What is unexpected when you are expecting

I can surely write a book about unexpected things when you are expecting... I did have no idea that this 2nd baby is so eager to meet us before Chinese New Year.

He is born in the year of Pig.

On Monday morning, when I was suffering Monday blue in my dream, I felt the contraction around 5am. Around 8 something, I was planning to call office for a half day sick leave. Around 9:00am, we called the hospital, nurses suggested us to have a check in hospital. Around 10am, I was tied next to a 'machine', and they could check the regular pattern of contraction, an important sign of labouring.

Around 11am, my doc confirmed me I was almost ready for the delivery, but as baby was premature, she tried to delay the process by medicine.

The medicine bought 2-day time only, finally adventurous Linus rushed out to meet this world around 5pm yesterday.

Can you imagine how I feel in these several days? We all worry about his health, after all, he is premature. Thanks god everything is so far so good!

My doc told me secretly she had prayed for me!!! Thanks a lot!!

And thanks my family, you all support me a lot.

The most important person is Jeff, you walk me through the whole tough process, you give me the courage to face all these.

Buddy System

We just had the final training session offered by Jimmy. He is a great teacher and I am sure I learnt quite a lot in the past 8 classes, but I didn't do perfect in my assignments... how can I miss out something I just learnt??

In the last lesson, Jimmy introduced a term - 'Buddy System' to us. He said if we can get friends to check each others' tiny notes, emails, proposal or reports before the submission, we will then have huge improvement by just contributing several minutes.

This is an absolutely good idea. When I was studying Anthropology, we did develop Buddy System amongst all MA students. To cope with the final examination, we built a study group. Everyone should read through all materials before the gathering, then during the group, we presented what we had read one by one. This really worked and all of us not only passing the examination, but had much better ideas of all concepts.

Even our department head impressed by what we had done.

Yoga

Meanwhile, I am planning my "postpartum rejuvenation program", i.e. to get back to my original shape and better health.

Yoga is one of the best practice for new mothers, it helps to tone muscle and achieve good body shape, also to bring tranquility to mind. However, there is lack of yoga institution around my neighbourhood.

In last few years, I joined the biggest yoga club in Hong Kong. Instructors' quality is high and guaranteed. However, the location is poor. The centre is in Tsim Sha Shui with very convenient transport linkage, but it also means the air quality is awful... it is just right next to Nathan Road. I got sore throat every time right after the practice.

I am still searching for a good place. Let me know if you have any recommendations.

Another nightmare

Last night I could sleep through until sunrise. However, the dream was horrible.

I dreamt I had my new job in Japan. One night, I came out with my colleague to see some abnormal yet spectacular phenomenon in the sky - many rainbows appeared in the starry night. Suddenly, several trains on the bridge ran out of tracks and suspended in the air. Many people died when some compartments crashed onto the ground.

All of us were breathless and ran away when seeing these accidents.

I wanted to rush back home but a young Japanese man, who was my supervisor, asked me to get back to office, anyone who refused to work will get killed.

We were then trapped in a small office but tried to sneak away. Someone tied a thin wire from a window and connect to the next building, people escaped by walking on this thin wire. When the supervisor discovered, he walked along the wire and tried to catch them back. However, he lost balance and felt down from a high place... Then I woke up.

Now I am damn sleepy. How come I always have nightmare????

Fluffy Egg Cake Return

Thanks those friends who care a lot about my cake baking learning path. Actually I had made another fluffy egg cake after the last time failure. You can see a not-that-fluffy-cake-like-thing in the picture. Yes, it is my second fluffy egg cake on Dec 23, 2007.

You may not believe but the top layer tasted great. Jeff and Lucas ate a lot, under 'force-feeding'.

Still has a great room for improvement, I will work harder.

Nightmares

The third working days in the new year.

Frankly, the workload is not unbearable, especially comparing those busy bees. Like normal working days, I have to deal with clients, reporting, phone conference, rushing out some charts, etc.

However, I had a series of nightmare yesterday. I dreamt that I missed the review with Jimmy.

In fact, I made an appointment with Jimmy for a review this Friday, at 11:45am-noon. As He is a hilarious yet rigid person, I remind myself not to miss anything... Apart from this, there are several tasks should be completed on or before this Friday, then the stress revealed in my nightmares...

I am just so silly.

******
It is time for yearly appraisal again, I am really in a awkward position of my career development path. What is the expectation from my bosses to this working mother in her second pregnancy? How long is the maternity leave that me and my little baby deserve? How to hand over all jobs... Okay, don't think too much, let see.

New Face on Capitalist

Omigod, my hubby Jeff on a best selling magazine!!!

Magazine cover designed by Monkey L.

Everyone worth knowing

I thought I can finish this book in this 2-week break, but parenting is much more demanding than I expected. Now I am still at 299 of 345 pages.

'Everyone worth knowing' perfectly summarized the essence of Public Relations - To know everyone worth knowing and invite them to join all partying, 'everyone' including celebrities, models, urban elites, famous people, etc.

Kelly, the head of the hottest PR firm in this book, hires a team of 'list girls' to know these worth knowing people by searching webs and attending parties etc.

The story is about a girl, Bette, who used to be on the fringe, quit her 15 hours/day work in UBS impulsively, and suddenly jumped into this glittering PR industry as a PR Executive. She performed well in the new environment but at the same time she is annoyed that she got no personal life since her name binded with Philip, the every-woman-wanted-bachelor in Manhattan in a vicious gossip column.

I couldn't stop to laugh when Bette witnessed her female coworker fed herself everyday only diet coke, cigarette, alcohol and drug, in order to look fab and skinny. Ridiculous?

An interesting and light book in this long holiday. Hopefully I can finish it over the weekend.

Picture from Amazon.com