Finally! I can get past the 'create new post' click. But that is because I am home. My new pc in my office is so old and screwed that I have been having problems in a lot of areas. I didn't have Flash until yesterday, I can't download Quicktime coz I am using Windows 98 and Microsoft discontinued the Quicktime version for this Windows version about 4 years ago... hmmm... what else... ya, this... I haven't been able to do anything on this blog, and since I spend more time on the pc in my office, you can understand the stagnant state of this page. Have to do something about this, or else I'll be updating my blog once a month. Great.

So, much has happened since.

And I owe a few people something about being one in a million... ya ya ... I haven't forgotten :p

Ok, first off, and on a rather sombre note, my childhood friends, who are twins, Shoba and Sheela, had their mom pass away on the 13th of last month. One day before Mother's Day. Life sucks.

I grew up with Aunty and her twin daughters, among the other 5 siblings. Used to go to the house for tuition (she was a mean Math teacher and it did not help that I sucked), dance practise for the school concert, to hang out, to have lunch, for singing practise for the school concert, and so on. She had a good sense of humour, a very witty person who will come up with the right remarks for any situation. She was also a very good mother who was always there, strong and sturdy through all the ups and downs the family had. Believe me, I know. From nursing her husband who had to undergo dialysis every month, to nursing her eldest son when he had his illness that finally took him away too soon... I hope I will some day find strength like that. Aunty, you will be missed. I can still hear you tell a joke and laugh in your ever so gentle way. Your children miss you very much. You have left a big hole. RIP.



And I was ever so thankful on Mother's Day this year. To HAVE my Mommy with me. I organised a brunch and foot spa morning for the mothers (mine, Kenn's and Dyan's) at Dyan's place. I just came up with the idea since we all had our specific mothers to attend to, why not get all of them in one place and serve them. And Dyan's house was the perfect place with its outdoor patio and mini waterfall with koi pond all in one. Thanks to Uncle Goh for allowing us to invade his home so early on a Sunday morning. The children got there by about 9am, well Rodney was already there with Fabien a little earlier, and Kenn had to wait for his sister before coming. So Rodz got to fry the bacon, sausages, hash browns. Dyan toasted the waffles, made teh baked beans and everything else in between that needed to be done. Fabien whipped the cream and helped me chop some fruits. I chopped the rest of the fruits for the yogurt and fruit compote starter dish. Kenneth got the juices which we did not get the night before. Yu Li helped us set the place and make sure everything that needed to be done was done, with Dyan's instructions.

The mothers got there by 10am. Aunty Gert, who had no idea that this was going on, had a shock of her life when she got home from church with Uncle, to find her house swarming with familiar faces she usually spots at night parties at her house, not early Sunday mornings, and smelling of freshly cooked food. Uncle is good at keeping secrets. So after trying in vain to keep Aunty Gert out of the kitchen, I proceeded to fry the eggs according to everyone's own personal choice (scrambled/bullseye/omelette/fried both sides), while the feasted on the yogurt and fruit compote. Then of course the rest of the food went down with ease at first, until everyoen felt a little too full from the three course brunch menu.

The last thing on the list was the home made foot spa that each of us was going to give our mothers. We got the chairs ready on the patio, I laid out the choices of oils and scrubs available for the day. With the hot water in the basins, we began the spa with a foot soak and milk bath with Nespray milk, orange peel and Eucalyptus oil. Rodz did Aunty, must score points maaa... Sasha started off with mom-in-law first, and I did my Mommy. Then the mothers got a foot scrub. They all decided on the coffee, olive oil and sea salt scrub that Seema made some time back and passed some to me. After they relished the effects of the coffee... to top things off, came the massage. Mommy and mom-in-law chose the L'Occitane revitalising oil that Shoba had bought for me, while Aunty Gert chose the Aesop hydrating oil that Seema so kindly lent me. Kenneth gave his mom the massage. After an hour and fifteen minutes, the spa was done, and the moms had a look of relaxation and relief in their faces. I was just thankful that I had my Mommy with me.



I bought a keyboard!! Finally!! Got this third hand from Mia. Thanks a lot Dear! Now am desperately practising my fingering, which has deteriorated to the point of my fingers taking on a life of their own. Still figuring out how the damn thing works, with its 101 button combinations *boggled*. Tried to come up with some tunes to songs... still no OOOMPH. But the bottomline is... I have a keyboard!! YEAY!!



Last week saw Janet and me have the privilege to perform some avant garde improv movement with a paper artist from Austria. Tone (pronounced toe-nay) Fink, a 63 year old boy, yes, boy. He reminds me so much of my dad, with his playful and childish ways. Ends most of his sentences with Miaow! I felt like a kindergarten teacher at some point, after having myself feel the need to tell him to STAY in one place during our technical run (I did tell him in the end and he listened).

The event was called EUphoriA. It was supposed to be held at the outdoor stage built specially for this event organised by the Austrian embassy for their clients and friends. Thanks to Pat for calling me. He needed two girls, so I called Janet. She agreed. Pat also called another guy, Alwin. So we were the Paper Stooges, with the Paper Chief. He basically makes designs with his paper. You can actually wear them, and give them life. I wore a warrior suit, a twin head tribal costume (with Janet) and a worm-like tunnel costume. We had 3 parts to perform and improvise to. It went well in the end, although the whole event was supposed to be outdoors, the rain on the two days (dress rehearsal and show) did not allow that to happen, so we performed inside Pentas 1 instead. It was an experience to cherish. We worked well together and Tone kept remarking how lucky he feels to have met and collaborated with such wonderful performers. I am just honoured to be a part of it. He is quite an accomplished artist in his country and across Europe. Already miss his quirky ways. he does tend to grow on you.

Also met Ewald, a curator, and Ursula, a fire artist-sculpturor-chainsaw artist-folk singer. She baffled us with her folk song she gave us in the dressing room... so cool. And Ewald is such a darling. Will activate the links to Tone's website when I have them and maybe upload some pics too. Till then... check out Janet's blog entry complete with pics. I have to sleep now. So will be back soon.

SB