A Singaporean In Australia

Before I did my National Service, my group of close friends visit me at my place often. For some reasons I couldn't figure out, they stopped coming after that. They must hated me so. Not true because we still meet up pretty often, sipping Teh-O at kopi-tiams, joking nights after nights away. I must be a terrible host then. If I could remember correctly, after some time I stopped inviting my friends to my place except for bigger occasions such as Chinese New Year. It was a viscous cycle, the more I got snubbed, the more the fear to invite again and the less I get to learn to be a better host.  Judging by the way no one turns up to my place after I extended invitation twice today, it looks like I never improved for the past decade. Wouldn't be long I stop doing it altogether.

No matter, it wasn't that I was watching spiders spinning webs the entire day.  Time passed so quickly that I lamented quietly to myself by the time I sat down for a breather.  I woke at 0700hrs and probed around the garage without brushing my teeth.  Managed to break my one and only ratchet during the stupidest attempt to remove a nut from Barry White.  Such a disgrace as an ex tank mechanic.  Later in the day, I added another 135 piece tool set to my collection which costed me A$30.00.

The rest of the morning was spent doing something unusual.  Weeding was hard work but rental house inspection is due in 2 week's time.  Jen and I were tearing greens off the ground like angry birds.  I reckoned it was therapeutic for the stressful or angry to do some weeding from time to time, and fun for people who weren't.  Such as Jen and I this morning.  The fresh scent of broken weeds may have some calming effect on humans, the repetitive movement provides some exercise good for busy working people who don't get to exercise otherwise.  On top of that, the satisfaction by actually something useful, visible and apparent, can't do anyone harm.  Having said that, I don't expect invitations to do weeding for I can't take away other people's precious therapy time like that.  Unless I am being paid.

Jen asked sweetly in the morning, "Can you do meals on weekends?" 

So I did.  Risotto for the first time for lunch, Teriyaki Chicken, steamed eggs and pickled carrots for dinner.  I received favourable reviews for the effort.  No pictures to show for real hungry people do not stop to take pictures of food.

In the evening, I learnt that simple things could be difficult to do if there wasn't any guidance.  Such as changing a car wiper or a headlight bulb.   It felt good to figure it myself without searching the internet or anything.  Just the good old learning to learn way but I couldn't help agreeing myself that these would take me just 5 minutes of less if someone simply demonstrate how to do them.  That is why we pay so much for education and that was why I wasted all the money my mother invested in my education by not paying attention in school.


I took some time to clean parts of Goldilocks' engine compartment.  It looked dire.  I wouldn't stand a chance if I wanted to find a buyer for her in future with the state things.   I got to start taking care of her.  Other than fixing up the brake pads and CV joints, there appeared to be other problems.  A leaky engine, a loose power steering belt to name some, which I have not figured how to rectify.  There was even one very loose cable that I didn't have a clue what it was.  There is a lot of things to learn and too little time to do it.