Sick!

On Monday, my sister came home with one big red eye. I asked her what happened and she said she wasn't so sure. She had Chicken Rice for lunch and right after that, her eyes swelled and became red. It was also a little itchy and she had to rub it, making it even redder.

She said she was going to take a rest and the next day, she should be fine. That night, she slept early at about 9pm.

However, on Tuesday, the redness did not go away. She went to work anyway but the discomfort got the better of her and she took half-a-day leave to come home to rest. She sent me an SMS saying she wants to go see a doctor when I get home.

I was a little concerned as I wasn't sure if it was serious. Sometimes, it's a tough feeling to be worried and yet having to continue to work, knowing that there is no way I can help until the day is over.

When I got home, she was already waiting for me. I had a look at her eye and indeed it was getting worse. We proceeded to a doctor in Bedok Central, the same doctor I visited the last time when I was down with flu. I always prefer to visit doctors I am more familiar with. This clinic seems clean and the doctor was very professional, kind and friendly the last time I visited her.

There was about couple of people before us, so we had to wait about 20minutes for our turn.

Our turn came soon enough and we were ushered in to see the doctor. The doctor had a look at her and said it's a common infection. It could last a few days if not treated and there was nothing to worry about, she added. She should be fine with some medication.

With this, she prescribed some artificial tears for her and gave her a day's MC to rest at home.

We both felt a lot better after the visit knowing it was nothing serious!

Keeping food warm!

I cook quite a lot for my sister these days... since I come home early and she comes home late. I would usually do the cooking at about 7.30pm and go to bed by about 10pm. My sister will usually come home at 11pm and by that time, I would be in dreamland. By the time she have her shower, dinner (or supper) will be close to midnight! Although that's not the best time to have dinner and jump straight into bed!

So, how do you keep cooked food warm and ready to eat for about 4 hours (8pm to midnight)?

Well, I bought a two-tier container which cost about 13 dollars from the local supermarket. It is made of plastic and made in my home country, China. However, due to having double-layered walls and insulation, it is able to keep the food warm for quite a few hours. My sister told me that when she have her dinner close to midnight, the food is still reasonably warm! Great!

I'm not sure it's such a good idea to be cooking for her so often. Since coming to Singapore, my sister has complained that she had put on quite a few kilograms. Is this due to eating dinner late and then going to sleep straight away? Or is it just due to a lack of good exercise. As she comes home late, she is not able to join me jogging and when I invite her to jog on her off days, she says she is too tired!

So, I made her promise that she will wash the container after eating, otherwise, I will not cook for her! Ha ha! That way, at least she gets a little exercise after eating!

Vagrant sleeping outside my home!

For the last couple of months, I had noticed this old man, sleeping on the floor near just outside my block. Recently, he moved upstairs, just outside my main door. The first time I came out of my door in the early morning when going to work, I was shocked to see a body lying there.

Fortunately he had a matt in place which made me realize that he is a asleep and not unconscious or dead! Then I realized that he was the same person whom had slept downstairs some months back. Maybe it was the rain that brought him up here!

Recently, I came back from the supermarket with my room-mate and I caught him answering the call of nature at the base of my flat. I was at first too embarrassed to look but this embarrassment soon turned to anger! No wonder I had been smelling something funny every morning when I make my way to the MRT station! And to think that the toilet at the nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet is just a short few steps away! I decided to take a picture to report him to the authorities!

However, when he walked away, I realized that he walked with a very pronounced limp. Well, maybe the toilet is really too far away for him. I decided to forgive him and drop the matter! After all, I'm far from perfect too... which is why my emotions got the better of me. I'm glad I am able to rein in my emotions before I damage someone's rice bowl or living. Nobody wants to sleep on the floor if they can help it. I also felt so much more fortunate after this incident!

Singaporeans love a good deal!

I think everyone everywhere loves a good deal... especially if it is free and I found this to be particularly true in Singapore. Several times, when moving around in Singapore, I would witness long queues at certain areas only to realize that they are usually giving away some freebies or are offering some other great value items in one way or another.

Some time back, just after the Chinese New Year, we had lots of candies available and I decided to put them give them out. I wrote a note in mandarin and a translation in my poor English and left it out front. many people came by during meal times and started taking them and very soon, they were all gone! I'm so happy to see them all taken up rather than wasted and thrown away. At least people are enjoying it!

Just a few days back, I received this on my handphone too. I guess even the big players like MacDonalds know that Singaporeans cannot resist a good deal and I am sure they are having good success at this as well. Afterall, a 1-for-1 deal is always too good a deal to turn down. I do not eat at MacDonald's because they are too costly for me, but if I did, I would definitely take up their attractive offer! Would you?

My broken shoes!

In one of my older post, I mentioned that I got some of my Adidas shoes from China at very attractive prices. I am not sure if they are the real deal but I do know that after a few sessions in the rain, they start to fall apart!

Recently, after the year end rainy season, the soles of my shoes fell out and I had to glue them together. The first time I did that (with glue given to me by my landlord), it fell out again the next day while in the train (how embarrassing). A student had to point it out to me and I had to pick it up and quickly put it in my bag, hoping nobody saw it. That evening, I went to the hardware store to buy a stronger glue and tried to glue it again. The tube of glue cost me SGD7.

I had put away wearing that pair of shoes, afraid that it might fall apart again. Also, I think that I am not very good at such handicraft (glueing things together) and I can see streaks of ugly glue outside the shoe, especially when it is a white pair! Most importantly of all, I really cannot afford to have it fall off mid-way through my journey in a bus or MRT or even through work! My colleagues will laugh their heads off at me! Even I had a good laugh thinking about how I quickly snatched up the sole and put it in my bag, without cleaning it and even forgetting to thank the student!

But now that the rain has stopped, I decided to put it on again. Last weekend I had to work and I wore it for the entire weekend and so far, it had held together quite well. At least, it saved me from having to spend more money to buy another pair of shoes. And this time, I am in Singapore so there is no chance that I can buy "cheap" Adidas shoes! I had brought 2 pairs with me during my second trip here, thinking they are going to last me the full 2 years. But now, 6 months later... one down, one to go! I have a strong feeling they are not the real deal!

Treating my sister to Japanese food!

In one of my previous post, I wrote about my first experience with Japanese food. I think it is really nice and wanted my sister to experience it. Last Monday was my sister off-day and I also came home from work a little earlier than expected. Although my official work hours is up to 5.30pm, I usually get off work at 6.30pm after some dilly dally, and also because I hold the key, so I always have to be the first one there and last one to leave. However, this particular Monday, I had the opportunity to leave at 5.30pm and got home at 6.30pm.

I was planning to go jogging but my sister was home. Thinking that I do not have so many opportunities to be with her, I decided not to jog and just spend some time with her.

I decided to give myself and her a treat with the Hong Bao money I collected from the Chinese New Year! I had collected about SGD45 from various people, so we decided to have the Japanese food I wrote about as it is quite economical and yet very nice. My sister had not tried it before... in fact, she had not tried Japanese food before too! So this will also be her first experience.

I ordered my favorite "Black Peppered Chicken Bento Set" at $4.80 while she decided to have a bowl of Tempura Udon. We also ordered a few sushi to try. The bill came to SGD14 so there's change leftover from my SGD45, how nice! At least I get to save some of it.

We both enjoyed the evening... it's not often that we get to eat together and have the whole evening to ourselves, so this is one evening I really will really cherish!

My sleeping partners!

It can be lonely in a strange country at times. When I first came to Singapore, I longed for my family. I cried quietly each time after speaking to my mum. While on the phone, I assured her that all is well and I am enjoying my stay here. But once I hung up, my tears starts to flow. It gets better with time and once you get used to it. And it helps to have company too.

When I first came to Singapore, a friend who was leaving the place where I stayed left me her soft toy duck. I used it to "occupy" my bed in the day (so nobody will sleep or lie on my bed and mess it up!) and as a bolster at night. While I do not sleep with a bolster at home in China, I began to get used to hugging something at night when I sleep. This felt especially nice during my early days here when I would often sob myself to sleep thinking how I got myself into staying in a room with 7 others!

So who keeps me company, in the lonely nights in Singapore these days? Well, it's not what you think!

Like most girls, we like soft toys! In fact, I'm not even sure why? However, they do give you a feeling of safety and security, especially at night. When I first came to Singapore, I collected a few soft toys which were thrown away by my landlord after I went home in May 2010. Some were "adopted" by other tenants!

Now that I am back, I bought myself a soft toy dog to keep me company at night. It's feels good and cozy when the bed is full of pillows and other soft toys. And in the day, it keeps my bed filled up, so that nobody goes and mess it up. Kind of like marking my territory, much like a cat or dog does... except in a different way!

Back home in China, I have this huge bear which was given to me since I was in school. It's so big and cuddly that I have kept it ever since. I doubt you can get something as big as this in Singapore! At least I have not seen it but you can see how big it is, in the pictures above. It is as big or bigger than I am!

And I've told my mother never ever to throw it away. I want to be sure it is there when I return home... ha ha! It can get really, really cold in my home in China!

Yoga!

Some time back, I wrote about signing up for Yoga lessons and I finally was able to get my first two lessons. I had been looking forward to these lessons to begin as I had heard so much about how Yoga is good for the body that I cannot wait to try it out myself. Unfortunately, I did not manage to take any pictures during the first session but I managed to take some in the second session, so it's time to share them.

The first session, was kind of interesting. I wore my favorite running shoes and long exercise pants and tied my hair up in a bun so they do not fall all over. However, when I reached there, I realized everyone was carrying a rolled up rubber mat. I promptly asked them what it was for and they explained that it was for lying down and doing exercises. How did they know that they have to bring such a mat while I did not know??? I ended up being the only person lying on the bare, cold floor!

Then when we went into the room, they all took off their sandals while I had my shoes on. The Yoga teacher had to come to me to tell me to take off my shoes... ha ha! How come all these new people knew that they had to take off their shoes while I don't? Stupid me! Nevertheless, it felt good to do our exercises bare-footed!

Next when we had to lie down, my bun got in the way! And I was the only one lying on the floor while all the others had their yoga mat! Then I realized almost everyone had their hair down and many of the exercise were done lying down. Again, how come I did not know? Actually I should not be asking, "How come I did not know?" as I really do not know since it was my first time. However, this is also a beginner's class which means it is first time for many others. So my question really should be, "How did they know?"

The following week, I asked my friends if they had a Yoga mat to spare and one of my colleague had an old yoga mat which she gave to me. This time, I felt a lot better. I had my mat to lie on, my hair was loose and comfortable and I wore sandals so that I can easily take them off!

The session was fun and I really enjoyed it. The second session was tougher as we had to do more stretching and I think it is going to get even tougher as we go along! I hope I don't break any bones!

Hongbao from my Reader!

Yesterday morning I had a really, really pleasant surprise! As usual, every morning, the period between 9am to 10am is quite a peak period for me. People are coming in for their breakfast, tea-break etc...  A lady reader of my blog came by this morning and gave me a very pleasant surprise. She handed me an envelop with two Hongbao's inside, one for me and one for my sister! Wow!

It's nice to know that people are reading my blog, it's even nicer to know that people appreciate what I share and something like that never fails to make my day. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making my day. It's not the money... really... but the thought that someone came all the way to meet up with me, really touches me deeply!

I must apologize to this reader that it was my busy period and I hardly have time to "entertain" less my boss thinks I am not doing my work. My humble apologies really! While I really appreciate the thoughtfulness, I also felt a little awkward at not being able to show my appreciation enough! Thank you so, so very much and may God bless you and your family!

My favorite haunt - the Library!

It's not so much fun at home when you are staying 6-8 in a room and most are not working. This happens over most weekends when some of my room-mates are not working. Some work through the weekends, just like my sister and have their off-days on a weekday. However, in general, and especially on Sundays, most of us are not working! So what does this mean?

On a weekend, especially around 11am when everyone is awake and getting busy, the house can get pretty crowded. Most people sleep in late, sometimes till 10am or so, especially after a week of hectic work. I am normally up by 8am as I am not used to sleeping-in late at all, especially after 5 days of waking up at 5am each morning.

So where do I find some reprieve from the incessant noise at home? Well, I retreat to the library nearby. The library is a wonderful place for me. It's quiet, cool (especially in Singapore's weather and our landlord does not allow us to use the air-conditioner in the day) and spacious; qualities not commonly found in Singapore these days! And maybe most important of all, it's totally free!

So I have made the library my weekend retreat since I was introduced to it by one of my room-mates during my first stay in Singapore a few years back. My only wish is for them to have more Chinese books! Most of the books are in English and there is a big section for Malay readers but just a few bookshelves of Chinese books. I don't usually borrow the books home; I just read them there and remember where I stop and come back to look for it again the next time. Interestingly, I almost always manage to find the same book back... or is it just that Chinese books are not all that hot!

Washing the dishes!

Today, the auntie washing the dishes was on medical leave. So my boss asked me if I can help to wash the dishes. I accepted of course!

My boss had been very gracious to accept me back working for him and I appreciate this very much. Otherwise, I would have been stuck in that "torture chamber" Bread Junction. I'm willing to extend my help to whatever areas he needs help in... happily!

It's my first time washing dishes in the kitchen. Not a fun job, but it's ok. I asked my colleague to take some pictures of me and she asked why do I want to take such pictures. I told her I wanted to send them home to my mother and show her how hard I am working to give her a better life! We both had a good laugh!

While life certainly is not easy for us migrant workers, it is probably better than being in China at the moment. Work wise, it is pretty much the same. However, the paltry pay is only one fifth of what we get here. Even after paying rents and expenses, we are still getting at least 3 times more than what we make at home.

Sometimes we take things for granted. Like washing dishes for example. It is a tough job and can be really bad for the hands, especially if you are not wearing gloves. My skin started to soften and tear after just one hour with the detergent, so I quickly put on the washing gloves. I can imagine how hard the old auntie work everyday washing the dishes when younger people like me find it tough. I told myself quietly to appreciate her more!

Somebody once told me, in everything we do, look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. So here I go... washing dishes is better than washing the toilet! Thank you boss, for not making me wash the toilet! Ha ha!

Looking for a room!

During the Chinese New Year when both my sister and I had a chance to be together for 2 full days, we had some good talk and decided that maybe we should look for a place of our own to stay. Currently we both pay SGD220 each per bed to stay at the current place, and that means both of us are paying SGD440.

Some of my customers at work tell me that I can get a room in Singapore for about SGD500. That's SGD60 more a month but that means we have a room to ourselves. There will be no queuing to use the bathrooms, no disturbance when people come home late at night, not rowdy gambling and no more losing of things. Recently I lost one of my favorite jackets which I wear to work when the morning is cold, especially in the train.

You can see from the picture on the right that our rooms are getting really too crowded now. Two persons hardly have any room to move... and when my landlord and his buddies are gambling outside, sometimes we all have to cram ourselves just to escape the noise and stares.

That's my sister on the left and a room-mate on the right. With 4 double decker beds stacked close to each other and 8 to a room, we hardly have any private space we can call our own.

I had been browsing the papers and advertisement pasted at bus stops looking for rooms-to-let. I found two but unfortunately both do not allow any cooking, even when I told them I just need to make instant noodles every now and then! Preferably, I would still like a place near Bedok Central, but really anywhere near a train station is also fine... My sister works in Ang Mo Kio and I work in Buona Vista and we both take the train to work most of the time. My sister has recently started taking buses as there is a direct bus and it is cheaper too, although it takes about 15 minutes longer. But she reckon the savings is worth... each month, she will save an additional SGD15 per month just by taking buses instead of trains.

Well, if any of my readers know of any rooms-to-let close to my budget and near a train station, please do let me know. Maybe I have been reading the Chinese newspapers most of the time and I may have missed out many opportunities in the English newspapers or even on the internet.

Polite Old Lady

This week, I met a very sweet old lady during my train ride to work in the morning. The train was very crowded as usual at almost 6am in the morning when it made a stop at the Tiong Bahru MRT. An old lady got up and  she a little weak and frail. It's obvious she was going to work and I was just thinking to myself that she must have been about 70 and still working. It must be tough getting up so early at this old age. In China, we are used to it but looking at the number of people sleeping in the train, it must be tough for most city folks in Singapore!

I usually am able to get a seat as I start my journey in Bedok. As she came up, I noticed that there were no seats available and many of the commuters were sleeping away, waiting to reach their destination. Everyone was just trying to catch that few more minutes of sleep before the morning coffee wakes them up!

This lady stood in front of me, so I decided to give up my seat to her. I then stood up and offered her my seat. She politely asked me where I am stopping. Here is how the conversation went (in Mandarin of course) :

Old Lady : "Young Lady, where are you stopping?"
Me : "I will be stopping at Buona Vista, just 4 more stops to go!"
Old Lady : "Well then, you take a seat until you reach your destination, then I will take over your seat when you alight."
Me : "No, no, you take a seat. I have sat long enough! I came all the way from Bedok! I have sat here for half an hour already!"
Old Lady : "No, no, you take a seat! I can manage!"
Me : "Auntie, you take a seat because I am getting up to take a stretch"

With this, I held her arm and guided her to my seat. She must have told me "Thank you!" at least three times before settling down. What a polite old lady and what a pleasant experience it was for me!

Another start to another beautiful day!

Tomorrow will be a better day! 明天会更好!

A friend shared this on facebook and I love it! Some of my favorite singers are in there and the song is so motivating for me, especially when the day is tough... that I try to listen to it as much as I can. It never fails to make my day a better one! As such, I am putting it up here to share with my readers. I am sure most of you will like it!



I've even put it on my phone so that I can listen to it anytime I want. Sometimes in life, no matter how positive we feel, there is bound to be something or someone who will let you down. This would be the perfect time to listen to this song!

For all my readers, may this make your day a better one!

Living out of a suitcase!

My main suitcase!

Have anyone ever imagine how living 6-8 in a room with double beds is like in Singapore. Unlike some bigger countries, Singapore is a small island, the size of many cities in a bigger country. For example, Singapore is probably just about the size of Shanghai or Beijing in China. As such, homes are much smaller and rooms are even smaller. Housing 6-8 in a room means there is hardly any room to move, not to mention storing your clothes and other belongings.

My hand-carry!

So how do we live? Literally right out of a suitcase like a jet-setter who travels round the world. Only in this case, we are staying put in the same place and our rooms aren't quite like the posh hotel jet-setters are known to live in.

I came to Singapore bringing one check-in suitcase and a hand-carry wheeled bag. However, as this is already my second trip, I actually have some stuff in Singapore. My mistake was not bringing a bigger suitcase (actually I don't even have a bigger suitcase). So for now, all my valuables are stored in my locking check-in suitcase and my general stuff in my hand-carry suitcase.

The suitcase a friend gave me!

I also have some good Singaporean friends who gave me some of their stuff such as shoes or handbags or even clothes that they don't wear anymore. This I appreciate very much... but where do I keep them, when my two suitcases are already full. We do not have wardrobes to hang our clothes in and no shoe racks to keep our shoes, so everything is out in the open. Fortunately, a friend of mine gave me an old suitcase which I use to keep some of my favorite clothes!

Common clothes area!

Living in a "community" like where I live, we do lose things every now and then. Recently, I lost a very nice jacket given to me by a friend. It's a windbreaker and one of my favorites too. I use it especially at this time of the year, when the morning can be really chilly! One day, I came home and it just wasn't anywhere to be found. I know some of my room-mates commented on how nice it looks and they could have conveniently "borrowed" it. We have people moving out every now and then and new people coming in, so it's not easy to keep track of our things as we do not have our own individual cupboards and hang our clothes in a common area.

Well, this is part of the life of a migrant worker I guess...

Learning English!

Some of my readers (particularly Urich), has been very helpful to me by letting me in on some of the places where I can learn English. However, I never did have the time to go check them out, much as I wanted to. Recently, one of my working colleague told me to check out the local Community Center as they tend to be cheaper and that was what I did on Saturday.

My first task was to find the nearest Community Center and I had to ask around quite a bit for that, not knowing there is one, just about 500m away. A nice lady pointed this out to me and I made my way there to ask if they have any basic English classes available. Well it turned out that they do... so I was rather elated. However, after some further checks, I realized that the class had already started at the end of Jan and they had already finished 2 classes which means that there is no way for me to catch up, even though they allowed me to join the class mid-way through. The next class starts in May, and I decided I must sign up for this one. However, registration is not opened yet, so I have to wait at least one more month or so.

I decided to look at some of the other classes available and chance upon some Aerobics and Yoga classes. I had heard about Yoga but had never tried it. I hear it's really tough... and good exercise for the body. I was quite interested and so inquired more. For whatever reason, I do not know, I decided to sign up for it even though it cost $65 for 10 sessions and the next class starts on the 24 February. Maybe it was my disappointment in not being able to sign up for the English class immediately that caused me to part with my hard-earned money. Somehow, I just wanted to start learning something quick, rather than wait till May to start my English class.

Was there buyer's remorse after I got home?

I don't know... but I do feel the pain of losing $65 just in a few minutes! I've never been so extravagant! Hmm... maybe I was letting my emotions get in the way when I was deciding what to do from now till May when the English class will start. Well, I will decide if I regret after my first Yoga class...

I just felt I needed to get some flexibility into my body, as jogging is making me a little stiff...