Welcome! We would like to share a bit of the flavour of our life far away from home. You are welcome to browse through and to comment or to leave a message. Have a cup of herbal tea and a nice soft music while surfing our blog. :) May God bless you.
I was thinking recently if I should add more things to do in my list-to-do. Right now, my list-to-do is already long and so far only several have been done. I have no idea. Things that I would like to add more are like: having an extra domain name for my new website. My personal website has not been updated for a very long while and I am not sure a second one will be a better idea. In fact that's how this blog has started.
Second thought was: going to the gym several times per week. At my work, we have a contract with the gymschool. So, instead of paying the full amount, we only pay EUR23 per month and unlimited access to the gym. That's great but I can do it at home with my 2 hometrainers and several tools and the best is: it is free. On the other hand, going to the gym is best for my discipline. I will think of the money that I would spend every month EUR23, and EUR276 per year. That is already about RM1350-RM1400 per year. If I use this money to send to the poor kids, they will praise God forever. Back to the discipline, I want to do it not because of the nonsence reason i.e. to get skinnier. No, it is just to make me feel good everyday, with more energy and feel good most of the time. Of course by doing fitness, one will get bigger (not fatter) because of the new muscles built. I guess I will just join it for my own health. You will hear it when I do, I already have the form, signed and stamped by the company.
Dear friends,
Our Australian & American (the couple David and Joanna) left an hour ago to their next destination, Amsterdam. Then after this country, they are going to continue their world-tour to Italy, France, India, Thailand and and to Australia. They were already 8 months on tour to several countries, from Down Under, to America, Africa, Middle East and Europe... It was fun to have them from the 2nd till today. Although with the bad condition of our father/FIL, we do have fun. Why should we be sad with this life? Our friends brought love with them and share with us as their own family. It was a blessed week.
FIL has trouble with breathing since yesterday and last night they gave him oxygen to breath easily. He doesn't believe in God but he has a very strong heart. So, he will not leave us yet. I praise the Lord for that.
I hope to be here often but if not, please forgive me. There are things to be done first.
Till next time.
Love,
Jenn
My FIL was admitted in the hospital on last Thursday. First in the intensive care unit then in the lungs department and now at another floor. Last week we thought we would lose him forever because of the way he was found at his home by his neighbour/lady companion who is 84 y.o.
Fortunately he still can speak but he cannot walk and cannot do things himself yet. We just hope and pray that he will be back to normal again.
I know... we have been away and enjoying ourselves despite our father/FIL's condition. But life goes on and we are everyday on his side during the visit time which is the only time we are allowed to see him. We just leave things to God's hands.
It is not fair. My whole body is aching and my bones are shouting to be taken out of the flesh and skin. That was only because I had a night out with girlfriends to a Salsa (cum others) party and did the gardening at the "backyard" this weekend.
I had a really wonderful birthday recently and was thinking out loud (to my family and friends) that I still felt the same and will always be the same. I mean, seriously, I don't FEEL being in the 30s at all. My family (except my sweet sweet siblings because they are younger than me) and friends have welcomed me into the 30ish club ages ago and I can still forget that I am no longer 22 y.o.
There were times when I thought people who were above 30 y.o. were under the category of OLD. I would address them as the old lady or the old man. Of course I would think that way when all my aunts and uncles would behave as if they never were children. My paternal youngest aunt is only 8 years my senior. Being a niece, I would simply think my aunt was OLD because she was older than me and she was/is my AUNT. (Despite the age, we both are like close friends though.) Now that I have (long) reached the 30ish and she is in the 40ish, I started to think how would life be when I were on her age or even MY MOM'S? (My mom is still young, mind you, she got me when she was only 18.)
"The age is just a number. It is important how we feel."
OK OK But how I feel right now is like a beautiful and sporty car being bumped by a giant rock from the sky.
That's the curse of being older, at least to me. What I need now is to go upstairs and use all the home trainer equipment or better still, go buy the pump for my flat *bicycles so I can join the Dutch cycling.
Note to bloggers: Share your story - how you feel being in your current age. Then share it with me here (at comment) so that I won't feel the only one feeling like a 101 y.o. lady.
* Yes, I have 2-bicycle and one is still brand new after acquiring it some 5 years back. I am scared of being robbed by a lunatic or I end up joining the ducks and other alients in the water. (Excuses... *looking-at-the-sky*)
I had 2 appointments today: one at the hospital and one at our family's doctor.
After working for about 4 hours, I left The Hague to go to Spijkenisse. It was good that I left early because it seemed the metro to Spike city was delayed by more than half an hour. Fortunately, I reached the hospital on time and went straight ahead to the X-Ray's dept.
This was my first time having a mammogram. My house doctor gave me a letter to make an appointment for this mammogram for me once I told him that I still hadn't done it more than 10 years ago when a doctor felt a lump on one of my breasts. My doctor said, "10 years ago? It could be a terrible cancer by now."
But this thing... argghhhhh... no wonder all the ladies showed me their sour face when I told them about this. Damn! It's soo painful. Poor thing. I did it and I don't think I will be happy to have it done yearly.
As for the meeting at my doctor, I finally had the stitches at my back removed. Yes! I know, apparently my skin/body has been friends with knives and needles nowadays. Thank God I don't have any skin cancer. (touch wood!)
To my family and friends:
My second operation this year on last Friday, 22nd Feb, went well. This time it is much more painful than before and on the day of the operation, I had flu and luckily the fever was over on the morning. But still, I was given some pills from the nurse before the operation. Since I had blocked nose, was coughing and was not really that well. Thank God they didn't reschedule the operation.
After that, I was given morphine to ease the pain and it was good because I could sleep the whole time. Since it was a last minute decision with my doctor, dear hubby couldn't take off from his work, so our friend, Michel took me home from the hospital. Thank God for that because I don't like staying in the hospital, I prefer my own bed.
This was my second review at the hospital after the operation. Now, there is another thing came in mind. I would have to do the other operation. The doctor suggested in early March but I prefered in February. So, we decided to have it on the 22nd Feb, next week Friday.
I guess I am getting used to the hospital and being to stay in bed now.
I know everything will be fine but I cannot avoid the stress that attack me sometimes. :(
I'm up from my sick bed now. Oh well, sick... :P
I had my first experience being in the Operation Room on last Friday. Since I had never been there, I had some funny thoughts about it. Of course it was already mentioned that they would use anesthesia (narcose in Dutch) for this little surgery.
My left arm is full of 'scary stuff' to provide fluid for my body that I never dared to look at. All I thought was, am I supposed to sleep now? The question still popped up in my head when they removed me to the OR. I didn't ask a question but just said yes, and no or mumbling some. All I thought was, "if I was fully awake while they (about 5-6 people in the room, doctors and nurses) are 'working' on me (operation of course), I don't think they could catch me when I start to kick and try to run." Worse thought... Thank goodness, after a while, a nurse said to me, "Now, I'm going to let you sleep". I was so happy when I heard that.
She said, "sleep well".
I said to all the doctors, "Good luck". Then I slept with a smile on my face...
That was Friday. I am at home now and still recovering. My friend Susan wants me to blog, so here I am.
Wim and I had dinner at Michel and Sam's house this evening when we received an emergency phone call from my father in law (FIL). He said, "Come quick... blood blood..." Wim and I left and went directly to FIL's appartment.
When we reached there, the door was open. The 'thuiszorg' (the woman on duty in the veterans' buildings) was already there helping. FIL was sitting in the bathroom while trying to stop the blood from flowing out more. Mrs S, FIL's neighbour and also his lady companion was there panicking and crying while telling us how it all started. A few minutes later, the ambulance came. When the guys were inside, the thuiszorg left and the bathroom was still full of blood. The ambulance men questioned FIL and after that they took him to the hospital. Wim went with them but he followed the ambulance car from the back.
I am not a fan of blood. At first, I didn't know what to do because all the clothes were soaked with blood. I left the bathroom, almost cried and went to the kitchen. I thought for a while, prayed and said to myself, be strong. Then I went back to the bathroom and cleaned the floor first with the kitchen paper and water. Then I used soap in hot water and cleaned the whole bathroom. I changed the water and did it again. After 3 times in hot water and the corridor's carpet was also cleaned, I washed all the clothes by-hand until there was no more blood. (I didn't find any gloves at FIL's appartment.) Tomorrow we will put them in the washing machine.
While washing, Wim called my mobile and telling me that he had to wait for the investigation.
Mrs S and I then waited in the living room. After some time, Wim and FIL were at the door again. I was so relieved to see FIL was not admitted in the hospital but on the other hand felt strange since FIL lost so much blood (more than half a liter). We still don't know the cause of it.
My FIL's has (a very sensitive type of) cancer for more than 11 years now. His cancer was already there before his wife passed away. It was my late mother in law's 11th year passing on 8 November 2007.
Praise The Lord that everything is ok now.
I'm at work now and I am not feeling very well. So, I'm going home in a while and take a rest at home. Loads of sleep and rest. Yep! I am going to do just that.
So, if you don't hear me, it is because I am elsewhere in my dreamland, ok?
Have a good day and wonderful weekend.
Everyone is sick these days, not only in this country but most of the countries in this region. Flu here, flu there. Hatchew - Bless you!, fever, coughing etc.
This is terrible.... HATCHEW!
Nowadays, lots of people seem to complain about their backache, shoulder, wrist etc. The problem is these people have been constantly doing things without having a break in between. If you are working with computer 8 to 12 hours a day, make sure you take a break for at least 5 minutes for every half an hour. It does help.
Otherwise do some stretching…
