Braveheart

It's going to be minus 20 tomorrow

Am happy to leave this place later. It's going to be even colder tomorrow! What a looooooooong day. Wednesday. 13 hour flight to Frankfurt. 2 hours layover. 2.5 hours delay. 2.5 hours flight to Helsinki. 4 hours sleep. 1.2 hour flight to Kuusamo. 3 hour meeting. Snowing! 20km on the snowmobile. Drank christmas tree juice. Knocked out for about 20mins, sleeping on reindeer rugs halfway through dinner. Finnish Karaoke. More drinks. Crashed into bed. Slept 6 hours. Friday. Awake & blogging.

5:23pm(+2GMT)/11:23(+8GMT)
Snippet: He's sleeping, whilst holding on to the rubbish bin - the miniature replica used as a pen holder by Gu-gu.

Saturday 1:05am (+2GMT)
Flight out of Kuusamo was delayed because of this snowstorm in Helsinki... arrived in Helsinki to see everything's covered in snow. It's really quite pretty.

Redeemed

Called my creditors today...

Me: I got many questions regarding my bill statement.
Creditor: Alright, how may I assist you?

(1) Me: Ehh, I paid my bill via cheque but accidentally put '06 instead of '07. Can you reverse the late charges for both credit cards? $45 X 2? I've already sent in a new cheque.
Creditor: Yes, okay, we see that you have sent in a new cheque. Yes, we can reverse the charge on one card but you haven't made payment for your *** card.
Me: Huh? I sent in 1 cheque to pay for both cards. That's what I do everytime.
Creditor: Yes, 1 cheque is correct. But did you write both card numbers down on the back?
Me: Eh????????? aaaaaaaa......maybe not.
Creditor: Okay, do you want me to transfer $X as payment to the other card?
Me: Yes please!!!
Creditor: Okay. Done.
Me: Eh...Are you going to reverse the late charge for the other card?
Creditor: Yes.
*Phew!*

(2) Me: Eh, 2nd question. There's an Annual Fee charge of $150 for the *** card.
Creditor: Yes. What will you like me to do?
Me: Eh, can you waive that?
Creditor: Let me see....*Pause* I can see there are a lot of transactions for this card so yes, we can waive your annual fee charges.
Me: Thank you!!! So I can minus $150 off the bill?
Creditor: Yes. Minus off $150 and $7.50 GST.
Me: Oh. Right. Fantastic.
Creditor: And you have another query?

(3) Me: Yes. What happened to my points? Why did they disappear?
Creditor: ...they expired 31st Dec 2006.
Me: What? Expired? I didn't notice that. Eh...How? Can you put them back? (can almost hear him laugh!)
Creditor: (Controlling his laughter) Do you have anything in mind you want to redeem now?
Me: Eh no, not now but I can go look!
Creditor: Okay. Here's what I can do. I can put your points on hold but you must redeem them by the end of this month by calling this number again.
Me: Okay! I will do just that! *I love this guy!*
Creditor: Right. Do you have a another question?
Me: No. No more questions. Thank you very much!
Creditor: You're welcomed.

2 hours later......
Redeemed. 2 adult tickets to Underwater World & Dolphin Lagoon & 2 adult tickets for DUCKtours. I checked. Kids under 3, free admission.

Snippets of the little snippet

snip·pet
(1) A bit, scrap, or morsel
(2) A small or mischievous person.

I get these little anecdotes of what happened during the day on a daily basis from your grandparents. Here are today's highlights...

Ah Mah: Ni de er zhi gan cai suar ba xi! (Your son was performing acrobatics just now)/ Me: Hahhaa...ta zhuo shi mo ba xi? (What acrobatics did he do?) ===>Apparently, you pushed the chair right up to the edge of the split level dining area and sat on it. Another 1/8 of an inch and the chair would have tumbled down the stairs with you on it.

Ah Gong: He kept asking me to bring him to the zoo today. I tell him "No car, cannot go". He tells me to "Walk!". I tell him "Too far away, cannot walk!", he points to his tricycle and asks me to use that...and he's very chok giat. (cheeky) There was an aeroplane in the sky and he said, "Bird!" I told him, "No, it's an aeroplane". He said, "No! Bird!" I said, "No, It's an aeroplane!" but he insisted, "NO, BIRD!" So ok, I said "Bird" and guess what your son said?... "No! Aeroplane!"

Weather in Kuusamo...

Master Contractor

Me: Do you like this new house?
YY: Yes
Me: Do you like the old house?
YY: Yes
Me: Do you like this new house or the old house?
YY: New house...and old house!

Me: Papa, I asked your son whether he like the new house or the old house, he told me, "New house and old house".
PP: ....did he really say that?
Me: Of course! Why would I make it up?

The next day...(obviously he was still thinking about it)
PP: Eh, Mummy, your son very diplomatic leh.
Me: (clearly no idea the conversation from yesterday was still open) HuH? What do you mean?
PP: He can say "New house and old house"
Me: Orh! Hhahaaaaaha

An official response from Coca-Cola

Just for fun, I wrote to Coca-Cola, warning them about the hoax. This is their response...

Dear Carrie

A series of hoax e-mails have been circulating which falsely claim that the recipient has been selected for a cash prize. This story is not true. It is not from The Coca-Cola Company, and we encourage you to ignore any messages regarding this hoax.

Kind regards

Coca-Cola Great Britain Press Office

Pre-school

Toured 2 pre-schools near our new home. The 1st one looks a bit run down although they are less than 6 months old but the kids looked quite happy there. (Fees: $475 after subsidy)

The 2nd one was more organised, students were uniformed & well behaved and there was a waiting list. (Fees: $425 after subsidy) The lady asked, "Full day"? I told her no and that I was only thinking of putting you in for half day. She was quick to add that that's okay for your age but come next year, it will have to be full day. I asked, "Why?". "Oh, we follow MOE curriculum. We need a full day to finish the syllables. I wanted to laugh at her face! She must have seen my expression because she quickly added, "That's why our students do very well when they go to Primary 1!" I started laughing then.

Was telling my Ang Moh colleague some time back that I'm so put off by the word curriculum. It's ridiculous! At what other age can you pee in your pants and have fun? I was ranting on how impossible it is to find a playschool that does not emphasize on academics. To which he said this, "If you don't play, than how do you know that it is fun?" I feel my cause is vindicated.

I refuse to push you through a system that gets you so lost at the end. So what if you have a degree but do not enjoy the quest for knowledge?

You've won 1 million british pounds!

Hahaaaa... does anyone nowadays still believe such crap?

CONGRATULATION**YOU ARE A CERTIFIED**WINNER

THE COCA\'COLA COMPANY
PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD
1 Queen Caroline Street Hammersmith London W6 9HQ

THE COCA\'COLA COMPANY OFFICIAL PRIZE NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded annual final draws held on the (16th January, 2007) by Coca-Cola in
conjunction with the British American Tobacco Worldwide Promotion, your email was among the 20 Lucky winners who won £1,000,000.00 each on the THE COCA\'COLA COMPANY PROMOTION, However the results were released on the 16th January, 2007 and your email was attached to ticket number (7PWYZ2006) and ballot number (BT:12052006/20).

However,you will have to fill the form below and send it to the
Promotion manager of THE COCA\'COLA COMPANY for verification and then you will be directed to the courier company where a cheque of
£1,000,000.00 has already been deposited in your favour.

(1.) FULL NAME
(2.) FULL ADDRESS
(3).NATIONALITY.
(4) DATE OF BIRTH
(5) OCCUPATION
(6 )WINNING EMAIL
(7 )TELEPHONE NUMBER
(8) DATE OF WINNING NOTIFICATION
(9) SEX
(10) TOTAL AMOUNT WON
(11) MARITAL STATUS

Note: Please you are advice to respond back to this office through the secure email below.

(CONTACT PROMOTION MANAGER)
Dr. Perry Coleman
Tel:+44 70457 03518
Fax: +447075700390
E MAIL: claimsdept_cocacolapromo77@yahoo.co.uk

Madam Contractor

Manage to call in a new supplier for window grills, got him to measure and quote on the spot. Looks like a nice chap with a Malaysian accent, about 1.75m, drives a Honda Wish, has an interesting looking chronograph watch from 25 hours, natural brown hair and brown eyes, a N73 phone with a picture of a cute little baby girl on the screen and a pair of black Everbest shoes with a hard clog base that sounds quite important when he walks. No. I will have no regrets murdering him for non-delivery should that happen.

Sold: A Queen size bedframe with mattress, 2 side tables, 2 lamps, a hideous cow-hide stool with 2 equally hideous matching pillows for $235.

Hey, I think I'm very great!
The one I married: I know. That's why I married you.
And tell me again why I married you?
The one I married grins
...and then I kinda remember why.

Possessiveness

"IT'S MINE!!!!!" I was quite shocked. Never heard you say such things before. Didn't know you knew how. Points to how often we invite your little friends over to play with your toys.

...and YOU'RE MINE!!!!!!! Hehehe

ANGRY!!!!

Went to the new house to drop off some stuff. FUMING MAD! The bl**dy contractors have not started work yet! F**K! Even angrier that the one I married said "Why don't you call them yourself!" when I expressed my disfactisfaction at how things are progressing. @#&+@*&#@@!!!!!!!!!!!!! We gave them 2 bl**dy weeks and they have still bl**dy not started work! Fine. I shall call them and give them a piece of my mind. We're moving this Sunday goddammit! Things better freaking be ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! @%$&*&^^***!!!!!!! or else..... or else... I'd tar-pow some scalding hot Japanese KaniNabe soup and pour it down their throats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3:33pm
Uncle! So how?
.......Eh, ah, eh......They haven't called me leh.
WHAT?????? What they haven't called you????!? You call them !!!!!!!!!
.....ah, e, a.......I call them later?
No! YOU CALL THEM NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*slams down phone*

6:00pm
UNCLE! HOW?!!!?????????
Eh, they say next friday
WHAT NEXT FRIDAY??????? I'M MOVING IN ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know.
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW??? WHY ARE YOU SO UNPROFESSIONAL? WHAT ABOUT THE WALL? WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO DO THE WALL?
See lar, maybe tomorrow
WHAT MAYBE TOMORROW?
We need to buy the materials...
YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT THE MATERIALS? AND YOU NEED TO PAINT IT!!???? HOW IS IT GOING TO DRY???????? YOU COME IN TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we need to buy the materials first!
*TURN TO THE ONE I MARRIED AND THREW THE PHONE AT HIM* YOU TALK TO THEM!!!!!!!!!!!

The next day..8:15am
So, are they coming in today?
No.
So you fired them?
No.
So they are coming in to work on our wall?
No.
But you didn't fire them.
No.
What about the window grills? Did they order the grills?
The guy came to measure.
But how come our contractors never ensure the windows grills are up?
Move on.
What move on?
You're very corporate.
??!!??????????????????????????? I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!!!! I AM MOVING ON!! F**K !!!!!I'M CALLING THE CONTRACTORS IN THE PAPERS NOW! KNS!

200th post

Two hundredth post! Amazing.

This week is about moving! We're moving to our new home in a week. I'm moving out of my nice workspace into a miserably tiny desk at the office, the result of being in the 'wrong' location for my job scope.

The business managers in my office has decided that since my global team of 3 do not belong to this location, we shall not use up space meant for regional people!

The good news is that now, I can really really really work from home.

When we were in our new home yesterday, I pointed out your room, daddy & mummy's room and a very important "DO NOT DISTURB ROOM" to you. Hopefully that last door will hold up against a very determined toddler.

Horoscope from The Sunday Times January 14 2007 Lifestyle Section Page 21 : The stars are compelling you to move forward but it seems that you are more intent on hitting the brakes. Believe it or not, these astrological energies are working in your favour. They may be moving a little fast so try to catch up.

Wish me luck!

1 ounce = 28.349527 grams

Boy still phlegmy... decided to make some pear soup with chuan bei.

Your Papa and I split up. Him to buy the pears at NTUC and me to buy the chuan bei at the medicinal hall. I carried you, because we forgot to put you in shoes. So, what I got was one very squirmy independant toddler who was obviously not too happy being carried, on my hips.

Nice lady: You want the $5 one or the $14 one?
Me: Eh... $14 one and can you split that up for me?
Nice lady: Sure!

Couple of seconds later, she has already measured out 1 ounce and was apportioning them into individual packets. She lifted up the first packet from behind the counter to show it to me. I lean closer to take a look because it looks like twice the normal amount I would have put into your soup.

Big mistake.

The squirmy independant toddler found something interesting. A jar. A glass jar. A glass jar full of bird's nest. A glass jar full of bird's nest that costs $150. A glass jar full of bird's nest that costs $150 an ounce. A glass jar full of bird's nest that costs $150 an ounce within reach.

I hear a gasp. A loud gasp. Maybe it was even a scream. Who's to tell? My memory has since left me.

About a nanosecond after 'THE GASP', something breaks near my right leg. The culprit was on my right hip. I flinched...and looked. It's a jar. It's a glass jar! It's a glass jar full of bird's nest!! It's a glass jar full of bird's nest that costs $150!!! It's a glass jar full of bird's nest that costs $150 an ounce!!!!!!!!

Everyone's in shock.

The nice lady was not nice anymore.

...later, much later, in the car, on the way home, I told the boy, "Do you know, in some countries, some parents sell their kids into slavery for just US$1?"

Sketch

Sketched this yesterday. You moved around so much it's out of proportion. I haven't sketched in ages. My models used to sit still for 3 hours, not 3 seconds so this is as good as it can get. At one point, you produced a snot bubble and I added that to the picture. Showed it to you and you laughed! My silly happy boy. Brought you to the doctor again this morning. He can hear you wheezing through the stethoscope. Thankfully, it went away after one session on the nebulizer. *sigh*

6pm: Another trip to the doctor. This time can hear you wheezing without the stethoscope.....another round on the nebulizer. Night nurse ask ... "You came this morning? Here again?" Ok, so not usual for 2 nebs a day huh? Thankfully, you reacted well to the 2nd treatment. Can go home. *phew*

7pm: Having dinner at the coffeeshop. I'm coaxing the boy to eat some beehoon. Then boy suddenly kicks the table. The chair topples backwards... I try to catch, 2 hands already occupied, bowl in one hand, spoon in another. Boy lands on the floor while still sitting on the chair, head hitting the ground first. Beehoon lands on boy's face, bowl & spoon spins across the air onto the floor. Boy shocked. I'm shocked. For a moment, all is quiet. Then out came the screams. So very loud. The whole coffeeshop falls silent, making the screams even louder. I was so mad, all I wanted to do was to scold the boy silly and give him a big whack, nevermind if he's already hurt or not.

7:30pm: Iced boy's head all the way home. Spread one big dollop of Zam-Buk over the swelling which has gone down quite a bit after applying the ice.

9:30pm: Bedtime...The mummy explains to the boy how he fell and why he should listen to the mummy. All the mummy wants to do is to keep him safe. The boy squirms around the room and doesn't seem to want to listen. The mummy gets exasperated, pulls the boy over and says "Look at me!" The boy looks. Unwillingly. The mummy can tell that the boy is not comfortable. Decides not to lecture him anymore in that split second and asks him instead "You know I love you very much?" Boy nods and says "Yes". Ok, think enough is said for the day.

Keep Thomas clean ok?

>>>>>Boy with 'Thomas the tank engine' briefs
MM: Keep Thomas clean ok?
YY: hm
>>>>>Later
YY: Mummy! BY yao4 ngh ngh!
MM: Ok! Let's go to the toilet. BY clever boy!
>>>>>Looking, staring, waiting (anxiously)...
YY: Mummy turn!
MM: Huh?
YY: Mummy turn! BY yao4 ngh ngh!
>>>>>Oh! Ok. I shouldn't be so rude...I shouldn't be staring at you while you are shitting.
MM: Ok ok... Mummy turn.
>>>>>A while later....***Plop!***

What a wonderful sound!

HURRAY!!!!!!!!!
.....Mummy tells Ah Mah...Mummy tells Papa...Ah Mah tells Ah Gong and now Mummy tells the whole world!

BTW, I'm awake at this ungodly hour because (A) Your nose is very congested and I can't sleep, fearing that you'd get another attack, (B) Your Papa is snoring like a wannabe rock band on drugs! I never knew he is capable of such an amazing nasal repertoire - since I'm always dead asleep before him & (C) I myself am coughing like an old ciggy addict!>>> Can't wait for daybreak...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"Go. You have 16 minutes! I'd meet you at the Fullerton koi pond later". Your Papa left his phone at a friend's home. Mine had ran out of battery. He was reluctant but jumped out of the car with you near the Golden Shoe carpark. 6 minutes later at 2350hrs, I drove into the UOB plaza at Boat Quay alone. Couldn't find a parking lot so I abandoned the car along the side, got into the lift and made a dash for Marina Bay.

I hurried across Cavenagh bridge, through the underpass at Anderson bridge and was at Queen Elizabeth Walk when the fireworks went off. Not satisfied with the view, I trampled on some plants (apologies to the National Parks Board), climbed over the railings onto Anderson bridge and walked across it towards the old Merlion park to get a better view. Better.

After 8 short minutes, it was over. Was turning to cross the road to head towards Fullerton when I spotted you both. EH? What's the probability of that happening in a sea of 150,000 people you'd think?

I feel good about 2007 already.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!