2021 In Lil Red Dot – Non Stop Rain

I am not complaining with the non stop rain in Lil Red dot as the rain water will freely water the plants everywhere in my tiny island state.

I am not in the mood to go out especially when there are 3 cases in the community (imported cases) with the new Covid-19 strain that is far virulent in terms of spread than the older version. Like as if the older version is not bad enough, it had to mutate to create a new one! Sigh!

Good news is that our contact tracing is robust and that these cases were caught and contained. The Task Force is now looking into how to contain it with the Marine sector. It is good that they are on their toes and our scientists work feverishing to identify the strain. I feel safe with our PM and his team in charge. Credit goes to Minister Lawrence Wong who leads the task force. Not easy for him, but he and his team of Ministers Gan Kim Yong and Chan Chun Sing did it. Thank you men!

So is 2021 coming in with a big bang to change things? I doubt it, as 2021 will be clouded by the ravages of 2020 and I do not expect overnight turn arounds of the economy or burgeoning new deals for the economy to grow leaps and bounds. I have budgeted 2.7% salary increment for staff around the world but I know in reality this may not happen. But I will try as factoring inflation, there must be something given 2020, all forwent any wage increment and we were lucky not to have wage cuts and or job losses.

I am happy to have a roof over my head, relatively healthy parents (for their age, this is as good as it gets), electricity, water as and when required and some pennies in the bank for use.

I was told by Mr Nice that a mutual friend we know is thriving in Cryptocurrency trading, otherwise known as Bitcoins. I only have chocolate coins and no Bitcoins, mind you LOL! MisterMuse also weighed in to remind me not to whallop all of it in one go! Stomach would have preferred all at one go!

I am chicken hearted in all things risky and am one of those that will scrimp and save pennies, thus never growing rich. I am not a gambler.

MR EX is the opposite as being the so called entrepreneur he touts to be, he will always want to be earning mega bucks and or coming with new ways to make money.

For 2021, the last 2 days did not show the sighting of MR EX and I guess he is celebrating with his Bimbo and Dogs as he has money to spend and come hounding my way when he wants more leads or thoughts on business. For a struggling man with debts ( his perennial story to me which must be discounted 100%) he can afford a personal trainer to attend to him too.

Such is life, we con or get conned. I cannot con as I do not even know where to begin. So, no Bonnie & Clyde type escapades from me. Just a simply lass, carrying a beat up inanimate furball Garfield in tow, reporting to the cold marble floor to watch soapies from Hong Kong in Cantonese.

I miss Hong Kong for its wintry foods and soups.

I miss Eugene, Oregon for its farm fresh produce or strawberry picking seasons. I remember picking free blackberries off the bushes along Willamette River.

I miss Perth, Western Australia for fishing off the piers and drinking vino as we travel from Perth down South, seeing sights as we go.

I miss Adelaide’s Kangaroo Island and the German town of Hahndorf for its German food and brew.

Delightful German Brockwurst Sausages Served With Dijon Mustard and Gravy

I truly hope that I can continue to enjoy the decent health and the coming 2 surgeries planned for this year will turn out ok, giving me full use of my hands again.

Piglet’s Gift To Garfield Hug – A Second Surprise!

Piglet is a fellow blogger who lives in lil red dot and took the courage to locate me in Bates Motel when I was incarcerated there many years ago.

I was very glad she made that effort and we both shared our stories of our stays at Bates Motel and the surgeries that plagued us each in our own ways.

We became fast friends as we sought solace in each other’s challenges. We need not meet but the bond of friendship is there.

Today, I received a lovely gift from Piglet. A lovely surprise indeed, second in a row of gifts.

Wedgewood shortbread and strawberry jam!

Strawberries and cranberries are my favorite fruits and this cheered me up alot as holiday seasons tend to bring on a tinge of sadness for me.

Garfield and friends wish Piglet and all at WordPress a happy yuletide season, happy holidays and for all to stay safe.

Friendships are not about duration of time known.

Friendships are about being there in thoughts, words or acts of kindness during one’s most vulnerable moments of time.

Friendships are not separated by countries as the borders are limitless through social media.

I was reminded of this when the lady who used to turn my beds and cleaned my room at Bates Motel returned to Xilin, China texted me last night to enquire about me.

The ugliest of friendships through MR EX is not forgotten as he still tries to reach out to me. I try to find the good in him..a tad hard but I try.

I comfort self that MR EX has his own constraints that caused his behavior towards me, without thought for my well being. But I know that MR EX cannot be a good friend as I am only there to be of use.

Which brings me back to genuine people who care about my well being and the generosity of their time, care and concern towards my well being.

I am grateful to my neighbors too. The ladies ( mothers and grandmothers) who cook my daily dinners and send to me, piping hot without acceptance of cash.

There’s also my immediate next door neighbor who would text to ask me if I was ok when he sees my daily newspapers not picked up from my foyer. I told him once that being single with medical conditions that I might just keel over and be a rotting corpse without anyone knowing. He remembered that speech and runs errands for me to collect items issued by the government to me or post snail mail for me.

To Piglet and friends, I just want to say warm thanks for remembering me.

To White Coats, thanks for keeping me alive and putting heart in trying to always be there for me irregardless of weekends, public holidays keeping their hippocratic oath vigorously.

2020 will end very soon. No one will miss it and no one will forget it for sure.

What will 2021 bring

Thankfully my surgeons are surgeons and not quacks!

Garfield…All Hail My Feline King In Robe & All

King Garfield in a robe with trimmings, missing a staff in paw!

Garfield Hugs!

It has been a while since Garfield has come out to play,

Though Garfield is oft mumb with nothing to say!

Garfield does a good game of sit and play,

Always staying put, in one place he stays.

Unlike any animate furball, fleas, mites or ticks are kept at bay,

Stuffed with cottony filling and not hay.

Still, an inanimate furball that keeps giving me hugs, no matter what I say!

What’s Going On In Lil Red Dot & My Lil Garfield Brain

Lil Red Dot is surrounded by Indonesia and Malaysia.

Whilst everywhere in the world is battling some form of Covid-19, others are having it worst with government politics or natural disasters.

Malaysia is having its worst as the government is constantly under duress and with the coming elections, the King is also brought into the fray. I sincerely hope that Malaysia has the best outcome for its people as constant changing of the ruling Prime Minister undermines its political growth and everyone suffers.

Indonesia has President Jokowi and has been in power for some 6 years now. He too, I am sure, has loads of stressors.

Personally, I do not think it is a fun occupation to be a head of state. The stressors would kill me before I can even do the job I think.

Some are cut out to be leaders in terms of heads of state. I admire the stalwarts of Iron Lady Thatcher who survived in a man’s world. Not easy as her gender was already a step down but she carried her weight well and earned the title of Iron Lady.

Not all leaders are saints. I am sure some heads rolled along the way to get them to the helm. Others were probably thrown under the bus to pave the way for their leadership.

Oh and don’t get me started on the sacrifices they make or at least some do. I make this in reference to Orange Man whose self trumping of his antics has earned him a lot of publicity; both good and bad.

Sarcasm, lies, family time, stabbing in the back of others and being stabbed in the back by others – the list goes on.

I have seen how the leaders of lil red dot have aged. Our 4G leaders ie to take over from current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong looked so tired and shag from managing so many things.

Like many others, our leaders grappled with Covid-19 as they did not know much about it but I am glad they kept us safe. Draconian but good outcomes.

I liked Dr Bones summary of how our leaders are – the start may be rough and rocky, not getting it all right at the beginning but they did it for Covid-19. But then, it also took a polite and obedient populus to cooperate with them. Yes, we are good boys and gals as we obeyed the rules, wore our masks, use Trace Together apps, collected Trace Together Tokens and use safe entry.

Hand sanitisers in every location we visit and left generously for all to use and stay safe.

To me, the handsome payment leaders get may not compensate for all the dramas, loss of privacy and continuous a tete a tetes would drive me nuts. But don’t get me wrong, the glamour would be great to have….maids and butlers in waiting, huge palace or living quarters …unending glorifications!

It is tough being in a place of power. I did not like it for work as I do not like office politics.

I prefer a simple life, just hugging my inanimate furball Garfield and contemplating life’s vicissitudes and battling umpteen surgical procedures on “damn bones” like Sir Lancelot! LOL!

Onward ho!

1 August – Nurses’ Day Here In Lil Red Dot!! Happy Nurses’ Day!

I have a list of Who’s Who to thank on Nurses Day as they have spent every hour of their shift hours, checking in on me, ensuring I am alive, not in pain or at least comfortable.

I am a difficult patient, not because I am demanding but because my body is not easy to take care of.

It protests at foreign items such as drugs, bandages or dressings when attempts are made to introduce into me, to help me get better.

IV drips will cause backflow after a while as the veins will collapse and gee, hunting for a new vein is as good as prospecting for water in the Sahara Dessert with a “Y” fork.

i hate IV drips and will always beseech the surgeon/my trusty Dr Boey to remove is asap and that I promise to drink like a fish so as not to get dehydrated.

My nurses are fantastic beings as they would come in and check on Garfield and I. If My foot is bandaged, they would also do a bandage for my inanimate furball.

Arm sling that is had sewn by Nurse Joanne when she worked night shift!

If my arm is in a sling, so will Garfield’s arm as one of the nurses would painstakingly sew a sling to fit my inanimate furball.

Bandage on Garfields paw or foot done by Nurse EJ

It is the wholistical care they shower on me, complete with indulging in my inane love for an inanimate being.

These little things, besides, wound dressings, sponging me, helping me with toileting etc is not just a job but a job they do without an ugly or unwilling face.

From my heart, I wish all nurses a happy nurses day, filled with safety and protection against Covid-19 and may they be richly rewarded for their kindness, graceful touches of making the ill well again.

A rose for my nurses to thank them for their care and love for each Bates Motel Incarceration I am in for, and walking out alive each time!

Blessings and Garfield Hugs!

What’s In A Blog Post?

The WordPress community is a friendly, kind and supportive one.

True, not everyone is the same and I do get an occasional oddball – in fact in all honesty, with 7 years of blogging under my belt, I only had one ranter who heckled, chided me for posting about pokes on Orange Man and blogging about my illnesses or about lil red dot.

I did a post on this when it happened and was heartily surprised when my blogging community supported and reminded me that any reader has an option to choose to read. Ranter could ignore my blog and move on to read others. Yet she chose to read and gave some odd comments. I should feel flattered that she chose to read, but had a difference of opinion.

I felt this ranter (a “she” by the way) had a very bad day and was on a melt down or an avid supporter of Orange Man. Who knows, she could have been a staff of Orange Man and had to stand up for her Boss?

My posts have always been about humor, on myself venting of the illnesses I face and work blues.

Thankfully, the latter is manageable now as Monkey Lord is decent and work is really busy but at least I need not be fending off knife wounds!

But what does get into my head when I sit down to do a post?

My primary intent is that it must never debase any human being.

No racial slurs or mean things.

Everyone is a sister or a brother in this zone.

We are all the safe. Orwellian theory does not fly here although some are super great bloggers with hundreds or thousands of “likes” and followers!

I use nicknames for the humans I meet in life but they remain anonymous, known only to me.

No personal attacks or hurling of vulgarities but a good dose of sardonic humor.

I look at things as they are and say it as I see it.

I do not sugar coat things as my messaging gets watered down and that defeats the punch lines I want to deliver. I need to give it that “kapow” LOL!

I appreciate good government, good work ethics, honesty and sincerity.

I dislike hypocrites, dishonest people and those who love to do a “Knife To The Back”

I have long searched for my true love and realised that this person does not exist. There is no romance waiting for me. Romantic love, marital love and all kinds of love tags elude me.

I have questioned the Almighty Lord but He has not found the time to reply me. I am in spiritual limbo for sure. I guess with Covid-19 now, the Good Lord is even busier.

I challenge my medical team of specialists such that they confess they have sleepless nights trying to figure out how to keep me alive.

I quote Dr Short Tongue (Brilliant specialist and a trusted medical chap for the Who’s Who who stutters when he is excited about a find or observation. He is a big wig in his field and it shows me that despite whatever challenges one has, one can aspire to climb to the top because of meritocracy!) and admire him for his honesty with me.

He said that so long as I “stay as I am, without major shifts in conditions, then I am well” and that he has done his job. I trust him with my life as he asked me not to invite viruses or germs to my body when I asked if I should take shots against this or not.

So, now I ponder – if a Covid-19 vaccine becomes tenable and available, should I take it? Or will I react against it and instead die from it? I must remember to ask for his opinion when I next see him! Hmm! I wonder what he will say?!

The insaner side of my posts are about my raggedy inanimate furball Garfield and how he hands out Garfield hugs and squooshes to keep me sane. Garfield with his beady plastic eyes accompany me on stays at Bates Motel and keeps me company when I groan in pain and recover from my many slicing and dicings!

There is always a child in us and I applaud Pam, another blogger who does fantastic quips that really made me think when she did a post on this. I have a big child portion in me but unfortunately due to the position I carry at work and in social work life, I have to be an adult.

Being an adult is draining as I have to always behave in a politically correct fashion. No tantrums, speak in soft tones and be mindful of who the characters are in my plot of what I call life.

So what’s in a blog post? Or specifically, my blog post?

Who’s to tell? I get all sorts of ideas and when the light bulb lights up, my fingers go to the key board and tap away.

But I believe in not deliberately hurting anyone in life or in words as I know what is is like to be hurt. It is not nice!

A blog post is a window to a life I think I need for the day.

A blog post offers me refuge from my daily adult life.

A blog post lets me laugh freely.

A blog post lets me vent my frustrations.

A blog post lets me share my thoughts and elicit views.

A blog post, most importantly, is my own work.

Silly Me & My Inanimate Furball

Garfield’s asleep,

Nary a beep!

Silently Garfield sleeps,

Exactly how inanimates sleep.

Garfield on my bed is king,

The corner is his thing.

Garfield hugging is my thing,

Happy, contented – I sing!

Judgemental As Loyalty To Owner Only

Dogs are fiercely protective of the owner.

I know as my dogs were.

They were ferocious guard dogs and other than the occupants of the house of the owner, they were judgemental in that no one else is a person they like.

Dogs are precious and after losing my last dog to heart worms, I swore never to own another live dog.

Hence Garfield my inanimate furball came about. Garfield lives on and on, just shabby from over hugging!

Donating My Cadaver

I shared with some of my close friends and siblings that I chose to donate my cadaver when I leave the human realm and these are their hilarious replies:-

My Sibling1

“BTW, long distance swimming and treading water!😨”

Note1

Obviously Sibling1 has the heart to worry about my ghostly spirit doing long distance swimming and treading water in eternity. Clearly Sibling1 is worried about me getting tired at some point or another. But hey, being dead, so I feel anything? I am unsure but his statement spoke volumes to me.

My Sibling2

“Ha! Ha. Wonder who goes first?”

Note2

Sibling2 is skirting the issue and chose not to comment. I expected this as Sibling2 is not one to talk about death freely and without qualms. A sibling of few words and a polite guffaw.

Mr Docile:

“I cannot applaud this. But you are very brave and am proud of you. I salute you”

Note3

Mr Docile cares a lot about me. I was only blind not to see it. He has never stopped caring for me since the first day I met him. Till this date, I get daily greetings and questions from him on my well being or how am I doing. As to what to make out of his reply, it could be he is not happy about it, but he has to respect my wishes as this is not an easy decision he feels for anyone.

Chicken

“Aiyoh!”

Note4

A lament in Singlish, our colloquial slang!

Ms Legal Eagle

“I always wanted to. I am scared. I want to get rid of my body in the most biodegradable way possible. It would be nice if there is an alternative to burial in lil red dot. Basically, they “plant” you as fertiliser for a tree. Being a tree would be nice.”

Note5

Ms Legal Eagle is a planned out and well thought out person as I suggested for her to be buried in a private property that she buys and no one would know LOL! She said there were laws on proper disposals of the cadaver. She is a good lawyer!

I have a niche ready and my epitaph on it could read as,

“Here lies Garfield Hug 1993 (date bought from ToysR Us till his Master’s Expiration) Whilst Master At Sea!”

I hope you enjoyed and laughed here. It is not macabre. To me, it is addressing a reality of life.