U know what?! My 1yr plus TOYOMI fan (which oscillates up-down, left-right & both) died on me @ 4.30am yesterday. I was already having migraine the night before (back from night out with Nikky). After shower, I took panadol & massaged x-oil & tried to sleep. When I was finally in deep slumber, I was awakened by a loud thud followed by a silence. I knew it was my fan. I tried to go w/o it...but I felt warm. So with eyes half- opened, I off the switched & removed the plug & fixed it back b4 switching it on agn...but to no avail. It's totally dead. It's just 4.30am...still 4 more hrs to go...can't make it. So I kidnapped the AKIRA fan @ the dining hall & continued my beauty sleep. I woke up shaken @ 8.30am. Just that few hrs of sleep, I had so many dreams...all unrelated, all nonsensical!! I dreamt my boss got a promotion...well, nothing scary abt it. But what got me into a cold sweat was a bad dream relating to my Sis. Ya Allah...I hope the theory of "gd dream=bad outcome; bad dream=gd outcome" is true (which has always been the case for me). *Ya Allah, pls protect my Sis & our family from evil eyes...Ameeen!!!* Oh well...putting all that behind me...as usual, Fri night routine, Mom will ask me "what shall we cook tomorrow?" & I said "I wanna cook!!". We brainstormed for ideas...hmmm...I have kicap in mine. She suggested Ikan Masak Kicap...but I asked if there's meat. When she told me yes, I told her that since I've cooked fish, chicken, prawn & egg b4 - but nvr cooked meat - I wanted to try cooking a meat meal. So Daging Masak Kicap it is. She breezed thru the steps with me. I set my alarm for 9.30am & today I woke up punctually like a gd gal. Washed up & prepared to boil the meat (Mom took it out from the freezer for me already). Put the meat for boiling for 1hr...meanwhile I had my breakfast, prepared all the ingredients as instructed by Mom, checked my mails while Mom did her ironing while watching TV. I started cooking @ 10.45am - zap zap zap - & wrapped everything up (sparkling clean!) by 12 noon. The meal turned out fine. It's amazing - I can cook!! (Hahaha...it's not like I've nvr cooked b4!). Mom thinks I did fine & guess what...she's promoting me to a higher level. She asked if I wanna learn to cook Briyani & I nodded excitedly. So people, my next experiment's gonna be Briyani Dam, Insyallah next Sat. Kewl!! I'm counting down to that day! [PS: Just b4 I started this post, I asked Mom if Bro & Dad had any complaints on my cooking. Mom told me both said it was fine, no adverse comments. Phew!! The thing abt me...when I cook anything, I don't expect any praises, but I'm hopeful that no one finds it unswallowable.]
After cooking, I rested for a while, then had my shower & pray, then watched some TV. Was abt to doze off when Mom asked if I wanna come along wif her to the interchange. I thought alright, since I wanna recce for a fan. We covered Century Sq & Isetan b4 heading to Bedok. We left abt 3pm & reached home abt 6pm. Cheapest multi-oscillating fan: $128 (Mistral). KIV. Oh, while @ Century Sq., I checked out some funky sunglasses which I've been trying to find since last yr (during my graduation period, I saw one @ Tg Pagar Plaza's NTUC but it wasn't in gd condition so I didn't buy it...nvr gotta find a similar 1 since then!) Found 1 which Mom said suited my face...$10. KIV.
There was a ltr from CPF for Dad. When we came home, Dad was reading newspaper in the living hall. After my shower & wudhu, as I walked past Dad to go to my room to do my Asar, Dad fanned the CPF ltr in front of me saying "aku menang lottery!!"...I thought he's lost it...but when I took the ltr & read it, I realised how great ALLAH is.
Yesterday, I was reading a fwd-ed email abt a touching story told by a Muslim Dr in South Africa. A baby was born premature & the mom died leaving behind another young girl. As there wasn't any medical facilities to incubate the baby, the Dr used a hot water bottle, but it broke. So now they are so in need of a hot water bottle. During 1 prayer session, after praying wif some kids, she related the story of the premature baby & the crying sister...telling the kids to pray for them. 1 kid prayed to Allah "to send a hot water bottle for the baby" and continued "oh, while You are at that, pls also send a dolly for the sister so that she knows You love her". Of coz, the Dr was quite sceptical (dunno also whether to Amin for that prayer). But the next day, a huge package came from her hometown. While they removed the items in the huge box...1 by 1...she felt something that she refused to believe. When she took it out, it was a HOT WATER BOTTLE. The gal who prayed for it saw that & told the Dr "if the hot water bottle is there...I'm sure God will send a dolly too". And yeah, there was a doll i the box!!!! Amazing right?!?! The email touched my heart & strengthened my faith in the greatness of Allah & the power of doa. Deep down, I prayed that some miracle wld happen & Dad somehow gets a windfall in his CPF (Ok, I know that's wishful thinking...but I can't help it!!).
After work, I was just chatting wif 2 of my colleagues...abt chain letters. I was teasing my colleague "Kak Aziza" abt this chain ltr she fwd-ed last mth: "Fwd this kalimah to 12 ppl within 12 hrs & ur financial situation will improve". I've always believed in fate & destiny & thus sceptical abt chain ltrs. I replied to Kak Aziza to let me know if she becomes rich, only then I shall fwd the email (Kidding of coz!). As I was housekeeping my emails b4 I leave office, I found that chain kalimah. So I asked Kak Aziza if she's any richer today. She thought hard & then she excitedly went "Eh, yeah, yeah, I got a $500 rebate to my CPF...for HPS premium!" I told her "Duh!! That's CPF, not even cash...but c'mon, whatever it is, it's not the email...it's Allah!!" Then I asked what the rebate was all abt & she carried on sharing that her cousin was upset that he only $50 rebate while Kak she got $500! Of coz, I did wonder how come we nvr got any rebate. Hehe. Greed got the btr of me!
From that topic, we moved on to me sharing abt this $4,800++ refund of property tax that Dad got last yr (IRAS' screw up!!). I was sharing wif her how Dad used 2b so stingy wif mom...even for $10, he made Mom shed tears. I used to tell Dad "u're so stingy, that's y Allah restricts ur wealth!! If u're generous to Mom...aherm...and me...I'll always pray to Allah that He increases ur wealth." After that, I noticed that Dad changed...he's very generous wif Mom...not calculative. Shortly after that, he got this windfall. Today, he's nvr been so generous. Mom goes jogging wif him every Sun (gd recreational activity to strengthen husband-wife bonding) & every jogging Sun w/o fail, Mom gets abt $50 every week to buy breakfast or marketing for that day. I used 2b so jealoused I told Mom I wanna join their jogging session, hoping she'd split the tip wif me. Hahaha. I keep telling Mom that he's taking advantage of Dad's generosity. One time he gave her $$, she demands every wk!! She'll sulk like a kid if Dad didn't bring $$ when they go jogging!! Can u imagine, 4 wks a mth, $50x4...every mth $200 is gone just by having Mom's company for jogging!!! Anyways. Yeah, back to my Dad & CPF. Not many wld know that over the last 2 yrs, Dad's CPF has exhausted & he's really troubled by his inability to service the Housing Loan. I wanted to transfer my CPF funds to his so that we can service the loan...but CPF won't allow. I've to be a co-owner & use my CPF for the loan...but for that, HDB will have to re-value the house & do a new loan all over agn...which means, I'm technically buying a new hse & using the HDB concessionary privilege. Which means, I'll only be left wif 1 concessionary privilege if I get married & wanna buy a brand new flat. We've done so much...used 3 out of 4 Reduced Payment Scheme, accumulating arrears of up to $1,600. Dad is retiring in Jun 07 & by then, he won't have any CPF contribution anymore if he doesn't sign on wif CISCO. Learning from his mistake, I've invested my CPF to grow my CPF. We tried to sell the hse. They're hopeful I'd get married soon & buy a brand new flat so they can sell this hse. *sigh* When we got the $4,000++ refund in cash for the property tax screw up last yr, we finally looked @ selling the hse as we can finally afford the agent fees etc. Dad is adamant he wants to sell this hse eventho they'll lose 30% of their initial CPF. But somehow, due to some reason...the idea of selling a hse & downgrading to a smaller flat was shelved agn as I advised Dad that it wldn't resolve our problem. Eventually, after much thought, I told Mom to live on wif this problem a while longer...if I don't get married by end of this yr, I'll proceed to buy a brand new flat & they can sell this hse. I explained to her that I can't do it now coz I just invested my CPF in Feb...so I'll only sell it after 1 yr (hopefully, I'd have make some $$$ out of it).
So after Hari Raya this yr, I'll probably be bz wif the buying of a new hse. For those who think I made the wrong decision not to accept the overseas job opportunity, then for the record, I chose fillial piety over greed for money. I've promised my parents that I'll save them from this financial difficulty. If I leave my job & relocate for 2 yrs (no CPF some more!), I'll be going against my promise & though my parents won't heave a sigh, I know deep down they'll think that like my Sis (who initially planned to get a hse nearby in Tamp so we can sell this hse & move to hers, but she bought a hse in Pasir Ris instead...near her in-laws), I'm also going back on my word.
Recently, I've started to check out HDB online for available 4-rm flats in Sengkang & Punggol. For some selfish & petty reasons, I don't wish to buy the new hse till I get married (whenever that happens), but I can't be selfish. My parents have done so much for me for 30 yrs, I've to do something for them...like it or not. I really wished Dad's CPF can just increase so we can settle the arrears & live with peace of mind for some more time...but that's simply impossible. He neither has enough CPF to invest, nor he has much time to reap any benefits even if he invests anything now (he's retiring in less than a yr). Once he retires, he'll not have any CPF contribution...to make things worse, he won't also be able to enjoy any CPF in his old age, unless he sells this 5-rm flat.
Why am I saying all this? Remember the email above, abt the hot water bottle & dolly?? Yeah, so when I read the CPF letter which Dad flashed in front of me, I realised he hasn't lost his mind. He was just being cute!!! It's true. That letter was the HPS rebate thingy that Kak Aziza was talking abt & my dad got a rebate of *clearing my throat* $4,667...to be credited into his Ordinary Acct on 1 Jul (ie. TODAY!!)!!! If that (a wish/hope that was very much impossible!) is not a MIRACLE, then I don't know what is!!! I just smiled at Dad (while he & Mom argued with each other abt whose CPF was used to pay for the HPS...*sigh*...my 2 kids!!) & went to my room to do my Asar. I just had to end it with sujud syukur.
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