to KL!

RY was really complacent that a Wed morning will be a smooth traffic day and he insisted having breakfast at home which resulted in us leaving the house at 6.55am.
It didn't help that one of the lift was out of order and the whole block of residences (29 floors with 4 units per floor) only got one lift to use during the morning peak hour.

I am supposed to reach WTS office at 7am for registration and bus to depart at 7.30am.
I quickly called up the agency telling them that i'll be late and they informed that the bus cant wait so I gotta reach their office in 10 mins time.

As we get o PIE, it was a horror to see massive traffic jam.
At 7.25am, I was at the corner turning into Orchard road from Scotts road.
Then my phone rang, it was the WTS staff asking if I am coming.
I told them I am less than 5 mins away and told them to wait.

I was lucky enough to reach WTS office for the registration by 7.30am.
It was embarrassing to see other passengers waiting at the bus for me and the driver.
But we managed to drive off at 7.35am.

The journey was very pleasant.
The bus was a 28 seaters coach but there were only 7 passengers.
We stopped at Yong Peng at 10am for 20 mins and then arrived KL Mid Valley at 1pm.
As I chose to alight at Berjaya Time Square which was the next stop, so I only reached at about 1.30pm.

So i walked around I BJT mall and had my lunch before I catch a taxi to SIL place.

I am glad that I made it to KL safe and sound.
Lesson learnt - Gotta leave home early to catch the bus!

First day of being a SAHHM

29 Mar 2011 marked the 1st day of being a SAHHM.
I didn't go for my morn exercise and instead had breakfast with RY then do some house cleaning to pack those stuff that I brought back from office.
Basically to tidy up the house.

At about 11am then I left home for Bugis temple - Si Ma Lu Guan Ying temple.
From Bugis I walked to Orchard road as I have an appointment with my beautician to do IPL for hair removal service.
The walk was relaxing and nice, it just took me about 25 mins to get there by foot.
This journey proved to be useful as I get to find out where Hotel Grand Central is, so that I can get there in time to catch my coach to KL which is operated by WTS.
I ve chosen WTS over other coach operators since it's departing from Orchard instead of Golden Mile which is more convenient for me in terms of location.
The price of single trip ticket is S$35 and if you re getting the return ticket, it will cost S$65.
I only get one way tix to KL since RY will be coming this Fri and we'll go back together on Monday.

After my IPL treatment, I went to run some errands like banking etc.
I didn't eat proper lunch but I got myself some snacks like Crystal Jade's cha siew puff and Beard PaPz cream puff for my nephews as I am visiting my mom.

Went to mom's place to feel the motherly love and also the comfort from her.
Then I went to Daiso for some shopping and picked up some cute Japanese stationery, kitchen supplies and snacks for SIL in KL.

Only managed to reach home at about 5.30pm then quickly change bedsheet and get ready to prepare dinner.

After dinner, I quickly packed for my KL trip and only get to bed at about 12 midnight.

New Beginning!

Today mark the last day of my working life (I am not sure if I'll get back to work again after this break ........ So it may be the last day).

The feeling is very weird and I don't know how to describe it.

Tomorrow I think I will still wake up per normal at 6am and laze around till it's time to go for my morning exercise at 7am.
Then I will either go library or temple ...... Or go shopping .......

This Wed I will take a coach to KL to meet up my in-laws to visit an auntie who is currently hospitalize.
RY can't go with me since he has to work but he'll drive up to KL on Fri.
Being jobless now, means I can control my timetable and need not worry about work or reporting due dates.
I am my own boss but with no salary lor.

I need to think of how to make use of my free time better.
Maybe I can do some charity volunteering work?
Let me slowly think about it!

Counting down to be a SAHHM!

My official last day of work falls on 28 Mar and from the next day onwards I'll be a jobless "stay at home hope-to-be mum" (SAHHM)!
Not sure if this is a universal term but I've created this term to give a new status of what I am going to be for the next phase of my life ......
Those non-working mum are known as SAHM - stay at home mum, so people like me who take break from work to try to conceive, would be known as SAHHM - Stay at home hope-to-be mum!

Frankly speaking, for the past few days I ve been rather stressEd up and have developed gastric problem.
I think the fear of uncertainty and no $$$$ after 28 Mar has great impact.
I ve never been jobless ever since I graduated from uni.
Upon graduation, I started work immediately in an audit firm and have never stopped working since then.
Each time when I changed job, the transition was merely a week's break in between, so I never had such fear of stopping work with no income.

I ve been trying to calm myself down, so I went for my usual exercise to have a quiet time by myself to think thru my rational of tendering my resignation.
I believe I am doing the right thing, I just need to have faith in it!
I must believe in my decision.

Japan Tsunami

Last Fri was just an ordinary Friday to many of us but it was a tragic one for Japan as they experienced strong earthquake and powerful tsunami.

The pics of the badly affected area really shocked many of us!
Not only many Japanese lost their homes, they now fear of nuclear radiation after the nuclear plant exploded.

Japan is one of my favorite country and its painful to see the destruction nature had left behind this beautiful country.

Lets pray for the victims and wish Japan a "speedy recovery"!
With their strong will and determination, I am sure they can rebuild their homes soon .......

Song update - Kuai Le Tian Tang

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=o5M8tB_OA8M

This song brings back fond memories.
I think I was in Primary or Secondary school when I first heard this song.
When I was in NTU Hall choir, we always performed this song during our hall celebration event.
This version is nice as it's by a group of primary school children and the animation is very interesting too.

Assurance

I shared with RY my fear about being jobless and he assured me that I have done the right thing by quitting my job.
This is the kind of support I need from my husband!
I hope I'll not doubt my decision again .......

Fear of being Jobless

This morning I woke up at 4+am and can't go back to sleep.
The fear of being jobless crept in .......
It's scary to have no income and it could be a life time retirement since once I am used to the jobless lifestyle, I may not want to go back to work.

What have I given up by tendering the piece of letter?
1 a career
2 5 figured monthly salary
3 big corner office
4 car, phone & black berry and medical benefits
5 a job title that I can be recognized & associated with
6 colleagues
7 financial independence
8 application of my knowledge
9 job challenge which helps to stimulate my creativity
10 on going trainings & knowledge acquire through working
11 etc

On 2nd thought, am I happy with what I have (those items stated above) but no children to
share this joy?

Money is important but there are some other things which are even more precious .......
I know I am making the best decision at this point in time, it may not be the right or good one, but something needs to be done..........

Weight Update

I am please to announce that I am now weighing at 46kg.
This is 4kg reduction!

No special diet, just eat normal meals and do regular exercise.
But when I've eaten big & heavy lunch, I will skip dinner that night.

I think the cold weather in NY/ Canada could have helped in burning fats stored in my body.

So if you wanna lose some weight, you may want to consider traveling to the cold countries.

Free like a Bird!

Yep, I am feeling really happy and free like a bird!
I've tendered my resignation today after months of consideration.

Money is important but Happiness is most important!
For the sake of having my baby,I should try to relax and make myself stress free ........

Yes, I've quited without a job, do you think I am silly?

Now I am relatively young, so I should treasure the few years to grab the fertility window to have my baby and not regret later.
Money can always be earned but not youth and fertility!

Apple iPad

RY brought me a cool gift back from NY, yep its an Apple iPad and it certainly has kept me busy for the past few days with the setting and apps download.
I am not an Apple fan but is definitely very impressed with the fanciful apps available.

Hakata in Flushing, New York

It was a surpirsed to find such a nice, cosy Jap restaurant in Flushing area.
Hakata is near to Sheraton LaGuardia.

The deco is simple but comfy.

 The refreshing Avocado Salad.

The generous servings of sashimi on my Sashimi Don

 I cant remember the exact price but I think the salad was about USD5 and the Sashimi Don cost about USD15.

Fear Factor - Kar Zar

This morning, I'd a a very frightening encounter - trapped in the lift with a Kar Zar!
I'd tried really hard avoiding it but it just couldnt stay still and we ended up running in circles in the confined lift.
Human vs Kar Zar!

When the door opened, I quickly jumped out and ran frantically towards the car park!

If RY is around, he'll definitely kill the hideous looking kar zar ........ and wont let it freighten me!
I miss my hubby ..........

Winter Wonderland in Canada

Taken near to Thousand Islands - Ottawa

Taken from our hotel in Ontario

Statue of Liberty

Is it real?
I'm actually seeing this Statue of Liberty - the real thing and not on TV!

Boston Lobster for you?

This was my 1st Boston Lobster!
The flesh was really juicy and tender.
We've paid USD26 per pax for this lobster meal, which consist of a lobster for each person, fish, veg, prawns, soup & tou fu, white rice.

The Colourful Time Square in NY

The neon lights are really beautiful!

Mighty Niagara Falls

This is the pic taken from the Canadian side of the Falls.

Pls Dont Probe!

I dreaded when people asked how many children I've and why I've none ........

For goodness sake, pls dont dig any further when someone say they've no children.
It's also not helpful to give remarks like, "you should start one soon" or "you must be too busy to have one" etc ........

Being childless is already very sad and your probing is not going to help ..........

What do you expect the childless couple to say or react to your insensitiv qn?
What good does it do to make those remarks?

Just shut up!

Back from New York!

I was MIA for 2 weeks in USA/ Canada!

Glad to be home away from the icey cold weather.
At the same time sad since my beloved husband is still in NY on biz trip while I'm alone at home.

I arrived SG this morning at about 6.30am and reached home at 7.30am.
Due to the morning peak hour surcharge, my taxi fare cost > SGD30/=.

I caught a cold in NY and went to doctor this morning for some medicine and 2 days of sick leave given.

Its about 7pm SG time now and I'm really sleepy since had not slept since I arrived.
Gotta recover from jetlag fast, so I forced myself to be awake till 8pm/ 9pm then go to bed.
I shall skip dinner tonight so that I can sleep soon.

I'll share my Canada/ NY pics once uploaded.

Lending a Helping Hand

Last Fri evening, while I was doing my usual exercise, I saw this heavily preggy lady trying really hard to push a stroller as her 3 year old daughter was on it.

Without any hesitation, I went up to her to offer to help her push the stroller as we're heading towards the same direction.
She told me that she's of Thai nationality while her husband is British and they used to live in HK before moving to SG.

Then her husband called to inform that he'd be arriving soon and would be able to pick her & kiddo up.
As we were nearing the shop house of eateries, her angmoh hubby appeared to take over from me.

The husband was really thankful towards me for rendering a helping hand when the preggy wife was in need.

I felt really happy with what I did.
Its a wonderful feeling to be able to help ..........

Antioxidants Vs Fertility

Seems like female should not take antioxidants supplement as it may affect ovulation but male should take more .......

Female related:
Antioxidants lead to fertility problems

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Antioxidants-lead-to-fertility-problems/articleshow/7319930.cms


Male related:
Antioxidants May Boost Baby Making

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/antioxidants-increase-male-fertility/story?id=12641649&page=1

I'm sorry, my love ........

I'm remorseful and regretted the harsh words I've told RY during one of our recent fight.
How could I say those words to hurt him?
Well he did use some mean words on me but I shouldn't have retaliated ........

I guess when you're in a fit of anger, you'll say mean words to hurt each other.

I'm feeling really terrible and wish that I didnt say it at all.

I shall remember this painful experience and not to repeat the same mistake again!

When you love somebody, you should not hurt him/ her.

Singapore fertility rate falls to record low

Ummn, why am I not surprised to know about the falling birth rate in SG?
It seems like the govt is not doing enought to make SG a conducive place to have baby ............

Extracts of the newspaper reporting:
SINGAPORE: Preliminary estimates show that Singapore's total fertility rate has dropped to a record low of 1.16 last year. This is even lower than the 1.22 in 2009, and well below the replacement rate of 2.1.


Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said the number of new Permanent Residents in 2010, was halved from a year ago.

Mr Wong, who heads the newly formed National Population and Talent Division, revealed the numbers as he laid out the country's long-term strategy for managing population growth.

After an influx of foreigners during the boom years, the government took steps to mitigate their inflow in 2010. Criteria for PR status were tightened, while more was done to integrate new citizens.

The move comes amid growing discomfort among Singaporeans over the increased presence of foreigners in the country.

29,265 foreigners became permanent residents last year, a sharp drop from the 59,460 in 2009, and 79,200 in 2008.

The country's aging population and low fertility rate means that the government will need to tap on immigration to augment the population.

Singapore is still facing the problem of having not enough babies. Mr Wong said the government will continue to support couples' decision to get married and have children. He added authorities will aim for a pro-family environment but he also acknowledged that boosting fertility will take time.

In a speech on "Inclusive Growth", Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng reiterated that citizens' interests will always come first.

Growing the population, Mr Wong explained, provides the critical mass to attract investors and grow domestic markets.

The key is in attracting the right kind of people.

"Singapore's population story is still evolving. Looking ahead, continual refinements will need to be made at appropriate junctures to ensure that Singapore will remain our best home. Like other countries around the world, we must continue to welcome suitably qualified people to work and live in Singapore and contribute to our society," said Mr Wong.

Mr Wong described these "suitably qualified people" as an "improvement in the quality of new PRs".

According to the latest population census, PRs in Singapore tend to be better educated. Almost half of the PR population last year were degree holders, compared with 18 per cent of citizens.

The number of new citizens remained relatively steady at 18, 758 in 2010, compared to 19,928 for 2009.

According to Mr Wong, the new Population and Talent Division will formulate, coordinate and review whole of Government policies. In doing so, Mr Wong said the focus is on achieving a "sustainable population profile".

Three principles will guide this effort - to preserve and uphold what is distinctive and unique about Singapore, to ensure growth and change benefit Singaporeans, and to remain nimble and prepared as well as make adjustments along the way.

Mr Wong said what is unique about Singapore is that its people "value hard work, thrift and honesty".

Singapore has also made multi-ethnic diversity work for it.

So in managing the population, Mr Wong said the government will "always be guided by the need to preserve a strong citizen core" and to "maintain stability" in the ethnic mix.

Observers say the latest figures on new immigrants will go some way in addressing Singaporeans' concerns.

Dr Leong Chan Hoong, a Research Fellow with the Institute of Policy Studies, said: "There is a very reassuring effect for Singaporeans and certainly I think this will help assure Singaporeans that the policy makers have their interests as a priority."

Inclusive growth has been a buzzword of late, and more recently, it was debated in Parliament. The idea is that no Singaporean is left out even as the country progresses. Observers said this is likely to be a hot button issue at the next general elections due by February

Laughter is the Best Medicine!

This statement is proven by the fertility study that beeing entertained by a clown right after in vitro fertilization could be baby-making gold, according to a study in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.


The three-year-long study, by doctors at the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Zrifin, Israel, involved 219 women. Half of them were treated to a “medical clowning encounter” after having just undergone IVF.

Results showed that 36 percent of women who were treated to a 20-minute routine of jokes, magic tricks and other comedic acts after invitro became pregnant. In contrast, only 20 percent of the women in the group that wasn’t exposed to the routine got pregnant, according to the study.

The findings expand on research done by the study’s principal author, Dr. Shevach Friedler, a graduate of the Jacques Lecoq school of mime and theatre in Paris, France. "My background is in clowning and movement," he told Nature.com in a 2006 interview. "I'm also a physician who works in IVF. I thought we could combine the two," he was quoted as saying.

The study holds promise for women seeking to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization and also identifies comedy as a key de-stressor during what could be, to patients, a harrowing medical procedure, Friedler told Reuters.

"Patients suffering from infertility undergoing IVF are exceptionally stressed. So I thought that this intervention could be beneficial for them at the crucial moments after embryo transfer," he is quoted as saying.

While medical clowns have usually been associated with pediatric care, their use with adult patients is on the rise, according to the website, Aheart4clowning.

The Israeli study concludes that clowning in conjunction with IVF may buoy pregnancy rates and needs further analysis.

Animal Lover

I love Animal and have kept rabbits, tortise, hamster, mice, dog and cats as pets ..........

When I was young, I've dreamt about making lots of money to buy an island and hire workers to keep all the stray dogs/ cats ...........
Of course this dream never come true as I didnt make that much of money nor married a rich husband ........
When making charity donations, I'd make my donation to SPCA or any animal related homes as I think animals are more helpless and need more fincial assistance to maintain their well being.

Naturally, with the free StarHub cable Tv, my favourite channels are National Geographic and Animal Planet!
I'm afraid I may get addicted to the cable TV and may be tempted to subscribe to it long term.

There is Hope!

We just renewed our Starhub broadband subscription for another 2 years.
To make the sign on deal sweeter, Starhub offered 3 months FOC cable TV for our viewing.

Yesterday I watched a documentary - Big Cat Odyssey on National Geographic channel.
http://natgeotv.com/uk/big-cat-odyssey/about
This documentary is about award-winning filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert on their 30-year-long quest to document the behaviour of big cats in Botswana, this film brings together three decades worth of material, including extraordinary footage of hunting lions, scavenging hyenas and stealthy leopards.


I was touched by a night scene where an elephant was attacked by a group of 7 lionesses.
At one point, the elephant was almost giviing up and we thought it'd die under the ruthless attack of the lionessess. 
Then miracle happened, the poor elephant forced itself up and run for its life.
I was so happy that this elephant managed to survive against all odds!

It has taught us a valuable lesson - Never Give Up as There is HOPE! 

To all ladies out there trying to have your miracle baby, pls dont give up!
Yes, there is Hope as long as we dont give up!

New York Tour Research

I've been busy researching on a good & economical USA East Coast Tour and I'm really lucky to find this website call  GotoBus.
This is the link to the US East Coast Tours that I'm eyeing .......

It's also interesting to note that this website also sell bus ticket and cover tours in majour USA cities, like Florida Tours , Boston Bus & Tours and Los Angeles Bus & Tours  and popular sight seeing spots; like Niagara Falls Tours , Grand Canyon Tours , Yellowstone Tours etc 

If I've known about this website earlier, I'd signed up with them for a US West Coast Tours during my last trip to San Franc last year since they also cover Yosemite Tours !

Next trip to USA, I'll deinitely sign up the Las Vegas Bus & Tours !

2010 Christmas Gifts from Office Colleagues

Every year I'd give something to my colleagues to show appreciation to them.
Previous year, 2009, I gave the ladies musical bear and "christmasy" candies for the men and last year, 2010, I gave everyone a glass coaster individually wrapped by myself.
I've started the sourcing and wrapping in Nov and it's no joke to wrap ~ 100 gifts ......... it took 3 Sundays to complete the wrapping.

This is a pic of what I've gotten from my colleagues for 2010 xmas - the pic is taken in my office.
Yep, this is my room and it is big enough to accomodate a discussion corner where I hold meetings/ discussion with my colleagues/ visitors.
So I layed all the presents on the coffee table for display.

Count Down 2011!

It was my 1st live count down in SG's Marina watching fireworks!
I've done it in MY but not my home country.

RY suggested going down to Marina for the count down as he wished to do something different from the usual past few years, i.e. stay at home watch TV and sleep through the year ...........
I was not keen at all since I knew it'd be crowded and traffic would be caotic too!

As he was so keen in going, I've finally relented and we drove down to Marina at 10pm on 31 Dec.
We parked "Volvy" at Conrad Hotel and walked down towards Helix Bridge.
We were pretty disappointed that Helix Bridge was closed at about 11pm and we gotta hang around the pavement between the Helix Bridge and the road.

We just waited patiently and helped some tourists took pictures of themselves with MBS as the background.
When the clock was approaching 12 mid-night and at the last moment towards 12 am, everybody started counting down "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" and then viola - the sky start to light up with beautiful fireworks!
The fireworks lasted 8 mins and once the show was over, we quickly rush to towards Conrad Hotel for Volvy to head back home.

I went to bed at 2am and only wake up at 10am, so I miss receiving the 1st sunrise of the year!
It was a rainy day on 1st Jan 2011 and I didnt manage to do my usual exercise.

Basically, we spent the new year day lazing at home doing nothing and ta pau chicken rice for lunch.
Dinner was a quiet one at Casa Roma - our favourite Italian place along Bt Timah.

So how did you celebrate the New Year Day?

This is a pic taken from my mobile!