Good Bye Auntie Yani

And so the day finally arrived... My first maid to complete 2 full years and also have fulfilled her contract, is ready to go home... back to Indonesia... back to her own family.

She's been with us like part of the family, took care of the kids as if they are her own, especially my younger one, Ally. We've been very happy with her service in our house and we're all a little sad to see her leave.

Ally was taken care by her since she's 3 months old. Beside her mommy, Auntie Yani is the next person whom she finds find comfort from... I'm the third...
















Isabel unwillingly took a photo with her before she left for school. She is the least attached with her. Probably the only one that never shed a single tear for her departure. Up till now she has never mentioned Auntie Yani's name, or say that she missed her... But I know she does miss her.
She doted my younger like her own, really cared for her well being. Protected her from harm.

We purposely brought Ally to watch Yani depart, this way, she knows that Auntie has gone home, and will not cry for her anymore.








As we escorted her to the departure hall, our hearts were heavy, but we also know she will have a good life ahead since she has saved quite a sum of money for her family.

One thing to admire these Indonesia women coming to be maids is their willingness to suffer for their family. The sacrifice they made leaving behind their family, some even young children in order to make a better living for them.




The "Official handing over and taking over of duty" for the old and new maids.











Yani, with tears in her eyes, walked to the immigration counter. For a long while she did not turn back...

But I could see her furiously wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.






As Ally watched, she began to realized that Auntie is not coming back. We explained to her that Auntie is going home... All she did was stared...















Mommy picked her up, and she started to cry...

"Auntie!... Auntie!..."

She banged on the cold glass wall with her tiny little hands, desperately trying to get her attention.

Auntie finally turned back, with watery red eyes she gave a weak smile and waved a little as she walked across the border and disappeared into the corner...









Ally cried...














And cried...











And cried...













But after we drove off from the airport, she never mentioned about Auntie again. If anyone asked her where's Auntie Yani? She'll bluntly say "Auntie go home..."

No more tears...

Train Ride

Its not easy to get kids to sit still for long, especially when a train ride that takes 30 minutes.




Isabel: "Daddy... Are we there yet...? How many more stops?"

Ally: "I want drink water... Later pass urine"






(I was very surprised when she started to say pass urine instead of sh-sh few months ago)





Isabel: "Lets read a book... Once upon a time..."

Ally: "Princess...







Isabel: "Chieh...

Ally: "Daddy blow candles?..."
(she keeps asking me to do that for twenty over times)








Isabel: "Ally, watch me ballet..."

Ally: "What? leh? Huh?"










Isabel: "Now I want to drink water"

Ally: "You see? You see? Mosquito bite me..."










Isabel: "Daddy... Are we there yet?"

Ally: "I want pass urine..."





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Medical Leave...

Many people thinks its nice to be on MC resting at home... rest... read a book... take a nap...

But with my 2 kids constantly hogging for my attention, almost all these things never happened.

I can't really recall what I've done for the past week... I know Ipainted my bed room twice...

The kids wanted to help paint my room, they each grabbed a tool and pretended painting around the room.








They played silly games...









And laughed they heads off..















When I completed the green and looked at the effect, I didn't like it at all. It makes the bedroom looked very old. Like 2 old farts been living there for 20 over years.

So, after much serious discussion with the lady of the house, we decided to have a more romantic Lavender purple, which we both feels good about. So I bought another can of paint and changed the color.

***********************

I watched plenty of Hong Kong Drama series because my sister rented 3 titles for me, each one with 30 over episodes except the last one.

First was Dicey Business, which talks about the rise and fall of Casino Tycoon, showing what greed can do to a person and affecting the people around him.

The second title Land of Wealth talks about banking system in the old china. Politics between banks, how they survive thru time, and also about the revenge of one man's family.


The third is a drama about this fat girl finding love...

The media was broadcasting about how the leading lady put on weight so to be suitable for the role. Then after the production, many slimming company approached her to help her slim back for free.



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I guess the best part of being on long MC is being able to spend more time with the kids, break certain habits which I always want to help them get rid of... namely to wean off the bottle for my 5 years old.

I gave her a 7 days challenge of not using the bottle to drink her milk at all. At first she struggled. Milk too hot, milk too cold, too much can't finish... each cup she took more than 30 mins to consume.

By the 3rd day, she can finish the whole cup in 10 mins.

Well... Tomorrow I'll be heading back to work. I'm expecting a ton of papers piled on my table waiting for me to clear, and a list of issues waiting for me to make decisions.

Anyway... it was good break, time to face reality.

My birthday Present

Sorry to have disappeared for such a long time, I was out celebrating my 35th Birthday IN A HOSPITAL!!!

About a week before my birthday which is on the 2nd of April, I was hit by fever. The burning fever accompanied by sore throat and body aches lasted for a week. On the fifth day after the fever started, my left ankle started to swell with rash although I had not injured it physically.

I was not bothered by the persistence of fever, I knew I could ride it through, but when the swelling and the rash started with no known reason, I was a little concerned.

But the real worry started on my birthday when the rest of my body had an outbreak of rash INCLUDING MY FACE... I had no choice but to see a doctor.

The doctor had no idea what's going inside my. He highly recommended me to go to the hospital to have it checked out.

I rushed to the hospital and when my name was finally called to see the doctor... I was admitted in 20 minutes... But later they told me there was no bed in the B-Class wards.

Praise the Lord!!! I was given a free upgrade to an A-class ward. Heh hee hee hee hee!!
















Its a room with a view on the top floor... my own room all by myself...











In the night, I can see the skyline of the city and the Central Business District.
















It has a lounging sofa where I sat and read my book and had my meals while I looked at the view.
















They serve 5 meals (of my choice of Chinese, Muslim or Western) a day including morning and afternoon tea.
















24 hours of cable TV, free Internet access... But too bad I don't have a laptop, otherwise it would be more cool.

There were times I forgot I was in a hospital, if its not for the doctors and nurses who came and checked on me from time to time, I thought I was in a hotel.

The doctors and nurses are very polite, they greet and introduced themselves at the beginning of every shift, and made sure that patients are comfortable and taken cared of.
















My children were asking for me every night, so my lovely wife brought them to visit me on one of the evenings.















Isabel was happy to see me.
















But very soon, they also forgot they were in a hospital.

I've been discharged and resting at home for the past few days. Doctor said I'm fine, just a bad allergy reaction to the virus attack... something like that.

A special thanks to all those who came and visited me, also to those that called with well wishes.

It was a good break, a good rest... Maybe God is telling me I worked too hard for the past few months, and I needed a break. But I now know I must have a balanced life style, balanced diet, with lots of rest and exercise.

God bless all of you, may you all have good health.