Congrats To Sonny!

I had not much time to update but I just had to post this one because I am ecstatic about Sonny's achievements.

He scored 7 As in his mid year. I was happy that he had that many As from his 12 subjects that he is taking.

I have been offering him S$10 for every A that he can score. So I owe him S$70 for his mid-year exams. I challenged him to up his ante by telling him that I would give a bonus of S$100 if he could get 10 or more As from the 12 subjects.

He eagerly listened to my promise and... he delivered.

He scored 11 out of 12 subjects with As for his final year exam results. From academics to arts, to social studies... this does not include his yearly Gold that he gets for his NAFSA test or physical fitness test.

The only subject that he could not get even a decent B4 is... unfortunately, mother tongue. Our Malay language. Shameful as it may seem but the 11 other subjects stole the focus off this subject from us. He got a C5.

So, in terms of dollars and cents... I owe him S$110 for the eleven subjects with As and a bonus of S$100 for the ten and above subjects challenge to total to S$270. Adding the mid year money of S$70 that I still have yet to pay him, he is looking at a grand total sum S$340 for his academics effort!

All will be rewarded to him come bonus period in December.

"I love to see my bank account swell up like this." Sonny said surreptitiously, rubbing it in.

I may be set back about 300 bucks but I gain so much more. I can always earn money in life but this one special son of mine is totally priceless.

Congrats Sonny! I am very proud of you.

Welcome Back Sonny!

With all that is going on in my life right now, I have to face the fact that Sonny is already a young man and is going places.

He left for student exchange programme last Tuesday, 27th October 2009. Departed on Garuda Air from Changi International Airport for a week at a school called Santa Laurensia in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Wifey was at a loss without her beloved only child the first night he was not around. Indeed, the house became so quiet... no boom-beat resonance emanating from his room. No little chat-chats with her son, no little "disagreements" heard between them for the past week.

Wifey broke her daily longing for Sonny with long distance calls to his hotel room every night. After 10:00PM Singapore time, the students would have retired to their respective rooms, back from their day's activities. Indonesia is an hour behind us.


Straight after our Dunman Supportive Parents' group or DSP meeting ended at Sonny's school at 4:30PM, Wifey and I left for the Changi T1 airport. There, we met other parents, obviously anxious too and waiting for their beloved children's return.

GA830 was the flight number. It departed Jakarta, Indonesia at 2:55PM and arrived on time at 5:30PM Singapore time.

Sonny was to first to come out from the arrival hall to the baggage claim. Spotting a new black T-shirt and a black military-like shirt over it, he looked so tall and all grown-up when we saw him from afar.

"Look!" Wifey quipped. "He chose and bought his own clothes there..." she continued "He has good taste like me." She said jokingly to me. She is so proud of Sonny. I know I am too.

Eyes searching the outside for us as he waited for his luggage to come out from the conveyor, he waved at us as soon as he spotted us behind the glass wall. Apparently, Wifey was waving frantically at him... so it was hard not to notice her, I guess.

He gave us a big smile, somewhat a relieved one. Most probably he missed us too. That smile made Wifey's longing for past week all worth while.


Spotting dark glasses hung on his T-shirt, Sonny was like a tourist coming back from a seaside resort or a overseas jig. One thing is for sure... he had his PSP portable held in his hand, like always. He never leaves home... in fact anywhere, without it!

Once he came out, Wifey hugged him so tightly and planted numerous kisses on him like he had gone away for years. It made Sonny a little embarrassed but at the same time happy that he was missed.

"5 days is such a long time!" Wifey said.

We went straight home. Sonny has so much things to share with us, especially with his Mom. Wifey will make for lost time with long chats with Sonny since the long school holidays have just started.

Dad's Coming Home

A call I received this morning had made my day.

It has been an arduous period for the whole family...the reason I was so preoccupied and not having any time at all to check my blog, let alone surf to others.

Dad is being discharged this evening from Tan Tock Seng Hospital or TTSH for short.

He was admitted last week Wednesday, 21st October 2009 after having much difficulty breathing. He had that problem, only milder, since Monday but kept it from Mom and everyone else until it was at the point of panic!

Mom called me that day, just before lunch time and sounded desperate. Dad was slouching at the sofa, gasping for air.

Elder Sis was immediately there after Mom told her, upon which we decided to call for the ambulance. "Dad's face is pale! He can't even stand up!" She told me, apparently shaken and fearful of Dad's life.


I took leave off work for the other half part of the day and rushed to the hospital. Our request for Dad to be sent to Singapore General Hospital or SGH for short, where Dad has been taken care of and had been warded several times before was turned down.

Understandably, it is their policy to send the patient to the nearest hospital to save life. TTSH was nearest to my parents' place in Woodlands.

Dad was still in Resuscitation at Accident & Emergency when I reached the hospital. Dad's name was not registered in their system when I tried to check at the A&E registry upon my arrival.

I was called a while later to Admission counter and did all the same routine of in-processing as I had done several times before this for Dad at SGH.

Dad came out looking frail, propped on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask on his face... yet he was brave enough to carve a smile for me as if to say "I'm alright now."

I smiled back, squeezed his cold hand as he was wheeled to the isolation ward on the 12th floor. We parted ways at the lift. I had to register myself now before I could enter the ward... a routine screening for Swine Flu or H1N1 Influenza, I had to go through the second time after I had one at the A&E.

Again, a series of checks by the ward nurses to get him settled with his medical history questions I had fill them in... fortunately I had them typed-in and stored in my iPhone's notepad.

And yes, fortunately too, things are much simpler since the two hospitals can share Dad's electronic medical records... TTSH retrieved them from SGH files.

Dad's condition got worse into the night. A warning came true by the attending lady doctor, Dr. Tan.

It was the most unsettling night I had ever encountered! Everyone was there, heeding the doctor's advice that it was the crucial night for Dad to get over. She termed Dad as DIL patient and advised to call family members to keep a bedside vigil.


With his BP still unstable, Dad was already falling in and out of consciousness. Numerous times, he was gasping for air and at times moaned with his hands flailing up into the air. Those moments, we thought we would loose Dad.

Everyone's lips were filled with murmuring prayers for Dad. Everyone's eyes filled with tears not wanting Dad to go.

Mom was the most devastated of all but she was much calmer than she was before, when Dad fell into unconsciousness several times while recovering after his colorectal tumor removed some 4 years ago. She cried the loudest then... "Su, don't leave." I can still remember.

True to the hero Dad is against this disease, he pulled through. Though his BP was still on the low side, he was improving every hour when the nurses checked.

A stark and frightful, most different situation several hours before when the doctors kept coming in and out of his room trying to stablise his vital signs. We felt helpless, just as bystanders then. We could only offer Dad our prayers.

By midnight, Dad's condition had significantly improved. Dad had gone through his ordeal. He was able to breathe even better each time when Ventolin was administered every 4 hours; amongst other medications like antibiotics via IV.

We finally got to see Dad opened his eyes and being alert and aware that we were there in the morning. Everyone was drained-out from last night. Both physically but mostly emotionally. Yet that morning was one of our happiest moments.

Like the sunrise through the bay window, Dad woke up and faintly asked "Where's your mother?"

Mom sad at his bedside and held his hand. They held hands for the longest time... until Dad fell back to sleep. This time a little smile on his face. I saw heaven working for them, for us.

Thank You...

Corner On 4th

Well, I have survived this far...

One week to be exact but I hope I will continue on for as long as they need me.

Since the company's restructuring as a reaction to the world economy's downturn, a long arduous one in fact, everyone that are still standing, has been holding their breath for as long as possible.

Everyone tried their best to hold their ground during the storm of global recession. It has affected many lives here too, in many ways than I can ever articulate to do any justice to their often painful stories.

I am not faulting the company, at the end of the day, it is business as usual. Singapore is not immune to this financial crisis, being one of the financial powerhouse in Southeast Asia and depending on manufacturing as one of many of its services, without natural resource to cushion the impact, many lives were affected... changed.

Everyone here was battered with the sudden "heavy storm" that came with it. Many succumbed and "drowned" but many more persevered and survived.

The many efforts by our government to revive the drowning victims were quite successful if the newspapers were to be trusted. Those that survived have kept their own belts tightened and thread the waters cautiously still.

After enduring pay cuts since early this year to sustain and keep the ship sailing strong, many of my workmates had to be transferred to other facilities either on this island or to plants across the causeway.

Many too left on their own with new or without jobs waiting for them. Yet many too have success stories to tell. They found new jobs that are in fact, with better pay and position.

I am just so happy for them and hope for their success at their new place. It provides hope and a light at the end of a very dark tunnel under a dark sky.

I have been fortunate all this while. Though not totally unscathed, I have been spared from having to make drastic changes to my workplace and job nature. I have been transferred to another department but is manageable and am progressively learning my new job skills to quite a confident level.


The dark and stormy clouds seem to be slowly clearing to reveal brighter days ahead.

I got an apple from the company yesterday. All employees will get their free apples on Thursdays to keep the workplace healthy. It is heeding the government's "An apple a day keeps the doctors away" campaign.

It gives a human feel to an otherwise faceless business entity.

Everyone received an email from HR that our pay will be reinstated to its full amount in November 2009 onwards. That is truly a welcomed news.

Alone and with no familiar friends of more than 15 years from 2nd floor, I have survived for a week at my new cubicle in the corner, on the 4th floor!

I have met a few new neighbors and I had some old friends visited me at my new desk during the week.

Though I envy them still in the same department and with the whole lot moving to a new place and still be together, we are still a phone call away... a Skype click away and most importantly, we are still breakfast and lunch buddies as always.

Life is dynamic... always changing, always evolving. Yet one thing remains true and the same... our friendship bond is still going strong!

Maybe I get a plant for my desk. It will keep me company and will relieve me of any residual stresses I have with the changes that is going on while I adapt to the new environment.