Trying Something New

Our neighborhood continues to be eerily quiet. It's always been quiet, but I usually hear more planes pass by and schoolbuses dropping off kids (plus Miggy when he was younger). In the mornings, I'd hear Mang Jabar, our favorite taho vendor, shout out "Tahooooo!". There would also be the sound of horns from the manong who picks up trash for composting. There would also be sounds from the walis tingting sweeping front yards during early mornings. Of course, there was also the wake up call of chickens and dogs barking. 

The only sound I regularly hear now is the rustling of the bamboo leaves from our garden. Even the sound of sirens have lessened (which is a good indicator there are less emergencies). I guess my neighbors are all staying home and keeping safe just like us. Well, if you're interested to be my neighbor, the house in front of us is for sale (needs renovating though). Anyway, I noticed how quiet it was again when I watered the plants earlier. 

Speaking of plants, we decided to try something new -- hydrophonics! Sweetie successfully grew basil in water when we were in Singapore. We've been frustrated with buying lettuce lately. It's either not available in supermarkets or full of insects. It's ruining our healthy eating plans, so we thought we should grow some. After scouring Lazada and Shopee, I found a starter kit that seemed easy to follow. 

We started the process last Friday. Waited three days and opened the container where we put the rockwool with seeds. They sprouted! (Faster than the ones I planted in soil!). Woohoo! We transferred them last night and it's sitting nicely in the kitchen for now. We're hopeful it will provide us with lettuce and mustasa. If we're successful then maybe we'll add more kits so we can provide veggies for Mom too. 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

#BeKind #StayHome

200 Days of This New Normal Life

Two hundred days ago we were told to work from home. I remember that day very well. It was a Friday and something strange was happening in our lobby. There were a lot of cleaners and I told myself, "Wow! They're making an extra effort to clean up!" 

Thirty minutes later I found out why. The day before a patient from another building tenant was picked up by an ambulance. He was one of the earlier patients who got infected. If I remember correctly he got infected from his parents who picked up the virus from patients zero (this was in news reports). I said a little prayer for the patients and thanked my angels for keeping me at home the day before. Later that day we were all told to work from home. 

This was the last time I was at the office, March 13, Friday, 7pm.

Working from home wasn't new to me. I did that for five years in Manila and then I moved to Singapore. We get super busy, but we still make time to have lunch together. That's the first thing I started to miss since Sweetie was still going to work for a few weeks before they were asked to WFH too. Secondly, I missed the prepared food and after meal coffee I would get with my seatmate. Sometimes we'd head down to Starbucks or Gong Cha for some merienda. I also missed the daily commute which allowed me to spin Pokestops and Inns (haha). And sometimes after work I take a walk around Harbourfront Centre/Vivo City before I head home. 

Last meal out before the circuit breaker started.

April was a flurry of activity. We managed to move apartments then. It was quite stressful, but it was a huge relief to move to a safer home. By May I was going bonkers and that's when I started baking and gardening. Eventually I accepted the fact that things will be uncertain for a longer period. I just needed to adjust to the new normal. 

Now that I'm used to living this way, I cannot imagine going back to the office. Sweetie now goes to the office two to three times a week. I only go out when I have physiotherapy or a doctor's appointment. We think it's better to just stay home for now since there are still random cases popping up and I'm still a high risk person. 

I was surprised to find out that wearing masks wasn't required yet last March. 

This was taken when we were new-home hunting.

I was chatting with my Ate last night and I told her that I am just so grateful that our family has remained safe and healthy. We try to help where we can. Here's how I cope -

(1) Pray

(2) Purposely disengaging from work at an appointed time everyday

(3) Follow my doctor's orders to live a healthy life

(4) Not spend so much time on social media (it gets quite toxic!)

(5) Work on my hobbies 

(6) Blog everyday (it's a challenge for myself, but writing keeps me sane)

(7) Check on loved ones (and nag the son every few hours)

I made the mistake of throwing myself at work. I worked 14 hour days because there was so much to do. I ended up sick so that's the first thing I worked on. Then I thought about how I could make things better everyday. I have days when things get quite stressful, that's when essential oils come in. I have friends who are still having a hard time, I'm just there whenever they need me. 

What about you? How have you been coping in this new normal?

CB//171 #StuckAtHomeDay/201 #WFH117 #StayHome #BeKind  

  

Last Normal Photo

The last time I was able to go out "freely" was on January 12. It was the day the Taal Volcano erupted. Miggy and I went to hear mass, have lunch and buy a few stuff. For me it was that day when things changed.

I'd like to keep that day as my last normal day. We were able to hear mass, have a great lunch and do some shopping. I remember we even got to try tikoy turon from SM Supermarket. I knew things were going to change when the electricity died when we were about to go home. On the way home, the air was acrid and the sun seemed to be dancing. 

Life hasn't been the same for me since then. The only thing I yearn for is to be with my family. To hug Miggy, to be with my Mom. Everything else will adjust as needed. I hope and pray things can be better soon so I can be with my family again. 

#CB41  #StuckAtHomeDay72 #StayHome #BeKind

The Art of Doing Nothing

If you know me you know I could never sit still. I am a perennial multitasker. My Mom has been scolding me since high school. She says I never seem to rest. I remember she used to turn off the lights in my room by 9pm to force me to sleep early. Usually I wait for her to fall asleep and then I turn the lights back on and work on whatever I'm doing hehe. 

My body is what it is today because I didn't rest enough after I had heart surgery. I was running a huge event three and a half months after open heart surgery. I felt I was fine and even climbed the Borobudur temple. Crazy noh? I think it's normal for people who have had major surgery to try to prove that we're superhuman and do all sorts of crazy stuff. I didn't stop after one big event, I did a lot more in several countries. 

Looking back now, I could say I made bad decisions. I'm a work in progress and I've been told that whenever I feel unwell I should stop and take care of myself first. I decided to take a long break last Christmas because I felt like a top spinning non-stop. I had to "clear my cache". It worked, but by the time I felt I was stable again I once again started to be busy. It was "happy busy" because I finished my "back-up 15 years worth of photos. 

In my mind this is the perfect set-up for doing nothing (except maybe to eat a bag of Chips Ahoy)...

During my break I discovered the art of doing nothing. I had to start with just doing one thing. I was able to watching TV without doing anything else. It was hard for me because when I watch TV I normally sew or write. I still have a long way to go, but now I understand the value of just being still and being calm. I'm also trying to learn to do that for my mind too.  I still have a long way to go. 

Today I discovered this YouTube channel of a Singaporean who shares his thoughts about the art of doing nothing. He made me think about my well-being. I hope I can continue on this journey to take care of myself better. 

What about you? How do you take care of yourself?

#CB39 #WFH35 #StuckAtHomeDay70 #StayHome #BeKind

My Happy Photobook!

Today was an amazing day even though I had to get up super early for meetings. I was in the middle of a meeting when the doorbell rang. Sweetie got the item and then handed it to me. It was my photobook!

At the end of January I was pretty stressed out one day and asked my friends to give me some happy thoughts. I went offline after that and rested. A few hours later I checked my post and was so surprised to see so many comments!

It inspired me to capture all the beautiful thoughts and I started working on what I called "My Happy Project". I finished the content and then gave it a rest. The rest stretched from end of February to last weekend! I quickly finished the cover and ordered it to be printed.

I didn't expect it to arrive so soon and right now hearing the doorbell ring is music to my ears. I was so excited I started opening the package during the meeting (sorry I got so distracted!). It was a huge happy boost and even though I was so busy the rest of the day I just went through everything happily. 

I chose this photobook printer mainly because it can connect to Google Photos and they have a lot of promos. I was happy with the quality of the paper also. In Manila I normally have it made through Picturebooks, but their app doesn't really work online. The price is just the same too. I have two more projects lined up, I'm still thinking about what I'm going to make. Maybe a recipe book for Miggy? Hmm...

#CB38 #WFH34 #StuckAtHomeDay69 #StayHome #BeKind

Seeing Through the Fog

My general happy mood usually changes whenever I get sick and a dark cloud usually settles on my head. It's a huge struggle to get out of it when I don't feel well. I went to see my doctor today because my BP was low yesterday. I actually had to stop working around 4 in the afternoon and Sweetie put his foot down and had me rest (yes, usually I'm so hard headed). 

This was taken a week after Miggy went back home to Singapore. We were so sad when our nest went empty and we kept going out because we didn't want to go home to an empty nest.

I tried meditating several times the past week, but it didn't work. I prayed. I slept. I wrote. I quilted. I played the piano. I cooked Japanese-style hamburgers last Saturday. I called my Mom. My mind was so noisy nothing worked. It always happens to me when I get sick and it's a terrible feeling. 

Moving on...

It was my friend Cathy who sent me a meditation resource. I selected a three minute meditation guide by Chade Meng Tan. It worked! The fog dissipated just like that. I had a chat with friends and I realized that I should make sure I find the right meditation guide to follow. I'm so relieved I finally snapped out of the fog. Thanks so much Cathy and Iris for the chat today. 

Off to our weekly bread-run. We've expanded our walks by taking the long way back to our unit.

Being on "lockdown" is very hard on all of us. The med-tech who took my blood today told me that we could actually go out for walks now. I still need to be cautious and I don't think Sweetie will allow me to go out yet. I have to be content for now when we go down to buy bread on the vending machine (vid here). For the meantime I need to get back on my exercise routine. That will surely help with my well-being. Please pray for me. 

x-o-x-o

#CB36 #WFH32 #StuckAtHomeDay67 #StayHome #BeKind

Recipes for my Son: Double Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I love baking food coz it's easy and usually yummy. Here's a recipe my boys absolutely love and ingredients are quite easy to find too. There are times it's hard to find sour cream so I've tried making my own with just cream and calamansi. Baking potatoes though take awhile and to shorten the baking time I just boil the potatoes. 

Here's how I've been making double stuffed baked potatoes -

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes

2 T butter

1 medium white onion, chopped finely

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sour cream 

salt and pepper to taste

#CB35 #WFH31 #StayHome #BeKind

We have Become More Domesticated

More than two months ago I started to work from home and it's day 33 of the circuit breaker here in Singapore. Prior to the circuit breaker I was still able to go out for my PT sessions. We made a mad rush to move to a new home and that was a really good decision because things are much stricter now. We did not want to get stuck in our old home. 

Church

Our beautiful church back home. Photo by Kuya June Tupas.

We haven't been going out that much since I came back to Singapore last January. Miggy came with me and we originally planned to explore more of Singapore, but because of the virus we just stayed home. I think the highlight of the last five months for me was Cathy and Mike's wedding (watch Cathy's poem dedicated to Mike here). The last time we went to hear mass in church was in early February and after that all churches were closed. Good thing you can hear mass online now and we've been attending Pope Francis' live blessings also. 

Meals

Home-cooked Japanese-style hamburgers.

When in Singapore we usually go out to hear mass on Sundays, then we eat lunch and buy supplies (actually the same formula when back home in Manila hehe). Some nights on weekdays we also sometimes eat out to break the monotony. Things have changed a lot though and I was telling Sweetie earlier that it took me a year to finish a bottle of olive oil. I finished half of a new bottle in just a month! We've been preparing majority of our meals at home now.  

Entertainment

Meet "plant", our 4-year old plant our former landlord left with us. 

We don't have a cable subscription here in Singapore and only watch content from YouTube, TFC and Netflix. From watching TV shows/series, movies, travel vlogs we're now watching a lot of videos on planting veggies, baking bread, house tours and tiny homes! The reality is we're going to be stuck home for far longer than we expect and we are finding more ways to be productive at home. 

Shopping

You can't imagine how much joy I get now when we go downstairs once a week to buy bread from the vending machine. I was ecstatic when I was able to buy something from 7-Eleven after my check-up at the hospital last Wednesday. I took it for granted that I could go anywhere, anytime I wanted. Who would've thought that we'd experience a pandemic in our lifetime? Now I have to pre-plan everything I need because I can only buy things online. It's good for me because I have now learned to only get what I really need and I haven't bought any new clothes this whole year! 

Home Cleaning

Ahhh, this is where things have really changed. We have someone who comes in weekly to help clean the house and do ironing, but with the #CB we've had to do everything. It's been really hard since we moved and have had to do all the cleaning. My colleague Victor was telling me it's easy since he had to clean his unit every three days when he was an AirBnB host. My lame excuse for him was that I grew up with helpers and I only learned all my home management skills when I got married hehe (thank you YouTube Academy!). And as much as I keep viewing large nice houses, I don't really see myself living in a big house again because of all the cleaning that's required to maintain a big house. 

What about you? What changes have happened with how you live? What do you think you need to adjust more?

#CB33 #StayHome #BeKind

Lockdown Easy-to-Cook Recipes

I've been teaching Miggy to cook by taking videos whenever I cook. This way he can also see visually how I make things. I was so surprised to see that I've made quite a lot of dishes already. Thought I'd make a summary here to help friends who are also stuck at home and want to learn how to cook. I guess this would be useful for foreign friends who'd like to learn Filipino dishes. 

Top on the list of course is, chicken adobo! This dish is so easy to make. The key though is to use Filipino soy sauce and vinegar. 

Second easy to make dish, pork steak. This is originally bistek Tagalog, but I find it hard to soften beef. If you want to use beef, just use beef instead of pork. I tried using Kikkoman instead of Datu Puti soy sauce, I ended up having to add a lot of water because it turned out too salty. 

My friends have been telling me that they miss my spaghetti. It's not your usually sweet Pinoy spaghetti. It was my seatmate from work who taught me how to make this spaghetti. 

And our favorite baked salmon is a frequent dish I make especially during lent.  

For those who love veggies, here's pinakbet. It was my first time to make this my friend Buddy from the onlinepalengke.com sent me a box of vegetables last Christmas.

#CB30 #StayHome #BeKind

Revenge of the Fifth

The moon is full outside tonight and this is one of those days I'd rather delete from the calendar. I missed my second alarm and woke up a bit dazed and worried that I may have missed my meeting. It was dazed when I got up. I told myself that maybe it was because I was having a weird dream just before I woke up. After I went to the bathroom I sat down on the couch to think whether I should go see a doctor or not. Sweetie then came out of the room and asked me how I was and whether I wanted to go see a doctor. 

I have been feeling some unusual symptoms since Sunday night. I thought it was just overfatigue from working 11-hour days since March and working to fix our new home during weekends. I took a sick leave yesterday to rest and by end of day yesterday I was feeling a bit better. I even checked my calendar to see my schedule for Tuesday. While sitting on the couch I realized that the heart is a delicate organ and it can betray you without any cause. I decided to see my doctor because work can wait and it's better for me to make sure there's nothing funny going on in my system.

Good thing I went to see my doctor. It wasn't just fatigue I was feeling. There's something wrong somewhere and my doctor had me do some tests today. I'm also on a holter for the next 24 hours to check if there's anything irregular with my heart's rhythm. I've been doing so well for a couple of months now. Working long hours probably took it's toll on me. I'm on forced rest for the whole week. I hope and pray that it's just fatigue and nothing serious. I guess Papa God is telling me to get some rest for now. 

I used the title "Revenge of the Fifth" because today my body revenged on me. It's what it does whenever I've had too much. And, yes, I'm also alluding to the revenge of the Sith in my country. They shut down the largest broadcast company during a pandemic. It's just truly unbelievable what some people can do because of greed. God please save the Philippines. 

#CB29 #StayHome #BeKind

Work to Accept the Unknown

The most difficult thing about this pandemic is not knowing what may happen next. I've been trying to keep abreast of what's happening. Almost 3.2 million people have been infected globally with the US leading at 1.2M, 17k in Singapore and less than 9k in the Philippines. Many countries have instilled community quarantine/lockdown, but there's very few countries where the spread has slowed down (Korea/Taiwan to name a few). I had it in my head that perhaps by May it would  slow down already and we can start going back to normal by June. I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon. 

I've been reading articles about taking care of your overall well-being during this period. The phrase "work to accept the unknown" caught my eye and I realized that is where we all are now. There is no known and no one can say for certain when this pandemic is going to end. My director told me that in time we'll probably ease back in the office, but he said that I should probably think about whether I should come back soon. With my health condition I'll probably be the last to come back to the office. 

The unknown is a scary place. There is the term "step into the unknown" which incites excitement. The unknown that we have now is not something that any of us would want to go into. How does one work to accept the unknown? I don't know. I don't have a clue either. I was really affected when the circuit breaker was extended in Singapore. I was a wreck. I'm a creature of habit and the extension affected me because I know there are things I like that I won't be able to do anytime soon (like being with my son who's in Manila). 

I only calmed them when I was reminded that I have my faith and I must trust that God will lead the way. It may not be the same life as before, but I must trust that wherever this will bring us it will be where God wants us to be. 

Happy Saturday everyone. Keep the faith!

#CB26 #StayHome #BeKind

Lipat-Bahay in Singapore

I moved to Singapore for work in 2011 and that time we had the benefit of staying at a serviced apartment for a few months. It was a spectacular place and I still remember the housekeeper who would come everyday to clean the apartment. She's Filipino and we talked a lot when she was around.  The building is gone now and has been replaced by a new one. It was the only time I lived in Orchard. 

I moved in my neighbor from Manila after I left the apartment. I didn't have that much stuff when I moved and I just took a taxi to my new home in Sengkang. We lived there for a couple of years and that was the home I lived in when I recovered from my heart surgery. After that we moved to Buangkok. I enjoyed living in Buangkok since the MRT was near and there was a hawker center and 24-hour grocery in the area. It was in Buangkok where I re-discovered my passion for quilting. 

My awesome housements, Jajah and Ronnie. 

My housemate eventually found love, married and moved to the US. Oh I forgot to mention we also had a guy housemate who was younger than me and my friend. We called him "baby boy" haha. He eventually moved in with his gf and that was when Miggy moved to Singapore to study. Miggy took over "baby boy's" room. My friend though always took care of everything (bills, finding a place, paying rent and moving). I realized how hard it was when Miggy and I eventually moved to Harbourfront. We decided to get our own place since Sweetie was moving to Singapore also at that time. 

Walking through the park in Buangkok to get to the MRT.

We loved Harbourfront area since we could easily just walk to Sentosa beach for exercise. 

Moving in Singapore is fairly easy. You can just search for a place on Property Guru and book a viewing with the agent. We tried this way in March, but realized that it's much easier if we used an agent. I called up the agent who serviced my friend and me when I moved to Harbourfront. Ahhh it was a much better experience looking for a new place. Here's what's important to know when you need to move -

1. General area where you want to move

2. Your budget

3. Size of apartment

4. Other considerations you may have like proximity to friends, your commute to work etc. 

We rushed our move since we didn't want to get stuck in our apartment any longer and we were scared that the #CB may become stricter. I just got the mover that all my colleagues have been using for many years (Soon Seng Transport). I also used them when I moved from Buangkok to Harbourfront. They will just come to visit you once to assess if you need one or two trucks and then bring you as many boxes you need. It took us less than a week to hire the movers and move! It was super tiring though so I'm appealing to my future self not to get excited about moving again. 

#CB25 #HappyLaborDay #StayHome #BeKind

BounceBackPH Education and the New Normal

Thank you #BounceBack PH for the opportunity to join your webinar today on "Education and the New Normal". I hope I was useful for the audience who joined to watch. There are truly a lot of considerations to take as we face this uncertain times, but as Usec. Alain Pascua said, "Education must go on." Adapting to the new normal needs a lot of support. I received some pings after the session and wanted to share the available resources for teachers who want to start learning how to conduct distance learning.

Google for Education COVID19 Resources

Teach from Home

Google for Education YouTube Channel

GEG Program YouTube Channel

APAC GEG Connect webinars (in 10 languages!)

Indonesia Edu Webinars

Philippines Edu Webinars

Malaysia Edu Webinars (also here)

Japan Edu Webinars (also here)

Korea Edu Webinars

Hong Kong Edu Webinars

Taiwan Edu Webinars

 Here's the video from the webinar today -

#CB24 #WFH30 #StayHome #BeKind

Laundry and Strange Behavior

The sky rumbled for more than an hour tonight and just as we finished hanging our laundry in the balcony it started to pour. We ran back inside and observed whether our clothes were in peril of getting blown away. Luckily it didn't and now we could relax a bit and watch some YouTube videos. 

I miss dining out. This was over a month ago.
Normally this place is packed, but they had marked tables you're not allowed to sit on. 

The quarantine/lockdown/circuit breaker, call it whatever you want, has really been challenging. I don't think we were created to just stay put in one place. I must admit I like staying at home and just venture out when I feel like it. My friends usually have to kidnap me to go out with them. The first few weeks of working from home was bearable for me since I had physiotherapy sessions twice a week. That was the only essential thing I needed to do outside and after my sessions I'd usually pop by the nearby stores near the MRT and that was good for me. My sessions abruptly stopped because of the circuit breaker. It's been bearable since we could still easily order anything we need online. 

Lunch with my "officemate". 

The past month has been really challenging. I've encountered strange behaviors around. It's been happening almost everyday I've learned to just face it squarely and chalk it up to experience. All I could say is, communication is key and don't judge things too quickly. I guess people are going bonkers over the situation and it's been hard to manage stress. I've been working an average of 11 hours a day since early March. I took a 2-day leave early this month, but I was so busy moving to our new place. I guess I should take another short break soon just to recharge. 

I know eventually things will start going back to normal in good time. I expect that when our office re-opens we will probably just come back gradually. I'll probably be one of the last to come back since realistically, much as I hate to admit it, I'm vulnerable and should take more precaution. Sweetie has been making sure I do not take any risks and that's why he only allows me out when we do our weekly lakwatsa.

Of course I'm the cutest :)

I had a video call the other night with my siblings to plan about Mom's wellbeing. I realized we've never really don't that in the past. I frequently chat with them, but never really did video chats since we all use different platforms for communication. And well we're weird that way. I was happy to see my Ate and Kuya laughing over bleach and an unnamed president*. I didn't know about it so I just watched them enjoy the moment together. It was like when we were all still at home. I was always clueless about what they were talking about because I was a good 13-16 years younger than both of them. I wish we could all go on vacation with Mom when things are better. 

We can all survive this pandemic. Aside from keeping safe, washing hands, wearing masks we should make sure to also take care of our overall wellbeing. Exercise! Meditate! Eat Healthy! And most importantly, pray. 

*Sweetie later on explained to me what this was about. I seriously haven't had time to really read the news. I've only been reading the updates on cases everyday. My reading time has been re-directed to reading Didache. 

#CB23 #WFH29 #StayHome #BeKind

Our Weekly Lakwatsa During #CB #StayHome

The last day I worked at the office was on March 6 and I only go out for essential stuff. With the circuit breaker in Singapore I don't go out anymore. I try my best to keep active during the day and I could just look longingly at the park near our new home. It is for the best and by doing this we help to get the situation under control. It is hard, but as RegineV said during her online concert, "One day this will end and this will just be stories we tell our grandchildren". 

Sweetie trolling me while brushing my teeth haha.

Once a week Sweetie and I go downstairs within our property. Here's what we do -

It's something we look forward to do every weekend. Everything else we need we manage by ordering online and purposely only get what we need. I was really forlorn the other day when the extension of the #CB was announced, but I'm okay now. I realized that God only gives us what we can bear. We just need to be flexible and to understand there is an important reason why we need to do this. I found the Didache I bought just before leaving Manila and I've been reading it every night before I go to sleep. It is the best salve for one's soul :)

Happy weekend everyone!

#CB19 #WFH26 #StayHome

#StayHome Pa More

This afternoon PM Lee announced that the Singapore circuit breaker will be extended until June 1. It took me by surprise because I expected that things would slowly ease back to normal by May 4. At the back of my head I know that it was going to be extended most especially because of the alarming numbers of confirmed cases in the last two weeks and there's still a percentage of local cases that are still unlinked. I know it's for the best, but not being with Miggy and not being able to see my Mom for a long time is just really hard for me. 

Dinner on the couch while watching YouTube vids.
Home still very messy. (#OOTD from my friend Paola)

After I finished work I felt so defeated and just lay down on the couch and waited for Sweetie to finish his work. It was past 8pm when he found me on the couch watching YouTube videos. Normally seeing our teacher community makes me happy, it just didn't work today. It was only when Sweetie and I ate dinner -- pizza -- when I started feeling better. I remember my Dad bought me pizza when I was recovering from SARS back in 2003. It was the antidote (Daddy's love and care) that made me well. 

Finally finished opening the last packed box -- my shoes. I put it last since there's no reason for me to wear shoes now because I'm just always home. I hope tomorrow the movers will pick up the boxes since they're taking up so much space. Hopefully by this weekend we'll be able to finish fixing our new home. I'm glad we made the right decision to move immediately since we would have been miserable at our old home with the plumbing problems. I'll try to tidy up more in the next few days so I can re-start my sewing projects this weekend. 

What about you? How are you coping with having to stay home? I know it shouldn't be hard since there are more people out there who are truly having a hard time. I pray that the affected workers will find respite from their challenges. I also pray that all leaders will make the best decisions for their countrymen. And for us who just need to stay home, that we all face this challenge with strong will, strong mind and accepting heart. 

#CB15 #WFH23 #StayHome

Adjustments for the Next Few Weeks

PM Lee made an announcement today about additional guidelines for work places and schools. Here's the video -

This means we have continue to work from home. I probably have to re-think whether I should re-schedule my PT sessions for the meantime. I have to follow closely the list of exercises my PT made. I'm sad though because it's my PT's birthday on Monday! It's going to be tough to miss my sessions since I've been progressing well, but the fact that there are more unlinked new cases now is really concerning. 

Ending the week really spent. I didn't bother counting my meetings (haha) coz that's just gonna make me feel more tired. Super look forward to the weekend, but I have an eye check-up tomorrow. I can't move it anymore since I already delayed it by a month. My two appointments called me up today to check on my current condition and they advised me to come a bit earlier since they have to check your temp upon arrival. After my hospital run I'll immediately go home. 

Signing off with just that for today. Need to rest early ;)

The Last Stretch of March

Oh wow and just like that March is almost over. I've been so busy at work I've lost tract of what day it is already. Our circumstances are so different today compared when this month started. Back home family and friends are experiencing the enhanced community quarantine.

My Mom's beautiful garden. Wish I could visit it soon.

Our barangay recently distributed a quarantine pass for each household. My Mom has been okay and just staying at home. The son is just also home too. I was so scared last week because there was a confirmed case just below our floor and I was so worried for my Mom when she did a surprise visit. Good thing the property management office shared that the other household members tested negative for the coronavirus, which meant the person infected was no longer in the premises when my Mom visited Miggy.

And beautiful Singapore. We're here but only going out for essential stuff. 

I've been trying to order groceries for them online so they can avoid going out. I also worry about my Mom's helper who's been going out since she might pick up something outside and bring it back to my Mom. I would have preferred if we were all together in one place during this time.

Missing Mom a lot!

I thought things were going to get better this month and I had planned this to be my maker month. I've been able to cook and bake a bit more this month and have posted videos of some of the recipes. I hope to bake more too, but everyone's working from home, so if I bake cookies I probably need to time it when Sweetie goes to the office.

Cookies anyone?

I haven't done any quilting yet since I've been working longer hours and blogging takes up a lot of time too. The next few weekends will also be busy since we're looking for a new home to transfer to. Our lease is finishing up soon and we decided to move in another area where the air quality is better during haze season.

I think a realization for all of us is how we have taken our liberty for granted. Who would have thought that we'd all be put in this situation now. I'm just reminding myself that God only gives us problems we can bear. Each day we are in this situation reveals a lesson to be learned.

How are you? Please leave a comment about your situation :)