Signed and Sealed

My house has been rented out. It was signed and sealed last night for a period of 1 year. The tenant is a Chinese couple, whereby the husband has just completed his Phd in Engineering at the university and has been offered a job there as well. The wife is a trained lawyer with a masters degree. But her masters is not applicable here so she is planning to take her masters in Singapore again. They have a 2 and half year old daughter. Looks like a pleasant couple and I hope they will take care of my house. Since they have a child, they like Afzal's room and I did not need to take down the alphabets foam and posters. Anyway, Afzal's room has a nice crescent moon lamp and I stick little stars and planets on the top wall so when the lights are off, it glows in the dark. The couple also wanted Afzal's whiteboard easel, the IKEA table and chair, and the husband even asked if we could leave some toys for their daughter. Well, at least they didn't ask for too much things ... just little things for their dear girl. As much as I want to rent out my place, for reasons that I know too well, I feel kind of sad though plus tired and overwhelmed with all the packing. Hubby, you hear me....

Volvo

Amidst tantrum-throwing in the car and lynette-desperate-housewife-threat that I made on Afzal, he actually read the word 'volvo' from a truck. I was too angry to say anything except an 'mmmmmm' but I was actually thinking, he saw that word only the day before while we were having dinner at Long John Silver's and he asked me what's the word on someone's shirt. I said 'volvo' and that was that. He remembered. I learnt something here, as much as I don't do much of Glenn Doman flashing, never underestimate the power of sight words or I would rather call them 'street words' in my case. Words like 'stop', 'exit', 'give way', 'turn left', 'no parking' etc etc that Afzal has been reading. He knows almost all car names though I don't think he read them but he learnt to associate the signs and symbols with the brand name. I enjoy 'teaching' Afzal this way and I think he enjoys learning words this way too.

3 Bigs, 3 Smalls

I hit the big 3, 3 years ago. As much as I hate celebrating it, my mum couldn't help reminding me. That's mum! Of course she had to remember the first time she had to go into labour and finally delivered me at 3pm on 2nd May 33 years ago. And hubby was not with me again. Well, that's the way my life has taken its path. I'm not sad, I'm just reflective. So here's a pic with gun-pointing fingers at Afzal. Everyone's irritated at him for wanting the chocolate on everybody's piece of cake! That's my dear son.

This is the chocolate monster!!! 

Alabama - It's not a desert! And it's not in the mid-west!

The time in Alabama now is 11.40 pm on a Thursday night. 13 hours behind Singapore. For those uninitiated, Alabama is not about cactus and cowboys! It's forests and hurricanes.

Hubby cook rice today. He actually bought a mini rice cooker for US10 but in the end, his friend, who bought a US16 rice cooker wanted to exchange with him. It's too big, his friend thought and maybe the bigger rice cooker will be useful to him if we are coming over later. Hubby fried a sunny side up too. And before he could decide what else to "cook", (yeah cos he never does that in Singapore) a neighbour who brought his wife and kid along gave him a bowl of tomyam soup. Not bad eh.

Hubby is posted to Alabama, USA for the next 6 months to a year. This new posting has impacted my life very much...the decisions that I have to make and the issues that I have to deal with here in Singapore. Hubby, I wished you had been more open and communicate truthfully about the issues before you leave... it's mind boggling really, you know what I mean. That's something you have to work hard on, dear.

I handed in my resignation today, because I will probably be joining him in Alabama in a month's time, to be ... guess what... a homemaker! I don't know whether I should be excited for my new job posting. If truth be told, I'm going there with my son because I want to support him emotionally in his new endeavour. But I do feel a bit.... can't find a word for it... just received my masters and not working, had to give up this new research associate position that is so exciting and maybe a stepping stone to something more, won't have my own income. Yeah, that's going on inside me. But I just tell myself, that InsyaAllah, if there is rezeki, if it's mine, it will be mine. And despite feeling a sense of loss in many ways - I don't go, I feel lost. I go also, feel lost. So let's be lost in Alabama, and maybe the winds (hurricane!) of change will hail me in another direction. A good one, I hope.

My little poser.

Graduation 2005

How I wished hubby had been here to see this momentous occasion. It's one of the high points of my life. Hubby, if you see this, you should know that you are instrumental in me achieving this degree. Thank you for supporting me emotionally in this pursuit. I miss you greatly!!!

My graduation day!

Dissolve is the new vocab!

Yesterday afternoon, while I was sleeping, due to my medication, Afzal took two plastic pails, those Nata de Coco bucket. As narrated by nenek, he poured some water into one and put in talcum powder. He then used a pencil and stirred the talcum powder in the water. He asked nenek, "why did the powder dissolve in the water?". Grandma was a bit taken by that question. I don't know what grandma says but I guess I have to start digging materials to explain to him about this scientific phenomenon of "dissolve".....oh how i have forgotten my primary school science!

Mummy loves you, Afzal, always!

Last night, despite my coarse voice, I read 'Cat in the Hat Comes Back' to my little koala, Afzal. He loves the book and he wanted me to read the Cat in the Hat again after that but I just couldn't. My throat was bad, I was groggy from the medication and really zonked out. But as usual, my dear son, don't seem able to take to my reasoning well. I was so overwhelmed with anger ... i just snapped and he cried and went to sleep with his nenek. I really felt bad, because this boy is really interested in the book and the reading, and here I am doing this. Am I a bad mom?

I'm so sick!!!

I was on mc yesterday... lost my voice, major headache, bodyache, block nose, sorethroat, cough...How i'd wish the doc had given me two days so that I dont have to be at work today. Really not in the mood.

My little baby dolphin.

The sendoff

I'm having a headache

On the right side of my brain...sitting on my butt and staring into the lifebook for long periods seemed to have affected my creative cortex, cerebellum...and what not. Maybe just maybe my right brain is freaking out!!!

Is change good?

Change is the only thing that remain constant in life...yeah, yeah, whatever...