new nest late post

i have officially stayed in my new place for almost a month come next 6th. at first i thought we'll be taking a while to adjust to this new place, new enviornment and spacious hall but i'm wrong.

eili took it off on the first night, insisting to sleep on her own while we actually had plans to camp in her room for the next 1 week. i was really surprised when she slept in her new room with no fuss and complaints or middle of the night disturbance from her. That's when i realised, she's turning 5 and has become an independent gal who's no longer a little baby that we thought. ;)

Can you believe that i have yet to snap any photos in the house?? Till now, there are still some rectification works around the house, the curtain holders are not ready, the guest room is still messy. perhaps being almost a perfectionist, i can't take any photos until 100% of the house are ready. But lucky you, thanks to my sister who is trying her skills in a SLR, here are some sneak preview:

Our favourite cosy corner - living room

The disco ball light that decor my hall - totally luving it!!

My dining chandelier

my next place to unwind - my bathroom


The rain that i can control - shiok!!

My escapade haven - see how windy it is everyday!!

here is where i can show my skills in cooking and soon baking!!


Finally a belated CNY reunion dinner

Sneak preview

there are some new update at work but i won't say it until it has been confirmed...definitely something new and hopefully better...


my new house are already 30% done, the carpentry works will be up next week and tomorrow the parquet in the rooms are getting their 'scrubs'.

My master bedroom bathroom wall

New parquet design

A brand NEW year - 2009 (part 2)

I can't accept that time passes so fast, now we are already in mid Jan!!!

There are so many things that are happening and going to happen in the next few months, I can't even choose an appropriate word to describe it. Sad?? Excited?? Lost?? Disappointed?? I have so much to say but dunno where to start from?

2008 was considered a good year for us, I had a good bonus, we went HK for holiday in Mar and a free firm's trip for me to BKK in Aug. We sold our place for a nice sum in Sept and many luxury spending thereafter. Except Ah Meow's death in November, everything pretty much fall into places...until many months later. It was already predicted of the economy downfall early last year but many didn't expect the outcome will be that bad, AIG and Lehman Brothers etc.

Beside the huge change this coming March, my boss dropped a huge 'bomb' on me. Exactly a week before 2009 arrives. He's leaving the firm and leaving me high and dry. I predicted that he'll do that but never ever expect that soon!!! Only 3.5 years! If i'm working for 2 bosses, that's quite safe as i always have the other boss to rely on but now, i'm 'homeless' and 'abandoned'. Bad bad timing i guess since there'r no more recruitment or no vacancies within the firm. I guess i have to do the position that everyone loathe - a floater!! I'll be doing all the rubbish and @*&^ work under the supervision of a bias lousy manager. Imagine covering for whoever is on leave or too busy (yet can surf net) and might even have to go out for service.

It's a bad time to leave too since most firms are not recruiting and i love my friends too much here. See that's why i said i hate changes!!! Especially BIG CHANGES!!! No choice lah, like what my boss told me, i just have to bite the bullet and ride through. Just hopefully some nice people will 'adopt' me. So much for a start of a new year.

Imagine all these mess happening in office, i still have the reno thingy to deal with. Two major problems that are plaguing me...no it's should be three including the Korea trip. Initially, the trip was not confirm even 3 weeks to departure, stupid agent was trying to coy me with empty promises till i threatened her with cancellation. Too late!!! In the end, I settled for another travel agent with confirmed departure. So that's settled, i'm going to KOREA in 28 Jan!!! Yah!!! It always seems like a huge problem will happen before my holiday, as if a hint for me to enjoy myself first before facing it!!! That's what happened last march...

So 2 more major problems now!!

I still have a huge headache to deal with since i'm the only one who are doing the major planning and decisions for the new place, from the contractor to the design to the furnitures. Decisions...decisions..decisions...i hate moving!!!! I'm so going to stay permanently at my new nest, i hate being emotional but i can't help feeling sad leaving my current flat. That's why i can't afford another 'heartbreak' in the next few years.

That aside... we received a superduper good news on Xmas day which i shall reveal later! Oh i can't wait for that month to arrive...with all the bad news surrounding me, this good news really perk me up!

now let's talk about one of my favourite topic...

my baby gal...

She'll be turning 5 this year and beside her 'i want now' tantrums, she has become more independent and bearable. For a good start, she has learnt to recite the full prayer of Al Fateha (10 lines of arabic words), which i'm very very proud of her. We have previously tried to instill these religious knowledge to her but she has never show her interest and then BOOM all the sudden she can recite everything!! To say a child's thirst for knowledge is like a sponge is absolutely right!!! She can even recite doa shahadah (declaration of faith) and doa before sleeping. Partly thanks to her form teacher who gave her the extra boost of interest there.

I'm also pleased with her conduct in school, both her form teacher and chinese teacher gave her high rating for her behaviour and interest in learning last year. She was independent, eager to learn, shown leadership (& dominating), speaks fluent English, teacher's self-declared assistant, loved her classmates and had very good memory (of course she took all that when i delivered her!!!). But the moment she reached home, she turned into a mini monster as she had enough of rules in school!! ;p

I gave her credits for mishaving since she has shown her independent and initiative skills . She slept in her own room since 2 years old and now she can tidy her bed and her study table every morning before school. She knows that she has to switch off all the appliances in her room, help mummy with the peeling of cabbage, prepare the utensils for dinner and best part, watching her cartoons in the morning while we are still sleeping. One thing about her, she'll never start anything without asking our permission especially entering the kitchen alone or switching on the TV. I just hope that her hyperness can be toned down and be less talkative. Sometimes she can drive me nuts with her singing and talking!!!

I felt better now....for now....

1st luv SOLD

1.....2.....GONE.....

my house ('her') is gone...just like in an auction when the hammer went down hard on the table, that's how my heart feels right now.

crushed & shattered to pieces..

I have already previously stated that I'm not 100% willing to let go but for the sake of my family, I have to let her go.

Don't ask me how much i have made from this transaction as no amount can justify the love i had for her...5 years of peaceful living, 5 years of beautiful scenery & serenity, 5 years of fond memories...

my friend said 'have to let go wholeheartedly' and my sister replied 'first love is always hard to let go'....it's sooo true!!

It's my first matrimony house after all, a place we have worked hard to buy, argued & fought over the design and where we can walk around the house in the dark with peace...that her beauty...for that i have to make sure the next owners love you like i do.

So long 638...

Happy 43rd Singapore

Happy 43rd Singapore!! Sorry was a little tad late in wishing 'you', the weather has been bad. Heavy rain make me so lazy and i seized every opportunity to sleep whenever i can PLUS the hyperness of the Bejing Olympics 2008, how can i miss all world breaking records moments???? Michael Phelps is like a flying fish!!!! He will take his time to swim during the first 2 laps and speed like a ferrari on the last, making his competitors impossible to catch up with him. Totally abnormal!

We stayed at home during National Day since Eili is down with flu and slight cough, which later turns out to be tonsillitis (tonsils). Sigh, 2nd time within 2 weeks but luckily this time round, there's no sign of fever..yet. The sky is celebrating the nation's 43rd as well, see what we saw outside our windows:

the rainbow is fast fading

Eili has been deprived of her usual dose of cartoons ever since Olympics started, especially when the swimming events are shown. Well, i took this chance to introduce to her the different kind of sports and the countries these sport people are from. Heee...it's a good distracting strategy also...Now i am just waiting for the track & field events...

Ang Mo in town!!!

Finally..after like 3 months of renovating, the Supermarket near to my block have finally opened on 080808, of course to many chinese, an auspicious date. Bloody long wait.

Some of you might think, ai ya just a supermarket and i get so hyped up. Well, it's not even a minimart but quite a big supermarket that we have been waiting for since the last operator closed its door. We are left with the nearest NTUC Supermarket which is 2 LRT stations away, so convenience plays a BIG part to someone like me who cook at least 5 times a week. Now at least i won't have to get 2 weeks of groceries in one go, no more to fast rotting vegetables or expired fishballs. I can get it anytime i want and it's F-R-E-S-H!!!! They are selling a bundle of Kangkong for 20cts and spinach for 10cts!!!! I know i'm speaking very much like a market aunty but really where can u find such prices in S'pore????

Hmmm...Now i can cook fish & chips, sweet & sour chicken, lotus soup etc whenever i like...well of course we still have to travel to the wet market (2 LRT stations also) for our meat since they don't sell halal meats but lesser trips. Better than nothing!!

The first operator, Prime Supermart didn't last long after 6 mths of operations since the estate is still new and many are eating out, at the coffeeshop next to the mart. Ha...how ironic! Next came Budget Value who tries their in operating the supermart with empty shelves and dry wrinkled vegetables. Well, when you are desperate like me, who forgotten some important ingredients are forced to buy those not fresh items. So now you know why I am so excited with Ang Mo Supermart (yes not Ang Mo Kio or Ang Mo Kia) as they have more products displayed compared to the 2 previous operators. Hip Hip Hurray....3 cheers to Ang Mo!!! Now...i just hope they can survive long enough till i move out....kakakaka..

sigh..now another reason that is pulling me from selling the house....

Update - all in one go!

Sigh...lazy....sleepy...tired to update my blog or photos, not even my K-series can tempt me anymore. I still have like 8 new K-series to catch, think i'll be able to keep some for upcoming fasting month. I really have to pull myself to update this despite the luring of my ever so comfortable bed together with my Hub's superloud snoring as I'm typing this. ;p

HFMD

What a close shave!! We met up with Hub's side on last 2 Sundays and as usual, the kids played together and share their biscuits. The very next day, my youngest SIL messaged me that her 2nd kid was diagnosed with mild HFMD and told me to watch out for Eili. Over the next few days, 4 more cousins was down with HFMD and I'm preparing for the worst - at least 10 days of leave if she suay suay kena HFMD. We brought her to school as usual and informed her principal who told us that the usual incubation period is 3-7 days for the red spots to appear. Eili seems fine with no symptoms at all (loss of appetite, slight fever or red spots) instead she was eating more, like 2 plates of rice and more milk. She probably didn't get it as she just had her tonsil infection a week before that and probably the antibiotics in her systems are defending her immune system. Phew...heng ah.....

BIG PROJECT

After months of discussing, we have finally made our first move - to contact a housing agent. We have just passed our 5th year of residence and are contemplating the question of every hse owner - to sell or not to sell??? I have a hate & love relationship with my flat. As much i hate the silly layout and tiny hall, i also love my current house to bits. Why??

Because we get to enjoy:

1. The best unblocked seaview with glimpes of passing ships. Sometimes we can hear the ship horn in the morning.
2. The most beautiful sunrise with misty field across my hall and 3 rooms every morning.
3. Side view of Pulau Ubin and when night falls, you can see planes navigating from and to airport.
4. Fireworks from the ships during New Year Day or from our neighbouring country during their National Day.
5. Peaceful and silence environment, as the small road below are seldom utilised.
6. Great neighbour relationship.
7. LRT station, coffeeshop and a new supermarket is only 5 mins away.
8. Abdundant of empty plots which many used it to fly kites or planes during the weekend.
9. Windy weather most of the year, we hardly switched on our air con.
10. More amentities and not to mention the higher value of the property.

So you must be asking, why am I still selling??? Because of the small hall space, if not everything will be that perfect. Because of the strange layout, much of my hall+dining space have been 'eaten' by the walkway which is totally unnecessary. Seriously, we have the worst layout amongst the 4 room in Punggol, interior and exterior. Still there is a tinge of feeling prevented from selling, after all, this is my very first home where Eili was born and raised but the hall space will forever be a hindrance. My choice of area will still be in Punggol, i liked here. It's clean and quiet and not too over populated (yet). It's a matter of convenience as well since my pomelo and her sister, Rockmelon are staying in this area. They can help to fetch Eili whenever we are stuck at work and vice versa.

Today we went to view some flats in Pasir Ris (Hub's choice) and Punggol. Pasir Ris flats are disappointing since most of them have stayed 10-12 years and condition of the flats are pretty run down though the size is huge (134 sqm), confirm have to overhaul the whole unit. So i weighed it heavily on Hub, i'm good at that..heee...to make him see that Punggol, despite the higher price and smaller size to Pasir Ris will be a better choice. Most of them only stayed 6 years (max) and condition are better and newer. Predict??? I WON - he finally bowed to the idea of choosing somewhere here. Now we just need to find the perfect house which are quite difficult, since if you remember, my blk here have the best view in Punggol.

*yawn* more viewing next week since nothing caught my eyes today. As i told the agent, finding the perfect home is like finding a perfect husband - LOVE IN THE FIRST SIGHT. So far no unit gave me the umphhh feeling.

BIRTHDAY

Tomorrow, for the first time in my life, are bringing my granny out to celebrate her 94th birthday (not exact as you know how the registration system work back in the 50s). I'm bringing her to Changi Beach and T3. I'm sooo excited about it.

wow that's a very long entry for 2 weeks of not updating....gotto sleep now and join in the snoring club with my other half....nite...oppps, i meant gd morning.

when we thought..

was feeding Eili dinner at around 8.30pm when i heard a loud popping sound, almost similiar to someone lighting a firecracker. I was wondering why is the sound so loud and yet near to where i'm sitting. Seconds later i saw a whole row of my hall tiles popped up and cracked.

Hub's 1st reaction is "could it be another earthquake from indonesia??" and we left our house immediately for safety, just in case. We went to our neighbour's house and asked if they felt any tremors or any problems with their tiles. They didn't feel any tremors and their tiles are ok.

Apparently, there's no earthquake in our neighbouring country and problem could lie with our flooring. Weird thing is we have stayed in our flat for 4 years already and no such incident had happen before!

Our neighbour helped us to contact the HDB personnel and they'll come to our house tomorrow to investigate the cause. My question is : could it be the cause of poor workmanship or the contraction of the tiles since the weather has turned cold?? FYI My unit is facing the open sea. Whatever the cause is, we are going to be houseless for at least a week as the contractor will need to hack the tiles for the hall and put in new tiles - FOC of course!! Which means i have to pack a big luggage with eili's uniforms and my working clothings!!

But who is going to pay for my inconveniences like putting up at my sister's and sending Eili to school and going to work for at least 5 days? DAMN SUAY AH!!!