2018 Week 39 Update

Another hectic week! I’m strange right, when I don’t have anything to do, I complain about that and now that I am really busy, I am not too happy about that too. Actually, I am not unhappy about being busy, but I just wish I am busy doing something I really enjoy doing, not something I am doing just for the sake of it.

My freelance work is now taking up a lot of my time, some days I am doing it even for more than six-seven hours a day. It is slowly becoming a full-time job, but with a quarter-time or less than that salary. I am going to keep a close watch on the hours I am spending on it and maybe after around three months time, I will go back to the people I am working for and see if there could be more money in it. I am also hoping that the back to work programme I am doing will result in a good and interesting position and soon.

This week is also slightly more hectic than usual. I have my last back-to-work workshop and a networking event after that. I also have a hospital check-up scheduled this week for my eyes. This is a follow-up from last year when I was referred to the hospital for some possible complications due to my diabetes. After a couple of visits, it was determined that nothing was wrong with my eyes at the moment, but given my chronic condition, I was asked to come back for a follow-up after 18 months. I am also going to ask about the frequent tearing and redness in eyes.

2018 Secondary 3 Week 39 Update

We’re counting down to the end of this school year and it’s exam season for BB & GG.

They are super busy these days because the year-end exams are ongoing. BB’s school exam timetable is fairly straightforward with continuous exams daily this whole week. GG’s school on the other hand, has exams for two days and then three days of normal school curriculum and then exams again. This means her exams end three days after BB’s.

Once exams are over, they go back to school for some weeks for CCA and some learning activities. School ends on the last Friday of October. And then it’s the start of the countdown to their O levels. Both BB & GG have to go back to school for a week or so after the holidays start for an O level head start. This will probably mean they get holiday homework to work on.

Have a blessed Sunday.

2018 Week 38 Update

Is it me or did September just zoom past?

I started September with a huge sense of optimism and this month has not really failed me, which is why I feel that this month has literally flown past.

I started the back to work programme that I was quite excited about in the past few sessions have learnt quite a bit about how I should structure my resume and look at it from the other side’s point of view. The biggest takeaway for me, however, is in knowing that I am not alone. In the same programme as me, there are other women, more successful, in higher positions than me, who for whatever reason decided to take a break from work and now are finding it difficult to get back into the game. I always thought that there was something wrong with me, but I know now that I am not alone. We’ve now created a Whatsapp group and so hope we are able to share our getting back to work journey together. This week I meet up with a consultant for a one-on-one session which I hope will be beneficial and next week is another workshop session followed by a networking event.

I’ve also been quite busy with my freelance work and if this job thing does not take off by the beginning of next year, I will focus more on my freelance work and try and get more clients onboard. Maybe that’s where I will see success.

Ok, gotta go and do some work now. Have a pleasant week everyone.

2018 Secondary 3 Week 38 Update

This was the week of the quiet before the storm. Exams start next week and I am sure the children will have stories to tell about it.

Last week I got a call from S. Apparently BB’s form and chemistry teacher called him because he had not only not handed over a test (in which BB had failed miserably) three weeks late, but that he also slept in class. This was the first time a teacher was reaching out to S, and predictably S was furious. I called back the teacher and spoke to him and then when BB came home, he withstood the combined wrath of both S and me. We’ve removed his access to his laptop till the end of the exams and I am also forcing him to sleep early daily. He says he feels sleepy in class after lunch, so the solution is to sleep early at night and give him a less carb-filled lunch.

GG, as we all know, is super stressed with her exams. I am hoping she is able to do well in all her exams and hopefully do relatively well in them.

2018 Week 37 Update

The last week was not a very hectic week, but this one is showing signs to become one.

Yesterday, BB & GG 8-9 friends came home and they had a blast. I had ordered some pizza and fried spring rolls and samosas and then brought some drinks and of course, the mandatory cake! They spent quite some time with us. It was funny because BB friends (all boys), who are all typical nerds like him were settled in his room, each with a laptop and gaming together while GG friends (all girls except for one boy) were in her room laughing and giggling together. Even though one of BB’s friends is a common friend, she didn’t really speak much with him.

This week, I am taking part in a back to work programme organised by a local recruitment firm. I am quite excited about this programme as I think I will learn a lot. Even if this programme does not result in a decent position for me, I am hoping to take back ideas and tips which will help me run my business better. After all, all that we do to impress a potential employer can also be used to impress potential clients. So it’s a win-win situation for me.

Have a happy and blessed week people!