i've never been one to fully concentrate on doing a single deed at a time.
i can still recall my primary school days - when i reach home after school and to have lunch, i'd choose a story book and read while i munch. to me, the stories make the food taste better. of course, i'd spend over an hour to chow down my meal and inevitably get a bad report for time-wasting when mum asks our domestic helper how long i took to eat.
and when i became older, i'd scoop the food on my plate and glue my eyes on the goggle-box. why waste time sitting down to eat at the dining table? especially since as an only child in the family with working parents, i'd to eat alone. too boring.
it was the same thing when doing homework. i'd plonk myself in front of the TV and start writing, glancing up every few seconds or so to check out what's happening on screen. in the evenings when my folks come back and i'm banned from watching TV, i'd turn on the radio in my room while i finish up my work or revise for tests/exams.
and when i need to visit the loo for more than 1 minute, i grab whatever reading material that's available.
at work, i'd be doing several things at a time too. for example, when setting test papers, i have several internet explorer windows opened - google, facebook, msn, microsoft outlook (email). yes, these so-call distractions may seem to delay the completion of my tasks, but with my ultra short concentration span, they help to break the monotony of work and give me some breaks before i get back to my work.
naturally, such practices are frowned upon by many people (including my parents) who believe that it's much better to put in 100% into whatever you do. actually, i'm a workaholic and i take lots of pride in my work and i HATE to hand in a shoddy piece of trash. so i DO throw in 110% all the time. and even if it means i'd have to sacrifice some personal time or suffer inconvenience, i'd do my job well.
unfortunately i'm just not the sort who'd sit STILL and do something without my brain taking a slight detour.
my folks could never fully comprehend my attention-deficit behaviour but i managed to prove to them that i could still succeed by doing it MY way - when i spent 3 years at the university hostel and managed to graduate without failing anything. ;P
some things will never change - i still can't sit still.
the traditional chinese confinement practices decree that after giving birth, the mother must rest well. i totally agree with that, as would all the other mothers in the world who've have their bodies bruised and battered after childbirth. but it's just not my style to lie in bed ALL DAY LONG.
the minute i was back from the hospital, i was checking my emails and er...facebooking, and incurred the wrath of my well-meaning MIL who warned that i'd be plagued with severe backaches and rheumatism if i didn't rest my back. it's not that i'm being disrespectful on purpose, and i DID try to lie flat on my back. but you just can't tie a gemini down.
many friends were surprised to see me online - and i didn't mention this to all of them, but there were times i was breastfeeding the baby while chatting with them on msn or on the phone. and during meal times, i have to somehow balance her on my lap or cradle her with one arm while i quickly eat. (done when there's no extra pairs of hands to watch her especially when she refuses to sleep and yells non-stop). and with 2 older girls around, it gets a little chaotic sometimes with wei in one arm while helping wen brush her teeth/change or getting them ready for school etc.
multi-tasking - all in a day's work.
and when i got bored with chatting or facebooking, i turned back to my ol' faithful - the television. now cable TV at my fingertips i've got a plethora of channels to surf. my favourites include
CNN,
Discovery Travel & Living,
Nickelodeon,
Disney Channel and
Cartoon Network. with the TV, it's much easier to breastfeed, since i only need to flick my thumb occasionally to switch channels.
but you know what? i think most women are multi-taskers because we're expected to juggle the duties of being a good mum, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, staff etc. if you can't multi-task, you're not going to progress much. it's the only way to survive. people are evolving and adapting to the technology age. just look at the gen-yers and how they can so easily pick up computer skills, twiddle and fiddle around their gadgets without even leafing through the instruction manuals.
ah, both hands required now. need to burp my little terrorliza who, by the way, is living up to her nickname for being a terrifying screaming sensation!
yes, if you must know, i was multi-tasking. again.
i don't know how supermodel-mother-of-3 heidi klum (who apparently walked down the runway just only 3 weeks after the birth of her son) or the gorgeous united nations role model angelina jolie does it. and although i'm not a fan of posh spice a.k.a. victoria beckham, i marvel at how she's a size 0 (or minus 2, whatever suits her skinny frame) after 3 boys.
how time flies. and she's embarking on a scary mission next year: primary school education. and my nightmare will officially begin as well.
oooooooooooooo... 
FOTR Orc Warrior