Month: May 2009

I Much Rather Sleep Well

/ carlenetan / 1 Comment

In my inbox today, was an email from my uncle … a little message that’s just what I needed as I try and figure out how to work in the office today. Yes, it’s Saturday and I’ve got to come back to work :p

A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed.

The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.

That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.

Moral of the story:

If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent. This is applicable for any relationship like love, friendship, employer-employee relationship etc.

Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully

“It’s nice to be an important person, but it’s more important to be a nice person.”

Some may argue the girl’s such a loser but hey, in my 30s, I’ve come to realise it doesn’t matter what others think of me and this story is so true. As long as I’m happy with myself and fall straight to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m all good 🙂 So 100% is what I’m going to give when I wake every morning because that’s what I want to give … it’s not always going to be easy but I’m choosing to rather sleep well at night 🙂

Right now I’m done with my 100% for the day, just waiting for the film crew to wrap up so I can go for dinner with my parents 🙂

Till Death Do Us Part

/ carlenetan / 3 Comments

While I was fighting my bouts of viral fever in the last couple of weeks, I also celebrated the 2nd anniversary of my marriage. Exactly one week ago today, little past 12am on the 12th May 2009, my parents wished us both a shared lifetime of happiness and my husband looks at me and asks why it feels longer than 2 years? Well, we’ve only been legally married for 2 years but we’ve been together for 7 🙂

In all honesty, the past 2 years have been much easier than the first 5. Jaded and disillusioned about relationships in general was what best described me when I first met my husband, but God had other plans for me. Having done the unhealthy relationships and completely zapped from constantly losing my whole being to another individual, I was a little harder on my husband/then boyfriend than I would normally be.

My husband was patient, very patient and kept his humour (probably the key reason why we work out at all) through out the turbulent times :p he and the rest of my unhealthy relationships helped me realise more important than being in love, is to be in like. And I do like my husband.

The 2 years have been easier than the first 5 especially after I got over myself, my unrealistic cynical impressions of 21st century relationships, learnt to be grateful and that’s why I say God had other plans for me when I prayed hard for a single life. That said, I’m not delusional, I realise marriage is hard, extremely hard work. I’m reminded all the time when my dearest and nearest battle relationship woes, go through separation and divorce and no matter what anyone says, I know this with my heart that no one, no one gets married thinking that it’ll end some day.

It’s only been 2 years and in the larger scheme of things, I’ve got a lot more to learn. It’ll take more than like to get through a lifetime. For now, like gets me through my own selfish desires and impatient wants 🙂

Thank you dear husband of mine for being so easy to like!!

‘Cept For The Freedom To Be Rude …

/ carlenetan / 5 Comments

… and any pain in general, I’m all for freedom. Why? Well, I’m one of the very very fortunate few who have freedom. The freedom to choices, to opportunities, to dreams, to what my little heart dares to believe in. Yes, I grew up in a home where I was encouraged, maybe even challenged a little to think, to explore, to open my mind to what the world has to offer.

So when there are those whose freedom have been compromised, I’m subtly reminded to be grateful for mine. Whether it’s Tutsi in Rwanda, students in Tiananmen, monks in Myanmar, girls in fundamentalist communities or gays at home, they are all reminders of how good I have it.

Just maybe 30 years ago, my freedom to marry a white guy would have been less liberal … so I don’t take it for granted that the country I call home welcomes my husband with open arms so much so when he passes the Singapore border, he says that he’s home.

So today in support of freedom, especially the freedom to love and be loved, my Mummy and I were at the inaugural Pink Dot event. This is the only picture I managed to get before my camera battery died on me :p

pink dot with Mummy
Here’s my way of fussing, to be the change I want to see in the world, to be more loving. Nothing better than a balmy late afternoon gathering of people who all believe in love and showing it in a fun and pain free manner.

My Mummy, Cherry and Shell were around the 7 o’clock of the little Pink Dot that shows how much we’ve grown from the days of a sleepy fishing village.

P/S: I’m now inspired to start a Green Dot group to support the love for animals and our environment 🙂  Anyone up to support vegetarianism and saving the environment and make a Green Dot next April 22, 2010?

The Jury Has Made A Decision

/ carlenetan / 7 Comments

I’ve finally found out why in the last 2 months, I was sick 3 times and the last bout of viral fever nearly impossible to fight :p My immune system has been compromised. Yes, that’s what the doctor told me. I have bad bacteria that has over grown what’s normal levels (apparently everyone has some amount of bad bacteria), a parasite (likely to be from India) and a virus (that explains the viral fever).

Since antibiotics feed the bad bacteria, doctor’s orders to kill the virus is lots of rest and fluids. A strict diet to to starve the bad bacteria and the parasite as well as stuff to kill them. More stuff to increase good bacteria. All in all, more then $150 worth of medication. Now I know why people say there’s nothing like good health.

So I had to see a nutritionist who gave me the lowdown on what I should do to starve the bad bacteria and the parasite. In the next couple of weeks I’m weaning myself of sugar, yeast, wheat, gluten, diary and fruits. Then I’ll start a 16day strict diet of only a combination of:-

  1. brown rice
  2. white rice
  3. millet
  4. quinoa
  5. any green leafy vegetables
  6. only brussel sprouts (no other sprouts)
  7. capsicum
  8. carrots
  9. radish
  10. beetroot
  11. onions
  12. garlic (apparently lots of raw garlic is good to kill the bad bacteria)
  13. zucchini
  14. peas
  15. celery
  16. cucumber
  17. eggplant
  18. any bean or legume
  19. artichoke
  20. ladyfingers
  21. asparagus
  22. broccoli
  23. cauliflower
  24. cabbage
  25. leek
  26. salt
  27. any herbs
  28. rice milk
  29. herbal teas (no coffee, black, green tea)
  30. rice based noodles
  31. rice flour
  32. only cold pressed oils

Once I start my 16 day diet, I’ll post up the menus and the progress so that if any of you want to try it, you’ll know what you’re in for.

Till then it’s one day at a time, more rest and fluids so I’m off to drink my water and then to bed. Take care y’all.

Not To Be Taken For Granted

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10 years ago, I’m pretty sure the take over wouldn’t have happened much less the fight to get it all back on track.  I have to honest in the last couple of weeks, I couldn’t believe how low some people could sink and was all haughty about the whole thing.  Today, with the final outcome the way it is, I’m actually grateful that I’m living in Singapore, in a time that something like that can happen.  We have truly evolved.  Now if we can keep it all in balance, this could probably be one of the better places to live in.

Bathrooms

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One of my dearest friends in the world recently made the grown up decision to buying his first apartment, a cute little granny flat in Pasir Ris.  I love it and I would buy a place like that too, if I was a swinging single chickie 🙂  So in fixing up his place, he’s asked me to give him ideas for his bathroom.  I LURVE BATHROOMS!!  So I’m so excited about this.  There’s so much I want to do!!

Totally inspired by The Style Files and Villeroy and Boch.  What would I give for money and space for my ideal bathroom?

I’m all about clean lines, mirrors and storage spaces for the bathroom.  And also a place to safely plug in my hairdryer.  Now if only I can make this event a reality TV show 🙂