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Busy Nights Ahead

5 Feb

This year, it’s an important exam year for M2 and she has taken the initiative by enrolling for extra tuition classes. And when I say extra, it certainly is. What this actually means is hubby and I will have to dutifully play chauffeur to send and pick her up from these weekday night classes, and it has been three days in a row starting this week!

As a result of this new schedule, my Wednesday gym session was cancelled and shifted to a new slot, Monday, the only tuition-free night. On top of this, there will also be a Friday night class and this will commence after Chinese New Year. Dang… It makes me feel like it’s a marathon studying period and we are part of it as well.

It has been hectic for M2 lately because everyday she finishes school at 5.30pm having to stay back for games and sports practice. This is how the routine has been the past few weeks, coming back later than usual after school. Add in the new extra classes… Tiring. And it will be like this until Sports Day in March. After that, school hours are back to normal but tuition hours continue.

Well, it’s for a good cause and we have to do what is necessary to ensure she is well prepared for the big exam.

Thank goodness, next week is Chinese New Year and we look forward to the week long break. But once the festivity holiday is over, the hectic schedule resumes with the busy nights ahead.

Yes, Progress!

4 Feb

The three-day weekend proved to be fruitful. I met up with old school friends; I finally put up the red cloth in front of the house entrance to usher in the Lunar New Year and I made tremendous progress in my virtual games.

For Candy Crush, I reached Level 1485, surpassing all other candy crushers on my playlist, playing it on the laptop because the iPad has yet to be updated. For Soda, I moved to 615, Jelly at 84 and Monster Blasters at 856. Farm Heroes was super slow. I did not make any progress for the longest time, stuck at Level 854 and managed to only move one level yesterday, playing it on the phone. 

Still, it’s progress.

Internet Woes

2 Feb

Last week I did not work. Not so much from lack of work but the office internet was down the whole week due to a gnawed cable downstairs, a situation beyond our control.

It was tough to juggle. Our high dependency on connectivity is so necessary nowadays and the moment we are not online, we seem so lost being disconnected. I used my phone’s data plan only for the necessary and even then, nothing could be done. Better to go home early and use the house wifi to stay connected. Or go play golf, which I did!

Thankfully the problem has been fixed and no more playing around this week, not even for my virtual games. Several hundred emails await…

Squeals of Delight

1 Feb

Saturday night was such a trip down memory lane. I met up with old high school friends after so long. Arrangements were made several weeks ago to gather as many as possible as one of them was coming back from Hong Kong for a visit and requested for a reunion of sorts.

It took some effort but it happened. Thanks to Facebook and WhatsApp, within days most whom I reconnected with agreed to come.

When one by one walked into the restaurant on Saturday night, there were repeated squeals of joy and delight, followed by hugs and laughter. It was indeed a delight to see old friends again after 30 years. Yes, I admit, we are dinosaurs, 30 years.

Thank goodness, the restaurant was pretty noisy, so our squeals, giggles and chatter did not make heads turn nor bring the roof down. So many questions, so much changes (physically especially) yet we all still looked the same. For a brief moment, we seemed to have been transported back in time to our boisterous and giggly teen selves of the good old high school days. It was nostalgic.

In that four hours, much was exchanged amongst us, updates on life, pictures of family and all.

I am glad those who showed up did. As we are not getting younger, such occasions are moments to cherish. My only wish is we could do this more often, get together over dinner or drinks to continue to shape this beautiful thing we call friendship.

Being Charitable

29 Jan

Being charitable is good. For society, the cause and also one’s inner soul. When you combine this with golf, it is more than good. It is fun! 

Today we take the day off to play a round of golf for a charitable cause and have some good fun with friends on the fairways and greens. Happy weekend ahead too! Whee….

The Shoe Queen, Part 3

28 Jan

The Shoe Queen in me struck and I bought another pair of golf shoes on Monday when we went shopping. Unbelievable. My last pair, the Skechers, bought not too long ago is still in good condition but I couldn’t resist this latest one, an Adidas Adicross. It’s adorable plus it was on sale.

At the rate that I am buying golf shoes, I am certain it has surpassed my collection of heels and work shoes. Then again, when I wear Skechers to work, my other work shoes are hardly used. And also, when one has a pair of classic Ferragamo Vara, one does not buy any other shoes. And when there’s also another Ferragamo Artiste heels, there is no need for further purchases.

Except maybe for golf shoes…

  

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I Could Get Used to This

26 Jan

It was another three-day weekend (the first being the New Year stretch) as yesterday was a replacement holiday for Thaipusam which was celebrated on Sunday. But going somewhere is just not viable especially when it is only two weeks away to Chinese New Year. So we went about doing our stuff over the three days.

I got most of my Chinese New Year preparation done, played a round of golf, had a massage, went shopping and basically enjoyed the three day break with hubby and M2. M2 completed her art assignment, reproducing an existing packaging and I think she did a good job!

I also caught up with my virtual games, bull-dozing my way from Level 1460 (Divine Diner, Episode 98) into Dessert Desert for Candy Crush and 844 for Monster Blasters. However, still stuck at Level 854 for Farm Heroes, 603 for Soda and 56 for Jelly. But I’m not worried. 

Come next week, we will be having yet another three-day weekend because Monday is another public holiday. Back-to-back three-day breaks! I could get used to this. Am pretty sure those stuck levels will be a thing of the past by the time next weekend comes along.

 

We get to eat the Kit-Kat after this!

  
 

Who’s Lying?

25 Jan

Some hotels like to put a weighing scale in their room bathrooms. Whatever the intention is, for better or for worst, I don’t appreciate it. I could don’t stand on it but sometimes resistance is futile. Or curiosity kills the cat.

When we were in Singapore last December, Ibis Bencoolen being a small city hotel, did not have a bathroom scale. So it was pretty much a guilt-free vacation. But when we were in Lone Pine Penang, there was an electronic scale.

And the freaking machine stated that I was 2kilos more than my usual trusted scale at home! Who’s lying?

Am I really that heavy? Is my trusty home scale whom sometimes I battle with, not telling me the truth? Hmm…

M2 was philosophical. She said resort scales don’t want guests to overeat, hence the extra numbers. Gee thanks, either I was over-eating in Penang or I am really two over.

It’s Gone, I Think

22 Jan

From the beginning of the Christmas week until today, it’s been a good five weeks that I’m having the laryngitis. But I can feel it dissipating this week. Thank goodness.

The earlier weeks of suffering, I had actually gone to see the doctor twice, took two bouts of medication and even did the inhaler. After that, it was plenty of rest, fluids, being mindful of the food choices and no talking. 

However, after all those precaution, I felt there was no improvement and I did not want to subject myself to too much antibiotics, I turned to taking Chinese medication and it helped. Now some people may tsk-tsk at alternative medication methods but I will take whatever works.

The further improvement I noticed was after I had whiskey! Maybe the alcohol killed all the germs? Whatever it is, I can safely say I am much, much better now, in time to usher in the coming Chinese New Year loudly! YAY.

No Fun Being Stuck

21 Jan

It’s no fun when the progress on my virtual games are halted. I am not such a hero at Farm Heroes, stuck at Level 854 for sometime now, my jelly ability still at the lowly Level 43 but I managed to cross it this morning, with the reluctant aid of a precious lollipop and my Soda at Level 600.

I’ve stopped playing the Flower Blast and Zookeeper. Too many to keep up, I must admit!

Luckily the original Candy Crush offered some respite, moving on without any frustration and now at Level 1436. Same goes for Monster Blasters, smooth progression. And I find calmness in Piano Tiles despite looking possessed sometimes, thumping on my iPad furiously when I play some of the faster paced songs.