♥ Silver Sister 银姐2010

I went back to work and discovered the following:
- that we ran out of 4-feet fluorescent tubes (lighting)
- that one staff room ran out of photocopier toners
- that A is not talking to B
- that C argues with D and E
- that some equipment cables have gone 'walking'
- that some invoices still get misdirected
- that the airconditioning for certain rooms still get 'mysteriously' turned off
- that X got transferred and is replaced by Y
- that P and Q celebrated their birthdays this week!

I also got many hugs, and comments such as "Welcome back" and "We missed you". Only one staff member said I looked pale and whether I was well. Two matured members told me to take it easy and look after myself well. The rest of my colleagues said I look "well", "better" and even "Did you get a makeover?" Only two staff members gave me the cold shoulder.

And all these happened in 4 days!

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

5:11 PM

On 21 February 2008 (Thursday), my father and I met with the renovation contractors.

They will be responsible for the following works:

tiling living room and all bedroom floor
painting living room and all 3 bedrooms
making and installing kitchen cabinet
fixing all electrical works including ceiling fan, water heater
fixing all other fixtures e.g. bathroom cabinet and FOC dish-drying rack

We were also ferried to the sub-contractors' place. The first stop was to choose floor tiles. The second stop was to choose all lighting and electrical appliances i.e. lighting for living room, 3 bedrooms, passageway, 2 bathrooms, storeroom plus ceiling fan. The third stop was to choose kitchen and bathroom accessories i.e. cooker (without hood), kitchen sink, kitchen tap, bathroom cabinet with mirror.

We have already paid in full for the kitchen/bathroom accessories; a token for lighting and electrical appliances.

We will have to pay an instalment to the main contractor and to decide on wall colour and kitchen material on Saturday.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

2:39 AM

On 16 February 2008 (Saturday), my father and I went to Lorong 4 and Lorong 7 to look at furniture. This time, we also had my daughter coming along. We finally booked a single bed and a two-door wardrobe for my brother.

Then, my daughter returned home. My father and I continued to walk to Lorong 8 to look at some plastic things e.g. pedal bin, shoe rack and chest of drawers.

This adventure is 'punctuated' by breakfast, tea-break and lunch.

On 19 February 2008 (Tuesday), my father and I took bus service 163 to a shopping centre. We collected two free gifts from a promotion. Then we window-shopped till he bought a contour pillow for $29. It was supposed to be a bargain. The salesperson claimed that its usual price is $37.

This second adventure is 'punctuated' by lunch and afternoon tea-break.

After all this walking, I feel that my blood circulation has improved. My left leg does not feel numb. So I have not worn the compression stockings for about a week already.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

7:38 PM

On the next day, I went out with my father again.

This time, we went to a nearby furniture mall. Then walked to the next market place for lunch. Later, we went to Central and looked at more furniture. (You see, my father will be moving house soon and he needs to replace some of his furniture).

Upon coming home, I showered and napped! Still good for half a day only. Hmm... really, need to build up stamina for a full-day's work.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

5:52 PM

My father believes in walking as an exercise. If possible, he walks. For example, he walks from his place to mine (one bus stop away); from his place to Central where the MRT station, bus interchange, etc are located. So he does not use the feeder service. He only uses trunk services for further destinations.

On 11 February, besides going downstairs for breakfast, I also went out with my father.

We went for lunch and then to Ang Mo Kio to look at some furniture and later went to see some sample units that HDB put up for viewing.

We spent about 4 hours. I slept before 9pm - really pooped!

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

5:45 PM

After four days of merry-making, my daughter and I have to stay at home so that she can finish her homework.

Meanwhile, there was still "Spider-Man" and "I Not Stupid 2" on the television.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

5:58 PM

On the third day of Chinese New Year, we usually do not go visiting.

So my daughter and I decided to go to a movie. We went to Orchard Cinema hoping to catch "27 Dresses" in the afternoon but it was all sold out. Undaunted, we tried our luck at Lido Cinema and met with the same result. So we decided to support local talent by watching "Ah Long Pte Ltd".

It is best that whatever you, do not have any expectations. I went without expecting very much but I was greatly entertained. The show had a generous dose of dialect. My daughter has never heard so much swear words delivered in dialect before!

After that, we went to my father's place to pick my son who had gone to visit his grandfather, which was his Saturday routine. We stayed for dinner instead and left after 9pm.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

8:23 PM

The first stop was to my father's place. My brother has a pretty little basket to put the mandarin oranges. The basket is a gift from his company.

The second stop was to my husband's best friend's place. His wife cooked a buffet spread. There was white rice, fried bee hoon, curry yong tao foo, two types of fish balls, and all sorts of fried stuff. The highlight for my daughter was that she got to carry a baby relative of the host. She was all of four months old!

The third stop was to the Botanic Gardens. We saw many foreigners: caucasians as well as mainland Chinese. I love the souvenir shop there. It stocks many unusual items e.g. its wrapping paper. This time the motif was batik printing, which was very realistic, like a piece of cloth. Previously, I bought some wrapping paper which featured wild animals. I gave it away to a childcare centre because the students there loved it very much.

By 6pm, I was very sleepy. But we still went for dinner, home for shower and watched "Shanghai Knights" on the television. I slept at 10pm - satisfied and happy after a tiring but eventful day.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

6:17 PM

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year - Year of the Rat. Coincidentally, it is also my son's 16th birthday.

We wore our new clothes and brought two oranges to my in-laws' place to 'bai nian'. My brothers and sisters-in-laws plus their children were already there. We gave 'ang pow' to all the children as well as my parents-in-laws. This year, the ang pows were especially colourful. Besides the usual red, we also have gold and yellow ang pows.

This year, my youngest sister-in-law (my husband's brother's wife) became the 'assistant cook'. She deep-fried all the stuff that needed to be deep fried. My father-in-law stir-fried bee hoon, spinach with abolone, etc. My sister-in-law even made a mango pudding and some jelly. They looked really pretty and I suggested that she took snapshots of them before the rest 'attack' the food. So she used her telephone to take photos of the puddings.

The men gathered to talk about their favourite topic - politics. The women also had their little talk in one of the bedrooms. We admired each others' new outfits and took turns to examine and ooh-and-aah over my sister-in-law's 'Hilly' handbag.

I asked my nephews and nieces about studying in polytechnics. Only one nephew completed junior college and is most probably going to the local university after his stint of National Service. Another niece is finishing her external degree after having worked for a few years after finishing polytechnic. They are good kids.

Then the teenagers sat down to a game of mahjong. One nephew played electronic games while another read the last instalment of "Harry Potter". This bored my youngest nephew who will be 11 years old this year. So he busied himself entertaining others. He had already prepared some 'lucky draw tickets'. He wrote some words and blanked them out with correction tape. For example, when my ticket was held against the light, I could read 'altitude'. He used a piece of paper rolled up as a loud hailer and said the winning ticket is 'altitude' so I got to choose a prize from amongst an array of paint-brushes. I gamely chose one and was further rewarded with a fortune cookie which I promptly ate. Inside the cookie was a piece of paper with four digits - implying that we should bet on 4-D!

I am so glad for this yearly get-together. We see each other's children growing up. We exchange tips. We eat together. We play together. Basically, we support each other. We are family!

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

6:24 PM

On 6th February 2008, we had our Reunion Dinner at my in-laws' place.

We sat down to a delicious dinner prepared by my father-in-law. Then my in-laws gave my children 'ya sui' money which they were supposed to put under their pillows for good luck.

Then, we went home. The children were supposed to sleep late to increase their parents' life. Anyway, I slept at 9pm.

I am just very thankful that I can make it to the Reunion this time after my health scare.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

6:19 PM

I went shopping with my daughter again. We went to the same place except we took four hours - double yesterday's timing.

I had to sit down twice. First, we sat down in the library after an hour's walking. Then, two hours later, we sat down to lunch. I discovered that I was still not used to the sights and sounds of a very busy Toa Payoh Central preparing for Chinese New Year celebrations in three days' time.

I bought a pair of slippers for my son and a pair of shoes and socks for my daughter. We bought another pound cake since my son took a liking to them after yesterday's trial.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

10:37 PM

On Saturday, I decided to venture a little further.

So I roped in my daughter's help and off we went to Toa Payoh Central on the feeder service. We bought two pound cakes and some stationery for her art lesson. I was happy to find the bookshop almost desolated as everyone seemed busy with Chinese New Year shopping and is giving this bookshop a miss, for once. Then, we went home.

We took two hours in all. I was tired when I got home so I took a three-hour nap to recover.

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

10:29 PM

After a one-week self-imposed exile from the world, I have ventured out of the house on 1 February 2008 (Friday).

I went downstairs for breakfast. My husband of few words said to me before I left the house: "Walk slowly".

I was happy to see the hawkers and the shopkeepers. One hawker asked if I was on leave. I told her I was off work on that Friday, as were other Fridays.

Besides feeling a little disoriented, I am all right. I wonder if other people who have been away from society feel the same way - the prisoners who were released, the patients who were discharged after a long period of confinement?

silver sister 银姐2010 ~ ! <3

10:22 PM