TGIF

I enjoyed tonight's dinner at Dempsey. The food was delicious and I had great company. What else could I ask for? It's always fun chilling out with the babes. They are truly my BFF!!! Ha! *roll eyes*

Must definitely visit Dempsey again with Darling when he's feeling much better.

Early Bday Pressies

I've received 2 early bday pressies today. A Canon Ixus 90 and a Sony Ericsson W890i. Thank you, Darling! =)


I figured a SLR camera would be too good for an amateur like me. It would also be too cumbersome for me to carry around. Besides, knowing that I would lose interest in it in less than a week and hence chuck it aside, it's definitely a waste of money to make such an expensive purchase. So, I'm happy with what I've got. I can't wait to use it tomorrow. I wanna take nice pics with the babes at Dempsey.

Sis has the same handphone as me. Hers is bronze and mine is black. It's sleek and slim - just what I'm looking for in a handphone. It's my first Sony Ericsson. Time for a change from the usual Nokia phones. But it doesn't mean that I am no longer a loyal user of Nokia phones. I still own a Nokia N95. It's rather big and can't fit into my wristlet. Anyway, it's a gift and I shouldn't complain at all. So, I'm going to shut my mouth.

Thank you YOU again, Darling!

Tsk Tsk...

What's wrong with teenagers nowadays?
This is just too embarassing.
(Oops!) You did it again. (Think Britney Spears)
Twice in 6 months!
Sigh...

One Two Three Four...

I wonder why kids love Hi5 so much???
"One Two Three Four, Hi5! One Two Three Four, Hi5!"
Now, the tune is stuck in my head.

First Day of School

Glenn was making a racket while all of us in the other room were still asleep.

"I don't want! I don't want!!!" Glenn screamed at the top of his lungs.

Gwen got up and ran out of the room. She must have gone to check what was happening.

"Cheh Cheh! HELP ME!!! I don't want to go to school!!!" Glenn pleaded.

I couldn't help laughing when I heard that. I thought the school which Glenn attended must be a really horrible horrible school. His teachers must be some hideous looking monsters who torture and evetually eat children up! Hahaha!

Then I thought of how I hated the first day of school too, especially after a long break. Imagine me screaming, "Darling! Darling! HELP ME! I don't want to go to school! I don't want to teach! SAVE ME!" That would be ultra funny.

So, yeah, first day of school sucks. Hang on in there, Didi. You'll survive!

Random Thoughts

1. What does 'catching up' with old friends really mean? Very often, it becomes a gossip session - updating me with what has happened to so and so and blah blah blah. I cannot deny the fact that those juicy news do amuse me and provide much entertainment but after a while, it ceases to excite me. And at the end of the day, I questioned myself, 'So, what has really happened to him/her? Is he/she doing fine? Do I really know?' 'Catching up' becomes meaningless when all I know is about others who mean nothing to me rather than those whom I really care.

2. It's strange. I'm beginning to miss Ali baba land. I wonder why.

3. I've been listening to Pink Martini's album. Gwen loves the song 'Que Sera Sera'. I love it too. There's something magical about the song. I sang it to Gwen when she was upset. She smiled and then broke into laughter. I'm very sure I am a good singer.

4. My Sony Cybershot died on me. I'm pretty upset about it. First, I can't take pics. Second, it means I need to spend money to get a new camera. I'm thinking of getting a SLR camera. I wanna take pics that look pro! I wanna be a pro photographer! Yes! Keep on dreaming, gal!

Pensive

It all felt so very familiar.

"I'm waiting...I am still waiting." Those were the words that echoed in my mind while I stood at the courtyard. I looked at the faces around me and wondered if those words would have the same effect if I were to use them again. Perhaps, they would have lost their magic. Things would never be the same, I guess. Afterall, change is the only constant thing in this world.

I looked at my kids and I realised how much they have grown. I'm glad we still have things to talk about. I hope it stays this way for many years to come. And even if we do lose each other along the way, I hope they would remember there was once upon a time, an unreasonable, harsh and unsympathetic tyrant who used to rule the Ong empire. =)

Join the Club

I found a few strands of white hair on my head. Sis was the one who saw it first. I'm ultra ultra sad. THAT is visible evidence of me getting old. Sigh!

I told my buddy of 25 years about it and she said she would join me in the White Hair Club. Yeah. The White Hair Club. Membership is free. Anyone's interested???

Glenn

That's Glenn in an Ali baba outfit. He loves monkey-ing around and he loves bananas and peanuts. He's truly a monkey boy. BTW, Mr. Bean is his idol!

Our Goddaughter

Our little goddaughter came to visit Gan daddy. Look how pretty and adorable she is! Such big and lovely eyes! I carried her for the 1st time after 5 months. She didn't cry at all. She even smiled at me! I think she knows I'm her gan ma! =)

Kung Fu Panda

Watched Kung Fu Panda with the kids today. We enjoyed the movie. Had a good laugh. I've been asking Glenn and Gwendolyn the same question over and over again after the movie.

Me: Do you want to learn Kung Fu?
Glenn/Gwen: No!
Me: No! You must say 'YES'!
Glenn/Gwen: Ok. Yes.
Me: Then I will be your master! Wahahahahaha!!!!

And I love what Master Oogway said in the movie.
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called present." Very meaningful indeed.

Princess Gwendolyn

That's my Singapore girl. I love her to bits. =)

Wound

Darling was discharged from the hospital this afternoon. The wound still hurts and he has to walk really really slowly - his back slightly bent, like a fragile old man. This is a pic of his wound - a 10cm cut at the right side of his abdomen.

An Update From Home

Leaving Algeria:
Had an unpleasant experience at the immigration checkpoint. Instead of staying for a maximum of 90 days (3 months) in Algeria, Darling and I stayed for a period of 5 months. We thought since our expiry date for our visa was on 6 June, we only needed to leave the country before our visa expired. What we did not notice was the duration of stay in the country as stated on the visa. So we were warned and yelled at by the officer before he agreed to stamp on our passport and let us through.

That was just half of the story. At the next bag check, an officer took Darling's porch, opened it, took out his wallet and helped himself with a $500 dinar note. We were infuriated but we let the matter rest. We did not want to take the risk of being detained by the authority. I was so glad when I finally boarded the plane.

Istanbul:
Vacation in Istanbul was great. I wish I could extend my stay. The scenery is spectacular and the turkish guys are hot. I love the Spice Bazaar. I love the Bosphorous Cruise. I love that romantic dinner at Mikla.

Home:
There's really no place like home. I feel so loved by everyone. My sis and princess Gwen surprised me at the airport. My aunt from States came to Singapore just to spend time with me. What's really sweet was my sis took leave from work so that she could go to the market in the morning and prepare a sumptuous dinner for me on the day I returned home. I'm very grateful to have a sis who dotes on me so much.

Unfortunately, Darling was admitted to hospital the very next day we returned home. He had a surgery and had 15 cm of his appendix and part of his colon removed. Darling had been experiencing pain at the right side of his abdomen 2 weeks ago while we were in Algeria. He consulted 3 docs and even did a scan. All docs claimed that there was nothing wrong with him. The pain became unbearable on our last day in Istanbul. He had some difficulty walking and we stayed in the hotel most of the time.

When we reached SIN, we noticed that the side was actually swollen. Darling went to consult our family doc and was referred to the hospital for further diagnosis. The surgery was carried out immediately after the test results were released. After the surgery, I was informed that Darling's appendix was already burst. The doc suspected that it might have burst while Darling was in Algeria. I was shocked to hear the news. All the diagnosis from the 3 Algerian docs were wrong. Darling could have died within a week after the appendix burst as explained by the doc. Fortunately, Darling was a really tough and lucky guy. Praise God.

Darling is recovering well but needs to take a longer time to recuperate. I hope Darling will get well enough to come home soon. I miss him.

Home

Hello Singapore!!!

I'm home!!! =)