Day 10...

Woke up feeling good today. I can finally turn to my side to lie for a while, resuming to a certain extent the usual morning tossing and turning that I love to do in the mornings and nights. But of course, it was no where near 'tossing'. Slow, careful turns, and only a few minutes on each side. Staying too long on each side will make my wound hurt mildly.

But anyway, Mummy cooked me a big pot of the scrumptous chicken soup for my meals today!

Hippie overlooking the yummy pot of chicken soup...

The soup was a nice, warm touch to what seems to be the start of the rainy season. It's been raining for the past few days, and today, saw the heaviest of rains, noisiest of storms, with thunder and lightning.

It's been 9 days since I've stepped out of home...

On a brighter note, I've been allowed to start on a variety of snacks! Haha... this range from boiled sweet potato, to polar puff sugar rolls! Hee!


P.S. Been strongly encouraged by mummy to drink up the fish essence which came with Hippie. *burp...*

Day 9... More treats!

Mummy decided to be a little more adventurous with my (our) lunch today. She made one of my favourite dish, 'Mui Fan' (rice with seafood gravy & egg), but without all the delicious seafood & egg. In place of the yummies, she added fish balls and sliced fish. Apparently, I'm not supposed to eat egg, or too much of it...

It's actually a rather healthy dish because there is always a generous serving of veg, cooked till soft, with the gravy. The dish is cooked in such a manner that all the nutrients is supposed to be in the gravy... hmmm...


Gracie and Kar dropped by today... and Grace brought me home boiled fish soup! =D She was just sharing with us the story of how anxious and excited she got about doing marketing, and boiling of the soup that Kel got a little envious! Envious he was, because he claimed that she has never used the same amount of zest when cooking for him! Haha...

And while they were here, a delivery man brought me bright, cheery looking gerberras, fish essence and a Hippo! And guess what? They were sent with love from Gracie, Kar, Mel, Eileen & Elaine! It was a pleasant surprise, though they shouldn't have gone to the expense! =)

See the little Hippie they sent me for company? =D

I love yellow flowers! They brighten up any place and they are surely cheerful looking! =) Thanks dears! I can't help but be reminded day after day, with God's grace, of my blessings and the love that is around me...

P.S. Aunty Jenny made me a healthy 'appetiser' as well, to whet my appetite. Stuffed tomatoes! So healthy and full of Vit. C! =D

Day 8... A day of treats!

Lunch was SCRUMPTOUS today!! Told mum that I still feel something soupy, and I think she feels that I'm ready for something a little more complicated, yet healthy!

One of my favourite kinda soup!

Other than this, I received another surprise today, which made my day! One which was couriered to my doorstep!

Piping hot Don-Pie!

This treat came from Trish! Apparently she saw my gripe on facebook about how I can't eat Don Chicken Pie and she sent me one today! AND the good news is, it's been a week, so I'm supposed to be able to eat this NOW!! Hur hur hur...

The 'Flower' that came with the Pie... Hee...

I'm constantly counting my blessings for the loved ones around me. I supposed we may not be in touch all the time, but the best part about any good relationship, is to know that they are always around, in spirit, if not in person. I truly appreciate all these thoughts, the messages I receive on my phone, on facebook, on e-mails, the visits, the little surprise treats... I love all you guys too, you know! =D

P.S. Removed the dressing for the other 3 Op Wounds. I can't really tell if they look good or bad yet, because they are still encrusted in dried blood... (Cause the dressing's waterproof)... Ok... not trying to be gross here... But I think it's not too bad... The holes are smaller than a 5-cent coin and from what I understand, there's no stitches. They used some dressing strip with silicon to bond the wound... Hrmm...

Day 7...

Was whining to mummy about the 'sick people's food' that I have been having for the last 6 days! Told her that I feel like I just need something to excite my taste buds a little... and she made promises of fish grilled in 'Western food' manner for lunch the next day...

And grilled fish she did cook... The very same type of fish I have been having for the last few days! Apparently it's the type of fish that would be good for wounds, recovery...

Fish simply pan grilled with light soy sauce...

I know it looks kind oily, but actually mummy didn't use any oil at all. What she used was her non-stick frying pan, tomatoes and light soy sauce. The fish was however, slightly oily. I think it's due to its own natural fatty acid / fish oil.

It was definitely a refreshing change on my taste buds... BUT I also felt queasy after the meal. I guess I'm not ready for anything non-soupy, anything that takes a little more for digestion.

BTW, do forgive the blurry image taken by my lousy camera phone... =P Been using my phone to take quick shots alot because the bluetooth transfer is simply so convenient...

Woke up this morning with my op wounds hurting a little. I think it's part of the process of recovery, and healing. Have been spending most of the days on the living room couch that I know now the meaning of being a couch potato. I eat here, nap here, surf the net here, read here and watch the tv from here... I really don't mind it and actually make it a point to, because I figured that for all the time that I'm at home, I might as well make my presence felt and accompany dad a little since I am usually 90% of the time out of home when I'm up and well.

There's Chee Cheong Fun (without the relevant sauces... thus without the 'fun') lying around on the table, which I was supposed to take for breakfast, but I didn't feel the stomach for it. Wonder if I should take it for dinner? But I fear the sense of nausea which I'm feeling slightly after the 'western food styled' fish I had for lunch today...

We shall see how it goes. In the mean time, I'm gonna catch up a little on all the other blogs that I follow, take my shower, and be adventurous about the remaining 3 gauzes on my tum tum...

*Wish me luck!*

Update: I did give the chee cheong fun a shot for dinner, in my own improvised style and it actually tastes good! I had altogether 2 bowls of it! And I didn't feel queasy. Not bad I would say! =)

Plain Old Chee Cheong Fun with leftover shredded chicken from the day mum cooked Macaroni, a drip of sesame oil, a trickle of light soy sauce and chopped up version of my favourite side dish, pickled 'Cai Xin'!

The all-mixed up Chee Cheong Fun which actually tastes much better than it looks!

Pickled 'Cai Xin' which goes well with everything! Porridge, Rice, even Chee Cheong Fun!

Day 6...

For some bizarre reason, I developed a slight sore throat this morning when I woke up.

Probably caused by the more than usual coughing that I experienced the day before. Or was it possible due to the Oat crackers that mum bought for me? But I only had a piece... Or the ginger drink?


Lunch was simple and plain, as prepared by mummy... didn't feel like I have the stomach for oily stuff as well...

Plain old Mee Sua with minced pork (ONLY)...

Checked and cleared my 200 over e-mails since I felt 'strong' enough to do so... Felt more tired the past few days to sit through that 200plus work e-mails.

Sitting in the living room, with the fan circulating the humid air, with the slight gloomy 'going to rain' weather, and the TV running, it felt kinda comfortable. I didn't think that I could stand being stuck at home for soooo many days with not even a foot out of the main door to my home, but it really isn't so bad. I guess it's good training to the one month confinement that I might experience when and if, I ever do get to have a little one... =)

In a bimbotic way, I was kinda enjoying the TV while doing my stuff on my lappie too... TV series re-runs of Growing Up, Style Jury, Amazing race... haha...

And out of no where, an epiphany hit me too! While I'm resigned to bed & rest, I might as well make the most out of it! Do things like Facial masks and get myself rejuvenated for the mass that will hit me when I return to office!

Haha... Looking forward to that!

P.S. Mustered up the courage to remove the gauze around my belly button after shower today. Looks horrible. Shall wait till tomorrow, after shower (also to test water for any pain, for one wound first) before removing the other 3. I might fairly well just do it one by one....
P.P.S. Received the Chicken of essence hamper and cheerie sunflowers that office sent me! Sure made me smile...

Of pride and achievements...

A short while back, a very dear friend sent me a message over gmail chat, sharing with me a plan of hers...

She wanted to bake one dessert a day, for 30 days, to celebrate her entering the big '3' stage of her life. At the same time, she would blog about her baking experience. She asked me what my favorite dessert was, and I told her 'Apple Crumble'... I love apple crumble for various reasons...

And she did it! She dedicated one of her entries to me and apple crumble... and it really was touching...

A friend for more than 10 years, I can't help but feel very very proud of how far she has come. She has polished herself in so many aspects of her life, her different facets, that I can't help but admire her brilliance in her various talents... Writing, Photography, Baking and Cooking.

Bon Vivant

It looks simply delicious...! Thanks babe... for this! =D

P.S. All pictures on her blog 'Bon Vivant' are taken personally by herself! Do take a visit.

Yummy yummy yummy... I got food in my tummy...

Been having these urges to cook lately. Haha... Which is why I hope that I'll own my very own WELL equipped kitchen one day.

On the spur of the moment, I've also expanded my culinary recipe collection by adding on two new titles:

Jaime at Home - Jaime Oliver

Nigella Express - Nigella Lawson

And so... I thought I would try a couple of those quick, short & easy recipes from these books. Check out the pics below!

My seasoning for my medium rare steak...

Spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, olives and cured parma ham...

The salad without the parma ham...

Potato salad with mustard seed...

Mozarella Cheese with Creme Fraiche & dressing...

More to come! =D

Light! Light! Where is the light!

Week after week after week I just remind myself that there is ALWAYS a light at the end of the tunnel. Just that it's a very long and complicated tunnel, with lots of turns and twists in the middle... So week after week after week, I'm just sticking out my neck hoping to see a glimpse of that light...

These days, it's the weekends that I look forward to. When I refuse! refuse! refuse! to think of work or talk about work (if I can help it)... (Sadly, I'm stuck at work the whole of this weekend!) As it is, life is stressed enough, without us having to think about work 24 hours a day!

In any case, last weekend was pretty good. Other than the fact that I spent x3 hours ironing probably 30% of un-ironed clothes, I managed to spend some exclusive girl time with Yann and Liann....

Brunch at Graze!

Sigh... wish I can have more time and resources to do such things more often...

Eating right for your blood type?

Had dinner with Bel yest... she was going on and on about how she's supposed to eat this, and not supposed to eat that. The thought of it simply kills me! Until she mentioned that she's since lost 1kg since she stuck to her 'diet' of eating right for her blood type...

Which of course, would get any vain, attempting to lose weight individuals curious...

Did a google and checked out their website for more info...

For Blood 'O' Type -

Apparently Type O's can be powerful and productive. However, when stressed Type O’s response can be one of anger, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. When Type O wiring gets crossed, as a result of a poor diet, lack of exercise, unhealthy behaviors or elevated stress levels, Type O’s are more vulnerable to negative metabolic effects, including insulin resistance, sluggish thyroid activity, and weight gain. ---> Ooh... explains my weight gain since coming to this job...

Apparently this seaweed known as Bladderwrack is super good for me... and will help in weight loss! ---> Yippee!! Now I need to find out where to buy and how to eat it... Hrrmm...

Type O’s most often described in ways related to the following characteristics; responsible, decisive, organized, objective, rule-conscious, and practical. Interestingly, Type O’s also scored significantly higher than the rest in “sensing” – using the 5 senses to gather information, and in the sensing-thinking combination, indicating that they are more detail and fact oriented, logical, precise and orderly. ---> Interesting...

Type O diet, which focuses on lean, organic meats, vegetables and fruits and avoid wheat and dairy which can be triggers for digestive and health issues in Type O. Additionally, he suggests that Type O’s avoid caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine can be particularly harmful because of its tendency to raise adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are already high for Type O’s. ---> Noted... I can live with that...

Type O’s benefit tremendously from brisk regular exercise that taxes the cardiovascular and muscular skeletal system. But the benefit derived surpasses the goal of physical fitness. ---> Ok... need more effort in that department...

Key lifestyle strategies for Type O individuals:

• Develop clear plans for goals and tasks – annual, monthly, weekly, daily to avoid impulsivity.
• Make lifestyle changes gradually, rather than trying to tackle everything at once.
• Eat all meals, even snacks, seated at a table.
• Chew slowly and put your fork down between bites of food.
• Avoid making big decisions or spending money when stressed.
• Do something physical when you feel anxious.
• Engage in thirty to forty five minutes of aerobic exercise at least four times per week.
• When you crave a pleasure releasing-substance (alcohol, tobacco, sugar), do something physical.

---> But I usually crave for oysters and foie gras... Hrrmm...

In anycase, shall give this a shot! Anything for weight loss! =D


As for Rob, here goes:

Key lifestyle strategies for Type A individuals:

• Cultivate creativity and expression in your life
• Establish a consistent daily schedule
• Go to bed no later than 11:00 PM and sleep for eight hours or more. Don't linger in bed, as soon as you get up, get going!
• Take at least two breaks of twenty minutes each during the work day. Stretch, take a walk, do deep breathing exercises or meditate.
• Don't skip meals
• Eat more protein at the start of the day, less at the end
• Don't eat when you are anxious
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals.
• Engage in thirty to forty five minutes of calming exercise at least three times a week.
• Plan regular screening for heart disease and cancer prevention.
• Always chew food thoroughly to enhance digestion. Low stomach acid makes digestion more difficult.

Cheers to new resolutions...*Yet again...*

Little Blessings...

When times are tough, the going's hard, one learns more than ever to count the little blessings in life... Breakfast made by Rob...

Hee... It's nice to wake up to home-made breakfast by someone who doesn't usually make breakfast no matter how simply done it is... *sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet*... Lol...

Had a go at baking Jaime Oliver's Fennel Salt Baked Chicken over the weekend as well! Thanks to Mel and her generosity of allowing me to make a mess out of her home. Despite all the excitement that the bird was creating in the kitchen, it turned out pretty well!

Thanks to Rob who bought a whole chicken with its feet and head intact, Stephen had to gallantly offer to clean and wash the bird as I couldn't bring myself to massage the chicken all over with its half closed eyes on its head looking right back at me. Even when I had to grab its feet to marinate the chicken inside and out, it feels like I was changing diapers for a baby! =P

Anyway, overall, the chix turned out yummy, the whole process was fun and was a good talking point for the whole jing gang as it was highly amusing for them to see the whole chicken wrapped in salt!


In gloomy times like this, it's such little blessings of love and joy amongst loved ones that will keep you afloat. *Happiness!*

Sluggish engine...

I'm feeling so sluggish that I'm trying hard to find a renewed zest or to start my engine...!!

On a brighter note, I can't wait for this weekend! Some of us are gonna troop down to Mel's place for a casual pot luck home dinner. I've been wanting to try out this recipe for Salt Baked Chicken... so I'm gonna give it a shot!

I fell in love with the dish since the wonderful dinner that Kris and Jess cooked and it's been on my mind all these while! It's not the same as the typical Chinese Salt baked chicken with the soy sauce etc. This is the 'Ang Moh' version, with the entire bird covered in rock salt! =)

Managed to get all the ingredients required and now I just can't wait to try it out... Will definitely take pics! =)