Monday, December 02, 2019

Guess who's YX's current favourite person?

Last week spontaneously, Yx wanted to write a card to her papa. She sat down, grabbed a pen and paper and wrote these as she asked her mama how to spell each word along the way, letter by letter:


It says: "I love Papa because Papa make me funny and jokes and I want grow up like Papa".

You can also spot her hand-drawn pics of her family, all 4 of us, "PAPA MAMA AND YINGXI AND MEIMEI", and a "YAY".

An unsolicited gift done up all free-hand and without guidance, absolutely sincere and without any inhibition. Sweet TTM. Love you my darling.

In fact, Yx has also been asking for my company more - be it going to the playground, accompany her play toys or bedtime routine. She also says she wants to pick up the exact CCAs that her papa did i.e. swimming (she hates swimming btw), chinese orchestra and ukulele the last. Don't know how this phase will last, imma treasure the bond we share. :)



Sold off my zhongruan

Thanks to second-hand online marketplace, I found a good buyer for my ancient zhongruan.



Bought it in Sec 2 (1998) for $200, so it's like 21 years now!? Truth is, I didn't like it very much and I don't think I used it for more than even 2 hours in total. Lol. It has been lying in my storage bed since, and I finally decided to rid of it one fateful evening. As it isn't a mainstream instrument I didn't think it'd be popular, in addition to 1 faulty fret and 1 broken string, I listed it for $15. Surprised it attracted a handful of interested buyers.

Coincidentally the buyer was someone related to my sec sch CO! Mingwei was a flutist from many years my junior. He's more famous as the bassist in the local acapella group, Micapella. So his wife said its for her FIL i.e. Mingwei's dad la.

So long, ZR. Hope your new owner can make merry music with you!


Friday, November 22, 2019

Yx loves pizza

Yx absolutely loves pizza! If we walk past Pizza Hut or Saizeriya during meal time, she would be pestering for pizza and/or gratin. Cheese lover.


I asked her which was her fav pizza. She replied, "The one which has sticker sticker." HAHA. Can u guess which she was referring to?


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The rare occasion when I surprised her by picking her up from after school :)



Wednesday, November 06, 2019

Current situation: low in Maslow's

Organising and completing my Co's annual Charity Event for the industry had been an extremely fruitful and fulfilling experience. It was so successful our efforts were commended by our Digi and many guests.

2 days later - post-event blues kicked in. Felt an in-explainable emptiness and reduced self-esteem at work. It was most weird to be feeling this way coming from someone in my situation - basking in the enjoyment of a beautiful family, weekly soccer, no current financial and health worries and last but not least, a stable job that pays reasonable.



If there was a checklist to grade my situation according to Maslow's HON, I would score full marks for: Physiological needs, Safety needs, Love and belonging; and I would fail terribly at Esteem.

Felt the lowest when at last week's Townhall, elaborate videos and speeches were made about how collective Teamwork, Innovation and Commitment shown by staff helped the Co achieve significant accomplishments and milestones. I was immensely proud of the Co and our achievements. I was happy there are high calibre and responsible staff who strive and who really care. However, at the same time, I felt dejected and gloomy... and didn't feel like I was a valuable member of the organisation. For the longest time, I've always thought that my primary job at my current Division was unimportant and valued lowly. The impact of my projects is minimal and uncommendable. Even during lunch time conversations, the colleagues in my Division speak about high value meetings and projects I don't comprehend, which make me feel that my projects are a drop in the ocean. Honestly, I am all but a ikan bilis in the big blue ocean. Doesn't help that my direct supervisor is not an engaging boss and gives shit about 'team-building' and cultivating a 'sense of belonging'.

So, I actually do enjoy the CCAs that come my way - e.g. charity event that just passed; secretary duties; PD champion; and even AIG performances which despite their non-work nature allowed/allows me to interact and gain mileage with the senior management, more than what my primary job would. I am also involved in the organising of the upcoming AirShow which needless to say I'm excited about.

As for my primary job - decided it's time to move on after somewhat confirming that I won't be the next in line to take over my retiring boss. Requested for a transfer that will officially materialize on 1 Jan 2020. Looking forward to the new challenge! In the meantime, will just casually spend the year-end festive season in the comfort and security of my tall-partition cubicle, far from the madding crowd...



Tuesday, October 01, 2019

Barista coffee pop up for my office!

So I took part in a Fb contest that Deliveroo was running for Musketeers Coffee, in conjunction with International Coffee Day (thanks Nikki for the huge shout-out, and having faith in me, lol)...

I did what I am best at - writing rhymes and poems.

Here's my submission:




Surprisingly, the contest only gathered 6 entries??? They contacted me the next day to inform of my win, hooray!

I arranged the logistics for them to come bright and early on 1 Oct at 9.15am. Blasted out an email to my Div colleagues about the pop up and encouraged them to BYOM, which many of them did! :)

Queueing for their freshly brewed cuppas



My colleagues raved about their chocolate.

 

Wanted initially to lay low about how the office got this deal, but gradually they got to hear about it through word of mouth. Some joked that I was the sponsor, haha. So I continued the joke and suggested for the baton to be passed from colleague to colleague periodically, so all of us can enjoy something cool every month! :)


Monday, September 16, 2019

Monday, September 09, 2019

Dates with my elder daughter

The month that wifey was doing confinement and staying home, I had my elder daughter all to myself.

I truly enjoyed those outings and I treasured the bonding moments very much. It was just me and her, the two of us - strolling and exploring places, sharing an ice cream, racing each other, sharing jokes and laughter.


Monday, August 19, 2019

Civic-mindedness

Always behave as if someone is watching you.

I recall coming across this advice last year. It forms a very solid basis for exemplary conduct. Think about the last time you did something commendable and public-spirited and you felt good about it. Why did you feel good?

Is good behaviour demonstrated when there is someone watching?  Or is good behaviour shaped by laws and societal norms? Does good behaviour come about if there is an award to it?

I believe that true, unsolicited good behaviour is when it is led by one's conscience. Good behaviour is a result of one's values and one's integrity.

I thought I'd just like to document 2 notable moments about positive behaviour I'd observed from my mom.

1)

I was probably in pri 5, pri 6. Mom and I were grocery shopping at the NTUC outlet at Tampines Block 107. While selecting watermelons, one of them accidentally rolled off the cart and dropped onto the ground, damaging it in the process. Immediately, mom picked it up and brought it along to inform the cashier what had happened.

I asked, "Why did you not put the damaged watermelon back into the cart (and pretend nothing happened?"

Mom replied, ”做人要诚实。”


2)

Last week, Yx was complaining of tummy ache. Mom accompanied us to the clinic.

After consultation, I was occupied with paying and collecting the medicine at the counter when yx commented that she felt like vomiting. Mom led her to the road drain in front of the clinic where yx puked out her dinner.

The mess on the drain grilles was expected and my planned action was to cover it up with tissue paper, so as to alert passers-by to avoid that spot. However, my mom had a more civic-minded solution. She went back to the clinic and asked to borrow a pail from the toilet. Mom filled the pail with water, carried it over to the drain and flushed the spot clean.

___________________________


They say parents are their children's best role model, and children learn best from observing their parents. The above 2 stories were exemplary behaviour from my mom. I hope to be able to rub off civic-mindedness on my children too.



Friday, August 16, 2019

Welcome our 2nd born - WYE!

Day 5 post delivery - Here I am, at Canopy Café, sipping hot latte whilst enjoying the beautiful greenery and calm breeze. 

Absolutely captivating breakfast view




I’m not here for leisure or golf; my car is at the workshop beside and being given a 5-hour thorough interior steam cleaning, carpet washing and air-con tube cleaning. Sent my elder yx to my parents’ home this morning (more about how important it is to have additional grandparents’ help, in another post) and at home, wifey is resting and coping with our 2nd born with the divine help of our confinement nanny.

Introducing our precious 2nd daughter, babywye! :)



Her name is given as such obviously because we want her name to bear some resemblance with jiejie's:

- ‘Ying’ means bright/ lustrous of gems (well ‘bright’ can be also used to describe intelligence and/or a positive outlook);

- ‘En’ is to give thanks to the creator. By the way, we used a more unconventional after finding out from my friend @Jingx that Anthracene is a beautiful crystal that is formed under extreme pressure (implying strength and resilience), which can then be used to form many other useful products (versatility and value-adding). We’d like Wye to be resilient, versatile, and be able to deal well with pressure.

True to the reason for choosing this Chinese character, this pregnancy wasn't a smooth-sailing journey. We believe we’re blessed with Wye as she didn’t come easy – you will learn about why in the following paras.


The Initial Discovery

In Dec 18, I was in the kitchen doing chores when wifey came up to me and showed me a pic of a preg test kit that displayed 2 lines. My first response was, “huh is this real or not?” I wasn’t elated or surprised; the feeling was more of scepticism and disbelief, cos we’ve been trying for a 2nd for some time already to no avail. And when wifey was a few weeks’ preggy with yx, she displayed some emotional fluctuations. She hasn’t been behaving unusually this time. To make sure, we scheduled an appointment with our previous gynae.

Doc confirmed that wifey was preggy at 6 weeks! :)


The Shocking Oscar Result

At about 12 weeks of gestation, it was usual for preggy mothers to take a non-invasive Oscar test. Detailed ultrasound would be done and one is able to see the nose bridge, hands, legs, brains, heart, shin bones etc etc.

We weren’t prepared for any unusual results because Yx’s test didn’t show any. However, when the results came back, there were 2 concerns:

1) Sign of renal back flow and not life threatening. Doc said nothing can be done, just has to be monitored over the course.

2) One of the measurements taken during the ultrasound swas the thickness of the back of the neck (NT). The NT combined with the mother’s age and risk profile, showed that the chances of our baby having Down’s Syndrome was 1 in 64.

Mathematically, this means a 0.0156 chance. Being engineer-trained, I thought to myself of how small a percentage this was. It’s like, if you’re standing in a circle comprising 64 people, what are the chances that you will be chosen? If you’re betting on one number on a roulette that has 64 numbers, it’s almost definite that you won’t win, right?

Well, the keyword is ‘almost’. It’s not definitely definite. You wouldn’t bet your fortune on not winning the roulette, would you? Unfortunately for us, science (or is it gynaecology) considers 1 in 64 a considerably high risk. Here’s what I like of our gynae Dr Wong – he really took time to explain the test results and the possible meanings. Oscar has a 90% accuracy rate which means the test itself poses a high possibility of a false negative case, which has not been uncommon. Dr Wong advised to take another detailed test which is 99% accurate. Of course, there is amniocentrisis but although it gives a very very detailed analysis of all individual pairs of chromosomes, the procedure is invasive and poses a 1% chance of miscarriage. Thus we opted to take the non-invasive Panaroma test. The blood sample would be air-flown to a lab based in USA and the results would be available in 8-10 days.


The Wait

The wait was most anxious. It didn’t help that it occurred over the celebratory CNY period and I would be lying to say the anxiety didn’t affect our mood. We just prayed. We researched and learnt more about Down’s Syndrome. I reflected hard about the negative Oscar result. One day, I texted wifey and shared with her that maybe it was God’s message to us – He wanted us to be more appreciative of this pregnancy. Indeed, we haven’t been and instead we were carrying out with our lives like usual… with Yx occupying our time and mind most of the time. Coincidentally, the same revelation came to wifey just before my whatsapp msg to her.


The Assuring Panaroma Result

Dr Wong knew we were worried. Of course, which parent wouldn’t? He called wifey before our appointment and revealed the Panaroma result over the phone. TG, the chances of Down’s Syndrome were very, very low. He also revealed the gender without first asking for our consent. Haha. But at this point we didn’t really care about the gender, we really genuinely wanted nothing more than a healthy baby.

We sat down with Dr Wong the next day and he explained the detailed test analysis very professionally. It was clear that DS chances were minimal. But one other possibility of a thicker than usual NT was that there still posed a chance of heart defects. Can’t do anything and not life threatening at this point of time.
Shared this piece of good news with my family and learnt from my sis that many of her students have heart problems e.g. hole in the heart. It was assuring to know they lead normal lives as the other children.


The Subsequent Months

We went for usual gynae check-ups once every 3 weeks. Some time later, doc said that the ultrasound measurements of the bones seem to depict that baby was quite small-sized. We weren’t really surprised when Dr Wong said this – our firstborn just tipped the scale at 2.54kg so we expect the 2nd to be more or less the same. But he explained that wifey wasn’t gaining weight and neither was baby. He advised to eat more nutritious foods, rest more and skip caffeine.

From Oct 18 to Apr 19, wifey had been working on a part time arrangement (i.e. 2.5 days a week). In May, she left her job completely and devoted her time to Yx and our home. She was constantly moving about, engaging in activities with Yx, bringing her to places, managing some household chores – couldn’t sustain the hectic schedule without coffee.

My mom was concerned and bought ‘power foods’ and cooked nutritious soups for wifey. I also did my part – from nagging at her to sleep more regular hours, indulged her in durian and discouraged her from taking coffee… they all seemed to help slightly, especially the durian intake haa! After 2 months or so, baby’s weight increased to within the acceptable range… yay. On our 36w check-up, gynae confirmed that baby’s weight will fall within acceptable threshold when born.


The Engaged Position – not yet?!

We went for a usual gynae checkup at week 37.

A night before, wifey suddenly woke me up at 5.30am and claimed she was having contractions. My first thought was - was meimei's delivery going to be an early morning incident just like yx's??? But the contractions subsided after awhile... braxton hicks probably, PHEW CLOSE CALL! (After that day I handed over all my work stuff and was basically on standby the next 2 weeks, haha. My heart raced whenever my phone rang.)

Doc commented that wifey’s stomach looked abnormally huge for a baby about 2.4 kg. It was huge because there was a lot of amniotic fluid, he said. A possible sign of Gestational diabetes (GD), he did a prick test but nothing unusual came up. He followed up with a finger poke test to feel if baby’s head is engaged aka in breech position. Alas, he couldn’t feel the head!?

Using all his years of practice and experience, Dr Wong felt the rest of the tummy and confirmed that baby was in an oblique position… she wasn’t ready to come out? Dr Wong said the reason why baby is not engaged yet could be due to excessive amniotic fluid, baby is like “swimming and floating” in the water. He added that if baby isn’t engaged when the real contractions come, emergency csec would be recommended and even so, the delivery could be tricky too. This got us very worried. :(

Wifey read up extensively on what can be done to encourage breech position. There was no time to lose – wifey actually felt some contractions over the last few days and knew baby was coming out anytime. Here are the things she did: 1) getting down on fours, 2) me talking to baby from the position we want her to turn towards, 3) prayed, and 4) moxibustion. The latter was a rather unorthodox and uncommon method but if you google you will realise that its benefits are wondrous! My MIL was suffering from rheumatic arthritis and some other condition that prevented her from walking, she was kinda confined indoors and highly dependent on the wheelchair for movement. However, after doing moxibustion for 2 years, her legs were given new life; not only is she able to climb stairs easily now, her legs recently brought her to the summit of Bukit Timah hill all by herself! So anyway, we were rather desperate for baby to move down so MIL visited and did moxibustion on wifey, we continued the treatment by ourselves the next 2-3 days. On the 2nd day, wifey claimed that she could feel that baby has turned… we can’t be entirely sure so we continued doing what we could.

(By the way, the mucus plug came out on 19 July.)


The  30-min Delivery

21 July 19 - The day before meimei's delivery was a huge day for me too. My best bud Busy Roys was getting married (finally?) and I had promised to help out with the Brother's tasks to the best of my ability, subjected to baby's arrival (which is anytime!). In the morning, wifey felt some light contractions which increased in intensity gradually. She said to me, "I have a feeling it will be today." Besides keeping a close eye on my phone, I also asked my parents to standby, in case wifey needed to go hospital immediately. Despite this, wifey was still able to make a short visit to Roy's abode to send her congratulations, and have lunch too. But it was evident she wasn't feeling at ease... constantly monitoring the contractions and not wanting to move about too much.

Before I left house again to prepare for the evening ROM and reception, I reminded wifey to call me asap if there's a need. Kept monitoring my phone for updates... my worry was slightly alleviated by in-laws' presence with wifey and at about 9.15pm, wifey texted to say that the contractions are getting more painful now and I should come back earlier if I could. By then I had already completed 75% of my AV duties (and 50% of the 7-course dinner) and so I quickly handed over the duties to Ivan and J. It was my laptop that was connected to the system and yes there were some personal documents in the drive but I didn't had the time to care less. I managed to stick around until Busy Roy's delivered his personal thank you speech that was dedicated to Jx and myself, ensured Ivan and J were up to date on the tasks, briefed them on the equipment to safekeep for me, before I ran off at 9.50pm.

10.20pm - Got home. Situation was per normal and my in-laws and KY were just about to leave. So alright, waiting game resumes.

10.30pm - Changed out, bathed and carried out the night routine with Yx - read book, brush teeth etc. Wifey felt a pain contraction and was half curled on the bed... It went away shortly and I came out from the room leaving wifey and Yx to sleep.

11.15pm - Didn't feel full from the 50% dinner earlier. As I was anticipating anything to happen at anytime, I decided to cook myself a bowl of noodles. Can't go to war on an empty stomach, can you?

22 July 19, midnight - Wifey came out from the room and asked if my mom could come over to sleep with Yx. She took a pee and felt her water bag had burst. HOSPITAL TIME!

My mom had been as anxious as us and had packed a sleepover bag 1 week ago, actually. So she reached our house within 10 mins. In that time, wifey and I had washed up, changed and were ready to leave. Yx wasn't asleep yet (probably from all the anticipation and movement) and I remember we said bye to her before my mom shooed us to leave asap.

I SMSed Dr. Wong on the way to our car, hoping that he'll reach earlier rather than leave us at the mercy of the inexperienced midwives that we recall from our previous experience.

12.20am - In the car along PIE. Tuned in to 92.4FM trying to maintain calmness and normality when suddenly wifey's exclaimed, "Oh no!"

I thought what, baby crowning?!? So quickly?!

Water from amniotic sac flowed out all over the passenger seat. It was dark and I couldn't see; not that I cared, I was just concerened on reaching the hospital as quickly as I could! Wifey kept apologising for the mess. I assured her that it doesn't matter and just to feel relief that we're already on the way! My mind was focused on the traffic and how fast I was going - 120 km/h. Fortunately for the empty highway!

12.35am - Uh oh, wifey was experiencing great pain and wincing slightly! Reached the front door of Thomson Medical Centre. My experience with our first delivery was that there was someone manning the door in the wee hours. Even before our car got through the carpark gantry, I honked to alert someone to come quickly! I got down from the car and passed instructions to the nurse - need wheelchair! 38 weeks! Oblique position!

Wifey was clenching her teeth through a contraction and couldn't get out of the car seat. When she finally could, the nurses helped her onto the wheelchair and into the delivery ward.

12.45am - After cleaning up the passenger seat slightly, I went straight into the delivery ward to check how wifey was doing.

She had already changed into the gown. There she was, curled up on her side, breathing heavily into the gas mask like her life depended on it. To her, I'm sure she felt it was. She screamed into the mask whenever the contractions came... when the pain subsided momentarily, wifey teared and kept apologising for coming in so late. You see, she was 8cm dilated! :O

Days before, wifey had earlier decided to come in early to be in time for epidural, but at 8cm dilation epi was too late and even if the doctor was to fly down and administer it, it wouldn't have been of significant effect (and still cost $800).

This time, there were 2 midwives who attended to us. They seemed more calm and experienced and even assured us with a smile, "Even if the Dr isn't here in time, we can still do the delivery of the baby." Even if she was lying, she did a great job at lying cos that sentence coupled with her steady composure and voice put me at great ease. I noticed the gas mask was 100% sturdier than the previous time. I tried to make small talk with the midwives to distract ourselves from the pain and to soothe nerves... which proved unsuccessfully with wifey, of course.

1.00AM - WAHAHA Dr. Wong arrived 10 mins later! What a relief to see his face. He was a collected and fully focused face - he did not bother with the eye contact or hellos, he dived straight into his job. He took a quick look and so urgent was his need of attention and intervention that I didn't even notice if he washed his hands or put on a gown. He worked with the midwives to lay wifey into the delivery position, against the reluctance and numbness of her body to move at all.

(Editor's note: BY THE WAY I'M STILL FEELING BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH AS I'M RECOLLECTING THE EXPERIENCE! DEEPLY INKED AND VIVID AND TRAUMATIC!)

The next few moments were deeply scary and traumatic.

Wifey was now in the delivery position - legs propped up and opened wide. Then, something happened which prompted Dr Wong's and the nurses' attention. Don't ask me what happened cos I restricted my view to between wifey's head to her pelvis, absolutely nothing south. Dr Wong needed wifey to bend her legs so he could assist, but for the last few mins wifey had been going through pain beyond imagination. Even if she could muster any energy, she needed to harness whatever joules to save herself and her breathing, what about the legs??!  Dr prompted her to bend her legs again, in a sterner voice. Catching a few whiffs in between her relentless breathing, wifey cried, "I can't!"

One of the midwives tried to say something but she was crudely interrupted by Dr Wong, whose usual smile had been replaced with dilated eyes and raised eyebrows and he resembled a school's discipline master. "C, you have to listen to me! If you don't, your baby will die inside!"

Dark thoughts flashed through my mind.







We have never, never heard him raise his voice and tone to this extent. You know this saying that if an authoritative figure is always fierce, children will gradually learn not to listen and disobey; on the other hand if that person is usually nice and only flares up occasionally, the desired action takes effect quicker? This was true - as if wifey was suddenly hypnothized, wifey suddenly paused her quick and loud breathing and reverted to normalcy. "Okay! I'm listening," she replied audibly as she somehow found strength and let go of the contractions of her leg muscles, allowing the nurse to bend them.

Push, Dr Wong encouraged.

My recent revision of labour suddenly flashed to my mind at this juncture. I reminded wifey to tuck in her chin while I support the back of her shoulders. "1, 2, push!" I urged, clenching her right hand.

On the 3rd push, baby girl was out! She was laid resting on wifey's tummy, eyes opened, body stained and bloodied, alive and breathing. ALL IS WELL! Nurse directed me to the digital clock just beside, "Nah see papa, what time is it?"

1.10am - I was plain relieved and glad to see baby girl alive and breathing. Dr Wong didn't ask me to cut the umbilical cord, nor did I remember about this until much later. The midwife didn't count baby's fingers and toes in my presence, I didn't care less. Dr had assured baby would be 2.5 - 2.7kg; though she weighed only 2.49kg this was one of my last worries. Thank God mother and baby are fine!

Our first family portrait of the 3 of us:


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Post-delivery

Due to background of renal backflow, baby underwent kidney ultrasound on the next day. Results showed no abnormalies. TG!

Our first complete family portrait:


Many decades more to come =)=)

Thursday, August 01, 2019

Cost of having a baby in Singapore

It's not uncommon to hear citizens rant about the high cost of having a baby in Singapore. Just to document my expenditure for our 2nd pregnancy leading up to delivery and 1 month post-partum:


Still got gain leh.

I think the real impact comes from infant-care or full-day childcare, or if one decides to buy a new car and/or hire a full time domestic helper. Otherwise, delivering a baby (assume: naturally conceived) alone doesn't burn a hole in your pocket, as my tabulation above shows.

Of course, there are other necessary expenditure items after your baby is born:

- Hospitalization and surgery (Shield): $400 / year
- Insurance costs: $300-$500 / mth
- PD/GP when child is sick: $40 - $120 / visit
- Formula milk powder: $45-$60 / tin

Money aside, the joy of bringing up a child, watching him/her grow up, laughing at his/her cute antics - priceless.



Tuesday, July 16, 2019

My 10 year working anniversary

6 July 2009. The day I reported to my first day of work.

That morning, I woke up excitedly. Applied gel on my hair. Put on my 'lucky shirt' - the same purple striped shirt I put on for the interview that got me this job (fun fact - the shirt still hangs in my wardrobe!). Asked the reception for directions to the NBR Meeting Room where I'd meet the other 16 MTs. Acquainted with our 'mothers', LK and Jenny.

Brought up to the Board Room. LK asked that we introduce ourselves. The next few seconds were silence and anticipation. Suddenly, like a thunder shattering from the sky, boomed this girl's voice, "MAYBE I'LL GO FIRST? I'M NIKKI, FROM SMU." (Yeah it's in purposely in caps because that was how she really sounded!) Turned out that this girl was the only one from SMU - what a stark difference from the other local unis! And that started the ball rolling.

Was expecting a day of sit-down briefings and orientation. It was quite the contrary. Boy, wasn't quite prepared for the intensity! Had to do on-the-spur group discussion and presentations, such as this:

Learnt that if you turn up in a tie when the others do not, you're immediately appointed the Group Leader. ;)

The orientation lasted a week. Over the next few days, we were taught to recognise the senior management's faces and their names; the different BUs of the Organization and their functions; orientated ourselves in NBR; acquainted with a list of acronyms. On the last day, we found ourselves at a team-building facility in Ulu Sembawang (which is no longer present). Lots of memories and fun there!

.
.

The entire 18 months of the MT journey was most rewarding, and most fun. Grateful for the training and opportunities given. 


----------------------------

So 10 years had passed, in a twinkling of an eye... 10 years saw me change employer once, did a few overseas work trips, made countless friends and colleagues, learnt from the best leaders and mentors, grown in my capacity as a professional as well as an engineer. I often reflect back on the many significant lessons encountered, to realise how the obstacles I faced, the difficult people I needed to work with, the disappointments that knocked me back - though they were all challenges but they were constructive forces that had positively shaped my behaviour and thinking. Today, I count my blessings that I am working for an organisation that offers comfortable remuneration and a healthy work-life balance. :)

On 12 Jul 2019, we managed to gather half the batch for a dinner at Raffles City. Here's a group photo at the iconic NBR building, where we all started... It was a great time reminiscing and laughing at our shared experiences, and heartening to know everyone's doing fine! :)



--------------------------------

If I could share my humble advice, here are my 5 tips for a fresh graduate:

1) Be a sponge. Be humble and learn from everyone. Embrace the fact that longer hours may be required for you to do your job well.

2) First impressions count very much. Speak well, be confident. Ace every presentation opportunity given.

3) Observe the successful and/or influential people at work. Why are they so good at what they do, what are the common traits? Learn to emulate.

4) Anticipate questions, anticipate what could go wrong in your work - and make plans in advance to address them. 

5) If you're comfortable in your job, you're not learning. Get out of it. 



You've got a friend in me - by Yx and Papa

In Sep 2017, I was in awe of this dad-daughter duet.

So I attempted to emulate this a few days ago. Before you watch, I must inform you that it doesn't sound flattering at all. Really novice attempt cos I had just practised the intro for 10-15 mins?



We can do better! =)




Tuesday, July 09, 2019

T-3 weeks!

Visited the gynae yesterday. Baby is 36w+, growing well. Gynae said baby will be heavier than 2.5kg when born. A piece of great news :)

An update on the things to be done before delivery!


DONE!
  • New milk bottles - bought
  • Confinement Nanny - booked
  • Post-partum massage - booked 
  • Post-partum herbal package - booked
  • New wardrobe - installed and cleaned
  • Bought diapers (166 pieces, NB size)
  • Cleared my IPPT woohoo! 
  • Today: Serviced car and changed battery!
  • Tote bag for check-in: Considered done.

NEED TO BE DONE:

1) Decide on baby's name

2) Buy infant milk powder - this Friday ok got double GST

3) Baby clothes and stuff - inside a container, need to wash and sun. Will do it this weekend!

4) Collect Msia VEP: Thursday!

5) Finish watching GOT Season 4 - 4 more episodes!

6) Cut hair - today!


------------------------------------

Excited yet nervous! PRAYING FOR Delivery after 39w! =)


Wednesday, June 12, 2019

T-5 weeks!

Starting to feel nervous!!!

Mental checklist:
  • Confinement Nanny - done
  • Post-partum massage - done
  • Post-partum herbal package - done
  • Payment for hospital bill - should be using Stanchart Manhatten 
  • Baby clothes and stuff - inside a container, need to wash and sun. Will do it next week after our new wardrobe is delivered and assembled.

NEED TO BE DONE:

1) Decide on baby's name
2) Pack tote bag for check-in
3) Buy diapers
2) Buy infant milk powder


ANYTHING ELSE IMPORTANT???

Cc: Thanks @Nikki for the reminder! =)

Friday, May 24, 2019

Steamed minced pork with egg 猪肉碎蒸鸡蛋

For keeps.


猪肉

- 300g minced meat
- 3 eggs + 1 salted egg
- 2 tbsp water
- Salt, light soya sauce, pinch of pepper

Steam for 20 mins or till cooked through.


Food guessing with yx

So this conversation happened one weekday evening at my parents' place:

Me to yx: "What yummy food did nai nai cook?"

With a look of guilt, Yx replied: "I don't want to tell you!" She said this repeatedly, holding up both hands signalling me to stop asking. I recognised this face and tone, and guessed immediately that my mom had given yx so-called "prohibited food" and suggested that she not tell us.

I continued to probe: "Is it pork floss?"

Yx: "I don't want to tell you!"

Me: "Is it raisin?"

"I don't want to tell you!"

"Ok let me guess. Is it crispy?"

"Yes."

"Is it brown?"

"Yes."

"Is it chicken?"

"No."

Then, Yx suddenly looked up and asked me, "What is french fries made of?"

I replied, "Potato."

Yx: "How about pork floss?"

"Pork."

Yx: "Uh yes, it's made of pork."

-----

Lol... she told me the answer indirectly... The cute innocence of kids... 

Monday, April 22, 2019

Proud moment of 2019

Sleepy look cos woke up early.

Prize award ceremony for an annual competition organised by WSHC for the 11th year running.

Total of 1,401 entries received and I got a Silver award!
National level award leh, don't pray pray!


Actually didn't think I'd win. I submitted an entry because the first few entries would receive $10 voucher lol (#yesIamcheapskate). But well, I have always enjoyed writing poems (and think I have a flair in). As I drafted my submission, I felt a stronger and stronger desire to do it well. I desired to pen down the challenges and safety hazards my ex-team of technicians face at work everyday - and if my poem was selected as a winner, I would be able to share it as general awareness to the public, so as to educate them to be more appreciate of the efficiency of public transport, and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. And I know them best, having being at the helm for a number of years at $MRT, and not forgetting my ground experience of being a technician myself during NS.

Would have loved for my family to be present to witness my proud moment, but to reach Gardens by the Bay East by 8.30am on a Saturday was too early. Lucky they didn't, cos it rained during the event and the shuttle bus service was badly coordinated I had to step in... anyway. Am $1k richer, yay :)

If you'd like to read my winning entry:




If you'd like more info on the competition:
https://www.wshc.sg/wps/portal/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOJ9_E1MjByDDbzdPUIMDRyNfA08QsyNDYPNTIAKInErcA4zJk6_AQ7gaEBIf7h-FD4lYBeAFeCxwks_Kj0nPwns3UjHvCRji3T9qKLUtNSi1CK90iKgcEZJSUGxlaqBqkF5ebleen5-ek6qXnJ-rqoBNi0Z-cUl-hGoKvULckMjDLJMc8p8HBUBf10x_A!!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?action=cmsPublicView&cmsId=C-2014091001125&tabId=C-2014091101303




Thursday, April 11, 2019

LO again lo...

Surprised to be involved as LO (again) this year. Out of 6 from my Div, I was the only one who's served as LO before. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the experience and camaraderie!

We would be running from place to place doing ushering, opening of doors and leading them to washrooms/smoking corners... rush to wait and wait to rush.... complain about the poorly organised logistics and transport arrangements...
But every time we are needed, every time we appeared in front of our delegates, we made sure we put on a smile and be the best hosts possible for our organisation. No one ever said he/she hated this job. The team spirit was observable and admirable.

One Voice!








Despite having little sleep, I woke up in the mornings feeling energized and excited... and I realised how boring my usual work is.

Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Wyx3 drawings


Yx loves to draw. She lets her creativity take over when she does. 

Lion Dance

Very consistent drawings. She's beginning to draw hands and legs now.

She observed our wedding portrait and drew out her best impression of it.


Diaper training

On the night of 22 Feb 2019 (@3years5months) - Yx went to sleep without diapers!!! In fact, I was gonna put it on for her before she slept, and she assured me she wouldn't need it! Actually, she hasn't peed in her sleep for more than 2 weeks prior to this. Good job!

Post edit (6 Mar): She's peed 2 times during her sleep thus far. The first time, she wet the entire bed. After that we learnt our lesson and asked to put on diapers for her "just in case". 

Monday, February 25, 2019

More strange behaviour from Yx

Attributing these peculiarities to the "3.5 year old toddler syndrome":

- Climbing onto the top of our sofa

- Refusing to nap, refusing to sleep, refusing to wake up

- Acting like a baby - Crawls on the floor and makes baby noises for 15-20 mins

- Loses interest in reading; more excited to mimic teaching and marking

- Insists on carrying funny items outside, for example:

A swimming float

.... and a paintbrush
-_-"

.

Friday, February 22, 2019

The reason behind Yx's recent strange behaviour

For many weeks now, we observed that Yx has been acting and behaving rather strangely from her old self:

- Asked to play in an indoor playground, and to add she didn't ask for us to join her and was perfectly comfortable in our absence!
- Suddenly disliked going to sch to the extent she'd wail and refuse to change into her uniform... (but she's ok once she's in class)
- Would intentionally make a mess to test our reaction
- Drinks half the milk she used to
- More physically active and enjoys playing with other children.

Upon some learning, the bizarre changes in a 3 and a half year old toddler could be attributed to a Disequilibrium Stage.

This article also explains what changes the toddler could go through:

https://planningwithkids.com/2009/11/17/characteristics-of-three-and-a-half-year-old-behavior/

Interesting!!!


Just The Way You Are Ukulele Cover

Totally mesmerizing!


Monday, January 14, 2019

Genting Dream Cruise

4D3N cruise, 6-9 Jan with my in-laws. Yup yup, same itinerary as Xiaxue's (I don't follow her but my sis-in-law saw her on board).
Alighted at Penang and Langkawi ports.

How did it go?

If I'm paid to blog I could do a comprehensive review of Genting Dream Cruise c/w beautifully edited photos, and perhaps top it up with a comparison with Royal Carribean's in various aspects such as:

Checking in and boarding -
Food -
Room -
Price -
Entertainment -
Kids-friendly-o-meter -

..... but unfortunately I'm not a influenza so I'll just let a photo collage (done in under 2 mins using a free Android app) do the talking =P



But if you happen to come across this post and still want to know how awesome GD cruise, or how it fares against its competitor, just buzz me and/or leave a comment, whatever. I'll be more than happy to share!



Friday, January 11, 2019

Review of 2018

2018 went by in a flash. Agree?

Actually, every year flies past in this manner:

January
January
January
March
April
May
July
Augus-
Sep-
Octo-
Novechristmas

HAHAHA. True to some extent, albeit the above is exaggerated.

2018 was a pretty smooth-going year. Nothing extraordinary. But we spent loads of family time. Family time is like this - you spend time together and do mundane stuff like having meals tog, visiting the mall and not doing anything exceptionally memorable; but you enjoy it. Family time is like sofa time - couching in your living room sofa for hours and doing nothing much other than watching tv or surfing the internet on your phone; they're nothing exciting but you like to do it nonetheless. You can even do it everyday. That said, quality sofa time and family time are so precious and are nothing to be taken for granted. You can't have quality sofa time if your wifi/tv is down; neither can you have quality family time if you don't enjoy good health, can you? Good health musn't be taken for granted, okay?

On my health downtime

I suffered a considerable amount of health downtime this year. Suffered ankle swelling and very serious neck sprain, both derived from football. My neck sprain was so bad it lasted for a week plus. I had to turn my whole body in order to look the other direction; after a night's sleep I wasn't able to wake up from sleeping position immediately - I had to slowly push myself up with my arms and through an excruciating amount of pain. The neck sprain was really very intolerable. Thankfully for a comprehensive accident insurance coverage, I was able to engage a licenced TCM physician for help which resolved both my neck sprain and ankle swell very quickly.

In addition, I also encountered an in-explainable partial ear blockage in Oct. One day, I woke up and I couldn't hear v well with my left ear. Went on a few days, took medicine, did ear syringing - doc couldn't find anything amiss and asked that I wait it out. It felt like I could only hear with my right ear, while the other ear was drowned in silence. Had to ask friends/colls to repeat what they said. Thankfully, a week later the problem went away.

Finally, the pain from my wisdom tooth extraction lasted about a week plus, I wasn't able to chew properly for that period. If you know me you know food is my religion - not being able to enjoy my food was quite depressing. Albeit my taste buds were working fine but the nagging pain from every mastication took the joy away.

Above unfortunate incidents apartd, I realised my regular intake of multi-vit and/or Vit C supplements boosted my immunity. As compared to last time when I would find myself nursing a runny nose or cold once a month, 2018 was a relatively 'healthy' year. :)

On my attempt to accept Christ

This year 2018, I attempted opening up my mind to accept Christ. Attended church a few times and tried to understand His teachings.  Also watched a few videos and read some testimonials. Read comic version of Bible. Initiated a meet up with Fab and QY with intention to get some answers to my questions. One of my questions to Christians is, how do you know what you believe in is real? From what I picked up, it seemed to me that to many Christians, their turning point occurred when song lyrics suddenly hit them or when a miracle they prayed for came true. And that was when they started to believe that Christ was real and true. Well, at this point of time I am not a full believer, for many questions I still have, and lack of being touched or experiencing miracles. Plus, the manner that the pastors preach and give praise are abit too overboard and animated, imo. Having being educated by scientific facts I am a firm believer of Darwin's Theory of Evolution - that all living beings were created from nothing but a single cell organism from the ocean. But what QY said slightly convinced me humans are works of a Creator. He said, why do you think all humans are wowed by scenery (think mountains, clear blue skies), why do all humans enjoy music? Why are the conditions on Earth and only Earth, so conducive it can support life - is it a mere coincidence? There must be some unifying factor that created our living and defines us as humans. What he said is true, isn't it? Nobody ever hates music or beautiful scenery.

Another of my burning questions is: Assuming Jesus is true and Jesus sincerely wants all humanity to be saved and join him in Heaven, why hasn't He done it already? What's stopping him from doing it? Every Christian believes that their Saviour will come and save them again, that "Judgement Day will come!", you better believe in Jesus, for one day Jesus will cleanse them of their sins and accept them into Heaven. And if you don't, sorry no cure, you will not enjoy everlasting happiness in the Garden of Eden. To me, this preaching resembles the nags from a typical Asian mom, "You better study hard, if not you will become a rubbish collector!" I mean it sounds more like a scare tactic than positive motivation (though I und some Christians believe in Jesus for they can enjoy everlasting life in Heaven with their loved ones). Back to my question what is holding Jesus back, QY provided me a very solid answer, he explained why Jesus hasn't come and assess everyone yet is because He wants as many of His children to be believers; that His believers can have time to spread His words; that more humans can be saved. Okay, I'll buy that.

I do have more questions like:

- Why do positive things happen only when you pray to Him? For e.g. one is praying for speedy recovery, for extra energy, for good weather. If Jesus is omnipotent why can't he already know what we want/need, without us having to verbalise it? To this, wifey explained that when one prays to Jesus it means he/she wants it bad enough.
- If one prayed for a positive thing to happen, what would it mean if the turn out was negative? (Expected answers: (a) "It's a test of my resolve"; and (b) "God has things planned out")
- Is it true Jesus only accepts those who believe in him? What does he do with babies/young children/intellectually disabled i.e. humans who do not possess the mental capacity to understand, accept and believe in Him? Same goes for kind-hearted humans who commit no crime and have done much good in their lives (e.g. Buddhist monks, Catholic priests even)?
- If the next life is to be "in a happier place", do Christians look forward to dying?
- When Christians pass away and meet again in Heaven, what is their physical form? Will they look the same as when they pass away? Will a 100yo look like an ageing, wrinkled 100yo; whereas a 1yo toddler be crawling? Will disabled believers lose their disabilities, if any?

Anyway, it doesn't matter if one is or isn't a believer in Christ; for in His teachings there are many good moral values to pick up, for e.g. caring for others, self reflection, be less prideful, act like someone is watching you etc. Sometimes, you may get a lesson or two from Church, such as how to respect your spouse and the 3'R's when dealing with distractions - Remove, Repent, Replace.


On going green

Earlier in the year, I started bringing my own mug for daily coffee/tea with my colls. We have  coffee/tea almost everyday after lunch. Whilst the act garnered curiosity and sparked a conversation amongst my colls, disappointedly it wasn't enough to influence them to BYOB as well, except for just 1 coll. Their primary excuse was, "I am lazy to wash the mug after using it", but when I volunteered to wash for them they would bring up another excuse like, "But I don't have a mug." Well, I can understand it is quite a hassle carrying a mug around whilst walking to /fro the canteen... and on some days when I forget to bring my mug my colls will suan me, but as I explain to them, "If I manage to save 200 a cups a year, it is 200 cups less that goes into the waste a year."


On financial matters

My second consecutive year storing some savings into SRS. I read my Tax Notice for the previous year and calculated that I had saved a significant sum by paying less tax.

Stocks wise, almost all my counters are negative. Hai. Sometimes, not doing anything isn't a bad idea. So I chose to invest some sum in less risk and very safe pockets, such as in SG bonds and GE 3-year guaranteed savings plan.


On work

Nothing exciting... expected default grading for my appraisal... hope that 2019 will be more fulfilling.


-----------------------------------

AAR of past resolutions

As like always, here's an AAR of my list of actionables and "resolutions" for 2018:

- Go for a family holiday


AAR: YES! (see month-by-month review to follow)

- Attain Silver for IPPT


AAR: YES!! Though it wouldn't have had been possible if the test was not taken during ICT... Anyway a wake-up call to have to train harder. And be fitter.

- Create and update a master copy of all my insurance and investment plans


AAR: YES

- Extract my remaining 2 wisdom tooth


AAR: YES! July 2018.

- Bless Yx with a sibling, god willing.


AAR: We leave it to God's planning. :)


----------------

Here's a look-back at the major events of 2018:

Jan -

Yx goes to school. Playgroup session was a few blocks away from my parents' and my mom could pick her up easily. Yes, yx cried the first few days, just like any other kid would. But very quickly she warmed up to Teacher L and although playgroup was only 2 hours a day, yx enjoyed school and often chirped new songs.

Feb -

My first ICT. Called up for the first time finally, after ORD in 2005. Thankfully in the same unit and platoon with a few familiar faces, and our unit not very shiong.

April - 

Gunung Lambak hike with in-laws. Always enjoyed trekking so this was an enjoyable short trip, save for the terribly arduous 5-hr causeway jam.

June - 

Cruise with my family on Royal Carribean's Voyager of the Seas.
Organised an inter-AIG volunteering event for the second year running, this time at Metta Home.

Jul - 

Byebye to old house. Shifted out furniture together and sold a few items (washing machine, bed frame, wall photo). So much childhood memories back at block 123. So happened to bump into ex-neighbour who was still staying there. We last met in 2008 (the year my fam shifted) and how interesting that both of us still recognised each other!

Sep -

My first emcee experience at a TedxTalk organised by my company. Celebrated Yx's 3rd bday.
Went on Perth holiday with my parents. Wifey tendered but her boss asked her to consider, and both agreed that she could work part-time on 50%. This was an ideal arrangement because on one hand she had time for yx and on the other, she could bring home some much needed moolah.

Oct - 

Participated in my first musical.

Nov - 

Won a big prize at a lucky draw at my company's Family Day. It was a latest iPad worth more than $600. Was totally astounded when I heard my name being announced over the PA. So this year happened to be a great 'lucky' year for my family members as well, for e.g. my bro also won a TV. I had also won 2 grandstand tickets to F1 finals.

4d3n to Bangkok with sis. Itinerary revolved around Yx -  Kidzania and  Ocean World aquarium were the highlights. Otherwise, we didn't accomplish much other than the usual light shopping and thankfully we did manage to squeeze in a massage session somehow. Haha.


Targets setting for 2019:

- Achieve Silver for IPPT

Actionable: (i) Jog once a month; (ii) Consciously run more during weekly football and (iii) Train hard for IPPT in Jul 19 (coinciding with ICT).

- Be more involved at work

Actionable: Look out for projects and/or opportunities, volunteer to be involved in extra curricular projects.

- Bless Yx with a healthy sibling

Actionable: It shall be God's blessing :)

- Try to spend less money

Actionable: Soon our family will be on single income. With 9% GST impending and rumours that global recession is just round the corner (already there are tell-tale signs on the news), it is most wise to spend less and/or get more money.

(i) By spending less I think we could visit restaurant less often, or if we crave for more comfort we could choose to dine at restaurants which are more value for money. Of course, our fav restaurant Saizeriya comes to mind. Very affordable dishes, wide variety, no service charge and GST, free flow drinks at only $2.99 - I don't know about you but every meal at Saizeriya makes me feel at home.

(ii) By getting more money, on top of monthly bread that my employer gives, we could be more vigilant about promotions, offers, bundle deals and/or be more credit card savvy. For e.g. 3rd party websites like BankBazaar, Singsaver etc offer very attractive cash by just signing up credit cards via their platform. Furthermore, one could also get additional few tens of dollars a month by just maximising your bank saving account's interest rate and/or using the right credit card for your various expenditure. Thirdly, have you heard of Shopback? Surprisingly, many don't. You could rake up hundreds of dollars by owning a Shopback account! Ask me how, ok?


-------

Have a bountiful 2019, my friends! Stay healthy and happy!!!


The overseas shirt

I'm not sure about you, but I have a few tops that I categorised as "overseas shirts". That means I wear them only when I go f...