It has been very hazy here in Singapore lately. With the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hitting as high as 400, it is the highest and most hazardous PSI ever recorded. And people are looking for N95 masks which is almost sold out.
No doubt, what we are facing seems minute compared to the earthquakes and floods occurring in other parts of the world. Right now in the Himalayan hills, for example, thousands of villagers and pilgrims are stranded in the flood-hit area inundated by heavy rains. Hundreds are dead and thousands missing, buildings washed away. A consequence of hydropower development in the region. This is something I cannot imagine facing.
Still, back here in our tiny city-state, while we fight the worse dengue epidemic, I do hope that the forest fires in Indonesia will subside soon. The pregnant, the elderly, the sick, the children and the rest are all suffering. Like many others, I am having teary eyes and a numbing headache.
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| Haze over Singapore shaded in red and orange. Blue dot (Bali), I'm coming! |
What a gloomy way to begin a post that serves to punctuate my life. C'est la vie, non?
Nonetheless...
With so much going on at home recently, I have now come to a point in my life where I think I should pause, mark my life with a big comma, and take stock of everything before I move on again - hence this post.
First up, I am unwittingly beating the haze by hopping out of town, southwards. A 3 days, 3 nights trip to my favourite place, Bali - alone, no less (ticket was booked way before the haze came).
I remember announcing this to Hubby a few months back:
I am going to sleep for 3 days and 3 nights(!) the day our boy can take care of himself.
Meaning that he can eat, sleep and bathe on his own and he does not wet himself at night. I estimated that that will be about 3-5 years later. Apparently, Hubby brought that much needed break forward - I have not slept throughout the night for more than 2 years! And I desperately need my 'me' time too. Note: My son is practically crawling all over and under me while I'm trying to type this post.
In a random messaging session, Hubby abruptly asked,"... I can take 1 week leave. See whether you wanna take a break abroad". Three hours later, I'd decided on the place, got a return air ticket and accommodation, and is bound for Bali in a month's time.
And so, for the first time, I am going to travel alone for leisure - alone but definitely not lonely ;) If Singapore is a little red dot, then, Bali is my little blue dot. My little piece of heaven where I had spent one of the happiest moments of my life doing my favourite sport - body surfing. Of course, Bali is a much, much bigger dot (see map above).
Anyway, I am not going to sleep for 3 days. My baby sister (she's 24, 7 years younger than I am. But to me, she'll always be a baby in my eyes) was asking me what I am going to do alone. Well, I am going to surf myself silly! In fact, with my hotel just minutes from the sea, I will be making a rocketline for the beach as soon as I can.
I will slip on my swim suit and a kaftan, slip on my slippers, get some money for the surfboard, gallop towards the beach, get the surfboard, throw away my kaftan and slippers, and jump into the Indian Ocean - in that order. I will surf till the sun sets, or till the surfboard stall closes, whichever comes later, and then repeat everything for the next day. We shall see how much my much older body can take compared to my salad days - especially so after giving birth.
So much for travelling alone. Will update when I'm back.
Next, as if travelling to my piece of heaven wasn't enough, Hubby literally bought me another piece of heaven - an ipod touch, 5th generation. To others, this might not be much of a thing, but to me, it is a nice boost to my everydays ahead. For a music lover like me, this is essential. After almost 10 years, I am finally going to bid farewell to my old mini ipod where its screen has almost fade out, and say hello to my new buddy, in the same colour hee...
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| I sincerely want to thank my friend who bought the mini ipod (left) in 2004 as a farewell gift for my 4 months work trip. It was, and will always be my precious gift. Thanks Hubby too - you just bought me a little piece of heaven (right) :) |
Side note: Goodbye to my VGA camera phone too, which has just died off after 7 years usage - it's time you go my old friend, thanks for your service. Hello to Nokia Asha, a non-3G, nothing-much phone. To me, a phone should be just a phone. Excuse my radical opinion :)
The third and last affair that warrants this post is that - lo and behold (takes a deep breath) - we have gotten the apartment we were eyeing! So, in 5 years time, our little family of three will be bidding farewell to our first home of 12 years and will be moving into our tiny and cosy dream home on the 35th floor. We absolutely can't wait.
The interior designing will be all up to me and I do not want our home to be another beautiful home - I want something weirder, something unexpectable - so that I won't be bored too quickly. You know, Aries do get bored rather easily. Right now, I am aiming for a masculine, practical and simple decor. The first and foremost priority is that it must be easy to clean and maintain.
You know what is the best part? Our new place will just be one street away from the village where I had spent the first nine years of my life. How lucky. Feels like going back home, literally. I am feeling so nostalgic! *silent squeals of delightment - Yiieeyy!!* You bet, one fine day, I will take a walk back to my village when we finally move there and when my son attends full-day school.
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| Artist's impression of the SkyPeak |
On a different note, after the passing of some unpleasant events, life has been better overall now: I totally adore my baby boy and my man; my boy, at 30 months old, is finally speaking (alot!); and there are some good news for Hubby, work-wise. I am just truly grateful for all I have now and I am not going to focus on what I do not have.
To round it all up, I have an advanced solo trip, a new music player (ipod) with a camera to boot, a new handphone, a spanking new apartment, and things are now fine and dandy at home - all after a bout of dreary days. And as I let out a huge sigh of relief and give out a wide and wistful smile, I know I am now in a very cosy spot in my life. I am thankful for everything.
Till the next life comma, stay upbeat and perhaps you should count your blessings right now. Also, do not covet for others' lifestyle - live your own unique life, at your own pace, befitting with your own personality. If you can afford, walk the unbeaten path. Do do something useful to the society, and you can't be wrong. And, like I always do, when the going gets really tough, bite your teeth and tell yourself, "No-thing lasts forever - everything is transient. Therefore, this will pass".
Meantime, my boy and me will be evading the haze and the unbearable dry heat by trawling the malls and lingering in the Jurong Regional Library (the largest public library in Singapore) - before Hubby takes over when I leave for Bali. That's when I shall finally break free from the never-ending chores, exhale and let go COMPLETELY. Hopefully, by the time I return, my dwindling batteries will be fully recharged. :)
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| People-looking at the skating rink at Jcube shopping centre, Jurong East |
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| Cultural show at the library |