Some kind of pain...

I went to my regular Day-spa earlier today.
I stopped going there for my spa treatments due to my last job (couldn't find the time) and more recently, my various health problems since I left that job.
Out of concern, the lady manager rang me up 2 weeks ago.
She was asking after me, and wondered why I had signed up and paid up for an expensive package deal and yet did not make use of the package in the last few months.
I think it is at least half a year since I last visited that place!
So I decided it was about time, now that I am almost well.

The treatment I went for involves some certain amount of pain.
It was like millions of ants biting me all at once!
My tears were even on the verge of coming forth, and considering that I have a high threshold for pain, I am surprised that this was affecting me quite a bit.
Anyway, thank goodness this treatment won't be till 3 months later, as recommended by the therapist at the spa.

I have booked myself another appointment for next week at the spa.
Ha. :o)

Past few days

For those who are dying to hear how the Exotic dance class went, it didn't happen.

Not at least for another week.

The rule of the school is if there are less than 10 people for a new class, it won't happen.

There were 6 of us at the start of the lesson, so the decision was that the class will be conducted next Friday.

This meant that for those of us (me included) who live across the other side of the island to travel all the way to the class venue had made a wasted trip.

I found somewhere else to go - there are so many things to see/do, as opposed to what the local people say generally.

I suppose that's because I was in the UK and had the chance to live in solitude.

Going anywhere interesting involved travelling much further and therefore less accessible then.

And in the time I was there, the public transport consisted mainly of taxis, which made travelling expensive.

As for the buses, they only ran on certain times of the day, which restricted my movements.

Anyway, Saturday proceeded as planned.
I got to meet up with a gal pal whom I haven't seen for months.
The latest update she has for me was that she is in a current phase of dating people of a different ethnicity and religion.
And there are a couple whom she's hanging out with, separately.
These 2 men are from another country, which has made things even more suspicious.
I say suspicious, as she is footing the bills for expensive meals whenever she meets them.
Then it became clear that it's because they are both scholars paid to come to Singapore for their higher degrees.
Even so, I still sense something amiss.
She didn't like what I had to say, but I made sure she understood that it was/is her best interest I have at heart!
Anyway, let's hope with my caution, my friend will take some heed.
But as long as she enjoys having them for company, I guess that's all I can do as a friend for now.

I took it easy today.
Somehow, having had a busy week wore me out, especially when I hadn't been able to be out and about in the time I had been ill (which was a good 4 weeks or so).

I'll be going for my second physiotherapy session come tomorrow.
I can't wait for my back to be healed soon.

My first-ever physiotherapy session

I went for my first treatment yesterday.
It was a back-relieving experience, and it felt good.
I had a combination of physiotherapy and electro-current massage treatments.
The therapist said my problem is relatively minor (although it hurts like hell again when I woke up this morning), and another 2 treatments with his recommended exercises will do the trick.
It was good to hear, as I was starting to worry about what had caused the pain which started 3 weeks ago.
According to the therapist, such a pain is either induced by lifting of heavy objects over a long period of time, or from prolonged sitting.
Needless to say, we know which applies to my condition.
I must say I was lucky to have found this therapist - a true specialist in his own right!
He was very patient at explaining things to me and my mother (my mother also ended up being treated), and his advice about what we should do were thorough.

The next treatment has been fixed for Monday...

A busy day

It has been a day of making and shifting appointments.
And typically, one would have thought that being in-between jobs, I would have a lot of free time on my hands!
Ah well.
Not in my case.
I have always managed to use up my time constructively, and able to keep myself busy.
In fact, the rest of my week has already been filled with appointments at various times of the day!

Take for instance, tomorrow.
I will be accompanying an uncle who is travelling in from Malaysia just to visit our local hospital for his medical check-up in the morning.
It's my maternal uncle, so mom will be going too.
After that, it's shopping time, after my mom and I part ways with my uncle when he's done with the medical examination.

Thursday will see me going for my first-ever physiotherapy session for my painful back.
For some strange reason, I have been going to bed pain-free but waking up with stabbing pain towards the lower back.
Having gone for the Chinese traditional tui-na massages where I also got my spine re-aligned for quite awhile now, I think it's time to seek alternative treatment instead.
And also to have a second opinion.
Whilst booking the appointment on the phone, the person on the other end said it could be that some nerves have been compressed, thus causing the pain.
I sure hope it's nothing major, as the pain I have been feeling on waking up somehow affects the abdomen too.
Sounds scary, doesn't it?

Then on Friday, I'll be taking things easy till I go for my very first dance lesson.
This is of the exotic kind. :o)
Should be fun!

On Saturday, it's another day of shopping with a gal pal.
She is someone whom I have not met in quite a long while.

Next week is another hectic week.
So far, I already have Monday to Thursday packed too.
Let's hope I will be able to keep all the appointments!

A blast from the past (mixed in with the new)

I spent the late afternoon all the way till 9 pm at a local shopping mall today.
I was hanging around there to support some students selling hand-made Swarovski crystal costume jewellery and accessories.
These students are from the school I was formerly teaching at.
I was having so much fun that I hadn't realised I spent such a long time there!

To support the students' business, I bought some of the items they made as Christmas gifts for friends.
Out of having spent at least 50 bucks, I got a free food hamper laden with chocolates and coffee-flavoured treats.
I even had a photo opportunity out of that!
Anyway, I decided to pick the biggest box of Belgian chocolates to treat the students, although I didn't know this lot of students, as I heard they had worked tirelessly in order to ensure that their experience as young entrepreneurs was fully realised.
They even sacrificed their sleep in order to make the jewellery (and may I add that they were very well made!).

Because of their admirable efforts, the students came out tops in the secondary school category, and earned a net profit of $2k over the 2 days (Sat and Sun).
They received a crystal glass trophy, which made the few of us adults related to the school very proud.
The teacher-supporters (me included) were noisier than the boys when the results were announced!
We (mainly females) were rowdier - cheering and clapping like crazy - but it was fun.

It was a wonderful experience for me especially, as I got to catch up with some of my ex-colleagues too; mutually, we were all glad to see one another!
I do miss the school-teaching days but that's because I miss the staff, since I got along so well with everyone.
And by everyone, I mean from the school cleaners and canteen operators right up to the previous Principal who has since left the school.
Those were the good 'ole days...

A relaxing day

It's nice to have a quiet Saturday, hibernating at home.
And I'm talking about not having any illness that forces you to stay at home to rest.
To start the day, it was a lovely experience waking up to an unexpected, overseas phone call.
It was from my sweet someone, who thought an earlier sms sent to my phone - minutes before the call - did not get to me.
Actually, I was still in bed and my phone was put on 'silent' mode.
But it was definitely a great start to my day!
Not to mention more smses exchanged later in the afternoon. :o)
The wonders of technology...and thank goodness for that!

It will be a day of social outing for me tomorrow.
I am looking forward to it, as it's a dear friend whom I've not met up with for at least a couple of months.
We sure have lots to catch up on...ha.

Another step taken

I am just about recovered from the long, drawn-out flu that I've had.
So I have re-embarked on the quest for a job.
In fact, I have just submitted an online application earlier today.
As a celebration, I've decided to stop taking the cough mixture and drink red wine with my parents instead, for this evening.
As I said in my previous blog, everything happens for a reason.
With my sweet someone being away now, I can concentrate on trying to secure a job in the meantime.
Rather timely too, might I add.

Apart from that, I have managed to fix some social appointments, what with stopping most social activities in the time that I had been unwell.
If I rightly recall, the last time I met up with a friend properly was over 3 weeks ago!
(Of course, that's not counting the time spent with my sweet someone. Ha.)
My first outing will be tomorrow evening, where I'll be paying my Godma a visit at her fashion store.
She has not seen me in close to a month, so is missing me somewhat.
I actually had a dinner appointment planned too, but that has been postponed to the next week.
My next social appointment is on Sunday, and that will take up most of the day.
I'm also taking up yet another dance course from Friday next week.
That should be fun!

Slow road to recovery

I am no longer coughing so often in the past couple of days.
It was thanks to my parents' suggestion of taking the cough medicine produced by a Japanese pharmaceutical company.
But once the coughing starts, I still get the heaving kind.

Anyhow, it was a nice weekend for me.
Nice - because I had a welcome visitor, who was concerned enough to drop by my home to check on me on Saturday (and I think you can guess who it is. :o))
Nice - also because for once, my parents were out at a surprise birthday bash for one of my uncles who had just turned 70 on Saturday, giving me some personal space!
I had to take on the role of maid-sitting though, as our live-in domestic help needed some company, with both my parents being out.
I was supposed to go for that dinner with my dad, with mom keeping our domestic-help company instead.
But due to my poor health, mom went in my place.

I guess all things happen for a reason.
And with good timing as well.
Having said that, I'll be on my own from middle of this week till the end of January in the new year, once my sweet someone flies off overseas for work!
Due to the nature of his job, it is peak work-period for him.
Hence his need to be away for such a long time.
Fortunately for me, I'm already starting to have appointments that I need to keep, which is great!
These would keep my mind occupied, and I won't be missing him so much.

The exclusive relationship is pretty secure now, strengthened by mom and dad's meeting of him three weekends ago, and giving us their blessing!
With how things are going for me right now, I couldn't be happier.
In fact, it has been quite a long while since I've been this happy.
It's like life is feeling more complete now somehow.
That is, coupled with the knowledge that I am finally appreciated for just...being...me.

The loveliest surprise for me by far is that it has been seemingly effortless for me and him at keeping the relationship fun, amusing and alive.
We even have telepathy between us, despite having a physical distance when we have not been able to get together (like when he was on his overseas work-trips, or him being around on home soil, but still had to entertain foreign, visiting clients even during after work hours).
In short, things have been so comfortable that all the ad-hoc phone calls and/or texting have not seemed like a chore for either of us whatsoever.
And all these have been occurring for like, oh, probably close to 3 months now.

Till now, not once have we both doubted each other's feelings in all the time we had known each other.
This is in spite of the fact that his work has taken up more of his personal time so far, compared to the time he has been able to spend with me.
But considering how tired he had been each time I saw him previously (usually after work, even over weekends!), and yet he made the extra effort to spend quality time with me instead of choosing to rest at home, I am already touched many times over.
Sick or not, I feel on top of the world.

Life is indeed full of surprises.
I am embracing it.
And living it.

Unwelcome visitor

I continue to be plagued by the darn flu.
It doesn't seem to shift, and worse of all, the coughing has got worse in the past couple of nights.
For instance, when my head hit the pillow last night, it set off an endless round of heaving coughs, as my body tried to tell me to get rid of the horrid stuff that tickled my throat.
So in the 5 hours starting from when I first got into bed, I was going back and forth to the bathroom, just to clear my throat.
It got to a point where merely sitting up was the only solution to stop my non-stop coughing!

Needless to say, I woke everyone up.
I was offered a cough mixture which miraculously eased my condition, and I finally drifted off to sleep.
This was a cough mixture produced by a Japanese pharmaceutical company.
I had been offered it before, but I didn't want to subject my body to more medication on top of the ones my family doctor had prescribed me.
But the constant coughing was getting so bad and hurting my throat that I relented last night.
Well you know, in times of desperation, you tend to throw every logical reasoning out of the window ...
And this time, I was glad I did.

Right now, I still have the heaving coughs.
But the frequency has lessened.
Let's hope I'll be well soon.

Sexy

That's how I have been told to describe my voice by a friend.
It is rough and raspy, and on the verge of becoming soundless.
And to some of my nutty guy friends, they consider that as "sexy"!
Unfortunately, my sweet someone didn't think so when he rang me up long-distance while on his business trip earlier today.
He knows about my condition, so rang up to ask after me although I told him texting on the mobile will do just fine.
He laughed when I asked what he thought of my "sexy" voice.
He said he's not being seduced by it at all.
Ha.

Anyway, like I have mentioned briefly in my previous blog, I am having my second bout of flu.
It is worse than the first bout actually.
I woke up with a coughing fit, spewing out extremely horrid-looking stuff.
And all that coughing has made my throat sore once more.
I am even easily irritable, especially with my parents' excessive fuss over me, offering ways to ease my discomfort.
All I want is to be left alone to cope on my own.
Peace and quiet is the best remedy for me!
Not to mention not needing to open my mouth to speak - which I have to - in response to their seemingly endless questions.
I'm not ungrateful, but it's just that it can get quite tiring - i.e. trying to get some proper rest and also to make my parents happy with their fussing.

I have booked another appointment with my family doctor for later tonight, although I've only been to see him yesterday.
Looks like I'll need to have the dose of antibiotics after all...

Upside down or right side up?

It's one of those things that you would like to tell the whole world about, but yet feel shy to do so.
It has been more than a week since I last blogged, I know.
While I had been recovering from my last bout of flu, I think I am getting another now.
But that's not what I would like to share on here.
And for once, I am sharing this piece of news on here, because some friends have written to say that they still find my blogs too "politically correct" and not personal enough.

My life has been turned upside down, or should I say right side up?
A sweet someone has come into my life.
It had been an interesting time in the past couple of months for me, at trying to gear myself up for this ...
... a binding relationship that I had always wanted, but have not been lucky to have till now.
This sweet someone would like me to become a part of his life.
Being the true gentleman he is, he allowed me time to think it over.
For once, I feel I am being treated like how someone dearly treasured should be treated.
Needless to say, I am completely bowled over that someone like him still exists, as all the good ones tend to be usually "taken"!
"It's all about timing and being at the right place", he told me.
I do agree.

While both of us have had our fair share of attention from admirers, we had not been mentally ready to embrace a relationship until we were absolutely sure that the person is THE ONE.
He recognised me being the one for him sooner than I did.
Initially, I was simply too stunned to believe that my ideal man actually exists!
I hadn't realised I had become so cynical with time, along with more life experiences gathered.
So it was good that I had the chance to recover from my little disbelief, and to assess the situation more calmly on my own - just like he had suggested.
He appeared as if he couldn't wait for my answer though, since he followed up with me only after a couple of days!
I had actually got my answer ready sooner than that.
I had just wanted to take my time with my reply.
And I hadn't thought he would be so eager - duh?!
Ha...

There, I've dunnit.
And I think I ought to be patted on the back for being so brave at posting this news on here, don't you?