The year is coming to a close....

... and so is my first month at work! Let's say it has been interesting. People in my dept are great to work with, but I have to say that it is quite often an empty office as everyone is busy at their various customer sites. The main customer I deal with currently is a really good one too - easy to work with, and very pleasant people. Only two urgent issues got raised in the past two weeks, and both of them were handled and resolved, though some follow up action is required. Enuff said about work!

I have got my beautiful little Toyota Sera now. Still have to fix the windscreen and the hydraulic arms that hold up the doors, but they have to be ordered from Japan and wont be in till Feb next year at the earliest. Also trying to decide whether to repaint the car or not. Right now it is a silvery colour, and Husband is trying to convince me to change it to Red (the colour of the Sera I used to have in SG). Anyway, while I wait to get the final bits done, and think about whether to paint it or not, I drive my pretty little car to and from work - and it is a helluva lot cheaper than driving our big car. RM55 for a full tank of gas, and it has been 1.5 weeks since I filled up the tank, and I still have a quarter tank left. Well, I guess that is the advantage of a 1500cc engine, as opposed to the 4700cc engine on our big car. I've also taken to leaving the office at 5.30pm sharp, as it then only takes me 35 minutes to get home, as opposed to 1.5 hours if I leave later. Mind you, I come home and connect up to the company vpn, and my company phone is active 24 hours, so I guess it doesn't make a huge amount of difference where I am.

Xmas is now over too, and we had a great time! Husband and I were at my parents in PJ by Sat afternoon. #1 niece and #1 nephew had been in PJ since Thursday, and their cousin (my sister-in-laws niece#1) had been there since Friday. Brother and Sis-in-law turned up on Sat evening. Sister & her two boys, and my parents, and Nieces and Nephew went for the carol service, while Husband, myself, Brother and Sis-in-law went to our favourite pub (Decanter, in D'sara Heights), and had dinner and a couple of drinks. Got home after 11pm, expecting everyone else to have already arrived home from church, and were surprised to find that we got home earlier than they did!

Sunday was spent in cooking (the maids did the work, supervised by my Mum and Sis-in-law), shopping, snoozing (Husband) and reading (me). The entire family were together in PJ by 6.00pm and the noise level went up correspondingly. Lots of talking, laughing and yelling. Sister brought along two chickens for roasting, as part of our Xmas Eve get-together dinner - and BOY did we have a feast! It is at times like this that I am truly grateful for the maids that my sis and sis-in-law bring along - they are such a big help, and definitely deserve the ang-pows that we all give them!

Anyway, we dragged dinner out as long as we could, just to torture the kids who were just waiting to open their Xmas pressies, but, what to do, dinner had to come to an end eventually, and the pressies got totally stripped of their wrapping - resulting in 5 totally thrilled kids :-) It was good fun!

Xmas day itself is always quiet - my parents hopped off to church nice and early. The rest of us slept late, but woke up in time for appam and chicken curry breakfast at 9.00am... followed by a humungous lunch! Our good friend, K, and her husband (B) turned up for lunch, plus one of my Brother's doctor friends and his wife and son, as well as Sis-in-laws brother and his two boys.

Brother et al left for Melaka around 3.00pm, followed soon after by Husband and I - after we finished washing up the last couple of dishes (the maids had done most of it), and vacuumed up the messy floor in the dining room.

In the evening Husband and I met up with some of my friends for dinner at Khaana Peena (in Mont'Kiara plaza). Sat and yakked from 7.30 to 10.30 and, of course, ate too much again. We both had a really good time! Didn't realise that it was so late. Of course, didn't sleep too well after that as we were both too full.... and had to get up for work this morning. Mind you, it was an easy day, so I'm not exactly complaining!

Now we are in the last week of this year, and heading helter-skelter into 2007. We dont really have anything planned for New Years Eve, other than being together, which is the most important thing for us. We may go out for a meal, or we may just put our feet up at home and relax. There is nothing that I would rather do than spend the time with Husband!

Anyway, to all of you out there who read my blog - I pray for you that the year 2007 will be full of blessings, joy, and love, and that it is the BEST YEAR YET.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

First week at work over!

Yep, I have been working for a whole week now! It has been pretty interesting so far - though I doubt that my first week is typical of what the rest of the weeks are going to be like. Some of you have been asking me what exactly I do... well, it's like this. The company I work with has several MAJOR clients who are big enough to warrant having several people (called ESD Managers) globally, dedicated to just THEM. My base of operations is APAC/Japan, with focus on just three clients. So far, my first few days at work has been concentrating exclusively on one such client - meeting them at their various offices, getting to know them, identifying ways we can work together to make sure their needs are met, etc. Next week and the following weeks I should be meeting up with the other two clients who I have been allocated to.

People in the office are interesting, and generally pretty helpful too. The department I am in has a wonderful lady (let's call her "L") who looks after everyone in the department - my first day at work she had sorted my desk, my supplies, a temp laptop (while waiting for my new one to be delivered), instructions on how to use the phone, where things are, etc. The office is physically located right smack in the most traffic-jammed area of town, right near KLCC. Morning traffic is OK - takes me about half an hour from home to office. Evening traffic seems pretty OK EXCEPT on Fridays when the whole area is like a major car park. Mind you, last Wednesday was BAD! It had been raining pretty much the whole day, and there were flash floods and downed trees. I left the office at 6.15pm, and eventually got home 1.5 hours later. Sigh......

My main boss is based in KL (and he really is a good boss to have), but I also have two lady bosses - one from the US and one from SG. They were in KL last week, so had the opportunity to get to know them a bit. Nice people! They are sorting out various trainings I should be going through as well, to try and get me up to speed on the job in the shortest time possible.

Enuff about me. Husband has been busy at home as well - getting our cosy little apartment into shape in terms of setting up our STUDY properly, putting in proper desks and bookshelves to keep the one million and one things that we have accumulated over the years. Well, to be more precise, the one million and one cables, wires, music books, camera items, computer items, music related items, etc, that beloved Husband has accumulated! As of today the study is pretty much done and it does look rather good. Next step is the guest bedroom - to put in two decent cupboards, dismantle and discard the old single cupboard and dresser, and paint the wall where it was. Final step is to get rid of all the old cupboards and tables, and to give away a 6-seater dining table that we had in the master bedroom which I was using as my study table. Now that my husband has the study itself sorted out, I've moved all my stuff out of the master bedroom and into the study, so the dining table can now be given away and we have much more space in the master bedroom (probably to clutter it up with other stuff instead).

So, folks, we are getting settled in and sorted out, and should be ready to receive guests in the not too distant future. Just let us know when you are coming, so we can make sure there are no clashes in schedules with other visitors :-)

We also had a GREAT get-together with the whole gang from my last company in KL ("T"). It was almost literally a laugh-a-minute. I enjoyed working with all of them, and if there is one thing I can thank that company for, it is for giving me the opportunity to get to know this bunch of people, and for giving me the chance to claim them as friends. Both Husband and I had a lot of fun, and we are already looking forward to the next get-together.

Till next time, take care, and may the days ahead be filled with joy and blessings.

Starting work... TOMORROW!

Well, we arrived back in KL Sunday evening and were awfully anti-social since then... didn't even dropped by to say Hi to my parents the first couple of days - more because we are both very very tired - not having slept at all well the last two weeks in SG... so we have been catching up on sleep, rest, and some errands.

Husband quit work as of end October..... and, due to the way the apartment lease was written (a standard in SG), we have to keep the apartment till end-Feb.... We have two of our good friends (a Dutch/Scottish couple) who were coming to SG for a LONG break from Europe and since we are going to be in and out of SG, and will be using our apartment there only off and on (and more by Husband than by me), they will be staying as our guests, and keeping an eye on the apartment for us.

Anyway, early November Husband and I had already made two flying visits back to KL, just loading up our car (and our friends car once) with all our stuff to bring back. Which was already tiring - "flying" journeys when one is actually driving 4 hours there and 4 hours back are TIRING! Then we headed back to KL again on 11th Nov, returning to SG on 15th... we did not actually plan to drive back to KL again - but then, something interesting happened.

I used to have a little red Toyota Sera 6 years ago in Singapore (to see what it looks like, go to Google, and key in Toyota Sera, and check out the images!!). We sold it when I joined my last workplace in SG, since Husband was in the same office building and it did not make sense to have two cars! Well, Husband knows I love that car, and we have been keeping an eye open for one for the last few months... and, believe it or not, on Friday 17th Nov, I got home after yoga, looked up the Malaysian Motor Trader web site, and there was a Sera for sale, at a dealers in an area called Sungai Buloh which is about 30 minutes drive from our KL apartment... so Husband said "Pack up, let's go".. and we did. Packed up the car again with lots of stuff (particularly our bowling balls!!) and drove back to KL on 17th afternoon, arriving at night. Saturday we went to the dealers, and put a downpayment on the car, then drove back to SG early Sunday morning.. in time to make sure that we were back at our SG apartment before our friends from Europe turned up. That was, to put it mildly, an exhausting weekend.

Heniway, 20th to 24th Nov, I was busy with my friend, K, helping out at a conference that she was involved in organising for the National Institute of Education in Singapore. 25th was a birthday dinner for our Irish friend Tony... then on 26th we got ourselves onto the 2.00pm MAS flight back to KL. It landed late - weather was bad over the airport, so the plane had to maintain a holding pattern, and by the time it landed it was 3.30pm. We got home by 4.30pm!

Up early on Monday morning - to go to the bank to get money out to pay for the car, met the dealer with the Sera in tow, at the bank, went with him to HIS bank (right near our bank) to deposit the money, collected the Reg card, the insurance paper, the receipt, and drove the car straight to our regular maintenance people (They are Toyota and Lexus specialists) and have left it there for them to check out and do whatever is required to get it into shape. The body is in good shape, but it is a 16 year old car, so there is a lot to be checked in terms of engine, brakes, aircon, new radio, gear box (it is an auto), lights, overhaul, hydraulic arms (that hold up the gull wing doors), etc. It will probably take about 2 to 3 weeks to get things done, and in fact some parts have to come from Japan and that could take up to 3 months.... It is a silvery grey-blue colour.

We had also left our Lexus with a car dealer to see if it could be sold (actually, another reason was that we just did not want to leave it in the condo carpark as people notice when a car is not moved and they know that the owners are not at home!!)... anyway, interestingly, there is one guy who wants to buy the car, but could only get a loan of RM150K, which leaves him RM20K short that he would have to top up on his own (not counting the RM15K he has already coughed up for the deposit, insurance, etc). Heniway, he is in the process of 'mobilising' his funds to get the cash and that is gonna take a couple of weeks, so the dealer agreed we could take the car back and continue using it... and if the fella gets his money together, well and good... if not, well and good also!! As we would be quite happy either way!

Tuesday morning we went to Malaysian Immigration to put in the application to extend Husband's work permit (it expires on 16th Dec), and we were amazed that it went so smoothly - we got there at 9.30am, and we were out of there by 9.45am. It was unbelievably fast, smooth, and FRIENDLY!.

Wednesday early morning we drove the Lexus to SG, to pick up a painting that we could not fit into our SG hired car (the painting is 1.1m x 1.1m, and approx 3cm thick, not including the packaging) and we just could not get it into the Merc - not into the back seat, and not into the boot either. The Lexus is big enough to take it in though, so we drove in on Wed, picked up the painting around noon, had lunch, then drove straight back out again.

Something really interesting happened when we drove INTO SG. At the Immigration, when I inserted the Autopass card, for my car, into the reader, it showed ERROR. When I asked the Imm officer, he checked, then said..."When did your road tax expire last?" and I said 15th Feb 2006, but I renewed it. He then said, "Obviously you have not driven this car in Singapore since then". Apparently SG programs the Autopass card to reflect the cars road tax expiry. If you enter SG after the road tax is expired, the LTA must check to see that you have renewed your road tax first, and then they update the Autopass card to reflect the next expiry date. So, we got our Autopass updated, and LTA confirmed also that this was the first trip into SG this year for our car and that we have 10 free days still left to drive in SG.

NEXT, we get to Customs, no hassle there, but just as we were about to leave, we got stopped by an officer who tells us that our car has THREE outstanding summons in SG!! We were flabbergasted, as we go out of our way NOT to break laws in SG (or anywhere else for that matter!). Anyway, we parked our car, followed the guy, and he took us to the duty officer who showed us the records for the three summons. Would you believe, the offenses were committed on 18th, 20th, 22nd Feb 2006 - and we both IMMEDIATELY knew it was not our car - as we have been living in SG as legal residents since 6th Feb, and we are NOT ALLOWED to bring a Malaysian car into SG at all!! and, in fact, our car (as LTA had just confirmed) had never been driven into SG in 2006, prior to 29th Nov! So, to cut a long story short, the officer gave us the details, told us who to write to and appeal, and let us through. He also advised us not to pay if we are absolutely sure it is not us, and he said that until this matter is cleared up, whenever we exit or enter SG, we will be stopped again. Enuff said.

Heniway, the last piece of news is that I start work with a major MNC on Friday 1st Dec (which makes it a nice short week), but next week already promises to be a busy one. I will be in Cyberjaya on Monday for meetings, and in Penang on Tuesday for more meetings - all with one of the key customers of the organisation I will be working for, whom I will be managing here in Malaysia.. .

Well, that's our story for now.... I will keep my blog updated as and when I can... but have no idea what my time is going to be like once I start work. Wish me luck :-)

Are we almost at the year end ALREADY?

Where does the time go, and why does it go so fast? It is already the end of November, and it feels like just last week it was January and Husband and I were off to Singapore! Why is it that, as we get older, time goes faster, but we slow down? One of the many mysteries of life.

Well, we are in KL again. I should be starting a new job on 1st December (my boss-to-be said that 4th Dec is bad feng-shui!), and will be diving headlong into customer meetings already. It should be interesting, if not fun :-) Husband will be back and forth between KL and SG - as we still have the apartment there until end-Feb and should, therefore, make use of it. It will be a nice break for him to be able to just float between the two countries as and when he likes, meeting up with the 'boys' for a drink and talk session.

We have friends (Ben and Christine W) staying with us in SG, as they are in SG for a break, and we have invited them to come and stay at our SG apartment so they dont have to worry about hotels and such... especially in SG as it can be drastically expensive! They are truly lovely people - so easy to share time and space with!

This is a short posting, as I am tired and yawny and need a rest. Will do another post within the next week as there is a lot happening this coming week!

Till then... may only good things happen to you and yours.

To and from KL...

Well, it has been just over one week since Husbands last day at work, and it is surprising how busy it has been. Sorting out stuff, selling stuff, packing stuff, getting tax settled, Emp Pass/Dep Pass cancelled, etc, etc, etc.

Husband rearranged the furniture that was left after our friends took the stuff they wanted and suddenly the sitting and dining areas look HUGE again. Our friends who are taking the TV still haven't collected it from us. We've cancelled our cable TV, but kept the phone and ISP (all same supplier - StarHub). Can still watch basic SG television stations, but that isn't exactly a wealth of good stuff!!

We still haven't decided what to do with the waterbed - have advertised it in the Finder magazine for Dec, to see if anyone wants to buy it... but if not, we will ship it back to KL and figure out where to put it later!

We drove back to KL on 5th Nov with a car FULL of stuff - including loading up another friends car with stuff too. Unloaded everything, sorted most of it out - though all the shoes are still sitting in huge plastic bags in the guest room - just haven't had the energy to sort it out! Came back to SG yesterday (8th), and are heading back to KL on 10th. Not sure whether we have to make another trip back and forth with the car, to take the last of our stuff back or not. Not counting the stuff we are taking back on the 10th Nov, we still have bowling balls, a carpet, an iPod speaker system, 2 cushions, a large 1.1m x 1.1m painting, this laptop that I am using now, fax/printer/scanner/copier machine, and, of course, the last of our clothes and shoes, to take back......

I have to be in SG from 20th to 24th Nov inclusive, as I am helping a friend at a conference for a major educational institute here in SG.... and then we are heading back to KL on the 26th Nov. After that I guess I have a few days before I have to start work!

On the job front... yes, I have a job (again)....and my new boss will be the SAME guy who was my boss in an earlier job in KL... which is good, as he was a good boss then, and he should be a good boss now too. I am supposed to meet him on Monday to sign the letter of appointment, and I should be starting work on either the 1st or 4th of Dec. The office is in Jalan Ampang, so it is back to KL traffic jams for me again!

Husband has been getting lots of people calling him to do part time work for them - both in MY and SG, and he has told them to talk to him after Xmas and NY. Hopefully, they will still be calling then, as I still cannot imagine him being totally retired 100% of the time. I mean, after 2 days at home he gets restless and starts mooching around... so he needs to do more than just his hobbies (varied though they are) to keep him occupied.

That's it for now.... next installment will have more news :-)

We should be home soon :-)

Yep, we kid you not. Husband has handed in his notice, it has been accepted, and his last day at work will be 31st Oct - so only two more days of work for him, and he is DONE. We will be shuttling between SG and KL for the month of November - but we hope to be back in KL for good before Xmas.

Things to do when we get back - Look for a job (for me, not Husband), sort out our little apartment, which has been empty mostly, and has gotten a bit grubby over the last year. Husband already has plans to spruce it up, which means that he will at least be able to keep himself occupied for the first couple of months or so. This is his second attempt at retirement, and I'm hoping it will be more successful than the first attempt!

It is also amazing how much rubbish we have accumulated in SG in less than one year. One of our good friends has done us the big favour of taking our sitting room set, the dining set, and the home theatre system off our hands, while another friend has acquired our LCD Sharp Aquous TV..., between them helping to reduce our headache considerably. We still have a lot of stuff, but we'll see what else we can either sell or give away, and go back to KL with the bare minimum.

There are quite a few people here in SG that I am going to be missing - in no particular order.. Grace and Mo, Hwee Peng, Joy and Laura, Shanti M, Anita, Indu, Eleen, Stacy, Sid (hmmmm, I have to think about that!!), Jo, Jacqui, Tim and Yvonne (CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, on your soon-to-be twins!!), Herman and his wine tasting sessions at his wine bar, ... oh dear, too many to list... so forgive me if I have not put your name here.. I WILL miss you all.

More later...

Goodbye, again, to another friend

Today is a sad day. On the way to yoga this morning I got an sms telling me that another old friend of mine in Singapore, had passed away. Mary E was a truly lovely person - and I am blessed that I had the chance to know her many years ago. Losing her was sudden and sad - she had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer earlier this year, totally out of the blue. She was a non-smoker so it was even harder to accept that she had lung cancer! I guess this brings home the fact that passive smokers are at much greater risk than actual smokers.... so for those of you who don't smoke but have friends who do.... please tell them to blow their smoke elsewhere!

May God give strength to Mary's family at this time.

It was a busy September

In the sadness of losing a good friend, I didn't say anything about what else happened in Sept, particularly the last week.

Another good friend of ours marked the half-century of her life on 26th Sept. We were supposed to drive to KL for her birthday celebration on the 23rd, but Husbands work pressures dictated otherwise. Jackie, I hope that the next half-century will be even more exciting, rewarding and full of love than the first half-century has been. All the best to you, Steve, and Liam!

Well, we did eventually manage to drive to KL on 24th Sept... keeping it very secret from my Dad :-) as it was his birthday on 29th Sept, and he was feeling down that only my mum, my sister and her kids would be around to celebrate with him, so we figured we would surprise him. Called him as usual on the morning of his birthday, pretending to still be in SG.... then Husband and I were at the Ms Read's restaurant at 1-Utama for his lunch treat, and, would you believe, he walked right up to the table before he noticed us sitting there!! Couldn't believe his eyes. Wanted to know why we didn't tell anyone - and, of course, we told him everyone knew except him :-D

It was a good meal - the food at Ms Read's is always good, and the service at the 1-Utama branch is always way better than the one at Bangsar!

In between, on the Wed/Thu, I was sick - didn't dare move from home for those two days. Then, of course, the sad news about Mohan, followed by the funeral on the Saturday. We returned to SG after the funeral, and it was an exhausting journey due to the particularly bad stretch at the Seremban exit, and other stretches, not AS bad, with roadworks happening. It took us almost one hour just to get past the Seremban stretch - so instead of the normal 3 hours and 45 minutes drive, it took close to 5 hours ... and of course, there were loads of crazy drivers on the road, driving at ridiculous speeds, tail-gating like crazy, and generally being dangerous.

You know, one thing about losing Mohan - it has brought home to me that I need to treasure my family and friends, and I need to make the effort to see them more often - well, I do see my family as often as I can, but I sometimes feel that our friends are the ones who get short shrift - we never seem to get the time to meet. So, I want to make the effort, and I hope and pray that my friends can make the effort. We never know when it will be our last get together. With Mohan and Liz, we were lucky that they had the chance to come to SG and stay with us a few days, just a couple of months ago - in late July. If it hadn't been for that we would not have met at all! So, everyone.... treasure your family and friends. Take enjoyment in their company, and treat them with love and respect... for you never know when it could be the last time you see them.

May God bless and keep us all, and especially at this time, keep His arms close around Liz and her family.

How do you say Good-bye, when you lose a friend?

Many, many things happened during the month of September, but the hardest, saddest one of all was losing a good friend. I don't think any of us realise how close to death we all are, until it strikes really close... and last week, the first of our "gang" passed away, bringing home the fact of our mortality.

Mohan, you were an amazing person, a loving husband to your wife Liz, a fantastic parent to your daughters and son, a very good friend to my family, and we are all going to miss your inimitable presence, your directness, your sense of humour, your "what's up Doc"!

You know, one thing I will always always remember about you dates back to the days when my parents were living in "ulu" Cheras, way out in the boondocks in those days (the 80's). They never used to get too many visitors, as everyone said they were just too far away, but you two, Mohan and Liz, used to make that long trek to come and visit them very often. I never told you how much I appreciated that you took that trouble - especially considering you were coming from the other side of KL.. all the way from Shah Alam (another "boondocks"). Your visits made a lot of difference to them, and touched me very deeply, and I will always love and remember you for that.

Liz, we are all still here for you and Jo and Su and Jonathan. I know life is going to be tough for you without Mohan around to share your life, your joys, your sorrows, your struggles, but I hope you let us help in whatever way we can help, and that you remember that we do love you, and that we are your extended family.

May God bless and keep you, and wherever he is I am sure that Mohan is also keeping his arms protectively around you.

Back to life.. back to reality...

I am FINALLY over the virus that laid me low - it took 4 weeks! Still have a bit of a cough, but that is soooo manageable now that it is not something I am going to complain about!

What have we been doing since the last time I updated this blog? Hmmmm, let me see....

My mother's brother from India, together with another cousin, flew to KL for a holiday, and since they were flying back to India from Singapore on Fri 11th Aug, they came to SG, with my Mum, on 9th August. They stopped in JB first, to visit antoher uncle, and then waited for my cousin to drive them across to SG (For which I SINCERELY thank him, as it took them FOUR hours to get across the Second Link). They finally arrived at our place in SG around 9pm (having left JB at 5pm, and having managed to get a bit lost once they were finally in SG, which small matter we sorted out by them calling me and telling me where they were, and me, with street directory in front of me, talking them to our house step-by-step.) Once we had unloaded the car, we took them for dinner at Maharajah's North Indian Restaurant at Holland V, and had a pretty good meal. It was also really good to see my cousin Sunil again, as we have not met for years. Sunil headed back to JB straight after dinner... Thank you again Sunil!

Next day, 10th Aug, took my mum and uncle and their cousin, to the SG Zoo - and that was a really good visit. I have to say that the SG zoo is a really good place to go, for both kids and adults. My uncle, who is not in the best of health, felt hale and hearty enough to actually WALK around two thirds of the zoo, with short stints on the little train in between. He also took full advantage of the fact that he was on holiday to completely ignore his diabetes and indulge in some Coca-Cola (the NON-Lite variety) so he could go back and say that he had tried it. He also had his first taste of french fries and chicket nuggets :-)

Friday was a "sleep late and pack bags" day for them.... took them for lunch at Samy's Curry House on Dempsey Road, then took them for a drive down Orchard Road and Shenton Way... and then finally to the airport, in time for them to catch their flight back to India. My uncle was feeling really sad to leave, as it has been some time since he last saw my Mum, and God only knows how many years it will be before they meet again, if ever (at least in this world :-).

As soon as they left, my Mum and I drove to Husband's office, picked him up, and drove straight back to KL - mainly to clear out our guest bedroom in our Pines apartment, as we have one of my sister's good friends (Mary) staying there for 2 months while she does her research for her PhD at the National Archives in KL. Got that all sorted out, and Mary moved in on the Saturday (12th Aug). Husband drove back to SG on Sunday morning, but I stayed through to Monday to go to the bank to sign some documents. Took the Aeroline bus back to SG on Tuesday morning - my Dad being kind enough to drop me off at the LRT station so that I could take the LRT to town to catch the bus. Very comfortable and steady journey - no speeding, just consistent at the speed limit. I will definitely take Aeroline again!

Our next trip back to KL was just last week - this time we had to go back to the bank for Husband to also sign some bank docs, so we drove up on Thursday 24th Aug evening... stopped at our Pines apartment to pick up some stuff, then went to our PJ house to stay with my parents. Bank stuff all got done on Friday morning, spent Friday afternoon wandering around Plaza Low Yat... then took my parents out for dinner that evening. Drove back to SG on Saturday morning, stopping at Melaka on the way to see my brother and his wife and kids whom we have not seen for a long time. My #1 niece is off to Moscow at the end of Sept to do 1 year of pre-med and 5 years of medical studies... so that was another reason to stop in Melaka, as otherwise I am not sure that we would see her before she leaves.

Well, we are back in SG again - life back to normal I guess. Did some typing work for a friend of mine, met up yesterday with another friend to chat and catch up on each others news.. and some of the 'gals' are planning a night out next week - at which time husband says he will plan a night out with the boys :-)

That's it for now folks, have a great September, and A FANTASTIC NATIONAL DAY FOR ALL MALAYSIANS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD TODAY... and may the years to come be better than the years that have gone!

Visitor flood gates were opened....

...Yep, my parents came to visit on 7-9 July, and opened the floodgates to two solid weeks of visitors. They were followed on 10th - 12th July by L&M and their little boy, J.... and then came my sister and her husband and two sons, as well as her sister-in-law and her grown up daughter from 21st to 23rd July... and then, the day after they left, came another good friend, B, from 24th to 26th July. Having non-stop guests involved quite a bit of cooking, and in-between laundering of sheets and towels, to ensure everyone had fresh sheets and towels when they turned up. For the first time ever I found myself thinking "Thank goodness for dryers".

With L&M here, M went off to attend a course every day, while L and I, and J, relaxed as much as possible, with a short bout of walking into Holland V to stretch our legs. J was SO well behaved and cheerful while he was here. He is a gorgeous little kid!

While sis et al were here we had a picnic up at Pasir Ris Park, 5 kids (4 boys and 1 cutie pie girl) 3 Dads, 3 Mums, and me and another friend.... and we really did have a good time - the Dads all coached the kids in football, the kids also went pony/horse riding, and hired bikes as well, while the Mums and me sat and caught up on old times.

With B, we were out almost every day - shopping, meeting up with friends, etc, and had very little rest time for B!! And, while B was here I was hit with the same virus that laid Husband low - and have been hacking and coughing, for the last week and more. My asthma came back with a vengeance too.... and the ventolin puff the doctor gave me makes me cough even more - when the puff of air hits the back of my throat, it irritates my throat and I start on another bout of coughing... sigh...

Spent this last weekend in KL - this time it was my turn to spend most of the weekend sleeping! My mum's brother and another cousin are visiting from India so went to see them too. They will be coming to SG, with my mum, soon.

Anyway, getting better, getting better! Hoping to be back to normal (whatever passes for normal :-) by Wednesday, so I can get back into my yoga, and get back to doing all the things that need to be done!

Till next time, may only good things happen to all.

Totally KO'ed

No, I have not been watching boxing or any such related sport. The title above refers to Husband, last week! He got some kind of a virus which literally knocked him off his feet for a whole week. Went to work on Monday feeling a bit tired, and by 2.00pm he was home and in bed - very high fever, puking, no appetite, coughing, sore throat... the works. Managed to drag him to a doctor the next morning, and got a bunch of meds to try and knock out the virus instead. Hey, what is it about getting men to doctors? It's HARD TO DO!!!

Anyway, to make it even harder, because of his lack of appetite, he didn't want to eat, and, unfortunately, all the medication was of the "Take after food" variety. Talk about being caught in a cleft stick! It was almost like force feeding a goose, except, in this case, the end result would NOT be foie gras.

We did go back to KL on the weekend - and Husband spent practically the whole weekend sleeping, apart from a few hours visiting my parents and sis et al. The good news however is that he does feel a lot better today - getting back to his normal cranky self, as opposed to his sick and crankier self. Mind you, it was nice to be back home in our little apartment - a place which we both miss a lot!

Back to normal today - work for Husband, yoga for me. Met with Husband after yoga to be sure he ate lunch... mind you, I think I overdid the yoga after a week of not attending any sessions (too busy looking after Husband).. so I have some achey bones now. Age is cruel sometimes - you don't FEEL as if you are getting any older, but then your body tells you that you ARE getting older.

Enough for now. May only good things happen to all. Till next time....

Half the year is gone!

The year has gone by so fast it is scary... why does time seem to speed up as one gets older? When you are a kid, a year is FOREVER! Now, it zips by at the speed of light.

What's been happening in the last two weeks since my last update? Happy to say that J is definitely improving - not just health, but also mood. I know a lot of you have been praying for him, and I know that the power of prayer works, so THANK YOU for the prayers... they do make a big difference.

What else?....Well, Husband and I celebrated Husband's birthday on 14th June - at Morton's of Chicago in the Oriental Hotel in SG. The food there is excellent - the BEST steak - but make sure you are VERY hungry as the steaks are HUUUUUUUUUGE... oh, and take along a very deep and well-filled wallet, or a credit card with a nice high credit limit. Not a place for everyday dining, but definitely a good place for special occasions. He also got the latest Panasonic Lumix digital camera - the version with the Leica lens, with optical image stabilisation and camera raw feature. I think that is the only SMALL digital camera to date that has the camera raw feature. Very snazzy.

Went to the Jamie Cullum concert on 15th June - and were very impressed with the young mans performance and his showmanship - it was a very enjoyable performance. Had friends over for dinner on 17th June - Husband did his trademark roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes - YUMMY... with apple/peach crumble for dessert. Sigh.. talk about stuffed to the gills.

This last Saturday we attended the 50th birthday party of a good friend of Husband;s - so happy birthday to Rob T, and may you have many more birthdays ahead of you.

This coming weekend, we are heading back to KL for a short break. It feels like it has been a LONG time since our last trip... actually, it HAS been a long time! The last trip was in early MAY - phew... 2 months

This last Saturday also, Husband bought me my first every tech related TOY - the 4GB iPod Nano. We were going to get the 2GB version, but Challenger in SG was having a special offer where, if you paid by NETS or cash, the 4GB iPod Nano was only a wee bit more expensive than the 2GB iPod Nano... so we got the 4GB one instead. Tried to set it up on Saturday afternoon, using my Windows based Sony but it just WOULD NOT WORK. It was driving me nuts - but methinks the Sony is just too old to handle the latest iPod software... so Husband ended up having to set it up for me on his Apple notebook on Sunday morning. I now have 3.6GB worth of songs on my iPod Nano - something like 1005 songs - which, at an average of 3 to 4 mins a song, is sufficient to keep me going for 2.5 days pretty much non-stop.

Till the next time, you all have a wonderful life, and may only good things happen to you.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

We are hoooooooooooome.... having landed back in Sinjapoh on Saturday 10th June at 6.20am. Got back to our apartment by 7.15am, and both of us fell asleep till noon. Today is Tuesday 13th June and we are still a bit jet lagged. It is funny how fast you adapt to the time difference when you fly West, and how much longer it takes to adapt when you fly East. I wonder why... I am sure there is some scientific explanation for it.

Anyway.... the good news is that, between them, Husband and son's girlfriend were able to persuade Son to go back to the doctor... so he went back to the doc on Wednesday, got sent to the hospital, had various tests done, and by the time we saw him on Thursday afternoon he had a PILE of medication to take - for various reasons, including blood pressure, cholestorel, etc, etc, etc. I am happy to say that he looks almost his old self again, his speech improved, he is taking his meds, and he is more cheerful and sleeping better. Husband was so relieved too - I have never seen him so shocked as when he got the news about Son's stroke, and I hope that never happens again - that Son keeps improving his health all the way.

We are now back to normal life again - though, as said above, jet lag still as a hold of us. It's ok for me, as I can snooze in the middle of the day if I have to (though I have not done that yet), but it is harder for Husband as he is at work during the day.

Anyway, tomorrow is his birthday!! I won't reveal his age, but let's say that, like a good vintage port, he just gets better and better with age. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY for tomorrow to my Husband, and may he have many many more birthdays ahead.

Post from the UK

Yep, believe it or not, Husband and I are in the Yewk, rather unexpectedly. Got call last week Thursday to say that Husband's son (J) is in hospital with a stroke, so we flew out on Friday night, landing here on Sat 3rd June morning, to find out that J checked himself out of hospital, refusing to see doctor or get any tests done. We are staying with Husband's sister (A) and her husband (J1). If nothing else, I am glad for this opportunity to get to know A & her husband better. They are truly wonderful people and have made me feel completely at home. As to J, well, Husband has been seeing him every day, hoping to get him to get to the doctor and find out what to do, what can be done, what is happening, etc, but no luck yet. All we can do is pray for him.....

The right side of his face is frozen and drooped, and his right arm is obviously giving him problems, but he refuses to see his doctor. His truly wonderful girlfriend (another J!!!) has been there for him every step of the way and I do thank God for her presence. Unfortunately, as my brother says, if J does nothing for himself, he is a walking timebomb.

We are flying back home on Friday, leaving on Friday morning, and arriving back in good ol' Sinjapoh on Saturday early morning. Couldn't get business class seats so we have to fly cattle class, and it is horrible - esp for husband as the seats are so tiny he can barely move. Flying SIA, and, in future, if we have any choice, we won't be flying SIA again. Unfortunately, MAS does not fly this sector any more, and due to this being peak period, we ended up with SIA being our only choice... sigh...

Enuff said, all prayers for J and for him to come to his senses and get himself seen to medically, as well as prayers for his ongoing improvement of health, will be truly appreciated.

I got sunburnt!!!

Yep, one of the rare times that I got sunburnt. Hadn't been paying attention to the sun angling in under the gazebo, while we were in Tioman, so my right arm and right leg got nicely cooked, and now it looks like I have some dreadful allergy with all that peeling skin. The only thing positive I have to say about it is that it didn't hurt at all, unlike when Husband gets burnt and he can't bear to have anyone touch him!

Went back to KL on 5th May... to pick up my parents from KLIA on 6th May as they made their way back from their 3 weeek holiday in India. Not sure I would call it a 'holiday' with all the travelling they did to visit the million and one relatives, and of course, the main purpose of the trip had been to attend the wedding of one of my Dad's nephews.... Mum was totally exhausted by their holiday.... and needed a few days to recover!

Husband joined me in KL on 11th May evening - 12th May being a public holiday in both M'sia and SG, and we had a great weekend in KL. Wasn't particularly relaxing, but it was good - shopping at Plaza Low Yat on Friday, followed by hi-tea gang get-together on Saturday. Sunday was a lazy day, and we flew back to SG on Sunday evening... sigh...

The hi-tea get together was, as usual, a great deal of fun. Imagine, if you can, five Indian (Malayali) women - all of whom are talkative, non-demure, funny, witty, intelligent, sharp, sometimes cutting, totally sarcastic at times - sitting around a table (WITH husbands keeping us company), with no holds barred. It was GREAT! The food was good too, but that was a side benefit of the get together. The real benefit is just having such a great bunch of people as friends!

Been back in SG since 14th evening, and somehow don't seem to have much energy to do anything. It is all I can do to persuade myself to go to yoga! Ah well, it is just laziness... I will get my energy back.

In the meantime, to all my friends who read this blog... have a really nice day, week, month!

Tioman, Party #2, Anniversary #7

Yep, it has indeed been a busy two weeks since the last update. First of all, we went to Pulau Tioman for a much needed break (well, much needed by Husband at any rate!). It was, as always, a lovely few days break. Arrived there on Sat 22nd Apr afternoon, and from then till we left on Tues 25th Apr, it was total, total Rest & Relax. We stayed at Berjaya Tioman, and it was lovely. Pretty good food, always good service, beautiful clean beach, crystal clear waters, nice and sunny with clear blue skies, rain only at night, very uncrowded.... sigh... who could ask for more.

Back to SG on 25th April.... yoga on Wednesday, grocery shopping on Thursday, found time to pamper my toes and fingers on Thursday too, then spent Friday cooking for our party #2.... we had about 19 people from Husband's office turn up and we had a great time! They are really such a nice bunch of people and we totally enjoyed having them around. We also want to thank the folks who got us an absolutely GORGEOUS tea set; and another colleague for the beautiful bowl with the colourful fish designs; and the gorgeous flowers - the the orchids are on our dining table, the periwinkles are on my study table, and the lilies are on the side board. Party eventually ended around 1.00am, then Husband and I washed and tidied up the place (didn't take too long as we used plastic plates and utensils so at least there was no major washing up to do), before we collapsed.

Our anniversary #7 was yesterday (Apr 30th), and we had a really nice relaxing day - other than meeting up with friends at the SG Botanical Gardens in the evening where the Singapore Symphony Orchestra was playing for an hour. It was amazing how many people were there! Didn't realise that there were so many classical music fans in SG. And, regarding our 7th anniversary, I have to say that every day is still like Valentine's day, except better!!

Today (May 1st) we want to head up to the Benjamin Sheares bridge in the evening, just before sunset, to take pictures. Tomorrow and Wednesday I will be handling an event at the SG Poly Graduates Guild house, so (as Husband says) that should keep me out of mischief for a couple of days.

And that's it for now.... till the next time, may you all have clear skies and plenty of silver linings in any clouds that do appear.

First party, done and dusted

We were in KL the weekend of 1st April - and so we brought back a few more cooking pots... which came in useful for our first party!!!

We had our first house-warming party on Saturday 8th April - mostly with my friends from when I was working in Singapore before, plus a couple of 'extras'. And, Yes, I DID do more cooking (!) which was why I was really glad we got more of our pots from KL when we went up!

Food-wise, we had grapes, chocs and crisps for munching; cooked a lamb rendang which was to be consumed with baguettes, and which, from all accounts, tasted wonderful(!!); did my 'famous' mee hoon goreng again; got stuff from Deli France (wonderful little choc and coffee eclairs - I could probably eat a dozen myself!); two friends brought along their own delicious concoctions; another friend brought strawberries and grapes; another brought curry puffs; and another one brought fruit cocktail and sea coconut, but luckily left it all in the tins, as we never got the chance to get to it - as everyone was too full.

Everyone who said they would turn up pretty much did turn up, which was a turn up for the books :-p (so we had 18 guests all told) and we really enjoyed the evening. It has been a long time since I have seen some of these friends of mine, and in fact it has been just as long since some of them have seen each other, so everyone had quite a lot of catching up to do and there was a lot of yakkety yakking and circulating going on.

Next party coming up on the last Friday of April - this time with Husband's colleagues and friends. I will be cooking again, though this time I must also cater for vegetarians (here comes my tasty, even if I do say so myself, tomato curry), and this time round we should have at least 30 people. Looking forward to this too, as Husband's colleagues and their partners (most of whom I have met) are a bunch of fun people too, a mix of locals and expats, and they are really nice.

Before that Husband and I are off to Tioman Island for a 4-day/3-night break. It will be great to get out of SG and go and vegetate on the beach - clean beaches, beautiful water, peaceful atmosphere, no vendors harrassing you, great food... who could ask for more!

So, next update, probably in early May, after we have come back from Tioman and had housewarming party #2.

Till then, have a great "rest of April".....

I COOKED last week!!

Yes, yes, hold the applause (says she, taking a bow).... I DID actually try my hand at cooking something last week - Tuesday 28th March to be more precise. With ONE largish frying pan at my disposal I decided to try my hand at fried mee hoon (vermicelli noodles for those who dont know what mee hoon is). Had to empty out the biscuit tupperware to have somewhere to soak the noodles, and had to fry the omellete topping before I started on the mee hoon! And then the frying pan wasn't quite large enough to hold the mee hoon comfortably, so kinda ended up with bits of mee hoon falling all over the cooker, some veg flying out of the pan, etc, as I mixed it all up.....BUT, it was a great success. Husband loved it and actually said he would be happy to eat that any time I felt like cooking it.

We have also started bowling again - every Thursday evening at Chevrons (right across the road from where we used to work before, in the Synergy building at Int'l Business Park). It has been so long since we last bowled we are still only hovering around the 130 to 150 pinfall mark. Trying very hard to push it back up to 160 and above....

This last Friday evening (31st March) was pretty exciting for us. Husband's colleague got married at the ROM in Singapore (Sean and Jacqui), and did us the very great honour of asking us to be their witnesses.... so we chugged off to the ROM at Fort Canning by 5.15pm... had no problems finding parking at that time... waited about 10 minutes, and then went in for the ceremony. It was brief, but quite meaningful. The official who conducted the ceremony was quite a sweetie, and conducted the whole thing with great presence. Husband was the photographer and he was able to move around and get pics, and was even reminded by the official on several occasions to take photographs (when Sean put the ring on Jacqui's finger, during the signing of the cert, etc).

So, before I forget : CONGRATULATIONS TO SEAN AND JACQUI, and both of us hope that both of you will be as happy as we are, and that every day will be Valentine's Day.

Following that we went to the newly-wed's house for a housewarming for which the entire office turned up - with wedding gifts for them, which did surprise them as they had tried to keep the whole event very quiet... heheheheh, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men "gang aft agley".

The party was such good fun... Jacqui had done an amazing job with the food, and there was enough there to feed an army, with plenty left over. Good food, good drinks, good music, pleasant location, great company - what more could anyone ask for! Thanks again Sean and Jacqui, we really enjoyed it.

Well, that's it for this round of news... more updates in a week or so.

To KL, and back again

Well, husband was off to Montenegro for a week (from 11th to 16th March ( I can just hear some of you saying "Huh? Where?"). It is on the Adriatic Sea right next to Bosnia, Croatia, and Yugoslavia. Apparently it is the latest place for European holidaying. Well, it took 24 hours for him to fly there (including 10 hours waiting at Frankfurt airport for a connecting flight), meetings on 13th and 14th, and then 24 hours to fly back - with the same waiting time in Frankfurt. Talk about TIRING!

Anyway, while he was there, I decided to head back to KL... no point hanging around SG without him - no fun at all! So, I had a peaceful week in KL - stayed with my parents for three days and stuffed myself silly with my Mum's great cooking - met some friends, vegged out, and generally ate too much! Phew, talk about "piling it on"... and NO exercise to counteract all that food either.....

Husband arrived back in SG on 17th, went to work on 18th morning, and drove up to KL on 18th afternoon. Spent Saturday wandering around 1-Utama with him, then he went to the F1 on Sunday. Drove back to SG on Monday afternoon... sigh... back again.

Since then, we have been spending some time looking around for little things to put into our apartment to brighten it up. We bought loads and loads of picture frames for husband to print out his photographs, frame them, and put them up on the walls (our landlord having left a million hooks/nails in every room for us to hang up things!) We also got cushions, a colourful carpet for the sitting room and a rug for the dining room, and another one for the study. A really fantastically priced 3+1+1 sofa set in maroon leather, and some colourful little knick-knacks. The place looks nice and welcoming now... all the better to welcome our friends WHEN you all turn up (just try not to turn up all at the same time!). Yesterday (26th March) we got everything pretty much into place and can now relax and enjoy the apartment.

Husband is still terribly, terribly busy, while I am still tai-tai'ing around (well, sort of!). I do have a part time maid who comes in once a week to vacuum, mop, do the bathrooms, and iron the clothes. If anyone here in SG wants a part time maid I would definitely recommend her. She helped us out the last time we were in SG, and she is helping us out again, and she is truly a lovely lady - very honest, very hardworking, and a genuinely nice person. I make sure the bills get paid, run the errands (bank, post office, grocery, etc), go for my hot yoga (ouch, stretch to the max!!), go for 1 hour walk/jog on those days that I don't do yoga, hop into town and go for a wander now and then, meet up with husband now and then for lunch, read books, do sudoku (yes, I am addicted now), and generally find enough to do to pass my time reasonably. Definitely cannot complain!

So, folks, that's the latest. We hope to see you all sometime this year in good ol' Sinjapoh - we should be here at least till end of this year.. no guarantees yet for next year.

Till next time... take care, and have a great life.

Apartment living in Sinjapoh

Yippeeeeee, we are finally OUT of the service apartment we have been living in for the last two months. Now, don't get me wrong... it was a nice little apartment, but the operative word there is LITTLE!!!! Definitely better than a hotel room, yes, but 2 months in an area that is only a little larger than the sitting/dining room area back in our apartment in KL, is NOT my idea of fun.

Of course, to add to that, the bed was a right 'killer'. Killed my back, killed our sleep. It was kinda like sleeping on a trampoline. If either one of us turned over in bed, the other one would be bounced and jounced up and down several times. So, as said earlier, sleep was definitely killed.

Well, we are now in a nice apartment near Holland Village (just 10 minutes walk from the Holland V shops and restaurants), in our VERY OWN BED. And, Yes, it is our OWN bed as we bought it specifically for ourselves - our very first water bed, and it is SO comfy! The apartment is about 2000 sq feet, 3 bedrooms, all with en-suite, though the 3rd bedroom en-suite is also the visitor bathroom, as it has 2 doors access - one from the bedroom, and one from the hallway. A very nice big living area; a decent sized dining room; a smallish, but decent, kitchen; laundry area; a maids room the size of a postage stamp; a bathroom for the maid (which is about the same size as the bedroom!); a balcony outside the dining area; and a balcony outside the sitting room which the landlord converted into a small study with loads of built ins. He supplied the basic furniture requirements (except, of course, for our bed which we wanted to get for ourselves)... so we have 3+2 black leather sofa, small dining table with 4 chairs, bunk bed in one bedroom, queen size bed in the other bedroom, washing machine, dryer (does anyone actually use a dryer?), microwave, oven, fridge, phone.

We also did not ask for a TV, as husband wanted to get another one for ourselves, smaller than the one we currently have in KL - so we have a Sharp Aquos 32" LCD TV now. We had to go and get lots of small things (plates, sheets, dustbins, etc) but, luckily, Ikea in SG is VERY cheap for most things (a lot cheaper than in KL anyway), and Carrefour, and Giant are cheap for most other stuff (kettle, vacuum cleaner, towels, etc). Anyway, all the small stuff has been acquired, EXCEPT for cooking utensils, as husband wants to get them himself as he is the cook, not me! We have cable TV, broadband, phone - what more could we ask for :-)

We had our first visitor yesterday - a really good SINGAPOREAN friend of ours - thanks for the beautiful plants Ah Peng, I hope that I can keep them alive, and we really enjoyed having you here. Remember, anytime you need a break from home, we have two spare rooms for you to come and spend the weekend with us. And I must say tha the plants are cheering up the sitting room considerably.

We are now waiting for the rest of our friends to turn up and visit - as long as we are in good ol' Sinjapoh, you are all more than welcome to visit, and, as you would have noticed in the earlier paragraphs, we do have facilities for our friends! So, come on folks...make the trek... and we will welcome you with open arms.

Where work is concerned, husband is so flat out busy - he is at work from 7.30am to 7.00pm most days, and is constantly on the move. No breaks in between, barely enough time for lunch. Next week he is off to Europe (Montenegro - next to Bosnia and Croatia I think), for meetings et al, and it is going to take him 48 hours there and 48 hours back, for 2 days worth of meetings. I'll head back to KL during that time... no point hanging around SG without my beloved.

That's it for today folks, and till the next time, hope you all have are having a great year so far.

Back to KL for the weekend

Well, employment pass and dependents pass are now physically in hand. The apartment tenancy agreement has been signed and deposit paid. Mobile phones have been acquired for both of us (if you want to know the number, call our Malaysian mobile phones, and I've recorded greetings which will give you our Singapore numbers). Next step, wait patiently till month-end so we can move in and get ourselves organised!

In the meantime... husband very busy at work. He is heading off to Perth on Sunday, for a course, back only on Wednesday... so I will be heading off to KL on Friday, as it is my Mum's birthday, and will be back in Sinjapoh either Tuesday or Wednesday. Must make the most of my few days in KL - family to spend time with, bills to be paid, pedicure and manicure to be done, friends to be met... phew... it IS all good fun.

I'll be driving to KL this time - as it is easier to chuck things into the boot of the car to bring back to SG, rather than having to pack things into a suitcase and then have to haul it around with you - onto and off taxis, up into the plane, try and push it into the overhead compartment, etc....Nah... car is easier! We've hired a Merc - nice, comfy, solid car. We are waiting for the car hirer to get back one of their other cars (Honda Accord 2.3) to try that and then decide whether we want that or we keep the Merc. In the meantime, we have the Merc. Yeah, I know, I can just hear most people saying, "But you don't NEED a car in Singapore..." but, what can I say? Have you ever tried getting a cab on Friday evenings after work? None to be had for love nor money. Have you ever tottered out of the supermarket with 10 heavy plastic bags full of stuff, all awkwardly shaped, and had to wait for a cab? OK, I know, in reality, I am just a spoilt Malaysian... too used to having a car at my disposal. Well, I have to say that is true - and I enjoy being a spoilt Malaysian too..... :-)

Before I sign off, I want to wish my Mum a VERY HAPPY 69th birthday, and may the coming years be blessed with good health and much love.

We have been "approved" for living in SG...

... in other words, husband's employment pass has been approved and, with it, my dependants pass. I tell you, it feels strange being a "dependant" as every time I have gone to SG in the past it has always been on my own recognisance and I get my own employment pass. Ah well, I guess it is all part of being a tai-tai.

Anyway, now that we are "approved" we can do all the stuff necessary for living in SG - like signing the tenancy agreement, getting PHONE lines, getting an ISP, etc, etc, etc. I am SO looking forward to moving out of the serviced apartment to a 'proper' apartment, with more space to live and breathe. Not that the serviced apartment is not nice - it IS nice - but it is just too small, and there is a lack of privacy when you know that the various people in the housekeeping section can walk into your apartment at any time whether you are there or not.

Well folks, from March onwards, anyone coming to SG and needing a place to 'tumpang' for a few days - give us a call, and we will definitely make the space for you.

In the meantime, to all our Chinese friends out there:
KONG HEE FATT CHOY, GONG XI FA CAI
and all the best for the Year of the DOG

Life in Singapore starts again....

Well, we've been in SG 8 days now, and still feel like we are in a bit of a limbo. Husband started work on the day we arrived(!) - no rest for the weary :-) and has been getting busier every day since then.

We are staying at a 1-bedroom serviced apartment at The Concourse, on Beach Road. Very pleasant, definitely better than a hotel room - with a small and well equipped kitchen, a small sitting and dining room, a guest bathroom, a bedroom with en-suite. Well, as I said, better than a hotel room, but still a bit claustrophobic! VERY little wardrobe space, so it is a good thing we brought the bare minimum with us. Lovely little restaurant downstairs, outside the building, which serves decent nyonya type food, run by a nice Malaysian lady from Muar who is a good cook. Her assistant in the evening is also a Malaysian (ex-Malaysian, now Singapore citizen) who is equally friendly and pleasant. The prices are really good too - most meals cost between S$4 and S$5, while beer is S$4 per mug!

Husband's office at Millenia Tower is walking distance from here - just 15 minutes comfortable walk. He is also happy as there is a little Killiney kopitiam near his office which does a delicious bacon and egg breakfast for the princely sum of S$2.50!

Spent a few days last week looking at lots of apartments, and finally settled on one that is walking distance to Holland Village - the landlord/owner, who is currently living there, just came across so well and so relaxed, and the whole apartment has a lovely welcoming and cosy feeling to it. Unfortunately, cannot move in till 1st March, as the owner is only moving out end Jan, and then after CNY he needs to get the place cleaned up, and given that it IS CNY, he may not be able to get the contractors in that fast.... ah well, at least we know where we will be going.

Will be back in KL next week, just me, for a few days, to settle a few things, pay a few bills, see my family, meet some friends, and then I'll be back to SG again.

Hope you have all had a great New Year, and that CNY will be equally great. And may nothing but the best things happen in the year ahead and may 2006 be a truly blessed year for all my family and friends and friends of friends.