tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80566584895005242142009-05-13T14:31:17.973+08:00Musings About The Way Life Ought To BeThe Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-77059462257453526802009-04-04T13:55:00.003+08:002009-04-04T20:32:21.750+08:00

1) Babies would have an on and off switch: turn on in the morning and off at bedtime at parents' discretion2) All babies would love and want to suck 3) Breastmilk would flow like water from a tap - not according to demand4) Pre-pregnancy clothes (yes, that favorite pair of Gap jeans) would fit a week after delivery5) Doctors would find a cure for colic6) One can simply pop a pill to overcome

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-27663909346997081172009-02-03T17:52:00.005+08:002009-02-18T21:23:09.439+08:00

Within the last few days, three things broke down on us - the flush of both toilets in our home and, most annoyingly, my Blackberry. While many may find them merely small issues, they really are not if you're working within various constraints like time (baby is due anytime!), money and skill.We first discovered that the toilet in our bathroom was leaking when we moved into our new place in

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-83895289008769533602009-01-12T19:24:00.013+08:002009-01-15T13:16:44.287+08:00

While following Captain Jean-Luc Picard's adventure traversing the universe on the show's Season 4, we came across an interesting episode ("Half a Life") where the crew of Starship Enterprise encounters an alien society (that practices a ritual called, the Resolution. Basically the Resolution is suicide ritual where everyone who reaches the age of 60 kills him or herself as a means of ridding the

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-35296933132967858742008-12-30T18:48:00.004+08:002008-12-30T19:45:36.133+08:00

Since I've gotten pregnant, I've been telling moms I know how I have a new appreciation for them. The best response I've gotten so far is that that appreciation will only grow! While I always knew that being a mom or even just a parent is one of the toughest calling in life, it's only now that I see how much a mother sacrifices for her child. Presently the sacrifices I've had to deal with are

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-41879461138861481022008-10-07T16:54:00.003+08:002008-12-30T19:46:08.809+08:00

Sometime back before I got pregnant I blogged about companies which allow moms to bring their babies to work. At that time, I thought the idea was fascinating but may be too revolutionary for many organizations (actually I still think so). However, at 5-month pregnant and desperate for childcare options when I return to work after my maternity leave, I proposed the idea to my boss. Without much

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-74031889603831950442008-09-19T17:24:00.003+08:002008-09-19T18:18:10.269+08:00

Husband and I just returned from our routine visit to the gynecologist. We received good report about the baby who is presently 17 weeks and 4 days old. It's fascinating how technology enables us to see so clearly what's in my womb. We could see his beating heart, his spinal cord, his legs and arms, clearly formed digits (fingers) on his hands, his genitals and etc.The profile of his face was so

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-65215460601931765102008-09-02T21:17:00.007+08:002008-09-19T18:18:41.265+08:00

(Image credit: McCainBlogette.com)The American Presidential race just got more interesting with the naming of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. From the little reported in the media about this scarcely known Governor of Alaska I was impressed. But today, after digging further into what she's about, I find myself very excited about this VP nominee who is barely a few years older than I

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-36528409469387362642008-08-25T17:53:00.004+08:002008-09-19T18:19:28.277+08:00

A news report caught my attention recently - they are bringing back the popular educational 70's tv show, The Electric Company. When I heard that, husband and I immediately went into our reminiscent mode - who could forget that scream: "Hey, you guys!!!" How fun it was! I remember always looking forward to the show. I also recall how I learned proper pronunciation and new words on the show.Then,

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-1728158245408861682008-08-08T15:55:00.004+08:002008-08-08T17:10:18.159+08:00

It has been almost 3 months since I last made an entry. During this time, I made an important update to this blog - under my profile, I changed, "aspiring mom" to "expecting mom." Yes! On June 16, after a week-long overseas trip, I came home to a positive home pregnancy test! "Yay! We did it!" my husband and I exclaimed. When we first told friends that we would like to have a baby next year,

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-25227883024931007732008-05-12T18:58:00.005+08:002008-07-21T13:38:42.260+08:00

I'm on the road again - this time for a week. Unlike my last few trips to India, I have come equipped. My typical trip to India involves visits to a few cities and that means hours and hours of transit at various bleak Indian airports (the worst I've been so far has been Kolkata's).Before, I would while away my hours by reading. But sometimes after a bumpy and winding 4-hour car ride, I am just

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-67930298990899874392008-04-30T11:50:00.005+08:002008-05-18T22:05:26.834+08:00

One of the things I most looked forward to on our annual trip to the USA is breakfast at Mickey D's. While we would normally not eat at McDonald's unless we are starving and there's nothing else available, I was introduced to its breakfast McGriddle a few years ago when I worked as a secret shopper and had to rate the fastfood chain's service.It was love at first bite - the Sausage McGriddle.

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-1097183900408446732008-04-16T21:13:00.004+08:002008-04-17T09:43:29.235+08:00

One of the perks of my work is that I get to stay at pretty decent hotels when I travel. Some of the really nice ones I've stayed at in the last few years include The Broadmoor (Colorado Springs), St Regis (Dana Point, CA.), Ritz-Carlton San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Hilton Los Cabos (Mexico).These are hotels that we would never be able to afford on our own but a real treat when we get to check-in

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-13144055621686677482008-04-12T18:49:00.002+08:002008-04-17T09:45:03.196+08:00

The last two days saw us cracking our heads (mostly me, really) trying to figure out how to fit all our stuff into our tiny new place. We dropped by the new place to do some measuring so that we can plan our furniture and move. What we saw depressed me. Though it was not the first time we'd seen the place but seeing it again reminds me of our imminent squeeze into a smaller space and the colossal

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-13237342438603398142008-04-03T17:17:00.004+08:002008-04-07T01:11:25.154+08:00

A friend told me two days ago about another who's going through a tough time presently. I asked why. Well, apparently she's overwhelmed at work and she's also depressed as she'll be turning 40. The insensitive me exclaimed, "Why???" (But really, need I ask?)This friend, I found out, is taking stock of her life - wondering if she's achieved anything worthy thus far, and also fears that she may

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-23831606957173201802008-04-02T01:13:00.004+08:002008-04-03T17:17:13.753+08:00

Over lunch with a psychologist friend today, we lament about how parents, more so mothers, are not spending enough time with their children - especially during those crucial first years when intimacy between parent and child develops, and how such arrangements can adversely affect the child's values, behavior and attitude. In a city like Singapore where the cost of living is constantly on an

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-66703026539603074142008-03-28T10:42:00.004+08:002008-03-28T11:16:35.356+08:00

A few weeks ago we saw the shameless confession of Eliot Spitzer (ex-Governor of NY) of his prostitute-hopping hobby. Then barely days into his office, the new Governor of the state of NY announced that he's had numerous affairs in the past, including one with a woman who's in his office now!Now, the fact that these men have cheated on their wives is, unfortunately, not THAT shocking. What's

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-31388479815421937452008-03-25T17:02:00.005+08:002008-03-28T11:16:16.088+08:00

While I have always associated internet-networking sites like Friendster, MySpace and the like with young teenagers posting their babble and shameless pixs of themselves online, I changed my mind recently about a site that works on a similar principle - Facebook. When I was first "invited" by a friend to join the online network, I was skeptical but decided to take the plunge after I discovered

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-37702201913090257612008-03-20T13:49:00.002+08:002008-03-20T14:07:39.549+08:00

Husband started his Thursday evening lectures two weeks ago. This means, every Thursday evening for the next three months, while husband is hard at work (and when I'm not traveling for work myself!) I get a few hours of alone time when I can do what I've been wanting/needing to do like, re-potting the overgrown plant on our balcony, check out the latest collection at Muji, etc., without having to

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-12826079024684700142008-03-13T12:39:00.007+08:002008-03-13T13:36:33.182+08:00

While I love John Irving as a writer, I'm not sure if I agree with some of his views about life. For example, the movie "The Cider House Rules" was made based on his book of the same title. The basic premise of the book/movie is on the work (and the good) of an abortionist - basically an effort to appeal to your emotions and sympathy towards women who are pregnant from rape and incestuous sexual

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-52306279491675719782008-03-04T20:15:00.005+08:002008-03-13T13:37:55.101+08:00

Trend guru, Faith Popcorn, predicted that this year it's cooler not to spend. Excess is out - excess spending, excess stuff, excess clamoring for recognized brands and labels - all out! As economies gradually slow down in reaction to the US market, I think that this is more of a necessity than a fad! Coincidentally, buying less is the motto that I've adopted as a new year resolution (again, out

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-34616888656197238102008-03-03T22:50:00.006+08:002008-03-13T13:40:51.548+08:00

It's 90 days and counting down to our move. As we would be working with a much smaller space, we've been cracking our heads trying to figure out where to store what, which pieces of furniture from our current apartment should we bring along with us, where we could and should station our work area (we need a larger home office as both husband and I work from home a lot) where to place our tv,

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-84851458894741969742008-02-29T14:38:00.003+08:002008-03-13T13:41:28.825+08:00

Husband and I received a postcard invitation from Ikea in the mail last week to their sale preview. Preview for exclusive customers (read: customers who've spent way too much at Ikea) starts at 8am and the sale will be opened to the public by 10am. While we're never those who'd drive to Best Buy on Black Friday to get 50% off last season's camera when we lived in the United States, we decided

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-24317579294276132422008-02-18T17:10:00.003+08:002008-03-13T13:42:12.355+08:00

It was a trendy Coach hobo - in a nice tan shade. She was pretty, too, and stylish. It would have been a perfect combo - except that she's not holding her purse - her boyfriend, or husband was the one who had the expensive Coach hobo slung on his shoulder. My eyes made a quick check to see if she has a lot of shopping bags in her hands - which may explain why she needed her man to carry her purse

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-90494712895736833092008-02-16T11:09:00.004+08:002008-03-13T13:43:08.635+08:00

It was a decision most difficult for us to make but we have decided on an apartment that is half the size of where we are now. With the real estate market here still going strong, it does not look like we'd be able to get anything close to what we have now anytime soon.It has been reported that moving is one of the most stressful events in one's life - and I believe it. When we moved to

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056658489500524214.post-13339622361316828782008-02-11T19:07:00.001+08:002008-03-13T13:44:40.724+08:00

Husband and I have just returned from a week-long visit at my parents. Other than receiving the usual subtle but persistent promptings to have a baby, from the family, I inherited a designer purse from an aunt who lives in the UK.Now, I've never really owned a high-end designer purse. Okay, I have had handbags by Tommy Hilfiger or even Donna Karan but I would hardly consider them "designer"

The Oraclehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490199991291186362noreply@blogger.com0