Spymama @ Mamakshop

I’ve been following up on the poor victims on Haiti. It is sad that it happened at a place like this whereby there are already so much poverty around. I wonder if there is a real reason to all this. I sure hope help is being rendered as soon as possible. It is disheartening to listen to the radio on BBC this morning that there is so much red tape in getting the food, water and medical supplies to them.. imagine, if a reporter can reach them for interview, what is going on and why can’t food be made ready to be delivered at all? I mean, don’t they see the urgency in these people who are dying without neccessities? Such delay only prompt violence and looters.. I feel so sad this had to happen. A photo taken on a looter stealing the only casket from the dead man is just too shocking!

I ran out of dental floss last week and I keep forgetting when I am out. Wrote on the list of things to buy, but somehow the small note was too small I lost it while shopping in the supermarket. Last night, Spypapa went to the local supermarket to get himself a six-pack (Beer) so I text him a short message. ” Pls Get Dental Floss for me” This morning I remembered and asked where they were. He said, Oh I placed them on your desk. I went downstairs to check it out.. Saw this and shook those thingies out.. err… Spymama is very conventional person and I’ve been using the dental floss for years and never seen anything like these. Does that mean I have to buy my floss strings and tie them betweent two sticks? These looks like toothpicks!

Have you used these before? I’m really amused at how this thing works..

Tomorrow lunch, I’ll be having a simple lunch with a good friend. We have not decided where to go because we are so sure everyone is going to markup food prices and limit menus for Christmas. We might just pop by the neighbourhood for a vegetarian meal and nice cup of tea and hang out.

I remember how expensive Christmas meals can be. They usually are, and you end up getting to pick just a few selections of main course… gosh Christmas doesn’t give you much choices. They add frills like Mint or Chocolate, a glass of champagne or non alcohol drinks and the staff worked themselves out. I didn’t think it was expensive back then because I had more spending power and never bat an eyelid on those wait staff who worked hard on Christmas Eve, Day and Night.

But looking back, this should be a day where we should be enjoying and understand the joy, love and history of Christmas. We should be taking time to spend with our love ones indeed. But guess it will aways be perceived differently. Businesses need this time to make or break their business too. Sigh..

Before we spent too much, please remember to spare a little thought for the unfortunate and those who have no idea where their meals come from the next few days. Before you spend that extra 20 quids, 20 dollars, or even 20 sing dollars on something you don’t need, perhaps you can pop that into the charity box and fill that hunger pang on any ordinary day.

Salvation Army is going around collecting donations in all kinds.

God Bless.

Do you own a Rolex? Many businessmen and younger generation own a piece of luxury watch somehow. When I was working, I had wanted badly to own one. Each year when the 13th month pay is being paid out or when the company reports that we will get a big fat bonus, my mind wanders on into that piece of Rolex piece I have been eyeing.

Yet, each time I get some money in any sort, the idea of really buying one just diminish. I weighed against many other things I need. And when all my friends got their own Rolex, I got myself Swatches, Solvil Titus, Adidas and Esprit watches. Those were dreams which I know will not materialize for me because I just couldn’t see myself in this kind of Bling.

Then the news recently reported that many people are now trying to sell their Rolex watches to second hand shops but these watches are not very in demand, being second hand. That is because new ones are now selling at a much lower price since the demand for this watches is lesser. So why would anyone want to buy a second hand Rolex when a new one is priced competitively near. In fact, those who CAN afford pocket change to buy a Rolex timepiece would not be buying them second hand. Don’t you think so?

A friend of mine called me this morning. She is stuck in Thailand. Apparently she was supposed to fly back this week. She is there on a spa holiday but the recent news about protests and closure of the airport means she is going to be in Bangkok for a while. Well, all is not lost, actually.  She is going shopping instead. Wow, I don’t mind getting stuck where she is too. But that is if my pockets are as deep as hers.

Then again, with the unpredictable economy, I think we should be saving for a rainy day. I shall be reducing my budget for Christmas shopping this year. What about you. Any plans or New Year resolutions?

I have friends who watch their movies via online. Basically, Spymama tried to but somehow cannot get used to it. Although I am watching from my LCD monitor, I still find it weird watching it here. I even watch SAW here but somehow it didn’t feel like I’m watching a movie. It felt more like work.

But I did catch Malaysia’s NTV Channel via online and watched some chinese drama and that was it. When my friends were all chasing Hong Kong drama via online, I decided to go rent the DVD and watch in the comfort of my room instead.

Oh, by the way SAW is now in it’s 5th sequel.. Anyone watched it yet?

Did anyone notice that the weather has been terribly hazy lately? I don’t think it is my eyes clouding away. I woke up and I was coughing so bad. I’ve got an allergic reaction to dusts and smoke so when the weather is not cleared, my throat gets itchy, dry and my eyes starts to water.

Can you believe that October month is coming to an end! I thought this year moved pretty fast. It sort of zoomed past me since the beginning of the month. In two months time 2009 will be on our calendar year. Gosh. Are we suppose to receive some new calendars soon? I need to get one now. Guess the retail shops are really budgetting now. Previously, my insurance agent, bank tellers all hand out calendars so readily in October. Now, its all quiet.

Reports in the newspaper recently has kept Spymama a little worried. That is because it says that Singapore has been confirmed as having entered ‘recession’. In the past years, many things have been on the increased. Flour went up, bread prices went up, our petrol went up terribly high and although it is slightly lower now, this had pushed the prices of other goods up and those have not gone down at all.

So, generally speaking, spreading these increament means we are paying more for lesser items. Property prices in Singapore is going to be bad. In the past year, I’ve also learnt to tighten my belt and not go for products that are too expensive, settling more for house brands instead. You never know, so it’s always a good thing to be thrifty.

Let’s sit down and think about those in poverty too and how little they already had and how blessed we have been. If we put ourselves in their shoes, perhaps having 2 meals a day is luxury, did you know? Let’s all spend a little less, eat a little less (it’s good for us too!) and I think we call all pull through it together.

God Bless.

Last week, Spymama felt so lethargic. Just wanted to sleep sleep sleep all the time. Do you feel like that? Lucky the girls had no school on Thursday and Friday, due to the PSLE oral exams in Singapura. So those two days, Spymama really made herself like a couch potato, chasing HK dramas and watching Olympics.

Spymama was also counting on the Sg Table Tennis players to win a medal. They did brilliantly and brought home our only medal after 48 years in history of Singapore. The last one was long time ago. It’s about time, eh. The team did very well and Spymama wanted to go celebrate with Spypapa on a midnight date but Spypapa wanted to be Couch Potato on the bed watching HK drama.. Aaah is that what life for forty year olds are like? Sheesh!

Then Spymama also watched the Badminton on Sunday and hoped the Malaysian player will bring home a Gold for Badminton too. But alas the game was brilliantly won by the Ever Alert China players. It was really challenging, to see how Singapore and Malaysia tries so hard to win but a Silver is also a winner.

Spymama will remain Olympic Champion for couch potato, time being..

Spymama felt very tired lately. I think the weather is very humid and hot. It’s extremely bright and sometimes I feel like putting on my shades even in my house. Late last weekend I think I had too much oily food and I am thinking of washing of the layers of oil from my insides.. So this morning Spymama went to the store to get some Vinegar. Not just any other vinegar, but the cider vinegar. Did you know that cider vinegar is very good for health? My mom takes it daily. Here is how you take them.

1 part of Cider Vinegar
2 parts of Honey

Dilute it in hot water, and drink it. You don’t need to take a lot of it. I make them a tablespoon of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of honey and half a cup of hot water.

Spymama’s Mom said that it helps to clear the oil off our internal organs. True or not, i dunno lah. But it’s worth a try. Like the alphabet M perhaps slim it down to N. Oh does that mean I’m gonna be Spynana then? Ohh that sounds like granny. Well as long as I get to be slim, any name will do.