hawker centre crawling

Some people like to go "pub crawling". Da and I went "hawker centre crawling" today! We patronised a total of three hawker centres today.

On our way to work, we went to Marine Parade Central as we wanted to pass the comforter of our bed to the launderette (located next to the hawker centre) to be washed. Since we were already there, we adjourned to the Marine Parade hawker centre for breakfast. I ate my favourite breakfast bee hoon (vermicelli) while Da ordered a plate of chee cheong fun and some chwee kueh.

Unlike yesterday, which rained cats and dogs during lunchtime, the weather was sunny this afternoon. As such, Da and I met up at the Amoy Street hawker centre for lunch. Da ordered a bowl of porridge while I ate yong tau hu.

As we did not have to work late today, we agreed to leave our respective offices early so that we could visit FIL and MIL. MIL was discharged from the hospital on 6 April 2009 as she opted for home antibiotic treatment. As such, instead of being injected intravenously at the hospital with liquid antibiotics every four hours, she now straps a "water bottle" (containing the liquid antibiotics) to her waist. The contents of the bottle are fed intravenously into her blood stream by way of a tube 24 hours a day. Not only is home antibiotic treatment more costly than a hospital stay, it is more inconvenient. However, the upside is that MIL managed to have a proper night's sleep last night (instead of being woken up by the nurse every 4 hours for injections, pin-pricks on her finger, etc) and she is back in the home environment. For the moment, she will still have to go back to the hospital every morning to change the tube. At an appropriate juncture (as determined by the hospital), the hospital visits will be reduced to every 3 days or so. This will go on for the next 6 weeks or thereabouts.

En route to FIL's and MIL's home, we detoured to the Kallang Airport hawker centre to buy dinner. In the time that it took me to finish reading today's edition of "The New Paper" (including, of course, the soccer section. Go Red Devils, go! Da predicted that Rafael Benitez could not sleep after the Manchester United vs Aston Villa soccer match on 5 April 2009), the stallholder finished frying the three items that we ordered - (a) fried rice, (b) Hong Kong mee and (c) beef kway teow (rice noodles). We also ordered Penang assam laksa from another stall.

In addition to dinner, we also brought to FIL's and MIL's home a box of mini chicken pies which I had ordered through my colleague (and which was delivered piping hot to our office today). I will be honest and tell you that it was difficult to get through the day resisting the temptation to eat one of the mini chicken pies in the office! The aroma filled my room and made it difficult for me to concentrate on my work.

It was good to catch up with FIL and MIL. Hi MIL, we are all praying for your speedy recovery. I would like to share with you what a sister-in-Christ told me today. She said that God is still listening to our cries for help and He is not withholding. Because we are fallen, therefore, we have sickness. Sometimes we question ourselves whether we have really read the Lord's Words and follow through. It is definitely not easy waiting and this waiting really makes us crazy sometimes. We can support each other in prayers and in our needs. We have to continue to claim the promise of God that it is His will for us to be healthy, fruitful and prosperous and He has blessed us. Sometimes we give up just on the border when God wants to answer us. Since we have God's will in the Bible, we should use God's own promises without doubt to continue to pray. This is to teach us to persevere in faith. We must first and foremost focus on Him. Then this waiting and strong desire for the breakthrough will dim. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful ways and the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. And God will answer us. Keep believing without doubt.

By the way, my brother (LG) and his girlfriend (ZT) came back from their short getaway to Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. Hi LG and ZT, I hope that you had a wonderful vacation and I look forward to seeing your holiday photographs! Thank you so much for the goodie bag from Bangkok. Hugs and kisses to you!