Salute!

I really salute all nurses. How do they tolerate cleaning patients’ poops 💩 and pee? How do they tolerate cleaning patient’s vomitus without they themselves feeling 🤢?

When mom vomitted on Thu night, I gagged. I don’t think I’ve ever cleaned her before, maybe a long long time when I just happened to be at Tampines (?) If she ever vomitted before, it would likely be bro or sis who cleaned her. 

When I was cleaning up the vomitus on her, on her bag, on the blanket I wanted to vomit myself. Even when I hold my breath, my eyes cannot unsee the vomitus. Twice I vomitted into the plastic bag when I was cleaning. I used to be able to do this. Onboard and even when dealing with the girls’ vomitus long time ago, but still will always feel like committing myself. This time, I couldn’t tahan n my own stomach churned 🤭 next minute I vomitted. Haha! So useless! 

Then lil’ one told me che-che vomitted too when they were cleaning up her bed. 

Makes me hold nurses in high admiration.how they tahan huh?  

😢 Xmas markets

Why these keep popping up in my Instagram? 

I really want to go to the Christmas markets. Sob sob

From another Instagram account - Christmas markets in Europe

Link to previous post, CLICK HERE

Kan cheong spider?

J asked me if I was a kancheong person since school days. Heehee! We haven’t see each other since we both left school 32 years ago. I start to think …

Not sure what made her noticed that. It could be (1) when I thought she was done searching for places to eat, so asked if I should drive off now. She told me to wait, only then did I realise she was looking at other places. Coz our meeting was really last minute so both of us also didn’t do much planning, she was probably planning the route. While I wanted to save time and quickly drive off while she scrolls thru in the car, save time coz we only have about 2.5hrs before she needs to meet another friend. (2) after she saw me scrolling thru the GPS. I move my fingers fast fast to see the route first, esp when it’s a straight road then I’ll mentally rmbr that there’s a left turn etc.. When I’m driving, while stopping at traffic lights I’d look at the GPS again and run thru the road, zoom out to see how many small roads before I need to make my turn.  I’m also wondering if she mistook my 手脚快 as in kan-cheong? Why do I always need to run thru the GPS, I don’t just follow and keep to the left lane when I see I’m nearing the junction but I like to be mentally prepared for the journey, so I’ll have ample time to change lane if I need to. 

When I was a young bespectacled gal

When we were in school, there wasn’t much to rush thru. We were only young teens and ‘relax’ would be our motto in life. 😂 Back at home there was nothing to rush thru coz I didn’t have to do any housework, they were done by mom. Back at home I didn’t have to rush thru homework coz I didn’t need to work part time.  

BUT (1) I wanted to finish my homeworks in school so I can leave them under my table. So I was always kancheong and would pick up my work to do before thr teacher leaves the classroom and before the next period starts. (2) when I was the class chairman the teachers want the girls to do something. I can give instructions but they like to talk talk waste time until I buay tahan. Most times I would do all the tasks myself and I do them quickly so the teacher gets the end product the same day or by next day. Yes, I was that efficient (but not efficient at home when mom asked me to help her hang up laundry or keep laundry 😂) ! Kancheong or am I an overtly responsible person? 

When I started working

In the bank - I hated to see the long queue so would usually finish my work fast fast and press button to serve next customer. The other 3 tellers take their own sweet time to count money especially when they look up and they see the money changer and another guy from another construction company standing in the queue. Coz they always bring in stacks of money to be deposited and hand counting them is very tiring. Needless to say, I kena them most of the time coz I don’t choose customers. Kancheong to clear the number of people in the queue? Maybe.

Then when I was in the airline, there is that urgency in needing to finish the meal service asap so that passengers can rest (certain flights we have to work fast otherwise we will land with trays), if meal service is too slow we might also get complaints. The job onboard is not like certain office work where you only need to submit your work at certain dateline. Once we finish our meal service we can have our meal, check toilets, serve cockpit crew (if working in that class), do some paperwork n prep for next meal. When I was LSS, I would always finish all my paperwork then I can eat. Just like now, I need to do the important houseworks first before I can sit down and have my meal. I’m the 先苦后甜 type. 

When I was working in Corp Comms, I want to finish the cases given to me asap. When I’m handed any cases, 我手脚快 will sieve out the cases in my own category and attend the easiest ones first. Because of that I don’t have to work OT, I needed to go back to Tampines to pick che-che up. Spend some time in Tampines then return home to do my own houseworks and do some work with che-che. I didn’t have a helper so I had to do everything.

When I became a mom

Thanks to my previous job I had to learn to be independent (I acted helpless infront of mom 😂). I’m a planner where I like to have everything on schedule, coping with baby Athena was easy. I had to work fast when she’s sleeping, I have to cook her lunch when she’s sleeping so that in her wakeful hours I can give her my 100% attention and play/read with her. Thankfully che-che was a very good and well-behaved girl she didn’t need me to carry her all the time like lil’ one. She slept thru the flying fighter jets 🤣. That horrible lil’ one …if she was the firstborn I wouldn’t even want to have a second kid. I was kept busy the whole day. I had to be kancheong and work fast because I didn’t have any help. 

Then we had KZ for 6 years, I could relax a little. I didn’t have to rush that much coz all I needed to do was to handle the kids daily affair. When she left after that, I was back to being kancheong. 

I had solo days when hubby had to travel, I needed to cope everything all by myself. So I have to be kan cheong and finish work. The time when hubby left to work in SHA, I didn’t have any help and had to handle two kids in primary school + renovations and moving house. Do I have to be kancheong in times like that? Of course I had to, otherwise I won’t get my work done. 

Yes, I was and still am kancheong and 手脚快. Coz I’m not that lucky like some of my SAHM friends who hire part time helper or have full time helper, I just gotta sweat it all out all by myself. Maybe who knows when I get too old and extremely tired, I can’t work fast anymore I would probably be able to relax.😉

Towels

Was tidying up a section of my walk-in when I saw these towels that Mio gave me. 

For the Japanese, thoughtful gifts are chopsticks and towels. When giving chopsticks, it means wishing happiness and good relationships. It’s the same for Chinese when gifting chopsticks. 

However there is no similarity good wishes when giving towels. 

In Japanese culture, giving a towel as a gift represents wishes for lasting relationships as towels are woven from threads and symbolize a strong, lasting connection. 

Giving towels in a Chinese context is generally negative because they are often associated with funerals, representing death or misfortune. 

Given this towel or rather it feels like handkerchief many years before, probably when she was here in Singapore with the family in 2017.

She gifted us these Imabari towels in 2022 when our family met her before driving to Kumamoto. 

Imabari towels are widely considered synonymously with high quality towels 

For some reason I don’t know why this ads keep appearing in my FB. Look so interesting, I might get some for the kitchen next time

Of course as always I like to make comparisons 

** edit : not about the towels but since I took the pics with these coasters, I’ll just photo dump them here.

Hakata-ori coasters 

About Hakata-ori textiles

Marinade prep

I always like to 先苦后甜 (suffer first enjoy later), it’s the same when it comes to handling the kitchen matters. 

Always getting ideas from Instagram. 

Credits to tsukuoki_life. Kum sia for recipe ideas

There are a lot more I follow in Instagram, typically the Japanese ones with the nice Japanese fonts and that asthetic look in their page. I’m too lazy to type down who I follow coz it’ll mean I can never get this blog entry out [already one month later than the initial drafted date] . Don’t ask me why I follow so many Japanese accounts for recipes. Haha!  I should start following people in 小红书 

The nottie girls

* safekeeping here for memories *

Che-che saw daddy’s gaming laptop and watched something on it. Think she mischievously was saying something about downloading something into his laptop, but not sure if she did eventually. 

Then lil’ one reminded us that long time ago (when she was little) daddy left the game on and walked away. She went to “fight” and got the person killed in the game. Daddy came back to see himself dead. 😂. He named one character Athena. Lil’ one said there was even our name too 🤣. Haha! Maybe he’s indirectly trying to vent his anger on us thru the games. 

Unexplained heel pain

On Tuesday (14/10) evening I felt a slight pain on my left heel. Visibly there was nothing, it was like the knuckle pain I had no obvious swelling or whatever. I lightly massage my heel. 

The next day it was more painful and I was limping around the house. Massaged and put ice pack on it a few times. Then used the eye mask gel which I had left in fridge. It’s flexible so I can Velcro it securely. Didn’t really help tho and it cooled down so fast. 

What kind of pain is this? After the knuckles pain I wonder if this is related to arthritis or whatever as well. I mean this also came out of the blue 

Checked podiatry website. Is it heel spur? But not the correct spot leh! 

Hint hint to hubby - your wife cannot use her hands to do housework. She also cannot walk around end house to do housework. I NEED MC!!!!!!

Treatment : Rest, ICE. Elevate 

Hubby asked me if it’s gout. I doubt so coz altho I’ve never had it before to know how it feels like but when I read the symptoms, doesn’t sound like it is. 

So I haven’t left the house since Tuesday after I reached home from picking lil’ one up from work, all the way until Sunday (19th). Oh! I forgot I walked across to the clinic on Sat with lil’ one. Didn’t want to walk too much the other days, skipped FightDo coz no way this right knee bai-kar left feet pain person can even do a kick or move feet so much. My left leg definitely can’t stand and support my right knee when I need to do a kick or whatever. Just guai guai stay at home. I can slowly limp around the house doing houseworks. 

Photos taken on 16/10 (Thu). More painful.

I didn’t go out with them on Sat for dinner. Beginning to feel less painful so I’m resting at home eating and clearing whatever we have in the freezer for dinner. 

Anyway happened to be at bro’s place to visit mom on Sunday. Was talking to him about what sis said, he mentioned about fire pain for arthritis. But no leh.. I don’t have so it’s not arthritis. Then he describe the pain for gout, it’s not gout for my feet. So what is it? I really don’t know. Haiyah! Just a BIG HINT I shouldn’t do any houseworks lah! 

photo dump here just incase I need them next time 

Tonsillitis

6th Oct (Mon) 

Messaged me she’ll return home early. Only one hour early. Grabbed home for $43. Peak timing! 

Got an idea on how she was sent home by Ms Lim. The CFO happened to walk by lil’ one’s desk and noticed she was flushed red and asked if she was alright. Ding ding dong dong and by then allowed her to leave office early, just an hour early.

Saw doctor. Measured and said have low grade fever. Strangely Dr Loh didn’t give any paracetamol so I gave her from our supplies at home. 

Medication given : 

1. COF-LESS (hexylresorcinol) lozenges 

2. Serraptase 10 - inflammation 

3. Atrizin (cetirizine) 10mg - runny nose non-drowsy

Medical charges : $55.92 ($55 by CDC) 

“Daddy! Stay away from me!” 

7th Oct (Tue) 

Hey! It’s supposed to be my declared off day. I asked her to help me mop the floor, only to be told off by hubby “she’s sick and still ask her to mop the floor.” “Make her perspire.” Hubby is so biased right? Cannot let his precious daughter take hardship then when the wife is sick he don’t say the same thing. Pfft! 

Che-che WFH today and likes to go to her room to get her laptop charged. AR meanwhile had to sleep outside on the sofa during the day time. Poor thing. After some time she asked to sleep in her sister’s bed as sleeping on sofa is rather uncomfortable. 

8th Oct (Wed)

On MC so rested at home. As she was feeling sniffly, she has been sleeping without the aircon for 2 nights. Pretty unsettling sleep coz so used to sleeping in aircon room. 

9th Oct (Thu)

In the morning, hubby can tell her to “take MC.” Ehh….words from a HR personnel? Here I am telling her to go to work and he’s the opposite, sending wrong message to her. I explained to her that she’s an intern, it wouldn’t look good on her records. 

Went to work by bus but after I came out from my class she messaged me that she’s tired n wants to go home. End up I had to go off immediately to pick her up, thus can’t pack lunch for mom. Called hubby to help me defrost the mince pork as I will cook porridge for her for lunch while I was driving. 

Dr Tan started giving her antibiotics this time round after I asked him if he should do it as it’s her second time seeing a doctor this week. 

Medication given : 

1. Soden (Naproxen) 275mg - inflammation 

2. SW Decondine (Triprolidine 2.5mg/pseudoephedrine 60mg) - runny nose n cause drowsiness 

3. Pulmoxyl (amoxicillin) 500mg - antibiotic

Medical charges : $54.50 ($54 by CDC) 

Ultimately I ended up cooking porridge for dinner coz she wanted to eat at foodcourt after the consultation. Since I was going to cook with pumpkin I cooked for che-che’s dinner as well. 

10th Oct (Fri) 

On MC. Still sniffing away, tired. Haiz! Everytime she gets this even on school days, it takes days to recover. 

11th Oct (Sat)

Said throat feels better so I suppose she should have been given antibiotic right from the start, but doctors often don’t do that. Thinking to self, if we had gone back to Dr Lee (PD) since the beginning when she had this problem a year or two back, would she be given a super strong antibiotic from first consultation? Would things turn out differently for her? 

Today we all only went out for lunch at Sushiro @ Waterway Point then packed dinner home. Time for her to rest again. 

12th Oct (Sun)

Nothing out of the ordinary happened today. Nuah, rest. Basically laying on bed not doing anything strenuous. Everyday also not doing anything strenuous. Her not exercising, not fit make her 一点点 so weak, worst than the weakling me. 

13th Oct (Mon) 

Messaged me she’s coming back early coz manager told her can go home if she’s not well, manager was going out for meeting then go back home to continue work. However when Ms Tan told her that she had already ordered Grab food. Ate then packed her work laptop back home at 12.46pm. 

Oh! This was the day when Miss pretend-to-want-to-save-money girl insisted on going out for lunch and use the money to Grab a ride home. But she’s already so tired didn’t want her to exhaust herself. Grabbed home, this time cheaper at $17++ 

She met me outside the main gate as I had to bring her see the doctor again. Runny nose got worst last night, couldn’t sleep so I have no idea whether her fatigue came from her illness or from lack of sleep. Wah…I tell you this girl ah … so weak!

Dr Loh asked if wants to do a test to check, anyway it’s free. She couldn’t take the discomfort after swabbing one side. He explained that test may not be accurate. 

She was left with last 2 or 3 amoxicillin and Dr Loh told her to stop, he gave her a stronger one - Enhancin 625mg (amoxicillin/clavulanate)

Gave her 2 days MC to cover today and tomorrow. But she didn’t use it and went to work. It wouldn’t look nice on her internship appraisal if she were to keep going on medical leave. 

Medication given : 

1. Enhancin (amoxicillin/clavulanate)

Medical charges : $44.15 ($44 by CDC) 

** this antibiotic may cause diarrhoea. N she really lao sai 😂

Cooked porridge for her to bring to work tomorrow

14th Oct (Tue)

Forgot to take pic of the packed porridge. Packed chrysanthemum in a thermos flask together with 板蓝梗 powder sachet for her to mix in the office later. 

Sent her to and fro work today so she won’t be exhausted. Only today I will do her this favor.

15th Oct

@ 1.03am - prepared rice in Ms Thermie before going to bed. Will save time 6hrs later. 

I’m just so good in being a lazy mom

Got up at 7.05 and cook rice and turn the knob to beat up oven while I prepared the satay chicken on a disposable liner. Pop into oven and prep the drinks - boiled chrysanthemum + 板蓝根. 

ART results - Dr Loh called back in the morning. Results showed negative for bacteria and virus but maybe coz it’s an inaccurate test coz only dig one side. Could be caused by the other bacteria that is not in the list of 20 they were testing. Other than that we all know it’s the same recurrent problem she has. 

Aiyoh! Smart to cook extra rice this morning for dinner but dumb to forget to cook extra for tmrw’s lunch, kept my rice for her. I can count the grains in my bowl, I had to scrap the simmering basket

Took out pork n wanted to marinade so can steam next day. She couldn’t finish the teriyaki chicken so decided to pack that for her lunch tomorrow. 

16th Oct (Thur)

Steamed everything together. Did chawanmushi for her

17th Oct (Fri)

WFH

18th Oct (Sat) 

Last antibiotic taken in the morning. Dropped by clinic and Dr Loh is on duty. Throat doesn’t look inflammed anymore. 37.4 deg cel and asked does she have a higher temp baseline. I only remembered when she was very young she usually has higher temperature in the mornings but also cited that if us walking across plays a part (coz aunty me is feeling hot and leg pain 😀). She reminded me that during covid period when they had to measure temperature daily, 37.4 is her normal temperature once she hits 37.5 she has fever. Wah…. How can I forget this important details? 

He asked me if I measured her temperature daily since this whole thing started, nope I didn’t I only took when he said have fever so I took and monitored at home. After that no more. Hmm… I think this makes me an irresponsible mom 🤭. So I better have a chart at home ready and chart it down. 

Medication given : 

1. serraptase 10

Medical charges : $31.61 ($30 by CDC) 

Throughout I’ve been ensuring there’s a supply of chrysanthemum in the fridge. Coz I boil the drink with 2 other herbs, she says it’s better for her. So from now on until forever, I will try to boil it every time. 

The 板蓝梗 powder 

Other thing advised her was to maybe try gargling her tonsils with salt + warm water. Might help to kill any bacteria lingering in her mouth. 

Note to self is to check on TCM treatment. But tiring leh! TCM must keep going to consult, where got time to go every 5-6 days? 

Dr Chong’s recommendation is to do a tonsillectomy but she doesn’t want the surgery. We know that the pain will always come back if she don’t do this. TCM is also not a permanent solution. I also don’t have the energy to keep bringing her to see TCM doctor. 

to give her a better quality of life. Give me too! Why must make me worry for all the family members, all got dai ji one.  I don’t have the energy to keep bringing her to see the doctor. Had to remind her that this time alone she had 4 doctor visits, how much did we spend? $186.18. Count the past 2 years how many times this has occured over and over again and the number of doctor visits each time.