Be thankful for Singapore!

It`s my favourite season of the year - Autumn but also the most dreaded time when the temperature changes drastically, the sun disappears around 4.45pm and people start coughing and sneezing around you.

Point 1: Be thankful for the sun in Singapore where you can go suntan at Sentosa any time of the year!

The daily temperature fell from 25 deg to about 15deg this week and somehow, my body seems to know that i was under a lot of stress ( had a performance in school last week, and we had a annual Christian conference and having to plan worship for the new English service at Shalom). Tried to sleep before 12am everynight so that i can wake up at 7.45am (ok, i snoozed till 8am) to try to reach school at 9.30am to practise piano... that was my routine for last week.. but still, on Saturday, my throat felt ticklish and I could sense the big `F` coming. Lost my voice this week, consumed half a bottle of Lulu-Ibuprofen (this really famous Japanese flu medicine combined with Powerful Western Ibuprofen) but still was woozy and pain from throat was unbearable.

And the strong gales of wind that just send chills into your bones. I surrender. Since i am forced to pay a yearly health insurance of about S$150, i figured i may as well utilise it and visit my friendly "family doctor" here in sushi-land, at his clinic near my former Japanese school.

Lots of old people in the waiting room, was trying not to think about the germs floating the room and trying to imagine the amout of germs on the door knob of the door to the Doc`s office (Yes, Cheryl i remembered what you told me. S rolled his eyes when i said i wanted to use a tissue to open the door.)

The visit costed me 1280yen, with 3 types of medication (including one dreaded sachet-kind! yucks!). Turned out to be much cheaper than my Lulu-Ibuprofren tablets from the pharmacy.

Apparently, we get a subsidised rate under the insurance system, but i calculated and found out that it costs about as much for a normal visit to my beloved Dr Loh at Teck Whye Clinic. Junee came in June and her tummy didnt feel well so we went to see a doctor near my place. It costed her 9000yen cos she didnt have the local health insurance (luckily she bought travel insurance in Singapore so she could claim it.)

Point 2: Be thankful for cheap healthcare in Singapore!




Despite the high-tech printout of the medication explaining the dosage and side effects, (i did mention this in 2006 when i first visited Dr Takahashi when i kena noro-virus), we get this cheena looking envelope to put all the medications inside.


Nothing like good old 洋参 to make me feel like I am back home in Singapore. My mum force fed me and my brother on this. 好料，i tell you. (That's my good old trusty starbucks red mug that had been with me since i came over to sushi-land.)

Good old trusty mug back in action, this time holding wholesome freshly squeezed (by me of course! i know how to take care of myself ok!) orange juice, brimming with Vitamin C and waiting to be consumed by me. Muahaha! But i think i got the wrong type of oranges, this was too pulpy, i was searching for Sunkist but i bought navel oranges instead. (made mental note to google and wiki different species of oranges.) That's also my favourite 水梨 you see there, lovingly peeled and anyhow-cut-up and soaked in salt water. *yum yum*

Kangling told me to 'cook' the pear coz it is supposed to be good for my throat and when i called my mum, that was what she said but she figured i wasnt any good at 'poaching' the pear and then trying to find rock sugar in sushi-land sounds a little challeging so she just went matter-of-factly： “切来吃就好啦！反正一样有营养！” Yeah, my mum rocks!

So that was what i did. Falala~

Ha! Just wanna show off my new cherry PJ. Got it from the supermarket near my place. only 1000yen. Yeah. Every girl loves a bargain! And this changing of season is such a hassle! Gotta dig out all my long sleeves stuff and start shoving my shorts, singlets into boxes (ready to hurl back to merlion-land). This PJ is to cheer me up cos i am sick. Ha.

Point 3: Be thankful that you can wear jeans and t-shirts 365 days a year and loiter around in Birks and flip-flops and nobody will bat an eyelid. And you don`t have to worry about shivering in the cold outdoors and dying of the drying heat caused by indoor heating systems of sushi-land buildings.

Enough of ranting. I love sushi-land though. 5 more months......................