Spontaneous catch up

From Technoedge to Yakun, how we've evolved from wide eyed youngsters to avancular men with eye bags 🫣

Spontaneous meet up with Frankenstein Fab and Irritating Ivan today. The topics we chatted during that 2-hour lunch window  covered watches, condos, cars and career (as expected); but more importantly it was good to learn that each of us are doing reasonably ok in all aspects. Now we certainly lack the vigour and enthusiasm of typical uni students, but gained real work experience and ambition in return.

Hope to keep up the frequency of meet ups for as long as it lasts. 

Kite

When my kite took off 

Fluttering in the sky 

The southern winds keeping it aloft

At this moment there are no whys

An unexplainable feeling of freedom

This year had been a trying term

Happy to end and welcome the new

As long as I've got my health and my family

I am ready to embrace life and its frills.

我是三八!

🥺🥺🥺

Sadly bade 3-8 away and officially celebrated 39 years on this planet.

I cannot bring myself to admit in a few days' time that "I am 40 this year". Unimaginable. It's an uncle's age. I am turning into one? ALREADY?!! It's a thought I decline to entertain.

I hope to be able to do this way into my sixties:

Anyway, my girls drew me beautiful cards with touching content that made me go awww. Love my girls so much.

Dad's stir fry beef with special sauce

When my siblings and I were younger, when mom was away, my dad would at times take over the kitchen. Granted he's not as good a chef as my mom (whose standards are sky high for the record) but he dished up yummy meals (usually 1 pot meal for convenience) and being health conscious, dad would usually ensure there is lots of vegetables. One of our favourites is dad's stir fry beef with kailan flower (芥兰花）, its gravy we would never fail to savour with whatever rice is left in our bowls. 

Context: Mom and sis are at Penang for holiday. This afternoon my phone beeped:

NO WAY I WAS GONNA SAY NO TO STIR FRY BEEF! And "special sauce", LOL 😂

----

Later, served promptly at 7pm:

Interestingly, dad did 3 dishes:

1. Stir fry beef with french beans 

2. Stir fry kailan (according to mom, this is Cantonese style as there was both ginger and garlic); and

3. Fried egg (should have taken a pic).

We contributed ABC soup that was very delicious too!

It was a very hearty and wholesome meal. Needless to say, I finished all the rice with the beef gravy. 😊😋 I'm glad my dad at 73yo is still able and capable of whipping up a decent meal, and I am glad my children got a taste of their grandfather's cooking... :)

Edit: After dinner, my dad also cut orange and served it to the girls! 

It's mid December!?

This time of the year... My favourite month. I would so much like to take time off work and reflect on the year, my achievements at work, the learning experiences... Enjoy the chilly wind and relatively slower pace of work... Plus it's a couple of days to my birthday but I have been unable to let go of constant nagging worries of my project. It's been a massively challenging year. 

I look forward to having a relaxing good time at our family vacay over the weekend. Rest and recharge!!!

Cycling at the void deck

Our house isn't well connected to parks or sorts so there isn't a good place to pick up the bicycles and cycle. In a bid to have the girls more practice, we only have the (quite limited in size) void deck to make do. 

This evening I brought them down and we played the "打油" game... Where the girls would stop by and refuel at the vertical plumbing pipes. They were initially just contented to stay within that small plot so I expanded the "map" by coining the adjacent void deck as "new town" and there is opening promotion for the new petrol station 😂. The girls eventually got curious of the different red numbers labelled on every pipe, they got off their bikes and ran about the void deck, exploring and pointing them out. At the end, I think we succeeded in getting them to be familiar with the environment so that they begin to be comfortable hopping from pillar to pillar, turning around and peering behind corners, at times by themselves.

Cycling practice has now evolved into a game of mini towns littered with petrol stations lol... "Welcome to Uncle Ben's new petrol station opening!" 😄 

So cute to observe my kids playing, talking and laughing to themselves!

Prepping dinner with Ye

A few days ago, wifey was out to pick Yx from ballet lesson. I prepped dinner and Ye offered to help.

And so she did! She opened the drawer and whipped out the child-safe Toddlr knife. I showed her how to slice the skin off carrots, and she tried her hands on it. Later, I tasked her to chop the carrots whilst I busied myself with other things. It was followed by cracking two eggs and mixing it up with salt and pepper. When that was done, I told her she could exit but she wanted to stay on and watch me fry the veges. Eventually, Ye hopped off when she heard her sister coming home.

Later that night, in bed (she asked me to sleep with her), she uttered out of the blue  “刚才晚餐菜很好吃。”

That was the best moment I could ever ask for to end the day. ☺️

It's December

I love December. 

It's supposedly the month during which most people are clearing leave, going on holidays, work should slow down abit...

Not feeling it, yet. But I will. I aspire to. Going for a holiday with the fam next week!!!

Random drawing

11.11 savings - Xiaomi Pad 6!

Retail $459 and I paid only $327.

Got myself a new shiny gadget at a huuuuge discount, so ecstatic! Free magnetic cover some more! Plus, this was after I sold off our 3 (?) year old Samsung galaxy tab for $110. Not to mention my org reimburses up to $200 for IT enablement. 

Cheap cheap must buy!

The home I spent my infant years at

Dated 21 Nov 2023. Parents and sis drove past otw to Rengam. 

2 days to IPPT

Like not much difference (see link) LOL.

But I definitely trained harder since then! Weekly jog + alternate day sit ups + almost daily push ups.

Now, time to rest my muscles and be in optimal condition on Wednesday! Cool weather during the run will be ideal!

Update: I got Silver!!! And perhaps my best 2.4km time in a few years!!!

COVID-19 Resilience Medal

Pleasantly surprised to receive the COVID-19 Resilience Medal along with many colleagues and several airport counterparts such as SATS, Smartcarte and union groups. 

A short video was put together to celebrate how far we have progressed (air traffic now almost 90% of pre-COVID), it highlighted the support and teamwork from the airport community, and lastly served a stark reminder that those dark gloomy days were not so distant behind. But together, we braved the storm and eventually emerged victorious, united, and more resilient. 

It may have been just 3 years ago but I struggled to recall what I was involved in to deserve this medal... After watching above mentioned video and chatting with a few awardees did I recount these:

- During the initial outbreak and before Circuit Breaker: Oversight of ground ops, count of pax and medical workers within transit area. While not on ground, was in OCC collating ground info and providing live sitrep.

- Volunteered to be member of Aviation Cares, a ground-up community within the organisation to provide support for essential workers on the ground. The group gathered freebies from brands, packed them into goodie bags and distributed to several hundreds of them. 

- During CB, I also volunteered my service to buy and deliver groceries to elderly neighbours who had low immunity and/or required movement assistance. 

- When vaccinations were invented: oversight of T4 vaccination ops, counting and recording numbers and providing ground intel.

Finall, to leaders and unsung heroes from the fellow airport community, here's to clear blue skies for many more decades to come. 💪

Setting up the Xmas tree just got easier

Because of them! Haha! So enthusiastic to put on the stars they didn't need any help this time.

长大了 🥲

Rapunzel and her Prince

November = Novation???

What a terribly hectic week it is, felt like I've done so much already whereas it's only Tuesday?! Still, if all things progress smooth and well, we will see ourselves exit the tunnel by end of the week! Every action every email counts towards a step towards that direction. Go go go!!! 💪

Update 6 November: 

It's done. It's signed. The dust has settled. We've emerged from the tunnel. We've come to the end of an chapter, and the beginning of another. It's an achievement whose idea I admit I sniggered at, when it was suggested a few months back. It hasn't been done before in the organization, and now it has. It's a landmark, it's a precedence, it's been a helluva ride. Immensely proud to see our efforts come to fruition eventually after how much the team pushed for it to happen. We bashed, pushed, nudged, probed, debated, pestered and negotiated. Sought approvals, went through processes and drafted legal agreements no one in the organisation has ever done before. And WE FREAKING DID IT. Levelled up gao gao this one. 

Perhaps should buy 4D.

A series of events to look forward to!

I'm one who thrives on excitement and anticipation (the reverse is also sadly true). Am beginning to feel stoked heading into the last two months of the year!

This weekend - Chalet with wifey's side of the family and extended relatives!

3 Nov - CDO!

10 Nov - D&D!

12 Nov - Coral gathering!

14 Nov - My Org's Awards Ceremony!

22 Nov - IPPT! (Though this gives me jitters)

2 Dec - SC 10km run!

Mid Dec - Legoland cum JB vacation! + Me and Myself's birthday!

24 Dec - Wedding dinner 

25 Dec - Xmas gathering with extended in-laws

Whole of Dec - Xmasy mood! 🎄

As for work it seems like we're finally finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!!! Fingers crossed the road after the tunnel is a smooth path!!! 

WHAT DID I SIGN UP FOR...?

ARS 1-0 Man City

12-game losing streak finally broken! Trust the process!!! 💪

A dull and tense affair, both sides very cautious and shy in attacking, both wary of the deadlt threats that each possess. The deadlock was finally broken courtesy of a huge slick of luck, Martinelli's shot (his first game since his injury) deflecting off a defender to wrong foot the GK. Arsenal's back line + Rice was IMMENSE to shut out Haaland and co. who mustered only 1 shot on target all night. Massive win, massive stamp of authority, massive intent! 

8 weeks till IPPT

Feeling flabby at the midriff 🤭

Word

Pick my battles 😏

Yx is 8!

Happy 8th birthday to my first born! 🍰

You are such a blessing and such a joy to be with. I find myself staring at you sometimes and wondering how this little human, whom I was just putting on a new piece of diaper yesterday, is now a big kid exploring the world and developing her unique views, interests and habits. What make you special are that you are generously kind, absolutely adore reading, and the persons you love the most are your papa and mama. Here's wishing you curiosity to learn, courage to fail and positivity in your endeavours. 💕

At the library

Candid capture of the sisters enjoying each other's company 😊

Yx was reading and pointing the contents of the book to meimei, who paid v ernest attention.

My mom is my greatest fan

My dad explaining to Yx what is 'family tree'

It's hilarious especially if you know my dad is not good with names. At all. Lol. So cute lah 😆

Mee Hoon Kway to die for

This

Was

Da 

Bombzzz

Admin instructions for movie night

My Wyx is growing up

Today afternoon, just like on a typical Saturday, we come home after the girls' lessons and lunch, wash up. Wifey brings wye to the bedroom for her nap. I run the washing machine. Yx is big enough to be left on her own, I took a nap.

We all napped for close to 1.5 hours. During this time, Yx did koobits on the laptop, played with toys, took out cars and placed them in a different arrangement "给妹妹一点idea", helped herself to teabreak, took pics and selfies with my phone (see pic at the bottom), this whole time without waking us/ asking for any help at all. 

I know Yx is capable of being left on her own, in the security and comfort of our home. She has shown that she is. I know she's grown to be independent in that sense. This afternoon routine I described has been so for longer than I can remember.

But I felt different about it today... Maybe it's because it's been a while since we had wholesome, quality time together... maybe because we've been more focused on the little sister's needs lately... Maybe because Yx's birthday is round the corner.... it suddenly hit me that our first-born is picking up independence with every day, she's no longer the "baby" who depended on us for every need and whom we fussed over every other minute. 

Perhaps today, she was physiologically 1.5 hours away from us.

Maybe next year, it will be 1 day.

Not too long later, 1.5 days... Before we know it, it'll be 1.5 weeks... then maybe months...

Gosh I'm going to miss her so much.

Wye turns 4!

To my feisty and determined imp who makes us laugh as hard as often as we lose our temper with you.

Happy 4th birthday! You're quite an incredible and amazing individual. You're so different from your sister it frustrates us, but it's not a bad thing for you are at the same time so outstanding and unique. 

Wishing you good health and happy smiles! Chuckle on! 

看到就生气!

Bias!!!

This is me? 😆

-_-

Her face when we ask her to smile for the camera :

What auspicious numbers!

#odometer

 My car plate number in reverse somewhere in there too. Wow.

Desaruuu yoohoo

So burned out from work! So looking forward to this break away from Sg, resort life, eat and spend like a king! 

wye3 drawings

Wye draws a family portrait

Invitation to Father's Day celebration?

Looking forward to a wonderful day with my loved ones 🥰

Subtitles

In the car. Ye saw me fiddling with the controls of the DVD player and asked what I was doing. I explained I was turning on the subtitles.

Later that day, we were in the car again and I was doing the same thing. Ye asked, 

"Papa, 你在开sub-turtles 啊？"

😂

My proudest achievement at work yet

This.

Sweated so much. Fingers numbed. Brain fogged. Hair pulled.

Numerous iterations.

Dozens of working files and templates.

Many meetings with users and stakeholder.

Planning that started 3 years ago.

Several sit-down technical discussions and consultations with MOF. 

Hundreds of hours scrutinizing, comparing, editing the excel cost template.

Seeking approval from the Authority.

I was the gatekeeper. THE GATEKEEPER. NOBODY ELSE WORKED ON THIS PAPER EXCEPT ME. If I sat on it for months, the paper wouldn't budge.

Do u even know how many levels of approval were required before it was even submitted???!

The above doesn't articulate well enough but it was really by far the most extremely challenging approval I have ever worked on.

Hell, I gruntled about the tediousness and my extreme frustration so much at home, even Wyx would often ask me, "你的paper approve 了吗？"

AND HERE IT IS, THE GOLDEN EMAIL.

It was such a great deal. Dpc. Massive.

Colleagues even sent their "Congratulations!" 😂

WELL DONE TO ME AND MYSELF. 👏👏🤛

Now, to call tender...

Once upon a time

姐姐在哪里?!

Wye is so attached to and so used to having her sister around, when we are out with just her (cos yx was having enrichment class in school), Ye would suddenly exclaim from out of the blue, "Eh，姐姐在哪里？！”

I wish for these two sisters to be close forever. ❤️

The way you look at me

Raise a daughter who looks at you this way 😍

More about WYE

Realised this was in my draft since Apr 2023, hai I procrastinated!

Wye is a really unique character and possesses huge amount of resilience (some might say obstinacy) and pursues her desires with much gusto. She is fiercely independent in wanting to do/attempt things by herself even if it's her first time. We can see it in her that if guided and channeled correctly, Ye should grow up to an adaptable and highly motivated individual.

We love you so much baby.

(A more recent pic)

And you are growing up too fast!