Bossy Flossie
The Bossy Flossie family recently grew by one with new recruit little Jammy! My little cherub is now seven weeks old and, mercifully, his delivery is fast becoming a foggy memory. The labour was both a joyful and a traumatic experience. I am so glad I chose to give birth at NUH, as discussed in an earlier post. The nurses were great, the facilities were modern, and the final medical bill did not horrify.
Welcoming a baby into the world can feel like an overwhelming challenge! To prepare myself for parenthood, as well as minimise any personal stress, I signed up for the Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme at NUH. I’m so glad I did. The lovely teachers and practical information has made me feel more confident about what to expect. The programme is open to all expectant parents in Singapore, whether or not you intend to deliver at NUH.
Singapore is a very expensive country to have a baby. Especially if you are a foreigner without international insurance. At the time of writing this, I am 38 weeks pregnant. Here is my experience of the healthcare system in Singapore, a breakdown of prenatal costs, and a summary of insurance options. Ultimately, I have chosen to deliver at NUH due to the great service and some financial considerations.
Earlier this year, I was invited to perform as a poet alongside other artists in an extraordinary Soundpainting recital at LASALLE. My writing teacher assured me that no prior experience was necessary, and it would be the perfect opportunity to indulge my curiosity in multidisciplinary art. Well, the experience was certainly unique. Our final show can only be described as bizarre. But even so, I would love to do it again!
This blog is dedicated to my crap experience with Apple support and their nonchalant customer service. But before I start ranting, I better set some context. As we all know, 2020 has been a year of great change. Conspiracy theorists declare we have become prisoners in our own home. But I believe this is the year we became slaves to the tech. The world now lives, breathes and shits through mobile phone apps and social media accounts.
Little ones born this year have fondly become known as corona babies while mothers are labelled as having a corona pregnancy. And if you go to any forum, debate rages over whether 2020 is the best or worst year to be expecting.
When I first created Bossy Flossie, I wasn’t planning on becoming a professional travel blogger. If anything, I abhorred certain Instagram-addicts who claimed to be brave for living life on the road. I viewed my website as more of a personal project; a virtual scrapbook of wanderlust memories; a documentary of my greatest experiences!
Most of you know me as a run-of-the-mill blogger. But I am also a protective, and sometimes overbearing, cat-mum to two beautiful fur babies named Misty and Mochi (you can check out their website here). These girls are my pride and joy, and their achievements never cease to elate me. However lately, I have become anxious about the psychological impact of the coronavirus on my kitten Misty.
Whether you love them or hate them, you might as well learn to sew them. Face masks are here to stay. But did you know that not all face masks are created equal? The best face masks aren’t too big – they sufficiently cover your nostrils and mouth without forming a blanket over your entire face. That is especially important in hot weather! What’s more, a mask with a well-measured curve to fit snugly across the bridge of your nose will prevent nasty steamy sunglasses.
There are pitfalls to working in HR for too long – you might end up writing a shitty TV series like Billions. I’ve always suspected the show was the absurd musings of an ex-HR with delusions of grandeur. And, now that I am a few episodes into Billions season 5, I am sure of it! While the HR fantasies are fun to watch, this current season of Billions has evolved into a glorification of hardcore capitalism and the mega-rich, which leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Today the social media feeds are flooded with people celebrating freedom after the end of circuit breaker phase one was announced in Singapore last night. But, the feeling is bittersweet for me. While I am looking forward to some aspects of the gradual re-opening, I’m not quite ready for things to return to normal. I was just beginning to enjoy my new hermit-style lifestyle. Plus, after a fair bit of internet shopping, I was counting on a little more time stuck indoors to save money. As yet, I still haven’t the heart to tell my cats I will be spending less time at home.
For about a month now, since April 7, we have been living under circuit breaker measures in Singapore. We call it ‘CB’ for short, and it is basically our version of lockdown during the COVID19 epidemic. Singapore CB is more relaxed (in some ways) than rules adopted by our European brethren. There is no limit on outdoor exercise or trips to the supermarket, and we don’t require a written permit to leave the house. But, many businesses have suspended operations as a result of CB. Personal movements are also increasingly being tracked. This is for everyone’s safety.
Feedback is good; it helps us to improve as well as recognise strengths (and blind spots). But there are some forms of criticism that I hate, which are especially prevalent in the business world. Any type of advice that goes along the lines of, ‘You need to develop a thicker skin’ or ‘Don’t take things to heart’ makes me furious. Let’s analyse it. Telling someone, don’t take it personally is basically the same as telling them to be less human. I AM a person so, YES I would like to take things personally!! Since when did acting like an authentic breathing human being become such a bad thing?
Staying at home is a good excuse to catch up on some reading. And NOT Facebook reading – in times like these, we all need a break from the social media monster. Personally, I believe nothing is more soothing than curling up with a riveting novel and a cup of hot coffee.
One of the best things to do during social distancing is to stay at home and watch movies. I have a morbid fascination with the end of the world, as those of you who have followed me for a while will know. A few years back I wrote about the best and worse apocalyptic movies. Now, I’m into movies about viruses!
Before I begin my rant on why the coronavirus is stupid and ruining my life, let me first applaud the Singapore government. Lee Hsien Loong is doing a great job at keeping the virus at bay. Here, in Singers, we are one of the only international hubs to record zero coronavirus deaths so far *applaud here* and that’s not because the government is sweeping facts under the carpet. But, more on that later.
I recently tied the knot with my Japanese beau, Yuji. We performed the civil ceremony here in Singapore, where we both met and live, and we will be continuing the celebrations with a traditional wedding party later this year in Tokyo. Stay tuned for more on our wedded bliss in subsequent posts!
Life has changed in Singapore during the coronavirus, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s the end of the world. Imagine masses of people wearing surgical masks and walking whilst glued to their mobile phones, it is eerily cognisant of a zombie movie! Unfortunately, we now live in the age of social media, which means the news spreads quickly, facts are easily distorted and fears can spiral out of control.
I have a loud voice which I used to think of as a curse, since being loud is considered unladylike. If the ideal woman is supposed to be demure and sweet-sounding, like sun-tinged honey drops, then my voice is like the blare of a thousand angry women screaming; raucous and intense! Quite often I will find myself at a café, minding my own business and chatting casually with a friend, when someone from a nearby table will get up and shush me – how rude! My mother is always asking me to “keep it down” whenever I speak.
Although I am an avid reader, I have never been a fan of poetry. Whilst I will happily obliterate a weekend devouring volumes of Tolstoy, Dickens, Greene and other classic writers, the thought of reading a Shakespearean sonnet sends me to sleep! Well.. at least until my recent awakening. I have learned that enjoying a good book and appreciating poetry are two vastly different things. In a book, there is a storyline to follow and characters to relate to; a great story can easily transport the most humble reader into another world. However, poetry is more akin to photography or painting. It plays with language in rich and surprising ways to create an evocative picture and like most art forms, poetry is always open to interpretation.
What is a little money between friends? It’s funny how the relationship between money and friends has so many cultural overlays. In Europe, for instance, people openly share their salary details with one another. Not so much as to compare their situation or show off, but rather to bitch about their sorry lot. Salaries in the UK are some of the lowest in the world relative to the cost of living. The divide between rich and poor is mammoth (hence we have Brexit).
I am so touched to have received many inquiries as to my whereabouts lately. I haven’t posted a blog since February and a handful of people actually care. Well, not to worry. I have absolutely no intention of keeping silent for too long (although I very nearly was silenced… details to follow shortly). I have just been busy. I’ve been busy mostly with my studies and moving house. But, I have still managed to find the time to keep myself well-fed. I recently discovered a brand new hawker joint, just up the road from me in Farrer Park that I can’t wait to write about…. soon!
This past month has been an exciting time for Bossy Flossie. Not only have I had the opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka and check out many more amazing Singapore restaurants, but I was also recognised as one of the top 30 Singapore Lifestyle Bloggers to follow in 2018 by Feedspot. I have also started a creative non-fiction writing class taught by novelist and poet Darryl Whetter. The blog is growing and life couldn’t be better.
A shapely woman with coffee colour skin stood at the front of the auditorium, facing a crowd of fifty eager young women. She wore a sleeveless, white cotton dress with wide navy stripes that accentuated her round figure. Her full lips were immaculately coloured red. But there was something not quite right about her face. It was masked in too much white powder. She looked like a porcelain doll with brown arms.
“Thank you, and by the way your coffee tastes like shit.” That was the line that got me my first real job in London. I spent my formative years working in hospitality. During my early 20’s in Sydney I was waiting tables in Darling Harbour. The money was good and I have fond memories of drinking the dregs from leftover bottles of wine, whilst smoking cigarettes and polishing cutlery at the end of a busy shift.
What do you do when you lock your keys in the car? This happened to me recently during a weekend in Bangkok. I had driven outside of the city with a group of friends and we were having a fabulous time browsing the fresh produce and buying all sorts of traditional handcrafts and foods at the Bagnoi Floating Market. We went back to the car to load up our purchases in the trunk and after closing the trunk lid we immediately realised our error… we had locked our keys in the car!!
Misty and Mochi are my two clever kittens that live with me in Singapore. Like other beautiful youths, they cherish many hopes and dreams for the future. However they also face personal difficulties and they like to share their experiences with others. Mochi is the youngest sibling and she is also the most adored girl in the household. She is often described as beautiful, gorgeous, mesmerising and enchanting. Her MBTI profile is ESFP and she will win your heart and steal your wallet!
Misty and Mochi are my two clever kittens that live with me in Singapore. They hold many hopes and dreams for the future but they also experience trials and tribulations that are easy to relate to. Misty is the elder and more mature sister. Some people describe her as the most cerebral member of the household. Her MBTI profile is ENTP and although she comes across as shy initially, she is actually very bossy.