my luv

i was shopping around at Wheelock. n there's this preettie scrapebook place. WOw....everytin there is horrendiously prettie! i fell instantly in luv with this prettie baby scrapebook set. :) It's kinda luv at first sight affair! haha...i kinda have a soft spot for prettie stationery n notepads since young.

But it's a little pricey. so i'm having second tots in making the purchase.
i realise that scrapebooking is an ex hobby!:p Seriously, i wouldn't spend this kind of $$$ on myself. butbut butbut.....it's 4 my first born! :P

well,i'm giving myself 2 weeks. I can be an impulsive shopper at times. Time will determine if it's an impulsive buy. haha.

christmas cheers all the way...

good frens who fought thru advertising and marketing tutorials with me in NTU...
with our prettie x'mas dough nuts~
cookies from missy marrianne..
i got an Esprit silver pouch as my pressie!

We had our annual christmas party at Tania's place. This time round, we decide NO hubbies, NO ex, current or future bfs!!! ONLI Galz! JUZ Galz!!! C'mon...Who needs guys when u have a bunch of fun luving good gal frens...haha..wait till ter reads this..can see his funnie look. Fun...i luv to irritate Ter. :P Ter says a bunch of NTU marketing gals make up a whole village. Well, i can onli say we are original, confident and spontaneous. That's why we are in MARKETING! ":P

i'craving AGAIN!

i'm pregnant !!!!!:p

AND

i'm craving for...

Tom Yum Steamboat at Marine Parade Foodcourt

&

Canele Rose Petal and Earl Grey Ice Cream..
http://www.canele.com.sg/menu_rw.htm#ice_creams........

Argh.............

L'amour
Rose petal ice cream with raspberry swirl, rose meringue and lychee pieces.

Earl Grey
Earl Grey ice cream with raspberry jelly and milk chocolate shards.

is it me? or is it the preganancy??:P

lazy picnic...

i like tis pic. Natural. Happie!! :) Ter can be quite cheecky at times.
daddy can't resist cuddling little leong....weeeeeeee.....merry christmas to our little sweetheart!

family time.
Dad insists that the young couples take a shot! Heeere's it!

It's a lazy picnic day for the leongs. The orchestra is fabulous, choir is........well, Ter & i both tink BFC choir can sing better! :P

there's this nice restaurant, Casa Verde, at Botanical Gardens. It's run by Les Amis, so i'm having high expectations of the food! :P i'm surely going there for a lazy alfresco weekend breakfast one of these days or try the dinner set. Price seems reasonable.
http://www.lesamis.com.sg

Casa Verde

(Located at the Visitor Centre) Serves local and western fare, and also classic Italian dishes. Highlight of the restaurant is its wood-fired pizzas.

Opening Hours : 7.30am - 11pm daily

Tel : 6467 7326

My car, the first week

Ahhh, I've been driving around with my new car since last Monday. It feels good to have freedom (or a restriction if you're finding a parking lot in the CBD) from public transport and its idiosyncrasies. Life's much better for my babies (the adult and near-infant ones) since we can go gallavanting around Singapore finding the makan to satisfy mommy's cravings :D

As usual, there are too many people clamouring for parking lots at my office, so I bought season parking for Ah Hood road, and I'm getting fitter every day walking 5 minutes up Irrawaddy hill to my office. On top of that, my Punggol season parking costs another little bomb, so that's $65+$90 per month I'm paying. Duh, I kinda miss the free parking at PLB (my old office). Oh well....

Topped up full tank last night, the previous tank lasting me for 9 days. After updating my petrol log book, my fuel consumption 15.1 km/l, not bad for a new car still under run-in. Hopefully I'll be able to get 17 km/l after run-in and after Dad installs Rocket Power and the other fuel capsule he's been selling as a sideline.

Harp Christmas!

Last Christmas, Ter & i saw some young gals playing the harp at Esplanade. n we both like it! :P

If u do happen to be at the esplanade this christmas, do check this out. Gold winner of SYF!!! i tot it's worth catching!

SYNOPSIS

Gold winner of the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging in Instrumental Ensembles 2007, a group of confident and gracious harpists performing with zest, promising a lively programme!

CHRISTMAS CHEER with
Nan Hua High School Harp

DATE: 25 DEC 08

TIME 3pm – 3.30pm, 4.30pm – 5pm,
6pm – 6.30pm, 7.15pm – 7.45pm,
8.15pm – 8.45pm

Venue: Esplanade Concourse
Price: Free

http://www.esplanade.com/whats_on/programme_info/nan_hua_high_school_harp/index.jsp

my lalalala tots...

I'm going to Botanical Garden for picnic tis sun for the Wind Symphony tingy n i'm reallie looking forward to it!!!

I'm checking out stuff i can do in SIngapore. With our new "toy" car, we can simply start exploring more of S'pore's inaccessible remote areas. And, hey!!!i found this site!! Prettie cool and fun! for parents, can bring ur kids to the parks and do some gardening art, bird watching etc ! well, when little leong is older, i'm definitely bringing her there!!!!

here's the list of parks in SIngapore: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/
I'm particularly interested in this: http://www.sbwr.org.sg

My tummy getting bigger by the day n little leong should be OUT in 3 mths time!!!! :P Yipee, my little gal is arriving...soon...SOon...SOON!!! Nowadays, it's more straining to walk. and my legs get exhausted easily. Little leong's weight is on track and i'm growing FATTER!!! haha...Thank God for the smooth pregnancy!

I ran up the overhead bridge when i was 3 mths pregnant and gotta scolding from hubby...of course.... And, i told myself i will NEVER ever do that again. Well, i seriously forget that i was pregnant in that spur second. So, after that incident, i was like constantly reminding myself that i am pregant and i should walk veri veri slowly like a pregnant woman!!! And should juz do what a pregnant does. wahahaha... My mum n grandma had strictly c0mmanded me NOT to run!!! And, jusz as much as i luv to go out n play n run up the overhead bridge, i realise that i "MUST" be a responsible mother. No more running. No more spurs of sprinting. No more jumping. No more running after buses. The list goes on n on n on...And i realise i'm someone who hates limitations!!! wahahahah....But, in my heart, i know this baby is very precious to me.....:) And i juz want the best for her! so these days, i've been walking real real real real slow, it's a mindset paradigm shift, constantly reminding myself that i am pregnant and should do the things that a pregnant woman does.

i fell down last week and it shocked Terence. Thank God the baby was ok. but i kinda twisted the sole of my sole, so walking gets a little tough. Anyway, it will take a couple of weeks to heal. So i'm minimising my walking now. Nowadays, hubby holds my hands everywhere we go. Haha.....he must be worried that his clumsy wife will juz fall again. OKOK Mr Leong....i promise to be Veri very careful n very "kuai" for the last 3 mths!! :P i'll be fine!! No worries! ur little leong will be very veri safe!!! :)

i wonder if Ter will allow me to go

"Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve"

in my pregnant state. Haha... i need approval from my hubby la!!!:P

smile......we'll see.
i miss my camping days during DHS guiding days....ANd hey, i can pitch my own tent, climb a tree and start my own fire OK!! :) "Little leong, quickly grow up!!!! Mummy wanna bring u go camping!!! :P FUn!!!""

born again?

Terence and i have few things in common. But this is one song we both luv. We luv the intensity of the music and words.

Death was all around me, Day was fading fast.
Sin had paid its wages, And life would soon be past.
Then, i saw the Saviour, Through a narrow gate
Calling " Enter quickly,Before it is too late."

Now i am born again, Born thru Calvary's blood
Now i'm born again, To God's kingdom above.
Though i was once a child of death, Now i'm breathing heaven's breath,
Praise the Lord! Thru His blood I am born again.

Dying in the shadows, Suffering in the night,
I could hear Christ pleading," Receive my gift of life."
In his hands were nail scars; Blood was flowing free.
As i knelt before Him, His love flowed down to me.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" John 3: 3-5

We drove home last night after dinner with ZQ. It was juz very soothing to sit in the car with hubby, talk, hold his hand ( he can drive with one hand!!!:P), enjoy Godly music, talk about the words in the song and the music. He was singing to the song n i was blessed by the song. Even when we reached the carpark, we could not bring ourselves to get down the car until we finished the song. i tot it was very sweet and in my heart, i was tinking that i could give up everything for this moment! hahahahaha.......

This was an answered prayer from God to me. In my Uni days, i prayed for a man i could worship God with wholeheartedly. And todae, when i see Terence, he is indeed a constant reminder of how the Lord has been good to me. Just as God has given to us so freely, i pray that our lives will be used for His work and glory.

mediterranean chill out

We brought my parents to Portobelle Restaurant @ Bukit Timah Rd last sun.
http://www.portobelle.com

It's a mediterranean place serving Greek, Italian and Mexican fare.The place is real real quiet and we wasn't expecting the food to be good. But we were wrong. Food turned out fabulous. Must try: Braised Lamb Shank ( it comes with pasta with lamb shank fragrance. i luv the pasta! ) and Moussaka. ( some sort of eggplant with cheese & chicken) The tortillas are so0so. Normal.

Perfect place for those with kids and bulky prams. And for couples who juz wanna some privacy. Can u believe it?We were the onli guests there and had the whole place to ourselves. Perhaps they cater more to the night expat crowd . Since they have lotsa wine.

anway, it's a good meal. And most importantly, my parents enjoyed it. it's all that matters! :P

Sometin fun!

This looks interesting! i wanna go! :P
perhaps can bring my in-laws there for some picnic!

Event @ Singapore Botanical Gardens

Event Selected :	Singapore Wind Symphony (Sun)
Date :	21 Dec
Time :	6-7pm
Venue :	Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage
Contact :	Visitor Services (6471 7361)
Content :	30 years ago, in 1977, the National Theatre Trust actively recruited music makers from all walks of life to form Singapore’s first symphonic band - the National Theatre Symphonic Band (NTSB). Subsequently, the National Theatre Trust was dissolved in 1992 and NTSB re-registered herself as a society to embark on yet another era: the Singapore Wind Symphony (SWS). This performance will feature not only symphonic arrangements of Christmas music , but also familiar favourties from composers such as George Gershwin, Tchaiskosky , Handel. SWS is also honoured to have The Santa Maria Choir to perform with SWS in this concert. Pack your picnic baskets, family and friends for a gathering amids the lush setting of Palm Valley where then Singapore Wind Symphony will delight you with their soothing music!

MOM to the aid of mothers!

31 July 2006

Tor Ching Li

PREGNANT women who are unfairly sacked even before their sixth month of pregnancy — after which it becomes illegal for an employer to do so — can seek recourse from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Ministry helps unfairly-dismissed pregnant women get compensation PREGNANT women who are unfairly sacked even before their sixth month of pregnancy — after which it becomes illegal for an employer to do so — can seek recourse from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). MOM shared two examples of pregnant women who were retrenched during their pregnancy but had their three-month maternity leave pay reinstated after they sought help from the ministry. Mrs Tan (not her real name) was fired from her job as an administrative assistant six months into her pregnancy on the grounds of poor performance. She had worked with the company for less than a year but fulfilled the requisite employment period to qualify for maternity benefits from the company. She was given one month's pay in lieu of notice and another month's salary as compensation. Worried that she would not be able to find another job in her heavily pregnant state, Mrs Tan appealed to MOM to claim the full maternity benefits due to her. "Through MOM's conciliation, the company agreed to pay her another two months' salary. In total, she received the equivalent of three months' maternity leave pay on top of her one-month's pay in lieu of notice," said an MOM spokesperson. Another pregnant working mother, Mrs Wong (also not her real name), was retrenched from her post as a manager after three-and-a-half years of employment. The company claimed that her position was redundant after an internal restructuring. She was five months pregnant at the time of her dismissal. Upon MOM's advice, the company eventually provided Mrs Wong with retrenchment benefits and an ex-gratia payment equivalent to three months' maternity leave pay. A total of 23 employees sought MOM's assistance to claim maternity benefits in the first five months of this year. In 2004, there were 36 such cases and last year there were 78. MOM attributed the increase in complaints to heightened awareness of maternity leave benefits. Singapore National Employers' Federation (Snef) executive director Koh Juan Kiat said the current Employment Act and Children Development Co-Savings Act were "adequate to protect pregnant women". "They can appeal during any stage of their pregnancy if they are unfairly retrenched," said Mr Koh. The National Family Council announced last week that it would be working with MOM, Snef, the Singapore Business Federation and the labour movement to drive home the message that employers have to adopt good human resource practices to retain talent. It also expressed its disapproval of discrimination against pregnant employees. adapted from:http://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=2772

my scrapeblog!

Tried sometin new todae since i'm quite bored:
Reallie fun! & addictive too! & inexpensive way to spend ur day :P

Visit my first scrapblog:
http://www.scrapblog.com/myScrapblog/myscrapblog.aspx?gycid=9f03ca20-7544-448c-8528-25b53736c05a


I've created 3 albums todae and i'm getting better at this! I've been using design templates. Well, perhaps, i'll try some blank templates some other day. Seems challenging. I'm still figuring out how to export the stuff out! And perhaps add some new music. The music here is reallliieeeeee LIMITED!

1) Japan
2) Baby Joann
3) Steamboat party

Pooi See been bugging me for the steamboat pics since long long ago. so here's the pics finally.I realise there's still much pics i've owed many many. Well well, one day when i'm reallie in the mood......i;ll promise to load.....:P

I'm all ready for the Lao Beijing High Tea buffet tomorrow with the BFC young aunties: Karen & family, Ligin, Fang and Ade! Been craving for "guoties" n "xiao long baos" these days! i wonder if it's the pregnancy! In my entire life, i've never liked chinese food! This is the first!

Now, time for some therapeutic ice-cream! tataz...

Does the law protect pregnant women?

Some interesting articles i found on MOM website.

May be useful for all women who are pregnant or intend to be pregnant! :P

2008: http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/press_room/press_replies/2008/20080916-reinstatement.html

2006: http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/press_room/press_replies/2006/dismissed_employees.html

2005: http://www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/press_room/press_replies/2005/20050618_-_lawdoesprotectpregworkers.html

little leong on her bus ride to tampines.......

i had an unforgettable bus ride yesterdae, a ride i certainly will remember for quite some time.

Back then in NTU Marketing school, there was a joke that if u can't make the best advertisment, then u make the worse ad. Coz the ads that capture the hearts and stay in the minds of consumers are either the BEST or the WORST~! It takes great effort for consumers to simply remember an average ad~. So if u wanna gain attention and can't be the best, then BE THE WORST! haha....:P it's a joke to laugh about, but, i guess it's reallie true to a certain extent!

Well, for my bus ride, it's not the best for it to stay in my mind. So with ur intelligence, i'm sure u know what kind of ride it is!!!!:)

Looking real pregnant, i boarded bus 27 towards Tampines. As usual, the bus was kinda packed to the brim. Thank God i managed to squeeue my way to the handicapped lots, to grab unto the pole provided to balance the little volleyball in me.:P And YES, i was standing right in front of the seats reserved for pregnant, elderly and handicapped. I was right in front of the sign that reads " To give up the seats for ........" Somehow, no one reacted and everyone kinda pretended that they did not see me. Or did they not notice my tummy? As i was kinda right in front of the sign, the playful cheeky and rebellious me was soso tempted to read out the sign ALOUD on the bus and see if this little experiment would make any difference. But, the other mature and sensible me knew that it was not appropriate to create such a scene. Of course, in the end, i yielded and joined in the pretence show everyone was putting up, playing my part well of being unaffected by the entire situation.

Seriously, i',m quite fit and i'm content to stand the entire bus journey. I dun need the seat. It's not the seat issue. To me, it's the heart issue!!! It saddens me to see how "ugly" people can be. or rather "selfish " . I reflected on my own feelings and i realised that i dun feel anger, but rather sad. i detested this behaviour! And it saddened me to see the hearts of selfish people. It suddenly dawned upon me that somehow in life, there are such selfish people and this is reality. Indeed, this world is not such the PERFECT world and i was comforting the inner me that i should jusz manage my expectations. AND not expect people to meet up to the expectations i hold. And to pray that God can give me that extra grace and mercy to accept them.

Anyway, after a little while, guess what!! This Pri 2 gal on the handicapped seat stood up and gave her seat for me. i was touched by the kindness of this little gal and my heart was warmed. i realise that education and age plays no part in moulding the hearts of men. An inoocent little one who has little life experiences and education, with a heart of gold, is far greater than one who has received excellent education and made great achievements in life.

For little leong, i rather she be a simple gal with a heart of gold than one who boasts great achievements in life yet never known the true meaning of kindness and love for people around her. What is the world teaching these days? i wonder....