Tag Archives: WhatsApp

Some Things Never Change

15 Dec

Technology today sure is amazing, changing the way we live, how we lead our lives and keeping us connected 24/7. When M1 went off to university in 2015, we were able to track her flight path live online. And we did just that with anxiety but also with comfort knowing exactly where she is. And when she came back on Tuesday night, we did the same and went through the same again.

When I flew off to college dinosaur years ago, there was nothing of these sorts or even the Internet available. So poor Mom and Dad waited anxiously for 24 hours or so until I arrived and heard from me.

With M1 for every step of her journey, we get an update – leaving for the airport now, checking in, boarding soon all via WhatsApp, see a location checked in status update on Facebook yet unaware of more updates on other social medias that young people use (this dinosaur does not use SnapChat, Instagram, Twitter and goodness knows what else) and of course track online with flightaware.com to see the flight path live.

For all these, I am thankful we live in this era now. But I still fret anxiously like Mom and Dad did. Some things never change. Technology may make our lives easier and more connected but it just cannot replace the human emotions. 

So thankful and happy that she arrived home safely and without much delay or problems.

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Times Have Changed

9 Jun

I look at M2 now having her school holidays and can’t help but reminisce what I did during my school holidays when I was 15 dinosaur years ago. 

Frankly, I don’t recall doing what she is doing now – sleeping in every morning (Mom would have my hide!), having late brunches, staying indoors as much as possible and surrounded by all the Apple devices: the iPhone to talk to friends on WhatsApp, the iPad for some playtime in between the studying at the dining table in the afternoon, the iPod and MacBook Air for goodness knows what else.

I do remember watching a fair bit of TV, playing with my dog in the garden, climbing my favorite tree, whacking a few tennis balls against the wall of the car porch, talking to imaginary friends and occasionally talking to a real friend on the house telephone. Half the time I was outdoors and never once I sat at the dining table to study!

Yep, times have changed. Gone are the days when one simply enjoys the outdoors, breathe in the fresh air and not worry about keeping up. It was always a happy-go-lucky situation. Nowadays, it’s a constant worry to keep up, staying connected and being indoors!

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Two Weeks Break

6 Jun

M2 is having her school holiday break for two weeks. And like the first break, we are staying put. She is having her big important exam this year so we feel any trips taken will only be after the exams.

So far, she has been good at it – going to the mall only once with friends. The other days are spent studying during the daytime but mixing in some pleasure on her iPad or chatting with friends on WhatsApp or with M1 on Skype. A week has passed and another to go. Pretty soon it will be back to school. Can’t believe we are halfway through the year already.

Pretty soon the big exam crunch time will be here! I hope she will be ready for it by then.

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A Surprise

28 Apr

It is nice when some games you play remembers it’s your birthday and surprises you with a little present! Both Monster Busters and Hexa Blast gave me some coins and more importantly, a week of free play to bust some monsters. Yes, a week! How cool is that? Anyway, yay to it, I am a monster buster this whole week, forget them candies and farm animals.

The power of technology was at its best on this special day. There were wishes from friends and family, near and far in WhatsApp and Facebook, likes and loves for the Facebook birthday postings, SMSes from services and people in my life and even my district politician (how significant he is in my life I don’t know!) and phone calls from family. Don’t forget the wishes in person that comes with bear hugs! I felt like a celebrity short of signing autographs. I think I would have added an extra wrinkle or two if I grinned anymore that I already had!

But closer to the heart, the significant day was filled with doing things I enjoy – golf with friends, followed by my virtual games as I couldn’t nap upon reaching home (being Queen for the day does not necessitate one to go in the office), then being with true friends and family for dinner, and receiving a lovely and poignant birthday card in the mail from my M1, halfway across the world.

Sometimes there are no words that can describe the depths of these actions but simply being in the moment – absorbing, remembering and being thankful for such wonderfulness that I am surrounded with. Thank you all, you know who you are to make this another bookmark in my memory bank. Maybe I don’t have to stay forever 38!

Love you all!   

  

Drinks for dinner!

  

Don’t count the candles!

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So Emotional

22 May

A card from M1 came in the mail yesterday. I was surprised and didn’t think that she would write to me because we Skype and WhatsApp just about everyday. It was a Mother’s Day card that my firstborn made for me albeit two weeks late. But does it matter that it came late?

It’s the thought that matters. And when I opened it and read it, I cried.

It moved me beyond words and made me realize I did good. She’s all grown up and appreciates all the goodness that I instilled in her.

Tears are welling up again as I am thinking about it. Sniff…

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Guess What?

20 Apr

We decided to take a break from life and are now in Hua Hin, Thailand for some golfing fun with our regular buddies. Yesterday we departed from KLIA. Playing two rounds in Hua Hin and then back to Bangkok for one round, this has been a much anticipated trip. Thanks (again) to cuegolf.com for their services in providing us excellent golf experiences.

M2 had been prepped prior to our trip and she is fine. The maid will take care of her. And with WhatsApp and Skype, we are reachable. In fact, M1 said she will Skype her to keep her company despite the different time zones that they are both in.

It was a long day of travel with delays at takeoff, touch down, followed by baggage coming out and traffic on a Sunday evening. Ahh… Well, we are not in a hurry, after all we are on holiday. 

Dinner was at a leisurely pace before we arrived and checked in at midnight.

Black Mountain Golf Club awaits us for our first game today. Looking forward to it despite only four hours of sleep.

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Progress!

13 Apr

There has been a sense of acceptance and calmness in me knowing that M1 has settled down on campus very well because we WhatsApp and Skype often. So now I focus on M2, spending a lot of time with her and constantly giving her the encouragement to do well in school so that she can be on the right path like her sister.

I have gone back to playing golf and my routine with my virtual games has progressed well too. A fellow candy crusher informed me that Level 875 was a tough one to cross but luck was on my side. I did short-work of it and currently, at Level 879 in Coco Crossroads. Another tough one to cross I must admit.

As for Candy Crush Soda, I have moved to Level 325 but looks like I will be stuck here for a bit; not an easy level to overcome. And for Farm Heroes, it was very trying to pass the two difficult levels of 726 and 728. Sitting at Level 730 now. So yeah, much progress.

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Just Like Grandpa

9 Apr

Not too long ago I told M1 that her Grandpa diligently wrote me letters when I was in college every single week and she requested that I do the same for her. So I decided to write real letters and mail them weekly to her at university in the USA, just like Grandpa did. Sometimes some things ought to be done the old fashion way. 

There was no such thing as emails back then. Technology was probably at its infancy and for me to even get close to a computer to send emails was unheard of. Moreover, mom and dad didn’t even own a computer! So snail mail was the way to go. I still have all those lovely letters from Dad.

Besides, making phone calls were also very expensive back then in the dinosaur era. Nowadays, we are very fortunate to be so connected with WhatsApp, FaceTime and Skype.

But all in all said for the effort, I find it funny to be holding a pen and writing so much! All these while, with the advancement of technology, one just sits at the desk and type away on the keyboard to compose what they want to say in the email without holding a pen. Now I find myself struggling to pen decent looking sentences that hopefully, she can make out what I am writing!

Then again, I am pretty sure my handwriting will improve with time. For the sake of keeping up with what my Dad did, I will continue with weekly scrawny handwritten letters and snail mail them to her.

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Coping Well

30 Mar

It’s been slightly more than a week since M1 left. We are adjusting. Suddenly the house seems too big and too quiet despite the fact we still have M2 around. Life goes on… starting with a no carbo regime for me to get back in shape.

Thank goodness for technology, we ‘whatsapp’ all the time, sometimes at the oddest of hours forgetting the different time zone and Skype twice a day, once in the morning and again at night, our time. Both hubby and I are very happy and pleased that she has settled down well in the dorms and enjoyed her one week of orientation.

Classes start today.

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Becoming One of Them

10 Oct

I used to shake my head and laugh at those Candy Crush addicts who would resort to texting or calling their friends or family for lives/tickets when they run out/need it. Well you know what? I have become one of them now. Not for Candy Crush but for Farm Heroes.

I am resigned to the fact that I am never going to cross Level 677 of Candy Crush so I stay focused on my farm. Two nights ago, I finally passed Level 505 (of Farm Heroes) and had to ask for tickets. My studious M1 has deactivated her Facebook account to focus on her studies, so I cannot be asking her for ticket. With only hubby and Rooney (official pet number one who has an FB account too) to rely on, I am still one ticket short.

In the middle of the night, in desperation, I sent ticket requests to those I know who plays the game and when there was no immediate response, I didn’t know what to do and went to bed feeling incomplete.

The next morning, when there were still no tickets that came my way, I WhatsApp-ed my gym trainer for help. Yes, unbelievable but I did this.

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