Total Recall, Total Flop

I checked my blog and realised that the last time we went Mambo was in Feb 2025. That was a good 10 months ago with Auntie S and R. I got bored of Mambo; it was the same old songs. We got busy too and nobody was desperate enough to plan one. 

One of the other events that I wanted to try was the Total Recall at Zouk. The event plays songs of the 90s and 2000s. I saw a few videos online and thought that it was worth a try. The crowd (in the video) looks like a mix too. Anyway, Mambo has also been invaded by young people. We usually see the mature crowds but also more and more young people. Well, old people get older and had to stop dancing at some point, right? 

It was again just Auntie S and I. We jio-ed but the other aunties were busy. We agreed to meet at Clarke Quay MRT at 11pm. Total Recall was held in Capital, which is another club of Zouk. I haven’t left the house on my own at this time of the night in a long while.

We arrived at the club to see a Q and were slightly excited. Mambo rarely gets crowded before midnight. The queuing crowd looked young. Hmmmm.. then we realised that the queue was for those with table reservations. So many? The queue for cover charge was totally empty. 

We entered the club and it was smaller than Zouk and still very empty despite the Q we saw just now. 

We felt a little out of place and decided to go roam Clarke Quay a little and come back hopefully to bigger crowds. Auntie S thought of getting a cheap alcoholic drink from the 7-11/ NTUC but has forgotten that alcohol sales stop at 10.30pm. 

We re-entered Capital at about 11.45pn and thankfully, it was slightly more packed. We parked ourselves at an empty spot at the bar and crowd watch. Majority are young people; I felt very sad already. I spent some of my time watching people try the free 娃娃机 and thought that Zaky would have parked himself there the whole night if he was here. Did I attempt? No. I duno what I am supposed to do with a plushy in a club if my attempts were successful. 

We danced a little at the bar counter spot and also tried the dance floor. I felt like I was surrounded by hundreds of Nanas and Zakys. It was like a big karaoke session. Everyone knows the lyrics to almost every other song. Nana does that, she is the Shazam of the family. While many of the songs are familiar to me, I duno all the lyrics. So what songs does the club play? There were several Britney Spears, several Bruno Mars, I also remembered Price Tag, Tik Tok and Stereo Hearts. I am sure many of the songs are not from the 90s and 2000s. I don’t hear these songs when I was clubbing in my 20s leh.

It was only 1.30am but I got bored of the young crowd and also being bumped around by the young people. Seriously, they are energetic and I bet we were like them too 20 years ago. Lol. We left and I was feeling very dissatisfied. I bet Auntie S felt the same way too. So, we went to the Warehouse bar, which is a nearby restaurant with a live band. 

Warehouse wasn’t packed. We easily found a table in the restaurant and ordered a cheap beer. 

Both of us are not beer people; I barely drink alcohol to begin with, but it was the cheapest alcohol in the menu. 

The band was doing soft rock and thanks to Daddy Lim and the kids’ training, I know most of the songs. These are what I am made to listen to when I am in the car. We grooved around a little and it was a cosy crowd. A tower of beer, left behind by a patron who needed to leave was passed around. We didn’t need more beer; I can’t even finish my glass. Another table offered us finger food. It felt more like a picnic. lol. 

The last set was completed at 2.45am and we were ready to leave though the restaurant was opened until 4am. As we were leaving, the couple in the table behind us (who offered us finger food) chatted up with us. The lady, who is probably our generation, was very surprised that Mambo still exists. We even exchanged numbers, so that we can jio her to Mambo the next time we go. I got reminded that there are still many of us; the ones who used to club and still have the energy but no longer a comfortable venue to club at ease. I felt so super old in Capital, yet not ready to be satisfied with watching live band and sipping drinks. 

Anyhow, no more Total Recall for me ever. Maybe one day when I have to bring Nana or Zaky to a club. Lol. The next Mambo? Maybe.. Total Recall brought alive my dancing feet that are itching to be curbed with a proper dance workout. 

Mummy Lim

Nana has Influenza A

On Friday, Nana WhatsApp to ask if we have a thermometer at home. I don’t remember and I was in Tokyo. If any, they would be in the kids’ room/ bag, an essential during the Covid months. She thinks that she was coming down with a temperature. Just take Panadol lah. She did that. 

When I saw her on Saturday morning, she was a lifeless lump on the sofa. She said that she was feeling bad and couldn’t sleep. She was running a temperature (as per my hand) and down with a bad flu. I gave her medicine and sent her to bed. She said that it was so bad on Friday. Auntie J came with the kids for worship practice on Friday evening and told me that Nana already looked sick.

She fainted once when she had a stomach flu and fever during Covid, which was likely due to low glucose bcos she wasn’t eating. This time, I made her eat something even when she had no appetite. I gave her a little food whenever the Panadol worked to suppress the fever, which brought back a little appetite. 

The annual Christmas gathering took place on Saturday evening. She was still very sick, and I gave her an option to stay at home. She tagged along. I would too; to be alone at home would be so miserable. 

She had a dose of medicine before the gathering and was feeling fine when we arrived. She was generally low in energy, but managed to lead worship with the group and participated in the quieter, non-physical games. I checked on her constantly and made sure that she had some food. 

The fever came back at 9ish, accompanied by body aches, chills and headache. Uncle C suggested that we get a test kit from 7-11 to check if it is Influenza A or Covid. I forgot that Covid still exist. He also suggested that we give her arcoxia, which is Daddy Lim’s strong medicine for his AS, and also a strong medicine for pain, fever and inflammation. To give her arcoxia, which is at home, would mean that she can’t take Panadol in the meanwhile. 

Nana tahaned and was in such misery during the 18 mins drive home. Even Daddy Lim was compelled to drive faster. Damn stressed. We finally made it home and didn’t dare detour for the test kit. 

Nana went to bed after the arcoxia and whatever cough and flu medicine I could find at home. Daddy Lim and I went to the 7-11 and found a test kit. It is the same swab test but improved!

The line for Influenza A appeared so quickly and strongly

Was I suprised? Not at all - we couldn’t really bring down her fever with Panadols and she had such bad body aches. Then I remembered that the previous Saturday, Daddy Lim had the same symptoms but there wasn’t flu symptoms and he recovered the next day, especially after he vomited whatever that clogged up his system. We had thought that he had stomach flu. Maybe not, and he had passed it on to Nana. 

I had contemplated sleeping in Nana’s room but decided that it was a stupid thing to do, especially when Influenza A is highly contagious. The arcoxia is very powerful; her fever had broke when I checked on her at midnight and she was still fever free at 6am. She was feeling much better on Sunday morning but a visit to the clinic is still a must. 

I found one on the Company’s insurance in Potong Pasir and was opened on Sunday morning. She was given the essential Tamiflu, and the clinic staff said that she would feel so much better by the 3rd dose. Tamiflu is a 5-day course medicine and must be completed. So much medicine. 

Nana was actually feeling much better on Sunday morning, even before the medicine. I told her that it is the power of mummy’s love. I was fussing so much over her the entire Saturday. 

It was obvious that she was recovering. She had energy to scroll social media and even went out for dinner with us on Sunday. Her appetite also improved significantly. 

When I checked on her Monday morning, she was feeling good. She was home alone with Mochi and was very bored. Nana said that cats can get Influenza A from humans. Hmmm.. maybe Mochi shouldn’t spend so much time with her. Mochi doesn’t know how to take medicine on his own and that is another nightmare to talk about. I hope that she doesn’t pass on the virus but wouldn’t be surprised if somebody at Saturday’s gathering fell sick. Fingers crossed.

Get well soon ah, baby. 

Mummy Lim

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Christmas Gathering with the SHSS Family

There are several occasions that the entire group tries to come together, one of them is definitely Christmas. The kids would also block their calendar in advance for this gathering. 

We had the gathering yday. God is good and amidst everybody’s busy year end holiday plans, we have 20 Dec where everybody is in Singapore. Then, God provided the venue; Auntie SR’s sister helped to book a spacious function room in her condo in Tampines. We are now in Rio and Tampines is only 15 mins drive away. Hoho. 

We are such an efficient group; everybody was willing to take up some responsibilities and the tasks were split. We have game masters, food planners, presents coordinators, worship leaders and the best part is that everyone did their task super well. There isn’t a need to follow up or check. We know that things will happen, maybe a little messed up here or there but nothing that cannot be solved or looked over by closing one eye. No stress, no stress. 

The plan was to meet at 5pm. We were slightly late bcos Zaky last min then started packing the bass and the amp. He forgot. Win le. 

I was supposed to host the 1st game at 5pm, which is the scavenger hunt. My slight lateness didn’t disrupt much. The kids were spilt into 2 groups with 30 mins search time. This allowed for the aunties to set up dinner. 

One team gave up and the other group completed the task. 

The list included shoes and watches and crazy stuff. Nobody had an iPhone 17 or enough crosses. So they got creative. 

The group also did a viral tik tok dance. The teens said that this one is very viral, I have no idea. 

The prize? Daddy Lim sponsored $10 for the 5 of them. 

While the teens were running around, Auntie R and Auntie J coordinated the little ones gift exchange. 

Then it was the boys’ turn. 

The girls’.

Dinner was ready and Zaky said grace.

The aircon in the function room was faulty and we moved to another room after dinner. There, the worship team led us into 4 songs. 

We need better mics; I think we sang louder. Hoho. Last year, some of the teenagers did sharing. This year, Auntie J gave her testimony. That was when I realised I didn’t know how she came to receive Christ. Auntie TL said that I should introduce Auntie J. I started, then was puzzled why I had to do that. The kids don’t know her meh?

Auntie J even had her timeline drawn out. She said that she 1st stepped into a church in 1984. Zaky counted his fingers and looked at me. The look on his face said that 1984 is damned long ago. Ya, why? 

The kids were attentive bcos there was an impromptu quiz after that and the kids remembered the 2 verses that Auntie J shared in her sharing. I am very touched. The seeds are sowed. 

The kids started the games. Auntie TL and I were the game masters. 

As usual, some of the games were very physical and now that the kids are so big, the games can get very violent. We tried some quiet games but the teens got bored and we switched back to physical games, even when those were very common party games or games that we had played multiple times. The teens still participated like many years ago, when some of them are actually young adults now. 

The daddies did the gift exchanges while the teens fought it out. 

Actually, we didn’t have to plan any games for the teens, they self entertained very well too. 

We had a special guest, our secondary vball coach - Ms Teo. 

She was instrumental in bringing quite a few of us to Christ and also bible studied a few of us during our secondary years. She was the pillar on how this group came together. Cue for tears. 

It had been a few years since she joined one of our big gatherings. Her threshold for so many teenagers running around, the noise, the little kids running and jumping, should be quite low. I think it would be a few years later before she would join in our big group gathering again. While she knew that we are a close knitted group, and we still met up every now and then with her but without the kids, she has probably forgotten how regularly this group meets up and how close our kids also are. I would be very impressed too if I am an outsider. 

Finally, the ladies’ gift exchange we duno where are the pictures. Lol. We started packing up and returned the function room at 10pm. 

The kids’ according to height. This time, ER and T were arguing fiercely on who is taller. Nana was sick and didn’t have strength to argue. 

So many of us. Praise the Lord. 

I was just checking the planning schedule for next year and realised that I volunteered myself for Christmas planning next year again??!’ Why ah? lol.

Mummy Lim

Last Busines Trip 2025 to Japan, Part 2

I slept so well that the next time I woke up, it was 6.30am. My alarm didn’t ring. Why? My phone was dead, the charging didn’t take place. Without my phone, I can’t play Spotify or YouTube (for HiiT) and thus can’t go to the gym. The gym opens at 6.30am. 

It was frustrating to disrupt routine/ plan. I was frantically trying to figure out if the charging cable or port failed. It was the port. Then my Garmin watch went wonky too. I think the watch is about 2 years old, which explains why the battery has started to fail. In the next half hour, I was busy charging phone and watch and only stepped into the gym at 7am. 

The plan was to do a treadmill run and a HiiT tomorrow but I was late and both treadmills were occupied. I ended up doing my HiiT, but unwillingly bcos I wasn’t mentally prepped to do that. I got that done anyway. The 2 guys were on the treadmill for a long time, they were on it before I arrived and still on it when I left the gym 35 mins later. They were also going on a fast pace. 

I duno what I click wrongly when making the booking but my stay didn’t come with bfast. That was ok, I tabaoed a light bfast and also lunch from 7-11 on the way to the office, knowing that I didn’t have time for lunch. 

What irritated me more was that I brought a pair of thick legging and it didn’t look good pairing with my skirt. I attempted to go without but it was too cold. I had to go to Donki to get an emergency pair and tried to put them on in the tiny toilet with my bags and jackets. Arrrggghhh..

It all worked out. #OOTD

There was a company annual dinner and I got invited. It was bbq beef! 

The dinner was for 3 hours and I got bored after a while bcos they were mainly speaking in Japanese. My limited Japanese didn’t allow me to understand the conversations at all. I was happy when the dinner ended at 10ish. Thankfully, the dinner venue was near to office, which meant that it was near to the hotel too. 

There was quite some beef, but not like buffet bbq quantity. Then a little bowl of cold noodles. 

Followed by this bubble gum flavored sorbet to end it all. 

It wasn’t a lot for men; no wonder all my male colleagues are so slim. I wasn’t hungry but also not like full, full kind and on the way back to the hotel, I went 7-11 to buy chips and chocolates. Well, those completed the dinner. Hoho. There was no time for Donki. 

I reminded myself to use the right charging port, only to realise that I didn’t bring the cable back. Zzzzz. Luckily, my phone was at 75% and it was already 11pm. That means that I should save my battery, stop scrolling and go to bed. 

The alarm went off as planned on Friday morning. My earphones said that battery was medium. Didn’t I just charge it before the trip? This was a weird “power struggling” trip. 

I made it to the gym slightly before 6.30am. While the gym only opens from 6.30am, I was able to enter and helped turned on the lights. The staff came a few mins later and I was already warming up. 

The gym was all mine. The plan was a usual 4.5km jog. About 3.5km into the jog, somebody joined me on the treadmill. His footsteps didn’t sound like a regular treadmill jogger but he was on 1% incline and then high speed at times. I wanted to see how long he would last and got motivated to do my 5km. lol. 

Again, I bought lunch in advance from 7-11 while on the way to work, with my luggage in tow. I was hungry and it was colder than the previous morning. So I couldn’t resist the hot bao. Very nice. 

It was hard work until I left for the airport at 7.30pm. My flight was at midnight. While the car ride would only take about 40 mins, I don’t mind lazing in the business lounge. Before that, to buy the nice Japan snacks. 

I had to run 2 different shops to get this. 

The business lounge is smaller than ANA’s and the food selection is lesser too. Nevertheless, I fed myself well.

The flight home was alright. I struggled if I should wake up for bfast, since I get to rest when home and can afford less rest on the flight, but eventually opted to sleep instead. On the flight home, I saw 4 other kids flying business. A ticket would cost about $6k. I flinched at a $1k ticket whenever we travel.. I cannot imagine $6k per ticket. That would already cost more than my entire trip. 

There were turbulences and one particularly bad that I felt like I was thrown up and down a little. In my sleepy state, I wasn’t too impacted. I woke up and bfast was just served. I asked for coffee and bread. 

Hmmm… it tasted like normal coffee and bread. Haha. 

I had thought that I would rest after I arrived home but Nana was sick and the house was in a mess. I ended up doing laundry and vacuuming and packing. It is ok, at least I slept in the plane. Flying on business and the possibility to lie down and sleep on a flight makes so much difference in a redeye flight. 

Last business trip done and dusted. I am so surprised that the end of the year is really around the corner. I do hope that I have some rest before I have to travel for business again. 

Mummy Lim

Last Busines Trip 2025 to Japan, Part 1

Last year, I stopped business traveling in November and was busily and happily preparing for my own leisure trip at this time of the year. This year, we decided to travel earlier to partially reap on the cheaper airfares but also to “take turns” with colleagues; it is their turn to travel in the later part of December. 

I had to make a final trip to Tokyo. Business trips to Tokyo during the good weather months are very enjoyable. The only problem is the 7 hours flight, which usually means that I had to do 2 redeye flights to maximise my work hours. But I get to fly business class. Hohohoho. 

The flight was at 2.20am. I struggled to stay awake, knowing the risk of oversleeping and missing the flight if I caved in to nap. 

Obviously my brain wasn’t working bcos when I was boarding the Tada, I realised that I had left my jacket at home. Zzzzz. Zaky (and Mochi too) confirmed that. 

I then decided to keep the winter jacket in the checkin luggage but regret it later. I can’t remember how cold/ warm is the Haneda airport and wonder if I would freeze to death after disembarking. At midnight, most of the shops were closed and I ended up buying a $50 scarf. My pocket hurts and is mocking at my stupidity.

I didn’t linger in DFS this time bcos I wanted to visit the business lounge. This is the 1st time that I flew JAL business. I used to think that every airline has their own business lounge at the airport but found out that a group of airlines will “share” a lounge. 

Had I had my dinner? Of course, but I had to munch a bit bcos I was in the business lounge. Don’t waste. 

JAL is more comfy than ANA. Or at least the ANA planes that I had taken were much older. The leg space. Hoho. 

It is another business class flight that I totally forgo the food, entertainment and service. At least I know what was served for bfast. 

I lowered myself into the sleeping position the moment the seatbelt sign is off. In minutes, I was in lala land. I did stir during the flight but when I really woke up, it was by the announcement that we were preparing for descent. I am blessed by the ability to sleep anywhere.

Hello Tokyo! 

It was slightly chilly at disembarkation but the airport was warmly heated. I really wasted $$. I was also worried that my luggage would be lost/ delayed but all good and I got my winter jacket. 

It was about 10ish JST, which is an hour ahead of Singapore. I got a taxi to the office. There were plenty of taxis. The ride took about an hour and call started on the way. 

The weather was chilly but not ass freezing cold. People on the streets are huddled in warm clothing. This is the Japan that I know! 

My colleague and I bought bento for lunch. I always had the impression that Japaneses are very healthy and 7-11 food is nonsense. However, my colleagues’ lunch are usually bento, onigiri, sandwich, instant soup/ noodles from the supermarket or 7-11. I love those food; those are comfort food and I am very happy to have those with the colleagues. Hoho. 

It was a long day of work and I left the office at 7.30pm. I was amazed that the sleep monster nicely left me to work. What was dinner? 

No guilt at all! 

My 2 nights were at the Mitsui Garden hotel and it was a very nice stay. Nope, I was too lazy to use the bathtub.

I did my favorite pass time after dinner - Donki shopping! I spent S$70 shopping on snacks, masks and sunblock. Retail therapy is always good. 

It was almost midnight in Japan when I finally plugged in to charge my phone and go sleep. I found the room too quiet and had Jay Chou on Spotify to accompany me. The bed was comfy and I slept well. S

Good night! 

Mummy Lim