Crosswords – it is always fun to do crosswords but our newsprint do not carry this anymore. Sudoku appears once a week though but I don’t like Sudoku as I am not a numbers person. I only need to know if I open my wallet, if there is cash. If no cash, then I panic LOL!
Working From Home (WFH) is such a bad word now. I can hardly have time to segregate after office and during office hours. My Lords seem to lump all as their time. I cannot blame them as Covid-19 has gotten us all quite mad, running around like mad monkeys trying to beat government timelines for imposition of their will to nuke this virus.
I need to do outdoorsy stuff, like taking a long walk or something. But I am chained to my laptop, plus my foot is not co-operating. I wonder if my leg muscles are now weak! I feel like an old coot, just getting out of bed.
Rushing to get a haircut was an adventure as I was afraid they will also be closed after 6 April 1159hrs. But thankfully, the Supreme Leader’s Task Force has classified it as Essential Services. Spa therapy and tinting of hair or beautifying needs are NOT Essential! So ladies or men with need to color or tint their hair to hide the whites or boost their egos – this is thrown out the window as we bare our natural locks and looks! My hair is chopped short, really short so as to sustain the 1 month “partial lockdown” or we call, “Circuit Breaker” episode.
Alot of trepidation for jobs as our Lord is now reviewing the need to cut salaries to sustain the business. Salaries are emotive and I am sure, even Monkey Lord and Eunuch are not happy! They are paid Lords and if their Oldie Lord says chop, they must chop wages. It is not unnatural to do this. If this method works, at least we all still have jobs. But it is hard on people with commitments to deal with, like me. I will have to survive and cut back on purchases and work harder to ensure usefulness to the Lords.
For everyone’s sake, I hope the Gods and deities will help us as people’s livelihood are at stake and I sincerely hope this will not drive up suicide rates nor bankrupt people.
Blessings!
Garfield and Mousey are keeping each other company in the corner of the room, oblivious to the world of Covid-19. Thank goodness they are safe from any infection!
It was a scary Friday afternoon for me when I heard that our Supreme Leader will be addressing us on the goggle box! My heart skipped several beats!
Medicines for my parents!
Groceries for my parents!
Earlier that morning, I heard ground rumblings that a “lock down” was imminent.
I quickly made a mad dash to the supermarket and prayed very hard whilst driving there that there would be things for me to buy, that the supermarket will not be crowded and that I can buy the groceries I need for my parents.
Whenever my poor Supreme Leader needs to speak, everyone has rushed off to the supermarkets. *Our lil red dotters do have a sense of humor here and I must say that our government takes it in good cheer though if I am Supreme Leader, I would be grrrrr!!!
Humorous Singaporeans always rushing to the supermarket whenever our PM Lee needs to speak!
My prayers were answered when I reached the supermarket around 11am. There was a crowd, but not jammed pack and I could keep my physical social distancing of 1 metre.
I could buy veggies, pork and some fruits. Although there was a ration imposed on key items, to prevent selfish hoarding, people were civil and obeyed buying rules.
We are in need of a “circuit breaker” as Covid cases have risen sharply daily and we now have more than 1,000 cases and in being prudent, we will be separated into essential and non essential services. This will help to break the transmission cycle.
Even our tax drivers find a lighter moment to laugh, despite them facing lower patronage and lesser earnings since Covid outbreak!
For those who are in the business of non essential services, we have to close the office for a month till 7 May 2020 inclusive and work from home.
I am in such a sector and my nightmare has begun.
Much to do within 3 days as come 7 April at 1159hrs we shut down.
New joiners not on board yet, leavers not leaving yet – decisions decisions!
I am now working through weekend to close out and worry about delivering monies at the end of the month else it will be another issue for wages.
I hope for everyone’s sake in lil red dot that this works. I do not want to see a Complete Circuit Breaker (another level up from current Circuit Breaker) – I must say that the taskforce has come up with a creative way of describing a mini shut down.
We are not allowed to socialise but allowed to go out, get essentials like grocery and food. No sitting and eating at the hawker center but doggy bagging home and eating at home.
Meanwhile my kind neighbor will be helping me to collect a reusable mask given out by our government as it is not somewhat true that asymptomatic persons can carry the virus and transmit.
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
“What food might this contain?” the mouse wondered.
He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning:
“There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”
The pig sympathized, but said “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow and said “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”
The cow said “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house – like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer’s wife.
The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.
But his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.
To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer’s wife did not get well; she died. So many! people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn’t concern you, remember:
when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life….Have a good day guys😀👌
This morning in lil red dot, I woke up to hear of the sad passing of 2 persons; an elderly medico tourism Indonesian elderly man who flew to Singapore on knowing he had Covid for treatment.
The other was an elderly woman who succumbed to it as she had previous underlying health conditions.
It brings me to mind that the doctor’s advisory here is spot on – Covid affects those who have underlying medical conditions harder.
Both fought Covid over more than 20 days and they finally left after a good fight.
With this in mind, I was rankled by the attitude of the Japanese IOC committee to continue with the Olympic Games.
First thing that struck me was a cesspool of Covid in the making, incubating more strains as people from all different countries coming together to form the most lethal strain to spread in Japan.
They then leave Japan to take it with them and spread it it to their home country.
I do not understand that relevant authorities – is the games so important to jeopardise more lives?
Is that Olympic medal a fair win as the best may not be there as they are smart enough to boycott it during this tense time.
I heard the sportsmen of other games have pulled the plug on their games. This is a smart move and I applaud the wisdom of their leaders.
Why is the IOC committee so stubborn as to insist on the games proceeding?
Isn’t life and a containment of the Covid19 virus more pivotal than that Olympic medal?
If I am a participant, I will grab my inanimate furball, Garfield, and would not even go 10 feet near of that place to do any of the activity that I was trained to do.
Sigh! I truly hope that Japan does a U turn on their decision.
Malaysia, our neighbor, has locked down its borders, disallowing its citizens to come across the Causeway to Singapore to work, study or as a tourist.
Daily, we have thousands of our commuting Malaysian neighbors riding their motor bikes or driving their cars to enter Singapore for work.
They are our nurses, cooks, chefs, technicians….or you name it, they are doing it.
Working in Singapore is lucrative income as compared to working in Malaysia.
The currency exchange rate is an average 1MYR = 0.332 SGD.
With cost of living much cheaper in Malaysia, they bring home more MYR dollars to expense. Housing, car, food etc are cheaper.
So when this border lockdown kicked in at 1159hrs on Tuesday, employers told affected persons to go home, pack and come back to Singapore to work.
We desperately need the services of these persons.
I figured my drive to work in the early hours of 5.30am would be a breeze as I need not be on the look out for these “ mosquitoes” a.k.a motorbike riders who refuse to stay in their lane and weave in and out of lanes or come out through my car’s blind spot.
Throngs of these motorbikes will be hogging the roads during peak hour traffic to go home at 5.30pm as it takes them hours to clear customs and immigration of both Singapore and Malaysia.
I am glad in a way to have reprieve from these mosquitoes for 2 weeks.
I am sure that the immigration officers can take a breather from the daily thousands of cars and motor bikes crossing the Causeway, screening vistors for Covid-19.
What startled me was when the Malaysian government did this lock down, my mind raced to “how are we getting our daily supplies of fresh produce, eggs and other items.”
I did not race to the supermarket but I saw the news of how shoppers charged to the supermarket to commence their hoarding of items again.
Sigh! The government has to come out again to assure everyone that we have ample food supplies and not buy like there is no tomorrow.
How Odie and Garfield send selfies to each other. I love the unique love they have for each other. Garfield shows tough love whereas Odie is his old slobbering and innocent naive self in showing Garfield unconditional love.
Life at any age is fragile and precious to loved ones..
Regardless of human form or animal form, a life is a life and when they pass, it hurts.
I know, I lost my pet dobermann, Gretchen, in 1989 whilst I was working in the land of the Fragrant Harbor.
I remember returning to lil red dot at past midnight, seeing her blind and crippled from heart worm disease but wagging her bob tail on hearing my voice. I spent 10 minutes stroking her head and telling her I was home.
The next morning, I found her body in rigor mortis. She must have passed after I spoke to her and retired to bed as I was unwell, with bronchitis.
Mr Kind texted me last evening to share that his father (90 years old +) woke up from bed, fell and had a stroke. He did not tell me anything about it till 48 hours later, when his dad was stabilised.
He continued to send me daily memes for those 2 days and acted as if nothing was wrong.
I felt bad as during that last Thursday, I was still talking shop to him and he did not cut me off on text. His kind demeanour continued to let me ramble on.
I apologised for my insensitivity as I could have been more reserved in chatty chats given his mind on his father, overcoming the sudden stroke.
When one is at such an old age, do we celebrate life or mourn death?
I too have aged parents and often wondered – my conundrum, celebrate their lives or mourn their deaths?
I took my mum and dad for our usual weekly dinner.
I felt bad that I am unable to do more often on account of work as well as my swollen foot.
Getting up at 4am or 5am. Being at the office at 6am so as to go home by 6pm and get ready for the rigorous cycle the next day is my norm.
Each time I take mum and dad out, I am only able to put head to pillow by 12.30am and this takes a huge toll on my spine as I get tired out.
So when mum started her whining on her “bad life thus far” I lashed out at her.
She has no debts. She has money compared to the homeless. She can afford to eat whatever she chooses and declines whatever she did not like eating. There is no banker waiting to repossess her home due to unpaid mortgages is another example of how lucky she to be financially able.
Basic needs are there for her and she is fairly well for a woman of her age.
I reasoned with her. The homeless have no choice in lodging or food choices.
Since young, I have had orthopaedic issues with my spine and am living in much pain on a daily basis.
When she moaned about no one helping her, I rebutted. It is her choice not to have a live in helper. It is not the case where she cannot afford one, but a mindful choice of not wanting one.
As to why none of her other children bother to care about her, I ticked her off too. She did not wish to speak up and I have been the bad guy, going after my 2 other siblings to remember their parents.
My parents continuously make excuses for the other 2 urchins to console self that they are busy, live overseas (out of sight, out of mind philosophy) and have their own lives. Thank God, I am not a mother as I will never kotow to this mentality. Filial piety must be guided and taught.
Perhaps on knowing my 2 siblings, I felt that children should not be born as they will only grow up selfish and unappreciative of parents.
None of my other 2 siblings were victims of financial budgets. Only this black sheep was. But I feel it is to my advantage as it taught me hardship and the ability to work hard for my own money.
Alas, I am the one that is direct and obtuse.
When each of them wanted to live in a land other than Singapore, she did not object.
When I fell in love with my economics graduate teaching fellow (he is 12 years my senior) in the university it was either I relocated to USA or he moved in Singapore.
He tried to get a job in Singapore but was unable to do so back then.
I had to let him go as I was the only idiot left in Singapore and if I flew the coop, what would become of the 2 elderlies?
My brother nor sister batted an eyelid to up and go, leaving their parents behind.
They could not be bothered with their parents and till this date, also do not care. The only thing that ties them to my parents is the windfall they will get once they both keel over.
Such is life, rightly or wrongly.
So when I heard from Mr Kind of his family supporting the incident in the family, I felt the loss of warmth in my own family. It made me reflect on my own community of “family” and it made me very sad.
I was sad as it reminded me of how I would struggle on my own to ensure my parents are well to be discharged from hospital when they fell ill. I had no family support. I had to ensure my dad was safe, trudge off to work and report at the hospital nightly or catch doctor’s ward rounds between 7am to 8am.
The last critical heart condition of my mum, required me to blast the 2 urchins to return else they regret not saying goodbye to mum if she did pass.
Life is fragile.
I want to celebrate the life of my parents and not mourn their deaths when the time comes. It is easier said than done but what else can I do?
Mr Kind was right to revoke his father’s driving rights back then as it would have been worst if an accident occured from a stroke.
Meanwhile, I pray hard for Mr Kind’s father to recover from the stroke with minimal impediment to motor skills else it will be frustrating for his feisty and full of life father who likes independence.
May the deities above, bless and guide Mr Kind and his family to overcome the health issues faced by his father and sister. Grant them both good quality of life and the tenacity to overcome.
May all families stay safe during this covid 19 pandemic.
I am told by Mr Kind that a mutual friend we know, LCA, at age 96 is dying of lung cancer and a weakened heart.
I know him as a man with good humor, booming laughter and a kind heart. He shared with me once that he was so silly to trust his friend and stood as guarantor for the friend’s property.
Long story short, friend defaulted on loans and he ended up paying for a house his friend lived in and that was why when I met him at age 76 years old then that he had to work.
I pray for his painless passing to walk with angels as friends.
It was such a treat yesterday to have an hour or two spent for a lunch treat with Mr Kind.
Mr Kind has his own business in a unique niche of the medical sciences and has the freedom to be a minion or boss or both! Lucky him!
For us locals, we will always decide on a place to chow down but yesterday was interesting in that he would prefer to leave it to serendipity.
Ooh big word, I told him and we both laughed as it suited my frame of mind.
But we both agreed to eat at a place where it is less crowded and noisy. He then mentioned that a decade or so ago, he wanted to sup at a restaurant called PS Cafe but no matter how, he could not find it.
Dempsey Hill is indeed a treasure trove of eateries, but because the buildings used to house the army, the eateries are stashed in different niches of this quiet area.
Being directionally challenged, I was of no use as usual. Google maps took us past PS Cafe but did not allow us to park.
After 2 tries, Mr Kind eventually found it. He is good with directions I say!
In a wooded area, it had both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for outdoor seats as to sit indoor and be exposed to potential Covid 19 was not a fun thought.
The menu was not elaborate but it had fun stuff to our liking.
Specials had a slow stewed beef rendang (Beef cooked till dry with spices) served with rice.
I do not eat chicken and was amused to find a pair of wild chickens in the wooded area where we overlooked.
Yes, I am a city girl who lives in an urban jungle and never grew up as a farm girl. So whenever I see wild chickens, I get all excited as if I was bonding with nature! LOL!
A pair – Rooster and hen owning the land it seems!
As the waiter approached us for orders, I teased him and pointed to the chooks and said, “your supply of chicken for today’s special?”
The waiter gamely replied, “Free range too!” but after laughing with me, he assured me it that those chooks were not used on their menu!
I stuck to my beer battered fish and chips and it was served nicely with a bucket of chips with carrot stick, french bean, asparagus spear and a leaf of romaine lettuce. Plating was done in a rustic way, as if how it would be, if I was eating at a restaurant at a vineyard in Perth, Australia, sans the cool weather! I miss the cool winters of Perth.
Despite the fear of Covid19, this eatery did not suffer poor lunch sales. It was crowded and I was glad I did not sit indoors as the din would be too much. We were told that dinner was less crowded than before.
We washed down our meal with ice lemon teas (Mr Kind had his iced tea with berries).
No stomach space left for decadent cakes that measured at least 8 inches a wedge! But it was admittedly alluring!
For me, having genuine friendships like those with Mr Kind is a treat and he is always thinking about helping me and for this, I am especially grateful.
He knew that I could not get groceries and so, he arrived at my doorstep with lots of fruits; blackberries (which reminded me of Eugene, Oregon as I used to bring a bucket to pick them off the blackberry patch on the banks of Willamette River), strawberries, peaches, plums, blackberries, S Korean brown pears, seedless black grapes and a local favorite of my mum, Jambu Ayer.
It was my first outing since post surgery and I was careful to wear my aircast boot and gingerly managed the steps to this PS Cafe.
I enjoyed the pep talk Mr Kind gave me too.
Life is complicated and like I mentioned to Mr Kind, maybe it is time for me to be aloof to all or any nonsensical persons and be zen about it!
Zen sifu……master Zen…where are you! I need classes! Haha!
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.
