Rolling Good Time

I enjoy rolling my eyes.
But I must remind myself not to do that.
'DON'T roll your eyes, gal. DON'T!'
Ok. I'll pretend to rub my eyes then when the urge to roll them is too strong.

Slothful Sluggish Sluggard

Dinner for today includes

1. Canned sardine
2. Canned preserved lettuce
3. Onion omelette
4. Porridge

Conclusion: I am a lazy wife. Period.

Goodbye

My only SG female companion has left. I'm all alone again...

Why?

I am puzzled. Why does that particular someone insist of coming over to our house all the time? Why does he want to have lunch here when he can have it with his entourage? Why must he cook in our kitchen when he has his own kitchen? Why must he always intrude on our private lives? Why must he be so inconsiderate? Why must he talk so much? Why must he be Mr Know-It-All? Why? Why? Why?

Over the Moon

I've got a super duper pleasant surprise this evening - a self-made bookmark all the way from the States! I'm so touched, really! That's one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me. Thanks, Angie! Love ya! I think I'll smile in my sleep tonight. =)

Cranky

I hate it when I wake up to find an intruder in the house.
I hate it when I'm awakened by loud stamping as if a clumsy elephant has trampled into/past the house.
I hate it when people talk so loud as if everyone has a hearing problem.
I hate it when people bang on the door instead of knocking on it.
I hate it when I can't shower in the morning cos we're running out of water in the tank.
I hate it when the kitchen is messed up and the culprit and entourage left without cleaning up the shitty mess.
I hate it when people do not understand the meaning and importance of privacy.
I hate it when no one fixes the damn satellite receiver and all I can watch is the news.
I hate it when I'm cranky!
I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!

Bonheur

J'aime Joey et Joey m'aime.

La vie est belle.

To The Docs

I went to consult a dermatologist as my limbs were still itching and I was rather concerned by how gruesome my legs looked. I fear that my legs would never look as sexy as they used to be(Ha!). So I told Darling I needed to see a skin specialist.

The translator helped me book an appointment with the doc. He is the only skin specialist in Ghazaouet. Hence, to avoid the long waiting time, I had to make an appointment in advance. Unfortunately, not only did I have a pair of hideous legs, I was also down with a fever and a very bad sore throat that day. I ended up seeing 2 doctors.

We came to what seemed like a small housing estate, with buildings which were of 5-6 storey high. The dull greyish buildings looked shabby and there were litter everywhere. By looking at the size of the window, one could tell that each apartment in the building was miserably small. I wasn't impressed by what I saw and I started having doubts about the credentials of the doc. What if the doc ended up aggravating the condition of my legs? I spotted a blue signboard on a metal grille painted in white - Dr Dali Youcef F. At least the window grille wasn't rusty and it looked clean compared to the rest. 'Maybe there's hope', I thought. (I think I'm being illogical here. What has clean window grille gotta do with how good a doc is? Never mind. I am capable of being illogical at times.)

Dull, shabby building.

Signboard in French and Arabic

I was immediately ushered to the doc's office as he was expecting me. There was no need to wait at all. I felt like a VIP. The doc's office was clean and looked presentable. At least, it looked like a doc's office. Dr. Youcef was a young chap. He examined my limbs, asked several questions in French and explained what medication he would be prescribing. Everything was done in less than 15 minutes. While the doc was busy scribbling away on a piece of paper, I looked around for some sort of framed doc certificates hanging on the wall, like those we would see in clinics back home. But I found none.

We walked to another similar housing estate which was just across a street to consult my 2nd doc, Dr. Boughazi. The clinic looked similar to the previous one altho the walls and doors would look better with a new coat of paint. The clinic assistant was very friendly and chatty. In fact, she was way too friendly - she asked me lots of questions in French, gave me a nudge here and there, touched my pull-over, my jeans, my rings! I was so glad when it was my turn to see the doc.

Unlike all the docs I have consulted, Dr. Boughazi was really rough when he handled me. Instead of touching my forehead gently to check if I had a fever, he literally pressed his palm against it. He didn't even use a thermometer on me and declared that I had a fever! Then he proceeded to check my throat. He stuck what looked like an ice cream stick into my throat and I almost vomitted. I swear he must have thought that he could find some gold deep down in my throat! Anyway, I looked around the office and found nothing that looked like a doc certificate as well.

Waiting area for patients.

That's the very rough Dr. Boughazi. I forgot to take a pic of the gentle young doc.

See that lady in white? That's the extremely friendly clinic assistant.

We headed to the pharmacy to buy medicine after we left the clinic. So, I'm on 2 kinds of antibiotic now - one for my throat infection and the other for my itch. My fever's gone and my itch has subsided. So I feel less of a monkey now. My throat feels better too. I think I can consume a large bowl of spicy laksa but I know it's almost impossible here in Ali baba land. Where can find laksa here sia? Sigh! 9 more days to go! Hang in there!

Sick

Monkey is sick.

I wanna go home.

Sobs. =(

Itchy Scratchy

Check out my polka-dotted sexy leg.

These tiny red bites are all over my arms, hands, fingers and even my armpit! It's disgusting! I have no idea where I got these bites from. They are definitely not from my hubby (ha!) and neither are they mosquitoe bites. Darling said it could be due to the salty water that we use in the house. I may have developed a skin allergy but I doubt so. The itch is driving me nuts. It's so bad that I can't sleep at night cos I'm busy scratching away. I've tried calamile lotion but it only soothe the itch for a while. Sigh! I'll bear with it for a few more days. If the condition deteriorates, I'll consult a doc. Meanwhile, I'm back to scratching. I feel like a monkey. =(

Welcome Xi Meng!

Little Xi Meng. Photos taken during our trip to Arzew.

I have a new student in my EL class today - Zhang Xi Meng, aged 4. Xi Meng's dad is the project manager for the sub-con. She travelled all the way from China with her mum so that she could visit her dad. Xi Meng speaks in this heavily accented Mandarin which I sometimes do not understand.

Xi Meng is named after her parent's birth place. Her dad was born in Shan (3) Xi (1) and her mum in Nei (4) Meng (2). So, voila! You have Xi Meng! I thought that was really meaningful and romantic. So I thought what my child's name would be if I would to do the same. The results? A very awful name! Wang (2) Ni (2)Yao (2)! I think my kid would hate me for the rest of his/her life if I were to name him/her that. Hmm...very romantic indeed. Ha!

P/S: Darling was born in Tampines and I was born in Toa Payoh.

News on TV

I have been watching too much news on TV lately, so much so that I have become a little depressed. I’m heartbroken to know that so many lives are lost in the Myanmar tragedy and those who managed to stay alive are waiting helplessly for some form of aid to arrive. Occasionally, I can’t help but think about the footage I saw on TV - dead bodies floating in the swamp, victims crying desparately for help, homes that are destroyed. It makes me sad. I pray that the situation will improve soon.

P/S: The fog has cleared and the sun is out. I hope it stays this way.

Gloomy Spring

Spring has been pretty much gloomy these few days. The sky is always foggy. The mountains look as if they are on fire, smothering in dense, stifling smoke. I want tomorrow to be bright and sunny again.

Fog, fog go away!

Come again another day!

Little children want to play!

Où est le soleil ?

Discovery

I've made a new discovery!
Coco pops with milo tastes really yummy!
But damn! I scalded my tongue!
That's the price I paid for being such a glutton. =(

Disturbed

On the way to dinner, I learnt that the girls would not be furthering their studies in sec school. I was taken aback by the news. During our usual Mon EL class, the girls told me that they had to sit for an exam end May. Thereafter, they would continue their studies in a sec school in Tounaine after the summer holidays. They were so excited about it. And they even said that they had an advantage over the rest in school since they had a head start in learning English. I can still remember how pleased they looked when they proudly announced that the rest didn’t know EL but they did.

I demanded an explanation from Kadoussi. But the explanation doesn’t seem right. Only the boys have the privilege to further their studies. The girls stay at home, cook, wash clothes, look after their younger siblings and most probably wait to be married off. I have heard that one before. But it only happened during my grandmother’s era. Besides, education is free. So, why deprive them of it? With education, they would provide a better life for their family in the future. They may even become somebody great and successful one day. Who knows?

I wonder other girls in this part of the countryside suffer the same fate as them. Or only the Kadoussi girls are the unfortunate ones. I'm gonna find out tomorrow. I need a translator.

I Couldn't Stop Laughing

Watched the uncensored version of The 40 year old Virgin. It was super duper hilarious!!! Laughed till my sides hurt and I couldn't help laughing at the way my darling laughed. My darling is so cute! Ewwwwww!!!! Haha! =)

Countdown

1 month before vacation in Istanbul!

1 month 6 days before returning home!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

1 June faster come!!! Faster come!!!!

Oops!!! That's atrocious English! Nay! Who cares??!! HA!

Retail Therapy

I've been a wee bit moody for the past 2 days until I received the lonely planet guidebooks which I ordered online 2 weeks ago. It sure cheers me up a little. That's the magic of retail therapy I supposed. Hmm...Moi shall indulge in more online shopping to make moi happier!!! Ha!

Moi travel guidebooks