Our 'Second' Honeymoon

When we got married, Mommy insisted on going for a honeymoon, even if it was to a nearby destination. And we did, going to Kuantan and Port Dickson. Yes, two entirely different locations and we felt like we drove more than we stayed. But it's still a honeymoon.

Then, Pey Gyn came along and we have travelled everywhere together since.

After a decade of occasional holidays together as a family, we felt that we are ready to travel as a couple again, just Daddy and I. So, after some careful planning and co-ordination and getting some free insurance quotes on travelling, we will be having our co-called 'second honeymoon.

We're off to Bali today, and will be back in a week. It's the first time that we are leaving you two behind, in the care of Ah-Mah and all your uncles and cousins. Initially, the idea was met with disapproval and frowns from you, asking us why you cannot come along, etc, etc, etc.

But over time (the planning began 6 months ago), you started accepting the arrangement, and Mommy is glad to see that you're no longer complaining.

Now that your part is settled, it's Mommy who is feeling bad. It feels as if we are abandoning you and going off to enjoy ourselves. And the worry. Oh, the worries!

Will you be ok? Is the transport arrangement going to be smooth? Will the aunties remember to pick you? Will Lik Jun remember where to wait for Auntie Li? Will Ah-Mah be tearing her hair getting Lik Jun to complete your homework?

Most of all - will you miss us? I'm starting to miss you two already...

Imagine not seeing your faces and hearing your voices for one week!

More Progress

Work at our apartment took a break during the Chinese New Year and resumed last week.

And finally, things are looking a bit more in place.

The contractors have begun work on the plaster ceiling and the electrical wiring and we can start imagining the final product, though still a little hazy.

Against advice given by those who have "been there, know that", we still decided on the L-box for the ceiling and then place concealed lights for soft lighting to our home. Sure, it traps dust and will require constant cleaning and at the same time, the ceiling must not be wiped with a damp cloth (or we risk it disintegrating), but it's really beautiful, so we will try not to regret our decision.

Mommy never bothered to know how plaster ceiling is made. And now I know how it looks like underneath.

And it does look very 'cheap'. So why are we charged so much for it?

The contractor has been a case of so far so good, not quite as demanding as those that we have heard about before. Asking for money before delivering anything, and in the end running away with the money collected. In fact, this contractor, who is a friend of a friend, has been rather shy about asking for payment. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he does not turn out to be cunning in other ways.

A Good Change

It's been a while since Mommy talked about my work at the office. Mainly because, there's nothing to say. The boss is still the same one, and his contract due to expire only next May. He has been a pain to work with, and not many people will disagree.

The most sore part of having him in the office is his tendency to nag and swear. His nagging puts a granny to shame, I tell you. Don't start an issue or approach him with a difficult situation requiring a managerial level solution. He will start his charts and pull in things all around him to illustrate his point. And he gives sad examples to stress it too. Once, he said "What if Tommy dies?" Tommy is the manager in the department, and when he said that, Tommy was right there in front of him! How is that for being a good leader?

And did I tell you that he swears? The F- word is his best friend. He has no qualms about using the word in his conversations, be it in person or on the phone. And he throws things around too. Stashes papers when he's upset, kicks the dustbin, bangs the window, raises his voice, flares his hands in the air - these are just a normal part of his day at work.

The only good thing is that, thank God, Mommy is spared of the above. But it pains my eyes and ears to hear and see Uncle Tommy being subjected to all his whim and fancy.

The better part is, he's leaving soon. Fingers tightly crossed. When you have a good boss, time flies. With this one, Mommy keep counting the days. And they seem so very far away.

However, strangely, just when we thought he will never change his ways, we're starting to see some positive vibration in the office now.

People are chameleons, I tell you. Can we swear at someone, only to smile and have soft conversations with him the next moment? Well, he can! It comes to a point that I'm not sure which is real and which is fake. Did he fake the scolding? Was the smile genuine? It's like putting on work gloves and removing them, just like that!

But one thing for sure, our department made money last year. In fact, we were the only department to surpass our budget, which is really good news. And it makes Mommy more proud because essentially, the department consists of the boss, the manager and myself. The boss does all the planning, the manager does the sourcing and handles inquiries, while I do all the documentation. Just please let that transform into monetary figures!

Week 1

If it's not messy, it's not called renovations, right?

We went to our apartment today to inspect the work that has been done so far and it was messy alright...

The parquet flooring is totally gone, and some serious hacking has been taking place. Due to the apartment rules, all debris are to be packed into bags before being carted away. Anything left behind will be penalised in monetary form and the management is holding a deposit for this purpose.

So, things are slowly falling into place and it's supposed to be a good feeling, right? After all, we worked hard for this, and it will soon be called a home. Our home.

However, we are more occupied by minute details like tile selections, type of tiles, position of switches and power points, cabinet handles, type of lights, etc. And colours! We had to be sure that the overall colours blend in well with the tiles and our contractor gave so many suggestions it was difficult to decide anything. We wanted to play safe and go with common colours, but thought about the excitement of trying something totally different, like colourful panels for the kitchen cabinet doors. Hmm...

This is not good. Mommy cannot wait to have all the decisions done and over with so that we can all wait impatiently to move in, and start getting to know our new neighbours, and feel the life of living in Kepong again.

Smoking, Anyone?

We're lucky that nobody in our household smokes. Koong-koong used to be a heavy smoker but managed to kick the habit a few years ago. Ah-Gong managed to quit, thanks to knock-off cigarettes which he bought at a discounted price (it was that simple!)

Is smoking something you learn, or is the hate of smoke inborn? Many years ago, a friend offered Mommy a cigarette during Chinese New Year. Since it's the festival season, Mommy felt it rude to turn down his offer, so I took it. And I did not like it at all. So the question is, if Mommy had been persistent and still took a few more puffs, would I grow to like it eventually?

Daddy claimed that cigars like the Rocky Patel might be more acceptable since it contains less nicotine and/or tar (?). Thanks, but no thanks. I have decided on that day years ago that cigarettes and I don't go together.

Safety First!

This is your first helmet, just for you.

Since moving to KL, you're travelling a lot more on Ah-Gong's motorcycle to the market, on an average of three times a week. Even if Ah-Mah has nothing to buy, Ah-Gong will find an excuse to bring you there for breakfast. In fact, you have become a familiar face in the market, especially among the eatery outlets. And Mommy won't be surprised that you will soon be able to point out to me which stall sells what.

This is a dream come true for you, right? You love motorcyle rides so much that just a joyride around the block will make you happy.

And Ah-Gong is just the right person to complement you. With nobody to fight with you for a place on the bike, it's just grandfather-grandson bonding daily.

Sending CNY cards

Who still sends CNY cards nowadays? We have evolved to sending e-cards, let's move with the times, no? But of course, it's more for convenience than being personal. There is no sense of being personal when sending e-cards, especially when we click on many emails when sending just one card, so we become very general. Mommy, for one, don't normally keep e-cards. But I still keep cards received from a long time ago.

So it's heartwarming when Pey Gyn asked if you could buy some CNY greeting cards for your friends. After a count, you announced that you needed about 30 cards in total, for your friends from both the old and current school. And you painstakingly penned a long greeting in each and every card, mentioning the recipient's name in the words. Nice!

Lik Jun did not want to be left out when you saw Kah-cheh writing cards for two whole days, so Mommy gave you a few cards for you to send too.

And you decided to send to your favourite teachers - Computer and Moral teachers. Two more were for your classmates, but you would not disclose their names, only insisting they are "boys"!

You are proving to be quite popular among your classmates now. When we pick you up from school in the evening, as we make our way out of the school compound, Mommy often hear your friends calling out to you, and will continue calling out until you turn your head to see them say good-bye to you. Sometimes the kind you will respond, sometimes the cocky side of you will show and you refuse to acknowledge, but your friends won't give up. And their mommy or daddy will urge them to stop as you probably did not hear them. Such pride!

Let The Work Begin!

With symbolic knocks on the walls and burning of incense, work has started on our apartment.

Finally!

The last few months had been spent looking through quotation after quotation, adding a few items here and taking out a few items elsewhere, all about decisions and balancing our budget against our dream home.

If only money wasn't a problem, we would have started work a long time ago, and we didn't even have to be a nomad like we are now.

But finally, we managed to make a few compromise, both the contractor and us. But still, if Koong-koong had know how much we are blowing away for renovations, he will probably launch into nag mode. Why Koong-koong, you may wonder. Well, haven't you heard? The more money a person has, the more a miser he will be. And that is what he is exactly. He's very careful about spending money and if there is anything that he can DIY, he will DIY. Unfortunately, he could not DIY a bypass, so he had to spend quite a fortune on his surgery almost three years ago.

Anyway, in approximately two months, we should be talking about a housewarming party.

Yay!