Archive for February, 2009

My neighbour is doing renovation works. First he built his wall on MY side of the property while I was away. Then all the incessant drilling, and knocking drives me up the wall. Even as I type, I can hear *knock knock knock* *Knock knock knock*. And then the workers kept on throwing cement and other big chunks of knocked down wall into the drain causing my drain to be clogged up with drying cement.

My kids and I are sick so we spent all of Saturday at the doctors. This meant that we had to rush to buy our groceries on Sunday. Unfortunately, I discovered the back drain BEFORE we went out. Sigh. My maid and I spent time in the hot sun hacking into the drain and trying to unclog it before it got worse.

I’m afraid I overdid it. Aunt Flo is visiting, I am using antibiotics and after at least an hour out in the sun, I almost fainted when I got in the house. I had to sit down in the middle of the kitchen floor to recover. Later as I fed the kids their medicine my hands were still shaking. Now, wheres that darned contractor. I’ve got to have another word with him. We did mention this to him once before and he had his workers come over to clean the drain but after that it is back to square one. Why can’t they just cover up the drain when they are doing their work. Its only a simple measure that will save a lot of headache. *Grumble Grumble Grumble*

Sorry, I’m in a foul mood today. I feel like vomitting. The phelgms all stuck up my throat and my head hurts on and off. And that non-stop knocking *knock knock knock* is making my headache worse!

This renovation works is going to take a long more while to go, I’m afraid. Neighbour is pushing out his wall and adding rooms upstairs and downstairs. (and blocking my view of the sun). What to do? Stay in terrace house have to put up with this nonsense. Sometimes they work even on Sunday and I can’t have a good rest with drilling even on Sunday. Furthermore, everyday, I have to jaga my maid because there are at least 4-5 Indon workers living next door at the moment to work on the renovations.

This is my husband’s TV Dinner from yesterday.

So what is so special about this dinner? The vegetable!

I finally harvested my own homegrown vegetable after sticking the stems in the pot 6 months ago! Hahaha. Now I have to wait another 6 months before having another plate of these. Lol!

Thanks very much to Lian who inspired me to stick the stems in the pot.

What would you do if you saw an elderly person or a mother and a young child who appears to need your help? Would you help them or would you walk away? I am afraid that if you were to help them, there is a possibility that you would be robbed instead. That is the sad state of affairs we are in.

Earlier this week, my son’s kindergarten teacher had her handphone stolen. How? A mother and a young girl had come into the premises pretending to enquire about childcare arrangements. The mother asked to look around the premises, then she sat down with the teacher to discuss about childcare arrangements. The “mother” told the young girl “Girl, go and look around lah.”

Well, she certainly looked around, because when they left, the teacher’s handphone which was left lying on the table was gone. The woman had followed the principal to another premise to look at another center owned by her. She did the same thing there, asked to look around etc. Finally she left.

The teacher had been quick to contact the principal and they managed to track down the woman and the child at their car. An argument ensued and the woman instructed the girl to go to the car. The girl came back with an iron bar/rod. (I can’t imagine a young girl doing that. How can it be? A young girl!) Then they quickly got into the car and drove off as fast as they could. They had also given a false address because when the kindergarten checked later, there was no such person staying there.

The teacher and the principal chased after them but she drove too fast and they soon lost her. Of course they made a police report since the woman had threatened them with an iron bar. They were worried about the safety of the kids. What if the woman came back with more accomplices to show her anger?

Apparently this woman and young girl modus operandi is not new. One even took off with some car keys lying on the table and drove off with a teacher’s car at another kindy.

A few months ago, the household association in my area issued a warning to residents informing us that some elderly persons or young children would go around ringing the door bells of people’s home. If no one answered, the house would be a target for theft. If someone answered, they would pretend they were at the wrong house etc and leave. One would never suspect and elderly person or a young child but you should. You should always be aware of your surroundings and try not to give anyone the opportunity to commit any crime. A lot of crime happens because of opportunity and because of unawareness.

After reading and hearing of more and more cases like these, I am afraid that I have turned into a hard hearted person. If anyone approaches me, I would turn away. I have been approached before at bus stops by men requesting for money because they needed money for taxi fares, phone calls etc. My family has been approached while we were dining at a coffee shop by a man asking for money because he needed help etc. We just harden our hearts and turn away.

Now I will even have to turn away from elderly persons and young children because I no longer know who I can trust. I prefer to walk soaking wet in the rain rather than take a lift from good samaritans. It happened before. Once, I was soaking wet in the heavy rain and many cars honked to see if I needed a lift. I just shake my hand and walked on. I don’t know who is good and who is bad. They all look the same. The worse criminals may be the ones who look the most kind because they have set out to mislead us. I can no longer trust anyone, sad to say.

My girl had school on Valentine’s Day so we had to wake up at 6.30am to get her ready and send her to school.  When I was tying her hair, hubby came up behind me and gave me a hug and a kiss and said “Happy Valentine’s Day Hon.” I like that.

Hubby sent my girl to school. I tried to go back to bed but couldn’t so I just cuddled the little one and watched him sleep. I like that.

When hubby got back, he wanted to have his Maggie Mee staple so I prepared some for him. He likes that. I gave some to the boy too. Bad mommy. Of course, I had some too. After that I spent some time counting the kids angpow money so we could bank it in for them. Wow! The angpow packets were really varied and in very nice designs. I must take a pic and post it up if I am not too lazy. We will leave a little bit of the angpow money for them to buy something small of their choice. They will like that.

When that was done, we had to go and make some payments here and there, we had some errands to run, wrote some cheques, did some filing etc. Then it was time to fetch the girl back from school. Since it was a Saturday, we all went to fetch her together. She likes that. The school was more relaxed too since it was a Saturday. They allowed us into the grounds and into the canteen. Normally, they either refuse to let us in or let us huddle together in a corner like sheep in a pen. Hahaha.

The boy was able to run about freely. He likes that. Hubby swung him around and around and they both looked happy. When they are happy, I am happy. I like to watch them together like this.

Then we took the girl to the mall for lunch and to browse at the bookshop. The kids had fish and chips. They like that. Hubby and I had Thai Pineapple Fried Rice. We like that. The maid got to enjoy the Pineapple Fried Rice too. She likes that. Oh oh. The lunch must have been bad, I had to rush home to the comfort of my own toilet. Haha. After that, I bathed the kids and sent them to bed. I badly needed a bath and a hairwash too but I was too tired so I went to sleep without my bath. It was quiet in the afternoon as the whole family napped.

When we woke up, I cooked a very simple dinner that the maid had helped me prepare. Then I told hubby “Happy Valentine’s Day. Sorry, I don’t have the energy to prepare anything special. Just do whatever you can, thats what you always tell me. Hehehe.”

So we had our simple dinner and everyone ate in front of the tv. Everyone likes that. We had CNY leftover F&N Orange and Coke with ice “because it was Valentine’s Day.” Then it was time for my girl to practise Piano for her ABRSM Piano Trial Exam and do some homework. I sat with her to practise piano while hubby taught the boy some math. Hubby has decided to become the kids’ math tuition teacher so he spends some time whenever he can teaching them math.

When my girl was doing her homework, I escaped to have my shower and hair washed at last! Then I dried my hair while guiding her with her homework. After that the kids had milk and doughnuts for supper. They like that.

Then it was off to bed for them. They looked sleepy and didn’t protest or try to join in when I went to snuggle with hubby to watch his favourite martial art movie that I had bought for him for his birthday recently. He likes that and I like to cuddle up.

Now, depending on how you see it, that can be a boring, just another nothing special type of Valentine Day or it can be a blissful Valentine’s Day, a perfect day filled with love.

The maid has been with us for 6 months now so its time to start paying her directly. Those of you who have maids will know that we are required to pay a 6 months advance salary upfront but this 6 months advance salary does not go to the maid. It goes to the agency for the advanced loan that the maid takes from the agency to get them placed overseas. Imagine working for 6 months without pay. Hmmm….

I understand that different employers do this payment of salaries to the maid differently. Some show her a piece of paper as a record and records down each payment monthly. Some pay via a bank account. I even heard of some who pay into their own bank accounts because they think the maid should not be earning interests on their money! Gosh! I really don’t know what to say to that.

I asked my maid how her previous employer paid her. She said that the previous employer will pay her cash and put it into a petty cash box every month. My first thought was “What if there was a burglary and someone runs off with that petty cash box?” Hmmm….

I would like to open a bank account for the maid because I think that is the most normal mode of payment. I think thats fair too. However, I don’t know what kind of account I have to open since she is a foreigner here. Can anyone help me out? As a foreigner, can she have a normal savings account for locals or is it different? What about transmission of money back home and how does she transfer her money home at the end of her tenure?

She told me that she had a difficult time trying to retrieve her money from the bank in her hometown previously although her employer had told her  that she had sent it. My maid lives in a very rural place. She has to take a day by lorry to the nearest bank and each time she did that the bank would say it has not received the money yet. According to her she had to travel 2-3 times before she received her money.

Appreciate if somebody with experience comments. Thanks.