"A" for?

This sight greeted me a couple of years back while I was on the train - a mother teaching her kid the alphabet. I didn't know whether to laugh or to feel sorry for the kid.

The mother had one of those alphabet books with huge letters and pictures which correspond to the letter. And then the mother goes.....

Mother: "A" for?

The kid looks at her blankly.

Mother: "A" for "ping guo"

?????

How does A even sound anything like the consonant P?

What is "B" then? "Qiu"?

Indian Wells

This time, I didn't wake up in vain.

I woke up to watch Nadal beat Murray 6-1, 6-2.

6-1, 6-2!!! What terrible scores for a final.

Shame shame.

Nonetheless, I am happy. :)

The Confinement Lady Search

After a month of searching, we finally found one. But we've realised that whether we get a good one or not is really a "heng-suay" matter. Afterall, someone's idea of good is still subjective isn't it?

The good one recommended by a friend (a reliable one) was already taken for the month of August. So was the one my cousin used last December.

Then, an ex colleague recommended hers, but when I called, she was charging an exorbitant rate, and I didn't quite like the way she spoke. Yes, they all speak Mandarin, but this was was a bit off, a bit difficult to understand. So I passed.

Then there was one who called me and told me she was referred to by another confinement lady. And her price was the cheapest amongst all so far. And she went on to tell me about how she would like to deal direct with me instead of the referee so that we wouldn't have to give the referee a commission. Honestly, her price was attractive but the whole thing all sounded a bit iffy, so I passed too.

Then we had my cousin's nanny's friend whom, really we felt would be good. But unfortunately, in the month of August, she had to pray and would not be able to provide confinement services.

Then another of my cousins got me a contact which her friend had used. She seemed pretty ok. When I asked her where she was from, she replied, "Pi Li Joe" (at least that's what I heard). So I went, "Billy Joe?". And she said: "Dui ah, ma lai si ya de pi li zhou." (Yes, Malaysia's Billy Joe). Now somebody tell me, where in the world is that? Or who the hell is that? But that wasn't the reason we passed her on. The real reason was that when she asked me who I was living with and I replied, "Wo zhang fu, fu mu qin he gong ren" (my husband, parents and maid), she asked, "Ni ma ma bu hui bang ni meh?" (Your mum cannot help you meh?). Seriously if she could would I be even looking for Billy Joe?? My mum and I didn't quite like that, so we passed on this one too.

So my cousin got a few more contacts from her friends, one which sounded pretty good, but wasn't available in August. Then finally I got one who spoke in decently accented language, albeit still mandarin, who was available.

I guess we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. Like I said, it's really a "heng-suay" thing.

I just wish there were confinement ladies who could speak English. It would make the month a whole lot more bearable.

A New Beginning

So I went to Egypt and became a mummy.

This is a long overdue post simply because for the most part of my first trimester, I was practically horizontal (read: in bed) and feeling nauseous. Worst part is, the nausea comes with hardly any vomit. I sometimes wonder if it's actually better to vomit. And 'morning sickness' is a definite misnomer as it really doesn't just happen in the mornings.

Anyway, some updates on the Beanie (till we name him, it's Beanie)

8 Weeks
The first gynae check up was at 8 weeks.
With it came the usual scan and checks AND a THREE HOUR WAIT that nearly killed RT and me!!!! Anyhow, the scan revealed a sac (so for sure it's not twins!) and what was supposed to be the foetus, but honestly, we couldn't figure anything out except for the heartbeat.

12 weeks
Then at 12 weeks, this is what we saw. Much more defined than the 8-week scan.

So cute right?

The 12th week check up came with the Oscar's test - a test mainly to test for the probability of Down's and Edward's syndrome, among others. As I expected the routine urine test, I had actually tried holding my bladder till it was time to take the test. So when I went in and the sonographer said, "Oh, your baby's position not correct to take the neck measeurements. You go drink another glass of water and come back in 20 minutes ok?" "Oh and don't pee ah!" she added.

Don't pee? I really needed to pee you know.

Anyway, I complied and decided to go for the blood tests first. Here's the conversation between the phlebotomist and me:

P1: Oh, I need to draw a lot of blood from you, you know.

Me: Ya I know. And I think my veins are quite hard to find right?

P1: Hmmm, yea you're right.

So off she goes to get help from her colleague.

P2: Ok let's take a look at your veins. I need to collect 9 tubes of blood.

Me: 9??

P2: Ya cos you got a lot of tests to take.

Me: Ok, just try not to 'orh-chae' the arm ok? Cos I face the same problem every time i donate blood or draw blood- they can't find the vein.

P2: Oh don't worry la, won't orh-chae one. You donate blood before ah? Then should be ok.

Hmmmm. Means what ah?

So she managed to draw the 9 tubes of blood. From BOTH my arms. Cos midway, the blood stopped flowing in one arm. When she was done I was back at the sonographer's and thankfully, Beanie was in place for her to take the measurements.

And then I finally peed.

16 weeks
After that horrifying 3-hour wait, we decided to schedule ourselves for the last appointment slot. Unfortunately, we were still subjected to a 1 hr 45 minute wait. Can die I tell you. One of the things I really hate is waiting.

The check up took less than 10 minutes.

Dr Tan: Everything looks good. Placenta is positioned well and baby is growing well. Your baby is 157g.

Me: 157g?? But I've put on 3 kg!!

Dr Tan chuckles and says, "Now you know what to do. Walk more."

Ya I know there's the placenta and all but still!

I told her about the rash I'd developed on my tummy and was told to stop using the stretch mark cream as it sometimes causes more problems than help.

Stop using? Then kena all the stretch marks how?? Tsk.

Seriously, the physical changes pregnant women go through can be quite horrendous. Bulbous noses, protruding belly buttons, swollen feet/face, acne breakout. I've seen them all during my looong waits at the gynae. These women come in all shapes and sizes. Scary.

The Cage

The boys (cousins, cousins-in-law and their friends) organised a soccer game again last weekend. It wasn't really soccer soccer, really, more like mini soccer. Not the real thing. The field is smaller. Actually it's all played within a cage (It's actually called The Cage). And the grass is fake. I dunno what you call it. Kayestercan says it's futsal. Whatever it is they had fun la. RT sat this one out cos he sprained his ankle from the last session.

Here are some pics from the previous sessions...

The boys in the cage...

The spectators, mainly made out of the players' family members.

Their energy sources and thirst quenchers...

For the spectators, it was like a mini picnic.

The first session, we had RT with a sprained ankle, and my cousin-in-law, J with a black eye.

Last week, there were 2 casualties....a sprained ankle that's now in a cast, and a double arm fracture that was operated on.

The Cage sounds like a dangerous place. Can play meh, this kind of sport?

Valentine's Day

This day used to be a really big thing. What to buy? Where to go?

Not that it isn't a significant day now, but if it came and went by like any other day, it'd be absolutely fine by me. The "What to buy?" and "Where to go" have become "Don't waste money on flowers and expensive dinners.....anyday also can be Valentine's day". Like Kayestercan said, "Celebrate dinner on V day now, very heng meh?"

I guess we've outgrown the commercialisation of Valentine's Day.

Nonetheless, this was what greeted me on the morning of 14 February this year.

It was a lovely surprise. Thank you RT for the lovely bouquet! Roses in my favourite colour. :)

Dinner was spent with the extended family, to celebrate my niece, Little S' birthday as well as my cousins' housewarming.

Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary!

In our generation (mine at least), it's hard to come across a marriage that has stood the trials and tribulations of 40 years.

So when my Aunt G and Uncle F hit their 40th wedding anniversary, it was a much celebrated event. They had the whole works ... from the walking-in with an entourage of flower girls to the exchange of vows and the cake cutting.

And because there are 40 years of marriage between them, they had extra performances put up by new additions to the family that came along the 40 years. Being a very female dominated family, we got the only 2 male cousins and our 5 foreign-imported male cousins-in-law to put up a song and dance.

Not to be outdone, the 7 female cousins, decided to sing a song for the couple. We had wanted to sing "Edelweiss" but someone beat us to it, so we picked "Top of the World". Then, just so we did a little bit more than the guys, we dedicated a song to Aunt G, an ex convent girl.....the IJ school song! Led by the current IJians, my 2 nieces, who also happen to be my aunt's granddaughters.

And just so the guys didn't get hold of the microphone and do another dedication, we concluded the song with, "And that was the last item". Simply because we didn't want to hear the RI song. Uncle F's a Rafflesian, and among the boys, the Rafflesians outnumber the ACSians or the Josephians, so........

Kiasu right, the IJ girls?

Actually, we needn't be afraid, cos the women in the clan would have won hands down.....check out the handmade wedding cake! Every piece of it is edible!