Personal Muses

Occasionally, when you shop online, offers like free shipping is a bonus for an international purchase.  If the price is right, why not?  Especially for heavy weights like fitness equipment, the savings could be substantial.  But read carefully, some offers are only valid within a country.  Online catalogs, product reviews, price comparison offers a whole new way to shop.  You don’t need to limit your choice to an outdated machine.  You will be spoilt for choice.

Here in Singapore, our private and government hospitals are equipped with the state-of –art medical facilities to provide best medical care.  Besides scientific equipment, as I have noticed, all wards are equipped with adjustable beds.  This type of beds are even installed at home by people who needed them to alleviate their back problems, others for the comfort and the massage functions. 

Not surprisingly, since there is a rising demand, it is visible that more and more designers are also bringing this type of adjustable equipment such as sofas, sofa beds and recliners into homes.  In grand style.

When I called in a contractor to refurbish one of the toilets in my apartment, he gave us the wildest suggestion to use black tiles for the walls and flooring.  If I had agreed to that, I would have a “dark room” in the house.  In the end, we made a “daring” change.  Not all black though.  Just black tiles for the floor.  And white tiles for the walls to give a more spacious effect.  Of course bathroom vanities  in white to match.
 
 

Oh no!  The retailers at the Concourse have been given notice to vacate by February 2008.  The Concourse at Beach Road is a very popular place in Singapore to shop for Christmas decorations, trees, trimmings and party goods. One last Christmas and come 1st March 2008, most of them will relocate their businesses to Tekka Mall and some to ICB Building.  It is so sad, to see a marketplace with such a unique flavor disintegrate after ten years of establishment.  One last Christmas at The Concourse. 

My daughter is ready to go to Sweden on Overseas Student Exchange soon. I will feel the emptiness around the house and miss her a lot.

Ironically I encouraged her to go. It is a great opportunity for her to see the world and become really independent living away from home. How exciting! It’s “Hello Mummy, I’m calling from Sweden.”

I should join her at the end of her six month program. She can show me around in Sweden and tour Europe together. I just got to wait for my turn to make travel arrangements. Shop around for airtickets, lodging and find out what I can do with bed and breakfast gift certificate, should we chose to holiday in US instead.

My daughter really wished she could keep a puppy when she was little.  We thought it was too much of a responsibility for her.   So we allowed her to rear small pets like guppies, guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits.  Even little chicks.  Hah?  Not all at the same time.In fact, we really love dogs.  But not unless we have the time to raise it like our own kid, and lavish it with all our love and attention.  Provide proper training and dog supplies.

So it is also the same wish, that someday, we are ready to keep a Schnauzer as our pet.

My siblings and I grew up together in a shophouse just above a furniture maker. Those were the days when our parents were too busy with their work to look after us. So, we took care of each other playing together in the neighbourhood. We loved to visit the furniture maker’s workshop. There long benches, wrenches, saws, wood planks, half finished furniture around place.

The smell of wood, varnish and glue filled the air! The unmistakeable smell which we were so accustomed to. I can still remember that pot of glue which was always set on a glowing stove. Innocent as we were, once in a while we would playfully stir it and use the glue to stick things together. The craftsmen were nice as though it didn’t bothered them.

When I entered high school, we moved to a new neighbourhood. The air was ooh! So refreshing. Thinking back.. Why? What dreadful stuff we have been sniffing everyday!
Help, rehabs! I really believed that kind of air pollution has made us dull in our early years of development. In contrast, my four younger siblings were much brighter students than my eldest sister and I.

I have always been plagued by sensitive and blotchy skin.  I thought it is homonal imbalance which will adjust itself when I get older.  I got older, much older, then older. What the heck, my skin just don’t get any better.

So I just stick to my skin care routine to control the flare ups.  Faithfully, I would use my cleanser, toner, moisturer, facials and the works.  Even stopped using makeup which could be the likely cause.  When that didn’t work, I tried a different brand of skin care. Noticeably, a very marked improvement followed.  But the problem returned in less than a year. It was so ridiculous.  I have to rotate different brands.  If I am lucky, some lasted longer.

What now?  Next month, my karaoke class is holding a mini graduation concert.  My teacher, who is a very enthusiastic trainer, wants the whole class to put up its best performance for a DVD video shoot. Huh?  Oh me, oh my! No makeup?  My friend was so spontaneous at reminding me to put on makeup for the show.  Yea, maybe I need Jane Iredale.