Recharged after a good day

It is end of day 1 of the weekend. I am tired but satisfied. Early in the morning, my wife was patching up our backyard steps with concrete. I was getting ready to bring B3, 5 year old to market to buy some fishes for the pond as promised. The wife repeat a couple of times that she is not good with concrete. Finally, I got the hint. I delayed my weekend long promise to B3 and my daily dose of teh halia, and help my wife to apply concrete. I am a reluctant DIY person. I try to do the job quickly. As I apply, I think of the faceless low skilled foreign worker who did the concrete before. The job was quite well done. I know I will not be able to repeat the quality of his work. While the foreign worker are low skills and lowly paid, they can do work that Singapore can do at much lower pay.

I was happy that my wife gave me permission to go. B3 was happy to the aquarium fish store to pick up fishes. He gets to choose. We pick a pack of 20 goldfishes for S$2. These fishes were meant for fish food. I have no idea what kind of fish would eat a goldfish 4 to 6 cm long. It must be a big fish. I am happy to get the fish at a good price for my pond. After buying the fishes, I have my teh halia and papers. It was good. My wife suspects the teh halia may be spiked with something that make it so addictive.

After teh halia, time to head home to release the fishes and feed them with dry pellets. Then it was chauffering time sending B1 to school for his co-circular activities and B2 for his tuition. In the afternoon, we go to Borders. Borders has a 30% discount this weekend. I bought a book on predictions for the next 25 years. It look like a interesting read.

I adjourn to a cafe to read and have a cappucino and chicken pie while the rest of the family go window shopping in Takashimaya. It was 6pm we leave Wheelock Place and headed to Holland Village for dinner. Prices are high in Holland V coffee shop. A piece of chicken in curry with plain rice from Indian stall cost $3.50.

I met an old colleague, Don Ho who is on duty in Guardian Pharmacy. Don and I work together from 1986 to 1988. 20 years. It is amazing how time has passed. I introduce my sons to Don. Don is very interesting. He is still single. He has been to Arctic Circle and Antarctica as a tourist. He is now planning to go Manitoba in Canada to see polar bears. He calculated he has gone to 101 countries to date.

I had a long and satisfying day today. It is great to be with my family.