Emma goes to the zoo

First of June was the first day of the school holidays. I was invited to join Emma and her parents for a day at the zoo. It has been a long time since my last visit to the zoo, and spending time with Emma has always been fun. So I went with my camera and packed some sandwiches as well. Unfortunately the sandwiches turned bad when we tried to eat them. So much for the Swissbake bread which I only bought on Saturday, two days ago.

The boat ride was nice and Emma had a picture taken with the Captain. The water was green as we sailed past some migratory storks taking a rest transiting through. Ah Meng's tomb looked majestic among the lush greenery. Docking at the Kids' World, we got off to see the rest of the zoo.

We encouraged Emma to ride on the pony. But she was hesitant and when we got nearer to the stables, she was completely put off by the strong smell of the animals. She nearly puked when I saw her running away with her hand covering her mouth. The ponies and goats attracted her attention and she managed to get quite close to them.

Next to this was a dilapidated model of a kampong house. Emma went in, took one look at the woman sitting on the sofa, and bolted out fast. She was frightened and upset at the sight and thought she had seen a ghost.

When I went in to see, I was aware that the wax figures looked like corpses. While the intention was good, the exhibit was badly done. There was a man in pyjamas standing on top of the sink which defies explanation. Emma was so badly shaken that she nagged her mother not to take her inside again. We all tried to calm her down but she kept referring to that 'house'.

Lunch stop at KFC and Emma still complaining about that 'house'. Anyway she was still jovial and fun loving as she went with her father for the carousel ride.

The seal show was very entertaining. Emma sat in front just behind the glass panel protecting her from the splashing water. There were penquins, pelicans and the star of the show, the seal. The seal was very funny and when it frolicks in the water, the people in front got all wet.

We walked all over the place seeing so many animals and our main objective was to see the hippopotamus, which Emma asked for specially. The white tigers were impressive. The baboons were quite a sight with their red backside. Entering the Butterfly Walk, we hardly saw any butterflies at all. Wonder where they all went to.

We finally got to see the pigmy hippoptamus swimming in the tank. All day Emma kept asking to see them because she saw the movie 'Madagascar'. Having seen the hippopotamus, Emma was quite satisfied. However, she kept complaining about the smell of the many animals. Emma has a very sensitive sense of smell. If the scent does not agree with her, she would throw up. That is why her mother has pastic bags on standby.

By late afternoon, we were all tired as we sat down for a drink, while Emma had her ice cream. To round off the day, Emma got a stuffed hippopotamus toy. All in all, a very enjoyable day spent with Emma at the zoo.

Till then....

Sunny

Last Friday, 29 May, I received the tragic news of the passing of my brother-in-law Sunny, in Trengganu.

It was a shock because Sunny was the youngest of my brothers-in-law and there were no reports of his ill health. True he had a heart condition, but it was not that serious. His eldest brother had it worse and he is still well today.

When I first got married, Sunny moved in to stay with us. It was a joy to have Sunny with us and we spent several happy years together. Sunny was an easy going guy with a very good sense of humour, sharing many funny moments with us. The Mad magazine was his favourite magazine with 'Alfred E. Neuman' (What, me worry) was his favourite character. His favourite singer was Rita Chao, whom we often refer to as R.C.

Sunny was a Technician with Radio Malaysia, later to be known as Radio Television Malaysia or R.T.M. He used to ride a motorcycle until he bought a Fiat 850 motorcar. I remember one morning, he called me on the telephone to tell me that someone had stolen his car. He was very upset and I felt very sorry for him. I contacted my friend, who was with the Police, for help. Fortunately for Sunny, the car was eventually found and returned to him. Luckily the car was not damaged. Several years later, he sold the car and eventually bought over my car, which was only a few months old.

Sunny was posted to Kuala Trengganu after many years in Kuala Lumpur. He was quite upset over the posting but eventually accepted it. After he settled into Trengganu, he got to like the place and the quiet living conditions there. He eventually got married to a local girl and raised his family there.

Due to the distance between us, we never get to meet up frequently, except when we attended some family functions up in Malaysia.

I understand that Sunny had a very bad case of constipation last week. When he tried to clear himself last Friday, he pushed too hard and ruptured some internal organs. He collapsed foaming in his mouth and died when the ambulance arrived. He was buried on Sunday morning.

I mourn the loss of Sunny. May our Lord grant Sunny eternal peace and bring him into His Kingdom. I also pray for Sally and the children, Alex and Audrea that our Lord will help them cope in their hour of grief. Farewell Sunny.

Till then....

My cross is heavy.

Nothing great has been happening since my last posting. I went for my blood testing since I skipped the one last year. The results were good except that my HDL-Cholesterol is high at 76 mg/dl exceeding the maximum of 70. However that is suppose to be the good cholesterol.

The surprising reading was my fasting blood sugar which was at a low of 53 mg/dl beating the reference low of 65. That accounts for my lethargy and irritability. Sometimes when I am reading the newspaper or working on the PC, I can just keel over and fall asleep.

The doctor told me to eat some bread after dinner. Instead I told him I would prefer some ice cream. Actually what I need is a 'Sweet Young Thing' (SYT), to keep me going.

I have been cutting down on my sugar to avoid diabetes and also to control my weight. Ironically now I have to eat something sweet. What kind of a life is this?

A miracle happened last Wednesday, when my wife accompanied me to church for the Ascension Mass and actually sat next to me. This is rare as she usually goes on her own and whether I am there or not, she will not sit with me.

After Mass, she followed me for dinner of rice dumpling and noodles. She told my daughter she did not enjoy that and had trouble swallowing the dumpling. Terrible woman! If it had been her son, she would have vexed lyrical praises over the food. But because it was me, the food was bad. That is why I do not like eating out with my wife because we are so incompatible. One couple leading separate lives. My cross is getting heavier and heavier. My back is about to break.

Yesterday being Sunday, Emma wanted chicken rice for lunch. So we all ended up eating at Ying's Kitchen. Emma finished one bowl of rice and had a cup cake. Kidding her, I asked her whether she wanted duck rice. She insisted on eating chicken rice. So I asked her if she wanted rice and chicken. The smart kid told me that is also okay.

I have been recommending my friends to eat at Ying's Kitchen. Their feedback has been good as I am trying to help my friend Ying to increase her business. I wrote to the ST food columnist Wong Ah Yoke to visit and do a write-up for Ying. He has replied saying that his colleques or himself will visit Ying's. So if you want good traditional Hainanese chicken rice, you know where to go.

To all those lovers of traditional cakes and curry puffs and chicken pies, including the winged cakes, take note that Balmoral Bakery is now re-opened for business in a cleaner environment. Maybe this will bring up my blood sugar level. Unfortunately it is bad for my weight control. This is a cruel world!

Writing this on a Monday morning and at the beginning of a new week, I wonder what the week will bring me. Maybe some kind souls will brighten up my life for me.

Till then....

Nothing!

Ever since my last posting on 8 April, my mind has been as blank as the blog itself. Looking for inspiration to write something, I found nothing. Nothing has eluded me and my mind is nothing. If I see a psychiatrist, he will ask me what is the first thing that comes into my mind. I will tell him, "Nothing". He will think that I am a nincompoop and lock me up in Woodbridge.

The last time I saw a psychiatrist, I was in my air force uniform. Walking towards the psychiatrist office, I met a group of men marching past me. One of them gave me a salute. I returned the compliment and wondered if that was the right thing to do. Who was more insane?

I had just got married and my wedding picture had appeared in the Monday papers front page, the very day that I was in the psychiatrist office. The caption read: 'Fly boy takes hello girl'. My wife was a telephone operator.

I was in the sitting room alone, waiting for my turn, and could not help noticing the front page of the newspaper in front of me. There were two young nurses on duty. Their whispered conversation went like this.

First nurse, "Is that man in the front page today?"

Second nurse, "Yes, he just got married."

First nurse, "Why does he want to see the doctor?"

Second nurse, "Marriage is not easy. I think he does not want to get married after all."

Although I was not seeing the psychiatrist on account of my marriage, that conversation said a lot about me. Until today, I can still remember that incident in the psychiatrist office.

That happened a long time ago. Too long in fact. Now that I am living out my twilight years, it is more like the twilight zone! Life is just as stressful and things are not as rosy as they are made out to be. Things have not gone as well as I was hoping. Not that I am not grateful for the Lord's blessings, there are many things that I find disappointing that I am trying to cope with.

Today, little Emma came after school. Spending time with her brought some cheer into my life. Now that she has gone home, I look forward to seeing her again on Friday. Emma has been very good and close to me. Playing with her has a therapeutic effect on me, although she often plays rough wrestling with me, makes me feel wanted. Emma has a good nature and a good sense of humour. She can amuse me and amaze me with her funny logic. Now is the best time to be with her because when she grows older, she will have nothing to do with this silly old man.

The swine flu or H1N1 flu seems to be retrogressing. I was thinking of quarantining myself because my wife was born in the year of the pig. She snores like a pig too. At least I still have some sense of humour left in me.

It is now almost 10 pm and time for this silly old man to go to bed. Actually with these very hot and humid nights, I look forward to going into my air conditioned bedroom. Tomorrow, I have transport to church and back, in a friend's car. Otherwise the rain and thunderstorm create havoc for me. It is a luxury to go out in a car, because jumping in and out of public buses, is very stressful. And so, good night to whoever who bothers to read my blog.

Till then....

To Phuket and back.

Last Friday (3/4), I left with wife, son and girl friend, for Phuket. Getting up at 0430 in the morning, Ben picked us up at 0530, and by seven, we were airborne. Due to the time difference, we arrived Phuket by 0810 local time.

The reason for the trip was to attend the wedding of a friend's son, a French guy to a Thai girl. The wedding dinner on Saturday was very grand, as can be seen in the picture above. Good food, good wine and good company. The decor was nice, and I was very surprised, to find us sitting on the main table with the bridal couple. We were honoured and humbled to be given this high esteem.

The French was so lessez faire with life there, that the father was wearing shorts and sneakers at the dinner. No one bothered to even put on a tie. The bridegroom wore white slacks and shirt. But the bride, being her big day, was the only one being dressed up. After the champagne toast, there was a lot of boom and bang, as fireworks lit up the sky. A nice closing to the festivities.

The next morning, we were invited for brunch by the Club House, where we had bread, pastries and the remainder of the leftover food.

Besides the wedding, we were able to relax in the villa resort and ate Thai food. As usual, I ate too much. Two days in succession, we went for Thai massage. One of the ladies squeezed me so hard that I had a problem trying to stop my fart. If I had lost control, they would have to evacuate the building. So embarrassing!

The Thais are very laid back people. They are very hospitable. However, their English is hilarious, as can be seen in the last two pictures above. On one of the massage parlours I saw, there was painted in large prints, "I will sleep with you tonight".

On my previous visit to Phuket, I had my entire family with me, and we really had a fantastic time. This time there were just the four of us. I really missed them, especially the kids. I hope the next time I go to Phuket, I will have everyone with me. That would be nice.

Till then....

Drama from Sunrise to Sunset.

Last Saturday (14/3), J decided to lift up a grate to clean the drain underneath. Along came the Princess, Emma, who ran right into it. Sustaining a deep cut on her right foot, she was rushed to KK Hospital.

I was having lunch at Sentosa with wife and son, when I got the news. After lunch, my son brought us to KK Hospital. I saw a rather forlorn looking Emma sitting on her pram with her feet sticking out. The right foot was covered with a white plaster. She had sustained a deep cut between her big toe and second toe.

After her X-ray, she was anesthetized and given eight stitches to seal up the wound. When she was finally discharged, she looked none the worse for her ordeal. She did not cry until they jabbed her (I was told). But she remained very calm throughout.

When we all sat down to eat dinner at the Kopi Tiam, Emma saw the small play area and asked her mother to carry her there. Carefully, she was placed on the floor. Moments later, we were surprised to see Emma standing up supported by the bars on the side. She had overcome the pain by standing on the side of the right foot. Surrounded by everyone, including Sam and Tim, Emma was happy and singing away in the car all the way home.

On Tuesday, Emma spent the day with us. I was surprised to see her walking and almost running around, and noticed that she did all these standing on the side of her right foot. She had overcome a temporary adversity.

In the afternoon, I was playing with Emma on the sofa. She was very happy and was playing rather rough. I had just gone to the toilet, when I heard a heavy object fall on the floor, followed by Emma screaming and crying. I rushed out to find that Emma was playing by the grotto, and a brick had accidentally fallen on her left foot. This time she was really in pain and I got very worried for her.

Fearing for the worse, J took Emma to Gleneagles where they x-rayed her left foot. There was no visible fracture and they dressed her bruises and bandaged her foot.

The following Wednesday, Emma spent the day with us. With both feet bandaged, she was not able to walk. We were advised by the doctors to observe when she would start to walk again. Otherwise, Emma would have to go to Gleneagles by Friday for further treatment. By afternoon we were trying to coax Emma to walk, but she told us she was still in pain.

Throughout the day, Emma was very happy and cheerful and even played rough with me on the sofa. She found a way of sliding around kneeling on a cushion.

Thursday, Emma was not with us and spent the day with her aunt and cousins. I have been told that Emma had started to walk again and was her usual mischievous self again.

As I am trying to close this posting on Saturday morning, Emma had spent yesterday with us. She was able to walk again but insisted on being carried when she felt like it. Playing by the metal gate, she had accidentally slam her fingers and began crying. I guess she is as accident-prone as her mother. When her mother was very young, I was playing with her, and when I gave her a hug, I found I had accidentally dislocated her shoulder. Like mother, like daughter!

Yesterday, I had a fun day with Emma at home, as I always do. She was up to her mischievous antics and wrestled with me on the sofa. I expressed my concern about Emma's left foot to J, and hope he will take appropriate medical action, because next week, school re-opens, and Emma will be back to school. Life at home is very dull, until Emma comes and bring some fun and cheers to a lonely old man.

Till then....

Karaoke

Yes, I am crazy enough to go out and buy a karaoke set. This thought has been buzzing round my head for some time now, after seeing some of my friends singing away, and my neighbour Stephen inviting me to his place to join in the singing.

So I ventured out to Sim Lim Square and bought one. The set included two wireless microphone with buttons to select tunes and functions. It has a console and remote control. The whole thing comes in a carrying case like a laptop, and is portable. I can carry it anywhere and set it up as long as there is a television available. The hard disk and SD card hold a repertoire of 27,000 songs. Besides English songs, there were Chinese, Tagaloc, Vietnamese, Indonesian and some Spanish songs.

The first person to use the microphone was the Princess - Emma. She was thrilled to sing into the microphone and had a fun day with it. There were some nursery tunes in the repertoire and she enjoyed singing them. She even sang a song she picked up from the maid.

Despite my love for music from the classical to the oldies, except the contemporary noisy pop songs, I made the amazing discovery that my singing is simply horrible! Luckily there was no one to hear me, as I made my debut in trying to sing. I ran out of voice! What to do? I guess I will have to sing quietly without the microphone. Any one for a song?

Till then....