Sweet So Far...

The air is still filled with happy moods especially since today is Friday.

After a long weekend with the Chinese folks celebrating their Lunar New Year, this short week has been very relaxed and well, sweet.

Not many people turned up for work on Wednesday, and many more took leave off work today... and many too I know are on sick leave today. A yearly ritual of many Chinese co-workers after too much celebrations, late night Mahjongs, liquor with barbecued pork... and lots of Mandarin oranges to boot the "heaty" concoction.

Anyway, less people, not many other places of businesses are open for the whole of this week make working this week... like I said... sweet!

The prelude to the long weekend public holiday was very nice too. A friend of 12 years had finally gave in to giving us a "CNY treat." The 5 of us had our lunch last Friday at Jack's Place in AMK Hub.

Now looking forward to the weekend.


Wife will have her pottery class at 10:00AM and will join me at the last parent support group meeting before the big day arrives. Sonny's school is going to hold its annual Dunman Care and Share Day 2010 on Saturday, 27th February.

Leading the Games Group, Wifey and I have completed all the banners, props and posters for our 6 game booths. We met up with the other group leaders to give an update to each other and the school.

Sunday will be a free day... open to spontaneous outdoor activity just like before Dad's passing. Things will be normal again... without Dad in person but in our hearts always. Amin

Roaring New Year

To all my Chinese friends,

Wishing you & family
A Healthy & Happy
Lunar New Year

Not Sonny's Sunday

Sonny woke up with a bad headache this Sunday morning.

He had to skip Sunday school for his religious class and his Malay language tuition class in the afternoon too.

I had to accompany him to the family doctor, a short walking distance away from our home. It was surprising to see so many patients already waiting for consultation.

The queue number displayed was 4 while we were number 20. So we were in for a long wait for our turn.


The SCDF bunker turned Healthway Clinic was just too depressing for us to wait inside... with all the sick people coughing and sneezing, we waited outside the clinic where the morning air was cleaner and fresh.

Sitting on the curb and shaded by the large rain trees, the place was actually more serene and tranquil in the morning... never mind the parked cars. I actually enjoyed the birds chirping, singing their morning song.

The sun bird was especially vocal and very enjoyable to listen to. Even with his throbbing head, Sonny stopped to listen when I pointed my finger up at the tree.

He said it hurt lesser it seemed because he forgot about the headache and enjoyed the therapeutic morning song.

Sitting there, the 40-minute-long wait did not seem too long after all.

Maybe, that is exactly what Sonny needs. A break from his daily, hectic school workload and instead of resting his mind during his free time, he spends it at his computer.

The remedy may simply be to just spend a little time off not doing anything... just to sit back, relax, and enjoy nature's free, environmentally-friendly, multi-sensory offering that is good for the mind, body and soul.

At the doctor's consultation room, Sonny was prescribed with pain reliever that is stronger than Panadol, to try out first for a few days whenever he gets the pain again.

The immediate remedy the doctor suggested was to get enough sleep and drink enough fluids and to monitor a few days more... he was confident that it will help. That was good to know.

If the pain persists, only then he would suggest a blood test and maybe CT scan of the head.

Hopefully it does not have to go to that extent!

Sonny usually turns in at 10:30PM daily but since he is in Secondary 3 this year, we know he has been having heavy workload daily; with homework and projects that make him stay up late into the night... past midnight on several occasion.

Not that he is struggling to cope with the lessons, he is a bright young man and a very capable chap too. I guess it is the workload that the cream of the crop class has to endure... each teacher giving their brand of homework, by the end of the school day, the students have plenty to content with.

Sonny slept through most of the day after having his lunch and after taking his medications after that.

He woke up late afternoon and seemed refreshed and cheerful. Something Wifey and I were more than happy to see. We really hope he can manage his workload well in due time and reduce any stress he is having.

Tomorrow, Wifey will go back to Changi General Hospital for her asthma appointment. We will have to see what her specialist has to say about her frequent mild attacks lately...

That is another story... I only pray that all will be well again in this household.

'Tis The Season

The flu bug has been going around for weeks.

I keep seeing people at work and many, while riding in public buses with runny nose. Fortunately, some very civic minded people were seen wearing disposable face masks... with interesting designs on them too.

Not sure if I speak too soon but I am so far fortunate not to get infected while all this is going on. Maybe I had my flu jab in November last year when H1N1 jabs were also available here.

Wifey is not so fortunate, though. She has been getting the flu and recovered, then got it again like a vicious cycle. I have been telling her to get the flu jab but have no idea why she would rather delay having it... after many reminders, it begins sounding like a nag, even to myself.

Today, I took leave off work to accompany her to the doctor's. Unsure if the flu has anything to do with it but she has been having mild asthma attacks lately. So she has to use her inhaler a little often than the normal once in the morning routine. I worry for her.

Today, I went with her to Raffles Medical, the newly opened clinic at Tampines One. Thought that it will be a long, drawn-out time at the clinic... being in the morning and on a Tuesday, but all was well there as far as time was concern.

She got to see the doctor in time and were were out of there half an hour later. They drew her blood and took urine samples with the results pending in 10 days time.

In the immediate term, nothing serious... no corticosteroid-kind of "heavy-loaded" medication was needed or prescribed. That is good news. The Flixonase suspension she is using now is good enough.

She will have to go to Changi General Hospital on Monday, next week for her asthma follow-up again.


Since we were there, I got to view the many types of wheelchairs sold at its HomeCare Pharmacy on the ground floor. Many of them looked good and many were pricy too... at S$800.00 and above. Yikes!

Nonetheless, we managed to get a much cheaper version and even lightweight one at S$295.00. Since my Aunt Z is a Staff Nurse at CGH, we got a further 10% discount at an employee's price.

I headed straight to Mom's place to give her her new set of "wheels" while Wifey went straight home since her flue was making her uncomfortable. I felt guilty leaving her home alone for a while but Sonny will be back soon from his school to be with her then.

Mom was obviously happy to see her new wheelchair. She tried sitting on it and felt it was much comfortable than the old one that has already sagged and seems to "squeeze" her rears when she sat in it for longer periods.


Elder Sis came later in the afternoon and was truly happy she could lift the wheelchair easily. She has been the one who accompanies Mom to the Woodlands Polyclinic for her periodic check-ups.

She has been struggling to wheel Mom across bumps and inclined roads with the one. At 12KG then with the old wheelchair, and now a reduced weight of 3.5KG with the new one, I do hope it makes for a significant ease to her problem.

It is the lightest I could find at this price range, after several weeks of searching.


By late afternoon, Mom's place was alive again with her children and grandchildren stopping by. I was so happy to see so many faces on a weekday, all intentions to keep Mom company. The happy and "busy" chats Mom was having with them made her day brighter and at least lift her spirits up a little.

I left Mom's place satisfied to at least accomplished little good things in a not so favourable circumstance today.

Wifey is well again. Back to her normal self.

She was watching her favourite Korean serial when I reached home.

After dinner, we were busy with our creative work... I helped her packed the little pots from her pottery club. She had to pack about 20 pieces, each with little teddy bears to be sold at Sonny's school during Valentine's Day.

All is well again in this household today... Wifey has made up her mind to get a flu jab soon.