Luca's Engagement ...

Don't read it wrongly. It is not about Luca's marriage. We haven't found him a partner yet. : )

 

Luca's engagement refers to the stage whereby his head has descended into Sandy's pelvic cavity and in other words, we are closer to receiving Luca from his wet and dark little hideout and delivering him into this world where everything is beautiful, warm and full of light.

 

It can be anytime soon as he is ready to charge into our arms. Or rather, the doctor's. I can just imagine myself cry out with tears of joy as I wrap my hands around my little prince and giving him a peck on his forehead. It will be the moment of my life. A life changing experience.

 

I have on numerous occassions 'practiced' the route I would need to take from home to the hospital just in case Sandy's water bag burst while I am fast asleep but I have yet to practice the route from Sandy's office to Eastshore. I guess I'll be very cool when Sandy shows signs of labour.

 

We have prepared Luca's clothes for him to wear when he heads home after being discharged and guess what is the color? You guessed it right!! Red! My favourite color. : )

 

Lots of visuals enter my mind as I imagine Sandy being wheeled into the delivery theatre with lots of nurses around to cheer her on. Breathe in .. Breathe out ... Breathe in ... while my hands are being squeezed blue by Sandy while she screams out in pain. Yes, it can be a painful process. No kidding.

 

The only thing I can do is to be with her during that time and making my presence known that I am with her and Luca throughout the delivery.

 

Counting down .. to endless joy .. endless love .. endless fun .. and very much endless sleep too.

 

 

第一次

请允许我用中文字来表达意见好吗？

其实我的华语已经还给老师了可是因为有了iphone之后我可用汉语拼音来输入中文字了。

昨晚庆祝了妈妈和表妹的生日。吃了西餐，真的不错。有的喝酒又有的看足球。真的好棒哈。只是打台球，输了。 没面子了。

好了，就让我祝妈妈身体健康，每天开心， 生日快乐。







.... hideKraM on the go ....

Killer ...

Just two nights ago while using the bathroom at home, I noticed a black lizard on the corner of the ceiling. My. I have never seen such a tanned, big and fat lizard.

 

I quickly called out to Sandy for help in gathering the equipment required to rid off the friendly pest. Yes, I know lizards are supposedly to be friendly but not one that lingers around my en-suite. Too close to my bedroom thus no way!

 

It took me twenty minutes before I got rid of the lizard but during the process, it was a cat and mouse chase. The tail dropped off while in defence mode and the sight of the wriggling tail still haunts me even till now.

 

I guess I am feeling very guilty about having to vacuum the poor fella and taking its life. I had no choice because if Sandy were to be the one in the toilet and having a close encounter with the lizard, she'll scream and freak out. That won't be good for Luca. It'll scare him.

 

Being a father isn't easy. This is just the beginning. I have to protect my home and my loved ones. For the sake of them, some things need to be sacrificed.

In less than 30 days ...

 ... Luca Chong will join the family and like his name, he'll bring more than light to us.

 

It has been a very exciting time from the day we learnt about Sandy's pregnancy to buying all the baby products we need. I guess we are very much prepared for Junior Mark to pop anytime but of course, the later the better as Luca will need lots of nutrition through mummy.

 

I really wonder who he'll look like but I hope he will have a pleasant personality. But I believe in his younger days, he'll be a rebel just like I was when I was a kid. I guess it is going to be pay back time for when I was younger, I often talked back at my parents and never really allowed things done their way because my way was the best. Haha.

 

Let's face it. We don't know what kind of parents we'll be too. Who knows I might just spare the rod and spoil the child or perhaps spoil the rod and spare the child. ; )

 

It doesn't matter how we'll bring Luca up because we will do what we can to provide him the best childhood and the best learning experiences in life.

 

We will give him all we can and make sure he is comfortable.

 

Luca, we look forward to meeting you soon but I am sure it won't be that soon because I aren't going to complete reading the Little Prince just yet so stay in your wet hideout and wait till the book is complete. : )  

Remember me...

I had a casual conversation with one of my girlfriends and we stumbled into a taboo topic. Death.

Quite a morbid thought but it happens to everyone anyway so why fear the taboo? Let's not go into details but perhaps you want to ask yourself - how do you want to be remembered?

For me, perhaps I want to be remembered by songs. My own compositions as well as some other songs I so often croon.

Yes. X-Japan and Leslie Cheung is sure a must to remember me.

So after one passes on, how long would it take for that person to be forgotten? I asked myself if I think about relatives and friends who passed away and yes, I do.

What this girlfriend of mine said is true. It will be remembered forever as long as the memory remains functional.

So when it is my turn to go, will you remember me for the good and bad things I left impressions on you?

Importantly, please remember me and my favourite songs.




.... hideKraM on the go ....

Happy Birthday Po Po.

I had an enjoyable evening with family, relatives and especially cousins.

Well, it is Grandma's birthday and by counting the candles on the cake, you sure can tell she is old but still very healthy and alert.








Besides the celebratory cake cutting, the other highlight of the night was the karaoke machine made available in the dining room.

It was the first time Gregory and I sang together after so many years. Ok. Karaoke wasn't popular in our younger days but the songs we picked sure were top hits that we grew up with.

We grew up listening to pretty similar songs and we even sang the song 'Friends' by Michael Smith. Gregory reminded me that the song was from the CD Mega Hits, a popular compilation of hit songs of the billboard charts.or was it cassette?

Frankly, the last song we sang together sure brought me lots of memories from our childhood. Beside the once in a blue moon fights, we had lots of fun together playing what kids played. Toys. Lego and Transformers.




Alicia and Jean joined in the karaoke session too. It was pure fun and they too are part of the family as they sang Anak.




After dinner, i brought my two brothers to Long Bar for a drink and my, they gulped their alcohol real quickly but as soon as they reached home, they went straight to bed. Was it the alcohol or were they just tired?



.... hideKraM on the go ....

Pregnant versus Aged

Just yesterday while at dinner with a couple of friends, we discussed about the giving up of seats on public transport.

 

See. We have two pregnant ladies amongst us and they both have received the honor of having someone give up their seat for them while on a train or a bus.

 

Who says our society is lacking in courtesy and kindness that requires expensive campaigns? Well, I am not actually going to talk about the campaigns and how it managed to help our society by turning it into a gracious community in Singapore.

 

Let me ask you a question.

 

Assuming you are seated comfortably on the train and a pregnant lady walks through the doors of the train with her hands on her hips. Behind her is a frail man aged 70 thereabouts who looks weak enough to fall off when the train departs its station.

 

Given such a scenario, who will you give up your seat to? It is an open argument.

 

One friend said that he'll give it up for the pregnant lady because it'll benefit two lives rather than one. Another friend made a funny remark saying that it'll only benefit the mother because it didn't matter to the unborn child whether or not he was seated.

 

As for me, I think I would give up the seat for the old man. I don't know why but I thought it'll be better for the old man to sit. Don't ask me for the reason because if I said it, I am sure many people will start shooting at me.

 

So what's your take? If at all possible, turn to the next person and ask him or her to also give up the seat so that both the old and the pregnant can have their priority seats. : )

A year on ... it's getting better.

My life took a drastic turn last year this time but thankfully, I managed to pull together and emerge victorious.

 

For those closer, they know what I am talking about but for those who aren't that close but are concerned, I can only tell you I am better now. Much better. : )

 

Time flies and with a blink of an eye, I will be a father in 38 days thereabouts. Earlier or later, we leave it to Luca to decide because noone else can decide his entrance into the Chong family.

 

Most items are ready for Luca except for clothes, toiletries, maternity bag and a lot of washing to be done. I guess like all first time fathers, I am very excited. Very.

 

What's it going to be like a month from now? : ) Just can't wait!

 

 

 

 

If ...

If it wasn't you, who could it be?

 

If it wasn't your smile, could it be someone elses?

 

If our story wasn't written, who would have read?

 

If my songs don't play, would you have heard?

 

If I hadn't fallen for you, would his name be Luca?

 

 

In life, there seem to be so many questions on the equation 'what if?'

 

Questions after questions, the answers can never end but what is important is that I treasure 'now' as I forget the 'what ifs' because life treats me right -  like always.

 

 

 

 

In my dreams.

Do you at times find yourself crying in your dreams and when you awake, your eyes are wet with tears and the pillow you sleep on is soaked?

I often do. I wonder why. Is it because I'm overly emotional or purely just sick in the head turning psycho. I guess I got to do a google search on this topic.

But relax. I also laugh loudly too. The emotional strings play either way. Well, the person sleeping beside me will have to get used to all these weird sounds that might just startle them in the middle of their sleep.

Hmm. Who else can it be beside me in bed right? Ever since marriage it has to be Sandy but maybe not. We'll see. ; )

I asked around recently on whether others have the same experience in their sleep but many said they never encountered such except for one.

Does that make me a weird and abnormal person? I don't know but I sure know I have a very sensitive emotional system which breaks down easily so be gentle on me and think before raising your voice at me because it could cause me to cry in my sleep. Ha ha.


.... hideKraM on the go ....

The weirdest call.

'Can I speak to the family of Mr Mark Chong please?' Asked the foreign voice on the other line.

I was a little surprised with the request made. Why was this voice asking to speak to a family member of mine?

The voice went on claiming that he called from a funeral service company and he was instructed to arrange a casket for the deceased Mr Mark Chong who passed away earlier this morning.

I shivered. What the f&@k was this shit head saying?

I asked what's going on. I am very much alive and never died. At least not yet.

I clicked the end call button and hung up but he called again.

I passed on the phone to Mun and Mun screwed him upside down.

But he called again asking me if I wanted a wooden casket or something else.

I told him there was no need for a casket and whoever requested for it made a mistake. The male voice went on ' Are you serious? You are alive!'

I said yes and hung up again.

I was wondering if it was an April Fool's Day joke that came a day late. It sure was scary.





.... hideKraM on the go ....

April Fool's Day

I cannot remember when was the last time someone tried fooling me on April Fool's Day. Not because I don't fall for tricks on this special day but because I fall for them any other day thus how special can April Fool's Day be for me.

This is Leslie's last song ....

Christian, The Lion.

I recently stumbled upon a video on Youtube introduced by a friend and you won't believe how it moved me. I actually cried.

Yes, stop laughing. If by now you do not know that I am a very emotional person, please go away because you aren't my friend. Just kidding. : )

The clip is about a lion cub that was taken home by two men from Harrods in the late 1960s. After a few months, the cub grew bigger in size and needed more space. After all, a lion needs to be free in the wild thus they decided to free him in Africa with the help of a conservationist.

A year later after Christian was freed in Africa, the two men decided to visit Christian in his new habitat. It wasn't a zoo but it was in the vast wild, a lion's natural habitat.

Despite warnings that the lion might not recognise them, the two men went ahead to find their beloved pet.

Enough said, take a look at the video .....






So did you shed a tear and did the video move you?

Well, it taught me a number of lessons about life and how relationships built should never be taken for granted but rather treasured.

It also taught me that love is not only forgiving but many times, a painful sacrifice.

It also reminded me of the people whom I have met, made friends with but hardly have time to say 'hello'. Frankly, I make this mistake of not reaching out to old friends of mine and I know it is bad. Very bad.

So allow me to say hello to all my friends whom I haven't really contacted over the past many years ... and thinking back, I miss one dear friend of mine whom I have not contacted for a very long time - Timothy Gan.

And to others who haven't gotten in touch with me recently, please remember me. : )

Staying ill.

The flu bug has stayed within our four walls for close to a week and counting. Sandy and I have been playing ping pong with one another by passing the bug between us.

No we didn't kick in the quarantine order because we were just too comfortable in our own beds. And the TV too.

The right thing is to sleep in separate rooms and share different toilets but I doubt it works because in the end, we share the same enclosed space in the car so what difference does it make?

I don't drive a convertible which would allow us lots of breathing space. Unlimited I would say.

So we can only fend ourselves with vitamin c, self medication (for me) and more sleep. We practically slept in on Sunday which I hardly do because Sundays are family days for me.

Anyway let's hope the darn bug leaves us alone because I hate to be sneezing and being left with a bloody runny nose.






.... hideKraM on the go ....

Location:Pasir Ris Street 52,Pasir Ris,Singapore

Luca-ma is Unwell.

Sandy's complaining she isn't well. Too much of heaty food over the weekend didn't fit right in her body system.

BBQ, steamboat and other tonic she consumed proved too much for her and the result - a stuffed nose and a sore throat befriended her.

Looks like she needs lots of rest as we are heading through the last trimester with only 50 days to go. It is getting more exciting now as the calender counts down to mid-May.

Luca is getting excited too as he pounds the Walls of Sandy's womb as if to say ' Daddy! Mummy! Let me out!' but we know the time isn't right yet. When he is ready, the doors will automatically open up for him. Not now at least. Perhaps I should teach him the virtue of patience.

The story reading continues on and in another 50 pages or more, the entire story would have been told. Hopefully my little prince stays awake and hears me narrating.

Now we have to gear up for sleepless nights and countless wailings because we know things will change once Luca arrives therefore let us enjoy the peace before it gets broken by Luca as he brings us bundles of joy. By the mere translation of his name, he will also be the giver of light to our family. We'll share endless and countless love, affection and happiness.





.... hideKraM on the go ....

Fun weekend (2)

Saturday morning and hell of a lot of things to do.

Preparation for family BBQ and shopping for Luca's necessities at a baby fair.

We'll skip the BBQ preparation as that wasn't very exciting but the later part of the day made me aware that a new chapter of my life is going to begin. Soon.

We attended a baby fair and it was massively crowded but there wasn't a choice because you know how I bow down to the voice of authority right? I had to go any way. Henpecked.

So we walked and we shopped and we bought some items in preparation for Luca's arrival. Diapers , milk bottles, milk powder containers and 'tits'. Ha ha.

We also bought the little fella a stroller. Well, it was difficult convincing Sandy to purchase the stroller I so wanted as she being the authority had the final say thus we went with what she wanted. Who am I to argue given that she is so fierce?

So with big and small shopping carriers we braved the rain and into the car with a wallet that weighed less. A new adventure is about to begin and I am so looking forward to it. : )

Fun weekend (1)

It started right after work on Friday. Dinner and a long session of mahjong that lasted through the wee hours.

It has been ages since I sat down for a game of mahjong. A long commitment of 6 hours. I remember years ago, I was really fond of the game and could enjoy a seating of 15 hours of mahjong marathon. We could play from the afternoon till breakfast is delivered the next morning. Those were the days. Younger days.

I managed to also relive a little experience from my younger days by listening to the radio. Familiar tunes were heard on Class 95 where the melodies brought me back to school.

I remembered the times when I spent the night burning midnight oil preparing for exams. (Ok. No one believes this but I do staying awake at night to TRY studying but ending up listening to the dedications and music played on the airwaves.)

I relived those moments last night while the radio played tunes of the 90s. I was still young then. Playful. Ignorant. Naive.

So Friday night went on by.


.... hideKraM on the go ....

Good Friday

Funny how people approach me asking which day Good Friday is.

I sometimes wonder if it is a trick question or could it be a serious issue of not understanding what Good Friday is.

So if Good Friday fell on a Monday then which day would Easter Monday be?




.... hideKraM on the go ....

60 days countdown ...

Sandy has been complaining about a strained back and it is hurting her quite badly. It can be quite a funny sight to see her walk with her hands to her back but ultimately it saddens me to see how much mothers go through when expecting.

 

I am blessed that at least Sandy does not have weird midnight cravings of food nor has her temper worsen. Well, maybe a little more irritating than before but still manageable.

 

Luca now weighs approximately 1.5 kilograms and has put on more weight than expected. His legs still looking long like mine and very active in the womb.

 

He seems to respond by kicking and punching hard when I speak to him through the womb. I wonder how I sound like to him. It must be rather muffled when he hears my voice.

 

Sometimes I wonder if he understands the story I read to him every night. Maybe I chose the wrong book for him but never mind, another 60 more pages to go and by then Luca should pop. : )

 

He gets more active at night and Sandy and I are worried that his sleeping patterns is a reverse from ours because he chooses to stay inactive or asleep when Sandy's at work. Wouldn't that mean we will have to lose sleep next time? Uh oh!!

 

 

According to the Chinese calender ...

... Today is my Chinese birthday and I didn't even know about it. How silly of me.

It gets confusing having to switch calenders and remembering different days and months. Why can't it be universal?

I missed a good excuse to celebrate and all I had for my meals were homemade sandwich, mee hoon kuey and a whole fried chicken. A consolation that I had a whole chicken to myself.

For the past many years, it'll always be huge feasts but what to do? I was silly not to realize it is my birthday.

Sandy is cutting apples for me now at 10 pm so that I can complete the meals with 'dessert'.

I feel rather silly now.

.... hideKraM on the go ....