Charsiew's Words on 13 July 2011

I turned 37 exactly a month ago.

Those few days, we went to KL for 3 days. Not the best trip of all, but it was the first time kids travelled out of the country with mother.

We decided to bring helper along since it's her birthday too and that should be the last time because we found it easier to handle the kids on our own than bringing her. We tried to tell her we can carry our own stuff and she insisted despite of wearing HIGH HEELS, yes, HIGH HEELS..Made us looked like some idiot employers who leave everything to a maid... sigh, difficult to describe. Am I lucky or no?

Went back to the office after a short 3-day break and unexpectedly, that was the last time I saw my boss of 15 years.

Asked to go, obvious. It was too sudden.

Since then, we kept in contact through simple smses.

New boss out of respect moved into ex-boss room 2 weeks after. Slowly, he removed the awards which were on display. Put it in a plastic bag and it's still lying on the floor.

Other people are still congratulating him... I cannot find a reason to be happy for him. Afterall, he is sitting in the room where my ex-boss sat. I can no longer find the familiar face, the casual hello, the casual talk and gossip we often shared in our comfortable Mandarin.

Throughout the last 15 years, I cursed him behind his back and talked bad about him because of his behavior. I sighed every time he asked me to do nonsensical task, asked me in to his room multiple times a day just for some simple things, but ironically, I am beginning to miss all these.

Few days after he left the company, he finally sms-ed all concerned that he is no longer with the company. I replied to him, perhaps my best sms for the year, that a simple sms cannot summarized the guidance he gave to me for the past 15 years. He replied me and thanked me for working for him, etc.

I have people who think otherwise about him. Not many people can understand why I feel this way. Beginning of the year when he tendered and wanted to leave, I was sad but now the reality is he is CONFIRMED not there anymore, it's different.

Charsiew's Words on 4 June 2011

I spent a lot of time in Toa Payoh during the past week. Cynthia's dad passed away on Monday after this battle with cancer. I am glad I managed to see him in the hospital the Friday before he left the world.

I went to the wake twice, we had nice peanuts and vegetarian food. :-)

Life is such, we catch up during wedding dinners. After all the people who are supposed to get married all got married, the next phase, we catch up with each other in other people's funeral.

I also saw Cynthia's cousins, whom I have "lost touch" for close to 20 years?

We arrived early to attend the funeral yesterday. Perhaps it's their faith in Buddhism, and their assurance they have that their late dad will be in good hands, there wasn't a lot of cryings, but a physical lost that their dad will not be with them.

30 over years of friendship, we cannot always be there when they need us but we try to be there to show some comfort and support when we can.

Charsiew's Words on 24 May 2011

It has been something new for us during the past 5 months. Since we have settled down in our nest "permanently", kids are happy and Evan has put on weight. HIs appetite is getting bigger and at times, we think of controlling him.

Maybe the only person not so happy is my mother. It's a fact that she doesn't really like my place because it feels hotter here compared to her home and Punggol is famous for being not a convenient place to live in.

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Last week of school term for the kids, we look forward to the break.

I hope the new Minister of Education will look into the stress level the kids are facing. I am not a kiasu parent but I feel it's not very right for kids to go through a level which we experienced maybe when we were in primary 5. If wanna blame, also blame ourselves for giving birth.

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Highlight

After CNY, I started light jogging hoping my metabolism won't hit low since i stopped my kickboxing (no vacancy thus unable to sign up). So I thought just tried to jog for a while until I got to enroll again for the next kickboxing class.

You cannot imagine I could hardly jog 1km in the beginning. It very much depends on the weather, the momentum, the breathing, and "I don't want to stop" attitude. Now, I achieve around 5.5km each time and I try hard to jog on alternate days. I have also recently signed up for Shape Run (5km) and it will be in July.

August will be Ramadhan, so I foresee the running level will go down but I hope I can catch up after the fasting month because I have the plan to try out Standard Chartered 10km.

At the end of the year, I will write a book titled "The Woman Who Started Jogging at 37". :-D

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Lowlight

One of the most talked about person here seems to be bugging me again. She is no other than my colleague who LOVES to brag.

Needless to say, her hubby continued to get promoted again and again since my last entry.

Besides the "plan" to buy car, today she told us the "plan" to invest in an EC.

If want to plan something big, please don't tell people until you have signed the papers.

This plan is just a bubble waiting to get burst, and a bullet for us to shoot when she pissed us off.

Damn it, why must a person whose personality is ok turned out to be such due to low self-esteem?

Charsiew's Words on 22 Jan 2011

A day I should call myself a failure.

Scolded Isabel in the morning.

Before she slept, I asked if she liked the cake I baked. She said yes, thank you mummy and gave me her sweetest smile.

I ought to be shot.

Charsiew's Words on 31 Dec 2010

May 2011 brings you loads of joy, laughter, happiness, health and fortune.

Happy New Year!