Back Breaking!

How do other people do it, I wonder? As in hold down a full time job, with housework, with taking care of kids, with taking care of elderly, and still have energy left to study part time! My maid will be coming back on Wednesday, so last Saturday I had to clean the whole house, and already I find it back breaking! My back was literally sore and I could hardly move after I scrubbed, mopped, cleaned and wiped the floors, doors, grilles and furniture!

I think I am really useless! Considering my overseas relatives, they never have a domestic helper, yet able to cook, clean, take care of kids, drive them everywhere, do the marketing, entertain and still keep the house so spic and span! I am talking about really big houses (big in our context, normal in their context), those colonial bungalow kinds with a few rooms, a nice living room with a fireplace, a dining room that opens up onto the backyard patio facing the swimming pool, big garden, and driveway. How do they maintain the house and still work full time and have a few kids at the same time?

I really salute them! I wonder if I can do that? Think I am too spoilt already, hence become so useless in life!

Being A "Housewife" ...

My family maid has gone back on home leave for three weeks, and my mum took this opportunity to bring my maternal grandmother back to visit her hometown. Hence for the next two weeks or so, it will be only me, my dad and my brother at home, which means I will be the "housewife", taking charge of the household, doing the chores, serving the men and picking up after the men.

 

My mum left yesterday, so today is my first day at being a "housewife". I woke up extra early just so to boil water, put the clothes in the washing machine and let my dog out for a walk. These men really take things for granted. I would think that with no one around, they would take the initiatve to at least help out.

 

But no! They left their clothes all over, and I had to run around picking up their dirty laundry. Socks were downstairs, shirt upstairs, pants in the bathroom upstairs, more socks in the kitchen. Why can they not just bring everything down and put them in the washing machine? It would make my job so much easier.

 

They used the plates and whatnot and just dumped it in the sink without washing, leaving the dirty dishes overnight, and I had to wash up this morning. Even when they ate fruit like mango and banana, they just dumped the skin and seed into the sink, without even bothering to throw inside the trash bin which is just next to the sink!

 

I had to pick up their dirty leftovers and throw it into the trash bin. Because everything was left overnight, they were starting to give out a smell. Then I had to bring out the trash and dump it into the big trash bin outside, where the environment people would then come and pick it up.

 

I had to ensure all the windows are closed when I left, just in case of heavy rain, otherwise I would find everything soaked and wet if I come back. What makes everything worse? My dad and my brother can sleep in, as my dad is semi-retired, especially if he is back home, and my brother does not need to go to work until eleven since he works in an eatery.

 

I am the one with the full time job here and had to wake up early! Yet I still had to do so many things while the men sleep on! Yet to most people, this is considered a norm, that the men can just sleep in and leave their things all around, and the women have to be the one doing everything else.

 

This is my house, and I do not mind helping out when my mum and maid are both away. But I just wish my dad and brother, and the men in general, that they can also take the initiative too. Even if they do not wish to help out with the housework, at least make the woman's job easier by not being so messy. Afterall, it is their house too, is it not? Is it too much to ask they at least throw stuff into the trash bin and put the clothes in the washer?

 

These are just minor chores. I still have the entire house to clean during the weekend. I really salute my friends who can go to work and still take charge of the house at the same time, doing the housework and cleaning up after their men! I do not know how I will actually cope with this if I ever do this full time!

Hot Housekeeping Day!

It had been a few very hot days! So hot that my entire house is emitting heat! So hot that my dog ran away when I tried to shower him with the hose (fixed to the tap at the backyard) because it spewed out boiling water! Talk about having hot water without even boiling it!

Normally my dog is pretty well-behaved when it comes to his bath. He would just stand there, not moving, while we splashed him with tap water, scrubbed him, and splashed him with tap water again to wash his shampoo off.

But last Saturday, he ran away the moment the water touched him. I was puzzled, but when I came in contact with the water, I knew why. It was boiling! He had shampoo all over his body, so in the end I had to carry him into the kitchen bathroom to use the shower hose to wash him off.

Again, the shower hose spewed out hot water! Finally I had to use a plastic wash basin, fill it with cold tap water and rinse him off before he was satisfied. Poor fellow! He must be wondering why I subjected him to such "torture"!

It was too hot to even clean the house properly. I was assigned the upper level since my maid is away on home leave. I specially stayed home on Saturday (partly due to the late night partying on Friday night and I did not reach home until four in the morning on Saturday) so I could clean the house, but it was just too hot!

In the end my dear came over and he volunteered to mop the floor for me. What an angel! My mum even commented that the floors are pretty well-cleaned, although if she knew who was the one who cleaned them I am going to be in trouble!

Housekeeping Weekend!

I actually survived! Yeah! A housekeeping weekend, that is. I was off housekeeping for the August CHOICE weekend. Being a participant was an experience, now being part of the hospitality crew is an even bigger experience.

Because we have to be hospitable, everything have to be ensured that things are running smoothly, from the food to the utensils to the stationery to the hall setting to flowers decorations to making the participants feel welcomed to taking care of their every need.

If you think it is easy, try surviving on just four hours of sleep in three days. Long after the participants have gone to bed, we had to prepare the food for breakfast the next day, so we ended up boiling macaroni, shredding chicken and chopping small tomatoes in the dead of the night.

We ended up getting up before the sunrise to start cooking. We ended up grocery shopping at seven in the morning. And barely when one meal was done, we had to start preparing for the next. Plus all the cleaning up after all the meals! But it was all worth it, as the participants seemed to enjoy themselves so much, at least they seem better than the participants during my own weekend!

By the time I reached home last night, I could barely walk straight! It is not an easy feat trying to feed an army of people, who, for some reason, these participants can really eat! They kept asking for second and third helpings even! Even six hours of sleep last night was not enough for me! Yet it is back to work again today, hopefully I can keep myself awake!

National Day Long Weekend

It was the National Day long weekend, and for once in a long while, I was actually busy instead of being bored with nothing much to do but be a couch potato. August seems to be a busy month for me.

Last Friday I went for a third story-telling session for CHOICE, and this time, I felt emotional and on the verge of tears when I shared my talk. It was rather overwhelming as I did not feel that emotional writing the talk!

On Saturday, I sang for a wedding in church, then went to Novena, and after that for a dinner and movie outing of G.I. Joe. Having never watched any G.I. Joe cartoons or series although I know about them growing up, I watched the movie without expecting anything, yet I find it a much better show than Transformers 2. I like Transformers more than G.I. Joe yet its the latter movie that took my breath away! I will highly recommend anyone to watch it - the special effects are stunning!

On Sunday, I did the usual church activities then spend the rest of the day at home, house cleaning. House cleaning continued on Monday. I am expecting guests for the week, so I need to make my room spic and span, and a more "live-able" condition, in my mother's words. I cannot believe the amount of junk one can accumulate after just half a year (the last time I cleaned my room)!

So it is back to work today. I am so glad it is just a short week (shorter at least). Looking forward to having guests this week and the international reunion for the weekend!

Spring Cleaning Weekend!

Happy Lunar New Year! I have been a little quieter lately, because I want to take the opportunity for a long weekend to catch up on a few things. Like cleaning my room, for one. And studying and catching up on my notes. I am not a neat freak, neither am I a cleanliness freak. Those who really know me know I am essentially a big mess, in every aspect. :-p

Still, I have to start cleaning up because I have long run out of space, and it comes to the stage where practicality have to take precedence over memories and sentimentality. Thus, I threw away a lot of things which I used to keep. Like the dried flowers given by someone on Christmas Eve 2007.

Movie ticket stubs, theatre ticket stubs, I used to keep all those, but in the midst of cleaning up, I threw them all away. Twelve Hershey’s wrappers from 2003. That was a memorable day, but I threw them all away. In the end, that day did not really count so much as some of my other more memorable days.

Finally, I threw away all the cute boxes that used to contain trinkets, but since I have taken out all the trinkets and moved them into a bigger box, I threw the boxes away. The only things I have not thrown away are my old diaries, and the letters to and from someone whom I still keep.

Strangely, things given by other guys I finally threw them all away, but things given by my best friend and mementoes from my most serious relationship, as well as old letters from my pen-pals and close friends, I retain them. As well as old photos. They were so much a part of me, a part of my childhood and growing up years, that I cannot bring myself to dispose of them.

Still, at least my room is somewhat cleared. No more clunks of junk all over my desk! No more bags and clothings strewn all over my floor and bed! For once in a long time, I can actually see the colour of my rosewood desk again!

Another resolution – to maintain the state of my room this way for the rest of the time when I am still using the room!

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Getting Out Of Being Domestically Handicapped

Lately I am feeling like Sissy Song. Those of you who are familiar with "The Teenage Textbook" and "The Teenage Workbook" will know who I am referring to. And my best friend is of course, Mui Ee (not literally because that is not her name). Anyway I am feeling like Sissy Song because I have been calling her more often than before to ask her to guide me in certain household chores.

I know how to do the basic housework, but at times, I need some guidance in case I screw up. She was the one who first taught me how to iron, how to operate the washing machine (that was many years back when we were still studying), and how to scrub the tiles of the bathroom. Now I am still calling her on the proper procedure to ensure the floors are spic and span with no trace of dust.

Yes, I admit I am rather domestically handicapped. It is just like Sissy Song calling Lee Mui Ee on how to boil water and how to cook an egg (I have never done that though, as in call to ask about this, because I know how to boil water and cook an egg pretty well), and Mui Ee will patiently guide through the steps with Sissy. But in real life, we bear absolutely no resemblance to the characters, be it in looks or personalities!

But I am learning. Ten years back (or a little more than that), I was not even able to fold clothes, or do the laundry, or make my bed, or sweep the floor. Moving to the university hostel did me some good, somewhat. I had to sweep the floor on my own, do my own laundry (although sometimes I still accumulate the laundry and bring them home to wash), make my own bed, and do my own cooking and cleaning.

I am not exactly a neat freak or cleanliness freak, but then, if you stay in a room for like half a year or so, it is your own responsibility to keep it neat and tidy. So if I cannot even clean up my own room, then how am I going to keep a house and home neat and tidy, warm and loving in the future?

Through the years, I started learning more things, like how to hand wash clothes, ironing, mopping and scrubbing the floors, cleaning the windows, cooking (which I really enjoy, almost as much as baking!) and keeping the place spic and span. But I also realise one thing, those women who work and survive without a maid are really great! I already find it quite a struggle having to work and doing housework at the same time!

But when things have to be done, no matter what one still has to do it. One has to make time for it. Just like last night, when I reached home after the show, I had to mop the floor and clean the bathrooms, before I could shower and sleep. Yes, I had to mop the floor and clean the bathrooms past midnight. Which crazy person would do that at that hour? I could have just done it this morning, but I was not that confident I could wake up early enough, so I thought it would be better to just get it over and done with, otherwise if I drag it on, it would never get done.

So I cleaned the upper level of the house late in the night. It did not take me that long though, only about fifteen minutes or so. And I felt more comfortable after that, because the floors were no longer dusty or sticky! I think I really have to start training myself to do more housework from now on. It really is a good feeling to be able to keep your house clean!

House Cleaning!

My domestic helper had gone home for vacation last night, so for the next three weeks, we have to help out around the house. Luckily I do not come from a chauvinistic family. My dad is perfectly happy having my mum being the more capable and outspoken partner, and he is also perfectly happy helping out around the house as and when needed.

At least the men in my family are not those who just sit around, watching television and playing computer games, and expect the women to serve them coffee and food and do all the household chores while they indulge in beer and dirty talk. And that is why I appreciate them! Imagine if I grow up in a chauvinistic family, I think I will be really miserable!

Having said that, I have to clarify that my parents are traditional people, as in they uphold Chinese cultures and traditions, and do celebrate every occasion, like Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dumpling Festival, even the Mid-Winter Solstice. They emphasise on filial piety and respect for the elders.

But there is a difference between being traditional and being chauvinistic. Being traditional can be upholding values that are deeply rooted in the culture. Being chauvinistic simply means thinking men are always better than women, and women's roles are just to keep the house, listen to the men and not be heard, cannot be educated and go out to work. Men should be the ones working and letting the women serve them at home.

For me, I like being the little woman, but I also believe in equality amongst couples. A perfect partnership to me is one where both can engage in dialogue and discourse, can talk about anything and everything without any reservations, can share ups and downs, being open and encourage outspokenness with each other, instead of one always thinking his / her opinions are always right.

At the same time, I like to be taken care of by the man, and I also like to take care of the man. In other words, both of us take care of each other in our own respective ways. In a relationship, it is not a competition who is better or more capable, but a partnership on equal footing. It is also not a calculation who does more or less, who should be the one doing more housework and who should be the one serving who. It is more like both helping each other out and complementing each other.

And that is why I appreciate my family, because even though we have a maid almost throughout our lives, at times like these when our helper goes off, we all help out. My dad and brothers have no complaints and no qualms doing the housework or taking charge of things. They do not just sit around and relax, and expect my mum or me to serve them.

So my mum did up a roster, sort of. I actually volunteered to do the laundry, since I need to wash and iron my executive wear anyway, but my mum asked my youngest brother to do it, because he needs to take special care of his military uniform, as that has to be washed, starched and ironed in a special way. All the more so since he will be marching in the National Day Parade this year.

For me, besides taking care of the dog, I have been assigned the upper level of the house, which means the second floor and the attic. Why so? Because that is where the book collection is. And since I am still in the midst of sorting out and categorising all our books, my mum thought it would be better if I just take charge of the upper level, so I just need to mop the floor and clean the bathrooms everyday.

My first brother will be cleaning the lower level, which means the living room, dining room, kitchen and backyard. My dad will do everything else not stated, and my mum will be in charge of all our meals. This sounds so perfect! And this is what a family should be like!

Iron Maiden!

My resolve to be a better person is coming along fine. I figured that I need to learn how to start doing things on my own, thus I started from my own home, my own room. So I started helping out more at home, starting from my own things.

Usually when my mum bought any new clothes, it will be my maid who helps in the sewing, unpicking, shortening or lengthening of the piece of clothing, plus the washing and ironing. This year, I decided to do it on my own.

So when I got my new year dress, a princess-cut spaghetti strap dress which fits my figure snugly (sidenote : I have gone down eight kilograms! My figure is almost back! Soon I can get my desired figure!). However, there were lots of loose threads hanging out, so I did all the unpicking and fixing of the dress myself.

Just now, after the reunion dinner, I tried my hand at ironing. This is not the first time I ironed, except I seldom iron unless my maid is not around. In my whole life, the only times I ironed were the two times when we were without a maid, and I absolutely loathe it.

Even when I was staying in the hostel, I never did any laundry or ironing. I accumulated all my clothes and brought them home during the weekends, where I would dump everything into the washing machine, and just packed new clothes for the following week. Okay, I admit I am rather spoilt. :-p

Which was why my mum was so surprised when I told her I would iron my own dress just now. And ironed the dress I did. I had to adjust the iron accordingly to the appropriate temperature for the appropriate fabric.

The dress had some ruffles around the top, so I had to turn it over and press the iron properly and delicately over the fabric, so as to neaten the ruffles and not crumple them at the same time. I had to spray a bit of water on it too in order to iron smoothly.

After doing the ruffles, I had to iron the rest of the dress to smoothen it. So I had to turn the dress round bit by bit, and iron it using an updown motion, all the while spraying some water on it before ironing.

Apparently I sprayed a bit too much water at some parts, so when I ran the iron over those parts, the water became a patch and those parts got a bit wet. :-p Overall, the entire dress came out smooth and fine. I did not burn a hole anywhere at least!

Now that the "ordeal" is over, I figured that it is not that difficult to iron a piece of clothing after all. I used to hate ironing because I was always so afraid of getting myself or my clothes burnt.

I have to start being more domestically useful, because if I am to live alone or get married in the future, I cannot always have a maid to take care of things in the house. So it is high time I start doing things on my own and stop depending on others.

Loving You, 我爱你

Chinese New Year is coming, and I am busy cleaning the house again. I used to hate cleaning the house because I am not a neat freak, but in recent years, it gives me great pleasure to keep my room clean and tidy (although I should clean it more often).

Afterall, if I get my own place next time, I should make the effort to keep it clean and neat, is it not? My own room is a good place to start, although that is nothing compared to cleaning the whole house.

Which is why I really appreciate my maid, for helping us keep the house clean all throughout the year. That is why I can never understand why some tend to ill-treat or abuse their domestic help. These girls leave their hometowns in a bid to earn a better living for themselves and their families back home.

They probably get homesick during the first few months or so. Some of them may not be educated and can hardly speak a word of English. Instead of caring for them and helping them adjust, some just treat them as non-existent and hurl verbal and even physical abuse at them! Is it wonder why some maids fight back, and take revenge on the children?

If I am to go overseas to work, I will also like to be well-treated and made to feel like home. But then overseas or not, as long as they are humans (or even animals), they should be accorded the proper respect and treatment, and not abuse. There is no excuse treating anyone or anything in a “lesser” way without basic courtesy.

My new Legal Counsel will be coming in tomorrow and due to lack of space, I have now been shifted to around the middle of the office, in front of the Business Development department, where everyone can see me, instead of a small cosy corner. Not really a good place, in my opinion, as all the more I will be arrowed for just about everything and anything now. :-( But what to do? A small fry like me tends to get bounced anywhere according to others' fancies.

Just now during lunch my colleague and I were discussing about the movie Lust, Caution. Its written by this author called Zhang Ai Ling, who writes rather thought-provoking stories on the different aspects of love.

So anyway, the main female character (played by the actress Tang Wei) was actually in love with her senior in school (played by Wang Lee Hom), but when she had to seduce Tony Leung as a spy, she really fell for him in the end. My colleague was saying that in the book, the ending words are “A woman will always be a woman”, as in a woman treats love and relationships very seriously.

Quite true, is it not? It is almost impossible to ask a woman (a typical woman, not those wanton types) to have a physical relationship with a guy she has no feelings for, or never been in a relationship with. Which is why I can never understand how come guys can have one night stands or ask for sex all the time, even with strangers.

For a typical woman, she can never do that. It is almost impossible for a woman to sleep with a man then just treat it as if nothing happens. Just like it is almost impossible for a woman to start liking a man, then suddenly switch off like that and treat it as if nothing has happened.

Zhang Ai Ling wrote a few more books. There was one that was also made into a movie of sorts, called “Red Rose, White Rose”. My colleague was narrating to me the story, about this guy dating both girls, one called Red Rose, the other called White Rose. Half the book is on a first scenario, the other half on the second scenario, something like the Gwyneth Paltrow’s movie “Sliding Doors”.

The first scenario was when he chose Red Rose and married her, yet kept thinking of White Rose and what could have been. The second scenario was the other way round - he chose and married White Rose, yet kept thinking of Red Rose and what could have been.

At the end of the story, the message is that a guy may claim he loves this girl and marries her, but at the end of the day, he will forever be thinking of the one he did not choose, because in life sometimes, the one you like may be one person, but the one you end up marrying and have children with may be another person.

How true! Actually girls also behave this way. But for me, I can never agree to marry someone I do not love, wholly and totally, with all my heart because it will be only unfair to the guy if I agree to be with him and marry him, yet cannot reciprocate the love he shows me.

Because to me marriage is for life, so even though I do hope to get married some time within the next few years or so, at the same time I will not just settle down with anyone. The one I settle down with is someone whom I really love with all my heart, and vice versa of course. Someone I really want to be with and live with, carve a future with.

I am not sure if guys are like that, but one thing about girls, especially a highly emotionally strung one like myself, if we really like a guy very much, we will try to do things to show our care and concern, to make him happy, and even if he has no response or just a little response, it will make our day.

However, if it is someone we have no feelings for, no matter how much the guy does for us, we will somehow not be touched. Unfair I know, but such is the complexity of feelings. One can give so much to someone who never appreciates you, but yet not accept the one who truly appreciates you.

There was also another story by the same author, where the ending sentence is something like “The furthest distance is not how far apart two people are, but how close they are to each other, yet never know how much they love each other.” In the original text, it is “人与人最远的距离不是分开多久，而是在你身边，却不知道他有多么的爱你.” Beautiful!

A few weeks back, I was watching this Hong Kong series called “The Threat Of Love”. It has two series of 10 episodes each, a total of 20 episodes. Each episode is one story, but all the stories touch on the different aspects of love, between parents and children, siblings, friends, couples, homosexuals, etc.

A very heartwarming show. The first series is better though, more touching, the second is funnier. This is something like the movie “Love, Actually”, where in this society when one thinks people are incapable of love, they look around and find that love actually is all around them.

Let's hope I will have better luck this year when it comes to love! :-p

Nuttiness ....

I think I am really domestically-impaired when it comes to working in the kitchen. Just like the other day, when we had to shred carrots, I was the only one who created such a mess despite being slower than the rest.

Today, when we had to chop almond and hazelnuts for the cake fillings, I had no idea how to chop them at all. I see the rest of them taking out a handful of nuts, putting them onto a chopping board, then using the cleaver and just started chopping away into fine pieces, I wondered how they did that.

I tried to imitate them by doing the same thing, but my nuts started moving all around, making it hard for me to even chop them properly. I saw how they held on to the nuts to prevent them from moving around, but I was more concerned about getting my finger chopped off instead! :-p

Finally, I held on to the nuts as firm as I could and started chopping away. At least I succeeded to a certain extent, as the nuts were chopped into pieces, albeit bigger pieces and not fine ones as were instructed.

But it was such a relief for me being able to chop nuts properly in the first place that I just could not be bothered to continue chopping them into finer pieces!

Carrot Shreds!

I had to shred carrots before making the Carrot Cake. We had to make fifteen cakes for everyone, so we needed 460 grams of carrots, making it a total of seven carrots. The carrots had to be peeled before putting them through a big shredder / grater.

I must confess, being rather domestically-handicapped, that was the first time I ever tried shredding carrots (or anything else for that matter). I did not even had any idea whether to shred the carrot vertically or horizontally!

So I held the carrot upright and started from the pointed edge, moving in an upward motion. I shredded all the way until only the head of the carrot was left. The shreds turned out fine and thin, but they were a little messy as while shredding, the bits kept flying around. So the shreds ended up all over the shredder and some went onto the table as well. It took a while to remove the shredded pieces from the shredder itself.

I took another carrot and started shredding again. The same motion, starting from the pointed edge, moving upwards, all the way until only the head was left. Comparing myself to someone who is used to helping out around the house since young, I am really incompetent.

I see how others' hands could move so fast and shredded a carrot within minutes. It took me double the time, and even then, my arm was a little sore after shredding a carrot. By the time I started on my second carrot, my movements were drastically decreased.

I only shredded three carrots within the time limit. The rest have already shredded five or so. What a letdown! At least now I learnt how to go about making shreds, be it carrots or others. I may not have been helping around the house all along, but at least I know how to potter around in the kitchen too!

Cleaning Up ....

As if I had not enough spring cleaning to do at the office, I had to clean out my drawer a few days back. Thank goodness I did, otherwise I would not have known just how long I have not cleaned out my drawer!

Can anyone imagine I actually found the booklet for Humanities Scholarship circa 1995, and a whole unopened bag of Lipton tea satchets, expiry date 30 May 2002?! Not only that, I found some notes from law studies, tertiary application package, and the entire teaching application pack! That shows just how long I have not cleaned out that particular drawer!

It was a good thing I ended up cleaning the drawer, as I found some things which made up my life - gifts by friends, parents and ex-colleagues, cards by friends and ex-students, and the most important of all, love letters and cards from someone.

I could not help it. I started reading all the letters and cards again. And I cried. Even though that was my life so long ago, but the power of his words still amazes me. He is one of the few guys I know who can really write. I do not mean write as in just article or blog writing, but intense, emotional writing, which most guys scorn and most girls do.

I still feel so touched by the way he writes. Even though we have moved on, gone our separate ways for so long, those letters still trigger off long-lost memories. It was as if I was living my life again during that period of time, re-living those times, re-enacting the scenes that flickered in front of my eyes.

So I packed them all up again and put them back into the special place in the drawer that will always remain special. As much as I was so tempted to throw all away, those things were a big part of my life, and no matter what happened that period of time remained one of my happiest, most memorable ones.

Although in light of my current life, perhaps I should do some cleaning up of my mind as well? Then I can forget everything and just be happy, or else each time I was reminded of something long ago, I would start feeling melancholic again.

Antz Attack!

I hate pests! Cockroaches and rats especially. I think I am herpetophobic (albeit rather minor). Which is why I always get freaked out when I see any cockroach or rats (and there are still rats running around in my neighbourhood!).

Now the latest - ants! I have become an ant murderer. I just wiped out an entire colony the other night. I have been seeing ants coming and going in my room for quite some time, but had no idea where they came from. I always thought the ants were from outside my house and managed to climb through my window into my room.

Then by chance, I got to sort out my stationery box, which is on a shelf of my desk. What I saw gave me a big shock! There was an entire colony of ants under the box! The ants were lounging around, and I even saw the nest (or part of it) at the side of the box.

The sight freaked me out so much that I immediately went off to get the insecticide and sprayed the whole lot of them. Then I cleaned out the shelf and found the "culprit" - my half-eaten packet of Cadbury Dairy Milk. So this was where I stashed them. No wonder the entire packet just disappeared! Needless to say, I had to throw away the entire packet as well.

After everything was cleaned, I realised that I just wiped out an entire colony! Does it make me a conqueror then? I did not feel good after that, because I took away so many lives just like that. This taught me a lesson though - not to stash so much candy in my room again! Or rather, not to forget where I put the candy.

Housework Blues

My maid left for home on Saturday morning. Not for good (thank goodness!) but for a well-deserved break. So for the next 2 weeks or so, I have to be a full-time employee as well as part-time housekeeper and dog-sitter, not to mention computer doctor as well.

I must admit : I suck at housework. That's the result of having a maid all your life. The only time I actually did some form of housework was when I moved into NUS's Eusoff Hall and NTU's Hall 13. That was when I had to do my own laundry, folding, ironing, sweeping, dusting, vacuuming, bed-making and occasional cooking. I actually enjoyed every moment of it as it was a sign of liberty for me, away from my parents, no curfew and restrictions, living a life of my own.

My mum delegated tasks for us. I have to sweep and mop the entire upstairs, while my brother has to do the same for the entire downstairs. He actually has it easier, considering there is only the living room, dining room and kitchen downstairs, whereas there are my bedroom, bathroom, parents' room, study room, brothers' room and hallway upstairs. I had to do the back-breaking task of mopping the entire upstairs. And by upstairs, I mean just the second floor, it does not include the attic room on the third floor. By downstairs, I mean areas in the house, not the garden and driveway outside. This is one of those times I really really wish that my maid need not go back afterall.

Come to think of it, it may not be that hard to adjust afterall. I do not have to make any major changes to my schedule. I just have to walk my dog daily as usual and feed him. However, I had to wake up earlier to give him a bath. As for our eating habits, my family members and I will each settle our own meals. The problem is my grandmother, but I guess any of us can just buy food back for her.

My mum takes care of the laundry. Everything is just thrown into the washing machine for ease of cleaning. The only problem is that the clothes, especially my executive suits, will become very crumpled, so I have to do the dreaded task of ironing my own clothes. (I leave my other family members to their own ironing.) Perhaps I can do what my friend does - have a movie marathon while ironing. Only thing is I may get too engrossed in the movie and risk burning my clothes.

All in all, I believe it is very good training especially for a domestically-impaired person like myself. But I really can't wait for my maid to come back so I can relinquish all back to her. Which got me thinking - if I do get married in the future, either I be a full-time homemaker and work part-time or work full-time and get a maid, or else my future partner has to help out with half the housework. I realise I cannot cope with being both. I really take my hats off those women who can hold a full-time job, go home do the housework, and take care of elders and kids all at the same time, yet without complaining. So guys out there, better treasure these type of women as they are really great!