Farewell, thy sweet child.


Early this morning, we were told that someone’s child has passed away of cardiac arrest yesterday. Some people were shocked at the news as the child had always been in the pink of health. I don’t remember seeing that child and even if I did, I am unable to recall her face, much less remember whose child it was. But I heard from others that she was a very obedient child who liked to tie her hair in two plaits and was very sweet too. She was only 8 years old and a primary two pupil.


When I heard the news, I wasn’t shocked like many people. Neither did I have a sharp intake of breath. I think that I accepted the news calmly. Anyway, the body language of that person telling my colleagues and I already gave the show away – that he was a messenger of bad news. At that time when the guy said, “I’m so sorry to tell you…” he was looking down at the table and had his palms clasped together. If it weren’t a matter of life and death, he wouldn’t be looking like that.


Apparently she was sick for the past two weeks and was on the verge of recovery when she had a relapse. She was admitted to KK Hospital on Saturday night. Her mother informed her form teacher only yesterday, who then notified the Principal and some other people from school to attend her wake.


I feel sorry for her, someone who is unable to experience the wonders that Life has to offer. To be snatched from the prime of youth when she had everything going for her. Sometimes, Life is just unfair to us mortals.


Why deprive a child of her life when she has so much worth to live for? Why can’t it take away the life of someone who is unwilling to live?

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 9:28 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

梦。


前几晚我梦见了一件奇怪的事。那就是我独自推着一架婴儿的推车，里头躺着一个细小的男婴，绕着一个弯。走着，走着，就不晓得应该往哪里去。那宝宝很乖，无论我怎么走，他都静静地在推车里，一声也没哭出来。


那婴孩就是我的，而我就是他的母亲。


不知怎的，我们母子俩就一直沿着那个弯前进。我心里丝毫知道我必须带着孩子去寻找一个人。直到找到他未止，我不能够放弃。路怎样的遥远，怎样的辛苦，我都不可以放弃，不可以停止。否则，我们母子俩的幸福，那么一点点的希望，就会消失到无影无踪了。


我记得当眼前浮现了一个男人的影子时，宝宝就开始呼唤我了。我虽然看不清楚那个人的脸，但我知道他很有可能是我在找寻的人。


我把宝宝抱了起来，温柔地跟他说话。看到宝宝那甜蜜的笑容，第一次当人母的我仿佛感觉到母爱的伟大。这么一个细小的玩意儿竟然需要我来保护他，爱着他。就好像他是我的全世界，而我会用我一生一世的时间来爱他，教导他，培育他成才。把宝宝抱入怀中的我，就像抱着希望似的。


这，是不是每一位母亲所感觉到的呢？


我不知道我们在找的人是谁。是孩子的父亲还是另有其人，这答案我就无法解答了。但我知道那男人的背影是非常地熟悉的，而我就是好像在生命的莫一个阶段曾和他结过缘。


当我梦醒时，我还未曾找到我要找的人。我只深深地记得，我是抱着宝宝醒来的。


If you CANNOT see the Chinese words above, click 'VIEW', then 'ENCODING', then 'UNICODE' (UTF-8).

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 10:51 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

Poster girl!


On the Thursday before Good Friday, I had to attend a photo shoot for the company. Apparently, the top management wanted to promote some core values or bits of their mission statement, so they got some of us to be the models. Sheesh! It’s not as if the company is poor. Why can’t it just hire some models for the photo shoot??!! So poor little me and a few of my colleagues had to slip into our casual wear for the occasion. I was in my polo tee and jeans, though you can’t see my bottoms.


Thank God it was pretty fast. I certainly do not fancy having to sweat under the limelight. Furthermore, the photography team was very friendly to talk, unlike some of the photography people I’ve come into contact with before.


The photographs will be edited and made into banners to be hung “conspicuously” at the company’s premises. That’s what we were told. When I received the sample picture in my inbox this morning, I was relieved to see that only my profile will be featured. Can you imagine how IDIOTIC, SPASTIC, ASININE, INSIPID, etc… I would look if I had my full face and body plastered across the banner and hung about every nook and cranny of the building for all to see??????!!!!!!!!!!!!

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 9:13 AM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

Standby for Election.


My friend said that she received an email from her election group today, to be on standby for election duty for the next two to four weeks. She said that all leave is cancelled for the coming weeks and application for leave is on a case-by-case basis.


I hope that I can get to cast my vote at this election. I mean, what’s the use of attaining my legal age when I cannot get to vote? I WANT TO VOTE! I hope and pray and wish that it would not be a walkover for my constituency. It’s no fun to watch other people vote and you cannot do the same.

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 10:41 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

My primary school principal.


I was at the reception this afternoon handling some documents when this familiar looking lady walked in. I looked at her and said, “Mdm Gomez?” She smiled at me and asked me for my name and the year that I graduated from IJ. She was surprised that I recognised her. I told her that I never forget a face, especially that of my teachers. Moreover, she was my principal when I was in IJ primary.


I’m glad I saw her again. She asked me whether I had been back to IJ to see the new school buildings and I replied in the negative. I said that I’ll try and visit IJ when I can find the time to do so. Anyway, I have to wait and see when my ex-classmates are free to go with me. I don't want to go back alone, especially since Auntie Gail is no longer there. IJ just doesn’t feel like IJ anymore. Many of the teachers there are new ones, especially in the primary school. At least some of my former teachers are still teaching in the secondary school.


I asked Mdm Gomez about my primary one teacher, Ms Hazel de Souza. I was saddened to hear that she is now wheelchair bound. She told me that she will let me have Ms de Souza’s number the next time she comes by the office. I miss my primary one teacher very much. She was an excellent teacher, very patient, kind but a strict disciplinarian. A primary one teacher for more than thirty years, before she retired. She had taught in the Town Convent before the school moved to its present location.


I remember that I was in primary one Hibiscus that year and my classmates and I used to stand in awe of our form mistress. There was a Ms Adeline Tan teaching P1 Lily and a Ms Celine Koh teaching P1 Orchid, Grace’s class. They were both extremely strict but nice teachers. That time when all the primary one pupils had to take the injection, Ms de Souza hugged me and patted me on my shoulder to comfort me. That is something I will never forget. I was surprised and touched that my strict teacher could be so nice to us.


What wouldn't I give to be in her class once more? To sit on the floor with 44 of my other classmates, who are scattered all over the globe now, listening to Ms de Souza’s lessons and her stories. To see her use the wooden ruler to teach us how and where to draw lines. To wonder why she always wears dresses and court shoes and never pants and slippers. To be scolded by her for misbehaving. To have her pin my written work titled “My Mother” on the quilt along the corridor for everyone to admire. To line up in twos with my finger on my lips and holding my partner’s hand as we move as a class from one place to another. To listen to her sing the hymns and go for Communion during Masses. To love her like she loved us.


Dear God, please look over my teacher and keep her in good health. Do not take her away from the people who need her.

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 8:47 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

It’s a small world after all.


I went out with Ying and Lil today. They were on the lookout for shoes, bags and clothes, while I only wanted to buy clothes. I haven’t been out with them for some time and I was glad for the day that we spent together. At least we all managed to make time for each other in spite of our busy schedules, never mind that it was only for a day.


Sometimes the people who you want to meet will never appear in front of you, but the people who you have no wish to see will just suddenly appear. Of all the people in Singapore, I had to see my fourth uncle and his wife. Sheesh! It’s not that I dislike them or something, but I just don’t like to be put through the third degree when we meet. I also met PQ and her hubby. She seemed slightly fatter and I wonder whether she is pregnant. I hope she is. Then I can play with her baby! I love babies, that is, until they start to cry and get dirty, that’s when I usually yell for the mother to take her child back. :0)


Poor Yee! She has got the chickenpox! She messaged me to say that she came down with a fever on Thursday before breaking out in spots yesterday. She really got it bad. Spots everywhere on her body, especially her face. Uh oh. I was out with her on Tuesday when she went to make her glasses. Ah well, if I ever get it, I do not have to go to work! Heeheehee!

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 11:58 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

A cosy trio.


I went out with my Mum and Xue after work today. We went to Marina Square for our dinner and I bought a red dress from Zara. It was a beautiful one as the cut of the dress complimented my figure well. Especially since I took and smallest size. I had wanted the XS size but it doesn’t come in that at all. The Small size that I bought was a little loose but I’d rather have it slightly loose than tight anyway.


We were actually on the lookout for white long-sleeved shirts for Xue as her graduation is approaching and she needs one. Unfortunately for her, we couldn’t find the perfect one for her. When we spied one that looked good on her, it didn’t have her size. When her size was available, the shirt wasn’t to her liking. Sigh…


I found this cute Astro Boy shop. I love the statue of Astro! He’s so かわいい! すき、すき、すきだいよ！


If you CANNOT see the Japanese words above, click 'VIEW', then 'ENCODING', then 'UNICODE' (UTF-8).

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 11:21 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

The dirty school.


One of my friends, who is a teacher, told me that there are at least 15 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) at her school. She wonders why the school is still functioning when some of the childcare centres have shut their doors. If I were her, I would pray for the school to be closed so that it can be thoroughly cleaned. Otherwise, the pupils and teachers will remain exposed to the disease.


I seriously do not think that her school will close even when the number of HFMD cases increases to 20, 25 or more. Joke aside, her school really IS dirty, as she has at least one case every week since the start of everything. Come on, the rate of infection is low and is not even like 5% of the school’s population of 1000 or maybe 2000. So I do not think that it will be closed at all. Moreover, it’s not a childcare centre, but a primary school.


I know that she’s hoping against hope that her school will be closed because of HFMD. But I told her that she might have to pay back the lost days during the June holidays. In this way, she might have a very short vacation then and can’t go out with me! I remember when SARS hit Singapore in 2003, my former teachers had to pay back the lost weeks with one to two weeks of their June holidays. Talk about time wasted.

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 7:03 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

Timeout at Meritus.


I left the office early today as I was meeting Jos and Xue to go shopping downtown. Somehow or other, we didn’t buy anything but ended up at Meritus Mandarin’s Observation Lounge after dinner, for drinks. And that’s not the only thing that we had. I love their ham and salmon sandwiches! They were delicious! But I disliked the plate of cakes that we ordered. They were not to our liking at all.


Sometimes, it feels so good to just kick back my shoes and relax. I think that I really am too stressed up with work recently and have not been allowing myself the time to rest. Perhaps if I went on an overdrive, the company might pay for my expenses that IMH. Ah, that is worth considering.


The lounge revamped their menu and the Little India drink that we usually ordered was gone. So Xue had to settle for the Lychee Martini, while Jos took Shirley Temple. Me? I ordered Zombie as I needed something slightly stronger than my usual standard drink, and yet one that is not over the top. There was certainly a lot of rum in it but it tasted fine. Xue was fascinated by her Lychee Martini because it was served in this Zen looking black teapot, which she had to pour into a little cup with one sliced lychee. Eh, her store of Martini seemed to be refilled with every pour. We wondered when we’d be able to drain the teapot every time Xue poured a little out.


Of the three of us, I got landed with the biggest cup. It actually looked like a table vase. Big and tall. And guess who got the reddest face at the end of the night? Sigh… I usually don’t turn red at all, though pink is normal.

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 11:59 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?

Holidays, I beg thee to arrive!


I simply cannot wait for the holiday to arrive next week! At least I’ll be getting some rest, hopefully. Otherwise I’ll just be stuck in the office and rotting away.


There seems to be more work to do these days. I have a stack of documents to process and they are accumulating in my IN tray. It’s not as if that I’m slacking or something, but the work seems to me to be never ending and I’m caught in the middle trying to wade my way through the mountain-load of papers.


If only there were more public holidays in our calendar. Then, I’ll have something great to look forward to when I’m at the office.


My friends seem to have the same problem too. An is getting really tired with work and she is desirous of changing to a completely new kind of job. But she can’t, though, not at the moment. And neither can I, because we have signed on the dotted line and have to work till the day our contracts end.

~ ~ ~ Skye's telling at 8:55 PM ~ ~ ~
Hey! Are you in on the secret yet?