Sisters

The sisters. At first Saitaoha was delighted to share the big bed with her yee yee and Tristan Koko. But then she suddenly decided that she would rather squeeze in the single bed with Saitaomei and I ! I had to cajole her back in the big bed by lying down with her until she fell asleep.

Earlier in the night Saitaoha and Tristan were having the best time squealing in bed and playing some loud crazy game about robot monsters. It reminded me of the days when my sister and I used to be so excited to share a hotel room together during vacations.

It’s been a long time since Jo and I shared a room, we slept side by side in the same bedroom till my late teens until I moved to Perth for studies. I have fond memories of us chatting the night away and listening in on our neighbour’s drama watching and guessing which drama they were watching.

Before our lobster buffet tonight, we made up together in the bathroom and I helped her do her hair. We used to do that a lot before big events and nights out when we lived together.

It’s only the first day of our vacation but I’m already really enjoying our family time together.

Kuching Day 2

Breakfast of the champions, silky kueh chap with sweet and salty char kueh and a cup of thick kopi. Only problem was Saitaomei still isn’t adjusting to the strange surroundings and climate so she’s been rather tired and cranky. Pretty much had to scoff down the food and poor ah pa was eating with one hand and clutching on to the struggling Saitaomei. My ah pa is truly amazing.

Mei mei perked up after a bath and a nap so off we went to Spring where the girls enjoyed a little playground time.

I wish this photo wasn’t blurry.

So pleased with their ice creams.

Mei mei looks like she’s eyeing her jeje’s icecream!

We didn’t dare to brave the hawker centre so opted to takeaway from Hui Sen instead. The char kway teow was good, lots of wok hei.

Mei mei approved, but she hasn’t been eating much.

Back to Spring again! The kids are having a really great time, lots of outings, car rides.

And oodles of icecream 🍦 !

We are having a great holiday so far, hope it continues all the way to the end 😀.

Kuching Day 1

First of the FIL meals, many more to come I’m sure. I used to get a bit annoyed at these massive meals because I felt like we were being force fed. But it could be age or maturity, I now appreciate these meals and understand the effort that goes into making them (and my MIL who washes up afterwards). It’s nice to have someone else cook for a change and all I have to do is feed the kids.

First kopi in Kuching, a good one too.

Foochow noodles for breakfast, it was very tasty.

Hello from Kenyalang, the place of my childhood. Everyone commented that the floors were so dirty but I didn’t mind lah, I was pleased to get a photo of Saitaomei at my favourite place of my childhood.

R and his parents are flying off early tomorrow morning for the China leg of the wedding. For the umpteenth time I’m so glad that I decided not to join them for this leg. The long travel along would drive the kids (and myself) bonkers, let alone Saitaomei not adjusting to the new environment and new faces. She’s been acting up and being generally very mischievous and whiny which is quite unlike her!

We managed to finish all the errands on our to do list today. Then we had dinner at Verinice, the first time for R and his family. I told them that it has been our family go to for quite some time and when the dishes came, they could see (and taste) why.

When they dropped us off my family home and my parents stood at the front porch welcoming us, Saitaoha shouted ‘Mah Mah!’ so loudly in the car and launched herself at her favourite grandmother. I felt the same way too! Safe at last, back at home. It’s unfair towards R and my in laws who have been very welcoming, but my family home and my parents are really my sanctuary, nothing else comes even close.

When we turned off the lights, Saitaoha, Saitaomei and I slept on my childhood bed which I shared with my sister. Saitaomei was half asleep but still made hand gestures to the lullabies that Saitaoha and I sang together. It was surreal that Saitaoha and I were serenading her little sister to sleep! I breathed in the sweet scent of my babies, and felt contentment, peace and overwhelming love steal into my heart. What a good way to end the first day of our holiday.

Happy birthday Ah Ma

It’s Ah Ma’s birthday today. We celebrated her birthday in our usual family fashion, with lots of yummy food and cake 🎂. I like this photo of Ah Ma and Ah Pa because they both look happy. Ah pa was playing the birthday song on his guitar while the rest of us sang along.

Us daughters tried to find our own ways to tell Ah Ma how much we love her and appreciate her. I hope she felt it today and everyday because she really is a super ah ma and worries about us and tends to us like a mother hen everyday despite our mature age. I am in my thirties and my ah ma still tells me to message her when I’m on my way home so she can fry my favourite rempah stuffed fish so it’s piping hot and ready the moment I step into the house. She then tells me to eat up all the fish and that she’s not hungry and likes to eat fish bones 🙄.

Her love for her grandchildren has no bounds and I’m so glad that they love her back immensely. Mah mah is Saitaoha’s best friend and favourite person 🥰.

Happy birthday Ah Ma, I hope you had a lovely day with many more wonderful birthdays to come.

Round table

I’ve been wanting a round table forever! I associate a round table with heartwarming homecooked meals with my family.

Somehow I could never find one just the right size or design. Round table designs are rare and not popular in Australia, the bigger ones are so expensive too. So R made me one by himself! I love it 🥰 I guess his DIY hobby is getting very handy.

Last day

Lately I’ve lost mojo for work because of said difficult person and a boss that refuses to have hard conversations. It’s a situation that makes me question my own personality, working style and capabilities. Is it me? And that the other side of me is furious at having to question my integrity. I’ve prided myself on my work ethics and collaborative leadership style all throughout my career, so who are you to make me question myself?

At the end of the day, I realise this is my own internal shortcomings. I can’t change the situation or that person, but I can change how I deal with the situation. I thought about giving up and just leaving, but then I’ve changed my mind because if I leave, it means I am condoning this behaviour and saying if you behave badly enough, i am just going to give in and give up. Why would you give a lolly and reward a tantrumming spoilt child? I don’t do that to my kids so I won’t do that at the workplace too.

It’s such a good time to take a break and spend quality time with the family and kids! Last day of work before the holidays begin, I am so excited !!

Mid autumn festival

Copious cups of fragrant Chinese tea, triangle slivers of lotus paste double egg yolk mooncakes (both tea and mooncakes were gifted by a long time old friend so felt extra meaningful), hanging out with the kids and family. Admired the full moon whilst hanging out the laundry.

It was a nice 中秋节, how was yours?

6 years and counting

Thumbs up for the weekend!

Only the weekend is now over boo hoo. Despite still not being 💯, it was a lovely weekend with R and the kids.

It was our 6th wedding anniversary too, we didn’t celebrate at all save for a celebratory hug that we haven’t killed each other yet haha. He had leftover pasta and I had a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. The only ones that had fresh cooked food were our princesses 🙄. Oh but we did crack open a bottle of wine 🍷 but I only had a sip because still quite poorly. We watched Grease and Pitch Perfect which were showing on tv and we all danced to the catchy tunes in the living room.

On Sunday we headed into the city to pick our a wedding present for my sister in law. I cooked R’s favourite 八珍鸡汤, sesame ginger chicken with potatoes and stir fried broccoli for dinner. Lunch bento prep was trusty 鼓油王炒面 and fettuccine bolognese. After dinner Mei was hankering for a walk so we trotted over to my parents and stayed for snacks, fruits and a chat.

It was uneventful anniversary that somehow epitomises our life right now, simple meals, dancing with the kids, doing housechores together, hanging out with Gung Gung mah mah, a simple but happy life.

Vent out of shape

Just when you get complacent in life and think we’ve had a pretty good healthy spate, bang, the kids are sick and so are you. I’m just waiting for R to join us, it will be inevitable.

The annoying thing is when I’m sick I still tend to the kids and look after them as per normal when all I really want to do is lie down in a dark room somewhere and sleep. When the father is sick, he lies down in a dark room somewhere and goes to sleep. I know I could do the same and let the kids and father 自身自灭, but I just cannot lah. Its just not in my DNA. It’s similar in my workplace where a gluten intolerant colleague has been condescending and downright rude to me, but what do I do, I bake bloody gluten free treats so she isn’t left out during our team morning teas. Why am I such an idiot ah?

I guess I still believe in treating others the way I want to treated and hope (maybe in vain!) that someday this will be reciprocated.

The good thing about venting on WordPress is no one reads my blog so I can vent without being self conscious. I signed up to Dayre 2.0 so my mom could access it for her daily gossip but gosh, that app is a total joke and surely must be the laughing stock of the app world? I really doubt it can survive…

It’s been such a tough week, can the holiday come already ?! Totally random but I truly believe no one in the world loves you as much as your parents. I saw my parents visibly wince when they saw my sickly face this morning. It’s one thing to be filial and another thing to be want to be good to your parents out of love and not obligation. What’s your gauge of true love? To me, it’s when my parents are old and elderly and have lost their bodily functions, I will have no qualms cleaning up their adult nappies and trimming my father’s nostril hair.

Ok I think I’m babbling nonsense now, I blame the fever ok?

Tired

What an exhausting and disappointing work day.

The flu like symptoms didn’t help and a very cranky sick toddler made me feel like pulling my hair out.

At least it’s Friday tomorrow, but I still have to go to work and deal with the problem that won’t go away. I wish my holiday was here already.

Breathe in and out. It’s a brand new day tomorrow. May it be a better one.