Funny Street Signs

http://www.slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/2009/hilariousstreetsigns.htm


haha....this is absolutely hilarious...:)

okok

Ok, I apologise for my outburst.
It's just that when you have told someone umpteen times not to do something.
And that person still does it.
You can't help but feel frustrated.

Oh well. TGIF.....lun.

Looking forward to 530pm.
Cos I'll be seeing a special someone...:)

argh

Why the hell are people always asking me if HC is gonna "be in the office today?"???

If you want to know, can't you call him or SMS him??? Or email him???

I am not his friggin PA for god's sake..........!!!!!!

$%&^*&$!#^&^*&#

Came in this morning and the admin asked me if he was going to be in today.
Like the hell I will know!

You're the PA and admin supporting the team, you're supposed to know all these. Not me.

sigh

I worked hard for a paper. Dabao-ed lunch for a few days and OT-ed for it.

And now I just found out that the presentation date for that paper is now on 28 Sept. I won’t be around. It was supposed to be in mid-October but was rescheduled. The boss may be getting another guy to present on my behalf.

I admit, I’m a little disappointed that I won’t get the air-time in front of the 2 big bosses who will chair that meeting.

Less exposure = less recognition

tick tock tick tock

I’m not sure if this is what they term as the “biological clock ticking away”…

But in recent months, I have wondered how it would be like to have a kid of my own. How it would feel like carrying it to full term and how it would be like bringing a child up. A child with my genes running through its bloodstreams. Hmm, I’ve even wondered how would the child look like. And what lessons in life would I teach to my child…what clothes and toys would I buy? Would I get impatient? Would I be a good mother?

Cham.
I think the bio clock really exists…..

With or Without You - U2

Another classic song. *swoons*

We, the complainers of Singapore

What is it with Singaporeans?

Complain, complain, complain.

Complain once and it's still not so bad.

Complain alot of times somemore.

Since when did we become such a nit-picking crowd??

Singapore is so small, nothing to do ??!!!???!!
This foodcourt nothing to eat one...???!!!???!!!
My company sucks.
My life sucks.
Everybody sucks.
Taxis are so expensive!!!
The schools are not doing enough for our kids!!!
The government is too strict!!!!

Blah blah blah.
Yada yada yada.

Oh darn.

I'm complaining.

One - U2

What more can I say? Classic classic song...:)
One by U2

Reflection Time

Just a little something I received in the mail...

=====
A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were aloving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open.

He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle, was fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died.

The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, helooked at his wife and uttered just five words.
What will you do if you were the husband?


More QUESTIONS :
1. What were the five words?
2. What is the implication of this story?












ANSWER :
The husband just said ' I am with you Darling '

The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. '

A journey of a thousand milesbegins with a single step ' . Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

Bees no more

On hindsight, I think K was quite right.

When the green light appears above a girl’s head signifying availability and singlehood, the bees naturally come buzzing. When that green light turns to red, the bees stay away.

The bees from the 1st quarter of this year have all but disappeared.

Human behaviour can be so interesting at times. Loads to observe.

Yellow Ribbons Aflutter

I went for the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run yesterday. :)
Finished the 5.8km fun run. I was very slow but steady enough.
I felt very happy about it…for 2 reasons.

1. I felt good after the run. I didn’t feel overly breathless and could still run an extra 500-600m to the baggage collection area. Hehe…
2. It was my first run with K! Though we had different routes but at least we did something together…And that’s what matters most! :))))

The right bunion is aching now though...bleah.

Next up: SCM in December…

Aidan Davis

I have recently gone a little nuts over watching America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent on YouTube.

And I was mighty impressed with this kiddo...Uber cool boy..:)
Love his charisma and confidence!

Wise Words

A woman can never have too many bags, shoes, make up, sex and love.

~quote from Ms Cylea Au aka Thicelia Pijjay

===============

Lol, this is the kind of advice you get from your girlfriends from time to time. ;p

TGIF

Woke this morning feeling a groggy and tired. :(
The tum’s acting up again. Too much restaurant food this week perhaps.

Hope I’ll feel better later on.

Jiayou!

Berlari-lari

I did a 4km jog just now. yay!
It was excrutiatingly slow but yes, managed to complete it...:)

I hope Sunday's inclined slopes will be merciful to me and my legs...

abstractism

I was brought up in an autocratic family.
Submerged since birth in an almost vile liquid of authoritarianism.

Close to 30 years in the jar. I feel pickled by now. Almost turgid.
Preserved in a state of inertia and ensconced in a bubble of nothingness.

Emotionally rich but clueless. Mentally adept but clueless.
The mind seeks reprieve yet knows not how.

I slip and slide. Within the rut.
It is said when preserved food jars traverse past their date of expiry, naturally built up gases from within forces the jar cap off in a somewhat explosive occurrence.

The jar has been shaken. Not stirred. More gases build. Pressure is rising.
Albeit at slow rates. In the meantime. The dams are open.

Love Without Talking

I saw a very lovely video on Facebook today.
For those who are feeling less than well, I hope this video brings a whole big pot of positivity to you..

I loved the vid and was feeling so happy for Jason by the end of the 12 minutes.
Enjoy it...

Click here.

Or you might want to cut and paste into your browser.
http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/love-without-talking/3687832661

Ffffttttpppphhhttttt........

Why is it that no one wants to think of a place to go to. “Anything” becomes the reply when the question of where dinner should be is thrown at them.

But when a venue is suggested, counter-suggestions and comments flow in fast and furious like the Yangtze River. “Too far to walk leh”, “The food not very good there leh”, “Err, can we go elsewhere”, “Is there anything for me to eat there?”. Yada. Yada. Yada.
Whine. Whine. Whine.

You don’t like the place then you bloody well suggest one and you bloody well organise the gathering.

A dinner is just a dinner is just a dinner. Sure food matters somewhat but the company you’ll be with matters more right???

I am cheesed off. Period.

Hmm.

Dilemma.

Not sure if I should still head to Korea for the end October conference.

Growing Old - Redux

I’ve got 3 old folks at home. Well, technically one of them is now in a nursing home.
For the last 15 or 16 years of my life, I’ve seen enough of medicines, pills, liquids, sprays, creams, mixtures, supplements, lotions, strange breathing apparatuses, etc.

Hearing of them heading to medical check-ups every other week has become just a routine thing.
Dad needs to go for an op. Now mum needs to go a procedure as well.
The mum is a little upset. Don't really know how to console her.

Done Deal

Flight tix. CHECKED.
Rail tix. CHECKED.
Hotel accomodation. CHECKED.

We spent 3 hours this afternoon booking all the hotel accomodation and the rail tickets.
I saw the dollar signs blinking before my eyes and then flying away. Haha. ;p

But yes, it's a done deal.

Paris, Nice & Barcelona, HERE WE COME!! Muahahha....
I'm gonna say hi to Mona Lisa a second time hehe ;p
I want to say hi to all the spirits of all the kings of past at the Chateau de Fontainbleu and Chateau de Versailles!!

p/s: Baby, we're gonna walk the cobbled streets together...:)

Ray

We were supposed to watch "Departures" on Friday night.
But the DVDs for that movie had all been rented out.

We ended up watching "Ray".
It was still a nice enough movie. I thought Jamie Foxx did a good job on his portrayal of Ray Charles in the show.

Incidentally, I was wondering if the shades he was wearing through most of the movie was sponsored by Ray-Bans. Hmm mm. ;p

I really want to watch Departures with K.
I've caught it once before already. But it's a darn good movie and well well worth watching many more times.

Last Night's Munching

Dinner last night was spent with K and his family.

The food was nice. We were at Long Beach King Seafood Restaurant. Chilli crab, fried mantou, kailan, roast duck, steamed soon hock fish, dong bo ribs, bee hoon with la-la. Some dishes could have been better but K & I agreed that the dong bo ribs was the best dish of the night. :)

There was talk too. Mainly between K, his sister and papa lim. Discussions on politics, financial matters, religion, current affairs. From light banter to more serious exchanges.

This is something new to me. Such conversations never existed in my family. Gatherings with the extended family has also never seen such discussions. Talks mainly involved the weather, soccer, kids, schools, foods, my granny, gossips about other relatives/friends and other mundane topics.

Oh sure, conversations sometimes touched on economics. The price of vegetables and houses. Is that considered? Hmm.

K's lucky in a way...to have been encouraged since young to speak up and listen and learn more and take a greater interest in such areas.

I feel like a frog in the well.

Growing Old

Every working morning for as long as I can remember, I’d walk to the MRT from the bus interchange. And just before the entrance of the MRT, there’d be an old lady selling tissue paper to commuters and passers-by. She’s been there for the last few years. Ever ready with a cheerful grin and chirpy greetings of “Mister, Miss, Good Morning! Thanks!” or “Xian Sheng, Xiao Jie, Zao An! Xie Xie!”

It struck me this morning that I’ve seen her evolve from being a robust lady to now being a little frail. Her hair’s gone from dark brown peppered with strands of white and grey to now being mostly grey and peppered with strands of white.

She’s gone from fairly chubby to being a lot less chubby and her cheeks no longer have as much meat on them as they used to. She’s lost a tooth or two as well. And since a few months ago, she’s taken to standing with a walking frame.

But one thing has not changed. She’s still hardworking and every bit as cheerful. Greeting everyone who passes by.

She reminded me of my granny and how I’ve seen her evolve from a strong strong woman to a lady who’s 80% bed-ridden now. How I’ve seen her move along from feet to walking frame to wheelchair. From being quick and crafty in her mind to having sporadic bouts of dementia and extreme forgetfulness now. From being able to whip up numerous dishes of food and snacks and desserts single-handedly in the kitchen to having to settle for mashed and blended food now.

But she’s still got her lovely smile going. And her eyes still light up beautifully when she’s having a bout of silly giggles or a fit of mapcap laughter.

The other two folks at home. Though they get on my nerves more than half the time. I’ve also come to realize that their once formidable bodies are weakening. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, weakening heart, borderline diabetes, kidney stones, strange aches, yada yada.

But they’ve still got active lives. And they’ve still got more than active minds. (Which incidentally is not very good for me. Haha.)

For a few years now, they’ve taken to scanning the daily obituaries, just in case they see people they know. Yes, they’re at that stage of life now. And this morning, they did see an obituary of someone they know.

Aging is a little scary ain’t it? Inevitable but scary. And watching people around you age can sometimes be a daunting thing.

On a side note, did you know that Singapore is about to be the world’s third fastest aging nation? The proportion of those aged 65 years and above is set to soar to almost 20% by the year 2020. And correspondingly, the average growth in economic output will fall more than 40% over the course of the next 25 years. Possible government support for the elderly could amount to close to 7% of the nation’s GDP.

Looking at the amount of money which has been spent on medical stuff for granny and the folks at home, aging can be a costly thing as well.

Growing old.

I hope I grow old gracefully and happily. And I hope I’d be as healthy as I can be.
And oh yes, I hope I grow old with my loved ones surrounding me too.

p/s: Came across this interesting article on Singapore’s population.
I think this is just a surface skim of the depth of stats that the Department of Statistics maintains. A friend works in there and hearsay the team of people managing population stats is close to 10.
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/people/popinbrief2009.pdf

Let's Get Lost

Nice cool evening. Nice jazz music.
In the comfort of my room. The only thing missing right now is a glass of wine.
Am missing both K and my Moscato.
Thoughts...

This song just played..Enjoy it. One of the more popular songs from Chet Baker.
Enjoy his world class trumpeting...

Just read his life profile on Wikipedia too..sort of a sad story...Talented musician struggling with drug abuse which eventually led to his death in his 50s...

Let's Get Lost

Morning Musings

I was on the train this morning. Positioned strategically between a Chinese lady and an Eurasian uncle. Both gave me a good enough berth today. I wonder why. But I was glad for the 15cm personal space surrounding me for the entire journey. It is really a rarity during the morning rush hour.

Somewhere in Kallang or Lavender, there was a commotion in the door further from where I stood. Agitation and irritation in the air. Two ladies were having an argument. One was obviously a Chinese lady, possibly in her later 30s or early 40s judging by the sound of her voice. The other was more patient but race and age were indecipherable.

From what was exchanged, one could make apparent that the Chinese lady was pushing the other lady when they were entering the train. First lady perhaps said something to the Chinese lady which got her riled up. And riled up she was. She was on fire. Some excerpts from her rant (which was quite an amusing piece actually):

“What push? Then you walk so slow for what? You cannot see there’s so many people who want to get on the train meh?”

“Then still walk so slow! Then don’t know how to move in somemore. You see you see, there’s still so much space there and don’t know how to move in. So selfish. So SELFISH!”

“You got no eyes to see meh? So selfish! So many people so crowded then still walk so slow! Never push then how to get in??? BLOODY BITCH! Got no brains!!”

“You’re the f*ck!”

I didn’t hear the entire conversation, let alone what the first lady said. But I could tell she was patient and couldn’t be bothered with this mad ranting Chinese lady (who was obviously doing the pushing).

What I was thinking of was her last phrase. “You’re the f*ck!”

Hmm. I felt like correcting her but I am no whiz at this. I’ve always known the f-word as a verb or an adjective. But never as a noun. Hmm.

For example. “It’s f*cking hot today!” Adjective. “He’s f*cking her mind”. Verb.

Interesting to see it used as a noun.

Hmm.

Les Mois de Novembre et Decembre

I gave up my seat on the train to an old lady today. And was standing all the way from tanah merah to city hall….

I was reading a book…but for the most part of the time, I was day dreaming.

I was wishing it were year-end already. When the air is cooler and the general atmosphere is relaxed and cosy. The time of the year when you can smell Christmas in the air and the general festivities happening around you.

The time of the year when the air smells crisp and has an aura of optimism to it. And when you find it humming with positivity and nostalgia. The time of the year when everything slows down and you get a breather and you start to get acquainted with yourself and friends again……

I’m missing those languid days. So much so I feel like taking the rest of the day off, heading home, hiding in my room and relishing the cocoon of space and solitude it provides me.

It’s nice. To be able to imagine. To be able to see virtual images in your mind.

I told K once. If I could, I’d have a fireplace and we would cosy up in front of it, wrapped in blankets and armed with some wine. With jazz music playing in the background or whatever soft music we were comfortable with.

I’m looking forward to November and December. I want to end the year on a nice and good note. With K by my side. My baby.

1029am

Taking a quick 10 minute break to write about some stuff.

Didn’t sleep well last night. Woke at 1-plus and then again at 3-plus. Feeling tired at 1030am in the morning. I hope I can last till 6-plus in the evening.

========
I get agitated when any of my books get mistreated.
I lent a book to someone and it came back looking very much the worse for wear.

The pages were discoloured. There were some stains on the side of the book. There were fold lines on the front cover. And there was some strange imprint on the cover as well.

I’m upset. Very.
I mean, sheeeesh. Please treat other people’s things with respect can???

========
Came in this morning switched on my MSN and saw K’s offline message….

In gist, it said: “MUACKS MUACKS…. Morning baby :)”

Hehe. *beams*

========
Frustrated.
Could I drop everything? Head off to a quiet corner somewhere.
And just sit down, listen to jazz and be with myself.

========
F*ck lah. Why is your staff coming to me for help and advice???
This is YOUR job. Not mine.

gulp gulp

I guzzled a total of *counts*....2.8 litres of water today. At least.

On instructions by the doctor to take 2-3 litres a day.

To get rid of the dumb infection I have.

Ugh.

I feel like a barrel now.

A water barrel.

And it's late.

So this water barrel will roll herself to sleep very soon.

*slosh slosh*

those stuff on my head

Lopped off 4 inches. And I received these comments this morning....

- You look younger
- Your face looks rounder
- Hmm, looks a little tomboyish.
- The previous long hair was more feminine and sexy. Now like normal, no oomph...
- Why did you trim the fringe? Longer nicer mah

Haha, should I laugh or cry?

Goodbyes

I’ve been in IDA for 2 years.

And I’ve seen close to ten people leave…So far, most of these folks aren’t really that close to me.

Next week, 2 more will leave, which brings the tally to 11 exactly. And these 2 are part of my bunch of lunch kakis.

Can’t help but feel a little sad.

I’ve left 4 organisations. And this is how I started my last two farewell emails.
“Sunrise, sunset. People come, people go…through the vestiges of time, tt has come to be time for me to bid goodbye.”

Cheesy and clichéd? Perhaps.

But goodbyes are not easy.
And how oft it has also been, that promises of “keeping in touch” have not been fulfilled.

Anyway, I wish Kel H and BK all the best in their next endeavours.

Me Back

I'm back in SG. With aching calves.
More on the Beijing trip later on....

In the meantime, I need to wash clothes, collect clothes and be a domesticated woman.

&%*(*&&^*&)(*

Sometimes. There's only 2 words to describe parents.

Fucked up.

Love like...

Listening to Class 95 now with Yasmine helming the programme.
She's the love guru of Class 95 and her "Love Songs" programme tends to be filled with lovey dovey songs. Abit too cheesy for me sometimes.

But anyway, there'll always be snippets or meaningful quotes being aired. I heard this one tonight......

"Love like you've never been hurt before"

Meaningful...very.

Time to Go Home

It is always a nice feeling when you've reached the end of the workday and are ready to head off.
I love this time of the day. When day melts into dark and then finally succumbs to night. I'm an evening and night person. I do not enjoy mornings unless it brings with it food and love.


I'm wondering what some of my friends and loved ones are doing at this point of the day.


Is Ally packing up or going to OT again?
Is PQ heading home today or heading out? Did she have a shitty time with her staff appraisal?
How did Daniel's trip go He sounded mighty happy and excited just now.


How was Chloe's first day at work?
Is Cylea heading home and feeling excited cos she can see her darling hubby?

What are my parents doing now? Are they having dinner?

I hope Adrian's not OT-ing.

I hope Dasao is enjoying herself with Marc at home.


I wonder what Chiewz is up to?
I wonder if Sing Lee's baby girl is kicking her by now in her tummy?
Is Eugene still referring a match over in Sabah?
Is Lydia rushing home now to MSN chat with her bf who's in Indonesia?


And....

I wonder if my baby's having a good time popiah-ing at home now.
Missing him loads...

My Engrish

I realized. I write better when I am emo.
And I realized. My standard of English and writing abilities has gone from bad to worse to terrible to horrendous to…….:(

Mundane Snippets

Friday
Went for mum-mum with PQ & TH at Curry Favour followed by dessert and kopi over at Mint Café. Then hopped over to K’s place to chill. Big Auntie arrived so I was having an irritating backache and felt bloated, like my abdomen was gonna burst anytime...

Saturday
Mad-rush again in the morning. Woke, tried to read a little of French, tried to listen to Mum talking about some stuff, bathed, had lunch, went to visit Gran then met up with K to go class together. Class went good. Went to explore Orchard Central. I didn't like the place. Way to omany things going on at the same time, too many escalators. The architecture and navigation was not intuitive enough for me. Lovely pasta dinner at Pasta Fresca.

Sunday
Sleepy, woke with a headache. Snoozed for a while and the headache went away. Then went for a lovely blading session with baby K. It was good going. Except for a point in time when I didn’t see a fruit of some sort and tripped over it. Ended up sprawled on the floor. Thank god for knee and wrist/hand guards. Watched the National Day Rally at night. I enjoy PM Lee's rallies compared to SM Goh's speeches last time. I find PM Lee damn humorous lah haha....:)

Frus

OMG.
I hope I don’t become as anal as some of the public service folks around.
OMG.
I hope I don’t become as pompous or ostentatious as some of the public service folks around.

Stuck in a fucked up meeting where I’m not needed.
Stuck hearing two men fighting to be the alpha males.

*sheesh*
Friggin waste of time.

*wails*

I want to comprrrraaaaaiiiiinnnnn!!!!!

Bloody stiff neck...
Bloody stiff shoulder....
Cranky stomach....

:((((((((

I want TLC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*pout*

It's been a year of aviatory adventures

I realise I've travelled quite a fair bit this year.

There are more trips coming from now till the next few months.

Next week - beijing
sept - europe
october - korea maybe

It's been a flightful year so far..:)
A little tiring at times..but for the experience, it's all good, all good!

Just got news that early next year there'll be conferences in Jordan and then Nairobi in Kenya.
Hmm, wonder if I'll get to go...

Gripes

I cannot help it. But I view foreigners in Singapore with alot more irritation now than I ever did before. Foreigners as in those who live and work here.

For one, a large chunk of them lack social graces. I'm not saying that Singaporeans are mighty good in this aspect but at least a majority of them have a fair bit of social grace contained in them somewhere.

It's depressing sometimes. You step into an MRT train cabin and you hear these foreigners speaking at huge volumes. Enough to rival the volume of the recorded voice of the lady announcing the arrival of each station. Enough to irk everyone. And enough to prompt me to want to shout out "Can you just shut the f*ck up??"

What nationality am I referring to? Well, two groups. One with olive skin, and the other with fair skin. Go figure.

You go to a foodcourt and order food from a Chinese national. You step out of the lift at your office floor and meet face-to-face with a cleaner from there as well. You go jogging at night and an Indian worker rides past you on his bicycle, leaving a waft of nose-tingling scent behind him.

You head to Orchard Road on a Sunday and find the place teeming with foreigners. You step into Sim Lim Squaare, start eye-ing a laptop and a Fillipino or Chinese national salesgirl tries to get your buy-in on the product.

A Chinese national barged her way past me to get into the train this mornig. I muttered "bitch" under my breath. A local lady turned around to look at me. Hope she didn't thinbk that I was referring to her. But even if she did, then tant pis, too bad.

A Fillipino lady constantly stepped on my foot whilst on the train. Hello, my foot was in the same position for the longest time. You couldn't shift yourself a little to avoid stepping on my toes?? You couldn't even say a single word of apology to me too?

You throw a stone and there's a 50% chance you'll hit a foreigner. Ok, I might be biased, there are nice foreigners around. People like the nurses in our hospitals who work hard to serve the patients and those nice ladies helping out at my gran's nursing home.

But even so, what's becoming of the country? National identity. Is there one at all? Hmm mm. Was there one to begin with? Will there be one?

*pant pant* redux

I ran yesterday morning and just now as well.

It feels good. To be able to hit almost 4km at a go now.

Short/Normal by most people's standards.

But mighty good for me! Haha.

Slightly over half a year's effort.

Onward I go! Ganbatte!

Woof!

I was besieged by a Wire-Haired Jack Russell, a West Highland Terrier and a Beagle on Sunday night. Respectively named Twinkle, Knut and Gini.

Was over at K’s sister’s place that night for dinner. Ordered Pasta Mania and it turned out rather nice. Perchance it was because I was hungry too haha. The pizza was lacklustre though. But anyway, the main point here is about the dogs.

It was Twinkle's the Jack Russell's birthday! And there was a mini cake to celebrate for her... haha. It was devoured in less than a minute by all 3 doggies, with Gini being the biggest winner of the night with loads of cake in her belly as prize.

I love Gini!! She's the beagle. Huge mournful eyes, large floppy ears, smooth fur and a lovely long tail! But she’s got an over-zealous tongue. She was overly-intent on slobbering all over my face. I literally had to fend her off by holding her back an arm’s length. Haah…

The first time I met her, she was cowering in a corner. Too scared and too shy to come out from her hiding place under the TV. This time round, she’s grown a little older (though still less than a year old), a little wiser and a lot less shy. She spent quite sometime licking my toes too…Wonder what’s so interesting about my toes hmm mm….

Knut spent some time at my feet too. Sprawled there whilst I terrorized his ears. I love ears…don’t know why haha…

Twinkle was more bochup. But she loves to play with her toys. She'd bring you the tennis ball, drop it at your feet and wait for you to throw it away. She'd chase valiantly after it and bring it back to you and the process starts all over again. I was scratched by her at a point in time. She got too excited when I hid one of her toys beneath my feet...okok, dumb I know.

Anyhow. Till the next I meet them again..:)
One thing though. I don't really relish the tons of dog fur which clings to your clothes after a night with them. ;p

Another lovely version.

Canon in D - Rock Version

I'm on a roll...
Been listening to all versions of Pachelbel's Canon in D.

This here is a rock version which I absolutley heart haha.
Done by a Taiwanese rocker by the name of Jerry Chang.

Dreamology

I have been dreaming an awful lot over the last couple of days. Since last Wednesday.
The only day I've not dreamed was on Sunday night.

It's giving me the creeps. Because in two of the dreams, it was about running and escaping.
In two of the dreams I've seen terrorists. And the colour red has appeard in at least 3-4 of those dreams...

Hmm mm....

Avoir Besoin De....

J'ai besoin de sommeil et le temp.

Et un direction?

Robert Miles - Canon in D (Remix)

WOOHOO!!!
Friday's are meant for dance music!!!

ADRENALIN!!! Me heart!!!
Totally dig this feeling...makes my work much more productive hahahah :p :p :p

Korean Hip Hop

If you see me blogging, means my mind can't think of work anymore hahah...and I'm trying to take a break.

This here is an interesting vid. An adaptation of "Pachelbel's Canon in D Minor".
Traditional guzheng, hip hop dance moves, beatbox, turntables...
Abit disjointed at times. But still makes for an interesting watch.
Esp the cool dance moves.

A dream which makes no sense...

A dream which was well..…Surreal, strange and downright bizzare.
Had it last night...

=======
I was in Suntec, with Ashley, Charles and of course K. I think Marcus was in the background somewhere but I couldn’t see him. Was walking along and I was staring at the shop windows when Ashley pulled me along. I suddenly realised that Charles & K were running ahead of us and everyone else was running.

Then *poof*. We were in an underground carpark. Apparently, we had to take refuge there alongside dozens of others because a riot was about to take place upstairs. We saw contingents of policemen, riot police to be exact, starting their march from the basement carpark to go upstairs.

Only thing was, they were mainly Indians, heavily moustached and dressed in khaki uniforms. Short-sleeve shirts and shorts, with brown boots. Some were in red berets, others in green berets.

I was huddled with Ashley. Chales & K were somewhere in the crowd. I couldn’t see them but I knew they were somewhere around. Then 2 make Caucasians started quarrelling. Something about one of the men accidentally pushing the other guy’s lady. They were challenging each other to a fight.

But the next thing I knew, instead of fighting, they were singing rock songs and “air-jamming” to try to out-do each other. (Yah, I know…cheesy dream).

Then *poof* again. I was still with Ashley. Charles & K were somewhere in the background as hazy figures. We were overseas, seemed like a resort somewhere in a Khmer country. Could have been Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia or around that area.

She had a big chunky red digicam and wanted to take a pic with a lorry. (Why a lorry I don’t know). I was supposed to take the pic for her. While I was aiming for the pic, K jumped into the frame and all I took was him and the lorry head.

And then I saw Kaemin (an old sec sch classmate whom I've not seen for years) holding a bunch of grapes and walking next to me.

And then voila, the dream ended…
*scratch head*

Brrrading....Blading..

• Hmm..it sorta sucks when you realise you've spent $$ on lessons trying to learn how to do a T-stop and you still can't do it for nuts now.
• It sorta sucks too when you're a slowpoke and can't even overtake a jogger...$#%^$&^%
• It's a little embarrassing when you're chor lor and blade with your legs going everywhere and anywhere
• It's irritating when you've got a bad habit (kickbacks) which you somehow can't get rid of haha..
• But it feels good to blade with the seabreeze blowing at you...
• And it feels nice to be able to blade with your other half
• You feel good and alive when you've worked up a sweat and realise your legs ache after the blading session
• And you feel you've done yourself justice that at least you've tried and didn't give up

*sniff*

I miss K. Alot.

I don't know why but I seem to have withdrawal symptoms today hahaha.

Stomach Spoil

Great. Stomach spoil time.

For those who know me. I get into this every once in awhile. It's here again...zzz.

Feeling bloated. Slightly nauseous.

Maybe too much food over last Thursday, Friday, Saturday? Hmm mm. Too much oil and carbo.

Had macaroni for lunch and fish porridge for dinner yesterday.

I'm very inclined to take macaroni for lunch again later. Need soup and something light.

Else I'll barf.

Me, myself and I

I’ve let slip. And allowed my insecurities to get the better of me.

Every now and then, I get into a self-bashing mode. Major or minor and how often, it depends.
I remember it used to be very frequent back when I was in uni. It got better over the last 2-3 years and I’ve curbed it a lot.

But over the last one week plus or so, I’ve let slip again. And somehow wandered into a hole where I wasn’t feeling too good about myself. It all started with me feeling emo and letting myself spiral down from there.

Tsk. Need to get a grip. I can’t be wallowing like a sick meowing kitty.
Crawling out slowly. But surely. :) Will be back with a vengeance.

Wondergirls - Nobody

Celia sent me this to perk up my Friday.
And it did, in its own little way haha..:)

Enjoy the vid! Quite comical in certain areas.

Kym & XL

I'm happy for Kym & XL...:)
The first baby within our closer clique will pop into this world sometime in early December! :) :) :)

I felt happy for Rohlin & YS when I found out about them having a baby due in Sept.
I somehow feel even happier for Kym & XL hahaa...

It's always nice to grow up with a bunch of people and seeing them about to become parents themselves now just feels like a big momentous milestone. I don't know it's almost like as if having a kid marks a huge transition into another stage in life.

Anyway, they've always been good with each other. I'm sure Kym will make a great Dad. XL will be a good mum too...though she might be abit blur at times hahaha...;p

Of Sponges

We were talking the other day about how a colleague erroneously used the word “shrivelled” to describe me. K made a joke about me being like a shrivelled sponge needing to be soaked in water again before becoming more filled out again.

Me: I don’t want to be a sponge!
K: But if I’m SpongeBob, then you have to be Mrs SpongeBob!
Me: Hmm. Actually, what’s the female equivalent of “Bob”?
K: Bob is actually the short form for “Robert”
Me: Roberta? Hmm, Mrs SpongeBoba?
K: No dear!!! I know already! You can be Mrs SpongeBoob!
Me: .................
K: Hehehehe

730

I'm happy for K. He called me a few minutes ago.
He's gotten a very good score for his GMAT! :) :) :)

Applications for Masters underway!
Go Baby!

pensee

Thoughts.
Ebbing.
Flowing.
Thoughts.
Jumbled.
Distorted.
Thoughts.
Floating.
Clouding.
Thoughts.
Everything.
Nothing.
Thoughts.
Permeating.
Meandering.
Thoughts.

snippets

Extremely emo week last week, especially towards the end of the week.
Woke this morning feeling emo again.

Hope this week'll be less emo.

I hate it when I get this way. Because I cannot concentrate on things. And then I get frustrated.
And then all the more I cannot concentrate and then I get more frustrated and you get the drift.....

==========
Caught "Sing Dollar: The Musical Comedy About Money" on Friday night with K, Dan & YL.
Any Dream Academy musical with Selena Tan at the helm has not let me down yet.

Sing Dollar didn't as well. I laughed so much during the 2.5hours I felt light-headed like a giggly schoolgirl.
The set was done up quite well in a witty manner. The performances by most of the cast were good. And Singaporeans definitely could relate to the show.

I was wondering what the ang mohs who attended the musical thought of it. Was wondering too if they could understand some of the colloquial language used, the local jokes given, and the tons of dialects used ha.

=========
Watched "Public Enemies" on Saturday night with K.
Anything with Johnny Depp in it will not fail.

The show was good. The soundtrack was good. Johnny Depp was good.

Enough said. :)

=========
Went blading yesterday afternoon. And started the session with a grand slam.
Lol, there was a slope before the tracks. K went down it first and sorta landed on his bum on the grass patch next to the slope...
And when I went down it later, he was waiting at the bottom of the slope trying to catch me...I slammed into him and both of us went down to the ground haha....

Interesting way to start the blading session hha...;p

I think we hit 11-12km in all...
I was a slowpoke though and K had to slow down so I could keep up...

Whose Line Is It Anyway? Michael Jackson Impressions

I absolutely love these guys hahaha...such talent and humour.
I spent the last 10mins laughing away at my desk.
Silently of course *sneaks a quick look around*
*ahem* Heng it's a Friday. haahhahha

Enjoy the vid!

Dino-bee

As you can tell. Friday's aren't exactly very productive days hahaha...

Came across this pic while surfing the net.

Ain't exactly anything particularly interesting. I just like the colours on the dino. ;p

And the fact that it's a cross-breed between a bee and a dino. Hehe..

Musings

It's a cheerier morning today.
By the simple fact that it's Friday.
By the simple fact that I had an hour's more sleep than the previous night.
And by the simple fact that I had a ham sandwich with 12-grain bread for breakfast.

Lovely.

Hope to be able to go for a run tomorrow morning.
And then settle French homework before setting off for Gran's place and then to class and then back home for family dinner and then out again for a movie.

Il est tres long temps que mes samedis sont libre...Il y a au moins deux annees et plus?
Il est un peu fatiguee quelquefois mais je pense qu'il est "worth it".

Animal Zodiac

So which animal sign are you?

I love how the chicky...opps...I mean the rooster looks like here. ;p

The monkey looks sadly like a jaundiced mouse though. :(

'Nuff Said

Je n'aime pas le matin

I feel unladylike today.

Couldn’t wake in the morning. Grabbed an old pair of pants and an off shoulder black top. Am in total black today again. The handbag doesn’t match the outfit but oh well.
Seriously, I’d much rather be in jeans, flipflops and a T-shirt or tank top everyday.

Hope I’ll be awake for the 4pm meeting later on.

Zoning…I mean…Signing out.
More Zee Avi, The Verve and emo songs for me today perhaps.

See Me No Up

5 of us went out for lunch today. We were having a conversation during the kopi session after lunch, talking about whipping and lashes. HC was talking about lashing Kelvin with a Valentino belt. And so I added my little input to the exchange.

Me: Eh, Kelvin, not bad what! Then your weals will be branded weals leh…
Kel & the rest at the table: Huh? What? “Wheels”?
Me: No lah. Weals as in W-E-A-L-S.
The rest: There’s no such word lah. Dumbo. It should be “welts”.
Me: No, there IS such a word!! You guys don’t believe me!! There’s really such a word!! *pout*
The rest: Hmm mm…*unconvinced faces*

Minutes later…on the way back to office.

Kel: *Fiddling with his IPhone”
Kel: Eh guys, there’s really such a word leh. I just checked the dictionary. So she’s right.
Me: YAH LAH!!! Then all of you didn’t believe me!!! See me no up!
Me: *wails*
Me: Although my level of English is not extremely high, and I speak Singlish, but it’s still considered quite good ok!
The rest: Orh ya yah..okok. *Continues with their other conversations*
Me: .......*sulks*.........

幸福小女人

I’m a 幸福小女人. :)
Went over to K’s place yesterday evening after work. And dinner was prepared by him already. And what was on the menu? Yum Yum.

Beef Steak seasoned with sea salt and herbs
Mashed Potatoes with salted butter, Italian herbs and pepper
Salad with Italian dressing

Every now and then, it sure feels good to not be the one who is doing the cooking. Hahaa. ;p

And to give credit to my dear Mr K...
Hehe, here's a pic of his thumb. With a big blister on it.
Gotten from mashing the potatoes too vigorously.
Orh lalalalala...sayang you ok...:)

Even Singa is Down With Flu???

Gosh. I didn't know they made masks for Singa the courtesy lion too!
Saw this at the Suntec foodcourt and laughed my head off.

Life

This was taken in November 2008.
Moody moody period for me. Lots of things were going on then.
It's interesting how your mood affects what pictures you take. :)
This was along the Singapore River.

I was waiting for Daniel & YL to arrive at Timbre, Empress Place.

They were rather late and I took a stroll by myself along the river.

Soon enough I found myself a nice corner under a shady tree and just sat there.

A slight breeze was blowing and I felt rather alone then.

Dusk came.

I thought the landscape to be extremely pretty and I took this picture.

Pity it was with my mobile.

A digicam would have captured the colour nuances much much better.

Eight of Spades

This was taken awhile back.

More than 6 months ago, on the 2nd last day of 2008.

At a time when I wasn't feeling good about things.

I remember it was a dreary morning, when I was waiting for my bus to arrive.

I noticed a little poker card. It was left stranded on the roadside.

Sitting atop the yellow line bordering the side of the road.

It looked like it felt darn lonely to be there. And so I took a pic of it.

Eight of Spades.

I thought it to be a nice omen cos there was a nice ring to it.

s-t-r-e-t-c-h

I think I need to do more stretching again.
I've stopped for about two months and for the last 2-3 sessions of jogs I had, the back of my right knee would ache. :(

The ache travelled all the way to my right ankle yesterday. Bleah.

Ok, time to start stretches at home again..

Younglings

I’ve been conducting several interviews yesterday and today to look for someone to replace my current admin staff who’s leaving to further her studies.

Looking at the young fresh-faced girls and speaking to them, I thought of how much I was like them all those years ago. 22, 23 years of age. Some only 19 or 20. Fresh out of school, hesitant, raw, eager to please and just ready to accept any job coming their way, whether perm or temp. Some of them are good, and speak well and confidently enough. Some are still very much in their shells. Others were nice girls but lacked any punch.

For those whom we have not short-listed, I truly wish them the best of luck on their forays into the working world….where monsters lurk in hidden nooks and serpents hiss in other crannies…;p
And I hope these younglings will cross paths with worthy mentors who will guide and teach them well on their way forward.

In time to come, they will be like me. Looking at interviewees and thinking about the time when they were once too young eager beavers.

Another Something to Brighten Our Tuesday

After Dinner Activities

It was after dinner. And there we were. The two of us.
Seated on my bed and staring into space.

Brows knitted in concentration and furrowed with effort.
You could almost see droplets of sweat dribbling down our temples.

There was total silence. Except for the low humming from my air-con.
There was no movement. Except for the constant gnawing of our jaws.

We were on a mission.
A quest.

To knot cherry stems with our tongues. :)

Just Something To Brighten Our Monday

Good Weekend

It was a good fulfilling weekend.

Friday Night
Dinner with the Duckie ladies. And for once in a very long long time, we had full attendance. Actually, not only full attendance, we had partners in attendance as well. :)

K was there and the poor lad had to undergo a grilling session by the ladies & Sasi.
How did you guys know each other? Since when did things start? How did things start? Yada yada…;p

Loads of laughter, loads of stories and loads of round-table updates yet again.
Next gathering is scheduled to be in September perhaps. :)

Saturday
Stewed chicken soup, mustard leaf fried with dried scallops, steamed fish.
Simple lovely dinner and wonderful company makes for a great evening…:)

Sunday
SHAPE run! :)

I waited for a year for the run to arrive and it’s gone in a jiffy. Completed the 5km and it felt good to be able to do it. A year ago, I’d only have managed to run 10% of it? Hahahahaha…

Am wondering if I should try the 10km SCM at the end of this year…5 more months to go. Hmm.
Timeline abit tight to try to train myself for it. haha..

Had a nice light macaroni lunch at K’s place before heading out to watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The show was good at times. But extremely slow-moving and a little draggy at times. Butt and shoulders were aching at the end of the show haha.

Dinner was at The Garden Slug (Telok Kurau Lorong L, Bright Centre). I’m in love with that place. Everytime we’re there, 95% of the stuff we order turns out excellent. :)
Cosy, quiet, idyllic and nicely tucked away from the hustle and bustle of town.
Many many thumbs up.

More Jai Ho!!

I realised something strange.

Haha. Jai Ho in the original version motivates me to work!!

Lol, I was looping the song over and over again yesterday. And it gave me the much-needed boost to work work work.

:)

More Jai Ho for today! Woot!

Chords, Trebles, Rhythms

It always feels great to start the day with good songs.

Glenn, Vernetta and the Flying Dutchman consistently churn out good stuff on Class 95's Morning Express. I love them for that hahaa..
These 2 songs were the first 2 songs I heard this morning.
Have I mentioned before I rather like UK singers? Enjoy.

Music maketh moods :)

Valerie - Amy Winehouse


Go West - Pet Shop Boys
Classic classic song from 1993.

Jai Ho - Pussycat Dolls

This was the first song I heard this morning. The Pussycat Dolls version.
A pity I couldn’t get the official video for this.

Great song to get you grooving for the day ahead.
I spent 3-4 minutes just dancing in the room and feeling great about it. :)



Here's the original version from Slumdog Milionaire.

Me no heart mornings

I’ve all along known I’m not a morning person.

But I never realized I was that much not a morning person till I….

Slapped eye cream on my cheeks this morning.

And oh yes.

I put my spectacle case into my bag this morning.

Without my specs inside.

Ugh.

I hate mornings.

Someone You Used To Know - Zee Avi

As a follow-up to the vid posted yesterday.

Interesting to see it from the other viewpoint.
Songs are usually about the person who was dumped.
This song is about the person doing the dumping. i.e the dumper and not the dumpee.

Enjoy the lyrics. I like the mellowness of it all...:)

==========
Someone You Used To Know - Zee Avi

It was helpless anyway
There's nothing much we could do or say
Darling don't you think it's a shame?
That it had to end this way

So here's to say goodbye,
Olove is lost, and we cant figure why
Maybe it really is about time
That we finally made up our minds

So Darling, here's to you
I hope that when you find someone new
That she would always be true to you
To love and understand you

Soon you'll build new memories
Then slowly you'd forget about me
Then i would slowly be
A distant memory

Soon i'll just be
That someone you used to know
But darling you will thank me
For letting you go
Time is not for wasting
I hope you'll find your intended
But i'm sorry that your intended isn't me

It's not an easy thing
To shake off our history
I know that's what you want from me
But they will always stay with me

I admit i made mistakes
But darling with you it's just the same
If we stay there will be more to make
I dont know how much more we can take

Darling, it would be unfair
To stay with something no longer there
But it doesn't mean i no longer care
But i'd feel like a burden you can't bear

No Christmas for Me - Zee Avi

What can I say...I like this girl. I'm on a Zee Avi rampage now...
Enjoy this one. Mellow and soothing.

Suddenly wish I could sing and strum like her. :)

Someone You Used To Know - Zee Avi

This is by the same singer who sang Bitter Heart.
Lovely airy vocals...Lovely slow tune...Lovely guitar accompaniement...
I am very partial towards emo, angsty or jazzy songs...'nuff said.

I need a hug now...

I want I want I want...more time

There are many things I want to do in Singapore...

• blade at ECP
• explore tanjong chek jawa
• visit changi boardwalk
• run at ECP
• indoor-climbing
• visit all the museums
• visit all the Nature Parks
• visit all the beaches
• kayaking
• search for the best and nicest place to watch the sun set
• explore the Arab Street area
• explore the Katong/Joo Chiat area
• and the list goes on and on and on...

Oh...I hope I make good on some of these things...

Granny Updates

She's out of CGH. Back to the nursing home.
With a permanent catheter in her.
And more bags of medication. New pills on top of the old ones she's already taking everyday.

No strength to walk on her own now.
At least, we need not worry about her getting up and about on her own and risking a fall.

Hope the nurses over at Econ takes good care of her.

So far, no mention of extra monthly fees by the home director.
But given the amount of extra care needed for Gran now, I won't be surprised if the director pulls us in for a re-negotiation soon.

Friendships

Sometimes, you wonder if it pays to be the proactive one who organises gatherings and all.

There are groups of friends whom you know will appreciate it definitely.

Then there are others who don't seem to appreciate it and take things for granted.
Or those who assume it should be you doing it since you've been doing it all this while.

Sometimes, you wonder if it's worthwhile to go through the hassle.

Perhaps it's time to stop trying. And just focus your efforts on those who matter and those who appreciate.

Hmm.

Countdown

Voila.

One more day to go.

And then I'll be in Phnom Penh.

Visiting temples, ancient shrines, the Killing Fields, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the Cambodian National Museum, the Royal Palace, Sisowath Quay, Oudong, Russian Market, Central Market, etc...

Woot woot! :) :) :)

Neck-breaking?

I was doing warm-downs at my void deck. Pacing around one of the tables there.
Was leaning against it for support when I noticed that the table surface was bare, save for 2 lines of scribbles in black ink.

I walked round the table to read it.

"You break your neck trying to keep your chin up"

Hahahha, it was definitely amusing.

*pant pant*

Just got back from a run.
Did good today...3.5km at a very slow but relatively steady pace.

Only thing is that the back of my right knee is sorta aching now. Couldn't walk with my full weight on it hmm. It's happened once before already...hope its nothing serious. Hmm.

En route to SHAPE run.. haha.
I won't be able to finish 5km at one shot...but oh well...I'll do better the next time round ;p
At least I've fulfilled one of my targets for this year...:)

Or rather, I've been wanting to do it since a year ago!

19th July 2009.
Akan datang. :) :) :)

p/s: michelle running. who would have thought? heeee....

Hooked On

• Fish
• Coldplay's "Viva La Vida". I've heard the song at least 7 times since this morning.
• My mum's cooking
• K
• Day-dreaming
• Doing any other thing except working
• My bed
• HL Milk
• The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony". Heard this at least 4 times since this morning.
• Lily Allen's "The Fear" Heard this maybe 4 times as well since this morning??

Hmm.
Am getting to be a bore. I can't write interesting stuff anymore. Lol.

Hmm.

Hmm. No good.

Don't really feel excited going to work.
A dull dread looms each night before I sleep.
And I suspect I don't want to sleep early because when I open my eyes, I'll need to get my butt to office.

Hmm.

But the $$'s good though.
Am I just working for the $$ and the other perks?
Sounds a little pathetic but I'm beginning to believe it might be the case.

Hmm. No good.

Gnocchi Gnocchi

K & I made potato gnocchi for dinner last night.
With clam chowder as the accompanying sauce.

A little bland but still a good first effort...:)

For those wondering what the hell gnocchi is, check out this link..haha..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnocchi

Cheers to more cooking and more experiments!

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Fantastic song to start the day with.
Heard it on Class 95's Morning Express and it's ringing in my head till now.
One of those songs which will still be an absolute favourite 20 years down the road.

I heart, I heart!!

Coincidences, Surprises, Life Ahead

Life is all about coincidences and surprises ain’t it?

When you close your eyes for a second, something uncanny clicks into place.

When you least expect it, things happen.

When you round the corner, something greets you there.

When you open the box, something pops up in your face.

When you pull out the drawer, yet more things unfurl.

As Mr Gump puts it, "Life is like a box of chocs, you never know what you're gonna get."

I wonder what life brings for me tomorrow and the day after and the day after the day after and yada yada…. :)

More Musings

Taking a 10min break from work.
=============

Can't help but notice how many of my peers have become parents or are en route to becoming parents.

I take a look at my facebook and MSN and it's evident.
Avatar pics are now thumbnail photos of their newborns or of their little toddlers.

And then I start to wonder.
About myself. About whatever "shelf life" people seem to have imposed on me. About how nowalso I seem to be slowly wondering about my own shelf life too (and those of my eggs haha ;p).

And also, about how I'd be as a mum. How I'd bring up my kid(s). How I'd influence them and shape their lives.

I don't know how I'd be as a mum. Hmm.

My guess is, I'd know how to care for their physiological needs more than adequately enough.
In terms of emotional needs, hmmm...I don't really know how I'd fare in that department...

Way to go Girl~!

I just received a piece of news from an ex-colleague which warrants me to go online to blog a small entry. ;p

She is moving on to a new endeavour!

Leaving LHUB after so many years is no small feat.
But I'm happy for you babe that you finally took the first step...:)

The going might be tough initially, but wahey, you're young, you're dandy!
You'll never know till you try and I'm glad you're giving things a shot!

Jiayou yah....and pls, KEEP IN TOUCH! hahaaahha

*hugs*

p/s: you know who you are hahha....

morning musings

It wasn't exactly a good day yesterday.

Hope today will be better.

========
It's official.

The first half of the year is over.

We're in the second half of the year already.

Supposed to be a good year for Monkeys.

If I were to take stock now.

Life hasn't exactly been all rosy this year but I shan't complain too much perhaps.

Wonderful things have happened amidst various sprinklings of not so good stuff.

Hope things get cheerier and perkier as the year moves forward...

I've been a little pensive these few days.

A little emotional, a little sentimental, a little distracted.

Oh darn, it's too early in the day to be feeling like this again.

Ok, logging off.

I need to. w-o-r-k.

Granny

When you have a gran who's 93 and has a whole host of health problems.
When you have a father and an aunt.
When you have a situation where the nursing home might start charging exorbitant rates.

When you have a gran who's 93 and whose major organs are failing.
When you have a strained relationship between mother and gran.
When you have a frustrated father who is aging himself.

I forsee more family discussion sessions.
I forsee more dollars and cents flowing out of my pockets.