Prattle

We were planning to attend the 11.30am church service but Joseph dozed off on the couch as we prepared to depart. So who is the real boss in the house, and who has the final say? We may have planned to leave the house earlier but Joseph's falling asleep dictates otherwise.

Yes, several times had similar incidences occurred, our activities or planned moves seemed hampered by this small hurdle of a child, but we don't really mind. There was a time when I did what I like, went where I wish, at just anytime I wanted. I don't anymore, and I see that I won't be doing that anytime too soon either. A couple of years more, then we'll regain something of our former freedom and flexibility, yee-hah...!!

My recent five-day job assignment left me quite exhausted, and I began to understand the nation's dependance on foreign domestic help. Having to wake extra early to prepare son and self, dropping him off at the childcare centre before rushing off to work, picking him up in the evening, making sure he's fed, bathe, spoken to, played with, given medicine, and finally sent to bed with a bottle of milk at 9pm. While Joseph snoozed contentedly, my second job starts, that is, tackling the house chores, till late at night. Wahaha... it's as though I'm holding down two jobs instead of one! No wonder almost every household in Singapore has a maid, or help from parents-in-law, especially if both spouses work full-time.

Now, I have decided to pray and believe the Lord for half-week or half-day assignments next, so that I won't be running on adrenaline half the time. Some of my friends are tickled pink when I go delirious (from lack of sleep); well, I'm glad they are entertained, really; but on some days I'd sure like to have a good sound sleep and recharge myself proper.

William and I watched this foodie progrmme on CNA in the morning and it proclaimed that the world's biggest ice cream devourer is New Zealand, followed closely by USA and Canada. But what if they measured the total litres of ice cream consumed and divide that amount against the population of each country, would the result still be the same? Wouldn't smaller countries like Singapore and Taiwan chalk up big numbers as well?

Just a prattle, Napoleon Bonaparte was said to have died by poisoning, as traces of arsenic was found in his hair, but no murderer had been arrested. Meanwhile, a certain group of people firmly held the belief that he had cancer, precipitated by a chronic stomach ulcer condition. Other theories suggests that his doctors killed him, through over-zealous use of vomit-inducing medicine and enemas, leading to potassium deficit, which in turn caused abnormally rapid heartbeats. Today, modern science suggests that he could have been killed in his own living room by..... the wallpaper!

During Napoleon's time, a green motif wallpaper, which was all the rage, had copper arsenide added to the material. In its own form, copper arsenide is harmless, but if moistened (e.g. by the presence of mould) could produce a colourless vapour, arsenic in gaseous form. Researchers found that Napoleon had indeed used the same green wallpaper, which had moulded during the wet season, thus the new theory of the cause of his death; that he died after inhaling arsenic, in his own living room.

Ooh... Joseph has just awoken from his nap! Alright, it's time to prepare to leave for church service, again. Let's go, William!