It's been a whirlwind the last 2 weeks. From preparing for CNY and making sure I had the right angpows packed for the right people, to thinking and packing for the Kathmandu business trip, to getting work done, to managing family relations....
And so voila...
I'm really here in Kathmandu.
Woke at 5am just to be sure that I was out of the house by 550am, before any of the girls woke. I didn't want to get into a situation where they were potentially in the midst of bawling and I had to leave them. Wouldn't do them any good and wouldn't do my sensitive soul any good too haha.
Had a scare last night when I had diarrhoea. Went to the doc at 11pm to get meds. During the first leg of my flight to Nepal, I was still feeling quite queasy and a little light-headed and nauseated. I was praying that I would get well soon...and I am extremely thankful that my tummy has not acted up today....Guess it helped that I didn't eat much during the entire day.
I was a little nervous during the first leg too. After not having flown for a business trip for so long...somehow I couldn't help but feel nervous haha.
Anyway, it's 1215am now in SG time, 10pm Kathmandu time.
Just came back about an hour ago from a dinner. I was initially only with my boss. 2 members of the industry came by and sat with us and we ended up getting stuck there for a long time....
Kinda surreal to be sitting in a hotel room in Nepal, listening to Korean songs and blogging, with a face mask on.
It's been quite awhile. 5 years and 4 months since my last business trip actually, which was in Toronto back in October 2012.
I hope the girls sleep well tonight. I hope Nadya is ok and is dealing with me not being there well enough. Jiayou to K too...:)
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Monday, February 12, 2018
Conversations
With the 2yr 4mth old.........
We were at Parkway Parade waiting for Nadya to finish her speech and drama class. Most shops weren't open yet and K, Alyssa and myself were just wandering around when we found outselves in the basement floor. There was a pet shop there and I wanted to bring Alyssa to see the hamsters which can usually be seen through the shop's windows.
A: Mama, I don't want to see.
Me: Why? I thought you liked hamsters?
A: Noooo...I don't! But I like ham!
LOLOLOLOL. This little girl is turning out to be quite a talker.
And she was the one who made us quite worried initially when she wasn't talking much even at the age of 2.
===================
With the 4yr 4mth old.....
She was having a sausage bun for supper and couldn't finish it. She passed the leftover to K and K asked her why.
N: Because Mama cannot eat too much. Her tummy is fat already.
BIG BIG SIGH. :( :( :( :( :(
===================
With the 4yr 4mth old....
Alyssa was throwing a tantrum in Nadya's room. Rolling on the floor, screaming at the top of her lungs, big tears and all.
And then Nadya very sagely said "Nevermind, let her be."
We were at Parkway Parade waiting for Nadya to finish her speech and drama class. Most shops weren't open yet and K, Alyssa and myself were just wandering around when we found outselves in the basement floor. There was a pet shop there and I wanted to bring Alyssa to see the hamsters which can usually be seen through the shop's windows.
A: Mama, I don't want to see.
Me: Why? I thought you liked hamsters?
A: Noooo...I don't! But I like ham!
LOLOLOLOL. This little girl is turning out to be quite a talker.
And she was the one who made us quite worried initially when she wasn't talking much even at the age of 2.
===================
With the 4yr 4mth old.....
She was having a sausage bun for supper and couldn't finish it. She passed the leftover to K and K asked her why.
N: Because Mama cannot eat too much. Her tummy is fat already.
BIG BIG SIGH. :( :( :( :( :(
===================
With the 4yr 4mth old....
Alyssa was throwing a tantrum in Nadya's room. Rolling on the floor, screaming at the top of her lungs, big tears and all.
And then Nadya very sagely said "Nevermind, let her be."
A Walk in the Park
K was out for a wedding dinner on Saturday night and we didn't have to go back to my parents' place for dinner as well since we'd already had reunion lunch together. The girls were clamouring over me and asking to go out.
I made them promise to be good during dinner so we could go out after that haha.
We went out during dusk. My favourite time of the day. It was 7:30pm.
The sky was shades of purple, blue, grey and pink. That little precious window of time when everything seems so much clearer and more peaceful. And before the sky turned black.
It was a cool evening. Windy. As usual during each CNY. Is this called the Spring Wind? 春风.
I took them to the park connector. It was a slow slow walk. Partly because Alyssa's strides were only that long (or short for that matter haha). And also partly because I was showing them and telling them about various things. We even stopped for awhile to munch on mini chocolate buns that I'd brought along with me.
Taught them about streetlamps. Played with shadows. Talked about canals and how water from the drains all converge and flow into the main big canal. And how water flows from the canal out to the sea eventually. Showed them ferns and creeping vines on trees. Explained to them the different breeds of dogs since so many of them were out on strolls that evening. Taught Nadya how to look after Alyssa and make sure she didn't get into the path of any bicycles or skate scooters.
We talked about fairy lights too. And reflections of light on water. And high tides versus low tides. Taught Nadya how to read street signs and recognise the one leading to our development. We watched one or two planes go by, almost overhead. And we spent quite some time observing a black and white cat lying on top of a wall. Before Nadya shrieked and ran away when the cat finally decided to jump down and headed towards us in search of food.
We walked. We talked. We laughed. We sang. We giggled. We ate.
It was a short 40minutes but I had a really wonderful time. I hope they did too.
And...
Thank you children.
For opening up Mama's eyes again to all the sights, sounds and wonders of this world. Things which we as adults have come to take for granted and gloss over. Things which we as adults have unconsciously chosen to unsee because they have become inconsequential to the daily grind. Thank you for piquing my curiosity again.
I made them promise to be good during dinner so we could go out after that haha.
We went out during dusk. My favourite time of the day. It was 7:30pm.
The sky was shades of purple, blue, grey and pink. That little precious window of time when everything seems so much clearer and more peaceful. And before the sky turned black.
It was a cool evening. Windy. As usual during each CNY. Is this called the Spring Wind? 春风.
I took them to the park connector. It was a slow slow walk. Partly because Alyssa's strides were only that long (or short for that matter haha). And also partly because I was showing them and telling them about various things. We even stopped for awhile to munch on mini chocolate buns that I'd brought along with me.
Taught them about streetlamps. Played with shadows. Talked about canals and how water from the drains all converge and flow into the main big canal. And how water flows from the canal out to the sea eventually. Showed them ferns and creeping vines on trees. Explained to them the different breeds of dogs since so many of them were out on strolls that evening. Taught Nadya how to look after Alyssa and make sure she didn't get into the path of any bicycles or skate scooters.
We talked about fairy lights too. And reflections of light on water. And high tides versus low tides. Taught Nadya how to read street signs and recognise the one leading to our development. We watched one or two planes go by, almost overhead. And we spent quite some time observing a black and white cat lying on top of a wall. Before Nadya shrieked and ran away when the cat finally decided to jump down and headed towards us in search of food.
We walked. We talked. We laughed. We sang. We giggled. We ate.
It was a short 40minutes but I had a really wonderful time. I hope they did too.
And...
Thank you children.
For opening up Mama's eyes again to all the sights, sounds and wonders of this world. Things which we as adults have come to take for granted and gloss over. Things which we as adults have unconsciously chosen to unsee because they have become inconsequential to the daily grind. Thank you for piquing my curiosity again.
Monday, February 05, 2018
Mindsets
If you cannot change the person/colleague who is bringing you grief, and if getting out of the team is not an option, or changing the environment isn't an option, maybe you could look at changing yourself.
Not changing yourself by bending your principles just to accommodate the other person, but perhaps tweaking certain mindsets of yours....to allow yourself greater emotional control over the effect the other person has on you.
Afterall, why suffer in silence when the other person doesn't care? Why make yourself miserable when the other person goes off "scott-free"? Why bring yourself grief and emotional distress? And if you bring things up, you may end up being seen as the person being petty or being the "bad guy"?
Maybe I should look at how I can tweak myself or my mindset a little?
How can I grow further? What do I need to do? How do I get myself out of this biased rut?
Not changing yourself by bending your principles just to accommodate the other person, but perhaps tweaking certain mindsets of yours....to allow yourself greater emotional control over the effect the other person has on you.
Afterall, why suffer in silence when the other person doesn't care? Why make yourself miserable when the other person goes off "scott-free"? Why bring yourself grief and emotional distress? And if you bring things up, you may end up being seen as the person being petty or being the "bad guy"?
Maybe I should look at how I can tweak myself or my mindset a little?
How can I grow further? What do I need to do? How do I get myself out of this biased rut?
7 early 8 early
Auntie E, I know it's your first time handling the hotline. You're a mother of 2 teenagers. You're almost 50 years old. No need to be so kancheong and make so much noise every time you pick up a call from the hotline.
"Whooo!! Wah!!! I feel so kan cheong!!???!!"
"How ah?!!"
"Oh my god!!"
"My heart is pumping 100 beats a second!"
"Alamak how?! Sheeeeessshh...Whoa!"
"I'm so scared!!?!"
It's quite loud and rather distracting....
Sigh.
=========================
Auntie L....I know you're busy with alot of things...No need to keep harping on it to me too...
I have alot of things on my plate as well you know...:)
You keep saying you're going mad...but...sigh...anyway...some of us are also busy too, if not even busier...
"Whooo!! Wah!!! I feel so kan cheong!!???!!"
"How ah?!!"
"Oh my god!!"
"My heart is pumping 100 beats a second!"
"Alamak how?! Sheeeeessshh...Whoa!"
"I'm so scared!!?!"
It's quite loud and rather distracting....
Sigh.
=========================
Auntie L....I know you're busy with alot of things...No need to keep harping on it to me too...
I have alot of things on my plate as well you know...:)
You keep saying you're going mad...but...sigh...anyway...some of us are also busy too, if not even busier...
Friday, February 02, 2018
Of Animals and ......Zodiacs
In the world of fengshui, the Monkey's allies are the Rat and Dragon. The Monkey also has a secret friend, the Snake.
Suddenly realised that my insurance advisor/agent is a Snake. And more recently, I did some transactions with my DBS relationship manager and he is also born in the year of the Snake, though a good 12 years younger than my insurance agent haha.
Nadya is also a Snake.
This Monkey gets along quite well with Goats too...Alyssa is a Goat. Ally, PQ, KH and Chiewz are all Goats too!
Suddenly realised that my insurance advisor/agent is a Snake. And more recently, I did some transactions with my DBS relationship manager and he is also born in the year of the Snake, though a good 12 years younger than my insurance agent haha.
Nadya is also a Snake.
This Monkey gets along quite well with Goats too...Alyssa is a Goat. Ally, PQ, KH and Chiewz are all Goats too!
Musings
Nadya's usually not a morning person but she has good days when she wakes on the right side of bed and is cheery and agreeable. The other day when I woke her up for school. The moment she opened her eyes and saw me, she gave me a smile and said:
"Mama, do you know that the rib cage protects the heart?"
Hahah...thank you darling for that snippet of information!
She had learnt it in school the previous day I think and obviously that piece of info was still in her head....:D
=======================
Alyssa is growing fast.
In the past month, she's suddenly speaking alot more and in proper English and sentences.
Oh I feel conflicted! I'm happy that she's growing well but I don't want her to grow so fast!
She's my last kid and if she outgrows her baby-ness....then there'll be no more squishes for me to cuddle anymore...:(
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