SAHM VS Working Mum

Before anyone thinks this is another one of those posts where people debate on which is better: SAHM or Working Mum... Pause...

For it is not.

It all started when I decided to resume driving lessons after a 3-years hiatus. I had failed my Traffic Police practical driving test at least 5 times before my final theory expired in 2012. I had passed my Basic Theory Test when I turned 18 but I had no money to continue with practical lessons then. When I grew older, it was always a matter of 'got time, no money' or 'got money, no time' and when 'got time, got money', the preferred slots for practical lessons were always full and my lessons were inconsistent. It was ridiculous to be constantly monitoring the slots while at work or to keep taking leave for practical lessons especially when I had to apply for leave at least 3 months in advance for my workplace at that point.

I used to be under ComfortDelGro Driving Centre - Kovan Branch. When I failed my practical test the 12345th time and my final theory expired, I had to put my dreams of getting a driving license to a stall as my wedding was impending. After the wedding though, we were busy with our home renovations.We got our keys a week before our wedding, you see. My first born was conceived after 2 months of marriage and so, we need to prioritise our spendings for the pregnancy check-ups and delivery. Blah, blah, blah... it has been 3 years and I finally decided that there is no more putting off getting a license and I MUST get down to it already.

Since my husband is the sole breadwinner, I suggested for me to take up a temporary job stint so that the household budget will not be affected and driving lessons are not exactly cheap. We agreed for the temporary job arrangement to be around 1 to 3 months and see how it goes. I started  driving lessons towards the end of Sep and this time round, I took up lessons from a private driving instructor recommended from one of my FB contacts. He was a garang uncle who used to be the chief training instructor at SSDC and is now a retiree. I failed AGAIN for the first practical test and was fairly disheartened but when I got a test date for the week after, I was more determined to pass. On a blessed Friday the 13th of November 2015, I finally obtained my driving license. I was the last one to enter the room and when the tester was going through with me the results, my mind was racing and all I was thinking was whether I passed or failed. I was tearing and thanking him profusely when he finally smiled and said, "Congratulations, you PASSED." So drama. I know. Lol.

I thanked my driving instructor who was waiting patiently for me at his car and cried again while telling him I passed. I didn't expect getting a driving license to be this emotional. It was more stressful than taking my GCE 'O' Level results. I proceeded to take a photo at the instant photo booth and waited for my turn to get my temporary license. For those who are learning, I suggest for you to prepare a decent Passport/NRIC photo in your wallet before you go for your practical tests. The product from instant photo booths can be quite unflattering.

For those who are keen to book a private instructor from the North!

For those who are wondering, my temporary child care arrangement for my two girls was to place them under the care of my mother and my mother-in-law. We had to trial-and-error the best arrangement for everybody. Initially, we will wake up extra early and carry the girls to Khatib where my parents-in-laws stay before leaving for work. We placed Azeen on the stroller and Ayra on the carrier and walked through the park. We also tried just carrying them and taking the feeder bus but the bus was always very crowded and it was not easy balancing while carrying children and bags. It was challenging initially as they will wake up when we carry them and both or at least one will be crying for Mummy not to leave them. It was truly heartbreaking.

I was very concerned for Little Miss Clingy Ayra but it turns out that she can actually survive a day without Mummy and behaves herself. The moment she seems me at the doorstep, she will start her clingy mode back on. My mother decided to sleepover at my place for a few days so that I can get ready without crying children and for the children to sleep through as I leave for work. I can understand the guilt that working mothers go through as they hear the cries of their children wailing and wanting their mummies.

After trying out for a few days, we decided on the arrangement that will affect the children the least. It is just a temporary arrangement so we wouldn't want to disrupt their routine too much. Every Monday, the girls will be placed at my in-laws and after work on Mondays, I fetched them and send the girls to Hougang. I leave for work from Hougang the next day. I slept at Hougang on alternate days and fetch the girls on Fridays. The alternate days that I return to Yishun, I will be rushing on the household chores, especially the laundry. Sometimes, my mother will send the girls over to Yishun on Fridays so that I wouldn't need to rush to Hougang from work and then back to Yishun. Mothers are really super human beings. Even at 30 with two children, my mother still pampers me and wants the best for me. She doesn't want me to be struggling and whatever she can do within her means to help me out, she will. The power of a mother's love is truly limitless.

I have been a SAHM for the girls since they were born so when I started working, as much as I miss my routine, I found myself enjoying time to myself. I could eat with two hands without anyone climbing over my back. I can chat with friends and do some window-shopping during lunch. It was freedom on a whole new level! I was not on Mummy's duty for 25 hours a day. I did not expect myself to love my temporary workplace and the people there as my intention had been to just earn money for my driving lessons and probably some extras for self-pampering. I felt truly blessed and had new friendships forged within the short span of three months.

A tiny part of me was reluctant to go back to life as a SAHM but then I think of the real challenges a working mother has to face and concluded that both have equal challenges to overcome and I should be contented with my lifestyle for now. During that short period, there were incidents that made me understand why some working parents choose to place their children in childcare centres instead of under the care of their own parents or in-laws. Plus, there were those times that I had to control my tongue not to voice out certain conflicting ideas to avoid any misunderstandings. I just kept reminding myself that it is a short-term arrangement and I can reprogram or uninstall any unwanted software once I regain 'control' of our preferred parenting style. When I leave for work in the morning, I see other parents struggling with their young children still groggy and yet needs to be left at the childcare centre before their parents rush off to work. After work, these parents rush to fetch their children and once they reach home, it is a mad rush to have dinner, do household chores and prepare for the next morning. 

Now that I am back as a SAHM, my routine is to prepare breakfast for the girls before bathing them, rushing off to do any chores I can before Ayra's nap time and then do my Zohor prayers before getting Azeen ready for school and then to send Azeen off to school which is only for 1.5 hours. I will have a breather while Azeen is away in school and it will be 'me' time with Ayra while waiting for her elder sister. I feel very 'aunty' now that I start making friends with other Mummies who are waiting for their child to end school. I hang out with another Mummy for drinks and desserts, exchanging stories of our children or just anything under the sun. When I pick Azeen up, it will be time to prepare or buy dinner, do some more household chores, bathe the girls, do Asar prayers and then Daddy will reach home. It will be time for Magrib prayers, dinner and a little bit of TV before reading time for the girls. Last itinerary will be performing Isya' prayers and putting the girls to sleep. Once they are asleep, I will do my packing of orders and to prepare them for mailing. Somewhere in between my daily activities, I will manage to reply queries and orders for MifSha Kids customers. While sleeping, Ayra will be climbing all over me for her free flow of milk before deciding to sleep across my body to ensure that I cannot go to the toilet or leave her side without her knowledge. Up till today, during Subuh prayers, I will have to do my prayers while listening to her wailing for Mummy throughout the 2 raka'ats despite having her Daddy pacifying her. It all sounds like such a calm experience when I type it out but it is quite chaotic in reality. Lol.

SAHMs or working mums have different roles and responsibilities to juggle. All mothers are superwomen and want the best for their children. I am thankful to get a taste of both worlds. For now, I shall just constantly remind myself that it is a joy to witness and experience the daily mayhem until both girls are bigger. How much bigger? I have no idea.

My Story - Duo

Directed by Ms Atin Amat, who needs no introduction in the professional Malay theatre scene, ‘Gigi oh Gigi’ or ‘Teeth oh Teeth’ is such a pacey hilarious story that it is hard to watch it with a straight face at any point. There was always a funny event being introduced to tickle your funny bone. It also has historical elements such as the various campaigns held by the Singapore government ever since the launch of its first campaign ‘Keep Singapore Clean’ in 1973. Dalifah Shahril, the renowned theatre actress with more than 60 plays under her belt, is easily one of the most engaging storytellers around. 

The story, inspired by a true life event, drags the audience on a journey of chaos when Datin Lynn’s niece, Yani accidentally dispose of her newly-constructed dentures into the toilet bowl. As dentures take a considerable amount of time to be replaced, Datin Lynn racked her brain on alternative ways to solve her problem in the meantime. Her wacky ideas include desperately heading to a costume shop and buying the different types of fake teeth available to try them on. The story ends with Datin Lynn finally getting another set of new dentures after two weeks instead of supposedly a month’s wait. It was an important lesson for Datin Lynn as she realizes the importance of her teeth when she had to literally survive without them in that short period. She had been a heavy smoker and had to go through Gingivectomy, a type of gum treatment due to her poor care of oral hygience.

Although it was a monologue, the obvious transition of characters made it easy for the audience to differentiate between the main character and other secondary characters in the play. There was only one massage chair, a luggage bag and a mobile phone as props but those were enough to transform our imagination as the play progresses.

After a short ten-minute intermission, the play moved on to its second monologue ‘Sayang Musalmah’ or ‘My Dear Musalmah’ performed by Suryana Norddin and directed by Nabilah Moen. It was a stark contrast from the first play as it has a more solemn mood, starting off with the main character, Musalmah in a white telekong reading verses from the Yaseen after her mum’s demise. It is a story of love and forgiveness. A story about life and its final destination: death. As the main character deals with the grief of losing her father, she slowly matured and moved on to mend her broken relationship with her mother. As Musalmah’s relationship with her mother was just improving, she was delivered another blow when it was her mother’s turn to leave her in this world.

Suryana was able to emote convincingly enough and moved the audience to tears as we feel her devastation upon her mother’s demise. There could be a more distinct switch of characters although I can identify the different characters she played. The play has been cleverly directed such that the transition of a character occurs each time as the actress changes position e.g. from sitting to standing or from standing to moving to the chair. At some point, it was predictable when there is going to be a switch to the next character.

Since it is a double-bill of monolouges, I personally feel that it would have been better to have ‘Sayang Musalmah’ first so that the play would end on a ‘high’ with ‘Gigi Oh Gigi’. Both plays were performed in Malay with English surtitles at the Malay Heritage Centre Black Box.

Hashtag #SoSialManDinEdge

What is Social Media?


When you google it up, there are many different definitions but here's my favourite.
I personally feel that the ability to interact fuss-free with a wide network without needing to actually know your contacts personally when face-to-face has contributed greatly to the success of social media. Nobody to interview you for a magazine article? Who cares? You can do it yourself. You can take photos or videos and publish them online yourself. The trick is on getting an audience to actually pay attention to your 'publications'.

Lecture on Social Media

According to this tech website (http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-media) which compiles computer terms, social media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. 

Watching Teater Kami's double-bill play 'SoSial: ManDin Edge' is like going to a crash course on humanity and social media in today's times and how it has impacted our lives. ManDin  is a tale of two men of different social standing seeking for the meaning of life. Man is played by Aqmal N who is a prolific singer songwriter and a full-time musician. After winning a popular singing contest 'Anugerah 2004' organised by Mediacorp Suria, he has won other major competitions organised by mainstream media organization in Singapore. Though it is his first professional acting performance, he is comfortable on stage and it helps that the character he brings is a street busker who sings while playing the guitar. The guitar was not only used as a prop but as a musical instrument that sets the mood of the play. Heartstrings were tugged as the audience were drawn closer to the character when he opened up about his failed marriage solely influenced by his mother-in-law who turned her nose up at his choice of career. It is a sad reality for many freelancers out there as their jobs are often not regarded as 'proper jobs'. 

Aqmal N as Man

Din is played by Aizuddiin Nasser who is a passionate actor that has undergone training with the acclaimed Haque Centre of Creative Arts. His most prominent character is in the 2012 feature film 'Ah Boys to Men', where he played Recruit Muthu Shanmugam. Initially, his character  Din was quite a turnoff as he keeps blowing his own horn about his accomplishments as a writer and was constantly tweeting or updating his Facebook status with a hashtag #Dincakap or loosely translated to #Dinsays. He took a jibe at drama titles which are far from imaginative such as 'Suamiku Encik Perfect 10, Suamiku Encik Sotong, Suamiku Mr. Blind, Suamiku Ustaz, Sepupuku Suamiku, Dia Suamiku. His character began to mellow down as he began sharing about his mother who passed on after a battle with cancer. 

Aizuddiin as Din

There was a magical moment in the play as the two characters sang and recite lyrics from the song 'Bukan Kerana Nama' by Datuk Ramli Sarip. They were in separate realms but the lyrics were apt for both characters in their different situations. The play ended as Din crossed paths with Man who was busking and Din contributed $10 as a token of appreciation before continuing on his journey. The play presents real issues of the struggles freelancers face in their everyday lives.

Edge is a monologue presented by Adib Kosnan Siran, whose involvement  in theatre began in 2001 when he joined Dramaplus Arts Youtheatre. Since then, he has been heavily involved in Malay theatre with Teater Kami and also performed with numerous other drama companies. He currently freelances in theatre, writing, acting and directing, while teaching speech and drama to various levels. 

Multimedia projections add colours to the play

The story centralizes around a viral video of Johan who was caught standing on the edge of a building as if he was about to jump off. There were many speculations online on his action but no one actually extended help to him. The issues brought about from this play are very relevant and significant to all of us living in this age. As I write this blog post, I am reminded of one of the lines by Johan.

"Posts are a little bit of you that you are sharing with the world. Sending it out like a message in a bottle, drifting out at sea, and you hope someone finds your message, and reads it."

Everyone wants a voice. Everyone wants to be seen and heard. In the past, peer pressure to be hip and cool was an issue to overcome. Now societal pressure comes in the form of social media. Does your Instagram have any 'likes'? Does anyone 'share' your FB status updates? Are your thoughts retweeted? Are your videos going viral? Did your blog post have any views? Why did he 'unfriend' you or why did she reject your 'friend request'?

Some people crave for attention more than others and this is the case for Johan, the character played by Adib. A lonely polytechnic lecturer who craves for the attention of his students, he imagined himself to be a cool lecturer admired by his students. Things started going awry and churned a string of events after he took a video of one of his students being involved in an obscene act and then he went on to share the video online. The monologue performed by Adib is interactive and engages the audience throughout the play. It was supported by multimedia visuals of the character involved in different social media scenarios such as FB status updates, video blog and viral videos. 

The intimate setting of both the ManDin and Edge in Teater Kami's Black Box Studio have the audience close to the actors and allow the audience to be truly immersed into the lives of a street busker, a novel writer and a lonely lecturer. I feel that this play can be strengthened and achieve its full potential if played on a bigger scale and shared with a wider audience. I wish Teater Kami continued success and applaud its efforts on being more daring in recent times in exploring with different theatre genres such as experimental theatre instead of remaining in their comfort zone on genres they are familiar with.

Picture Credits: Teater Kami

Feedback from audience

Iphone VS Sony Xperia Z3+

Anybody who knows me well enough knows that I am a creature of habit and once I stay loyal to a product, service or person, I really do not stray away.

If I enter a building and happens to go to the restroom more than once while being on the same floor, if unoccupied, I will tend to go to the same cubicle that I did the first time I went to the restroom.

In secondary school or poly, my close friends can order food for me without needing to ask as I order the exact same thing everyday. As I grow, the only variation will be the stall that I go to. If I go to stall A at food court A, I will order Mee Soto. If I were to order rice, it will be the exact same dishes. Up till today, if my husband were to get breakfast from the Kopitiam near my house, he knows my order. 

I used to love going to Ramen Ten at Far East Plaza and my friends were dragged there each time we are in the area. I will order the exact same dishes there as I thrive in familiarity. I do go to new places and check out new dishes occasionally but I prefer to stick to something I have tried and tested once I like it. That is why when the service and food quality dropped consistently, I stopped patronizing totally after giving substantial chances that maybe the chef or staff was just having a bad day.

I do embrace changes as changes is a constant and that have been drilled in my head by my ex-principal, Mrs Tay when I was still in Cedar Girls'. Also, my mum is always changing the furniture around the house for as long as I can remember and we need to constantly adapt fast to a different outlook and layout each time she changes. My husband always get disoriented when he sees this happen as he comes from a household where the furniture is generally preserved in their rightful place. Therefore, I do accept changes but I need to be convinced on the benefits before I readily accept the proposed change.

Templates are my best friends and I love systems that are structured but at the same time allow a certain level of flexibility and personalization. I am no IT genius and when the world of smartphones just began, I fell in love with the iPhone. I have been using iPhones since the first iPhone and now I'm on iPhone 5s with the latest iOS. I didn't get an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus as the features do not have major improvements if one is on an iPhone 5s with the latest update. I was one who religiously did backup for my data and sync with iTunes so when I lost my phone sometime in 2008 or 2009, I felt blessed when all I needed to do was to plug in my iPhone to my laptop, sync it with iTunes and my replacement iPhone was just like my lost one with my contacts, messages, apps, photos and videos fully restored. 

Fast forward to current times, my husband is an advocate for Android phones. Ever since he switched to an Android phone from an iPhone, he has not looked back and is always urging me to switch. I wasn't impressed with the apps as iPhone always had the latest updates and functions for apps then. I did try having a Samsung Galaxy Tab for work purposes but I am still not bought over. Furthermore, it would be too much of a hassle for me to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone. Too much data will be lost. Or so I thought. I will get to that later.

My husband is now on his third or fourth Android phone and I am finally starting to get impressed. Maybe it is due to his phone's advanced features or due to the lack of new features released from Apple. I can't say for sure at this point. I got intrigued firstly by the waterproof feature Sony Xperia Z3 +. My husband was showing off how he could still use his phone even when his fingers were still wet when he just got out from the bathroom. When he first showed me the photo and video quality, I was just semi-impressed. He went on to tell me that his phone has 4K recording and 5MP front camera. I got interested but displayed nonchalance. Wow can record from the screen! Hrmmm... Interesting... I couldn't hide my curiosity further when he showed me the touch block feature. Apparently the model before this Sony Xperia Z3+ had this feature too but of course I have never bothered to find out since I am comfortable with my iPhone. I find this touch block feature very essential especially since I have a toddler and an infant who find our phones and any gadgets to be subjects of entertainment. They will press here and there, swipe screens here and there, move my app icons around, delete photos or videos accidentally and the list goes on. This 'touch block' is such a useful feature especially for those with children. Plus, apps on Android are now more varied and stable thus staying competitive with apps on iTunes.

Yes, Apple now has the Apple watch but Android has the Android watch too. There is not much advancement on Apple's end and I am finally leaning towards hopping onto the Android bandwagon soon. I can only recontract without additional charges next month so I am still waiting to see if Apple will suddenly surprise me. I do not foresee that happening though but let's just wait and see.

Anyway, I mentioned about the fear of data loss if I were to switch from an iPhone to Android. Apparently, it is not too difficult to preserve data and bring them over. I found this link: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-switch-from-iphone-to-android/ to be most useful. I hope it will assist me in transferring my data seamlessly when I finally make the switch. :)

Bonda Bedah, Mak Temah and The Chamber of Polongs

*I had intended to post this review only after the official review is out on Berita Harian but due to mistiming, the review will not be published on the newspaper.

 

Bonda Bedah and Mak Temah are two characters that have gained immense popularity through their videos posted on YouTube. Their shows candidly explore social issues through parodies. For the first time ever, their comedic acts are brought from YouTube screens to stage by Kreativ Outbox. The show 'Bonda Bedah, Mak Temah and The Chamber of Polongs' which ran from 30th Apr to 3rd May was initially scheduled for three shows but due to the overwhelming ticket sales, two shows were later added. All shows were sold out.

I first heard mentions of ‘Bonda Bedah’ and ‘Mak Temah’ through family gatherings from my nephews and even my mother. As honest as I can be, I have never watched any one of their videos and had just assumed that they were just two males who create slapstick comedy and everything will seem funny due to their crossdressing. My curiosity about them was aroused when I discovered that a play was actually being staged with them as the central characters. Even more so when I heard that all shows were sold out. They must be really good to garner that kind of response.

Rated 'Advisory due to coarse language' by MDA, the show is lighthearted and highly entertaining with colourful characters. Temah had accidentally released all her Polongs to Bedah. Bedah, not knowing the fact that the Polongs are attached to her now, continues with her daily routine. The audience is brought to a journey of how Temah and Bedah resolve their differences on the Polong issues through bantering and disagreements. Bonda Bedah is played by Hafidz Rahman and Mak Temah is played by Zuhairi Idris. Supported by five colourful characters consisting of Orb, Ziana, Azizul, Zain and Awab played by Nur Afiqa, Sunita Chiu, Junaidi, Sultan and Luqmanul Hakim, the show is fun-paced and there is never a moment of boredom when watching.

I was surprised when Izad shared that the supporting characters were mostly newbies and selected from auditions where more than 100 hopefuls turned up. The most outstanding newbie was Nur Afiqah who played the character 'Orb'. She was like a seasoned actress as she pranced around the stage with great confidence and stage presence. Her fluid movements and strong voice character definitely had my attention. I would love to watch more plays with her around.

Afiqa as Oracle

The highlight of the show is when the characters periodically break into song-and dance movements with catchy tunes and lyrics. The play uses popular tunes from songs like ‘All About That Bass’ by Meghan Trainor and lyrics are customized to suit the show. One of the songs, ‘Bonda Bedah Best’, is still an earworm until today. I especially like the fact that there are no major distracting fanciful set changes. The set is simple using platforms of varying heights that optimizes space. I personally love the cocoon-like structures where the ‘polongs’ are kept. 

Orb and Polongs

Much laughter was heard throughout the play and the best thing is that audience need not be theatre-trained to understand and enjoy the show. This is in line with Kreativ Outbox's objective of encouraging family to watch theatre as a family activity. Playwright and producer, Izad Omar had shared that they would like to invite families to exit their comfort zone of watching programmes on television from their couch and to immerse themselves in theatre works as an alternative form of entertainment. Kreativ Outbox also aims to dispel the myth that watching plays are only for the elite and not for the common folks.

The aftermath of watching this show had me realizing that Hafidz Rahman (Bonda Bedah) and Zuhairi Idris (Mak Temah) are not simply slapstick comedians but two hardworking individuals who continuously seek to hone their craft. They have an intimate working relationship due to their strong friendship ties and therefore they are able to understand each other well. This translates to their ability to seek relevant materials on social issues together. For them to develop parodies and send their message out as simply and crudely as they could, they carefully dissect current social issues and present them in their ‘makcik’ (aunty) characters so that audience can relate to them more easily. Their candid and spontaneous nature has won the hearts of their fans. I hope for them to carry on concocting laughing potions while perhaps downplaying their coarse language so that their shows will be more family-friendly.

Crowning Glory

I have been experiencing hair loss post-pregnancy since the birth of my firstborn. I was too lazy to search for hair loss solutions and simply chopped off my long hair to a pixie haircut then. After the birth of my secondborn last year in 2014, I didn't want to chop off my long hair again but have yet to find an appropriate solution to my hair loss problem. I tried a herbal tonic suggested by my hair stylist but that didn't seem to work. My mum then recommended me a herbal shampoo that she bought in Malaysia but after a few months, I am still experiencing hair loss.

I was invited to be one of the guests for the show Mahkota 101 Season 2 by Screenbox Production on 8th Apr. The talkshow allows the guests and viewers to learn on maintaining healthy hair through light-hearted games and tips from the Beijing 101 consultant. I learnt that insufficient sleep, stress, unhealthy diet and other factors can lead to a low immune system for the scalp. The trick to healthy hair is to maintain a healthy scalp. We were also taught on how to make herbal tea that is good for blood circulation. While waiting for the new season to air, you can watch the 1st season of Mahkota 101 here.

Anyway, I have been meaning to go to a hair salon for a hair treatment. It has never occurred to me to go to a hair care centre like Beijing 101 or Yun Nam Hair Care. To me, I would only need to go there when I am much older and after having serious hair problems. After being involved in Mahkota 101 however, I felt that it would actually be better to have my hair treated at a hair care centre than at a hair salon as instead of chemicals, herbs will be used. I booked for an appointment at Beijing 101 North Point branch on 21st Apr. It is conveniently located near my place. Bonus point!

I was won over from the moment I stepped foot into the branch. I received a warm welcome at the reception and was led to a consultation room where a scalp analysis was done. My hair follicles were partially covered in dead cells and my scalp was reddish. I believe this could be due to the hair tonic that I sprayed directly into my scalp earlier before my appointment. A healthy scalp should have open pores and around 3-4 strands on each follicle. The consultant informed me that just by looking with the naked eye, one will not be able to assess a person's hair problem. The person might seem to have normal hair but only upon closer inspection on the scalp using the scanner, then an objective assessment can be made. The strands of hairs are just like plants. My new hair growth was weaker with hairs that had weak roots as compared to my hair that were thick and strong.

After the consultation, I was ushered to start my hair treatment.  The thoughtful consultant, Sisi assigned a private cubicle at the end as she noted that I was in hijab and would want my modesty protected. Hot tea was served and after a hair wash, a cold hair herbal hair mask was applied on my hair. The mask was left on for 20 mins before it was washed off and a relaxing head massage followed. Hair tonic was then applied and I was given a super-shiok head, neck and shoulder acupuncture massage. I was having stiff neck and shoulders so the massage was indeed relieving. This part was definitely the highlight of the treatment! The objective of the massage was to improve blood circulation for better hair follicle development. I was brought into the consultation room again for another scalp analysis to see the difference. I didn't snap a photo after my first session but here's a photo after my 2nd session. Can you see that the pores are open and the scalp is clean without dead cells clouding the hair follicles?

I was more than happy to sign up for a package and booked for my 2nd appointment the following week. I brought along a friend, Mira, who was having slight dandruff problems to have a trial session. Her hair issue was different from my hair loss problem and the scalp analysis certainly reflected it. I shall not disgust you with more photos of anyone's scalp. For Mira's case, she usually has late nights and insufficient sleep. The consultant shared with us that our scalp regenerates around 11pm to 2am and it would be good for us to sleep by 11pm so that our scalp's immune system would be optimal. Mira is still a student so she is still considering on taking up the package. She agreed with me that there was no hard selling and that she will definitely sign up if she had the means.

Mira and little Azeen

Consultation

The Little VIP

"If you want to be popular all the time, you will misgovern."

This picture was snapped by the dental assistant at Orchard Surgery Centre located on the 16th floor of Paragon Medical Suite. She insisted to take a photo of me in the protective cap and scrubs as she found it cute. It was her first time seeing someone in hijab wearing a protective cap. The question now is why was I required to put these on in the first place.

Let's backtrack a little...

I noted some slight discolouration on my firstborn's two front teeth sometime in February. I have been meaning to bring her to the dentist just to familiarise her with the routine of dental check-ups once she has her full set of baby teeth. I made an online appointment request on 23rd Feb 2015 and received a reply two days later. I did a double-take when I saw the appointment date. I need to wait for almost a year for a subsidised dental appointment.

A1

I doubt it would be advisable for me to wait that long so I went ahead to book a dental appointment for myself and Azeen at AMK Hub NTUC Unity Denticare on 25th Mar. As the dentist was not a paediatric dentist, she only helped to check Azeen's teeth by getting her to open her mouth and just did a simple routine check. Her consultation fees amounted to $22.50 but after her CHAS subsidies, I only had to pay $1.50. We were then referred to a specialist in child dentistry located at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

A rude shock was in store for me on 15 Apr when we visit Dr JA Intarasoot the Paediatric Dentist. A close-up inspection of her teeth showed multiple cavities. Fillings were required to repair around 10 teeth. Plus each tooth might have 2 or 3 affected surfaces. As she is too young, she will not be able to take in the drilling noise and the pain of anaesthetics so she will have to be put to sleep while the procedure is being done. Some might think that since these are baby teeth and will fall off anyway, treatments will be unnecessary. Contrarily, due to the build-up of bacteria on the gums, the child may get a fever and require tooth extraction/s in the case of an infection. The day's bill amounted to $101.65

Close-up of teeth

I used to be very strict with Azeen. No sweet or carbonated drinks and no sweets was allowed. She was introduced to the toothbrush the moment a tooth sprouted. As she hit 2 years old, sometimes I closed an eye or two with well-meaning relatives who sneakily gave her sweets and carbonated drinks. Although these contributed to her tooth decay, I believe the main cause is her bad habit of milk pooling when she drinks milk from the bottle. I have ceased giving her milk from the bottle for around 3 days before her first appointment with Dr JA. She now drinks milk only from the cup. I should have been more firm and stopped her bad habit the moment I noticed her liking for milk pooling and sleeping with her milk bottle. It would have been better to handle her tantrums than fixing her teeth. I also feel that it would have been better to stick my ground on not allowing her sweet sugary stuff and communicating effectively to others on my stand. We are fortunate that she did not have to go through any tooth extraction or worse scenarios.

We had to prepare an estimated $3600 for the dental procedure. A deposit of $1500 (before 7% GST) was required to confirm the procedure. The remaining amount can be paid by CDA (Child Development Account) or Baby Bonus. That was A LOT OF MONEY! I was floating around in a daze that day thinking of the expenses. After going back to discuss with my husband and our family, we managed to gather the amount required to confirm the procedure and it was booked for 28 Apr 2015.

The dental procedure was held at Orchard Surgery Centre @ Paragon Medical Suite at 8.30am. Azeen was required to fast for 6 hours before the procedure. She had to put the gas mask on to put her to sleep. It was heartbreaking seeing her struggle initially and then her body went limp as she goes to sleep. She was then placed on the operating theatre as I was ushered out of the room, only to return after 1.5 hours later. I can imagine her fear as we enter the brightly-lit room full of masked people in operating gowns and not knowing what was about to happen.

The staff were all friendly as they briefed me thoroughly before and after the procedure on what to expect. She was advised to be on a liquid diet and to consume food or drinks at room or low temperature. Her gums will still be numb as there was local anaesthetic used. Dr JA said that her teeth have been much better since the first appointment. She believes it is due to stopping her from drinking milk from the bottle and brushing her teeth in the morning and before sleeping.

Azeen was still groggy after the procedure and I was beside her when she started waking up. She whined a little and calmed down as I hugged her. She was up and about being her usual energetic self within 2 hours after the procedure. I hope we will never have to go through such an expensive emotional lesson again. Total bill for procedure minus deposit: $2313.45

Oral hygiene is very important and good habits need to start young. I will be more firm in my stand with her and to only allow sweets or chocolates occasionally. Most importantly is to cultivate good brushing habits. I hope to be stronger in standing up to well-meaning relatives who gives her a free-flow of carbonated or sweet drinks. It is courteous to always check with a child's parents on what is allowed or what is not as every family adopts different school of thoughts. In the words of the late Lee Kuan Yew, "If you want to be popular all the time, you will misgovern." I strive not to misgovern my children and work towards a healthy happy family. Insya'allah.

No More Cavities