Hairstyle inspiration

Mdm found inspiration for my next haircut.

First farewell lunch in Chiangmai

Had my first (and hopefully last) farewell lunch. Farewells were awfully common in my previous workplace but this is like the first ever in my 9 months working here. Our team is now down to 5 (officially 3 since the 2 Johns are volunteers).

Judy is an amazing lady and probably the most interesting I have met. I'm from a place where everyone's focused on intellectual excellence, comforts chase etc. but Judy made me understand alot more about life, about being not only enthusiastic about your own but passionate about others'.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Baking cinnamon rolls for dinner tonight







I think we baked like 300 rolls in all.

Mdm is going to miss my first Thanksgiving dinner in the University but I had lotsa fun baking and helping out with the preparation.

The Thai Yakuza

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And then... me and my new geeky look!

Crafts and movies

I wouldnt mind getting a tattoo like this. It looks sooooo pretty.

Zoe In Wonderland Tattoo

And check out this amazing work: Magdalena Bors __________ We would finally be back at home today!!! Meaning, we would be living in a civilized world (i.e. with internet connection). Tuesday at home means loads of new episode for download (Supernatural, GG, Heroes, PB, all aired on Monday!). P is going to love that. We spent the last few nights at his brother's entertained by dvds we got from the rental. We managed to get some movies that we somehow didn't download and missed them in the theatres. They aren't exactly great but at least they got me glued to the screen and not get distracted. 88 minutes Pathology Gone Baby Gone (directorial debut of Ben Affleck) Mdm got a new haircut on Sunday, which was kinda different and started to depart from the bob cut (I guess). But the most interesting thing is not about me having a haircut, but P. I wanted him to get one with me on Sunday but he refused to, which made me kinda grumpy for like 5 minutes (maybe 15. hmm). Anyway, yesterday we got home to pack our clothes to bring over to his brother's and he started coiling the wires of his blades. Out of the blue, he decided to shave his head clean. So over at his brother's we spent an hour or so brutally shaving his precious crown. He stunned a few this morning but I thought the new look is kinda cute. He actually looked like a Japanese yakuza. LOL. Pictures up soon. =)

Reading

How To Take Responsibiltiy Of Happiness Into Your Own Hands.

Sunday's Child

Of yummy Taiwanese food/snacks

米腸
肉腸
愛玉冰
芒果冰
青草茶
甜不辣
萬巒豬腳
冰糖醬鴨
涼麵
戴記臭豆腐
蚵仔煎
六安堂
烏骨雞
鐵蛋
紫藤廬
鹽酥雞
牛肉乾
肉丸
碗稞

and this.


All recommended by Miss Candice. We haven't seen her since our wedding last July and sadly, we couldn't catch up with her in Taiwan cos she would have left and be back at home for her white Christmas!!! =((


P's brother and his wife were off to Japan since Tuesday and we have been staying over at his place (as usual). And because we have nothing much to do over there (having consumed all movies/dramas), we went to bed at 10 plus (which is a record). I got up fresh as a lemon this morning (and so did P, who was not displaying any sign of his usual grumpiness).


Sidetracking,I met some foreigners who tried conversing with me in Thai and was kinda taken aback when I replied in English. For my past 1.5 years in Thailand, I have always been mistaken as a Thai (at times Burmese, Filippino) but never as a Singaporean. And at yesterday's meeting, my boss introduced me as his "Chinese staff" and this really made me felt uncomfortable cos it sounded like I'm from China (which is nothing disgraceful but as a patriotic Singaporean, I would rather be known as a Singaporean) .

About being spiritually poor

Didnt really have the time to sit down and blog about my last few very busy days at work (which is by the way, quite rare). Anyway, Mdm is supposed to be rushing for some deadlines but I'm waiting for inputs from other departments and so ... ya. Here I am again.

Our office entertained 3 visitors from UBCHEA (which is like our main funder) on 2 separate occasions (1 on Friday and 2 on Monday). Although it was supposed to be a formal visit, it turned out to be quite enjoyable. And really, I appreciate this opportunity. I met people who are passionate about work and life, and don't look at dollars and cents the way I have in the past 20 over years. These people do not speak as though the earth revolve around themselves and have great faith in life.

Anyway, check out the ladies here, preparing Judy's apple pie for the guest during tea break (which is yummy, as usual)


At the end of these visits, I started rounds of self-questioning (again). At one point, I actually told P that I felt kinda unimportant and that my life doesn't seem as meaningful and fulfilling as I want it to be.

Nevermind about what P said (cos it's definitely NOT encouraging).

Kim Jong II in Team America

Had a busy day at work on Friday, spent a day in the mall on Saturday (shopping and finally catching a movie, i.e. 007), stayed in for the whole on Sunday and today was another busy day at work.

P and I had a great time watching Team America. Seriously, I cannot recall why and how I missed this movie. It's hilarious and it did keep me well entertained. It's for anyone who needs a good laugh. Check out Kim Jong II's part (and his "herro"):





I don't think Kim Jong II will be happy about this.

A very good piece of news on a lazy friday

This is certainly a piece of news that's worth celebrating.

Rantings in PMS-ing mode

Mdm is sooooo sleepy now. Our Loy Krathong party ended late last night and by the time we sent off our last guest and were ready to retire for the night, it was already 2 plus am. Mdm got up grumpily this morning and ranted about having a sudden impulse to tender. My self motivation has significantly diminished.

I wonder how many married couples can actually blend in seamlessly with their partner's family. It has been 1.5 years but the awkwardness hasn't subsided yet (especially so with my well-respected in-laws). So before P's friends arrived, I brilliantly busied myself BBQ-ing for the rest. I must have done it for hours but was actually glad to be doing it. Everything would be much better if not for the language barrier but I am starting to suspect that there are other forces at work (like age differences, cultural differences etc). Frankly, thinking of these makes me sad.

Nevermind.

Of Singapore having a new citizen and China losing one

As expected, the Chinese are infuriated by this

In any situation that I would have to give up my citizenship, please do not ever label me a traitor. It is afterall just a piece of paper.

Scrabble cushions

It's starting to get chilly over here in Chiangmai. The last time I checked, the day temperature was 21 degrees C and the night temperature fell to 15 degrees C. It's not super uber cold and the most it would get is probably a few degrees lower but it's enough to make my nose uncomfortable. What is really irritating about this weather is it is not cold enough for you to get into a thick fluffy jacket and it makes me feel sleepy all the time.

It's the second day of Loy Krathong and it is definitely quieter this year than the last. Sounds from fireworks start getting faint even before midnight.

Check this out

Kusudama Tutorial
Wordplay

What do you want to be when you grow up

I was having my usual weekly Chinese tuition class with my elder niece (T) and somehow, we started discussing about travelling. T was telling me how much she would like to travel around the world when she's a grown-up (she's only 12). The girl invited me to do a one-month trip with her cos she thought I would be a very useful travel companion (given that I can speak both English and Mandarin). Anyway, she went on rattling about wanting to be an air stewardess so that she can both work and fulfill her travelling dreams. It was hard for me to explain my feelings about hearing this from a 12-year-old but I knew for sure that I felt very touched.

I remembered I told someone once that I wanted to be a lawyer, reason not being I really want to, but I was kinda embarassed by my aunt's "what do you mean you don't have an ambition?". I blurted "Lawyer." just to end the topic on a celebratory note. As compared to MM (who had wanted to be a nurse, policewoman, teacher etc.), I didn't ever seem to really want anything. I was too busy trying to be good at things I don't even know why I have to be good at them for.

Thinking back, I think I might have them, but I didn't have the courage to actually pursue what might seem not to be right for me.

4th break-in in school!!!

Mr Boss called early this morning... My office got broken into!!!

I was like "oh my god! oh my god!" then rushed down to the school to realize that the baddies only managed to remove the door knob. The laptops remained in the metal cabinet. *PHEW*. To give you a clearer picture of how security is an issue here, this is the 4th break-in in our building this year!!! (The first few were not as fortunate).

And... this is not my first encounter. P's car stereo got stolen when I drove the car to attend my Thai class last year. When they say never take it (security) for granted, they are not kidding.

Bangkok overdose

Finally... It's FRIDAY!!! And coming next week is the famous Loy Krathong Festival (celebrations starting from 8 November)! If you ask me, the only thing I really hate about Loy Krathong is the sleepless nights. This year would be different from last since I am working and couldn't afford to climb out of bed in the afternoon. Nevermind, I'll be getting ready with my ear plugs.

Mdm would be making a trip to BKK again next month and this time Mdm would be meeting up with the crazy trio (the same cousins who were supposed to send me off to the airport in Feb but couldn't get their sleepyheads off the pillow). I guess this trip would be lots of fun (since the crazy trio are young, energetic and full of nonsense). Mdm is thinking of taking a 7-hour bus ride down to BKK for the first time and the reasons being

1. For the experience since I suppose it would be a rare chance for me to take scenic (I suppose) rides (cos my husband is uber against taking long bus rides);
2. It's going to be cheaper (The airtickets would be approximately 4000-5000 baht for a return trip (meaning about SGD200). The cost of domestic travel here is crazy)

Anymore BKK trip is going to make me puke.

If you haven't realized how fast time has past, we are welcoming 2009 in less than 2 months. Just the other day, I was thinking about doing something different this year, i.e. to have new resolutions for the coming year (something that I don't think I have ever done in my life). I thought I should use these two months to think about new directions in my life (which I need quite badly).

The women of Middle East

Middle Eastern vs Western World 1

Middle Eastern vs Western World 2

extract:

I came across this picture on Flickr.com and I was so shocked I forgot to save the source’s name…

Just look at these two young women from Middle East - what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Women of the Middle East Shopping:

Repressed? Unhappy? Overruled by men?

I don’t think so… They look so fabulous and so confident I swear I wanted to be in their shoes for a moment there!

Those bags, those accessories, those sunglasses, that hot manicure - they actually look much more sophisticated than many and many (and again - many…) women of the “free world”!

Don’t you think?

__________

Mummy told me that this aunt of mine was uber shocked when she was told that I just made a trip to Dubai (and so was C). Anyway, I came across the above articles this morning, while feeding myself my daily staple of reads from Prettysocial. I thought it would give a clearer picture of what is going on there (as compared to the presumptions we have of that part of the world).

About aging parents

Just something that has been on my mind forever, check out this article I came across on fabulously40.com. The second paragraph perfectly voices out my thoughts and it's something that we have to deal with, and learn how to deal. I am not very sure if I can handle that given our physical distance. I cannot imagine getting home one day to find my dad's head covered with grey hair and that I am going to miss out a huge part of his aging process.

On a happier note, I have gotten my paycheck for my first batch of translated documents! I am 2700 baht richer this week! It's not a huge amount of money, but Mdm is satisfied. =)

__________

My Parents Are Aging

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

By Yana Berlin

Parenting Our Parents

Today’s blog deals with a sad topic, but one we all must deal with sooner or later—aging parents.

It’s amazing how time flies. As children, we’re dependent upon our parents for virtually everything in life. The next thing you know, we’re all grown up, giving our parents advice, telling them what to do and trying to organize their lives. The amazing thing is that they actually listen and sometimes even comply.

I was always very proud of having the youngest parents around. My parents got married and had me when they were barely 18. It was wonderful growing up with young parents, and I feel blessed to have them still relatively young next to my children and I. However, most of my friends are not as fortunate. Their parents tend to be much older, and the years take their toll. As a result, I get to watch how they struggle to take care of their parents while balancing their own lives.

In my culture, a nursing home is not an option. So as we strive to live our best lives by being the best in everything, it is becoming harder then ever to cater to ailing parents and still be there for our children and spouses. What can we do? The answer lies in planning ahead.

We all know that some things are inevitable, and just as we plan for our retirement, we must think of our parents’ final years as well. Some of our parents are financially well off and have provided for their care. But for those who didn’t, it’s our job as children to make sure that when the time comes, we’re prepared to take care of them as they took care of us, until the very last day.

Talk About the Financials

I want to share with you a sad but funny story I recently heard.

A friend’s grandfather – who is very wealthy – decided to open a CD without saying a word to anyone. He transferred all his money into a high-yield CD with ridiculous penalties for early withdrawal. When the grandmother came upon a paper with a maturity date of 2034, she immediately contacted her son-in-law. After a few calls to the bank, he confirmed that grandpa had indeed locked away all his money for the next 28 years.

The question is – why did he do it? His daughter is in her ‘60s and his only grandson is in his ‘40s. Clearly they could use the money when grandpa finally passes away. The answer had to do with the misguided intentions of grandpa. At 92, he knows he will not live forever, but he believes his children will. So it seemed like a good long-term decision to put the money away until they “really need it.”

Please talk to your parents and get their finances straight while they are alive. If necessary, bring in a CPA or financial planner to help with the process. Above all, make sure they have a power of attorney in place for their finances and for their medical wishes. Making these kinds of decisions before they are forced upon you will save all kinds of heartache and legal problems when you least need them.

Through it all, the hardest part is learning to care for those who cared for us as children. Even when we grow up and have children of our own, we still consider ourselves children while our parents are alive. It is only after they have left us that we become real adults and assume the mantle of “elder generation.”

For the past year, a very dear friend of mine has been struggling to take care of her sick father. Even with the help of three sisters it has been no easy task. Recently she asked me a poignant question for which I had no answer: How come one parent can take care of four kids, but four kids are unable to take care of one parent?

I’ll be thinking about that one for a long time to come.

Living on our own

P and I were at this development project yesterday afternoon. One of our friends is launching her project soon and would like to check the sale price of her competitors. So there we were, posing as potential buyers. At the end of that, I told P that I really liked one of the houses we saw and my hubby actually told me that if we were really keen, we could reconsider our plan to buy a house in Sg and get our own little nest in Thailand. Frankly, the two purchases wouldn't be at conflict at all and we wouldn't have any problem coming up with the downpayment for the Thai house. At 3 million baht, the house is a really good deal (both in Sg and Th terms) and considering that the flat we are getting in Sg is merely 3-room, the 2 properties would add up to cost less than a 4-room flat in Sg. The affordability is manageable.

Anyway, it was very sweet and nice of him. Something popped up in my head and I was concerned to be the first couple in their family to (have the intention) move out of his dad's property. I doubt his siblings, who are way older than us, ever have this on their mind. P thought his dad should see that coming since eventually we would be having our own kids and having the whole extended family staying under one roof simply makes things get out of hand a little. Frankly, I didn't have any issues over the past year (and language barrier has been the perfect reason for me to coup up in the room as much as I like on days that I feel anti-social but then again, I swear I have been as sociable as I could. Seriously, who wouldn't want to remove the mask and take a good break and rest after a long day at work). Although we have been living under the same roof with his sis, 2 nieces and nanny, we very much seem to live on our own. And to be fair, P and I have been nice people to live with over the past year. We clean our own dishes (and others), do not leave shit for others, share everything possible, etc. The only problem might be our anti-social behaviour at times (i.e. couping up in our room after dinner).

The thought of moving out on our own flashes in my mind once in a while but we rarely sit down to discuss about this seriously. First, there isn't the need cos like I mentioned umpteen times before, Plan B is still an unplanned plan. Secondly, I don't really want P to be all stressed out. But then again, after yesterday, I realized that he actually would like to move out as much as I do. When you weigh the pros and cons of moving out on our own, it really wouldn't be difficult for anyone to see how the pros outweigh the cons.

Pros
Not getting awaken by Beethoven wannabes at 7am in the morning, not feeling like a lazy bum when I get up late on weekends, not having to open the fridge and be greeted by overflowing food (and junk), not having to clean up the shit after the kids and their not so smart dad (which totally pisses P off cos the exposed food attracts rats), not having to obligatorily eats dinner with the rest of the family when we feel like munching in front of the TV, having a room ready for my folks and save them from all the awkwardness when they visit.

Cons
Having to pay for everything (from house loan to utilities), i.e. money, money, money.

And after our visit yesterday, I think the pros list just keeps getting longer and longer.

The trouble with kids (parents)

I suspect the kids have great fear for their uncle (i.e. my hubby).

I was happily playing RCT last week when the kids barged in (which only happens when P's not in), saw what's on my computer screen, and coaxed me into letting them play the game. They liked it so much that they stayed for hours, then managed to (I don't know how) get their dad to upgrade their PCs since the game requires better specs than the old machine. P was kinda unhappy about how things turned out and told the kids that he DELETED the game when they finally got their new machines last Tuesday. So after much trouble, they didn't get to enjoy RCT.

Fast forward. The kids' dad came back yesterday (he works in some place 3 hours away from Chiangmai and only comes back on Friday and stays over the weekend) and the kids pestered their dad to get RCT for them (which he couldn't since shops were already closed at 8pm). Anyway, the kids managed to get some demo version online. And... the elder kid refused to attend tuition classes since she wanted time to explore her new game (and computer).

Just a moment ago, their dad spoke to me and wanted me not to share any games with them (which I didn't cos they actually BARGED in and saw it on my screen). So now the dad plays the good guy, supplying the kids with whatever they want (from expensive watches, ipods, cameras to whatever shit you can imagine (as long as they see that others have them) and others play the villian.

Like it's our fault.