Where Have All Your Hours Gone?

A friend was sharing with me how the turn over has been record high in her company, not because of higher pay packages or greener pastures out there but rather a result of more and more people re-prioritizing their lives to attain work-life balance. And the demanding work load and schedule just doesn't allow that.

Is this whole thing about work-life balance overrated? And how do we know which end of the scale we are at in this balancing act? Sometimes the best way to derive answers for such unperceivable questions is to quantify them!

Isn't this what we learn from our work anyway? How are we doing this quarter? Oh.. let's look at some numbers. Do you think we should grow this part of the business? Oh... let's look at some numbers. Sounds familiar hoh ;-)

Anyway, coming back to this.

Do not get overly excited because this is no ingenious formula at all. Friends who know me for long enough would know that with my aptitude for anything mathemetical (which is almost non-existent), I would not possibly come up with anything more profound than the times-table.

Step 1:
Classify your daily activities into 3 to 4 key areas which you spend time on (e.g. Work, Family, Personal Time). Of course if you are someone who is very anal about the granularity of things... by all means break them up into sub-categories like exercise, TV, reading, shopping etc... but hey... this is supposed to be a 5 min exercise and who has so much time anyway :)

Step 2:
Estimate the number of hours you typically spend on each area in a week.

Step 3:
With 168 hours a week, you can then easily work out the percentage of time you spend in each area.

It is so simple that I feel almost idiotic to have a step-by-step instruction.

So what is the whole point of this? Well, for a start, it presents you a quick view of how "balanced" your life is. And if that is not your idea of a "balanced" life, just start moving the hours around! Of course that is easier said than done.

A little insight to my current results...
Work: 30%
Justin: 12.2%
Personal: 9.8%

But that makes up only 52%...then I realised with shameless guilt that I spend a good half of my time SLEEPING ?!?! I tried to rationalise it with all the other miscellaneous stuff like showering, eating, dressing up blah blah but still.... I have some serious reshuffling to do.

Go do it when you have that few moments while waiting for that FB page to load or that computer to restart. It may yield interesting results.

First Words

Like many other parents, I can't wait for Justin baby to utter his first words. For months, the only sounds coming out of his mouth were some language unknown to any earthlings. Simply put, he was only capable of making noises.

These few days, he seems to conjure up this one word... ok...there is no such word but he repeats it several times a day that it is almost convincing.

And that almost-sound-like-a-word word is.........."MUMBA!" :)

Before you alternate tab or open a new window to check out this word on Dictionary.com, let me save you the trouble as that returns no results.

It does not matter that this word does not exist and it does not matter that it may be a meaningless sound to others. To me, that is Justin baby's first word. In fact, I believe he means "I am happy!". Simply because I can tell from his eyes that he means it :)

Happiness Is...

Happiness is...

Taking it all in during a beautiful sunset with your loved ones.

Junk or Art

The next time you wonder what to do with the empty cans & containers... here's an idea.

I spotted this raw yet detailed piece of creation in the most unassuming place - an old hawker centre right at the doorsteps of where I grew up.

While it is nothing in the likes of an award winning piece of installation art, I was still captivated by how it sets itself apart from those run of the mill recycling messages.

Here are more shots for a closer look.

Sightings

Not everyday you see THIS in a supermarket....

and THIS along Orchard Road...

Language Blunders

What does one do while waiting for the lift that always seem to take ages to come? You start scanning through notices decorated around them. This was what I came across sometime back. Not sure if you notice what was wrong with it but I certainly did.

As I was taking the shot, I realised I was definitely not the first who noticed the blooper. I am saying this in my own defence that the cross was not my doing. If you look closer, you will know what I mean.

Should one classify that as public service or vandalism? I am inclined to feel it is the latter. If not, why wouldn't he or she do everyone a bigger favour by replacing it with the correct word instead of just stopping at a cross?

Perhaps he or she wasn't too sure either.

I cannot deny I was tempted to complete the unfinished business but not only did I not have a pen with me... my lift had also arrived... finally :)

By the way, doesn't anyone proof read these RC notices? Maybe it is time they start doing so.

Passwords Nightmares

What if one day you woke up and realised that you have forgotten all your passwords? I mean ALL of them.

Let's see... then you wouldn't be able to... login to your computer, open your files, access the Internet, connect to the VPN, check your emails, update your FB status, chat on MSN, do your Internet banking, withdraw cash from ATM, make payments by NETS, slide your iPhone or even enter your house (yes, I have a friend who uses digital locks). I am sure the list can goes on.

Isn't it a nightmare? Our everyday life is run by passwords!

No, of course that did not happen to me. Not yet.

What DID happen to me was... I am running out of passwords to use for work. I typically re-cycle four of them everytime they expire (ok I know this is not the best practice for security...) so that even if I suddenly cannot remember for some reason, I can just go down the list and hit the right one in no time. Somehow this morning when I was trying to do the same old thing... it failed. I was prompted that I cannot re-use any of the past EIGHT passwords. EIGHT ?!? Since when ?!?

Improvised Toys

I am sure many parents will attest to this.

When you are out with your little ones and they start to get cranky, what do you do? You improvise toys on the fly! Unless of course, if you are one of those are always well prepared with an entire bag of toys on your day out.

Here is Justin Baby looking satisfied with the camera case. In fact, he really treated it like his new toy and was so entertained by it for the rest of the afternoon.

Doctor Who?

I recently went for some routine medical checkup and I had quite an interesting conversation with the female doctor (Doctor A).

Doctor A: So... you had a baby this year. Who was your gynae?

Me: Ya. My Gynae was Doctor B.

Doctor A: Oh...Doctor B is such a charming man!

Me: Oh you know him?

Doctor A: Kind of. He is very experienced in his field. My husband is a gynae too and I once sat at a dinner beside him. So charismatic.

Me: Well, I guess he can be quite humorous sometimes.

Doctor A: He is quite old lah... but still very attractive at his age!

We both chuckled.

Doctor A: So... you also had your LASIK done this year?

Me: Ya but didnt go too well.... blah blah blah

Doctor A: I would never go for LASIK... blah blah blah. So who was your doctor?

Me: Doctor C

Doctor A: Oh... Doctor C!

Me: Huh? You know him too?

Doctor A: Aiya, he always appear on magazines mah

Me: He looks very young hoh?

Doctor A: Looks young only but actually not that young. Don't really like him. So vain. Always unbutton his shirt a little and trying too hard to look good. How much he charges? Where is his clinic?

Me: blah blah blah

Doctor A: Huh? His clinic is there uh. That place good enough for him meh? He so vain... thought he would be here in Paragon. That Doctor B is so much better than him. Older but more charming.

We both chuckled again.

Before this, I never expected Doctors to gossip (or even bitch).
At least not with the patient.
Then again... I guess it is a "woman" thing... regardless of profession :)

Happiness Is...

Happiness is...

When I open my eyes in the morning and the first thing I see is Justin Baby awake at my bedside, playing blissfully with his toy car.

Our First Trip with Justin Baby

For the first time in my life, I was actually kind of glad to be back in SG after a holiday. You must be thinking I have gone bonkers... who wouldn't prefer to be on vacation?!?!

Of course, it was still a dread to return to the cruel world of endless emails, incomplete tasks and sales targets after pretending they never existed the moment the A380 took off. But I don't think I could survive another day of a 10-day intensive training camp. In another words, it was still a holiday... but minus away the relaxation part. Oh wait... unless if you consider 2 nights of foot massage that sent me straight to deep sleep within the first 10 min.

I half expected that to be the case the moment we decide to take on this challenge of bringing Justin baby to Tokyo followed by Beijing. Wierd combination I know but let's just leave it as " a result of various various factors" and get on with my griping.

I knew it would be challenging (which was supposed to be part of the fun) but not THAT challenging. The last time I felt such physical torment was probably in the labour ward. There was endless flights of staircases throughout the trip (yes, both countries) that we have to overcome as a family of 4 + 1 and sometimes with 4 huge luggages, 1 stroller, 1 humongous baby bagpack and an increasing number of handcarry bags as the trip progressed. What will remain in my memories in many years to come would be the endless walking around with baggages in the merciless hot weather. If you think the Beijing traffic is bad, try the human traffic. Imagine being packed like sardines soaking wet in a human jam on Great Wall. Inconceivable.

To me, hotel rooms had taken on a new definition. It was where I spent every night emptying an entire bag of dirty milk bottles, spoons & containers.... washing them, drying them, refilling them, and repacking before hitting the showers. It was also where I ransacked my luggage (aka the mobile provision store) for the next day's supply.

So was it enjoyable at all? Well, not everyday Justin baby gets to suck milk at The Great Wall, poop in The Forbidden City, crawl around on tatami floor, eat in a bullet train, sleep in a cable car... and always having some place different to go everyday. So my guess is it was most enjoyable for him :)

Putting everything aside, the very simple joy of being able to spend 24 hours over 10 days together and all that extra bonding was totally worth it. And did I mention Justin baby had a stubborn pamper's tan line that still hasn't quite gone away?

Some Things Never Change

It recently occurs to me that some things do not change much over the years from one generation to the next.

Maybe it is because my parents still stay in the same old place where I grew up in.

When I was still a tiny toddler, my dad used to bring me downstairs in the evening and sit by one of those old fashioned bench facing the road and watch vehicles go by. He would point out that the buses are approaching and what their service numbers are.
These days my dad still do the same thing... not for me of course :-) but for Justin baby as a grandpa. This soothes baby Justin the same way it did for me.

When I was two plus, I visited the doctor downstairs for fever and my mum always reminds me about how I was once scolded by the doctor for crying too much when given the jab. I think his exact words were "So big already still cry!" By the way, this doctor has a reputation of being stern with his young patients. Yesterday, I brought Justin baby to this same doctor. Yes, the very same one. Age has caught up with him (and me) but I am still a little intimidated by his firm disposition. He pressed down Justin baby's tongue hard to examine his mouth and ordered the nurse to sponge him from head to toe due to his high temperature. In a split second, baby Justin's screaming and wailing filled the entire clinic... and maybe even the shop next door. Mr no-nonsense-doctor showed no empathy except "Why so fierce?!?"

I am sure I will be able to pick up a lot more childhood memories of my own along the way as long as a large part of baby Justin's growing up journey is spent in this little old flat of my parents.

Time To Say Goodbye

We got acquainted just not too long ago

And I had never thought of having you sold

It was definitely not my intention

To make you feel so forsaken

Our affair may be brief

but I am already filled with grief

I am sad but it is not shown on my face

Afterall it was a decision I have made

I will always remember how we used to zip around

East to West and sometimes around town

And how I loved your big round speedometer & quirky buttons

And how I enjoyed flicking to change your night light colours

Oh how you suffered these past months

Soaking in rain and baking in sun

Car wash has been a very rare treat

and I did nothing much to keep you happy and clean

From now on you are no longer with me physically

But I promise you will always be part of my memories

So long, Farewell, my dear MINI

Hope you find someone who will take care of you better than me

Irresponsible Dreams

Initially, I did not think much of it but when it happened twice...

Oh... I can be such a horrible mummy.... at least in my dreams.

Months ago when I just started driving around with Baby Justin in the car, I must have felt a little stressed about the whole safety, comfort, logistics and no-available-parking-lots issues because I had this dream, or a nightmare rather. I was walking towards the lift in my block at the end of an exhausting day with my handbag in one hand and laptop in the other. Then suddenly it striked me that I have forgotten all about Baby Justin whom I have left behind in the car locked up in the dark and faraway carpark!!! I woke up while trying to drop everything and dash back for him.

Just last week, I dreamt again. This time, I was with a bunch of pals hanging around a hotel lobby planning what to do for the night. Then someone suggested we check out this new drinking hole down the street. Somehow Baby Justin was asleep in my arms at that moment and I started thinking how I could sneak away for a couple of hours. The next few scenes that followed were just illogical but in the dream itself, I thought it to be a great idea!

There I was, placing the soundly asleep Baby Justin in the middle of a gigantic bed of a hotel room secured by pillows and bolsters all around. I then left him all alone in there and went down to the hotel reception to pass a hand-written note to a group of hotel staff and instructing them how much milk to make for him should he wake up while I was gone! When I shared this with a friend that day, she questioned: "Shouldnt you tell them to call you instead when he wakes up rather than make milk for him?" That wasn't even the point!

But hey, isnt there a saying that dreams often present quite the opposite of reality?? Maybe I should just seek comfort in that in the absence of any better excuse :P

Forgettable Entertainment

It has been quite some time since I was really entertained by any performance or sorts and the recent three movies/musical did nothing to change that.

Clash of The Titans was my first attempt at 3D movies in a local theatre. My worry of a sea-sick like nausea and dizziness was unfounded but the uncomfortable pair of 3D glasses left a sore mark on my nose bridge. I have not watched the original in the 80's so I am not sure if this is a better version but I am sure the cinematography is. Overall, it just felt like a comic strip come to life and nothing more. Of course, the first few moments of 3D did get me excited like a kid and Sam Worthington, who is quite an eye candy, kind of compensated the rest of the dull moments.

I was very much looking forward to Robin Hood that I even had the opening date jotted down in my phone. With a director and cast like this, what can go wrong. If you ask me, the entire cast did pretty well except for Mr Crowe himself. Yes, he has been criticised for his lack of or inconsistent accent in the movie but I think the bigger problem is that there wasn't much emotions displayed throughout and that makes the famous outlaw a bit bland as a main character.

And then there was Chicago The Muscial which we decided to catch at the very last minute. Well, everything turned out to be... nice... with bits here and there which I enjoyed but the entire production did not really WOW me and make me want to jump out of the chair. I might have enjoyed the film version better years back.

So any good recommendations that are not that forgettable?

Self Service

There are a lot of "self-service" services around us but has anyone experienced self service gift wrapping? Well, I have.

After standing at the gift wrap counter for a few minutes without being attended to by anyone... ah hah... I thought to myself my chance is here. You see... I have always imagined this moment :P

So here was me getting down to work.

But what a pity... I would have loved to perform the most fanciful gift wrapping I am capable of but all I did was grab a pre-folded doggie bag at the counter and threw in my merchandise. I think I just wanted to get out of there quickly before a queue started forming infront of me! Plus... the walkie talkie on the counter kept calling for someone who wasn't really there...

If you zoom in enough, you will realise where that was :P

Junk That Comes In Envelopes

I don't know about you but I am more annoyed by junk mails in the physical rather than digital form.

Afterall, deleting emails require just one click. In fact you can just select all unwanted junk to trash them instantly and they are gone even before you can finish cursing in your head.

As for their counterparts that come in envelopes...

- they not only take up space in your house;

- come in all sizes;

- they somehow accumulate faster than you can clear them

- require repetitive and monotonous action of opening them up one by one;

- sorting them into "overdue bills requiring immediate action", "can wait", "will read when I have time", "total waste of time" and "can't decide what to do with them" can be as time consuming (usually 80% of them fall into the last two categories)

- and after what feels like forever, you still end up with a heap of trash that you then have to drag your feet to dump them in the bin.

- and have I mentioned the occassional papercuts? Ouch! *#@##

Now, here is actually why I wrote this entry...

There are some letters from certain financial institutions that you tend to open up first while sifting through the entire stack. Why? Because you would assume they are important notices or statements.

Or maybe not.

This particular one sent me one big A4 piece of paper with a few liners to inform me that I have sucessfully logged in to their website for the very first time with the OTP on a certain day & time ( for those not initiated, that means one-time password). Why do they bother to do that! The fact that I successfully logged in, of course I would have known that and therefore I see no value whatsoever to send me a confirmation that it has happened.

What is more infuriating is that the next letter I opened came from the same sender telling me that my application of the OTP feature has been approved !(please refer to above what OTP is...if you are suffering from very short term memory loss). Of course it has been approved! How then was I able to log in for the very first time with it and why then would you send me that previous letter!

Total waste of paper and total waste of my time.

I need to outsource mails clearing... any takers?

My First Carnation

As we were strolling down Orchard Road today with Baby Justin, someone ran towards me and handed me a stalk of yellow carnation. "Happy Mothers' Day!!" It was some promotion gimick. Nevertheless, it was cool... they even took a photo of us.

My first Mothers' Day as a Mum...

My first stalk of carnation...

Wierd yet warm...

To all the great mums in this world... Happy Mothers' Day.

Bad Hair Day

I always thought trimming a baby's hair is a piece of cake... oh boy I was wrong. Luckily Baby Justin won't remember this episode when he grows up... no one would be pleased with uneven patches on his head.

I actually did not plan to notify The Man about this disastrous hair cut in the beginning, half of me hoping that he will never discover (how evil) and the other half of me hoping that he does discover but comfort me by saying it is quite a good job (total self-deceit). But me being me... I could not hold it anymore after a whole night without any response from him.

Me: "Eh, did you notice anything different about Baby Justin today?"

The Man:"mmm... no leh. What?"

After a few moments...

The Man: Aiyo! WHY LIKE THAT?!?"

I Miss Having Clear Vision!

Just when I thought deciding or not to go for LASIK is a tough one, I realise deciding on whether enhancement is the right thing to do is even more torturing.

Statistics show that only 1% to 3% of LASIK patients need enhancements due to under or over correction and I am among these unlucky minority.

It has been 2.5 months and my vision is still far from perfect and anything more than an arm's length away is just blur. I even had a pair of specs made for driving at night. Without which, I would probably not be able to make my way home at night.

During the last post LASIK checkup, I had residual degree of 75 on one side and 50 on the other and was told that I am a potential candidate for enhancement since my cornea is thick enough for that. The doctor seemed to suggest that I should seek comfort in that (BUT that is not what I signed up for!!!).

Rightfully, many folks with 75 degree (or even up to 100 plus) just live with that and don't bother with specs. So I had a strong feeling that mine is definitely more than that and went for a second checkup elsewhere. Unexpectedly, the results turned out the same. However I am still not convinced and I am considering a third opinion.

Not that I regret going for LASIK in the first place... I miss having clear vision BUT I no doubt do not miss hard lens at all :)

Now I am just torn between leaving my poor eyes as they are and hope for a miracle versus going for an enhancement which probably means thinning my cornea further leaving no more room for future enhancement should my eyesight deteriorate years down the road. Not to mention that my confidence of the doctor or rather such LASIK procedures is now shaken...

Iced Teh Si

Making Iced Teh Si

Step 1 - Make Tea

Step 2 - Add Milk

Step 3 - Stir

Step 4 - Add Ice

So... how on earth did this happen?

Toy On The Wrist

Following my recent entries about toys... here is another addition by courtesy of The Man. By now, you would have realised most if not all of my toys are not bought by myself :P

How is this a toy?? Simply because it is Toy Watch! Name aside, it actually feels so light and plastic that it can totally pass off as a toy :) But hey... they are quite a big hit with famous wrists :)

Now I am even tempted to get the white one. It is such a cool and simple piece of accessory that so effortlessly adds colour and vigor to your outfit, no matter how plain it is.

No marketing budget? No problem!

Yes, I was one of the culprits slowing down traffic on CTE this afternoon :P

More Toys!

Just as I wrote about buying the right toys for Baby Justin in my last post, I received a toy car myself today from my dad! Yes, at the age of thirty-four, that was what I got.

My dad just came back from a holiday and I was delighted when he pulled out from his luggage a red MINI. How sweet :)

Anyway, here is adding to my MINI (pun intended) galore ... compliments from my dad, my bro and Mr Liew. There is also an even smaller key chain MINI but is MIA at the moment...

Toys Not Enough???

Adults always complain about "Money Not Enough". How about babies? Do they complain about "Toys Not Enough"?

Maybe not.

My conviction is based on the fact that there are a few toys with very high traction (remote controls included) that never fail to keep Baby Justin entertained. Just like the good old "spinning spidey". He can get so hyper watching it spin and spin each time, like he is seeing it for the very first time. On the other hand, there are other toys which he took one look and then ignores them for the rest of their existence.

I thus conclude that it is not about having enough toys. It is about having the right toys. You are better off with one great toy than ten lousy toys.

Cannot relate? Well, it is like clothes.

There will be favourite pieces that always end up in the washing machine every other week and there will be pieces that just stay hanging lifelessly in a corner of the wardrobe without seeing any daylight. So when we (girls) always complain about not having enough clothes (even though we are out of clothes hangers and out of wardrobe space, subtly invading into the men's territory), most likely we are not buying the right clothes!

So coming back to toys. Here is a classic example of a good buy vs a bad buy.

These were our very first Christmas presents for Justin as parents. A fabric safari animal book and a soccer ball that lets out a funny sound when bounced. You can see how hard we try to balance his academic and sports development from a young tender age...hahaha...

In this photo, he seemed thrilled with the two gifts above but what you don't see is that the book is now so seasoned and crumpled whereas the ball stays hidden in a box collecting dust.

This blog entry should end here but I just want to share another irrelevant shot snapped seconds after the one above. Back in December, he still couldn't sit up by himself so this is him about to topple sideways and my "claws" in a desperate attempt to grab him :)

Lyrics Gone Wrong

Since we were on this topic of children songs & nursery rhymes...

Last night, in an attempt to entertain Baby Justin, The Man started belting out a song which was apparently not on his "I-know-the-lyrics" song list (which is by the way not very long and countable with one hand).

"Blah Blah Black Sheep...have you any wool..."

"Halo! Sheeps go Baa Baa! Not Blah Blah!"

"Really?"

I nearly flipped...

Well... unless of course there is a sheep out there which really does blah blah blah blah all day long...like me :p

The Magical Song

There is only one sure way to keep Baby Justin from making way too much noise in the car.

I can't remember exactly when but it all started some months ago when he decided that being stuck to the car seat for the entire journey from ECP to KPE to PIE was too much for him to bear...

I also can't remember how it started but I must have tried everything from talking nicely to him to screaming (almost) at him, from switching the radio on & off repeatedly to doing the same for the lights in the car, from dangling one toy to a dozen toys infront of him. I ended up so exhausted physically that I just laid back and started singing whatever that came to my mind. And that didn't work until I came to this song - the magical song.

And that magical song is "Ten Green Bottles".

Don't fret if you don't know this song because you DON'T have to know this song if you DON't have a crying baby in your car....

For those of you who know the song... yes... I know... what a boring song...

So, he was screaming on top of his lungs and fidgeting in his car seat but the moment I started on this song...he stopped and gave me a 3 second stare before looking away and kept quiet for the rest of the song.

Sometimes, the moment the song ended, he started his crankiness again. I did experiment with other songs but none worked better than this because they don't usually last past the first couple of lines.

Until today, I still do the same but this is hardly a song that can last the entire journey... so sometimes I will have to keep repeating the entire song or double, triple counting the bottles (so there will always be bottles left hanging on the wall) just to keep the journey peaceful until we reach our destination.

Seriously, I can almost sing myself to sleep as I sound totally like a broken record... but hey... it works for my baby!

And that is all that matters.

Pontianak Is Coming To Town

Friends know that I refer to parking attendants as parking pontianaks (ever since I watched Dim Sum Dolly years ago). Tonight when I witnessed one diligently performing his "duty" in a public carpark, a little tune started to ring in my mind suddenly...

Pontianak Is Coming To Town (sang to the tune of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town)

You better watch out
You better not doubt
You better not try
I'm telling you why
Pontianak is coming to town!

He sees you when you're cheating
He knows when you're away
He knows that you've been bad or good
So be good for your own sake!

He's booking one car
He's booking two cars
He's booking more cars
And he's coming your way
Pontianak is coming to town!

Like Father Like Son

Recently, I have come to realise that there are certain common traits between The Man and Baby Justin.

1. Both make significant amount of noises during sleep.

2. Both love to put one hand undermeath their pillow during sleep.

3. Both have explosive appetite sometimes. While Baby Justin screams for that occassional bottle in between feeds, The Man can cook himself a packet of instant noodles, peels himself a banana and tops it up with a can of coke or a bar of ice-cream in between meals.

4. Both cannot stand a moment of dullness and constantly need some form of action infront of them. For Baby Justin, it would be one of his toy collections or adults acting like clowns. For The Man, it would be either his iPhone, PSP or Laptop (together with the TV... but never the TV alone).

5. They prefer hanging out than staying at home.

6. Both look good in stripes. Horizontal ones for Baby Justin as they make him look chubby. Vertical ones for The Man... er... for obvious reasons.

7. Both have a high tendency to fall asleep during one of my speeches.