My laptop is still alive!!!

I took out my laptop yesterday from the bag. To my surprise, it was still working well, only got slight problem with the built-in mouse - I couldn't make a left click. Old sickness. I didn't take it out all this while since beginning of this year, before we moved into this house. Thank God it's still in good condition. I still can browse online, open folders, files, etc.

This laptop was purchased in LA in year 2006 during my holiday trip there. I'd been using it a lot until year 2010 when it showed slight problems due to Windows that I had to upgrade and perhaps over storage? Luckily my good friend helped me upgrading it when he came to Singapore for working and I moved files to the portable hard disk to lessen its burden. However, I still stored many old photos, songs, and documents in this laptop, also saved lots of bookmarks (those favorite pages I used to browse) from many years ago. It brought me back lots of memories from the past.

I opened the saved bookmarks and lots of it were not available anymore. Especially the blog addresses. I used to read my friend's blogs, but seemed that many of them had stopped writing and some ignored it. And if you could remember 'friendster', that's the first social media website that connected people together, founded in year 2002. I thanked friendster a lot when it first came, because I could find lots of my school friends that were 'missing' after we left school. During those days, we didn't have internet and mobile phone where we could keep in touch. Many people using its blog service from friendster too. But too bad, in 2009 friendster has changed into a gaming site, since the rising appearance of facebook. All our pages, data, friends lists were all gone in friendster. Automatically, the blog service from friendster had been deleted as well. I used to have one as well, but only posted those forwarded email like jokes, quiz, and so on. It was not there anymore.

Hehehe... I know there is impermanence in this world. It's just that... I hope my laptop can still work in many more years to come. There is a sentimental value behind this machine that I wish to keep with me as long as I can... :)

Good morning Singapore!!!

Below were some photos taken during the Run For Hope today.

Marina Bay Sands and participants running for Run For Hope

Beautiful White and Purple Lotus flowers from the MBS pond :)

I love this reflection so much!!! (Esplanade and Swissotel The Stamford)

Marina Bay Sands and Museum Art Science

Collyer Quay - Downtown Core, Singapore

Singapore Financial Center or Marina Bay Financial District

Marina Bay Sands

Clarke Quay in the morning

I just realized that Singapore is indeed beautiful, especially in the morning :) If you visit Singapore, make sure you visit those places in the morning. Hope you enjoy the photos :)

Run For Hope at Padang

PY, PW, Baobei and Me

Run For Hope (RFH) is an annual charity event organised by Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Regent Singapore and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) to raise much-needed funds for cancer research. This year, our company has participated the event once again. However the participation will depend on the individual staffs whether to join or not, and they can ask their friends and family to join as well.

I had participated the event twice and today was my 3rd encounter. For the past few years, the event was held in East Coast Park, but this year, it was held in Padang, in the center of the city of Singapore. There were 2 categories of run. One is 3.5 km Fun Run, suitable for families and friends, who wish to have a meaningful bonding time with a scenic city view by supporting a worthy cause. Another one is for the avid runner, to run for 10 km. We, of course, chose the 3.5 km one, hehehe..... :D

I asked my son to join, and my two other friends participated as well. Early this morning, we took the first MRT at 6.03am to go to my working place first. I needed to take some items for my friend and we had sandwich and water first before went out (to fill some energy up). From there, we walked out to Padang, which was about 10 minutes walk from my working place, together with the rest of the colleagues. There were 50 people registered from our side. Some took 10 km, but most of them took 3.5 km one.

Starting Point

We started it off at 7.45am. The weather was great! A little bit of sunshine, then covered by cloud. My son tried his best to walk fast. During the journey, he was so quiet and tried to endure with the pain and tiredness. Hahaha... My dear son was not used to it... But at least he did it. We all finally managed to reach the end point and finally we could see him smiling again... especially after he was allowed to eat McDonald for breakfast..... hahaha....

Can you spot my son?? :)

Compare his face with this one, after McDonald Big Breakfast injection... hahaha.... :P

Btw, I just had a look at my ex-colleague's fb this afternoon and found out that his wife passed away on November 1st due to cancer. She was diagnosed with cancer since year 2008. She had undergone Herceptine cancer treatment and recovered. However, the cancer cell had spread to her right lymph node and went for chemotherapy. I have lost contact with my ex-colleague after he resigned in Jan 2011 and only today I found out about the news. So sad. She was still quite young and left 3 children which are still very young too... I just hope my friend can be strong, as no matter what, life has to go on. Hope the three children will be able to cope and accept the loss of their beloved mom.

Many people died because of cancer. My father-in-law was one of them. Hope the charity collected today will be used properly for the right purpose, which is the progressive breakthroughs made by the NCCS team that can lead to a cure. Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu.

Regular visit with unexpected changes

After 5 months, I went for my regular check up again on Thursday. Dr. Lui was surprised to see my short hair. Hahaha.... Looked like he preferred me with a long hair :P Well, the result of the blood and urine test was good. He prescribed me with less dosage of prednisolone. Currently I took it 5 days per week and he reduced it to 4 days per week, 3 days per week and 2 days per week for one month period each.. The other medicine is still maintained at the same dosage. He would like to see if there is any reaction to my body with the reduction of the medicine and want to see me again in 11 weeks time :)

When I walked out from Dr Lui's room, a lady stopped me. She introduced herself and explained to me on why she stopped me. She asked if I can participate in the research study for SLE patients. What I have to do is to go to the hospital once a month, bring samples of urine and stool, do the blood and tear test, and answer general questionnaires. They will analyze the results of the samples for some study. It requires one year to do so.

Good thing is: I can stop whenever I want to; they will accommodate my time; and if the results show something unusual, they will also inform Dr Lui about it. He will then ask me to come for earlier appointment to check my situation; also, they will reimburse my transport of $30 per session.

At first, I was hesitating. It is inconvenient to prepare those samples required. Lucky no need to fast. As for stool, if I can't get one, that's alright because we can't force the nature call to come as we want. I am fine with the blood test, but never done the tear test before. She said, a piece of paper will be put at the corner of my eye and I have to close my eyes for 5 minutes so that enough tears can be collected as tears contains protein that can be useful to measure something. Every month I have to take time-off from office and purposely go there to submit all the samples.

The lady told me that so far she has gained about 60 patients. I was thinking, 60 only? It means it is not easy to get someone who is willing to do so. Not sure on how many patients who have the same illness, but Singapore is so small. I guess those who are in stable condition like me is not much. Talking about convenient? My office is not so faraway from the hospital (it's only 2 MRT station plus shuttle bus to the building or walk around 15 mins). It is not that from north to south or from west to east.

Some more, if the research can benefit the future development, or for next generation patients, why not? At least I can contribute something right? In the end, I agreed to sign the form. I collected the empty bottles and the empty questionnaire form that I can fill up before going for my appointment. I told her that I will go there during my lunch time so that it will not affect my working time so much. Hope everything goes well :)

In 5 months time, there are some changes in the hospital. Now we can use the self-register machine to register ourselves. No more putting the appointment card into the tray and wait until my name to be called (less human contact and less waiting time). The queue number will be printed out from the machine immediately after scanning our appointment card to the machine. We wait outside the room and wait until our number was displayed.

The pharmacy that I used to go at B1 was closed too. Now everyone has to go to the 1st floor. It's a BIG pharmacy. First, you have to submit your prescription to the counter. Since everyone has to go to only 1 place, queue is unavoidable. After submitting your prescription, the person will hand in a small paper containing your queue number.

After seeing the doctor, I handed in my appointment card to the tray and waited for the admin officer to give me the next appointment date and make payment. And usually, right after that, I will go to the pharmacy first to hand in my prescription, then go back to the clinic, get my appointment date, and make payment, to save the waiting time.

When I returned back to pharmacy, there were 30 people before me who also registered their prescription.
There were many people sitting down and waiting. Since I expected it to be slow, I went to other place to buy soya milk and peanut pancake, as a tea break hehe...

When I returned, I was surprised to see the number moved very fast. It was almost my turn. There were about 8-10 counters who distributed the medicines and previously, you could see there were windows at their back where the pharmacist would pass the medicine to front area. Now the back part was all covered with wooden partition and you could find a conveyer belt delivering the medicines that were put inside the white basket. Hahaha...

Conveyer belt behind them flows from right to left direction

Conveyer belt is not only be used to deliver luggage or sushi, but now it can also be used to deliver the medicine.... What an efficient process and increase in productivity with a help of technology!! No wonder they closed the pharmacy at B1. They focused all the manpower at the bigger pharmacy plus the help of the technology!!!

Unclaimed queue area

The photo above was taken at unclaimed queue area. The belt moved from right to left. So this area was on the left side. After passing by pharmacist, there would be baskets flowing with no medicines claimed by the patients yet. So there was a room beside these seats which stored the unclaimed baskets.

And after the baskets were emptied, they will put it into the place as seen at the photo, and will be transferred back to the place behind this partition wall, where the medicines were prepared. Interesting right?? :)

Payment will then be made in other counter beside this area.

I'm sure many elderly are not getting used with the new process. The numbers in the screen move very fast. Even I missed out my number. That's why I went to this unclaimed area and collected my medicines. Hahaha..... And that's why I could take the photos above :D

Running man fever

Last Saturday I finally met up with my school friends who also stay here. It's been months since we last met. They were asking me to meet them and another friend somewhere back in June. But since I moved house in Feb, I was very lazy to go out to Orchard area. It was quite a distance to reach there, and it was a very crowded place especially during sale and holiday season. After that meeting, they wanted to go zoo and asked me to go with them. Again, I rejected them due to some other reason. After that, they labeled me as 'anti social', hahaha...... So this time, although I was still down with flu and a bit sore throat, I still went and met up with them.

A came a bit later, so S and I had a walk first. We browsed into an American label branded clothes called Abercombie - It was first time I heard it though... :P It was quite new shop, been there for few months? Anyway, it was our first time entering that shop. We were greeted by handsome and friendly guy after we stepped in. The shop was dark, only illuminated by dimmed yellow lights. Smell of strong perfume could be found in every corner of the shop. The price is very expensive too. A simple t-shirt costs SGD 66 and a simple sweater costs SGD170. Not our taste.. Although the material quality looks good and it feels so soft and smooth, it is made in China. And since it was so dark, my friend was even mistakenly talking with other people who was also wearing black shirt with short hair. She thought it was me. Hahaha... She felt so shamed when she knew it wasn't me...

Since there were still quite some time before A came, we sat down for a hot tea with milk. We chit chatted as there were many things to update. When time's up, we went to other building to meet A. We had our dinner at Cineleisure. I chose Soto Ayam, Indonesian chicken soup as I didn't want to eat spicy food, but I didn't know that the seller put the chili on the soup without asking me in advance and at the end, I still ate spicy food. Haiya......... My other two friends were having green chili smashed chicken. I told them I wouldn't choose that because my Aunt would also bring the original one from my hometown the day after that.. Hehehehe.....

After dinner, we moved to another place. We sat at a coffee shop called Old Town White Coffee, also at the same building. We chit chatted there and enjoyed our drink. I had hot honey lemon, suitable for my sore throat, while the other two were having lemon and blackberry frozen yoghurt. A mentioned my plan to go to South Korea next year, but I told them it's not confirmed yet as I was still waiting for another friend confirmation. Both of them had been there before so they were telling me on what was nice, where to eat the best Korean food, what was cheap to shop, etc.

RUNNING MAN

After that S told us, before you go Korea, you's better watch a show, called Running Man. It's a variety show, much better than Amazing Race, Jacky Go Go Go and others. S explained more about it. It was not a new show as it started since year 2010. S suggested us to watch the first few episodes in order, so that we could understand how the games were played and sometimes there would be connection from the previous episode. The show was participated by Korean famous MCs, singers, actors, etc. Although you didn't know anything about them before, as you watch few episodes, you'd become familiar with them. Choose the one with English subtitle, otherwise you wouldn't be able to understand the whole games were about.

One episode after another, it was sooooo.... funny, hillarious, and entertaining!!! I couldn't control myself. I was just laughing, laughing and laughing, especially the moment where they pour the coffee, sugar, egg yolk, etc and when they threw the dice on the floor to determine how many egg yolk or how many lemon to be poured inside their cup... Hahahahaha.....

My son watched the first episode in his school on Monday. His teacher played the show for them to watch. Later on, he was addicted into it as well. Soon, both of us can watch it together.. Hahahaha....

Yesterday was Deepavali and we had off for one day. In the afternoon, 3 of us went out to Tampines. I hadn't been there since we moved house and we browsed around the 3 shopping mall within few hours... So tiring... We had a cuppa of coffee at about 2.30pm. We went back home around 7pm. I watched one episode after that. Since my throat was dry after laughing, I decided to drink a cup of hot honey lemon in our house balcony, suitable for a cool after-raining day.

At 11pm, I tried to sleep. To my nightmare, I couldn't sleep at all. I tossed my body left and right, up and down, still couldn't fall asleep. It was 12.14am and I was still awake. It must be the effect of the caffeine that I took that afternoon, plus the honey lemon??? Alamak!!!

I decided to grab my ipad and watched it on my bed. I put the ear piece so I wouldn't disturb my sleeping hubby. I watched episode 14. As I said, when you watched it, you couldn't control yourself to laugh!! I was laughing, giggling, and shook my body along, until my hubby got irritated and told me not to watch and remind me that I'll have to work tomorrow morning. I continued watching but with silence giggling and laughing at heart... Hahahaa.... So difficult to control... But at least, no more complain, until this morning, he called me to share his irritation last night. Hahahahahaha......

I watched it until 2.15am and before sleeping, I prayed hard that I could wake up when alarm ring! I had less than 5 hours to sleep last night. Now, I am still quite awake, wah, the effect of the caffeine was really strong!!! Better remind myself not to drink coffee after 12pm, especially when next day I have to work.

In conclusion, if you want to see what type of show that made me crazy by laughing and giggling myself, you can watch it online on youtube. But not all episodes were shown there. There are other website that contains the whole episode. But slowly enjoy the show as it's now 120 episodes already... Hehehehe....

Gotta work now!! Enjoy your day!!! 2 more days to Friday!! :)