Called my Mom earlier and found out something that really TOUCHED me deeply. I think a while ago was the Moon Cake Festival thingie for the Chinese, right? Well, I'm VERY fond of chocolate-filled Moon Cake. However, of course I can't get it here in Sodankylä.
When my Mom received one from Shen's mother (Shen is my brother's wife), my Mom said to her, "Ohhhh...this is Amel's favourite Moon Cake."
A few days after that, Shen said to my Mom, "I've ordered some chocolate-filled Moon Cake for Amel, since the expiry date is December."
I almost wanted to CRY when I heard that. I can't believe I'm gonna be able to eat Moon Cake when I'm back in Indo HUE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...
MOON CAKE, HERE I COMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Am I lucky or what?????????? BLESS YOU, Shen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Beautiful white dandruff from heaven he he he he...Yes, today it's snowing again and the flakes are pretty big, so it feels like pure, white dandruff from heaven...mmmmm...
2. Helping the trainee at our course pronounce words in English he he he he...That was SUPERBLY FUN! ;-D
3. Hubby saving some snack for me since he thought I'd want some. THANK YOU, Bonbonhoneypie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Hubby scraping my back again when I felt out of sorts. He's getting better and better at it HO HO HO HO HO HO...And he's calling me a masochist HA HA HA HA HA HA...
5. Calling my Mom again and having fun talking to her. She's SO supportive. She doesn't mind if we go to Singapore later in October if we can do it, even though that means that my time with them will be reduced.
6. Mom told me that the other day she had a talk with my brother and his wife about how many kids they wanted to have. My brother said three and his wife and my Mom was curious why he said that. These days everything's so expensive, so many people opt to have maximum two kids. What he said made me wanna cry and hug him SO tightly in my arms!!! He said, "Look at me! I only have one big sis and now she's living FAR away from me and I'm all alone now."
Well, I hope that his life will be more fun with the birth of his baby later on in October he he he...
7. The smell of menthol body balm from Indonesia. Mmmmmmmm...
8. Opening up the front door for the old man on the first floor. He talked to me a bit, but I could only understand half of what he was saying hi hi hi...but at least I did talk to him a bit, so that was a good practise, right? *GRIN*
9. The possibility of going on another trip together with my friends next Monday or Tuesday and maybe we can grill some sausages in a park or something. I HOPE SOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! ;-D
Called my Mom last Saturday and she told me that my bro's wife, Shen, is one month pregnant. I could also talk to Shen a bit to congratulate her. She said that she still felt it was unreal since it all happened so fast he he he he he...
Oh well...we'll see if I can come to Indonesia after the baby is born or not. Whatever happens, I'm SO excited about this baby. I hope her pregnancy will be smooth. Both parents are also EXCITED since this is gonna be their first grandchild HE HE HE HE HE...
YIIHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, time to shower after Taebo and then prepare myself to go to the course. Have a WONDERFUL start of the week, everybody! ;-D
I'm baaaaccckkkkk already!!! Couldn't get a haircut since it was fully booked already. They only had one spot open for next Tuesday at 1 pm. YARGH!!! I can't possibly do it then since my course starts next Monday, so I said I'd give it a thought. I feel like cutting my hair myself later, but we'll see if I dare do it or not HE HE HE HE HE HE...
Anyway, after I got back home, I felt the urge to call my parents. It was weird since I had called them already 8 days ago, yet the urge felt SO strong. Well, I thought to myself, "Well, why not call them again since starting next Monday I'll be busy anyway?"
And what did I find out when I called my parents? It's their 30th wedding anniversary!!! Yeah, I had forgotten about it ha ha ha ha ha...but somehow my subconscious mind must have remembered it. That was probably why I felt the urge to call them in the first place!
I also heard good news about my brother. He had a raise!!! ;-D Thus he treated my parents today by ordering some delicious food from the restaurant where I got married (Queen's Restaurant). They have VERY delicious food and right now I'm DROOLING all over the place as I WANT to eat those food (yang cheow rice - I don't know how to spell it - and beef steak)!!!! ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH he he he he...
I had a chance to talk to my parents and also to my brother and his wife. ;-D So it was fun for me!!! As usual, my brother was teasing me on the phone he he he he...I told him that if he had ever had enough money to visit me, then he should definitely come. ;-D
Other than that, today I received one of the books I won in eBay (Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg) and also a book from Fish. Fish and I made a book exchange deal a while ago, so I'm EXCITED to read the book she recommended (One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson) he he he he he...THANK YOU SO MUCH, Fish!!! I hope you enjoy the book I sent you!!!
Hmmm...Maybe I'd better read her book fast this week before I get too busy next week HE HE HE HE HE HE...
To my parents, I hope they grow gentler and more loving towards each other and they let God break down all their insecurities and their past issues and their internal wounds so that they can enjoy a fulfilling marriage until their last breath...May God's love run through their hearts and minds and souls forever...Love you bothhhhhhh...
The other day when I talked to my Mom via Skype, as usual we talked about so many things. Among others, she told me about the newlyweds and how life's been going on after the new bride moved into the house.
Apparently after the wedding, my brother and his wife go to their offices together in the morning by motorcycle. So my brother drops her off first, then he goes to his own workplace. Then in the evenings, since my brother's wife gets home earlier, her Dad picks her up and takes her to her grandma's place. Even before they got married, she and her family oftentimes spend the afternoons or evenings in their grandma's place before they go home. Then when it's time for my brother to go home from work (about an hour later), he'll pick her up at her grandma's house. Sometimes when it's raining, her Dad would drop her off at my parents' place by car. That way my brother's wife's parents get to meet her every day, so they won't miss her too much. ;-D
I just found out, as well, that prior to the wedding, my brother's wife was thinking of starting her own business. Well, as some of you know, my Mom sells food in a traditional market, so does my brother's wife's mother. However, my Mom knows how lame the economical situation has been in the market, so she said this to her, "I hope you'll reconsider your decision. I'm not trying to control your life or anything, but think about it this way: considering the economical situation these days, if I were you, I wouldn't stop working full-time. After all, by doing so, you'll get a steady stream of income every month. Plus you've worked for this company for years, so your salary rate is pretty good already. Moreover, if you want to give money to your parents, you'll have more freedom. And by all means, do give them some money."
Mom knows that her younger brother's still studying at the university, so her parents still need to gather lots of money to fund his education.
Then Mom said that right after the newlyweds came back home from their honeymoon in Bali, my brother's wife mopped the floor right away. Then when her parents came to visit her, Mom said in front of them to my brother's wife, "If you're tired and you don't feel like mopping the floor, you don't have to do it. In this house, I don't mop the floor every single day, so you don't have to do it. I don't mind. Do it only when you have time and when you feel like it."
My brother's wife tried to wash her own clothes and my brother's clothes separately a few times, but then a few times my Mom washed all the clothes together and ironed them. Then my brother's wife said, "Oh, Mom, you don't have to do that!"
My Mom replied, "Well, I'll only do it when I have the energy and the mood. If I feel tired and I don't feel like it, I won't do it, so don't worry about it, okay?"
Mom also tells me that these days she sleeps earlier, at around 7.30 pm, along with my Dad. That way she hopes that the newlyweds will get more "privacy" he he he he he...Well, after all, my Mom has to wake up at around 3.30 or 4 am every morning to start preparing the food to sell. :-))) And Dad usually wakes up at around 5 am to help out. Well, I'm glad that it seems they're adjusting to life with their daughter-in-law smoothly. ;-D
1. The more I learn from and about others, the more I realize that I don't know anything much.
2. I have an unteachable heart, especially when I get unsolicited advice. This has been one of my problems ever since I was young. I have a rebellious heart and for that, I hope God will help me change it. I don't want to have an unteachable heart anymore. Plus I also don't want to have pride growing inside me. Sometimes the tall weeds of pride grow pretty quickly in my heart and I feel smug, even though a part of me abhors it. Heaven help me! I'm pretty helpless in these departments!
3. The last time I talked to Mom on the phone (via Skype), she said something interesting to me. She's been preparing my brother's lunch for years now, but when his wife started living in their house, she told her, "I'm going to keep on preparing my son's lunch, but you can prepare your own lunch. That way you can grab anything you want."
You see, my Mom knows already what my brother likes and dislikes, but she doesn't know yet what my brother's wife likes and dislikes, so she wants to give her freedom. And Mom wants to keep on preparing for my brother's lunch since she knows already how much rice there should be, etc. She said to me that if my brother's wife wanted to take over that task later on (after finding out how much the portion should be for my brother), then that's fine for her.
I find that...INSPIRING!!! :-D
4. You know when you start getting to know someone, but you don't really share any personal stories yet, and then it comes one point when you say to yourself, "OK, this is it. I'm going to risk myself by sharing this and that, and if he/she reacts positively, then I know that I can begin to form a closer friendship with him/her"?
Well, that was what happened to me and my Brit friend yesterday and it felt GREAT!!! ;-D She's also EXCITED about our plan to start trying to have a baby at the end of this year and she gives me some advice. Since her own sons are teenagers now and she used to be a nurse, I can call her if I ever need help with my own kids HE HE HE HE HE...After all, my own Mom is far away from me now.
5. Yesterday Arttu's second brother sent him an email. Apparently he'd been reading my blog, so he knew what had happened to Arttu after the birthday party. JARPPPPAAAAAA, if you're reading this post, why don't you write me some comments every now and then, eh? HE HE HE HE HE...
Anyway, Arttu was confused why his brother knew about all of that, so he asked, "Did you write about everything in your blog?" I said yes, and upon hearing that, he said, "Nice going! Now the whole world knows that I'm an a**h***!"
I explained to him that I had been writing so much positive stuff about him and if I kept on doing that, nobody would believe me since he would be "too perfect" HE HE HE HE HE HE...He just smiled and shook his head in disbelief when he heard my explanation HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...
Update on my rashes: Earlier Arttu called the health center, but then it was already full, so the nurse told him that if I could wait till tomorrow, then I should go there tomorrow. She also asked if I had taken any antihistamine or not. I didn't know that we could buy antihistamine without prescription in the pharmacy. I don't really know how the system works here, but since it was still 5.30 pm, we managed to go to the pharmacy (it closes at 6 pm on weekdays) and the pharmacist wanted to see my rashes and she suggested some antihistamine tablets for us. There were so many different kinds, including Zyrtec that Trinity told me about. THANKS for telling me about that, Trinity! Zyrtec cost thrice this type of table that we bought. I sure do hope that this tablet works for me. If the condition doesn't get any better tomorrow, I'll DEFINITELY go to the doctor he he he...
Anyway, this morning I called my parents again since it was my Dad's birthday. I just said happy birthday to him and wished him good health. We didn't talk long, but I talked for a LONG time with my Mom he he he he he...It's always SO MUCH FUN talking to my Mom!
I told her that the other day in the sauna, I asked hubby, "Would it be too fast if we try having a baby at the end of next year?" and he said no.
I want to make sure we're both ready, 'coz I'm FAR away from my own Mom and even though my in-laws are GREAT and KIND people, they also live 25 min. away from us and my father-in-law's got Alzheimer, so I don't wanna burden them. That means that hubby and I have to be totally ready to help each other when the baby comes he he he...
Upon hearing that, my Mom said, "It's fine with me. Just do what you think is right." YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!! BRAVO for my Mom he he he he...I just feel GLAD that she's ALWAYS so supportive!!! ;-D Even when Arttu still hadn't got a permanent job yet, she still encouraged me to marry him as long as I knew he'd make me happy. I only wish I could be a great Mom like her when the time comes. ;-D
Anyway, I'm also PROUD of my brother. He's started paying for the electric and phone and water bills ever since my Dad stopped working. Then now he's started giving Mom some food money monthly. What makes me proud of him was the fact that he said this to Mom when he started giving her food money, "Mom, I'm going to start giving you food money every month, but PLEASE don't get it wrong. I'm not asking you to cook for us or anything. I just want to give you some food money every month."
The fact that he took into account my mother's feelings about getting that money was what made me feel SO proud of him. ;-D He knows that the business situation in Indonesia has been pretty bad and that my Mom can barely save any money from selling food in the traditional market, though she still has enough to buy food for everybody, but still he wants to make sure that my Mom doesn't need to worry about money.
Mom told me that she'd save the money if she didn't need to use it and that she would still be cooking for the four of them, but she wouldn't be angry if they (my brother and wife) chose not to eat what she cooked and instead ordered food from a resto. Bravo for Mom, as well!!! ;-D
It seems to me that my brother and wife have brought sunshine to my mother's life, as well. Things haven't been really well with my Dad lately. He starts getting angry again if Mom reminds him to eat or to take his medication. Sometimes even when Mom says something INNOCENT, he'd get upset and snap, "You don't appreciate me anymore since I no longer work, but I am STILL the head of the family." Oh dear...how can you tell a man that it's his broken ego that's the problem, not what other people say about him?
Prayers for my Dad, please. I hope God will heal his mental wounds so that he would stop thinking that whatever other people say is meant to hurt him and his pride. He's attached his self-value in his work so much so that now that he's retired, it's getting tough for him to accept the situation, even though he told me that he was okay with it already.
I also wrote him an email for my brother to print-out for my Dad...hoping that it could nudge him into the realization that the problem is inside his own head, not what my Mom says or does.
Oh well...it's long enough, I guess. I'll write about the Second Part of the Christmas party soon then he he he he...I still feel some itch here and there, but not as strongly as Christmas Eve.
Take care, everybody, and hopefully you'll all stay well!!!!
