6 days have come and gone. 2 days more!

The experience i have with Australia is like a new found love.
When i was told that it was summer and to bring light clothings,
the 'hot sun' only meant strong winds that turn me into ice.
Thats their so called 'hot sun'
I have since became best friends with my jacket.

And no one told me it was so beautiful just to look at all their brick houses.
Every corner and small lane. I see houses with vintage brick walls and effortlessly placed flowers and plants, of lilac, pink, baby blues. I love it i love it.

Every street, i see shops after shops selling cakes, quiche, pies...Mmm...

Despite the occasional cold wind, i was still in love with every bit of Sydney, King Cross Road, Challis Road.

To my delight. Everything is clean clean clean. I like.

Meeting Auntie April after 5 years was so exciting. We had a mini road trip from Sydney, City to Cowra where she lives. Which is a 5 - 6 hours journey. On the way we stopped by a fruit stall with giant mushrooms and cabbage bigger than my head.

At every corner, there were birds, kangaroos, foxes and etc. Some were alive and some were the run over carcases on the road.

Despite the simple life of the town. We love it even more than the City. Auntie April was afraid that we may be bored if we spent too many days in town.

We went to her house where the land was big enough to built 8 houses in Singapore. But she has built one house, with a big big garden. 3 garage and even a backyard that looks more like a park to me. Everything is about vastness and living in the moment.

I won't forget the fruit farm where we picked cherries. Eating homecooked lamb chops and Auntie April's house and and the number of hills and valleys we see along the way.
Buying a bbq chicken and eating at the park. Feeding ducks.

Our last moments were at The Three Sisters. The view was magnificent. That was when Auntie April said, i gotta go now. Hope you will enjoy the rest of your stay in Sydney. Remember the train at Katoomba train station comes every half an hour.

I hugged her tightly. The time spend in the town was so much fun with her company.
She says to my husband," you better take good care of her, or i will come to Singapore to kill you."

Both of us trying to control our tears. Parted bravely.

The handicraft shops at Leura Town were a good distraction from being left alone after 2 days with someone to drive us around all the time.

Somehow i like the town much better than the City. The Town ends at 5pm. All shops will be closed and all will go home. Imagine retail 9-5 working hours! Good life man!

Blue Mountain was even colder than the city. They had heated indoor swimming pool and heated warm indoor hotels. By this time, my faithful jacket proved useless against such weather.

We said farewell to Blue Mouuntain after taking a 2 hour train ride back to Sydney City.
And after walking for hours on the streets. I feel all the luxury brands and glamour dun move me anymore.

I miss the old, country like towns, with every nice stalls and flowers and wildlife and every turn of the road.

Yeh, and after all the walking. I am resting at Macdonalds. Because its raining heavily outside. When the rain feels like snow. And i can feel my hands breaking off from me.

2 more days in Sydney. My love hate relationship with Sydney. A bit more love than hate. Hee Hee. I feel so comfortable here that despite the cold, i dun wanna go home!

Because of the towns, my new dream in life. Spend 10 years saving money to buy a land in Leura and another 10 years for the renovation of the house. So by the time i am 50, i can migrate here. Leura wait for me...

The last lap

After tearful moments, picking myself up again.

I've finally reached the destination i've been yearning for.

Will it be good news this time? Will i have a bouncing little tyke?

Anxious and excited.

Once i past this last hurdle, what will i be running towards next?

I think for now, i am tired of running.

Would wish to rest for awhile before i am for a ready to embark on the next marathon.

I feel at ease now

For the past few days. I could not get to sleep.

My house is new, its clean. Its perfect.

Why still can't get to sleep?

My colleague mentions that maybe i should dirty it abit so

i can get a gd night sleep.

Yesterday my hubby did up the future kids room.

There is now a single bed, study desk, bedside table.

And all the cutie stuff i had.

Somehow it makes me feel that the house is now a home.

My hubby lacks the ability to express his feelings with flourish words.

But with his efforts to put up the kids room, i am glad that in his own silent way,

he is also excited by the possibilities within this room. I am too!

A Widowed Dad Finds Support from Strangers

In just 27 hours, Matt Logelin experienced the most overwhelming joy as he and his wife Liz welcomed their new daughter, Madeline, followed by the most heartbreaking loss imaginable. "It went from my version of perfection to absolute hell," says Matt, whose high school sweetheart died suddenly in the hospital of a pulmonary embolism. "We didn't have that last five minutes," he says. "My wife was dead. I mean, what the hell do I do? I didn't know how to live without her."
But he soon found a lifeline when he returned home with his baby girl and decided to use Liz's pregnancy blog as a way to communicate with his family. "I just wanted to give them visual proof that I was succeeding," says the 31-year-old. News about his blog and the honesty he displayed in it began to spread across the Web. Within months, more than 40,000 people were reading it every day, and parenting tips began pouring in from strangers around the world. "I never dreamt that people would give me advice or that they would actually help me through this process," Matt says. "It helps me every day."
His story has been featured in People magazine and he has created a foundation in his wife's name to offer financial support to others facing similar circumstances, including the widowers with children whom he has met through his blog. Matt says the feedback continues to be meaningful as he builds a life with his daughter. "It makes me feel like I'm doing something right here, and that's a really nice feeling."

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/single-dads-amazing-story-courage-and-support/

His blog: http://www.mattlogelin.com/

Foundation under his wife's name: http://thelizlogelinfoundation.org/

The simple spice of my life

After deciding that living simply will be the way to go, I sat down to plan my dinner menu for the week. The gas stove will only be turned-on on Saturday. Meanwhile, my dinners would have to be prepared using what I have; the rice cooker, grill and microwave oven.

After work I hopped down NTUC like a woman on a mission. As usual, I have a list for everything and I did have a list for the dinners for the week.

The list for the week
Mon – NTUC bbq chicken with canned soup and kidney beans
Tue - Ham sandwich with melted cheese (green peppers & tomatoes)
Wed – Hot dog bun with radish
Thurs – Steamed rice in corn soup and corn beef
Fri - Steamed rice with pork chop and bamboo shoots

I left the house with a burden on my shoulders. Feeling poor, starting from zero. However, I journeyed home with a purpose in my heart. Yes I have to start from scratch. But as a wife, I feel it’s my duty to make the house into a home. And with what I can do, I will use my cooking skills to comfort the situation we are in now.

I remember Nora mentions,” It’s a test that every newly wed goes through. Somehow when you overcome it, it’s like it was never there at all.

How true.

And today, while adding corn soup into the pot of steaming rice…I feel that I have overcame my situation. I do not feel poor. I feel rich. In heart, mind and soul.

The aches are all worth it!

Tuesday - Packed up clothes. I have 4 boxes of clothes and 2 basket full of shoes. And Kahmun has 6 boxes and 2 basket full of shoes.

Wednesday - Could not resist pushing the 4 boxes of my clothes to the new home. Unpacked all the clothes into the walk-in wardrope. It was a 'high' moment for me. To be able to organise and neaten things again. I settled in my bag collection into the remaining shleves.

At 6pm i went back for dinner. And by 7pm, i was already hungry for more packing. I went over the new home again. Unpacked all of my boxes labelled 'Bemish' . When I moved out from my home to live with Kahmun, i deposited all my stuff in my dad's storeroom. And i have not seen these things for almost 3 years.

As i unpacked. I begin to open the old 'me' that i've forgotten. The old 'me' that i left behind when i moved out. I found many multicoloured earrings, rings, necklace, bracelet.

Vanity boxes, my Chomel watches that needs new batteries, my song writing books, a photocopy of my great grandmother's photo, my shell collection, my bear collection...

I realised that when i left home, i left the fun, bright colours and dreams that i had. I became an adult that is surviving for neccesity, serious and monotone colours.

Though it was hard to part with my old 'me', i left at 9pm to catch the last episode of a hongkong drama.

Despite the waist, back, arm aches. Sweat soaked t-shirt. I felt satisfied.

Thursday - Was woken up by the rain at 730am. I bounced up and marched over to the new home. More discoveries from the boxes included; My japanese lamp, candle chandelier, my huge collection of stuffed toys, my stationery, my room decorative accessories that would be useful in decorating the house.

I placed the small gold oval picture frame into the kitchen. The gold candle lamp on the dining table. The candle chanderlier at the living room. My white magnetic board in the study area. And my wooden 'house shaped' shelf in the future kid's room.

Ignoring my aches, i reassembled the boxes with kitchen tools and electrical appliances. so the handyman could have some space to put up the curtain rods.

After all the boxes were in order, i swept and mopped the whole house.

Ran down to change the batteries for my watch. Bought ice-coffee for the handyman.

At 1pm, no breakfast or lunch. I finally decided i am really tired.

I love my home. I love the idea of moving in very soon. I crave for the next opportunity to unpack and pack and organise.