The Trip of The Mudder down Underr

The holidays are officially ending in 2 days and my huge horrigible assignment is still barely half done! I shouldn't be blogging, but I need a brain breakbefore proceeding with 'critically evaluating literature regarding current intervention techniques'. Sigh, this is the first time I feel so incompetent as a 3rd year speech pathology student, I suddenly feel like I'm a Year 1 because I'm just at my wits end at what to do with this 'kid'.

On a lighter/happier/sadder note,

1) Mum was here for the week!
2) She just left this afternoon and should be landing in about 15 minutes in Changi
3) Mickey's coming back home tomorrow morning!

It felt awesome being able to reverse roles and drive my mum around for a week, cook slightly miserable meals for her and pay for meals and buy her groceries, (although I still let her do my laundry a couple of times and mostly left the dishes to her, heh heh), it made me feel like I really lived here and am ready to settle. (Which reminds me, I need to service my car and top up petrol asap)

We didn't get to do much this week because of the overhanging burden of knowing that my assignment is due in a week caused us to stay in some days in order for me to attempt work on my essay. I didn't manage to get much done even though my mum was around although ironically, most kids would work hard if mum was 'supervising' them (remember how some of them do when we're in primary school?). Initially I thought her being around would make me concientious, but I ended up being more distracted by the Sudokus she was completing and ended up doing online Sudoku to escape the bane of the essay.

So what did we do over Easter then besides Sudoku and cooking and laundry?


1) Clean kitchen: typical bored-mother syndrome was to clean the kitchen and make it look all neat and tidy when she got stuck with doing her sudoku and didn't want to exercise brain anymore.


2) Visit Mount Tambourine with family friends for a 1.5 hour drive, and 20 minute walk, and 2 hour lepak-ing/eating session after seeing the puniest waterfall ever. (I bet that waterfall is man-made for tourist purposes).
This is was also where we saw the cutest dog begging for food from his front yard as we stood next to the the house by the road eating corned beef sandwiches. The poor little thing kept whining and giving us the (literally) puppy-eyed look!
3) Skyping with Gaby and my sister!! With proper internet connection here as opposed to my mum's too-slow mobile internet connection back in Singapore, we could get good skype time with my sister and Ah Bee! She's growing sooo fast now and can sit on her own. She could even verbalise 'replies' during the skype conversation, pretty funny, haha...
4) Reading her new buy! A biography on Tony Curtis (I have no idea who), apparently a really hot actor during her time (and Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend for a bit) which she got for a steal of just $10 at a mall.

5) Which of course, brings me to the main activity which we completed through the holidays... Shopping! Actually more of what I did, my mum's past the stage of buying work clothes now that she's retired, and got rather sleepy and tired quickly between shops. At least she bought a t-shirt from Jayjays! Haha...

Pity I didn't get many pictures though, I wish I did!

Which brings me to the end of this post as I return to the horrigiblest essay.

EEyerrrr

You know you've reached a new stage of life when...

1) Some of your friends are talking about job interviews and not Uni app interviews
2) Some of your friends are talking about HDB application not uni applications
3) Some of your friends ARE already married
4) Late night transport arrangements home after a party consist of arranging carpools and not taxi pools

5) Some of your friends are speaking of parents who are already retired andhow the burden of providing for the family will soon fall on them.

5) Some of your friends can no longer touch their toes without groaning or injuring their back (heh heh...)

6) You find joy discussing the weekly supermarket specials instead of the latest nail colour or Gossip Girl episode.

7) Dinner converstions with your girlfriends may actually revolve around recipe exchanges.


That's it... I'm officially entering 'auntie' stage!!

Gatton!

Finally I'm able to sit down and devote some time to writing a proper update since the start of semester. Being in 3rd year hasn't been half as bad as I expected initially, however I think I'm falsely comforted by the lack of ongoing assessments and therefore am under the illusion that I have it 'all together' when actually, I don't think I do.

It's been an epic 8 weeks back in brisbane! In the past 2 months, I think I've accomplished what on would accomplish over a way larger timespan if not for the pressure of living overseas. You'll see what I mean in a bit. In 8 weeks, I've:

1) Searched, viewed and applied for so many properties that I have all my houmates' softcopies of their passports, bank statements and letters from guarantors all in my hardrive. I would think that in normal situations, most of us wouldn't actually have to deal with looking at houses let alone applying for one..

2) Drove a ute (utility truck) when we were moving! I don't think it would be something I would ever do unless my father was a gas tank changer or something!

3) Worked several days a week at a daycare for children with Autism (which is actually the field I've always wanted to work in!) and I'm really thankful that God gave me this opportunity!Many of us wouldn't get a chance to work to something so close to our ultimate goal before graduating and I'm damn lucky to be able to do it! Even though this means getting occasional bites, head butts, slaps and kicks from some kids...

The fella didn't wanna go to the toilet when I wanted him to.. *chomp*

4) Bought a car!! =)) Thanks to mummy who understands my need to drive to work and clinic on the other side of the bridge and how a car would save me time, energy and sanity. And it's purpur too!!Similarly, if I were in Singapore, I probably would be 39 before actually owning a car... and I would actually probably still be paying off the loan.

Here's the hottest car model in town: Mr SM Lee, (I told him I was taking a photo for my mum, hence the 'guai' pose)

5) Driven to Gatton! Driving 90km is no joke, I really think the vet students who drive up frequently are damn poor thing.. Especially with rising petrol costs! It's ridiculous! (Milk is cheaper, if only cars ran on milk..)

Fantastic 'sua deng' scenery of Gatton

And guess what?? Who do you think is behind this wheel??

*drumroll*

Mr Lee Sheng himself!! :D He's just gotten his Learners and I am now officially one fo the many people who will supervise him and help him collect his 100 hours in order to pass this momentous milestone! (We've already had 1.5 hrs worth of lessons, haha)

so., this brings me to...

6) Teaching my boyfriend/someone how to drive. Seriously something you would never ever EVER get to do in singapore unless you a) were over 50 and male and signed your life to BBDC (Bukit Batok Driving School), or had b) were over 55 and had your own 18 year old kid you were teaching illegally.

Which concludes my entry for today. I sure am glad I've been given the opportunity to come here and experience so much, even if it means growing up faster. I enjoy it, it's been the life I've been waiting for =))

Gaby!

I can't believe I have such an adorable niece.. I still can't believe my sister is actually a mother. MOTHER leh..

OMG I feel old.

But she's SO SO SO SO SO adorable!!! I'm gonna have my own little play thing to experiment on with speech/language assessments and techniques next time!! Muahaha!

But now, for now, Gaby serves to be the thing that brightens up my day and brings a smile to my face no matter how stressed, pissed or upset I am, because she's so far, the purest form of cuteness, fluffiness and warm, raw human nature =)

I love my niece! I can't wait to see her again in June! :D