05 September, 2008
Cousins united, and double birthdays.
23:31:08 | Daily Life, Events, People | 
writebacks (5)
Gee, it’s been such a long time since the four of us took a proper photo together. (Okay, I lied. Our last photo had been early this year - but this is the first one in a long time where all of us look decent.)
Sticking together since young - the awesome foursome.
Clockwise from top left: David, me, Jeremiah, Matthias.
I look really tiny here.
The above was taken during a double celebration within my extended family - the 65th birthday of my Uncle Jimmy, and the 1st birthday of his second grandson, Joseph. (More pictures here.)
As usual, I came face to face with so many people I didn’t know. But then again, since when do we attend a large family gathering and not find any faces we don’t recognize?
Apart from the usual members of my extended family who meet on a regular basis - there were vast amounts of people from what I call, “the other extended family” - namely, the extended family of my cousin’s wife.
Smart alec kids
Boy, “the other extended family” really did know how to reproduce! Look at all the KIDS.
They ran around the living room, screaming their lungs out, shoving toy guns and all sorts of thingamajigs all over the place. They fought over balloons. They pushed each other. They threw themselves on the floor and kicked and screamed.
One kid crawled under my legs while I was seated - which made me jump up and yelp.
And another stepped on Jeremiah’s foot - which was recuperating in a huge cast after a recent operation. (Props to him for not jumping and yelping, though.)
And boy. Not only are they rowdy kids - they’re a bunch of smart alec rowdy kids.
There was one occasion where I shouted (to make myself heard over the din) at them to play outside the house instead of around the living room where plates and cups are precariously stacked, and the adults struggling to watch television.
The response I got?
“YOU WANT US TO PLAY ON THE ROAD AND GET KNOCKED DOWN AND DIE, IS IT?” - Kid in the orange sleeveless tee.
?!?!?!
Pfffffft, never heard of the garden and the backyard, is it?
More babies on the way?
Oh, and I received news that another cousin’s wife, Jeslyn is expecting her second child. (Which makes the fifth kiddo from the newest generation on the way.) I’ve another expecting cousin as well - although I’ve learnt of her pregnancy much, much earlier.
And it seems that my reactions towards each pregnancy are becoming more and more varied.
Eight years ago, when I received news that my first nephew (Jeslyn’s first child) is on his way, my response was an enthusiastic “Oh my gosh, that’s fantastic!”
Two years ago, upon receiving news that the second nephew (Cousin Dawn’s first child) is on his way, my response was a mere “Mmmmmph!”
Last year, when I learnt that the third nephew (Joseph, who turned one today) is coming along soon, my response was a sharp squeak - “Another boy?!?”
A couple of months ago when I learnt that Cousin Dawn is pregnant with her second child in two years, I reacted with a … “WHAT?!? You mean they’re so bored they have no other form of entertainment at night?!?”
And after tonight’s news? I leaned towards my mum and whispered “Whose condom broke?” Needless to say, my speechless mum couldn’t garner any response.
Later on, Jeslyn confessed that she decided to have a second child because Little Joshua (her first child, now seven years old) wanted her to.
I immediately had mental images of Little Joshua approaching both parents and asking - “Mummy, Daddy! Can you two have sex? Pleeeeeease?” and couldn’t stop cracking up after that. Hehehehe.
—————-
I’ve another cardiologist appointment in about twelve hours’ time, which means that I ought to be heading off to lalaland soon. The fainting spells and the usual bouts of giddiness are still plaguing yours’ truly, this time accompanied with strong(er) heart palpitations - which means I should get my sorry ass down to a doctor soon to find out what’s wrong, and why I am getting worse instead of better.
Until then!
27 August, 2008
Blast from the past
02:16:23 | People | writebacks (4)
We were childhood friends waaaay back in Kindergarten. Her parents knew my parents, and that was how I got to know her for the first time.
We even travelled to Genting Highlands together in July 1991, along with her little brother.
During one particular day of the trip, we were even decked out in similar sailor outfits with red jackets. And on the first day of the trip, we both wore dresses. Plus, I could also remember vividly a certain incident where she got locked in the hotel room by accident, and I was standing outside wailing at the adults to help her get out.
Boy, fun times!
Then, we somehow lost touch. Although we were both still aware of each other’s existence.
Only today, 26th August 2008 - did I realize … that for my past three years in SMU, she and I were in the same course, taking the same modules and even shared classes together quite a few times.
Only that she knew that it was me and I didn’t - and she didn’t bring it up because she thought I’d forgotten.
Ohmygoodnessgolly.
How could I? HOW COULD I? How. Could. I?
Plus, I also discovered that we were in the same Secondary School for three years without realizing it. Maybe it was because we were in different levels. But still … how can one tide through four years of Secondary education without recognizing an old friend from there?
I seem to be walking through life in a daze, aren’t I?
17 June, 2008
Hectic, hectic, hectic!
04:56:31 | Daily Life, People, Thoughts | writebacks (3)
Pardon the silence, but things have been pretty hectic ever since I arrived home from Genting Highlands four days ago. (And yes, here I am typing a blog entry at 4.29 A.M. - back to my old ways again, I suppose.)
Am pretty much up to my elbows in FYP. Apparently, those people up there have an axe over our heads now, and I am responding to that with extreme displeasure (and to a certain extent, contempt).
But heck, an agreement is an agreement and so if we are expected to product some results especially by a multinational corporation, we ought to shut up and get it done, no? (But that doesn’t mean we can’t curse and swear behind their backs, though.)
Health wise, it’s taken a nosedive ever since the Genting Trip. Was already experiencing some asthmatic symptoms (chest tightness - especially awaking every morning feeling as though something was crushing my torso) before the trip but things took a turn for the worse after I returned.
Apparently, some idiot (guess which one?) forgot to close the windows in the hotel room during the first night, resulting in yours truly catching a chill and having to wrap herself in two layers of blankets to keep warm, leading to sporadic bouts of sneezing over the next three days in Genting which then escalated into a full-blown cold (thankfully) only after I reached Singapore.
Oh, and in case you were wondering which idiot it was - that idiot was none other than myself. Opened the window to take a peek at the scenery upon checking into the hotel and then forgot to close it thereafter. The things I do to myself, aye?
Anyway, the cold has more or less disappeared, leaving behind bouts of giddiness and still, the same crushing feeling I experience every morning when I awake. Oh, and did I mention that I get breathless easily just by climbing stairs or walking long distances now? And I am sick and tired of squandering my precious allowance on taxi fare just because the bus stop is a rather long walk away from my home - so I forced myself to walk there to catch a bus down to my FYP meeting today. (Or yesterday, rather - since it’s after midnight now.)
Finally managed to spare the time to see my favourite doctor again today - to get more meds (since my monthly supply of lifetime medication was running low) and secondly, to make some noise regarding how I’ve been feeling as of late.
So basically, I’m put back on the stronger meds (Singulair - the ones I always take when I’m nearing or just recovering from an allergy reaction/asthmatic symptoms).
It was just unfortunate that the newbie receptionist had given me the wrong medicine because I suddenly found myself stuck with the cherry flavoured chewable tablet version of my usual medication which, when I researched on the internet, was supposedly meant for kids below the age of fourteen.
The best part? My doctor will be out of town from tomorrow until later in the week … which means I have to wait a while before I can get my correct meds.
Oh, and blood pressure is low again - hence the giddy spells. Am seriously contemplating taking a taxi down to school again later on (providing my finances permit), considering how the sun has been blazing hot as of late and well, I’ve a long walk to the bus stop. :(
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