UpLIFTing news

haha ok, lame pun i know, but finally, over last week, the much anticipated additional new lift at my block was completed. Yay! no more trudging up the steps with me 10kg tummy ;P We tested the new lift a few times over the weekend. Seems fairly safe and stable haha... looking forward to the rest of the lifts being upgraded to stop at every floor, hopefully in time for when Tanya arrives. Then next time we'll have an easier time bringing her out with a pram.

Power of the Net

although maybe not the way PM Lee had expected? For those not expecting, you may not be following this as closely, so I will sketch out the timeline.

17th Aug 8pm: PM Lee made his National Day rally speech. Already, gossipvine of the net already had leaked some of the benefits and 'reliable sources' saying that the benefits start 1st Jan 2009. But many mothers-to-be secretly harboured hope otherwise.

18th Aug 8pm: Benefits were announced as rally was telecasted; and the gossipvine of the net was assessed to be fairly accurate. Mothers-to-be still bore hope that implementation date would be earlier.

20th Aug 1pm: Wong KS announced the detailed plan and yes, implementation date was 1st Jan 2009. This sparked much comment online and within hours, a physical petition was drawn up and about 200 names + NRIC numbers were gathered in time for a Meet-the-People's session at AMK (wonder who's GRC is it ;P). Aside from that, groups were set up all over the place, like facebook, online petitions, and in many many forum threads.

21st Aug: WKS gave some reason on Today papers for the implementation date to be 1st Jan. This sparked much debate in the forums, and many responses started flooding in as people analysed the package from head to toe. Petition names more than doubled. Suggestions of demonstrations were rife.

21st Aug 8+pm: Announcement that benefits will be backdated about only 30 hours after the implementation date had been announced.

My views: Okay, since the government decided to backdate the benefits, I will reserve my negative comments; which I didn't do at the many forums I suddenly signed up yesterday when I posted my comments fairly liberally. I guess this shows that our government is indeed open to changes and the public opinion (more so than previously). More importantly, I guess I feel that their flexibility and speed of action was a bit surprising to me. Did I think the petition would work? Well, honestly, no really. Maybe only 70% haha. But i suspect the MTPS increased that % somewhat. I think the change came about mainly coz of other reasons that netizens managed to dig out. Unless our crafty government had this planned all the while up their sleeve, like some netizens suggested. But somehow, I doubt it =) Nonetheless, it is good news for many. Cheers for all who made it possible.

bitter dissapointment

as the news was announced today.

Many mothers-to-be from the forum, like me, waited impatiently for the announcement today. And as expected, against all our desperate hopes, the implementation date was announced as 1st Jan 2009. I do not understand the rationale for the implementation date. I certainly do not see any advantages in it except to disappoint the many parents-to-be who were delighted at the news during the rally, only to be crushed now? By announcing the benefits so soon and then setting the implementation date so late, it will surely leave many parents-to-be feeling shortchanged. Furthermore, in the past, the policy had been backdated to include those who had qualified at the timeof the announcemnt. All the more, the expectation that we would be included in the benefits. Now, not only do we not qualify for the extra maternity leave, even the baby bonus has eluded us.

calm after the storm

Finally the course review is over! I'm anticipating much more peaceful time from now until my maternity leave =) although will be busy marking hundreds of scripts as they come in during the xam period but this is something known and predictable. Much easier to handle than the unknown and uncertainty of the course review.

On the motherhood forums, rumour is rife with regards to the rally announcements. some say that it will only be applicable to 2009 mothers :( so sad. more rumours was 4th flexi month maternity leave and 6 day paternity leave. it is also said there are no fixed details at the rally, but instead will wait for finalised announcements later by wong kan seng. wow if really 4th maternity month how nice that will be! i can save up one whole month of unpaid leave! although my pay is quite miserable but one month worth of pay can still pay for alot of diapers man! haha. anyway nothing seem confirmed at this stage so will have to wait for tonight ba. also if the rumours are to be believed then still must wait for further announcements. and mightnot qualify for the benefits for this child anyway. nonetheless, all the mothers-to-be are keeping our fingers crossed =)

And its a silver

Mildly disappointed (although pretty much expected) with the Olympic results; but at least Tianwei and Jiawei provided some semblance of resistance ;P also mildy disappointed at the delay of the PM's telecast. Don't understand why must delay by a full 24 hours; or at least let the news still report the highlights of the rally lor. Ah well, guess just have to be patient and wait.

Yesterday was a painful day for me, as for the first time in a while, I suffered from terrible migraine, which caused me to cold sweat the whole later half of the day. Was really strange coz the day started beautifully with a nice breezy morning at the Canopy Cafe overlooking MBGC. Dunno what caused it also leh. Maybe is to do with iron deficiency? I made sure I popped my iron supplements just in case. I think I also better start on more cooling foods.

Think I starting to get very heaty already. With all the chocolates I been consuming lately though, its no wonder :( like the 2 famous amos soft cookies i had recently, pigged out at one sitting or the many of my favourite royce baton cookies from Taka today after visiting the baby fair. bought some glass bottles and wash cloths for the baby from there as well. Its just a few more weeks to go!

First Olympic Medal

Yesterday evening was an exciting time for my family and I'm sure many other Singaporeans too. Just after 5.30pm, Singapore table tennis team beat the Korean team, securing us either a Gold or Silver medal in the Olympics, the first Olympic medal since independence. I only managed to catch the final match where Tianwei defeated the Korean player and was a really fun and exciting match for all of us viewing as we lamented and cheered in unison. In the evening, there was a replay on Channel 5 so me and Ming caught it again. Of course by then, China had defeated Hong Kong, hugely decreasing our chance of getting a Gold, but hey Silver isn't half bad ya? After many letdowns, I really hadn't thought we might actually score a medal this Olympics. Guess 2008 is a good year for us all =)

The finals will be played on Channel U LIVE! at 7.30pm :( This unfortunately means that it will surely clash with PM Lee's National Day Rally speech this year, which will resume at 8pm after a break. Although the clash is very annoying, it really isn't much of a dilemma which to watch. Of course live action more important! Who wanna watch the match after the results are out already? But maybe it will be a brief match...? But haha... brief match may not bode well for us right? Best hope for a decent fight...!

The course review

Week 33 sees me smack in the middle of course review. We had the first session on Monday so I was busy coordinating with the graduates on their return and subsequent interview with the panel. The rest of the week saw us scrambling to formulate responses to their arbitrary questions and feedback. It really lame how we have to labour hours over a question that may just have popped into one of the panel's head. I wonder how much detail they will remember next monday when they come back for our responses.

After the first review, I had to set up Facebook groups for all the past graduates so my boss could easily reach out to them. Until now, the groups remain embarrassingly scarce. How do I reach out to these graduates 90+% of whom I do not teach?? I was also tasked to formulate response for a question which had me editing the syllabus for a new module I am still clueless about. Anyway I finally edited the syllabus after much references to what actually is taught in other such modules, then I carefully formulated a response.

Anyway yesterday evening saw our whole team in a 4 over hour agonisingly long (and hungry) meeting as we deliberated over each and every question and response given. Unfortunately, my question had totally changed... -_-"" so the work almost went down the drain, but we managed to salvage some of it for use in other parts of the review panel's questions. I reached home almost 9pm, hungry and grouchy, but mostly sore at my boss. 4 over hour deliberating over 9 questions with answers we had already painstakingly formulated? Geez and the students only get 2 hours to finish their exam papers...Let's just see how it goes next Monday...

True nature and Sacrifice

I'm blogging about my 32nd week at 3.32am. Yup, insomnia again. Guess panda eyes are another price to pay for pregnancy. No wonder even my gynea says being pregnant, its a sacrifice. Fortunately, I feel I get a lot of support from my family. I'm also recently learning that friends are another matter. Surprisingly, some friends are really quite not understanding about the whole motherhood and pregnancy thing. Worst thing is when they complain behind my back about half truths. But never mind lor, at least I know how they feel now. I must admit I was quite disappointed and bitter to hear it at first. But I'll deal with it. Guess tough times show true friends. are loss of false friends also a sacrifice?

Week 31 updates

I'm into August and due for my next gynea visit. The last visit had been unscheduled so I will need to pay for it later when I see her. Yes, last round I didn't have enough cash, not anticipating that it would cost so much. And the silly clinic only accepts cash or cheque. No choice coz of the darn PUPPPS. Update is that its still itching. The specialist in NSC said I should use the steroid cream and antihistamine pills so he had prescribed me some more :(

Today will go see Dolly again then see what she says. Last week had been fairly uneventful. Went for movie, Mummy - undead type, not my this type. Ok lah, find it so-so only, effects good lor, script lackluster. The antenatal class last Saturday focussed totally on breastfeeding and I found it very useful. One of the best sessions in fact. Perhaps also coz they got a different instructor coz i swapped for the 1.30pm class instead of the 4pm class. Think next lesson I will also do a swap. Anyway that day I will need to go meet the NUS gang for dinner, so 4-6pm isn't exactly the best timing for the class. Also went for Isaac's birthday gathering yesterday. Hai party food is so not good for me haha, and i overloaded on Coke i think. The oreo cheesecake from Bakerzin was good though, but felt $75 for it was a tad expensive. But I felt the Choc Amer we had was better.