Can things be actually as simple as I hope them to be?

Sometimes I wonder if I think too much into things – deliberate too much about the others’ intentions by the things they do or say when their purposes were probably as simple as they can get. Paranoid, or cynical, some say.

But when you go thinking that everyone is as simple as you thought them out to be, you can be considered naïve and giving excuses for their ill intents. Then, what?

Maybe the intentions weren’t deliberately malicious, but the consequences of their actions and words can turn out to be. If you were angry at the nasty situation that someone got yourself into, what can you do?

How I hate to be distrustful... But how else would one protect oneself?

Greedy Norbit

Norbit’s being very funny these days. He is so desperate for food, you think that we’re actually starving him. Thing is – how could we bear to!

Look at him desperately clambering for his raisins causing him to take a tumble.

Other than raisins, he is mad about cornflakes. He cleverly toppled the plastic container of cornflakes when I was feeding him and stuck his entire body in to get them while I was distracted for a moment with Mommy. And didn’t come out of the container for a while.

Bye bye, Karen. :(

It was sad seeing Karen off. Though I thought I should not have, but I had allowed my tears to spring out when she hugged me tight and told me to be a good girl as she bade us goodbye. The rest chided me for being emotional, but well, I have no words to describe how I felt. The gratitude I have for her and recounting on the happy times that we had spent together at work and off work, can be rather choking. This is my boss and my good friend – who has done so much for me.

A year together is a tad short... but you will definitely be missed, Karen. Your warped jokes and sneaky dirty thoughts at the most unexpected moments. :/

Prayers for Sharon

I received a call from JX. And what I heard from him next made my mouth dry and my heart drop. His best buddy (ever), Nicholas, who stood by him whenever he was going through any tough patches in his life, especially sticking it through with him during my hospitalization, is now in the same predicament as JX was last year. Silently and probably, audaciously, I thought if God is playing a prank on us...

Nick is now in USA with his girlfriend Sharon, where she has been working since late last year. They were touring USA and in a twist of events, she fell ill just last night. High fever, shortness of breaths. She was then diagnosed with pneumonia.

Said to be in a stable condition, thank God. Having being in this situation in a foreign place, away from your loved ones – family and friends, they are in a zone unfamiliar to them with no physical and emotional support from the people who care. This, JX acknowledges that he was very fortunate to have his family and friends propping him up when he didn’t have the strength. Same here with me. All the more anxious and worried JX felt for Nick – on how Nick and Sharon are coping without anyone to help them, how he himself could offer help, in any way at all, despite being so far away...

Thank God that Nick visited her in USA and was right there with her when she fell ill. At least she has him right by her side to care for her. Reminds me too much of my own episode...

I wish them strength and courage to pull through this tough period, and for her to get well quickly. All, please pray for Sharon to get well soon.

Return home soon (2)!

Long overdue pictures – outing with a couple of my cousins before that young punk and his family returned to Shanghai.

@ Starbucks photowhoring

Headed down to Hog’s Breath @ Vivocity. Nothing really fantastic, but it’s the company yeah?

Had some crazy times there – singing along with the guy on the platform while cutting up bloody steak, and cheering him on. Robin looked really appreciative that there were actually people who responded to his singing instead of knives screeching on plates. Nodding towards us with an appreciative smile that said “You people make me feel that I am alive”. We were probably nuisances to the other diners, but... what the heck. JX and Jo were trying to concentrate on their steak and look small in their chairs. JX tried to shut me up, but Ah Qi gave me the strength and the ‘excuse’ to be crazy. Who could actually beat her crazy, right? Haha...

Popped into Daiso, and created more ruckus. Jo tried to associate me with trainer bras - for some warped reason of hers.


@ the Pet’s Shop in VVC. Warm and fuzzy.

Then hell broke out at the arcade. I played Para Para for the 1st time, and I gotta say, haha, I’m rather good! Kungfu-para-para. I was there on the platform, punching with all my might at imaginary baddies with a rhythm that will put Jackie Chan to shame instead of waving my arms around languidly like how some demure pretty girls dance. My arms actually ached for a few days.

We threw balls at mosquitos and Sadako. Tried our luck at the basketball hoops. And screamed ourselves hoarse and hit the hockey plate with all the strength that we could muster from the steak we ate for dinner. There was no wonder that I couldn’t even wash my hair nor brush my teeth that night. My arms were just hanging uselessly by my sides. And crazy Ah Qi was actually down with a high fever??? The whole time we were out! She definitely looked sick in the following 2nd picture. But despite that, she managed to sustain her level of craziness. Respect.

It was a great night indeed and... well, rather sad to have them leave us all again. But oh well...

Return home soon!

Random pictures from the past 2 weekends. I will definitely miss the little ones when they return to Shanghai! Wonder when the family is going to return to Singapore for good. :

Went to Johor over the Olympics Opening/National Day weekend. Not exactly the most patriotic citizen, I know. But speaking of Olympics Opening, wasn't the ceremony phenomenal!! It actually got me cheering at home on a Friday night. Utterly beyond-words. (Note that I deliberately left NDP out)

Anyway, back to Johor. The whole bunch of us, JX and my family, dragged ourselves up early to start making our way to avoid the jam. The jam beat us to it though. Had crappy breakfast at Woodlands and emptied our bladders in toilets with hygiene conditions that made me cringe 50 times in the span of taking a piss.

Our great noble uncle who drove us labouriously around (almost cramping his calves stuck in a traffic jam) while we snored away behind. THANK YOU SA-GU!

Squashed.

JX’s virgin trip into Malaysia – after 26 years in his life! Is he Singaporean?

Had Bah Kut Teh – supposedly the must-eat item when we step into Malaysia each time. But... even though I love the golden mushrooms, the soup doesn’t taste distinctly like BKT. Pork pork and more pooooork. Ever tried eating in a sauna? It enhances the eating experience!

She was swivelling so vigourously, we thought she could advertise for the Osim 'horse'-chair. And who said that getai was distinctively Singapore?

Who's more child-like? The kids? Or... my uncle holding his ice-cream cone innocently?

Camwhoring with Malaysian mannequins. Little did we realize that the little one was every bit of a camwhore like us or more. If you let him lay his little hands on your handphone, your handphone would soon explode - with his self-shot pictures.

Celebrated the little one’s birthday in advance.

Headed back to Singapore after a fishy and salty dinner. Dead beat.

Really gonna miss them when they return to Shanghai. They’re all growing up faster than we thought. :(

The Sex Siren in Singapore

Fiona, is that you? Before puberty?