Confessions of a Drama Mama

There is nothing that will make one in her late 20s feel as old as she is, than a trip to Far East Plaza.

I usually don’t plan to shop but instinctively, I head for Far East Plaza when I feel like walking around. Maybe because it was a place I frequented many years ago.

Anyway. The moment I stepped in, I felt 10 years older. It was like one of those movies when a homeless guy with a bottle in a brown bag steps into a Gucci outlet and the music and chatter stops and all the richies stare at him. I felt exactly like that. Each time I entered a store. Of course I didn’t buy anything - everything was tailored for anorexic teenagers. Also, I no longer saw the point in spending so much money on ‘casual clothes’.

Years ago when I was temping at offices, I used to think how horribly the ladies dressed on ‘dress down Fridays’. Most dressed like they were colour blind or were happy at the opportunity to wear un-ironed pieces to work. I think that I, at 27 years old, may have… turned into… "THE BAD CASUAL DRESSER".

It’s a weird age to be, 27. You’re too (god forbid) OLD to be ‘cool’, but too young to be sloppy. I didn’t want to be ‘one of those’ that would dress up to go to the market (yes, I go to the market and haggle with the fish uncle. How much auntie-er can I get?), and I love my Sundays off when I didn’t have to slap on make up and could feel comfy with my goofy glasses. But I can’t help staring at someone who has taken the effort to look good on a day off.

Shopping usually makes me feel better. If I buy something, it lifts my spirits. But walking around Far East Plaza just made me feel worse and worse. So I thought I’d get a drink at Cosi Cafe but… shit, did drink prices really start at FIVE BUCKS? I’m sure if I were 10 years younger, I would have still thought it was expensive (being the cheapo that I am), but I would have been willing to pay anyway. For the sake of "coolness". These days, I’d prefer a kopi tiam kopi anytime.But what is happening to me?! I’m too young to be an auntie!

One day at my mum’s house, my younger brother’s friends came over and out of respect, addressed me as the horrible "A" word. I said "I’m not Dylan’s mother". The 10 year old replied "Then who? You’re his auntie?". I said "I’m his sister". He laughed and ran off to tell my brother "Your auntie so funny, she said she’s your sister!". Damn. When did we become dinosaurs?

These days whenever I’m choosing my clothes, I instinctively ask my boyfriend "Is this too auntie?". If I get headaches from music that’s too loud and I prefer songs that have lyrics that make sense… rather, songs that have audible lyrics, does that automatically make me an auntie? <:(

But having said all that, I was happy to give a ‘welcome to the world’ present to Ben and sign off ‘with love from Auntie Adora and Uncle Max’. Sigh…What to do? He’s too cute.

Here we are trying our best to make Ben comfy (with little success) while Alisa and Wei San demonstrate how great parental love is with the art of smelling butt

Some people really do think that I sit on my ass all day twidling my thumbs waiting for them to casually drop by to give me something to prevent bedsores from forming. Some are so kind they even take the trouble to think of a challenging situation for me. I’m sure they feel apologetic that it only takes up 3 hours of my day because it’s an insult to my intelligence that I don’t spend 23 hours cracking the secret code.

So it’s almost lunch time and it’s just one of those days that I have to plan my pee breaks between the "you have new mail" beeps.

Oh well, it’s just another manic Monday. We stayed up till 1.30am last night cleaning the house. No, we didn’t turn happy housewives overnight but we had a Back-To-School Xmas party and by the time our friends left, it looked like a hurricane went through our living room.

Having said that, we had a great time swimming in nostalgia. I’m sure we scared the neighbour’s kids though

I don’t know why but every time Christmas is round the corner, I feel a stab of melancholy amidst all the festivities. Maybe because I don’t feel the true Christmas spirit. Maybe because I don’t know the true meaning of Christmas.

Back at home, we stopped putting up the Christmas tree because it was too troublesome to take it down (in February). Being semi-religious with a non-religious other half, there is no midnight mass to look forward to (we’re even going away over Christmas). There’s really no such thing as turkey here. We served chicken at our Christmas’ party. A dead bird’s a dead bird. Even if it’s going to be just dead bird’s boobs floating in Thai green curry.

So what ARE we supposed to feel at Christmas? Are we supposed to be more sympathetic and give spare change to the Salvation Army people who drive us crazy with their ringing bells?

Has Christmas been over commercialised? It’s hard to think otherwise when shops hang up their decorations in October. If Christmas is a time to be thankful for whatever we have, then I’m grateful for my parents who’ve been a great source of inspiration and strength and Max who’s shown me that life is for enjoying, not for worrying. Maybe it’s a time for us to show those we love how much we love them. Guess it’s not the easiest thing to do since we often take them for granted. I wonder why we would hurt the ones we love the most but it’s really the case ain’t it? Anyhow, have yourselves a merry little Christmas and have a healthy and prosperous 2006!

Mighty interesting experience for me. The nice people from SWEA came by the store and brought some Christmas joy with their angelic voices. They sang Swedish Christmas carols and some traditional English ones as well.

I think some shoppers panicked when we sticked off the lights. Maybe they thought it was a blackout of something. Actually it was nice and creepy at the same time when they sang as they walked out from the office. A whole bunch of people in long white flowing gowns… Lucky not 7th month :S

Was quite funny that we had to follow them with a fire blanket, fire extinguisher and a bucket of water but thank goodness we didn’t have to use them!

Argh, another one of those days with plenty of things to do but don’t know where to start!

This whole wedding thing is driving me crazy. I think this is what people call an organised mess. On the surface everything looks OK but so many things are still left undone!!!

1. The bloody gown couldn’t be zipped. They had to use a rubber band and safety pins for me to wear the gown. I hope they’ve altered it *fingers, eyes and toes crossed*

2. The yacht club people don’t seem to be too helpful But at least we’ve confirmed on the menu la.

3. Back to wedding wear. The nonya shop was a big let down - they stopped being nice after I made my payment. And when I went to collect my outfits last weekend, I was so shocked. Parts of my bra were exposed!! Not just see through mind you, exposed as in can see the bra itself! This time, the fine line between sexiness and pure obscenity was not so fine at all! What to do, no choice, pay already :(  DO NOT GO TO NENG AMY AT JOO CHIAT COMPLEX!!!

4. Just realised that we take our wedding photos in less than a month! Argh! All the dieting efforts don’t seem to be happening fast enough! And the office jogging team seems to have fizzled. So, beacuse desperate situations call for desperate measures, I signed up for taekwondo classes hehe. Just went for first lesson on Monday. All along I was hoping that I wouldn’t be the only dinosaur among 5 year old pipsqueaks. Turned out that I was the only suaku among all black belters. I don’t know which was worse. All I know is that the aching body is reminding me I’m not as nimble as I used to be!

5. My parents are the biggest procrastinators… 2 months and they haven’t given me their guestlist yet!!!!!!!