Journal of a lady

Last Saturday I went out with my ex-colleagues after attending a talk at SMU. I was the first to reach Clarke Quay followed by China. (Yeah, China is her name)

I was so happy to see her, a bubbly daring young lady. We chatted and walked along Central, and finally Shi Hui arrived with her sexy mini skirts with high heels, the always sexy lady. A while later, the next girl to appear is Jennifer ("ladies, it's coming"). She look prettier. So, where's Cat? She just woke up. While waiting for her, we adjourned to Hooters for some snack as our Jennifer didn't have her dinner. We talked, we laughed. Throughout the dinning, we were served by a lady which we hardly could understand what she said. It took a longer time for us to understand. ("Chu Chan").

Ta da, finally our sleepy head Catherine was there. We got the Hooters girl to take photos for us. After a while, we proceed to a not so crowded pub (I don't remember the name). There, we continue our chatting and of course, photo taking. Here, some of the work.

Last Friday was my ex-boss, San's last day service with DBS. So, a farewell dinner was done at Chili Padi (a peranakan cuisine). I was happy to see my ex-colleagues. Some new faces too.

After the dinner,some of us went to Intercontinental Hotel for a coffee and chat. A new usual, I ordered fragrance tea. What else can I drink? There we chatted and took photos with our star, San.
See?

Last week was kind of a busy one for me. My cousin, Oscar came to visit us from Tawau (he's going to watch the Olympic game in Beijing and awaiting his visa to be approved in KL). Not many places we've been to as this is not a uncommon place for him, he stayed here before. In fact, he brought me to Lucky Plaza to have "roasted duck noodle", I didn't know that there is this kind of stall. The noodle tasted ok especially when it is with lot of gravy.

I felt so good that I went to hospital for my mom in law's routine check up with my father in law. It was suppose that my father in law to bring my mom in law to the doctor and then I suggested I follow too (I wanted to do so but I couldn't when I was working). I talked alot to my mom in law during the long-hour-waiting medicine collection, hoping that she will get over her fears. Hopefully, she will become better and my father in law will feel more release and happier. To me, family is very important. I have heard and seen some real life stories of many working so hard for the family yet at the end problem surface, not in monetary matter but MENTAL and STRESS. Is life in Singapore getting harder to cope with? Or the ppl are not able to cope with it? Or the life limits our thinking to work only?

Ever since I cut down my working volume, I have been staying at home doing house work and do some cooking. At times, I meet up with my friends. So far, I kind of enjoy the slow pace of my life.

In the morning, I prepare breakfast for my husband (which I rarely had the chance to do this during my working life). Then, I do my housework. The feeling is so satisfying and happy to see the house is clean and tidy.
I now get to cook dinner more frequent as I will have the time to do marketing and to cook in the evening, and most importantly, more energy! What's more, an NTUC has just opened near my block. Hurray!

Clean and cook, that's what I enjoy doing now. Of course, besides these I also borrow books from library for reading. It seems that I get to do variety of things ever since I cut down my working volume.

Cleaning house, cooking, going to library, surfing net, learning new words, meeting/visiting friends, exercising, sleeping...(going to add some more activities). I will add more useful activities!

Finally, we booked a bbq pit at East Coast and we are going to have a small family gathering. I don't think I will be able to do it efficiently when I was working.

One important thing is, my relationship with my husband has improved. It's now more harmony as I don't anyhow throw my tantrum.

And I believe, my health will improve and the energy level will go up!

"It's the journey of life that matters, not the destination."

My perspective in life has changed a little. "Don't wait, just do it before it's too late".

I have decided to cut down my working volume. At first, I thought of to stop working for the year but this won't work on me. For the past 1 1/2 months, resting at home really drove me crazy. I really salute 'housewives". A task of a housewife (wife + mother) to me, is a tough job. What's more if a working woman needs to juggle her work and family. Wow, give them a thumb up!

Come back to my story, well I decided to work 3 days out of a week. I will see how things progress. But I already feel so tired after a day of working. Remember? I had difficulty to fall asleep and sleep through the night? Oh, now it's a different story. Last night, after reading "Stop Prediabetes Now", I went to sleep, a sleep that was deep and through the night. This morning the alarm (not handphone alarm, it's the alarm clock that make sharp "ring! ring! sound) rang aloud but I still could continue my sleep. I wanted to switch of the alarm which is just near me but it seems that my hand couldn't move towards it.

Finally, the alarm stopped. Because my husband helped me to switch it off. Huh? See, if he didn't switch it off I think I would continue my sleeping with the alarm still ringing me to wake up! wake up!

I am suppose to prepare to go to work, but the problem is I feel fuzzy and giddy. Feel so low of concentration. Don't have the energy to walk. Damn!

At times, I think that why all this happen to me? When I finally found a job that I feel is my cup of tea and I started to picking up...and suddenly it all went down.....down....
How I wish it didn't happen and if it didn't happen, my career still continue a steady pace and get even faster. WHY?! At that time, I started to get the feel of climbing up the stairs and reaching my destination. But why did it happen to stop it? Why is it always this way?

Maybe there are people think that I am not strong, a weak person. It's easier to say than to do. I know I am not going to deteriorate myself. What I need is some times and gradually. Please allow some space for me to grow. Let me alone. I will not all these beat me down. Don't worry. I want to do it now rather later!

I do my blood sugar testing every once a week. For the first 2 weeks, my blood sugar level was normal before food but it went down below range after 2 hours of food. After realizing the trend of my blood sugar level, I adjusted my diet in order not for my blood sugar fall out from the range.

Last week, after dinner I checked again. The result was so frightening, as the level gone up so high by 40%. Oh my god! You know why? Because I ate some ICE-CREAM, a no no for a pre-diabetic me. You must be saying this " who ask you to eat them?". Yeah, nobody asked me to but myself. I really craved for it. I am just 27 but I already can't eat those things you guys enjoying.

But after some thoughts, I have to control. Or else I'll get diabetes even faster and situation will be even worse.

I don't know much about pre-diabetes or diabetes, how far this disease can harm me. So, I decided to borrow some medical books from library.
Oh my god (again)! What? I feel kind of scared. Besides, high blood pressure, stroke and amputation, I did not know that diabetes will lead to many other problems.
Here, (in case you suspect you might be getting diabetes):
1. Acne
2. Alzheimer's Disease
3. Cancer
4. Sleep Disorders
5. High Stress Hormones
6. Hypertension
7. Constipation
8. High Cholesterol
9. Inflammation
10. Poor Circulation
11. Low Vitamin level
12. Mental Fuzziness
13. Stiff blood vessels
14. Accelerated Aging
15. Mood swings
16. Anxiety
17. Depression
18. Food Cravings
19. Fatigue

In case you have a family record of having diabetes, be careful!
If you think that only obese or overweight people are prompt to diabetes, you are wrong. I am a good example. I am not overweight or obese. (but if I don't control my diet, I am afraid I will have another problem: weight management). Don't take things for granted. More and more humans are getting this disease because of their lifestyle; skipping breakfast, eating fast-food, lack of exercise...
BEWARE!
Diabetes can result in:
blindness, nerve damage, kidney failure and amputation.

I'm a person who can't tolerate my day without sleeping. Sleeping in the afternoon and still could go to bed early at night, never been a problem for me in years.

But things changed, last weeks I could not get myself to fall asleep at night even though that I did not sleep in the afternoon. Even when I fall asleep, I would wake up in the middle of night and get back to sleep again. In another words, I had "disturbed sleep".

Last Saturday night, I couldn't get into sleep and I ended up staying awake until the next morning. I could only fell asleep at 7 a.m Sunday morning!! For my whole Sunday, it was gone feeling tired and "dreamy'.

There are many people out there having problem sleeping and some rely on sleeping pills. I hope I don't need to go to the extent of taking pills to make myself to sleep. I love sleeping, just don't separate us.

Should I continue or pursue another? I am lost.

I have been so long never felt this before, difficulty to fall asleep. For few nights, I have difficulty to fall asleep and even when I was sleeping, I would wake up middle of the night. I used to no matter how much I napped, I would be able to sleep at night or even more.
It's like almost every night I dream. Dreaming of me having miscarriage again, blood flushed from below, my husband betrayed me, so many that make me feeling so insecure.
I am kind of lost, there are not many things that interest me. Last year, my husband was going to plan our UK trip for this year yet I changed my mind. Now, My husband and I are planning our trip to Australia but that does not excite me. No surprise if I were to change my mind again. I don't feel the excitement. I am no more excited.

It's almost a month since my miscarriage. Much better emotionally yet my health still need some times to be more stable. I have been feeling so giddy these few days that it affects me to do my stuff. I wanted to start work yesterday yet my condition does not allow. Staying at home most of the times is so boring. Watch TV? Reading? Sleeping? These were the at-home activities I have been doing 'cause I have only limited things to do due to my weak concentration. Many told me that I was weak but I did not believe them until this incident. I am diagnosed to have "Glucose Intolerance" which is also known as "Pre-diabetes", no wonder that I feel tired easily. But hey, I am not at my 40s or 50s or not even 30s. I am only 27 years old and I have to start a strict no-sugar diet. I knew I will have diabetes but did not expect it will happen so early.
It all happened without warning.