Birkin

29 Oct 09 - The day I got my first Birkin!!!!!

It is a beautiful 30cm blue jean that I have been eyeing for last few weeks. My hubby decided to get it for me as an anniversary present, a BIG upgrade from the big soft toy kiki that I received last year! It was a wonderful surprise as all my friends know that my hubby is not supportive of my indulgence in bags.

My heart was pounding all day in the office and I cannot take my eyes and hands off the bag when I reached home. It seems so unreal that I actually have a Birkin sitting in my room. It also reminded me of how blessed I have been in my life. Thank you dear!

30 Oct 09- The day I got on the Birkin waiting list.

I decided to send my Birkin for a bag spa at Hermes. The shop that Ian bought the bag from agrees to give us a refund if the bag is rejected by Hermes. It is a Hermes Policy not to provide authentication of the bag at the store so the only way to authenticate it is to send the bag for the spa. Although we did our own checks based on instructions found on the internet, I think having the receipt from the bag spa will help in case I decided to sell the bag in the future.

I made sure I dressed like a regular Hermes client that day, ie, carrying my Lindy and wearing my Hermes Bangle ( what Frances defined as OTT!). I started a nice conversation with the sales assistant but she went silent when I hinted for her to comment on the authenticity of my bag. The bag spa process takes 2 months so I was hoping save time and $$ if she can tell me " IT IS REAL" on the spot. That failed so I have no choice but to send the bag for the spa. While filling in the forms, I casually asked about the waiting list, as I heard from my colleague recently that it was closed. She gladly informed me that they have just reopened it! Since it is not a firm commitment to buy, I put my name down for a 35 cm black Birkin (1 - 2 yrs wait) and a 32 cm Kelly( 6 mth - 1 yr wait). The fun part is to see how long they will take to call me. Think Ian will get heart attack if they call me before year end!!

Question

Will we be sad if our children forget about us after we passed on? This was a question asked by Sean last week in one of his emails to us. The question keeps coming back to my mind despite the crazy schedule I had at work and at home in the last few days.

Being the hands-on mum like me, I thought my answer would have been a definite YES! After what I have done for my kids while I am alive, the least they can do is to remember me, right? But no, that was not the immediate answer that came to my mind. I pondered over the question over a few days and concluded that these are what I hope to see if I am watching my kids from heaven ( in descending order of importance)

- kids are happy and healthy ( like what we ask for in our daily prayers)

- kids are able to resume their normal life

- kids to show more respect and love for papa and papa not to spoil them.

- kids to do well in their studies and become useful people to the society

The list goes on and on and it is essentially the same list that I would have put down even when I am alive. I think I will be sad if my kids cannot move on and cries for mummy everyday. Moving on does not mean that they do not love me. It means they feel secure enough to adapt to changes and that they are still well loved by a lot of people besides mummy. I wonder if Michelle agrees with me?

Blessings

I have not written anything for a while. Work stress level shot up the day after Michelle's cremation service. It seems like payback time for me after the lack of focus at work during the weeks of Michelle's hospital stay. I felt so stressed that I have to try extra hard to count my blessings. I decided to list a few blessings here as a reminder for myself on my "down" days

- I am healthy and usually happy ( or Ah Q)

- I have a good husband ( who is sourcing for birkin for me!) and 2 beautiful children who loves me unconditionally.

- I have a supportive dad and sis whom I can always count on.

- I have a bunch of lovely friends to hang out with

- I have a lalaland job that supports my indulgence in BAGS

- I have a relationship with GOD

- I have the ability to count my blessings! ( courtesy of Frances)

The Message from Michelle

I feel sad and empty today. Michelle was called home to be with the lord on 11 Oct 09. I have gotten used to our 'cosy corner" at Mount E. It felt weird not having to go there in the evening. I wonder if she saw the huge turnout at the wake in the last 3 days. I hope she liked the impromptu eulogy that we did for her. Just in case I forget the most important line, I have extracted what Liana has typed during our chat yesterday on the strong message that Michelle is giving to me, by choosing to leave on my birthday :-

"I guess she wants you to appreciate life fully and what you have on every single birthday"

Thank you Michelle and I will always remember this.

Good Old JC Days

Michelle, I know these pictures will bring a smile to your face....

Most recent pics of Mich

These are the most recent pictures of Michelle taken at my place. We were celebrating Sean and Amy's birthdays. I am still trying to figure out the scanner that I bought. Will be posting pictures of our JC days...I am sure those will bring a smile to Michelle's face...

Overnight Stay at the Hospital

Huting, Amy and I volunteered for overnight duty at the hospital yesterday. We had the support of Amos and Frances, who provided food and entertainment in the form of CDD. It was nice being able to talk to Mich every other hour. For the first time this week, I did not break down when I see her. I can imagine her laughing along with us during the CDD session.

Last night was also the last day for my favourite boss in the US. He called to tell me the news before it went public. I am going to miss him alot. Both Michelle and him have been my pillars of strength during the last few months when I was dealing with tremendous amount of work stress. When I felt lousy at work, I will remind myself of the pain Michelle was going through. Or I will give my boss a call in the US to pour out the pain and he will always be there to give me sound advice. The thought of potentially losing my 2 pillars of strength this year is scary. Don't think I am ready to give up on a miracle yet....