Where Are You, My Peppy Gal?

The hubby and I received a very sad news tonight. Peppy was shot by an Algerian. We do not know who did it, how it happened, when it happened and where it happened. Nobody saw her body. All we know is that Peppy did not come home on 27 and 28 Dec 2009. My driver then heard from someone that an algerian had shot Peppy and that she was dead.

I do not know if Peppy is really dead since her body was not found. Deep in my heart, I'm still hoping that she is alive. Maybe she managed to escape and is hiding in somewhere safe. Maybe she wandered too far away from home and couldn't find her way back. Maybe she found herself a partner and decided to leave with him. I do not know. My only wish is that my Peppy gal is still alive.

Where are you, my Peppy gal? Please come home if you are still alive. I miss you.

BB Ong @ 10 Weeks 1 Day

My mum-in-law, Sis, Gwendolyn and Glenn saw BB Ong for the first time at my gynae's this morning. BB Ong was very active! He was kicking his tiny legs the whole time and even waved at us! It's so amazing to see how much my baby has grown in 2 weeks.

My sis took a video of BB Ong. I'm going to upload it on Flickr so that the hubby could see how active this little fella is.

I'm Thinking of...

Penne Arrabiata from Pasta Fresca.
Tom Yum Goong Noodle from Secret Recipe.
Roti Prata Kosong with Thick Spicy Fish Curry (no fish meat, please).
Mee Tai Mak Soup cooked by Sis.
Any Authentic Penang Assam Laksa.

These are the stuff that have been swirling in my head for days.

I am so hungry BUT I can't eat. Sigh.

BB Ong @ 9 weeks

BB Ong is exactly 9 weeks today. I'm looking forward to my gynea appointment next Friday. From what I've read, a baby's heartbeat might be audible by the 10th week. I hope I'll be able to hear BB Ong's glorious heartbeat by then.

As for me, I've been well except when afternoon sickness strikes and lasts throughout the night. Usually after the first meal of the day, I would feel nauseous. Sometimes I would puke out the food I've had but mostly it's all water and saliva. I have also developed an aversion to all kinds of meat which includes seafood. So, goodbye cheese burger. Goodbye KFC. Goodbye bak kwa. Goodbye chili crab. I'm officially a vegetarian for now. I've read that morning sickness will be gone for most women as she enters into the second trimester. I hope it holds true for me. I need to gain back my appetite else BB Ong will be deprived of all the nutrients he needs.

Apart from afternoon sickness and poor appetite, I've been feeling a little down and weepy occasionally. The compulsive worrier in me has become more evident. I worry, I fear and I cry for irrational and illogical reasons. Perhaps my mood swings has been exacerbated by the fact that the hubby is away. But I do recognise that the emotional ups and downs that I'm going through is attributed to all the surges of pregnancy hormones.

Alright. I think I'm making myself sounds like I'm in severe depression. Don't worry, I'm not. I'm still emotionally stable and is fully capable of feeling the joy of having BB Ong growing inside me.

BB Ong BB Ong, Mommy can't wait to see you next week!

Meet BB Ong!

I saw BB Ong's heartbeat for the very first time this morning. His heart was beating at a super fast speed. From the ultrasound scan, he looked so tiny and really cute. I'm happy that BB Ong is growing well in my tummy. I can't wait for the hubby to return home to see our baby.

BB Ong at 7+ weeks

Goodbye, H.

I wish it was all a joke.

I cannot believe that you are gone forever. There is so much I want to know about you. And there is so much I want to share with you. I'm sorry I didn't treasure the times when you were around. We hardly met up for the past few years. And even if we did, I hardly knew what was going on in your life. I should have tried harder to be a better friend. I really should have.

I've been thinking alot about you - your laughter, your lame jokes, your signature dance moves. The thought of you put a smile on my face. I'm thankful for the friendship we used to share. You may be gone but never forgotten.

I will always miss you, H.

Taiwan

The trip to Taiwan was a spur-of-the-moment decision. The hubby and I were walking along Orchard Road on our second day in Singapore and I suddenly exclaimed, "Let's go get air tickets now and fly somewhere for a holiday!" The hubby looked at me and asked, "Where?" Without any hesitation, I said, "Taipei!". I have been to Taipei before and I miss the yummilicious street food. I thought since the hubby loves food, it would be nice to go on a food safari in Taipei.

So instead of heading to the brand new SIA office located in Ion to get the tickets, we returned home and booked the tickets online. I called my eldest brother to inform him about our sudden arrival the next day. He suggested we stayed with him in Taichung for a night before continuing with our trip in Taipei. I immediately agreed. It would be nice to spend some time with my nephews and to visit my brother's new apartment for the first time.

We didn't visit any major tourist sites in Taichung. The main objective of our trip to Taichung was to visit my brother and his family. We had a great time hanging out with my nephews at the Feng Jia Night Market. It is the biggest and most popular night market in Taichung. We went there mainly for the delicious street food and of course we ended up stuffing ourselves silly. I especially love the mouth watering glutinous rice sausages. I'm still thinking about it till today.

Before we headed back to Taipei, we also had the opportunity to visit the primary school which Ian and Sean were studying in. Ian was part of the school's Chinese orchestra. He played the cello. The hubby and I had the privilege to watch him play with the rest of the members. Ian even took us for a mini tour around the school.

We returned to Taipei on our second day in Taiwan. By then, there were warnings about the impending heavy rain and strong wind brought about by the typhoon. True enough, it poured for the next few days. But the wet weather did not deter us from venturing around Taipei. We had our raincoats and wore them everywhere we went. We visited several tourist sites and most importantly we ate to our hearts' content! I have a feeling that the hubby and I will return to Taiwan for more tantalizing food very soon!

We had to take a high speed train from Taipei to Taichung. It was an hour train ride.

Street food at Feng Jia Night Market. Left pic shows a stall which sells glutinous rice sausages which I LOVE so much. Oh! And that's my all time fav street food on the bottom right pic - Stinky Fried Tofu! Woo hoo!

More street food at Feng Jia Night Market.

We visited the primary school which our nephews attended on the day Ian had Chinese orchestra practice.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Taipei 101 on a rainy night. We went up the building to the 89th floor but it was so foggy we couldn't really see the panoramic night view of Taipei City.

More glorious food from Shilin Night Market.

Shopping, eating and massage at Xi Meng Ding.

More glorious food from Yong Kang Street and Shi Da Night Market.

Popular dessert shop (top 2 pics) and Gao Ji Restaurant at Yong Kang Street (bottom left).