Today’s my last day of maternity leave. it’s a bittersweet feeling – having to leave my beloved kids (especially the baby) at home as i head back to the frantic workforce after 12 weeks of a slow-paced, passive lifestyle. i’ve been newly assigned a different portfolio for the next 3 months, a temporary assignment to cover the hanster while she goes on HER maternity soon. according to the boss, this job rotation is “good exposure” for me as i’ll be in the global biz unit. a change is always refreshing, and as much as i hate to admit it, teaching is getting kinda stale after 4.5 years…
Naturally i had to finish all my so-called unfinished business by today since i won’t have the luxury of time after tomorrow. am going to moderate another focus group on local tourist attractions in a few weeks, so sum’s colleagues picked me up and we went to sentosa for a brief visit. it was my first visit to sentosa this millennium! yeah, it’s been that long…and i’m absolutely amazed by the changes since i last went to the island in 1995. now i understand why the young’uns love the place. unfortunately, sum’s colleagues had to meet the client so we spent only an hour plus taking in the new sights. perhaps i’ll get the hub to take us all to sentosa this weekend, a nice alternative from the usual stay-home-and-laze schedule.
Before i returned home to the wailing baby and moody toddler (children seem to have an uncanny 6th sense – the girls have been fussing more than usual these last few days, as if they know they would have to settle into a new routine without me at their beck-and-call), i made a quick stop at raffles place mrt station to pick up one of my new LOTR acquisitions. as usual, i’d gotten it through the yahoo auctions at S$22 – the battle-cry urukhai. inevitably, the first question that popped from the seller’s mouth was, “are you buying this for someone?” *sigh* they always, and i mean, ALWAYS assume that i’m a guy.
Anyway, i was pleasantly surprised with an sms later from terry (the seller) who commented that “it’s a rare sight to see an attractive girl collecting lotr” and would like to “keep in touch”, and asked if my “bf” complained about my collection. i must have been blushing and i couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. plus, he was kinda cute too. attractive? i was togged in capris and flip-flops, sans make-up with my hair in a pony-tail, very under-dressed to be amongst the well-groomed, trendy shenton way babes with their immaculate hair and flawless skins. hmmm… maybe it was my “udder” qualities. heh heh.
I took it as a genuine compliment for one who’s just given birth – and it came from a complete stranger who didn’t know that! a “girl”??? ha! i’m a mum of 2 over 30 years old – there’s no way i’m considered a “girl” except, of course to my own parents. not one to lie, i indicated my marital status and that i’ve 2 kids. then he threw in another sms which REALLY made my day “i wonder how your students can concentrate with you around”.
Aerious. not bluffing. i don’t whip up such stories to entertain myself. i know i’m no a bombshell. but i couldn’t resist sending out smses to my friends about the incident. i even sent one to the hub, just to test his reaction, and he replied jokingly with threats to inflict bodily harm on the guy. it’s soooooooooooo hilarious. maybe God took pity on me, knowing full well my mixed emotions (about going back to work and my endless worries about being a dowdy mother) and decided to brighten my day a bit with a morale booster.
Ah...better spend some more time with the darling girls. gonna miss them hanging around me 24/7.
No comments:
Post a Comment