So beautiful but still painful

An addition to my shoe collection - the Melissa Vinyl. It's 4" high and I just got to get it (especially when there's a 15% discount with Amex!). Pedder Red only sells the black pair. I checked out the Melissa Plastic Dreams Web site and it comes in purple, red, yellow, green... simply lovely.

Check it out at http://www.melissaplasticdreams.com/home/singapore

Novo also sells Melissa shoes btw.

I just wish it was more comfortable for the price I paid for it. The balls of my feet hurt after wearing it for an hour of shopping (ok it's not meant to be worn shopping but I wore it right after I bought it, and I was shopping). That was solved using Foot Petals (much better than Scholl's Slinky Feet!).

And then the second time I wore it I got blisters on my toes. Urgh. It just needs time to be seasoned - or so I hope.

8 memorable things about my HK holiday

1. I got to shop to my heart's content - thanks to a very generous husband!

2. I bought myself a new watch (at Changi Airport) - something I'd always wanted)

3. The lovely smell of The Langham Hong Kong - ginger flower scent which fills the whole lobby; a luxurious hotel makes all the difference

4. Steve Madden Shoes - half the price there compared to here plus discounts; I bought 4 pairs and a yellow leather bag

Steve Madden Merritt Booties. I bought it in black leather. It's so comfortable and cool.

My lovely purple flats. I also bought a pair in pewter.

5. The wonderful weather - cool sometimes warm but not humid

6. The fantastic shopping in HK - I bought tees and 2 more pairs of shoes from Citygate Outlet Mall (Baby Cacharel Silver Flat Mary Janes and Pedder Red Bronze Wedge Heels); H&M is great, I bought a purple winter jacket, several tops, a sequinned cardi at affordable prices

7. Enjoying uninterrupted sleep, waking up the time I want to, leisurely breakfast, and relaxed shopping

8. Most important of all, I got to spend four full days of couple-time with Alv

Why I've been "away" for so long

It's been more than a month since I last blogged. That is because I've been busy watching the Chinese period drama Lu4 Ding3 Ji4 (translated as "Royal Tramp" or "Duke of Mount Deer" depending on which TV production it is) on DVD after Ian sleeps at night. A working mum has only that many hours to spare, so the blogging has to go for a while. I still have five more eps (out of 50) to go!

Besides an engaging, funny storyline (it's adapted from the novel of master author Jin Yong after all), the series has actually refreshed my Mandarin and spurred an interest to read more Chinese books. I find that I do miss the language.

The only reason I have time to write this entry is I'm alone at home. Ian's with my in-laws at his cousins' home happily playing. Alv is in church, if not we'll be watching Lu Ding Ji together.

Within these three hours I have to myself before my son comes home (am missing him already), I am planning to

1. check my email

2. upload new photos on my facebook account

3. book my driving lessons online

4. explain on my blog where I've been this 1+ month

5. handwash my dress

6. pack some things for my upcoming HK trip (I take a long time to decide what to bring!)

7. have a bath

8. read the newspapers

9. decide what clothes to wear with my three pairs of new shoes that I bought from Gripz yesterday - white animal print wedges, silverish-grey snakeskin and leather heels, and two-toned red heels

Items 6-9 are not done yet, so got to go!

Why I love my new home

• It’s just opposite Bedok Reservoir, wonderful greenery view and water view.
• It’s on the second highest floor, great for enjoying the view.
• I can see lovely lights in the horizon, of the reservoir and even the mass of headlights of vehicles on the expressway in the evening.The blocks in my estate are widely spaced out.
• I love it when it pours especially at night. I can sit at the edge of my sofa (which is right next to the balcony) and enjoy the wind but still not get wet. (I love the sound and smell of rain btw)
• It has a huge adult pool and kiddie pool, both of which my son and I enjoy. An easy way to enjoy a day at home, without having to go out! Every time I swim in the pool, I feel so blessed!
• There are two playgrounds for my son to have fun at.
• The landscaping in my condo area is beautiful.
• I have a huge sofa to recline on and a big LCD TV (when I find the time to watch TV)
• My bathroom of course! (read my entry “Nothing beats a leisurely shower”)
  
  I had never lived in a condo before so I'm naturally amazed by condo living. Ha ha. I also understand now why people who grew up in the idyllic East (such as my husband) would usually want to return to the East even when they have moved somewhere else.

Conrad Bali - here we come!

Alv and I are taking off to Bali this coming Sunday for our just-us annual getaway. He made a booking at "Luxury Conrad Bali" (that's what the web site says) for the Deluxe Lagoon Room, which is a room on the ground floor that opens up to one of the pools in the hotel.

I can't wait to just spend time alone with him, nuah by the poolside, soak in the water and the sun, have some great seafood...Maybe I'll swim some laps everyday and get some exercise too.

Give me hearty "normal" food anytime

I've been reading about these up and coming restaurants in Singapore which serve food cooked molecular style (if that's the correct way to describe it). Food critics laud the burst of different flavours coming from one small item etc. But I would rather have hearty food cooked the normal way anytime over this type of food. The food presentation doesn't even have to be fancy. As long as it tastes great, and it comes in a good portion, that's all that matters.

More good years ahead

Yesterday was my birthday and I took leave. After dropping Ian off at playschool, Alv and I went for breakfast at Werner's in Siglap. There were just two of us other than the owner and his wife. After that we went to the Marine Parade NPP to change our residential address. This was followed by some shopping (Alv bought a jacket from Zara and an Esprit bag while I bought ONLY a pair of pants from Dorothy Perkins. This was one of those very rare occasions when Alv bought more things than me) before we watched Wall.E at GV Gold Class.

We were again the only ones there! Which was great coz it was like our own home theatre. We could laugh and talk loudly. Following that, we had cake, coffee, and some fast food at McCafe. We then went to Harris where I picked up "Tough Choices" (by Carly Fiorina) to bring for our Bali getaway. We went home to spend time with Ian and for dinner.

Sounds like a boring, typical way a married-with-no-kids couple would spend a weekend. But I am quite happy with just chilling, leisurely shopping and having no particular agenda for the day.

I am older but I must say I feel much happier than I was when I was in my 20s especially before I walked with the Lord again. My life is not perfect but I have so many things to be thankful for, and it is all because of Jesus. I look forward to the days and years ahead. :)

Entertaining Ian part 1

If I need to do something or want some "lull" time, I just need to put some ice cubes in Ian's toy cooking pot, pass him another container, and sit him at the balcony. He will stir the ice cubes with his toy spoon, pour them from pot to container and vice versa... get entertained for half an hour. After that I just have to pour away the water into the water outlet at my balcony, change him if his top is wet, and air-dry the containers. Another reason why I appreciate having a balcony!

Ian's current fav: Peter and the Wolf

Ian has taken a liking to watching a particular Elmo CD on Peter and the Wolf. He'll want to watch it every morning after his milk. And he likes me to sit with him and have a "conversation" about it.

Interestingly my father-in-law bought it because Ian grabbed it at the T3 toy shop. I only found out it's Peter and the Wolf later.

I studied Peter and the Wolf during music lessons in secondary school. At that time my classmates and I complained about having to learn a classical piece. Shouldn't we be singing during music class instead of learning about musical instruments?

Looking back now, I think it's quite a good thing my son is learning about music and new words through Elmo. This Elmo CD has funny jokes which Ian doesn't understand yet but I laugh heartily to. Am going to see if I can buy him more of such cds.

- top photo taken with my e71 in sepia mode. Ian will empty his box of Elmo CDs but always end up picking out Peter & the Wolf to watch.

Best buds

Our close friendship started about four years ago. It was with Les and Pat initially after we invited them to dinner at Waraku and had such a great time together. We had always said hi-bye in our church's then-Young Adults Ministry (YAM) but it wasn't until that dinner that we got to know one another better. I forgot how Hee Jhun came into the picture later. Ha ha.

One fond memory I have of our friendship is how we'd squeeze into Hee Jhun's beat-up Toyota to go for suppers almost every Sat after YAM meeting and hang out, sharing about spiritual things and frivilous stuff alike. Nowadays suppers are rare because I have a young son now - we went for a quick one at tong shui after a church meeting recently. And we all have our own cars now.

I remember how we watched The Chronicles of Narnia and cheered together when Aslan the lion breathed his last, saying 'It is finished.' (that was the last thing uttered by our Saviour on the cross)

I'm glad our friendship stood the test of the time, the changes and trials in our lives. We came from different educational and family backgrounds and are of different ages. but the Lord has blessed our friendship. Alv and I asked Him for close friends four years ago and He surely answered. :)

- photos taken with my e71. Quality not great. Sony Ericsson cams still better.

The story of evita peroni hair clips

Alv is right when he says that you pay for quality. Case in point, there's a reason for paying so much for an evita peroni hair clip.

I started buying the figure '8' hair clip when I grew my hair long. it costs $9.90 which is quite a lot to pay for a simple plastic clip. I wear them at home as well, so when I see a colour I like, I buy to keep since they break after some use.

The other day, I decided to buy the copycat ones from chameleon just to try them out. you can tell the finish is not as good as the ep ones, but the copy only costs $0.80. I can buy 11 for the price of an ep one! (See photo: Genuine silver EP and copycat black one)

I bought two not-cheap-looking-coloured clips and tried them at home. And I realised why I pay so much for an ep.

The ep holds my hair up for quite a long time. But the cheapie starts to slide down after a while. So if I'd tied a ponytail at the middle of my head, soon it ends up near my neck. Plus the catch comes off rather easily.

Conclusion? I'll use the ep when I go out but the cheapie will remain for home use. Why do I buy ep, you may ask? That particular type of clip is the only one that holds my fine hair well. Clips with metal catches and pretty rubber bands become loose because my hair is so fine.

I guess another reason could be me trying to make up for what I didn't have in my teenage years. when I was in JC, most of the girls wore ep in their hair. I remember admiring the pretty clips fastening their ponytails or the little clips holding up their fringe.

But the ep was too expensive for me then. I only got $10 a week for pocket money which was just enough for food (this was the early 90s), let alone buying things for myself. I would go to the shops and look at all the ep clips, and wonder if I should spend $3.30 on a tiny clip. I never did.

So when I had worked for some time, I decided to buy myself an ep clip! Now whenever I buy one, I'm always thankful that I can just easily spend on one. It may not mean much to some but the fact I can buy one anytime I want without pinching my pennies is a little reminder of how much the Lord loves me and how far He has brought me.

-written on my e71

Working moms can still impact their children's lives

I must admit I'm a little irked when I hear comments that stay-home moms are 'greater' because they can make an impact on their children's lives. Does that mean working moms can't have an impact on their children's lives?

Because of what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross, He has promised that whatever we put our hand to prosper. Because of His superabundant grace, whatever choices we make will turn out for good. That's what GRACE is all about - unearned undeserved favour.

So because I've made the choice to be a working mom, I believe Jesus will prosper my decision. And my son won't miss out on anything in his life than if I were a stay-home mom. I won't have any less of an impact on my son's life.

Like Alv said, I will have to trust the Lord all the more since I don't spend most of my time with my son. A woman I highly respect also told me that she doesn't spend that much time with her three children. But the time they spend together is quality time, and I can see the tremendous impact she has in her children's lives.

So far things are going well thank God. Ian is closest to me. Some people say it's because he doesn't see me that often. But I also know of moms whose children prefer their main caregiver. I choose to believe it's because the Lord answered my prayer.

Who knows, I may decide to switch to working part time or stay home when I have more children. Whatever it is, I know the Lord and Alv will always support my decision. For now, I will enjoy my life as a working mom!

Who is Sa Sa

I was at work when Alv smsed to say that our son kept saying the name Sa Sa. He found out from my MIL that it's the name of the ang moh girl whom he has been playing with at the playground.

She's a few months younger than him. It must be the same girl he hugged the other time, and they both fell. She cried and he was shocked.

So my son is saying another girl's name! And he didn't tell me!

Great perks ahead for working moms

When PM Lee announced an increase of childcare leave from two to six days, I cheered. When he said moms are entitled to four months maternity leave, I shouted "praise the Lord!"

I don't know what this will do for the fertility rate in Singapore. And I think pregnant women working in SMEs may have a tougher time by making them less employable. But perhaps it's time Singapore SMEs change their mindset?

For me, I'm just thankful and happy for these incentives which will be really helpful when I have another child. Any extra days off that I can use to spend with my children are most valuable and definitely welcome.

Someone lamented the lack of more cash incentives and more subsidies of maid levy. I say, focus on what we already have, not the have-nots. We are very blessed that the government is willing to do more for working moms.

A smartphone at last

I finally got myself a smartphone, the nokia e71. Was deciding between the sony ericsson 5 mega pixel cam phone n a smartphone with easier web surfing and content uploading functions. Then Alv suggested getting the e71. It's sleek, looks good (key consideration for me!), allows me to edit, create text docs, surf the 'net easily, and has a 3.2 mgp cam. Looking forward to do my writing - work and personal - on it and posting photos unto my Facebook and blog.

Blog on the go!

I tried to upload my recent blog entries written on my new nokia e71 directly from active notes from my phone! But can't do a cut and paste! Anyway I'm posting this in a hair salon! Isn't this cool...

Will have to go online from my notebook to upload my entries.

Money can't buy you good taste

When I went shopping with Rachel during one lunch time and while waiting for her to try her tops (see Fashion stylist for a lunch time entry), I noticed a fellow customer browsing through the clothes at Bebe.

You can tell she's quite rich - she was carrying an LV bag and a recent purchase from a jeweller, plus she was shopping in Bebe and the clothes there aren't cheap.

But her hairstyle, clothes and shoes really need a makeover. She had a frizzy perm, and she wore a rather cheap looking top with tight white pants and garish gold wedges.

There were also a couple of working aunties who were ploughing through the sales items. I can't remember exactly what they wore but the combis were erm terrible.

This goes to show that money can't buy you good taste.

That said, I checked out Mango tonight. Saw a black jacket with a ruched design that I felt I had to get. Also tried on this grey puff-sleeve top with printed blue peacock feather detail. I stepped out of the fitting cube and was rather convinced to buy it. Until an auntie from another cube who was trying on jeans asked me where I got the top from.

The auntie was quite bold in her fashion sense - she was trying tight jeans, mind you. But when she said she wanted to try the top, (and she did) I just lost all interest in it. No way I'm going to end up wearing the same top as an auntie in her 50s, fashionable she may be. :-p

I bought the jacket eventually. And I love it.

Something else to chuck: the plain polo tee and jeans combi

A fashion combi I can't stand on women: the plain polo tee and jeans combi. I know why there are times when women have no choice but to wear this combi, e.g. at work, roadshows, company kickoffs. But I don't understand why women would want to wear this combi on off-work days. Worse when the polo tee is a bit loose. The combi is so totally unflattering.

There are so many options to that polo tee:

• a cool tee (I like Animal and Split) - time to ditch that Hanks tee!
• an embellished tank top
• a funky/embellished top
• a button front shirt with details
• just look in the shops and you'll find

How do you get Ultra good skin?

Beauty specialists of any sort (skin docs, makeup artistes, celebs) always say that nothing beats having adequate sleep to give you beautiful, glowing skin, no matter how good your skincare products are. How do you have enough sleep as a mother of a young child, I wonder?

I've read in articles that Fann Wong loves her coffee, drinks lots of green tea, and of course everyone knows that she has bird's nest everyday. Top those with her Bella skincare treatments. So you need a combi of all four to have glowing skin? You may not like Fann but you got to admit she has beautiful skin.

How about skin supplements like Imedeen and Fancl? I've been tempted to try these but I don't like the thought of eating more supplements other than Vit C and Calcium.

What works for me? I think fairly good skincare and sufficient sleep helps. I'm blessed with good skin genes. Now if only I can get enough sleep everday...

Since I'm on the topic of skincare, I use Kiehl's (and Simple cleanser) and I like it. They recently brought in the Ultra Facial range of cleanser and toner to Singapore. But I was appalled at how much they cost here. I paid only USD17.50 (about SGD24) thereabouts for each when I went to the US in March, and it was good thing I bought a few bottles of each to keep. Because they cost SGD41 each here! SGD41 for an all-skin-type cleanser?! I'll have to switch to another brand of cleanser and toner after I'm done with my existing stash.

Just Alv and I

Some women would remark “how can you bear to leave your son behind?” when I tell them that I am going away on a holiday just with my husband.

Yes, I definitely miss my son very much every time I’m away. During our first holiday away from him in 2006 when we went to Tokyo, I panicked when I couldn’t call home for two days because an earthquake in Taiwan had destroyed most of the underwater cables. It was very hard to not let my heart be troubled and totally trust that the Lord takes care of him.

But it is also important that I spend alone-time with my husband. During a typical working day, we’re both so busy and communicate mostly through text-messaging. Once we get home, I’ll be preoccupied with spending time with Ian, and there really isn’t much time left or I’m too tired to talk to Alv after I’ve tucked Ian into bed. So our weekly Friday pak-tor nights and yearly holidays are really precious. It’s so easy to focus all our attention on our child that we neglect each other, and we don’t want that to happen.

When our children grow up and lead their own lives, it will be Alv and I alone again. We don’t want to end up having nothing to say to each other then! And one of the best ways to love your child is really to love your spouse.

So, I’m really looking forward to the two short holidays to Bali and HK that we are planning. After that, it will be to Tokyo with our little boy.