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