spring cleaning in full swing

My packing and discarding stuff at home is in full swing.

I gave some clothes, bags and shoes to my aunt who is selling them at bazaars to make ends meet. Just now, I drove over to her flat to deliver them. She was happy to see me. I am happy I can help her.

I have some stuff to sell. Click on left side "My Photos" or this link:
www.flickr.com/photos/ahmomo

I feel it is a good practice (once a year) to touch up and make minor repairs in the apartment to welcome Chinese New Year. Otherwise, it will forever be left untouched because we Singaporeans will never find the time to do it.

My observation:
One big difference between the men of our father's time and the men today. The men today have university degrees (I am talking about specific people hurhurhur) but they do not know how to drill a picture hole, change light bulbs, toilet seats or do any simple plumbings at home. Whereas my father and my step-father knew how to make electrical and plumbing repairs. The olden days men take responsibilities for home defects without the women asking for help.

I change light bulbs and I do whatever touch up and repairs I can do because I can save cost by doing it myself. For me, I can't do some plumbings because I don't have the strength to tighten nuts, etc. Meng never bothers or seem oblivious to home defects. Two years ago, I made him do the first bulb change in his life and I taught him how to clear toilet chokes. Ben's room electrical sockets are faulty and when I asked Meng whether he can change them, he said, "Siao ah! You want me to kena "sort" by electricity ah! Get the electrician to do it!" BTW Meng is a triple E gradute, Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Same for my own youngest brother who is a mechatronic engineeer with a masters degree from imperial college, london. I have never seen him do any home repairs or change light bulbs.

Maybe my expectation of men is just not attainable anymore.

spring cleaning time

It's back to junking stuff again. Serves 2 folds:

1. spring cleaning for chinese new year
2. downsizing my load for house removal

I must have thrown, gave and sold away ALOT of stuff. Let's see, how many times I have moved house:-

- from sengkang to sengkang (jan 2006 - dec 2006)
- from sengkang to clementi (jan 2007 - dec 2009)
- from clementi to king albert park (Jan 2007 - April 2011)
- from king albert park to clementi (April 2011 - )

Sengkang flats were huge >1300 sq ft. Downsized to clementi flat 440 sq ft. I remembered I didn't have time to junk things before I moved so I cried when my stuff arrived at the small clementi flat. Since that time, I learned my lesson and I started junking things. It does help that my son is a nag (but he can be very unreasonable). He nags at me to discard stuff, whether it is expensive or nice or not nice, but as long as he hates them, he will ask me to throw them away. At times like these, we will have huge fights.

King albert park apartment is 1012 sq ft and the stuff we have are not too many but still we can do without some stuff. I am giving away clothes, shoes and bags. I am trying to sell a teakwood tv cabinet, white computer table, guitar, drum cymbals, etc.

Our next flat in clementi is 720 sq ft. Ben wants the minimalist look (whitish shade, down lights, few furniture and very spaced out) but I prefer the contemporary classic look (some wood, soft furnishings, beige, white, cream, brown and some black). As money is no enough, I will renovate in stages when I have more money. First, I MUST hack away the wall that separates the living room from the kitchen, remove the existing ugly cornices and put in new lights.

All I care about is that we will be happy in the new flat. Meanwhile, I am looking for somebody to novate my current lease at king albert park. I have a contract up to end dec 2011. This apartment is super beautiful and the rental price is super good. Any interested parties, please post your enquiries here.

Ben is getting sad about moving away from this place. He said, "Mom, I like this place very much." I said, "Who doesn't?"

Got to go pack up the apartment. Ciao!

2011 positive attitude

i pray and i hope this year will be happy

happy in my work

happy with my personal life

happy with ben (try..... *gritting teeth*)

happy with whatever i do, i really mean, whatever (whatever that can be)



going to read more books (for self-improvement and for more broad-based knowledge)

going to really improve my guitar-playing to a new level

going for a better lifestyle - diet, exercise, habits and thinking (also includes vacation and rest)

resolution of the year

BE HAPPY

2010 in retrospect

2010 not a very fantastic year
career - not very smooth going, lots of under-cutting by other agents,
but still manage to do quite ok
money - still no enough lah
family life - abit boring, ben can be a handful sometimes, meng is kinder to me than ben
property - bought a flat in clementi, very cash strapped now as had to use up alot of cash, giving up my king albert park rental soon
personal life - abit no life, cannot go on vacation coz ben doesn't wan to go and cannot just leave him home alone as he is still a minor
personal achievement - zilch
high points of 2010 - really can't think of anything

conclusion: not an exciting year

Ben's O level results

Honestly, not happy not sad. As a whole, it is not bad. But individually speaking, some of the A2s were expected to be A1s.

On the other hand, Ben is disappointed. Face black black and talk to me like in perpetual bad mood.

6 distinctions
2x A1
4x A2

2x C6 (these 2, he cannot be bothered as he only needs 6 subjects to get into a JC)

bonus pt = minus 3

so overall his score is 7