The Unbalanced Libra..

While packing for K's trip last week, I came across 3 packs of unbranded condoms.  When questioned, K told me it was standard issue by the SAF to all the men.  Now why the hell would they need condoms if they are supposed to be on re-service and doing training in the jungle etc?

K said it's mainly for the 1 day R&R that they will have.  And that it was the SAF's way to "protect" their men cause it's like their responsibility.

I have absolutely NO doubt that K will not use the condoms, but I am just uncomfortable that there is this practice going on with the SAF.  To me, these are all grown up men.  If they really want to have sex with strangers in a foreign land, can't they buy their own bloody condoms?  Still must babysit them and issue condoms to them? Won't that be a form of "encouragement" instead? Plus, they issue the condoms to ALL men.  Why can't they issue only to single men and not to the married men?  I am sure they have the full bio data of each and every Singaporean man in the army to categorize them as married or single.  Anyway, i just don't think the SAF is sending the right messages by issuing condoms to married men as well.  

I hate the SAF.  First they issue condoms to my husband.  Then they take him away from me and my baby for 2 weeks.  Arggghhh..

K left for his 2 week re-service last night.  His first call up and he's being sent to Thailand.  For 2 freakin weeks!  I miss him already..  Can't believe he's not going to be with me and Bria for  2 weekends, including the Hari Raya public holiday long weekend.  I hate SAF.

I took leave yesterday to spend time with K, but we both ended up busying ourselves with our work.  And booking our flight tickets to Osaka for my birthday.  We went to the NATAS fair last weekend, but couldn't find any decent deals.  Wanted to book a trip to Europe, but either the dates were not suitable, or the itinerary always seem to include Rome and Paris, both of which I've been to so didn't want to go again.  So in the end, we left empty handed and decided to book ourselves instead of going through the travel agencies.  So it's gonna be Japan for my birthday, and either USA or Europe for our year end trip.  I am doing research on Osaka now, can't seem to find much exciting things to do there leh.. compared to Tokyo.  Probably should have chosen Tokyo.. sigh..

Bria slept with me last night after K flew off.. She slept much sounder than in her own cot.  Slept at 9pm and woke up only at 6am. Will try again tonight to see if it's the same.  Hopefully, after 2 weeks of sleeping with me, she will be well trained to sleep through the night!

Poor baby and mummy, won't see daddy for 15 days.. sob sob... = (

A big carton box addressed to K arrived today.  At first, I thought it was some of K's Moleskine notebooks coming from his office in Hong Kong.  On closer inspection, i noticed that the box wasn't from FEDEX, but from vpost.   I knew K bought a bag for me from vpost USA, so i opened the box.  I was expecting one bag, but I got 3!!  One work bag, one casual bag and one baby bag... I was so happy I woke C up to share my joy with her. = )

I think K must have felt guilty so he bought me 3 bags.  Few weeks ago, we had a tiff that had me in tears.  On hindsight, it was kind of stupid.  Anyway, to summarize, I was upset that he was spending so much money on his other wife i.e. the MX5.  Whilst I had to wait so long for him to buy me a bag.  

You see, I had been asking for a bag for the longest time, as my "reward" for going through labor and boring him a baby.  One of my friends' husband bought her a really expensive watch when she gave birth to their son.  Her husband said it was a gift to her for giving him a baby.  I know I shouldn't compare with other people so much, but I can't help it.  Plus it's so sweet I want my own husband to do it!  But K didn't buy me any big gift despite the many hints i dropped about wanting a new bag / watch.  He did ask me to go to vpost and choose the bag I wanted.  Which i did.  But he never followed up after that, so I was quite pissed that he wasn't sincere about it at all.  I might as well just use my own credit card and pay for the damn bag.  

I can't remember what triggered the quarreling, but I just broke down halfway cause I felt so hurt that he never bother to make the effort to go and find / buy me something for the past 8 months since Bria was born.  But when it comes to spending money on his car, he is so enthusiastic about it.  K kept apologizing and went online immediately to shop for my bag, but I kept telling him it's too late already, that there is no meaning even if he get me a gift now.  The present was supposed to be given when Bria was born, not 8 months after!  To me, if i have to go through all this trouble just for him to buy me a gift, then it's kinda pointless already right?!

Anyway, about a week after that, we went shopping at Orchard, and i bought 2 cheap (about $30) but nice handbags.  And now i have 3 more new bags.  I think i got too many bags now.. haha..  = )

Last Tuesday was K's 29th birthday.  For some reason, K didn't really want to celebrate this year.  He seemed quite depressed that he's getting older but haven't really achieved much in life.  Sigh..

So this year, we kept it simple.  On sunday night, the usual gang gathered for dinner at Tian Tian chicken rice in Joo Chiat.  Everone was quite surprised at this arrangement cause we usually would go to a nice restaurant or buffet place to celebrate, and there will usually be a cake.

I took 2 days leave on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, I took Bria and C shopping for K's present.  My plan was to buy K a watch, an ipad and a crumpler bag to put the ipad in.  K has been targeting all 3items for some time already, but refused to buy them.  The plan was to go to Funan and get the ipad cause there were quite a number of retailers carrying it.  But alas, i spent nearly 2 hours in Funan looking for the ipad, cause all the stores were sold out!  Eventually, i resorted to sitting at Macdonald's for half an hour and calling all the retailers in the north, central and east of Singapore.  But all were sold out.  Except for one reseller in Lucky Plaza. But that stupid reseller is selling at $250 more.  The problem was, I was running out of time.  So the next thing i knew, i was on a cab to Lucky Plaza.  It was raining heavily at that time, and C and I had to wrap Bria with her spare clothes to avoid the rain cause there was no shelter between Funan and the taxi stand.  Plus, there were no cabs cause it was like 5 minutes to the peak surcharge timing. 

When we finally alighted at the Lucky Plaza taxi stand, it was almost 530pm.  I went to the reseller shop, paid for the ipad in cash, and headed to wheelock place next to buy the crumpler bag.  The people at the crumpler shop were all so friendly and played with Bria while I settled the payment.

We took the train home after that, me all exhausted from the day's work.  I hid all the presents underneath C's bed.  At midnight, I played hide and seek with K and asked him to go and find his present, which i had hidden in his wardrobe. I think this year's birthday present is one of the best I have given to him.. haha.. he was so happy.. = )

The next day, which was K's birthday, we spent the whole day in town shopping, and also for K to replenish his Moleskine notebooks at his customers' shops. We had Japanese buffet for lunch at Heeren, shopped around a bit, before heading off to Bukit Timah to collect his birthday cake.  This year, I bought a customized birthday cake for K from my boss's sister, who is into baking.  It was a one of a kind Almond Earl Grey tea cake.  Basically, i told the lady that K likes almonds and nuts.  She suggested almond green tea and almond cheesecake.  But K didn't really like cheesecake, and he preferred earl grey to any other tea.  So viola, we had a winner - earl grey almond cake.  So special right??  And he loved it!

We had dinner at home while watching "Love", and then had our cosy little birthday celebration as a family with the cake and candles.  I think Bria enjoyed her first birthday celebration with Daddy too!

I took my first final theory test on Monday night.  And I passed!  Was so worried the whole weekend because of this.  Firstly, K told me that the final theory wasn't as easy as the basic theory, and quoted a few friends who took the test several times before passing.  Secondly, I had absolutely no time to study for it at all. I took 3 separate days to flip through the final theory book part by part over the weekend. In fact, i was still reading through the last few pages in the car when K drove me to the center!

I was so sure I wouldn't pass the test, that I told K and C that if i passed, I am very smart.  Haha!  Who knows, the test was so easy leh!  I had 50 minutes to complete the test, but I finished it within 10 minutes.  I AM smart!! hee hee..  Now i only have the stupid practical test to pass and I will officially be a licensed driver! 

Bria turned 8 months yesterday. = )

In the morning, C and I brought her to the wet market to buy some vegetables and carrots for her meals.   She was so well behaved yesterday, not like the screaming and crying baby for the past few days.  It's like she knows she's a big girl now!

During lunch, I met my uncle at Katong shopping center for some maid shopping.  My grandma's current Indonesian maid is asking to go home earlier than her October contract date, so that she can celebrate hari raya with her family.  Problem is there are no new Indonesian maids available cause all want to come to Singapore after their fasting.  Anyway, we saw a transfer Indo maid that we liked at Jack Focus agency.  But the people there are so rude.  It's as if they don't care if they get our business or not.  Cause they got so many celebrity customers already.  I was quite pissed off at their attitude.  Anyway, by the time we shopped around and went back to Jack Focus, the maid was already taken by someone else.

Went back home to pack lunch and continued working.  Knocked off at 530 exactly, and took C and Bria downstairs to do my pedicure.  The last pedicure i had in Phuket was already 90% peeled off.  Plus, i recently found this newly opened pedicure place inside a hair salon that's super cheap.  Express pedi only $10.  And nail art $2 each.  I got so friendly with the girl she even added in a small crystal in my nail art, and painted all  my other toenails with sprinkles.  The best thing is, it's just below my house!  Bria was such a good girl.  She just sat there quietly throughout the whole session, watching the girl do my nails, looking around her surroundings, and playing by herself. 

At night, I watched my favourite Taiwanese drama, had dinner, put Bria to sleep, before heading for my driving lesson. It's been one month since my last lesson, so i forgot a lot of things already.. Think i stalled at least 5 times yesterday.  And most of it was at the traffic lights when the light turned green.  I must have gotten cursed by a lot of drivers yesterday for holding them up!

K is coming back this evening.. Will be bringing Bria and C to the airport to pick him up.  Poor boy, still haven't fully recovered.  Work so hard until fall sick also must go for business trip.   Sigh..

Last weekend, I invited some friends over to our place for a National Day party.   Before K and I went to New Zealand, we actually had one similar party where everyone came dressed in white or red, and we even had a cake in the shape of the flag, and we would sing Happy Birthday too!  But ever since we went to New Zealand, and I had Bria, we didn't celebrate for the past 2 years.

This year, we did not have any cake, but we ordered KFC and Pizza, and played Wii until 2am in the morning.

While chit chatting, one of my friends asked me how is life different as a mom.  That question left me thinking for the past few days.  My reply to my friend was that it's very different, cause as a mom, i have to think for my baby in everything that I do.  No more thinking of myself and being selfish.  Well, it's selfish in a different way.  Selfish not for myself, but for my baby.  Which is true. In fact, sometimes, i think i am so selfish for Bria that I become a bit scary.

Like recently, when K fell sick, the first thing that came to my mind was that he will spread his germs to Bria.  When i think about it, it's quite sad.  It's like baby first, then hubby.  But i can't help it.  I hope K doesn't feel neglected!  I know he loves Bria, but it's very very different, a mother's love and the love of  a father.

I'm also being all paranoid over the whole 7th month thingie, so this whole month, i won't bring Bria outdoors after dusk.  Plus, I'm not going for any after-office events and business dinners now.  Not sure if i will miss out on any opportunities from all the informal networking, but i couldn't care less.  K's birthday is coming in 2 weeks, and I am actually thinking of just celebrating at home, cause i don't want both him and Bria to go out at night.  In case he falls sick again. Good thing is, K also don't want to celebrate this year. He's going for 3 weeks re-service a day after his birthday.  What a bummer!  If I were him, I won't have the mood to celebrate either!