JESUS LOVES PEBBLES: Reunion dinner with in-laws

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Reunion dinner with in-laws

I have not been to work for the past few days as I have been unwell. Yesterday, I woke up with the intention to go to work. I decided to see a doctor on my way to work in order to obtain medication. When I saw the doctor, she asked me, "Do you know that you are having high fever and your throat is very red?". I was caught unaware about the high fever. Yes, I had been feeling feverish and cold at the same time for the past few days but I attributed that to what I thought was a bout of influenza as I had other symptoms of influenza (such as pain in my body) although I did not have any blocked nose nor runny nose. As it turned out, I had a very bad throat infection, cough and high fever. I was also losing my voice. Taking the doctor's advice, I went home after my visit to the clinic and I slept the rest of the day away. It did not help that the weather seems to be a little hazy these few days (especially at night - there is a burning smell in the air), thereby causing breathing difficulties for me.

This morning, I told Da that I would like to pop by my office for a while to clear my work. As the first day of Chinese New Year this year falls on Sunday, 14 February 2010 and the office will only re-open on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 after the public holidays, I did not want my outstanding work to pile up for such a long weekend. I decided to go to the office in the afternoon in the off-chance that there may be colleagues who may go to the office in the morning to clear work and I did not want to pass whatever virus I had to them, thereby spoiling their Chinese New Year celebrations.

Before I went to the office, we went for a quick bite at the Sunte City outlet of Wang Cafe. Due to the fact that it is Chinese New Year Eve today, Suntec City was not crowded when we went there. In fact, some of the shops were not even open and some were about to close when we arrived at Wang Cafe (around 1+ pm).

I ordered the mee rebus, which I passed to Da after a few bites because I found the gravy too spicy for me.

Da ordered the laksa. He commented that there were no cockles in the laksa. I do not like laksa noodles, otherwise I would not have minded taking over his bowl of laksa if the gravy was not too spicy, as I do not eat cockles, clams, oysters, mussels, "gong-gong", "chut-chut" or any other similar type of food.

As the food came in a set, we were also given some toasted bread that were spread with kaya and butter.

Our brunch cost us slightly more than S$10.

After the brunch, I went to the office to clear my work. I was thankful that there was no one else around otherwise I would have felt very bad had I been the cause of a colleague falling ill during Chinese New Year. I would have liked to clear more work than what I did today but at the slow speed I was working (caused in part to the cough mixture, I should think... there is a warning message on the label that the cough mixture can cause drowsiness and one should not operate machinery when on this medication) and the fact that we had a reunion dinner with FIL and MIL coming up in the evening, I regretfully logged out of my computer at 4+ pm and left the office.

This year, MIL planned to have steamboat for the reunion dinner. Yesterday, she was so considerate and suggested that she and FIL bring the steamboat ingredients to our home tonight for the reunion dinner so that we need not travel to their home. FIL and MIL are aware that I have been unwell lately. However, as MIL was running late in her preparation of the steamboat ingredients today, I told Da to let his mother know not to rush and that we would bring our steamboat to their home instead for dinner.