Funny Haha! For real!

Wanna know what 'tenjewberrymuds' means? [ You really do, trust me.]

The following is a telephone exchange between a hotel guest and room-service, at a hotel in Asia, which was published in the Far East Economic Review:

Room Service (RS): "Morrin. - Roon sirbees."
Guest (G): "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service. "

RS: " Rye ..Roon sirbees..morrin! Jewish to oddor sunteen??"
G: "Uh..yes..I' d like some bacon and eggs."

RS: "Ow July den?"
G: "What??"

RS: "Ow July den?....pryed, boyud, poochd?"
G : "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please."

RS: "Ow July dee baykem? Crease?"
G: "Crisp will be fine."

RS : "Hokay. An Sahn toes?"
G: "What?"

RS:"An toes. July Sahn toes?"
G: "I don't think so."

RS: "No? Judo wan sahn toes??"
G: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo wan sahn toes' means."

RS: "Toes! toes!...Why jew don juan toes? Ow bow Anglish moppin we bodder?"
G: "English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'Toast.' Fine. Yes, an English muffin will be fine."

RS: "We bodder?"
G: "No...just put the bodder on the side."

RS: "Wad! ?"
G: "I mean butter...just put it on the side."

RS: "Copy?"
G: "Excuse me?"

RS: "Copy...tea. ..meel?"
G: "Yes. Coffee, please, and that's all."

RS: "One Minnie.. Scramah egg, crease baykem, Anglish moppin w bodder on sigh and copy....rye? ?"
G: "Whatever you say."

RS: "Tenjewberrymuds. "
G : "You're very welcome."

Photo Prints

Looking for photo prints for your home but sucks at art?
Look what i found online, for just $30 a pop.
Gorgeous photos waiting to be framed up on your walls.

Journalism

I was back at work almost full-time this week.
Back on my early shift, back on my morning show.
I have a love-hate relationship with my show.
The hours sucks so much, but this is the most intense and important show of the network.

And of course, Mumbai happened on Thursday.
Alongside Bangkok.
Tragedies in Asia... but wow, what great reporting we had.
We were thrown into the thick of things.
And I realised I really do love the newsroom adrenalin.

I feel it a lot more here than at Reuters.
Maybe cos we were merely editing stuff at Reuters...
So our work is kinda secondary in that sense.
The sourcing and searching were all done for us.
Whereas here, we are really hunting for & putting the news out.
It's, in a more pure sense, true journalism.

I love it when things happen abruptly, and we need to react with your heart & wits.
I love that i work with such talented, highly experienced people that nothing needs to be scripted and we can go with the flow, impromptu, anytime.
These people don't need grace period, warnings or time to prepare.
They are so brilliant they can roll with it 24/7.
Within 1-2 minutes, it's all out there.

There is zero time for revisions/ scripting and at hectic moments like these, you are really only as good as the people around you.
Everyone acts fast, things buzz around... and you learn so much from their experience and calmness.

I love it that in my newsroom, the talents are as good as any can get.
I feel almost privileged to be among them, working with them and being a part of getting the news out.
This is why I feel I can never work in a local organisation anymore.
The whole work flow and thought process is just too different.
Not to say one is better than the other... just polar opposites.

And one year in, my boss finally complimented me.
Twice.
"Fabulous work", she said.
Coming from a 15-year veteran and No. 2 in my newsroom, I'll take it gladly.

childcare - to go or not to go?

Today, we brought Marco to visit a childcare centre.
It was ok, pretty pleasant and efficiently-run.
I like that things are simple and efficient here - no hype, no fuss, under the radar.
So many childcare centers over-promise and come on, you know how it is with kids.
You just will never be as great as you wanna be.
They have a mind of their own, never mind if you've planned fabulous stuff.

Another plus - the teachers are all local [ none from China, Philippines etc.]
And the kids pretty much looked ok, no unhappy sad faces.
They were learning crafts and colours and seemed to listen well to their teachers.
So althogether, a place i will certainly consider when he comes of age.

But as for now, he's still my lil boy, safe at home with Mum.

I have mixed feelings about this.
On one hand, him growing up to be a toddler frees me up a lot.
Most importantly, it means I can return to work full-time.
Which will boost our finances significantly.

But putting him in childcare so i can go back to work...
That's something I need to work on within myself.
Gotta be more pragmatic.
There are mothers who've been sending their kids at 6 months or so.
I've waited till Marco is at least 18-20 months... so I've done my part.

I just hate the health risks that comes with it.
The hand-foot-mouth outbreak is still very prevalent - every centre has its cases.
Before i go, it's already natural for me to ask: have you had a HFMD case recently?
And 90% of the time, it's a yes.
At least a fifth of students in every centre will get it.
And the younger they are... the more susceptible.
Urghhhh.... i so don't want to deal with sore spots, dehydration, fevers and all that.
It's heartbreaking.

Gotta cherish these last few months with Marco.
He's such a good boy.
I'm enjoying all our play dates out.
Everyday, after his lunch, he puts on his shoes and we'll head out.
He'll hold my car key and trot to the door.
If the weather's good, we'll go to the playground or park.
If I'm feeling cushy or the sun is too blazing, we'll go to the mall, the toy rental club or an indoor play-gym.
Saturdays, we head to my parents' place.
Sundays, we always try to do something more fun and outdoorsy with his daddy - either swimming, or kite-flying, or to the soccer field where he plays with other kids and balls, or the giant playgrounds at West Coast Park or frens' parties or... whatever I can think of.

I am loving this special period.
Of seeing him everyday. It's true mothering.
And sadly, no one else I know has this privilege to mother their kids themselves.
For everyone else, it's a struggle just to stay sane after a long work day...
So yes, i do feel very very lucky.

But this is a sacrifice that i chose.
I chose to mother my son over earning moolah.
I believe a lot of my frens have this choice too, but none can ignore the lure of money.
We're all not poor and destitute... none of us have problems putting food on the table.
It's a choice between our careers and our kids.
And that's the choice they'll have to live with.

Like the other day, i was talking to a fren with 2 kids.
I'd just reached home and she rang.
So i said i just brought Marco to the sand playground at Tiong Bahru.
And she went "wow, you do that? I never bring my kids to the playground, except on their birthdays."

I didn't know how to respond.
Marco goes to the playground like...every other day.

............. I just feel sorry for her kids.







Well, at least Marco is only 15 months now.
We're still just only 'shopping around' for suitable centres.
But the time will come, and my heart will break.

Quote

"Everything you ever want in this world is just right out of your comfort zone."

- Jennifer Aniston, 2008.

This is Glamorous - inspiration

Stumbled upon what I think may be the most beautiful blog i've seen yet:

This is Glamorous

Glorious spread of all things beautiful, stylish, romantic, kitschy & chic.

Gorgeous & very inspirational.

We all need a touch of beauty & romance in our lives, no matter how small.

And i mean the kind for yourself, not for your significant other(s).

The easiest way to do it [ for me, at least] is channeling it thru what i wear.

Find your own way!

Note: pictures all taken from her blog

The Theory of the Overdue Piggy Bank

I actually miss work.
I actually enjoy my work.
I actually can see myself going back to work 5 days a week for another good few years.

And why not?
Nice colleagues [ some, that is. The bitches and mean peeps will alwaz be there.]
Nice hours [ for now, cos i'm off the dreaded ghostly hours.]
Nice sector [ finance, which seriously piques my interest and i'm alwaz learning something new.]

So there.
Anyway, being in the thick of financial news... me and my colleagues got around to discussing our penny-pinching tips.
We are not big-time investors with cash to burn.
We are normal, average Singaporeans being thrifty.

And i thought to myself the ways i've changed.
AFTER UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF MONEY.
I understood that it's absolutely essential to save.
No, it's not something you do with extra cash & coins.
It's a mandatory portion of your salary that goes into a savings untouchable account.

I no longer buy clothes on full price.
95% of the things I buy, i get a discount for it.
It's really easy - i have privilege cards for all my favourite brands.
Those I don't have, i wait for a credit card promotion.
Or look for it at Tangs store, where i get 10% 365 days a year.
Or use my network to get someone working at the boutique to buy it at staff rates.

I can now wait for things - and understand not every item has to be mine immediately.
I can wait for the voucher to reach me, or their sale, or their members' days.

Failing which, i can always shop at Far East Plaza.
Where things are so painfully hip but blissfully affordable.
The point to note, however, is never to get fat.
Cos clothes at Far East only fit youthful, slim, nubile bods. Unfair.
Stay in shape -- your wallet will thank you for it.
If you are slim, you look good in anything.
You don't need to pay extra for 'great cuts' or 'flattering fabrics / shapes' etc.

For groceries, I shop at NTUC or Giant.
No more Cold Storage, which is exorbitant if you buy alot & cook everyday, as we do.

Also, I don't need to dine at fancy restaurants.
Cos 1, I don't eat a lot and 2, i'm not the foodie-type.
It's just a waste of money to eat bite-sized portions at fancy places.

I save my coins now, a habit Terence taught me.
Within 2-3 months, i pocket an extra $300 on average.

I've seriously changed a lot after working here.
And realised... the greatest folly my parents made, perhaps, was not to teach me [ or us] the value of money.
An absolutely essential life lesson.
I only learnt that in my mid-to-late 20s, and that is way too late in my book.
They never taught or encouraged us to save, or told us where money comes from and all that jazz.
In my younger eyes, money may as well grew on trees and fell from the sky.

I knew we were well-to-do cos our house was bigger than all my classmates'.
I knew the source of $$ [ ie: mum & dad].
What I never knew... were the important truly crucial stuff.
To me, there was little difference between $5 and $15.
What was $10? Nothing at all, just a red note you fish out for taxi rides.
I never understood VALUE, and i'm sorry for myself it came to me so late in life.
I never understood the hours and hard work my parents traded in return for the $$.

But then again, better late than never.

There are so much great stuff you can do with money.
And none of that needs to include shopping.
You can build a trust fund for your kids.
You can send your kids to great schools.
You can buy a nice house and live in a serene place.
You can buy space, tranquility, silence and peace.
You can send your child abroad in future.
You can look after your parents / grandparents and let them retire.
You can start a business.
You can travel or treat someone to a fab trip.
You can pursue the hobby you've always wanted to try.
You can go back to school.

The possibilities are endless.
In short, you may not be able to buy happiness, but you certainly can be a hell lot happier.

God Bless Me, and my piggy bank.

My Boy - 14 months

Things Marco does that totally amazes + comforts me daily:
At 14 months

[ i know it will kinda read like a brag sheet...but what the heck.... indulge me ]

- he takes his clothes to the laundry basket before he takes a shower
- he takes off his shoes by himself and puts them back in the shoe closet when we reach home
- he can take off his tee shirt by himself
- he reminds us to switch on the fans and lights when we reach home
- he plants kisses on us on demand
- he remembers to close the door before we sleep and will do it if we forget
- he pets dogs and pets and is fearless around them
- he sings to himself when bored [ if you can decipher his 'singing', that is]
- he understands 'No' and will not touch the things we tell him not to
- he waves 'hello' at almost everyone he meets, and 'bye' too
- he picks his own shorts when we are going out
- he takes his own diapers from the bag when we need to change his wet ones
- he will sit in his car seat obediently for whatever distance we are driving to
- he holds my car key ready whenever we are going to drive out

The thing about $$$

So, the economy is on a downward spiral.
But the upside is -- I'm getting a kick out of saving and cost-cutting.
It has to do with having a family.
Once you have a family, you really understand what money is all about.
For one thing, no fab, triple-star restaurant beats a meal at home.
I don't know what it is about home-cooked food and that warm fuzzy family feeling.
But i know i'm going to all lengths to create it.

And yes, i can proudly say - we eat at home everyday.
Every week, i head out for a week's worth of groceries.
Which ain't cheap.
Cos we eat well at home - fish, seafood, chicken stew, healthy veg, the works.
Funny how i don't miss eating out at all.
We don't even do it once a week... perhaps once a month.
And when we eat out, it's to savour other cuisines harder to replicate at home.
Like if we have specific cravings for Japanese or Italian or American fare.


It's true what they say -- you turn into your mum when you have your own family.
The happiest part of the day is when terence comes back and we all sit down for a hearty meal.
When Marco looks at us eat, he eats better too.
So it's a win-win situation all round.

And i want him to, one day in the near future, come back from school and know that there's always food at home.
Not just any food, but delicious, mouth-watering home-cooked Chinese fare.
And to bring his packed lunch or sandwiches to school too.

Basically... to grow up as I did.
I didn't really eat out until i was about 17-18.
Before that, i just ate at home all the time.
I knew hawkers existed, but i never knew what they sold and didn't enjoy the food.
It always tasted way too salty and oily.


Groceries ain't cheap.
After a few months of patronising Cold Storage, i gave up.
It was just too expensive.
Now wiser, I shop at Giant or NTUC.
Which is almost half the price, believe me.
I only go to Cold Storage for the organic stuff now.

And suprisingly, I really don't need all my dresses and shoes as much as i thought.
With most my days spent with Marco, when can i really dress up anyway?
It'll be ridiculous to wear anything remotely frilly to the playground or park.
Instead, i'd rather buy a great comfy lasting pair of berms than jeans.

As we get older, perhaps what we focus on also change.
Instead of 'perishables' like the latest It bag, i'd rather splurge on skincare / massages / facials.
Or save for a great trip.
I now prefer to treat myself to a day at the spa than a day shopping in town.
I feel the need to get away from the chaos and madness of city life more than before.
There are a few day spas great for escaping away - Spa Botanica at Sentosa is my fave.
Not cheap, but a real you-deserve-it treat.


I realise I can do without a lot of the things i previously lusted for.
But i can't do without whatever's linked to my family.
So my priorities have shifted 360 degrees.
Now, there are a lot worth saving for: a bigger house, Marco's classes, great trips to plan for, kids parties we wanna hold etc etc.
I much prefer life this way.
It's no longer Me, Me, Me.
But We, We, We.

A Meeting

I'm seldom nervous about meeting people.
If anything, it's one of the few things that I'm naturally good at.
But yesterday, for a split second, i felt that all-too-familiar nervy pangs.

I was meeting my ex-boyfriend Kev.

Gosh, you say.
What was I thinking?
Well, not much actually.
He's been texting me about having coffee... quite earnestly, I must add.
I thought, no harm.
I'd already totally got over him, and if anything, forgiven him.
It was all water under the bridge.
No harm staying friends.

I don't think just because he dumped me... i have to hate him forever.
Besides, the true destination of getting over failed relationships is not hating the person, but actually seeing him as himself again.
As just another guy, just another fella.
And in my case, I'd totally reached that point.
There was zero hatred, not even dislike...
He sounded like he jus wanna chat, and probably wanted to talk.
Cos apparently, his wife moved out of their marital home few months ago.
I don't mind lending him my ear, or just being a friend, at the minimal level.


So we met. At Wheelock Place.
I made sure I looked decent, but nothing over-the-top.
He came in board shorts and a tee... as casual as it gets.
It was weird... for like, 1 minute.
Then it was fine. I told you i'm good at this.

We had coffee at Coffee Bean and he talked; I listened, mostly.
He's almost through with the divorce.
They've been to court and it will be finalised in 2 months.
Their marital home will be surrendered back to HDB and he will move home with his folks.
That's the gist of it.
He's still working at Citibank, same office, same everything.
So is his wife [ which is just weird, i feel].
He thought about changing jobs, but most banks are freezing headcount now, so he'll have to wait.
His colleagues don't know about the divorce, but his boss does.
Cos it affected his work and he slipped into depression earlier this year.
And he had to let his boss know he was going through a breakdown.

I felt really sorry for him.
But i can't say this was totally unexpected.
And neither can he.
He admitted he wasn't as ready as he thought.
That there were sacrifices he couldn't make, expectations he didn't wanna achieve.

At the end of the day, he and I agreed that he's better off single.
Cos he had the same problem that i knew when i was with him.
He puts himself at the centre of his own universe, and he just can't totally commit to the demands of a steady relationship, let alone the institution of marriage.
And this is before kids! There isn't even that much to fight about!

In a nutshell, he didn't change at all.

I asked why he wanted to meet me... after so many years.
He said he always felt a certain kind of guilt towards me.
But i told him - i'm so glad it happened.
We were absolutely wrong for each other, and if we went on any longer, i could have been his wife!
I pity his wife, cos she didn't know better.
I was with him long enough to know him inside out.
He just can't give up his own pursuits, stuff he enjoys - not for anyone else.
He doesn't compromise, doesn't understand sacrifices, doesn't commit.
No one else is more important to him than himself.
And he knows that himself too. After this divorce.

There are loads of other things that went wrong, but this, i suspect, is central.
He's also immature, impressionable and just not the rock-solid stable kinda guy.
Great if you are looking for fun... but marriage??
Stay far far away.


I was intrigued by the divorce... and asked many things.
It was clear he was trying to get over it... and had probably reached a place within himself to come to terms with it.
But talking to me about it probably brought back things he didn't wanna think about.
At one point, his head hung low and he looked really really sad.
And i felt sorry for him.
There's a price to pay for everything.
And i guess... he paid his, with this wrenching divorce.

I didn't wanna press on, so we talked about other things.
He even brought along his laptop, so i could see pics of his frens.
Almost all are married, one has a 2-year-old kid even.
He'd taken up photography, so there were pics aplenty.
And he's also booked himself a solo diving trip to Krabi, just to be alone and get away from everything.
I guess that's a positive step.

I know he will be fine, that he knows how to handle this and take care of himself.
I know he will emerge fine from this harrowing episode.
But for now, I really hope he grows up.
He's 33, but I have to say, still immature.
Not knowing how to accommodate others in your life - to me, it's just plain immaturity.

It's like me in Australia... wanting things and people and the environment to adapt to me, rather than the other way round.
I learnt to grow up the hard way.
I hope he does too.

S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G!!!

#1 Vest dress with pink trim --- Alice McCall for Topshop

#2 Jersey trim dress

I went into a kinda semi-crazy/obsessive shopping mode this week.

Don't ask why.

Resurrection of my former self.

Anyway, with Xmas, D&Ds and friends' gatherings all camping in this part of the year, I have every excuse to indulge.

Twice this week, i went to Vivo mall by myself at night to shop.

Pure bliss.

Fed Marco his dinner, then waited for terence to come back... and i'm out the door.

The first nite, i bought a purple jersey Hynopsis dress + a Mango dark purple party top.

While having lunch with L the other day at Far East Plaza, i bought 2 dresses for $29.

So cheap it was unbelievable.

Then last night, the final damage was done.

I bought 2 Topshop dresses, both at $30 off.

i saved a grand $60, and it was all the cashier's mistake.

I was only supposed to get $15 off each dress, but she keyed in $30 discount each instead.

I'm not complaining.

And i wasn't completely dishonest about it -- i only realised when i reached home.

I felt it was cheaper than i thought when i left the store, but i didn't do the maths cos i was still shopping around.

Only while on the way home did I look carefully at the receipt and realised i'd bagged 2 great buys. Fantastic!

I'd just put it down to... erm, good karma?

I finally got the Alice McCall for Topshop dress that I've been waiting for so long.

It's really form-fitting, and is a limited edition capsule collection.

Very very nice.

Also tried all of the dresses under the Kate Moss for Topshop range.

Unfortunately, none felt right.

The press was right - the only person who wears it well is Ms. Moss herself.

I think the designs were all pretty good, but compromised by quality.

Her pics look divine, and one would naturally expect the dresses to be likewise.
But it was all very mediocre and disappointing.

It's already her 4th collection... and even when I'm such a big fan, I can't find a single item to purchase.

OK, i've done all the shopping i can do for November.

Next paycheck pls!!!

Some other great dresses I spotted online:

Knit bow dress - Topshop.

Haven't seen it at the boutique, but lovely and understated, no?

Great dress found - at Dorothy Perkins.

I'm definitely getting this one, it's perrrfect.

Love the dark purple -- so this season, so festive, can even wear to the office!