Morgan Freeman

Just went for my facial the other day and my beautician laser-ed away some, 'meat spots' on my face. I don't see them, but apparently she says that my face was covered with them. They're small, but if ignored, they would grow bigger with time, she says. I wasn't really bothered with them really, but since she strongly suggest I do it, OK loh.

It's quite a scary procedure, not because it's painful or anything, it's not, they slab on some cream to numb the spots. It's the sensations. I can actually FEEL the laser "drill" into my skin! The beautician is quite careful, but what of she sneezes? Would that burn a hole right through my face? Ewww... On top of that, you can SMELL it. It's that awful smell of something burning, worse when you realise that that the thing that's burning is YOU. Weird right...

The next day, your face end up looking like it's covered in freckles.



(It's more obvious in real life than in pictures) Usually she would only do a few. But this more experienced one decided not to waste time and did a whole lot more. Somehow I'm reminded of Morgan Freeman and his freckles when I look in the mirror!



However, when the burnt skin peels away, revealing fresh, new, flawless skin, all the irritating bits are forgotten.... Nah, I still don't see any difference! Maybe I'm conned... Hahahaha...

Earth Hour 2011

How time flies! Another year has gone by. Looking back at last year's post, Jolie was still so little. :)

As usual, since it was a Saturday, Cobby and I went gai-gai during the day. Nothing much to do, so we hung out at Marina Square. While we were there, there was a rock climbing competition! It was quite entertaining to watch the youngsters crack their brains, trying to find a way to climb up those walls with minimum places to hold!



I wanted to get a pair of sunglasses for when I'm riding my bicycle, so I found this one. (Excuse my bad hair and lack of make-up...)



For dinner, we ate at the Singapore Food Trail below the Singapore Flyer. That night we went home and got quite sick. I vomited my undigested dinner and felt better after that, but poor Cobby suffered from diarrhoea for the next few days! I know we ate alot of stuff that day, but my main suspect was the dinner. -_-

Anyway, the place was super crowded, so by the time we fetched Jolie home, it was just minutes to Earth Hour! I quickly showered and managed to come out in time. So we proceeded with switching off all the lights and power switches in the house. But it was such a warm evening that we brought the fan into the study room and just hung out. I can't remember what we did last year, so I dug up some of Jolie's leftover candles, put them in a tupperware and lit them.



As you can see, the wind from the fan blew so much wind around the room, the candles burnt out within minutes. So we had to hang around in the dark. Seriously, I need to buy some torch lights. -_- By the way, this Earth Hour made me realize that my new phone DOES NOT HAVE FLASH LIGHTS. WTF??? There was only a little 'phone light'. SO LAME! I miss my Cybershot. :(

I think Jolie was a little puzzled why we were sitting in the dark doing nothing and demanded that we watch cartoons. How to explain to a 2 year old about Earth Hour??? So we brought out Cobby's tablet PC and let her play Angry Bird.



I think the lights of the tablet PC was a little bright, but we played for only a few minutes before it was time to go back to civilization! Yeah! As usual, we were reminded of how wonderful electricity was and we thank all the dudes who invented air-conditioning, TV and the Internet. :)

Sick, sick, sick!

Have'nt been updating my blog much as the whole family has been taking turn being sick. First it was Jolie, then she passed the virus to me. It was so bad, I lost my voice. It even hurts to breath! Just when the both of us were getting better, Cobby fell victim to the virus. Now that Cobby's feeling better, Jolie's nose started leaking and the dreaded cough is back again! Worse, I've got the flu again. When will this cycle ever end!?!?

Jolie's 1st day at playgroup

Alot of friends have asked about Jolie's 1st day at school, and I'm proud to say that she handled it much better than I've expected. Days before school started, we would ask her if she wanted to go to school, and she would always answer with an excited "YES!" On the morning of her 1st day of school, I was a wreck! It was as if I was preparing for MY 1st day of school. There was that familiar constant twist in my stomach as I looked at the clock for the hundredth time.

1 hour to go, 45 mins to go, 15mins to go!

I don't know why I was so anxious? nervous? excited? See? I don't even know what the heck the emotion was! I think there was a mixture of fear and also anticipation. Anticipation for that 1 hour plus all to myself! It's funny how the parent seemed more stressed out than the child, who was quietly enjoying her morning cartoon as her mother hung on the verge of an emotional meltdown.

Finally the time has arrived and I quickly change her clothes. Looks like the clothes were too big. :P I thought that I was going to get emotional again, thankfully the nerves in my stomach overpowered any other feelings that threatened to pour out. We have to move out!



It was the 1st class after a week long school holiday break, so most students were excited to return to class. After the jumble to check the mouth, hands and feet of all students, they were allowed into the play area where the teacher's assistant poured out 2 whole baskets of masak-masak (toys). How can any child resist? Jolie's curiosity overcame her shyness as she slowly walked to the giant pile of toys and squat down to play with her head bow low.



After awhile the teacher offered her some puzzles and she sat on the table and started playing.



The girl next to her showed her how to put the puzzle pieces in and I wanted to hug her in gratitude. This is exactly what I wanted for Jolie. Other than the mental stimulation, I wanted her to interact and socialize with other children, instead of just the adults in her life. Besides, a new friend is just what she needed in a strange new environment.

After awhile she got bored with the puzzles and went back to play with her masak. I can sense her shyness melting away as she played, and I smiled in relief.



She was doing so well that I was starting to get a little bored! As I fiddled with my new smartphone, the teacher seemed to share my sentiments and suggested that I take my leave. So I told Jolie that I'm going off for awhile, but I will come back later, OK? The little brat didn't even turn around to look at me when she mumbled "okay...", and carried on playing with her toys.

As I stepped out of the school into the bright sunlight, there was a jumble of emotions inside me. That's it? All that anxiousness and nervousness and she didn't even attempted to make me stay? I was feeling so proud of my independent little girl, yet sad and hurt that she didn't need me by her side. Also... FREEDOM!!! Short, but hey, I'll take it.

Then... lost.

What am I supposed to do now? Lunch is done, so there's no reason to go home, so I cycled to MacDonald's and hung out in the air-conditioned restaurant, ate fries with a cool drink and played with my phone until it was time to go pick up Jolie.

When I reached there, class was still on going, so I peeked through the window and saw my girl having a snack.



I wanted to continue to peep through the window, but it felt kind of weird and the teacher thought that I was some psycho until they found out that it was me. So I smiled in embarrassment and hung out on the void deck instead until the class was dismissed.

When the door opened, Jolie was the 1st one at the door and she ran into my arms, screaming, "MAMA!!!" Then we were hugging and kissing each other like we've been separated for years as the other Moms and grandmas led their child home. DRAMA sia... I don't care what they think, I just felt SO happy to be with my girl again and SO glad that she felt the same way too.

A new citizen

Congratulations to me! For I am finally a citizen to the world of smartphones! No, I did not buy me an iPhone, but a brand new, Xperia X10.



I'm not so good explaining all the technical stuff, so check out their website if you're interested. Anyway, I have been craving for a new gadget for a while now, it's just that I was so torned and confused!

tablet PC or smart phones?
iPad or Samsung Galaxy pad?
iPhone or Xperia?

Finally I decided on getting a smart phone. But I wanted something different, so instead of an iPhone, I got a Xperia X10. Furthermore, I got a $100 voucher from Starhub for me to renew my contract, so we headed down to Plaza Singapura to get my new phone!

After waiting forever, I finally got it! It's beautiful, but I was worried at first. My new data plan wouldn't be activated in another 24 hours, so I didn't have any Internet connection. Besides, it looked so intimidating! So many functions and buttons on the touch screen and I have no idea what most of them do!

Oh my god, did I make a mistake to buy this phone? Yes, after the promotions and the voucher, the phone cost ONLY S$68.00. Previously, changing phones was like, moving your home from Sembawang to Punggol. Minor inconvenience, but most things were different yet same. But owning this new phone was like, migrating to a whole new country where they speak a different language and everything works differently! But Cobby reassured me that I just needed some time to get used to the phone, and when I have the Internet running, everything would turn out fine.

True enough, when we got home, my phone came alive with the detection of our home's wireless broadband, and we've been best friends ever since! I have joined the army of smartphone users, and have succumbed to activities that had detest me before. My phone is never far away, my face is constantly buried in my shiny touch screen. Every spare time I have would be spend exploring the endless types of apps.

My infatuation with my new toy has unfortunately caused some distance between Cobby, Jolie and I, so I compensated Jolie by getting some educational apps and letting her watch cartoon via YOUTUBE. As for Cobby, perhaps he could be seduced into the dark side into getting tablet PC? Join us... Muahahaha...!

Playgroup

It was a warm and humid afternoon and I was preparing Jolie to take her nap when my mobile phone rang. I wonder who it could be as, sad it it sounds, I seldom receive calls. The caller asked for "Jolene", and I hesitated. Usually I would just slam the phone down on wrong numbers, but I just have a hunch on this one. So I gave her a few seconds to correct herself, and as expected, she was looking for me.

It was the lady from the playgroup, happily informing me that they have "worked things out" and was then able to take in Jolie as their student. Without even asking me if I was still interested, she went on about what documents do bring, how much money to pay and when she starts school. So I wrote all the information down, said my thanks, hung up the phone and got back to the task of patting Jolie to sleep again. As we lie on our sofa in the quiet house, with her sleepy head on my chest, I can’t help but burst into tears.

It sounds quite cliché, but I do see flashbacks of Jolie in my arms, a delicate little infant, so fragile and so dependent on me. How she has grown bigger and more beautiful day by day, running and laughing. I know, I probably watch too much movies, but the thought was enough to make me weep uncontrollably. My baby’s grown up and going to school! My rational brain gave me a disgusted grunt and wanted to slap some senses into me. “It’s only 2 hours! Get a grip on it!” she says, but my emotional brain wouldn’t hear it. “My baby’s leaving me!” she wailed.

It has been quite a journey, this preschool hunt. I started looking into it since Jolie has turned 18 months, but decided that she was just not ready! Who’s going to pat her to sleep? Feed her milk and food? Change her diaper? So we shelved the idea until she turned two. In a blink of an eye, we celebrated her 2nd birthday! Even though I know that I could teach her just as well, I know that she could really benefit from socializing with other children. Even with that excellent rational, I couldn’t help but procrastinate a little. Everyday I was coming up with stupid excuses not to go playgroup hunting. “I need to do more research, it’s too hot, it’s raining, we had to go to my Mom’s place, etc.” It really made me realise that it was ME who wasn't ready, not Jolie.

Finally I ran out of excuses. Even as I was all prepared to go, a little voice whispered in my mind, “Maybe we could go another day?” But I can’t find a reason why, so we went out and found a suitable school for Jolie that day. Damn.

So here I am, weeping. Jolie looked at me all puzzled, and then started to give me hugs and kisses, hoping to make me feel better. I hugged her even tighter; will she be just as sweet to her silly Mama when she’s all grown up? So now we’ll just have to wait for the dreaded day to come. Perhaps I could look at this in a different light, after all, I have been granted 2 free hours everyday. It’s not a lot, but it’s free time nonetheless. A change is coming. Time to embrace it. :)

Henderson Wave and DNA Bridge

On Friday morning, Cobby was on leave, so we chio parents for breakfast. After breakfast, we decided to have an impromptu trip to Henderson Wave!

Even though it was only 10am plus in the morning, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky! Freaking hot and sunny! But the bridge was as beautiful as I remembered it to be, and it was less crowded as it was, afterall, a weekday morning.



I can understand why so many people would love to take their wedding photos here. The surrounding was so scenic and the bridge was so beautiful and rustic and romantic all at the same time! You know, on a cooler day, if you lie down on the sides, the wind would blow through the gaps, and it would be like an air-conditioned lounge chair!



Thankfully my Mom was always equipped with her trusty umbrella. Kept Jolie from having a heat stroke.



Took a great photo with my phone, unfortunately I put on the wrong shooting mode and ended up with an over-exposed shot. :(



The bridge was taller on one side, so it was sloped downwards. Poor Cobby had to spend most of his time stopping Jolie from running full-speed down the bridge! That girl was out of control!!! But she was having too much fun to care about her life and death.



Another day, my parents and I were reminiscing about good steak dinners we had in the past, so I suggested that on Saturday night, we all go out for a good steak dinner. So on Saturday, after Cobby and I had finished our movie in the afternoon, we headed back to Mom's place, picked them up and headed out again to CHIJMES for dinner at Hog's Breadth Cafe. After a stuffing dinner, we drove to Marina Square, parked the car there and walked to the DNA bridge.



We have been there during the day, but the visiting the bridge at night really feels very different. There were lights everywhere, the reflections on the metal frame, the beautiful night view of the cityscape, the lighted Singapore flyer, even the Marina Bay Sands looked so beautiful at night!



Sometimes I wonder what tourist find so attractive of our little island. It's nights like these, where you leave the comforts of your couch and TV, and you go out there and see what the tourists see, then you can be reminded how beautiful our Singapore has become within these few years. I felt like a little like a tourist that night, looking around with "Oooo and Aaahhh...", and I can't help but feel a little proud to be part of this country that all those people around were complimenting.

Of course, I think the person who had the most fun that night has to be our little Jolie. We think it must be the ice cream that was giving her the sugar rush, because she was running, screaming and talking (in her baby language) at full speed!



As usual, poor Cobby had to be the one who had to chase after her. Thank you my dear! 辛苦了! When we finally decided to go back, ALL of us were totally beat, if I had known we were going to walk this much, I wouldn't have worn my stupid heels! Jolie was way past her bedtime, so as tired as I was, I had to keep her awake until we get home. Which was close to an hour of games, making funny faces and tickling her. EXHAUSTED...!

I admit that this was all very fun, but seriously, I think we can limit outings like this to just once or twice a month. I think I'm getting old. :)