People always say they feel re-charged after a long vacation. Do they , actually?

If I can still remember my work well and still knows and expects very well what is in store when i go back and yet hold a monotonous feeling towards it, have I re-charged myself?

It has been a week, exactly when Karen ended the last piece of work before packing her bags for the trip. Quickly, we have returned. Not with just more luggage of shopping conquests, but also luggage of memories and impressions saved in our minds for years to savour and boast about.

The haze has been a top topic for the past week. Anywhere in local media you can read about it. Comments, topics posted by government officials, facebookers and neighbouring countries. Masks, dengue and so on. As such, i will not touch on these subjects except to say that in Singapore, there are many who can type and and say anything they want without fully realising the full consequences that will follow.Perhaps its the same everywhere, perhaps its just us.

Laying your mind to rest completely is something which I really enjoy and love. Prior to this trip, there is only the annual in camp training where we can take our minds off work. However, in this trip, there is none to worry. You only worry about what food to think next. As such I think I have not re-charged myself. Instead, I would like to say that I have relaxed myself and enjoyed myself very much over an extended period of time. It was the longest period of overseas travel but the whole experience has been fantastic. There have been several write ups on Bangkok and its shopping blah blah, but until you start to understand their way of life and look deep, you may have just only visited a new shopping/eating joint which requires you to take a plane to reach.If you are talking about re charging, i reckon it will take a month at least to repair the pressure lines, get sufficient sleep and rest. Who gets to rest really well during trips? You shop till you drop , don't you? So where is the re-charging?

This time round for BKK has been a nearly whopping ten years since the last visit. Bangkok has changed a lot and very beautiful shopping malls and eateries have sprout up. In our stay at Centara Grand, Central World was the closest to us(linked to hotel) and had been our main source of meals during the 1 week stay. Maybe i sound like a noob, but Central World has a very good selling point regarding its' eateries. Everyone of them has a different theme to it and you can see it easily through its decor and even the seats. The shops are spacious and they have nearly every thing a shopper will need. A supermarket which is just next to their carpark... just compare it to our Vivo City, I would like to think the latter of being a place designed to torture shoppers. Central World wins hands down.

I think I will just mention the following people whom deserved mention during the trip:
1) the kind security guard at Central World on 7th floor carpark lift.
2) the chamber maid who made our beds during the 1 week stay
3) practically all the hotel staff of Centara Grand
4) The haversack seller at MBK
5) The supposed'Iron Ladies' at MBK(but I think they are real pretty women, no gender change)
6) Taxi driver who drove us to the Suvarnabhumi Airport. Really smooth driving skills and helpful
7) Nana Betta whom i bought fishes and made friends with at Chatuchak Market. She and her husband are really nice people and they have a very cute daughter.

It was a bit wasted we had'nt got a chance to soak in the pool which is an open view type similar to Marina Bay Sands. But there is little to complain about in this trip and it ended nicely on the last night with a room service call in.Fantastic meal to round up a week of nice food and nice people. Im sure i am one of many thousands who would enjoy a great time at Bangkok and can't wait to go back there again. It is also the first time i have taken the BTS train alone to Chatuchak(karen had sore blisters and did not travel while Ken was busy at the Magic Competition)not once but twice. Suddenly during the second time i took the train to Chatuchak, i realised Bangkok isn't what it used to dawn on me ten years ago when I was there and led by my friend. It wasn't difficult and I definitely had no idea how it would be like to stay in a hotel this time round(back then we had stayed in a friend's house), shop ourselves and entertain ourselves.

Everytime when we end a trip, we will always tend to forecast when we are going again the next time. Most times, I know that it will indeed be some years later. However, this time round, the feeling's different. Maybe, just maybe it would be near this time. =)

Signs off
Mr Ussenal.

Mrs USsenal 2013 Birthday

Mrs USsenal 2013 Birthday

2013 June 1st - My Birthday and it also offically marks that I am 34 years old.

As age is catching up with me, I realised that I do not like fanciful birthday celebrations but I longs to have quality times with my loved ones instead.

This birthday seemed to be especially fruitful yet especially tiring and hectic for me. God given me so much during this year but He seemed to have another 'route' planned for me.

Been working on the SCC based in school project for the past 1 year and FINALLY... ... Fei Yue got the tender at Sembawang Primary School. SCC will be embarking onto a new journey; into a new territory... into a primary school.

The feeling of anticipation is overwhelming yet somehow, there is a tinge of fearful doubt in me. With a pressed deadline of less than 14 days, will I be able to fulfill what God wanted me to? I constantly pray to Him and even I knew that He shall provides; I am still unable to find peace within.

The unstable feeling of taking over a new place plus leaving my comfy zone and going into a new 'war field'; having to start all over again. Taking in new registrations, to hit the quota of 120 students as well as many other more pressing issues ahead of me... ... 

As much as I wanna hold, human body is simply weak. Eventually, I finally fell sick... ... Having continuous nosebleeding for the past week, it is finally time to admit myself reluctantly into the hospital.
As much as I wanna 'siam', my body alarm finally 'gave way' on last Friday...  the eve of my birthday.
Awwwwwww!

Lying on the bed of the hospital, loads of stuff was going on in my mind... ...
Seeing the sick and weak lying just across me, I am thankful that I am still pretty much alive and well; as compared to them. I prayed and give thanks to God for looking over me in such a adoring way. Though it seemed pitiful and vexing to have to be in hospital on my birthday eve yet somehow, I managed to find peace within these few short hours. I am sure God has His own way of showing me what is real peace in the most unseen way.

Reaching home around 9pm but all I can see was a table full of my favourite food. Madam had prepared a mini sumptuous dinner spread for me. Nothing fanciful but just my most loved home-cooked meal.

The most important of all was the quality times I had with the people I adored most... ... Special thanks to my wonderful PIL, Mr USsenal, my lovable brother & my 2 'cute daughters' who came all the way down after work; to give me a surprise. I am so sorry that they have to wait so long at Westmall as I am still not home yet(from the hospital).

Mr USsenal  got me a lovely Coach pink watch... ... indeed a BIG surprise! The girls got me a Batt.bank for my phone(really useful and thoughtful) and most wonderful of all, my brother gave me a BIG kiss filled with care and love.

Woohoo! I also received BIG angpows from my parents and my dear sister. Thankful that they have never forgotten my birthdays; not even once. Just kinda sad that I wasnt able to celebrate with them at Woo's Mansionette this year. Just don't wish to worry my Mummy. How I wish I could just tell them how muchie I missed and loved them; deep in my heart. 

The big and little ones at work too gave me an early birthday surprise. They filled my birthday with loads of yummylicious KFC chicken drumsticks(supposedly birthday must eat at least one drumstick) and plentiful of cutie cards - solely Handmade with LOVE.

Teacher Vanessa even gave me a lovely mini cake.

My two lovely aunties gave me Heng Heng angpows.

Even my JJCs two lovely babes; Fionn & Liyin gave me a mini surprise. hehe They are indeed so sweet and wonderful kiddos.

Loads of wishes and regards from my loved ones, besties, friends, students, parents, old pals, ex-students and many more. My handphone was flooded with messages and meaningful messages kept flowing in... ...

A BIG thanks to all of you for making my 2013 birthday more memorable than the previous year; always filling my mind with lovely and even more memorable memories to behold onto.

“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”

Cheers
Mrs USsenal

A hectic month of May has whizzed by and ended with a trip to the hospital for the missus due to a prolonged period of nose bleeding due to hypertension. It was a nervy time waiting for doctor's conclusion and diagnosis in the consultation area of the A& E of the National University Hospital on a cold and rainy evening on Friday.

By being asked to wait outside had given a bit of reprieve; time to catch up on some lost sleep the night before. However, the time taken to rest soon turned into time of eagerness as well. Longer time i had rested = longer time of anticipation on what's going on or going to happen inside the treatment room where Karen has been told to lay down.

May had started off with a bang , with the news that a tender has been awarded to FY and that the new scc should begin operations on 17 June 2013. A lot of things to be done but amid lack of logisitics and manpower support, tension began to build, spiralling the previously tranquil and direct lifestyle of ours into unfamilar settings. Karen was often busy and messages will often go unanswered till hours later occasionally. She also slept earlier which meant we couldn't enjoy the movies/tv shows together and i will have to turn in early as a result as well.

However, Karen began to have nosebleeds a week ago, which was probably a timely signal of red warning which then culiminated in a night of non stop on/off bleeding which last till the early morning the next day. It was a wake up call type of shock; we did not expect the relapse to get so bad since a visit to the clinic was just a week ago. However, the relapses just after 2 days should have gotten us on the alert that her blood pressure is still dangerously high.

Immediately, changes were discussed and made. No more night suppers and late nights except for weekends. Even though, it should not be mandatory that nights must be served late every friday and saturday. It's just the licsense to sleep late , but not a necessity to sleep late. Diet changes and as well as watching one's own tension in work and life. seen a doctor, made diet changes,life style changes and the rest is really up to the individual.

Such an incident has also shed light of how good health is important. If your body is in poor shape without any proper care, what good will it do even if you worked your socks off  only to be laid off to rest for an even longer period of time? I believe in hard work, but i never believe in working with eyes blindfolded.  I am responsible to my work, but I think i should be more accountable to the people who have loved and cared for me.Should'nt I also pay heed to the people who love me such that I will not cause them pain and worry also? Work is work and there is never a finishing line.

Such an incident has really taught me lessons. In a way,. I have also been performing below par especially in terms of concentration. Hopefully with a lifestyle change, it would also help in work and at the same time ensure a healthier body too.

 In all, I can't complain too much as May then ended with a nice mini celebration of Karen's birthday and coupled with a full 2 day weekend rest, it is time to face June where there will be another time of breakaway with a trip to Thailand and my reservist swansong.The rest of the months will just get better as it should as normal, when the year gets into the halfway line and all dust will have settled.

Stay cool, healthy happy and relaxed.No amount of job satisfaction can equal what you feel when you really relax and let go..