Monday morning

I woke up this morning with a start. The iphone read 8:18AM. Ending up reaching work at 9AM. Still quite ok.

Went running with a friend yesterday. We ran 4.7km (according to google maps) in 45mins. Yes, it was a slow slow run. But it felt really good. By the time we finished, we were feeling fit and skinny. This morning, i woke feeling q amazing. The only thing about this running thing is that i doubt i can keep it up. The lure of tv and simply lazing around is simply too irresistible most of the time.

Squeaky

Am uncluttering again. I have 5 big boxes of bags. They range from tiny purses to large travel bags. I haven't bought a bag in the last 2 years at least, but the collection increases because my mum buys. Then she's happy to share the bags (and the guilt). Today i took them all out of the cupboard to go through them to remind myself which ones exist. My husband kept saying, how about give them to charity? But honestly, there's nothing i don't like. I love them all. So only the spoilt ones are going to be thrown out (not to charity, but to the recycle bin). And i wanted to clean some bags. Ended up searching the internet for tips. And it comes down to this: vinegar+water+baking soda. They supposedly work wonders. So i'm soaking some bags (obviously not leather) overnight and see how it works.

I've tried the vinegar+water method on some other parts of the house and it works well. Particularly kitchen and bathroom stains. Amazing.

after your heart

The person after God's heart is the person who is dependent on what God can do for him; and not what he can do for God.

thought

Anything in the Christian life can be done legalistically. Legalism is the outer obedience without the inner response of the heart. However, just because something is potentially legalistic doesn't mean we should stop doing it out of a fear of legalism. Rather, we should try to align our hearts with the action, with God's help of course.

for the things I have

My mum told me today that we often take little things for granted. Things like a steady income and basically, everything I have. She also reminded me that constantly thinking about the things i don't have is not the wise way to live life.

The stuff she said are not new. But it hit the spot today.

bye bye baby

Chippy had to be put to sleep because he has been sick for a while. Other than itchy skin all the time, he was losing weight despite eating a lot. This is the latest picture i have of him, taken on my wedding day. I cut the husband out cos he doesn't want his pic on my blog. heh.

Anyway, bye bye chippy. after you, i don't think i'l have another dog. I'll never forget his enthusiasm when you come near to him, touch him or talk to him. He's always wanting attention. The most endearing is when he snores in his sleep. He doesn't always snore. I suspect only when he feels safe. And he's the only dog who knows to knock and wait for you to open the door. haha.

bye bye, i think you are probably in a better place, where skin doesn't itch and there's always someone next to you, just the way you like it.

housewifey things

This year I didn't get to go overseas (other than a 5-day honeymoon). And with the extra polling day holiday and marriage leave, I have close to 30 days of leave. I know it sounds like super a lot. But when one does go overseas like 15 days for a Europe trip, a short beach holiday, then a few days here and there to fight fatigue, I think it's just nice. But when one takes leave to stay home (for lack of a better place or places to go) it really does feel like a lot. I almost feel bad taking leave and I can't figure why.

So I stay home to declutter. Of course, I only do a very little bit each time. Then I sit in front of the tv and sew. I find things to mend and alter. I even made a purse out of the ribbon on my bridal hand bouquet ( for memories' sake). Its v therapeutic.

Another thing is doing laundry. Laundry make s me realise that I hv a lot of clothes and not enough wardrobe space. And makes me tell myself not to buy any more things. It's a bittersweet feeling.

Mdm Kwa

EULOGY BY LI XIUQI AT THE FUNERAL SERVICE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW, MANDAI CREMATORIUM, 6 OCTOBER 2010 Eulogy for Nainai

"Hi everyone. My name is Xiuqi and I’m Mrs Lee’s granddaughter. I racked my brains as to what to tell you that you haven’t already heard many times. By now, you have heard all about what a remarkable woman my grandmother was. How she was an excellent wife and mother; how she was kind-hearted, sharp-minded and a tower of strength. And indeed she was. But now I’m going to share something else. As my granddad has said, after 2003, Nainai divided her life into BS and AS – Before Stroke and After Stroke. I’d like to give you a glimpse into Nainai’s life After Stroke. Before stroke, she was a power woman. She ran the Oxley road household like a tight ship. She paid the maids, bought the fish, qualitychecked the cooking, and peeled my grandfather’s fruit and packed his suitcase. She exercised rigorously every day and ate not a single extra calorie, which preserved her hourglass figure for her many gorgeous cheongsams. She was no-nonsense and did not believe in making small talk or nattering on the phone with other women. Then her stroke struck in 2003 while she was in London. Shocked by the news, me and my friends prayed fervently and the next day she made a miraculous recovery. I flew over to visit her in the East London hospital. She had regained consciousness and the doctor was asking her a standard set of questions to assess her cognitive function. Questions such as “is it day or night? Do you know who I am? Do you know where you are?” She was answering until he got to the question “Do you know who is the prime minister?” She got cross and said “of course I know who the prime minister is!” and after that she refused to answer any more questions because she felt 2 the doctor was talking to her like she was stupid. That was when I knew she was back to normal. While she was still away, her children quickly seized the opportunity to renovate and elderly-proof the old Oxley Road house. They leveled the bathroom floor and installed a shower. This was a big deal because all these years, my grandparents had still been bathing with the old-fashioned system – scooping from a tub of water the same way they bathed me when I was little! So my granny came home to find her tub gone and a shower in its place. She was not pleased at all and refused to bathe at home for several days, choosing to bathe in the Istana instead. Many things changed at Oxley Road. Now my granddad had to peel his own fruit, peel her fruit, pack his own suitcase and make his own Milo. For the first time in a while, he had to handle money so he could pay the maids. My granny locked the money in one place, and kept the keys to the lock in another totally unrelated place. My granddad complained that she needed a system but she retorted that she had a system. And that was that. For the first time in her life, my granny was helpless. She experienced a physical handicap and it did give her frustration. But I knew that she was also secretly happy to be taken care of. And she acquired the glow of a girl who knew she was adored. More changes were in store. My family was a little perturbed when my granny started showing personality changes. Her memory, which used to be sharp as a tack, became a little blunted. She grumbled about this but I told her what’s the big deal, that’s how I feel all the time. She began to collect colourful things like ribbons and pinwheels. She had a newfound interest in old nursery rhymes and lullabies that she used to know. She wondered if she was entering second childhood. She started to natter on the phone like other women. She started to joke around with her security officers. 3 For a time my family worried that she had Alzheimer’s but I don’t think she did. Her wit was as rapier-sharp as ever. No, what I saw was a woman who for the first time could lighten up and smell the flowers. I would say, and I heard many others say as well, that they felt she became less fearsome and more approachable. I personally enjoyed the new her very much. I decided I would like to travel with my grandparents as much as I could, see the world and spend time with them too. We went on many trips in 4 years. And no, the state did not pay for my plane tickets so not to worry, Ministry of Finance. Those were happy memories. We went to France where we enjoyed walks in rose gardens and along riverbanks. We went to Italy where my granny surpassed us all by polishing off two huge scoops of gelato – before dinner. Once we went on a long trip with multiple legs, from Paris to the Middle East. My granny swears by bananas to keep the digestive tract working smoothly. I was just amazed at how she managed to supply herself with them. She carried one in her hand-carry luggage, when we got to our first destination, the ambassador’s wife produced more bananas for her, and when we arrived at the next country, my aunt Kim Li flew in, handed her a bag and said “here are the bananas you asked for.” An unbroken supply chain halfway around the world. In Tokyo my granny went to Tokyo Hands, a 7-storey DIY store. She has always been on a lifelong quest for the Perfect Hairbrush. She found a nice hairbrush there. It wasn’t expensive. But even purchasing it was a struggle for her because Nainai has always been frugal to a fault. In the end, the hairbrush won. Nainai said, “Well, I’m already so old, I can afford to buy it” and put down the money. She went home smiling, hairbrush in hand. That was the thing about my granny. Some days, the aches and pains would act up, she felt old, she would be grouchy and critical. But there was something about her that made you always to please her. When you hit on 4 something that she really liked, her whole person would light up and she would continue to praise it forever and ever. Such was the case when we went to Shanghai. Once I bought her a pair of black Puma shoes. They were a spiffy pair with a stripe in Ferrari red. They cost me very little but it didn’t matter. She adored them. She felt cool in them and every single time she wore them she would beam and feel very pleased with herself and I’d feel satisfied that my money was supremely wellspent. Once my granny discovered the joy of MP3 players, she accumulated more than me. Some were gifts from other people who, like me, liked to please her. She was young at heart. Sadly, her 80-something-year-old body gave her aches and pains all the time. However, she was a survivor and never gave up trying to overcome it. She tried everything, from sleeping with little pillows in various positions to support her body, to acupuncture, sports massage, swimming an hour a day, and so on. One time I arrived at her house to find she had gotten rubber balls with blunt rubber spikes, like sea urchins. Trigger balls, they are called. Nainai recommended them to me and the two of us spent the evening sitting on the balls on the floor, massaging the muscles in our butt. I always felt sad that her aging body did not allow her to do the things that her soul wanted to do, such as roam the streets window shopping, eat more desserts, or move around freely. The most terrible thing was when she got locked-in syndrome and could no longer move nor communicate. It pained me imagining how agonising it would be to be in her position, just lying there for months while others ate, drank, moved and talked. Ever the survivor, she overcame multiple infections in her locked-in state, infections that people thought would kill her. A big thank you must go to her wonderful security officers and nursing staff who grew to love her and facilitated her life with a lot of love. 5 The post-stroke Nainai was a person who was full of life. If I could spend more years with her, and if she was able-bodied, there would still be many things to see, do, talk about and taste. And indeed I have full assurance that one day, I will."

Hey this is cool

I just downloaded an app on my iPhone to allow me to blog on the go (not tt I blog all the time).

But this is cool

Happy Valentine's :)

I got a present for V day! Even though it was agreed that we wouldn't celebrate Valentine's Day. This is mainly because there are way too many festivities in a year. I remember shortlisting a few of them: Christmas, Valentines, Anniversary, Birthday (his), Birthday (hers). And i think of them all, i value anniversary and birthdays most.

But this is such a nice surprise! The lao gong gave me a Hello Kitty iphone cover. funny part was when he said "look, got flower for you". best part is he wrote a card.

God, I thank You for Your grace and peace

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. - 2 Peter 1:2

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord (KJV)

If you would like to walk in a greater measure of God's favour, 2 Peter 1:2 says that grace, which is the undeserved favour of God, and peace, can be multiplied to you. Peace is the word "shalom" in Hebrew. Its definition includes wholeness, health and prosperity. So when you walk in divine favour and peace, you walk in blessings in every area of your life!

But how does the undeserved favour and shalom of God increase in your life? It is not by your labouring or toiling to earn it. The Bible says that it comes as your knowledge of Jesus and His finished work increases. It comes as you learn more about and believe that through Jesus' one sacrifice at the cross, God removed all your sins, gave you His righteousness as a gift and put you in Christ to enjoy everything that Jesus has. God's favour is multiplied in your life when you simply believe that the favour of God that is on Christ is also on you because of what Jesus' work at the cross has accomplished.

Today, you don't have to struggle for favour. Speak forth God's Word in faith. On your way to work, remind yourself, "God's favour surrounds me as with a shield." (Psalm 5:12) As you continue to speak we are reminded of God's favour over our lives through the revelation of Jesus' finished work. When we remind ourselves more, I believe we will "see" it more.

New beginnings

Wow. I didn't get to post on the blog on 1 Jan 2011 because we were simply too busy and tired. But i'm proud to say that this blog is 6 years old!

I know that i haven't been posting much other than random pictures of the things i'd like to throw. heh.

We got married on 1 Jan 2011 and we started living together since then. It started off weird (and sweet at the same time). We had never even spent the night at one another's place before marriage so you can imagine the weird (for lack of a better word) feeling of having another in your bed. In fact, this morning he told me that i move too much in bed. hmmm...

Having your own space also means that you keep cleaning. Yesterday a centipede was sighted. We didn't know wat to do, other than go out to the nearest petrol kiosk to buy a bottle of Baygone. We never saw Mr Centipede again though. Didn't get a chance to squash him. haha.

Since right after the honeymoon, I either have class or tuition or i have to work late. But because working continues into the night, it's nice to have a companion who is also reading. I thought that once we start to live together, I would lose the experience of being walked home. But it turns out that that's not true, because sometimes he would still go to the MRT station to "pick" me then walk back together.

I just hope work gets a little less hectic next week, then i might have time to pack my things. Living out of unlabelled boxes is a little tough. :)

Our wedding :)

it's been too long

it's been too long since i've signed in. because i forgot my password. i took a look at my blog and briefly clicked through all the friends' blogs i've linked may be considered defunct. the last update being dunnowhen.

Anyways, i think facebook killed blogs. haha. seriously. i watched The Social Network last weekend and loved it. Made me feel like there's some awesome wealth out there to be made if you have a good idea and the ability to make it take off (as with most things i guess).

Keepsakes

Some time back, I cleared my room and decided to throw some things which i've kept for a long time, which i couldn't bear to part with. Here's a little walk down memory lane.

One of the medals we won with the SMU team :)

Another one.

this looks like a repeat. I tried to rotate the picture. But somehow, when it's loaded onto the blog, it tilts back.

This flower is from my sis during my first musical Sing to the Dawn. She got a friend to run to the stage to present to me during the curtain call. She meant to make me feel like a star!! :)

One of those pins. I played the trumpet in sec school.

old RJC badge. not mine. my sister's.

NJC touch rocks. we were the best girls. :)

Waddle, my house in RGS.

the gift wrap

another one.

i'm yellow name tag batch in RGS.

My primary school. i think this was the leaving gift.

My sis gave this to me cos she thought it was hilarious.

And for thanking me for being a terrific "shit squad" i.e. the person to call when the niece shits.

The RGS band badge. below is the modern one. change took place while i was there :)

The niece

Let us exalt His name together, forever

At all times I will bless Him; His praise will be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord.
The humble man will hear of Him; The afflicted will be glad,
And join with me to magnify the Lord.

*Let us exalt His name together forever,
I sought the Lord;He heard me and delivered me from my fears.
Let us exalt His name together, forever,
Oh sing His praises, magnify the Lord.

The angel of the Lord encamps, Round those who fear His name
To save them and deliver them from harm.
Though lions roar with hunger, We lack for no good thing.
No wonder, then, we praise Him with our song.

Come, children, now and hear me if you would see long life.
Just keep your lips from wickedness and lies.
Do good and turn from evil; seek peace instead of strife.
Love righteousness and God will hear your cry.

family

the ties that bind

how not to cheat

http://xiaxue.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-not-cheat.html

one of her posts :)