Mervyn Hoe: My Daily Happenings

Initial regret? -------------------- After I decided on MBS Staycation in October, I actually googled about what to do there. Many people actually commented that they love the Infinity Pool at SkyPark and the scenery. They also loved the gym and sauna. The hotel service is great. Quite a number also mentioned that they will only stay there one time and that's it. We heard about the mini bar, whereby people are charged to their accounts the moment they take something out from the fridge! And there is nothing much to do except gambling! How interesting! I was like, wow. Is it a good idea for me to stay there? To top it up, also they don't provide breakfast buffet for clients the following day. And it's better to patronize ToastBox for breakfast. Anyway, I prayed that the Staycation will be fun for everyone! And it turned out that we had so much fun, amidst the comments I have received from the Internet! And I want to thank my father in law for taking such amazing pictur...

Hey These days I haven't been jogging because of my recent sprain on my back. My TCM Practitioner recommended me for the next two weeks, not to do jogging but can swim. Probably I will do just that. I need to have more oxygen in my head and body! The nights have been long for both of us recently. Josh and Kate slept around 12.30am and I tell you, we are so shag from it. Even though Josh is tired, he just wants to play with active Kate, they would move around in the room, catching each other and rolling on the beds. We let them self run with the classical music and soon, they would rest together. Coincidentally, I did not manage to catch my afternoon naps for these two days. My schedule happened as such that I have morning appointments, and afternoon appointments that lasted to evenings. And when I return back home, I have to do my fatherly role. It's like a dual job! At times, it is quite physically strenuous. However,  it's happy to spend time with my children and I ...

Hey. Last Saturday, was an experience I have told few people. I literally sprained my lower back when I carried Josh in the bedroom. I was in a squatting position and I carried Josh up, just like the starting position of a weight lifter. Apparently, when I was getting up, I felt a sudden lightning on my lower back and my legs and I threw Josh on the bed. The pain was unbearable and I thought that I broke my back. I was in the sitting position then while Josh was crying. I tried to get up but I was unable to. And I laid on the bed for about 20 minutes. I attempted to sit up, but my legs trembled and I knew that my back is certainly injured. Eve wanted to call up the paramedics and see what they recommend. I was hesitant, but then they arrived. They did a few diagnostic tests and found that it's not a fracture but it's muscle strain. The tension on the muscle will react as such if I move my legs, it will even tighten the muscles even more, causing pain. The paramedic advise...

Wow! Yesterday was indeed a fun trip for Deepavali. We decided to bring the whole family to visit Lim Chu Kang farms. We brought with us some food, just in case we are hungry. And all of them are finished. We brought our home-made pancakes, some nuts, cut apples, seaweed and water. Hay Diaries ------------------ We took the North-south line to Kranji station, and it was pouring. Luckily, when we reached Kranji station, it stopped. We took a cab and headed into Lim Chu Kang Lane 4 to the Hay Diaries farm. It was our first time there and I was so amazed by the number of goats there! There is a nursery area as well as a milking area. The milking time is around 9am-11am daily. We walked one round at the farm, but the smell just kept me reminded of my dad's mutton curry! So bad right? But it is. The lamb smell is just quite overpowering. The good news is that Josh drank a bottle of the goat's milk! We are just so amazed by it. Everyone of us drank a bottle with cocoa powder....

This week's message is really close to my heart. It's in the topic of faith. I agree that many a times, it's a leap of faith that brings people from one level to another. Without it, a person will seem to be quite aimless. Faith is a like a decision you have decided, and you set out what you want to achieve and have the belief to get it. It will be cemented by the words we speak! For me, I prefer to write down so as to remind myself over and over again. Speaking your faith out is really so important. It will somehow leads to your achievement. You can repeat it a hundred, or even a thousand times! I have to honestly work on this! Speak positively and to keep professing on my faith. Dr Yong was called upon to speak at a conference on the third day because the previous two days, the attendance was not so good (at most 3000 in a 20000 capacity area). He prayed and placed his faith to God and amazingly, he called the organizer to get more chairs that day. The organizer told ...

Wet market is a frequent shopping place for us and we will go there once every two or three days to refill our food stock for the family. Usually I will get the food from the same shops. And yes, at times the price are cheaper than those in NTUC. Those aunties or uncles will recognize me and follow up with me about how's the previous buy? It's quite a good feeling and I'm happy about it. Josh will also help me choose some dry foods such as garlic, onions. And both of our children love to see the aquariums in the wet markets. One thing about wet markets is that it's amazing that the shops still can survive because in the small space constraint, there are over 6-7 stalls selling the same vegetables or fish or meat. Somehow different people patronize them. Of course I have been "cheated" before, told to buy the fish but it turned out to be not fresh. I learnt from it and even know how to choose fresh fish. Quite a few times, I have feedbacked to one of my r...