Spymama @ Mamakshop

I met up few friends for dinner last week. We have not met up in person or the last 3 years because of the convenience of MSN chats. Also, one of them travels a lot but we do not miss each other at all. We are online most parts of the day or night keeping up with each other’s lives reading updates on blogs as well as msn status. At home, working or even on vacation, my friend Sarah never fails to bring her Sony Vaio laptop with her.

Perhaps I should get myself one of those mini notebooks that can fit in my bag. I can keep in touch with anyone anytime too. But I also hear about those very useful PDAs that lets you get connected to Facebook, MSN, Yahoo, AOL and more. My mobile subscription is free of contract so I can actually get a good price with new handhelds. For the time being, I am torn between 3 brands. Sony-Ericsson C905 (pic left), Samsung or the HTC for PDAs. Anyone has a good recommendation?

Or should I just stick to a mini notebook instead. I really want to get online during the vacation break too.

I’m so bad with photo taking. I can never take a good photo right. Sigh..

Spypapa was driving yesterday on Good Friday. We were heading towards Bugis area. Passing by, I got my camera ready, my body leaning. The car went into a slow cruise. I told Spypapa I’m gonna take the photo of Singapore Art Museum. He said I’ve got a good chance since I’m on the left side, where the museum is. Then, snap! Immediately, I knew, NO GO! That darn black box thingy blocked the most important view, where the signage shows Singapore Art Museum.

Sigh. Then he said, never mind, get ready and take from the side, another great view. YES, I got my camera ready as he cruised slow.. no cars behind… Get Ready, Mark my position, camera straight line, lock my armpits, SNAP! I was so pleased with myself… Yippeeeee!

I set my camera to view function and GASP! No No NO! That is not the Singapore Art Museum! DARN DARN DARN! That was DOME cafe located next to Singapore Art Museum. Bah!

Perhaps next time.  #$%^&!@#$@!@!

I’ve heard of people who comment that living in Singapore has so much restrictions and regulations in the things we do. For me, I don’t really take this as something bad.

We should treat our country, regardless of which country we live in, as our bigger home. At home, our parents advise us not to litter, not to smoke for health reasons, put rubbish where it belongs, flush your toilets after use and adopt other good social habits. So why should one do the opposite when he or she is out of the house. The fines for littering, not flushing toilets, no smoking in many places are there because there are some who just don’t care. Our parents also punish us when we don’t listen, to put us on the right track. Why be selfish and only care for your home and not extend it outside.

Does it make good sense to throw rubbish on the ground, smoke indoors with presence of children nearby when you don’t do it at your own home? It is ridiculous! But apparently, I’ve seen friends who care for their own home and family members and they behave quite the opposite when they are out of their own home.

Spymama is ranting, of course.  I just had to walk away from the playground because of some irresponsible people smoking there and not thinking about the children who were playing nearby. And these people just throw cigarette butts into the drain and walked away.

When these people get caught by officials, they complain about all that fines and punishment acts. That is so selfish of them. Then they complain about the restrictions in Singapore. What about the restrictions at home? Do they complain about it? Not really because they know it is bad. So what is so bad about getting fines from officials when they litter outside their homes?

Look at the full picture, your parents have been teaching you to practice good habits at home. Extend it outside your home perimeters. It is about beingable to tell what is right, and what is wrong.

Spypapa and I drove around town to search for his favourite bak kut teh yesterday. As we were slowing down at the traffic lights, I saw a cyclist on the road. This was not a cyclist riding a bicycle but one with a motorized one. It is something in between the pedal bicycle and the motorbike. If I remember correctly, these motorized bikes are not allowed on Singapore roads. Why, because they are too slow and might be dangerous causing harm to the riders and also cars and other traffic on the road. Spypapa said, well.. at least she is wearing a helmet. But I thought, it is not about protecting herself when it happens but it is still dangerous to other road users. Also, these bikers do not pay road taxes, insurances either. Should they be allowed on the road or on the pavement then? They are too fast for the pavement and is a nuisance to pedestrians walking on it. I hate the idea of having to watch the ‘traffic’ while walking on the pavement for fear of these riders hitting me from behind. They sure will cause injury that is greater than a pedestrian walking into you.

What can I say. Should they be allowed on the roads? Ponder a while.

Gosh, I just popped by the supermarket this morning and it was like madness! People were rushing to do their last minute shopping and you can feel the urgency like there is no tomorrow! When i was at the supermarket, you see people buying in trolleyloads full of stuff. I stopped and think for a while. Yes all the merry making for tonight, tomorrow and the next few days for Christmas. But I wonder if they every stopped to think that it is the time to spend wisely SPENDING with your loved ones more important or rushing out to BUY BUY BUY? Gosh.. Can you imaging the excitement building up in preparation for Christmas, then in a few hours of tearing away giftwrappers, binging and drinking, it is then back to normal. Of course celebrate Christmas is such a jolly affair but when you break it down and lookat the amount spent within the short short time, it is a little be overwhelming… If you freeze the time for  a second and everyone just stop, think, breathe a little bit that would be nice. It is the rushing about this morning that got me panicking away if I missed out anything. Then I ended up just getting some necessary stuffs like a chicken, some carrots, brocolli, potatoes, salmon, garlic, onions.. I didn’t bother getting those nice roasts for carvings because I think for many years I’ve had it, so much food is wasted. A nice roast chicken and grill salmon dinner is very ordinary but if you weighed the cooking time and then the amount of time spent having dinner and enjoying the company of family, that is just so nice.

Aaahh, then for a cup of hot coffee the marshmallows to sweeten the bitter coffee is perfect to me.

I’m in a daze lately. I do things like clockwork, getting up, doing my chores and looking blank. There are alot of things in my mind actually. Like things to buy, things to do before end of the year, school books to get, new shoes and my resolution diet before Chinese New Year.. And what about my Christmas shopping? It is only 3-4 days away from Christmas! I haven’t completed my shopping yet and I think I have put on my armour and fight my way amongst the crowds to get some Christmas stuff for the family. I am thinking of getting a bicycle for myself too. How can one wrap a Christmas gift for oneself ah? LOL

Did you remember the time when petrol cost were so high that all you could hear from motorists were sighs and more sighs.. That was in July and since then, the oil prices have been making it’s tumbling down as much as 69% since. Everyone was worried in the first quarter when it first hit its $100 per barrel and in July it was $147.27.

I read the news that oil could still be making its way down further. As much as I want to have petrol costs lower, I do worry about the impact on the overall following the recent news about retrenchments too.

Ever since the oil prices rose, the goods and products for many items has gone up. But we have yet to hear the price of goods going down much. And if retrenchments and many more companies laying off workers, we do need our goods’ price to be reduced for consumers’ confidence into buying spree.

The recent news about Neptune Orient Lines’ to axe employees sent jitters to me. Not that I am an employee but I worry about the effect it will cause in Singapore. Just weeks ago, DBS had made a decision to axe 900 employess in Singapore and Hong Kong. Then banks were talking about how people had defaulted payments on their car mortgages. I’m sure some of those who need to pay bank installments and yet out of work might find themselves in a corner. Then many investors who placed money in some bonds find their nest egg lost overnight. And with the news about NOL, I think things are not looking very positive. Unemployment rate will sent many people in desperate moves.

Yesterday’s COE was historic at $2 for 1.6cc and below.

What a busy day it has been. I have so many errands to run. I had been to the market, bank, post office, cobbler at the market and the supermarket. I came back, took a short rest and in a minute I am going out again! Yikes! I need to pick up the kids from their holiday class then rush to the car workshop. But I’m not sure if I can make it in time. It is raining too. Arrrgghhhhh!

What makes matters worst this morning was when I came out from my car, I step up to the grass patch to avoid the puddle of water. And I step on some pup poo. Grrrr…!!!! What luck indeed! Then you already can feel the heat of anger and you just have to grit and smile and pretend nothing happened because a neighbour walked past and greet me ‘Hi’ and an old lady will not stop yakking about how the prices of rice did not fall..

Okay, I’m running out again now. Oh cross my fingers!

I went to Marche over the weekend. And it was terribly crowded. Sigh… Waiting for food took a while. Marche concept is similar to foodcourt, except that it is a Swiss foodcourt. It is like a marketplace actually.

You bring your cards, order your food, let them scan it in for payment later upon exit. Then you can go browze and buy other food or stand there while they cook your food on the spot. When you order food like grills and steaks and there is a queue, it’s just terrible. If I go back to my table and come back, I won’t know if my food is ready. And if I wait there, I may wait for a while. Terrible, huh. After this experience, I think the next time I want to have a nice grilled steak or seafood, I’d go to Jack’s Place. At least I know once my food is ready, it’s delivered hot to my table. Because by the time I go hunt for a vegetable in Marche, I am lost at where to wait. sigh…