Looking at the sparkle on my ring, I’m flying solo once again.

Lifting the hand carry up the over head compartment suddenly seems so streneous. Playing with the touchscreen inflight entertainment system suddenly seems exciting again.

Browsed through the menu, scan through the movie listing and realised I have the full 3 seats!! Aside from the annual holiday trips, its been 4 years since I have been clocking nay of my business air miles, the sudden adrenalin rush of flying alone filled me…… until the sparkle.

My 1st solo flight was my home trip after spending 6 months in London, going home for Chinese New Year. That solo flight was my happiest. It boost my appetite so much I finished every single meal, not a single scrap left over. Every music channel I switched to was music to my ears, every movie channel I switch to was my favourite.

Now I’m sobbing quietly in the cabin, so uselessly moved by “The proposal”, a classic chick movie. A typical movie my ‘Ang’ and I will argue about come every weekend when we boh stood in front of the cinenow booth. A typical movie that he will dangle a piece of tissue paper in front of my face while I desperately hide it away from him and wiping my tears away.

I’m now desperately wiping my tears away from the steward and the sparkle caught my eye. Travelling alone never seems so sweet before. Some’s waiting for me at home……

While I was rushing in the morning to get out of the house, I had to make sure I top up Hero’s water, closed the room doors, etc. Then the thing struck me…..Where’s Hero?

Guess where I found him?

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Suntanning!!!

A dog’s life……..

It started with a dinner at Commonwealth. A crowded, badly ventilated “restaurant” supposedly organised by my in-laws to celebrate Mother’ Day. Seating were very tight. Food wasn’t as fantastic. Best of all….our diner were accompanied by puke my niece was struggling to not erupt but eventually filled up 2 bowls.

My body was sticky. It was hot and humid.

My head is going to spin soon. I lost all appetite.

Home. Showered. TV. Sofa. Ice cream.

”Say something!”

Woke up today with a nasal block!! Aargghhh….

The sun’s shining while thunders were hitting at the background.

While I’m busy sending out emails, the pollen from the lily flowers are sending more ‘Ha chooos” to my already blocked nose. The next thing my ‘Ang’ saw is a pile of wet and viral tissue paper by my laptop.

And of all days, my Condo estate management decide to do fogging. The fogging sends my nose going more ‘Ha chooo”!!

And I’m sweating profusely….down some ice cream to cool me down.

And I so not going to work today!! ISO! Damn!! It is a waste or time, resources, and paper!!!

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday.

Friends were asking me if there are any good recommendations for a restaurant, which I threw a couple of names.

I, myself, will be having the usual Mother’s Day dinner with my in-laws, probably some restaurant too.

Somehow, recently, it had sinked into me too much that I missed my mom. I haven’t had dinner with her for the longest time, several years to be exact. And yet I always seems to skip dinners that she cooked in the past.

I still remember once she steamed threadfin fish. One of my favourite and one of my mom’s specialty. It is nothing fantastic but threadfin fish has been a regular fish that mom always cooked. Easy to eat without much bones and it taste great. I can eat up the skins too. Coming back to that threadfin fish that she cooked on that particular day. By the time I was home, probably late around 10pm, I saw food on the table. But I already had my dinner and the food mom prepared were just left untouched. I felt bad. And I remembered vividly what she said:

“This fish is very fresh. I bought it this morning. This small slice cost $8. You all so wasteful. Don’t want to eat.”

The next thing I knew, she ate the fish because no one is going to finish it anyway and it will be going down the rubbish bin.

Thinking back……..it brought tears to my eyes.

I had never really brought my mom out for dinner. A mother’s day dinner. She would be so proud of me.

Mom, having been in the F&B business for 2 decades and knowing all the big names in the industry, would be so proud to introduce me to her compatroits. Just like she did when she proudly told the doctor in the hospital that I’m her daughter, even telling him my age, what I was doing, etc……Machiam like matchmaking.

I just wished I had the chance to bring her out for dinner. Family Dinner, such as simple thing, yet we hardly find time to do it.

I had a very satisfying dinner yesterday at Jumbo. Our usual haunt at East Coast. Knowing that crowd will form by dinner, we arrived early, before the sunsets and got an Al-fresco table, with the sea breeze kissing our body.

Our usual  order of Chilli crab and Tiger beer, and adding splashes of side dishes – this time – sambal kangkong and sambal mussels. All the spicy hot dishes.

I have always like the operation of Jumbo Seafood. A well-oiled machine in itself. From seating to ordering to replacing our dirty plates to serving. The crew is so familiar with the SOPs that they do not need prompting. All self initiating! The management of Jumbo Seafood must have done something every right that:

(1) Ordering and serving crews are familiar faces I see everytime I was there. This means the turnover in manpower was kept at minimal. I only see a couple of foreign workers as servers compared to other establishments that are majorly dependent on foreign workers.

(2) The crew primarily comprises elderly workers, which comes with them experience and familiarity with customers. They even know the customers by names!!

(3) Investments in technology. Seeing elderly crew holding PDAs to place our orders and their ear piece to communicate so as to seat the customers, really make me believe that Jumbo Seafood had put in efforts in training. Who says one can’t teach the old dogs new tricks?

With a smooth running operating system, acceptable customer service and good food, the prices are also reasonable. This is a winning formula!!

Smooth running operation enables quick seating, prompt serving (besides the chilli crab that takes up to 40mins to serve), clearing the tables and settling bills enable higher turnover of customers per table, thus maximising sales within short meal times. Another establishment I would leverage with Jumbo Seafood is Din Tai Fung. I’ll try to blog about Din Tai Fung next time.

Coming back to my dinner. Just as the sun sets and darkness seep in, I realised a crowd forming by the ‘rostrum’ at the entrance. And I casual chatted with the crew while she was clearing my table.

Beerkaki: Wah!! Got lelong ah? So many people.

Crew: No lah…they waiting for tables. Machiam like Jumbo got discount every day hor.

Beerkaki: Ya lor. So where’s the economy crisis?

Crew: People still have to eat mah. I work every night until my feet aches. Stand too much and too long.

And that’s when the crew told us while pointing her finger at the other table “Chen Han Wei is here too”.

I turned and saw Chen Han Wei with a table full of beautiful men.

Times of neglect!! My home, my blog, my dog, my mom…..and probably my ‘Ang’.

I don’t even know where should I start?!!

It is Labour Day today and a public holiday. While perhaps most are resting or enjoying a long weekend, I am in working hard on Labour Day….clawing back lost time doing housechores, filling up my mom’s supplies of diapers and milk powder, bring Hero out for a walk (hopefully) and now….putting in a post.

Thinking about on what I’ve been doing for the past weeks while being absent from blogging…..nothing comes up to mind. It just whizzes passed fast and furious.

I remembered I attended Boat Asia as I had some photos taken.

The tower cranes as backdrop doesnt seem to gel too well with the boats, isn’t it?

Going to end here ……mind blank….only thinking of going for my Jumbo Chilli Crab dinner tonight with my ‘Ang’.

The past couple of weeks had been really hectic.

Mom was really sick and doctor was called in. Had to engage a home nurse to administer jabs everyday while I anxiously hope the test results. Several rounds for taking blood, urine, stools for culturing and testing. It was gloom. I was preparing myself for the worse – Blood transfusion.

I suffer from low blood, so I’m not suitable. And that leaves me with my brother’s blood and that of the blood bank. I was getting more edgy, all these while my ‘Ang’ was overseas in Oman!

It was only last week that all the IV jabs, Propass, iron drips, finally showed some positive signs. Though mom’s condition is not yet in the ‘good’ range, the markers are indicating that her condition is under control.

I, myself, fell sick. And in order not to infect my mom since her immunity is so low, I avoided visiting her, yet had to monitor her situation. It was frustrating.

Better Man by Robbie Williams.

Better Wife? Version 2.0

This is the longest separation me and my ‘Ang’ have had since we were married. Kinda enjoy the short independence though.

Making sure the doors’ locked, windows shut, Hero’s water supply….

Catching up with friends for lunches, dinners and drinks…..

Channel surfing liberty!