Hello 2009

It has been such a long time since I blogged. So long that I've been forgotten my blogspot address. Hello 2009, it's nearly one quarter gone. After May left us for good, we departed for our year-end holiday in Vietnam and we welcomed the new year by giving ourselves a wonderful treat at the Changi Village Hotel enjoying the spread of seafood.

After weeks of waiting, well seems like decades, the new maid finally arrived 1 week before the lunar new year. I was so happy, I could dance... When we picked her up at the agency on a Saturday afternoon, she told me "Madam, I've worked in Singapore for 8 month before. And actually, I am married. Is it ok?" Thoughts raced through my mind. Ok, what's going on? She's supposed to be the "perfect" maid, we interviewed her over the telephone... she sounded mature & serious & had 4 years of work experience in Kuwait but why did she "purposely" omitted her work experience in Singapore and her marital status. Is it OK??? Of course, it's not OK!!! She's a liar. Had I wanted to hire a ex-SIN, I have tons of other candidates to select from. Then she arrived at our home, demanding to have rice all 3 meals for the day and she declared that she disliked cats & plants.

For close friends who have been to our home, you will know that we're into gardening and our cat. Our main priority for the maid is to care for our child, now 5 years old.

But na-na, the new maid (aka MAID FROM HELL) is uncommunicative to children, acts as if she's boss, speaks in the loudest pitch irritating voice, smiles only when I tell her off, can't even perform the single housechores properly. OMG, I felt so irritated & unsettled with her behaviour that when MOTH travels, I will lock my bedroom door when we are sleeping. There's a fear that she might ATTACK ME or US!

The final straw came when we had a bunch of kittens coming to our flat regularly. The MAID from HELL told my 5-year old that they could splash hot water on the kittens so the skin could come off. I was horrified to hear that! Thank goodness, the 5-year old knows what's the right thing to do! She told the MAID from HELL that it is not a good idea but the MAID from HELL said "if you don't tell, and I don't tell... nobody will know. we do this all the time in the Philippines".

How can anyone be so cruel? Even if you are starving, living in tough conditions, and a bunch of kittens come along, I doubt any of us would have the heart to splash hot water on the tiny, defenceless kittens. I mean these are kittens, they are lions or tigers or some wild beast who will rip your kitchen apart and steal your rice.

Au Revoir, May

Sun, 21 December 2008

Today's May last day in Singapore. We got up early in the morning to send her off at the airport. The 4-year old and May spent their last hour playing together and taking some photos together. When it was time for May to enter the boarding gate, the 4-year old broke into tears and hugged May tightly. I can't help but shed tears as well. She has afterall been a part of our family life for the past two years. We enjoyed a peaceful, a well-balanced family & work life as she has helped us a great deal with childcare. It's a shame we can't retain her.

Fortunately I'm on leave for the next two weeks to spend time with the 4-year old. It's quite a drastic change from a career woman to a full-time mother. How do I spend my days at home?

7.30am - Prepare & enjoy breakfast with the little one
8.30am - Help her change & get dressed for school
9.00am - Walk her to school
9.00am-12.30pm - Run errands
12.30pm - evening - Housechores, washing, ironing, packing, playing...

I never imagine that time flies so quickly when I am home. Unfortunately, part of this time does not include time for rest & nap. But I do not mind working extra for our family and taking care of my little one full-time during this period when she needs me most after biding May farewell.

We do not know when the new helper will arrive. But I think we are coping very well as a family as Moth also plays his part to help as well. This is a wonderful experience.

We are looking forward to our Christmas holiday in Hanoi and our cruise in Halong Bay. Can't wait to post our family pictures on this blog.

With the new year, we begin with a new helper, a new school for the little one, and a new career for me.

French Singing Competition

28 November 2008:

We took part in a FRENCH SINGING COMPETITION!

Singing 'Place Des Grands Hommes' by Patrick Bruel...

It was nerve racking but we survived and won nothing except experience and good fun.

We worked very hard to practise the song, imagine 3 pages long of french text... hmm, it's enough to cause a big, huge migraine. Yes, you are right. That's my 4-year old pulling my jeans. She is a very brave girl and made a dash to be on stage. She sang along during the chorus and it's wonderful!

To view the video clips, visit: http://www.apfs.sg/french_students%27_singing_contest_2008.htm

A little disney magic

Despite the gloomy economic outlook and daily bad news, we took our 4 year old to the Disney Live, 3 Classical Fairy Tales performance at the Kallang Indoor Stadium. Boy, we were wooed by the performance, beautiful stage, special effects, wonderful musicals, ... and of course, the all time favourites Snow White, Cinderella & Beauty & the Beast. The tickets were reasonably priced and we compared this performance with Barney. Barney show was a let down, dull & boring. Nothing special yet pricey.

To spice up the outing, I had surprised the 4 year old with a princess gown. She was so happy and excited to don and dress up as a princess.

No goodbyes???

My 4-year old will leave her school end of this year. She will begin Kindergarten 1 in a new school with new teachers and new friends.

She has been attending this school since she's around 2.5 years old. She likes to give her friends goodbye cards and likes to bake her friends cupcakes. But her school doesn't allow it! Her school management thinks that such farewell will affect other children and will stir emotions.

I don't agree with the management's views and I think it is inappropriate for my 4-year old to leave without saying goodbye.

I question the school and asked how the teacher will answer the children when my 4-year old does not return to school. Eventually the topic of "goodbye" will pop up and the teacher has to address this. I ask the management if the children will suddenly become mature to accept the goodbye (when Emelia is gone!).

It's normal to say goodbye to people. To view the exchanges between the school & me, visit:
http://preschool.sg/?p=404#comment-2289

What's wrong with these?

Can anyone tell me what's wrong with these cuff links?

I bought something like these for SOMEONE for our anniversary.
(Something similar, except it's round-shaped, in more vibrant colour).

I kept the receipt and told him that if he's displeased with the present he can bring it to the shop for an exchange (as he's normally unhappy with the presents I buy him and he will recall them even after 5 years), And our friend pretended that he's "delighted" with the present, absolutely love it...

Tonight, 2 months after our anniversary, he said he hates it! Coz the cuff links are too brightly coloured. My gosh, this guy is completely, absolutely screwed up. He can't make up his mind about his preference, he's completely insincere about his comments. Only God + his mother can figure what he really wants.

Fine, I will dispose of these in the recycling bin for metal products. It's a waste of my precious time & money to get him a present for any occasions. Our friend is earning 3 times more than me so he has extra income to dispose while poor me have to squeeze and squeeze my budget to get a decent gift.

For Christmas, he can pray & wish for Santa Claus to bring him a present or better still, call his mother to express his wish for his prefect present. BoF!

Someone's reading my blog

I took the opportunity to chat with an old pal of mine this morning because I wanted to tell her how stressful my interview went and how I felt as if I was going to evaporate.

Let me recall... I knew her when I was 17. We were both students then in the famous secretarial school (now disappeared from our island). I used to play traunt or skip class whenever I overslept and she would dutifully ring me non-stop to ensure that I drag my butt out from bed.

My pal told me that she's been reading my blog and it made her laugh.

I was very flattered. My blog actually made my pal laughed! : )
For 15 years of our friendship, I believe I gave her more troubles and headaches than laughters. But this is a real good start.