void of existence

I went by the stretch of shophouses, where Fong Seng Nasi Lemak is, to drop off my dog for grooming this morning and was shocked to see the walkway was clear of tables and chairs outside the food outlets. Upon checking with the food outlet, I understand that the relevant authority has threatened a fine if they continue to place their tables and chairs along the corridors.

My first encounter with Fong Seng and the Cheese Prata shop was 12 years ago. At that time, there were only 2 food outlets along the stretch. Even then, they already used the walkway as part of their business. Anyone who patronized the shops will know that the businesses that thrived with customers late into the evening. After more than 12 years of running the business the way it is, the relevant authority suddenly realized that they would need to curb this practice. This simply sound wrong to me. The relevant authority absolutely has to tell them how to run their business and reducing their capacity by at least 40%. In this economic downturn, this is simply a blow to increase the overhead. Of course, the businesses are expected to quietly submit to the will of the relevant authority. There seem no outlet to appeal this. What the authority say is absolute.

Whats entrepreneurship when the garment tells the businessmen how, when, where, what and whatever else on how the business should be conducted? I failed to see how the practice has violated any regulation, especially since it went ‘unnoticed’ for more than 12 years. Either the regulation is irregular or the relevant authority has been lazy for the past years.

Touching…

Meet Celeste.

The past weeks brought about this topic again in several different context.  I am sure that I have said it before, but it seems needed to be mentioned again.

The relationship between two persons remain as that throughout the life time of that relationship.  Many factors are needed to substain this relationship.  Here are some of what I consider as more important ones:

-  Communication and understanding:  The only quiet relationship I ever had was with my pet rock.  It hardly talks, but it is a good listener.  Then people start thinking that I am crazy as they do not think that anyone can have a relationship with a rock.  Why not?  At least its there when I need it.  It doesn’t irritate me anymore when I am pissed off by something else.  It even helped me get revenge by causing damage to things/people that I am really pissed with.  I find that assumption is always a start for a lot of troubles.  Misunderstanding is one.  Being taken for granted is another.  The list goes on.  And I am sure you already got the idea.  If not, go to the next point.

-  Time for each other:  Ah…you do not understand what the heck I am talking about.  That probably means that you have spent enough time with me and my rock.  Dedicated times are necessary for all relationship.  We can keep the prime of the prime of time to those very special.  But let’s not forget others as well.  This is why I love and appreciate my wife.  She understands that I need time away.  An overseas friend came back to Singapore and we gathered (without any of our spouses) to catch up old times til 4am in the morning.  I need to make time available and I get no complain.  On a regular basis, I will catch up with other friends after dinner or in the weekend.  I make it a point to have dinner with my wife as much as I can.  I welcome friends to join in for dinner too.  I believe that it helps build the relationship between my friends and my wife.  Gatherings of some kind are great, but its not going to help build the relationship between my wife and friends.  There are simply too many people.

-  Common agreement to disagreement:  I have some differing views to that of anyone.  How a person want to run his life is his business.  It doesnt have a right or wrong.  Its just that I can disagree or agree with it.
There are a number of relationship that I do not agree with how they are existing.  I am going to refer to 2 persons in any relationship a lot.  A spouse that is accepting (grudgingly perhaps) the unpreferred time slot that the partner is making available to be ‘their time’ together.  If both of them agree that thats how they want to run their relationship.  Who am I to say its wrong?  But I will never agree to it on my own relationship.

-  Respect:  Lots of ways in terms of respect.  Simply put..do not take someone else for granted.  Someone said to me this recently as her relatinship is going sour: ‘I have been trying for the last 3 years to change him.’  If you have been suffering that much for so long, dun you think you are just being too silly.  Why do people always think of changing a person character?  Personally, I find it easier to change that person than the character.

It really does not matter what kind of relationship that we are talking about.  Be it dating, marriage, parent-child, good friends, martian-earthling, diner-dinner, etc.  All kinds of relationship will need the above points to be fulfilled in some manner.

While we were at the hospital today, we ran into a delivery guy from F&N for Delifrance.  We happened to cross path with him at a juncture that only allow him or us to pass through.  Instead of waiting for us (me in the front with Yve and the baby following behind), he decided to rush through this narrow passage.  I was about to step aside when I realized that if I do, he may knock into my wife and baby.  So I stood there and he bumped into me.  So I pushed his trolley backwards to allow myself and family to pass through first.

As we passed, he looked at me impatiently and angrily while muttering curses under his breathe.

So I approached Delifrance and demanded to know if this guy is the delivering for them.  They admitted and the delivery guy started hurling verbal abuses towards me.  I was not even addressing him directly.  Finally, he showed me the middle finger.  At that point, two options came to mind.  One, go up and punch him.  Two, walk away.

Call it cowardice or maturity, I have to considered my wife and baby first despite my anger.  So I went away.  After which, I complained to the hospital administration, the building management, Delifrance, F&N, the nurses at the clinic and made a police report. I made it a point that my complain was not lost on the ground staff.  I left my name and contact number.  Also, I told them that I expect someone from their management to revert to me by the next working day.

Deep down, I would like to see that guy fired.  But then, what’s the point?  The guy probably has a family as well.  So making his life miserable for a while would probably be more sithy way than ending it cleanly.

Ya..I may be walking more in the light these days, but I am not totally full of sunshine.  So now, Delifrance has called me, the hospital has called me, the building management has called me and F&N has called me.

Next course of action?  Project Makeyousuffer is underway.

According to Yve, they did not know I was hungry.  Ya..I get pissed off easily when hungry.

*Address me as Mr. Wong, I am not your friend.  Only my friends call me by my first name.* – A pissed off bear

This will be the first time Xavier is away from his parents.  He was tested 15.3 something on Jaundice.  So he will be in the hospital tonight by himself.  We missed him dearly.  I spent an hour with him earlier.  He seems to be doing fine.

The baby is home now.  Gynae and Peddy are both happy with the progress.  Yve is doing well in her recovery.

A number of friends warned that the baby will be a noisy little thing once he reached home.  Ya..there are some noise pollution due to him.  Strangely, I am quite ok with it.  What else am I going to do?  Bring the baby back to the hospital and ask for a refund?  They dun do refunds….I have checked.

So last night was the first with the baby and confinement lady.  For some reason, a prison warden come close to mind whenever I think of confinement lady.  Ok, here’s what I am really not used to.  Someone else invaded my kitchen and cooking on my stove.

I think we made the right decision of not having a maid.  That would drive me crazy.

Here’s the story.

On the saturday, we woke up at 7am for an early appointment with the gynae.  She is usually busy on a Saturday and the queue to see her can get very very long.  So we got up, went to the clinic to register and had breakfast at the cafeteria.

After the doctor visit, we went to buy towels at Robinson in Raffles City before dropping by my aunt’s place to pick up some baby stuff that she bought.  We proceeded to the car showroom around the area.  I sent Yve back home before going for a meeting.

At 3-plus pm, Yve called to say that she was not feeling well.  The nurses at the clinic advised her to admit herself to the hospital for a check.

I joined her at about 4pm and the staff confirmed that she was having contractions.  Minor discomfort.  Due to Yve existing heart condition, she cannot have any epidural shots.  And she did not want Caesarean.  It will be all naturale.

So we waited.

and waited…

Then..its 4am.  Everything started.  Yve was amazing.  She cried a bit and groan a few at every contractions.  But thats about it.  It ached my heart and brought tears to my eyes.  But she was great.  No screaming or yelling.  She listened to every instructions of the nurses and doctor.  I was trying feebly to think of any thing that can distract her and let her concentrate on her breathing.

She went through a 5 hours ordeal…before Xavier was out by Vacuum delivery.

To say that a husband’s job is easy coz there is no pain involved.  Let me tell you that its bullshit.  After the 18 hour labour, I found myself pressed into doing a number of things.  No assistance from maid, family or friends.  I cleaned the cabinets, washed the laundry, scrubbed the floor, changed the towels, tidied the bedroom and feed the doggies afterwards.  The day went on to hold up for supportive friends and family during their visits.  (Its much appreciated) before I have sleep again more than 40hours later.  But I am happy with my X and Y before catching up with my Zs.

Baby Xavier is born in 16 Nov 2008.  Weighing 2.73Kg and Length at 49cm.  Mother went through 18hours of labour without any painkillers.  I am so proud of her.

Baby and mother is doing well.  We will be discharging from the Hospital on Tuesday.

The election of US presidency is finally over.

We can now see the change going to America.  Lots of change$$ are needed if the US economy is to recover the US$1 Trillion deficit.  Everything should start small after all, right?

Well, for the record, I am not against the democratic candidate.  I am just against candidates of both camps.  The thing I am looking forward to in this presidential elect is the withdrawal of troops in the Middle East.  End that damn war already.

But that is not the point of this post.  I have got so many people telling me about the election.  I am sorry.  I am not a voter.  I do not give a damn.  The world is too dependant on the American market.  Say what you will, but financial world really need to diversify themselves from this reliance.  Too bad no one is seeing it that way.  American bankers want the world to be dependent on them for obvious reason.  The rest of the world just suckered themselves into that particular bubble.  Wake up for crying out loud.

The American market is powerful before the people in that market are willing to spend.  If the Asians are just as willing to spend, that economy will be huge!  Just that they do not spend internally, and they do not grow their economy.  So long live America.

Greed is good after all.