It’s been a mentally exhausting week. So shall offload here.
Received word just before I was sleeping on Tuesday that an acquaintance had passed on. He was younger than me, and we had so many mutual friends given the fact that we both played music and were from the same religious organisation.
I haven’t encountered a death of a friend who was this close to me. They are usually of people either older, or who I’d just known by sight – not someone who I had a photo with and communicated occasionally over the initial years.
The last message I had from this 小弟 was actually last year when he asked me about my Instagram handle.
A lot of us from the orchestra got to know him via his percussion teacher, who used to be my section senior. We all knew him from that big event, where everyone were in high spirits and we just took photos with many people including some local celebs. I still remember that few days clearly. He had a lot of things going for him and I always thought he would have a great future.
Rest in peace Jacob. Thanks for being the positive younger friend that so many of us had the chance to know.
When things like this happen, we can’t help to think why or what happened. I don’t know if it is due to age, or because I have a new focus now (motherhood), that I was able to easily discard these thoughts of “what happened” whenever they came.
Then was the other expectation that I have to trust people who had broken it because of their history. Unfortunately for this, I have to protect myself and my son, even if it comes from within family. The trust was broken when I was at one of my lowest, and this is not something that I can easily build back or convince myself that it is OK. In fact, it makes me even more anxious, knowing the cause of it.
I am after all human, and if anything, it is just a few months since the series of incidents and I have to take time to heal and come to terms with things too.
*Disclaimer: I am a Haenim 7V ambassador, however, the opinion below are all my own.
I bought my first breast pump in the middle of my pregnancy journey. Unfortunately, the thing about buying a pump when I had no clue what breast feeding or pumping is about, was quite difficult and I’d ended up choosing a pump that I felt wasn’t what I was looking for. This meant spending money on an item that I didn’t really want to use in the end.
I got the chance to use another pump recently, the brand new Haenim 7V. 4 months into my breastfeeding journey, I now know what I really needed and am looking for, hence decided to share my thoughts and views here for mummies researching on what pump to get and not waste their money on the pump.
Read on for a discount promo code!
1. Hospital Grade Pump
What is a hospital grade pump and why should I pick this?
This was the first thing that I’d thought of when I saw the phrase. My first pump was not a hospital grade pump and I suffered the consequences of it – plugged ducts. The milk did not clear well in my breasts which was a cause of plugged ducts. Plugged ducts are really painful and I would never wish it upon anyone else.
Having a hospital grade pump will ensure that the pump is strong enough to pump more efficiently (which means less time taken to clear your breasts of the milk) – you don’t want to spend too much time sitting there everyday pumping when you need more rest, or to spend more time with your baby.
The pump comes in 15 pumping levels and 5 speed cycles, which allows each of us to customise the settings to what we are comfortable with.
The Haenim 7V Breast Pump is a medical grade pump in South Korea, making it a hospital grade pump.
2. Memory Function
Breast pumps usually has 2 modes – the massage as well as the expression mode. The massage mode is used to stimulate a letdown of the milk (the initial flow of the milk) whereas the expression mode is a less quick mode that allows milk to continue flowing from the breast. Each of us has a different preference to how long we want each mode to last for, as well as the strength of the pump.
Here’s something that I don’t realise until I started working again – sometimes, we don’t keep staring at the breast pump machine and we forget to switch modes. Of course this might be OK to some mummies, but for me, it sometimes gets to me.
Having a memory function in the pump would solve this and allows me to set the pump to follow how long I want for each mode, the strength, and I can pump while doing my work or just resting.
This is one of the function that I was most excited about in my Haenim 7V! No need to keep staring at the pump when I’m pumping while working! It automatically switches mode and stops after the time is up!
3. Low Noise Output
I did not realise how important this is until I needed to pump in the middle of the night in the same room as my baby. This usually happens if he feeds on one breast and then fall asleep without feeding on the other breast. If the pump is too loud, you’ll risk waking your baby up and then you’ll have to put them back to sleep again. Therefore, it’s best to look for a quiet pump.
When comparing the Haenim 7V pump with my previous pump, the volume of it is definitely quieter. The pump only produces under 45dB of noise, which makes it quieter than a refrigerator! I could pump without worrying about waking my baby up now.
4. Weight and Size
Most hospital grade pumps are chunky and heavy but not the Haenim 7V. It weighs only 385g! Not only that it is small enough to put in a pouch and place it in your bag.
5. Budget
Pump parts has to be changed every 3-6 months. It is important to get parts that are not expensive. Fortunately, the Haenim 7V Breast Pump is not only affordable, the parts are not expensive too!
Read on for a discount code!
6. Other features
This breast pump is newly launched and other than the above features, it also features a night-light for the middle-of-the-night pumps, the new NexusFit Breast Shields, and even a manual pump (in case you forget to charge your pump but need to pump urgently).
The pump comes in white or black with huge nice LED numbers for easy viewing of numbers too!
Bonus: It comes with a manual pump
The Haenim 7V Breast Pump comes with a manual pump! I’ve always wanted a manual pump as I’ve imagined it to be easier than hand expressing. Turns out it really is! The set that you get in Singapore comes with a manual pump that is light enough for you to just place it in your small bag.
In conclusion
As you can see, all these features can be found in a Haenim 7V!
Go ahead and get a Haenim 7V and try for yourself!
You may purchase it at TLO.com.sg and get an additional 20% discount as well when you key in “Galovesongs” as the promo code!
At tthe start of the journey, I didn’t know that there were so many things that would be helpful in this pregnancy journey.
Of course, back in the olden days, mothers do not have access to these items and got along fine – this was something I struggled a lot with myself as well: whether I should buy these items or not.
In the end, I caved in, and of course, buy within your budget. Look for deals on various platforms: ShopBack -> Qoo10, Lazada, Shopee.
Here’s a list of 7 small but useful things that I’ve bought and used that really helped me with my pregnancy journey that I didn’t know prior to this.
*Note that the links here are not sponsored but some of them do provide me with a small referral fee as an affiliate link.
1. Bra Extender
One of the first things I wished I’d got was this! I outgrew my bras very quickly due to the increase in my chest size and couldn’t wear some of my bras. However, there were a few that had bigger cup sizes and I was able to still fit but the band was too tight!
Instead of getting new bras (which were not cheap, and the size will keep expanding), I went ahead and got a few bra extenders instead.
I got mine from the below from Qoo10 – you could get one or 2 and keep rotating them between the bras that you have.
[S$0.35](▼83%)★Buy 5 Free 1★Bra Extender/ Low Back Converter/Transparent Bra Strap/Bra Accessories
WWW.QOO10.SG
2. Maternity Underwear
One of the first things that I bought were maternity underwear. My underwear were getting tight on my lower tummy during early pregnancy and I was worried that it would affect my baby, hence I went ahead to get some maternity underwear after seeing some recommendations from mummies groups on Facebook. The below shop at Qoo10 has quite value-for-money stuff.
I decided to just buy maternity/nursing bras as this will allow me to wear for a longer period of time. I got mine from Envy Her that has quite comfy maternity/nursing bras, as well as Our Bralette Club (their Tiger Mum’s bralette is soooo comfy!!).
Will also be buying from Maternity Express at Qoo10 as theirs are quite cheap if you are looking for more budget friendly options.
[S$3.99](▼94%)2019 BEST BRA SELLER♥MATERNITY EXPRESS♥♥♥seamless maternity nursing bra handsfree pump pumping bra♥
WWW.QOO10.SG
4. Essential Oil Kit for Pregnant Mums
I’ve bought a few of these Essential Oil Kits for my pregnant mum friends from Essentials for Q and when it was finally my turn, I got one for myself too!
Especially at the beginning, I didn’t have morning sickness but standing on trains were just difficult. Especially when there wasn’t a visible bump yet, you probably wouldn’t get any seats. The nausea roller was a good help and I use the muscle relaxant for my post cramps.
My first trimester made me feel very bloated as well, and the intake of carbs were something that I wasn’t used to (I didn’t really eat carbs pre-pregnancy). I used the tummy rub in this kit as well to help myself feel better.
5. Compression Socks
The leg cramps from 2nd trimester onwards were quite painful. Some friends have resorted to just going for massages (whether by their husband or prenatal massages) but the post-cramp muscle aches were just too terrible for me and I ended up caving in and buying a pair of compression socks. Also, pack this in your birth bag as some friends have told me that some hospitals would expect you to wear post-delivery as well.
So far so good for me – I’ve heard that it doesn’t work for everyone.
[S$24.50](▼11%)Dr. Scholl ‘Medi Qtto Short Open Toe Compression Socks (For Sleeping Made in Japan)(A99600483)
WWW.QOO10.SG
6. Stretch Marks Reduction Oil
There are a few Stretch Marks Reduction Oil Brands around – I’m currently using the famous Bio Oil which my sister gave me, and also bought Palmer’s Stretch Mark Massage Oil that I’ll be using once Bio Oil is used up.
7. Extra pillow
You don’t really need to buy this if you have extra pillows at home. Just use this to put in between your legs when lying sideways in order to align your hips when you sleep sideways from 2nd trimester onwards!
Day 3: Shinsegae Spa Land, Haeundae Beach, around Haeundae
Shinsegae Spa Land Address: 35, Centumnam-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan
We didn’t plan much for day 3 other than the spa. Unfortunately Eugene wasn’t feeling too well in the morning so we decided that I would go for the spa/sauna alone while he waits for me in the mall (he ended up catching a movie). I was pretty worried that I might break any rules while in the spa so did a lot of googling the night before. I thought it’ll be helpful if I post some of my experience here to share with others who are worried as well.
We reached the Centum City mall a little earlier than 10am so it wasn’t open yet. It took us a while to find the entrance to the spa. Look for Exit 12 and walk all the way straight (see the map on this page for reference: https://www.koreatodo.com/shinsegae-centum-city-spa-land). We ended up asking the departmental store staff for help (one wasn’t particularly friendly oh well) and got to the entrance just fine.
Upon reaching the counter, you pay for your entry and the cashier will hand you a receipt with a number. This is the number that you need to remember. Upon entering, it will be a shoe locker area – head to your number, place your shoes inside the locker and remove the key at the locker. Then you use that key to enter the spa area.
Upon entering, head to the respective gender locker room. Again, look for your locker number and use that same key to open and lock your locker. Do note that in the locker room, there will be others who are changing or walking around in their birthday suits so don’t use any cameras for privacy.
After getting into your birthday suit (aka nude), and bring along your soap, shampoo, conditioner etc. For ladies, I headed to the “pool area” where the showers and scrubbing areas are at and look for an empty seat to sit and clean yourself.
After you are done washing up, you can head to the various hot spring pools to soak. There were about 6 of them and the outdoor ones but it was raining when I went so I wasn’t able to go to the outdoor pools.
After about 30minutes, I wore the given clothes and went to the mixed gender area. There were various hot rooms for you to enjoy and sweat it out!
My leg muscles were not so sore after that. Also tried the massage chair which made me relax after that.
As always, the “traditional” way to enjoy a Korean sauna is to buy sikhye (rice water) and eat boiled eggs!
Shinsegae Mall
After meeting up with Eugene, we had a quick meal at the foodcourt and tried their Jjajiangmyeon – a Korean version of the Chinese 炸酱面(zha jiang mian). I always thought that it would be salty but it was tasty! The sauce was made with a lot of mushrooms and I totally understood why people would eat it – I would too!
There were other stalls at the foodcourt and an ice skating rink if you would like to visit.
Haeundae Beach
We took the train back to Haeundae, and walked to the Haeundae Beach. There were various routes to the beach, but all in all it was about a 10mins walk from the Haeundae station.
It’s a big stretch of the beach and we had fun walking around and watching the locals play in the water.
There were floats provided as well which I thought was quite a nice touch!
Be sure to also take a picture by the “Haeundae” sign.
60계치킨 (60 Chicken)
We found this fried chicken place operated by non-locals by the street along the way back to our hotel. Their name is called “60 chickens” because they only sell 60 chickens everyday.
I wanted to mention it as it’s pretty good! Do check it out.
Written in 2015 🙂
I wanted to write something really comprehensive, but I think the information that most people want to know should be present here most importantly.
Here’s the steps and process that we went through so far after we got our queue number: Selection of Flat
1) Look at all the available maps and plans on the map and make a few choices before you go.
2) Keep track of
Basically, we went to pay for our HDB 5% down payment yesterday, and as much as I can remember, here is what to expect:
1) Prepare your documents as per the letter before you go – especially the decision about being Joint Tenants, or Tenants-in-common.
2) When you are there, the officer will check your IDs, then go through all the documents required. You’ll just basically understand them and sign.
The thing here I would say, is to read through as much as you can on HDB’s website. It’s quite comprehensive. Since you’re spending so much money (albeit from CPF, it’s still money that you earned), might as well just do it properly. 😛
Let’s just say that cause and effect is the most interesting and amazing law that I have ever observed based on recent events.
It sounds quite cheesy, but if the major turning point didn’t happen, I probably wouldn’t have gone to Hong Kong with Audrey, Bi Neng and Tommy. I was rather upset then, and wanted to be alone myself somewhere and I thought HK would be a good escape for me to get my mind off things. Tricia suggested asking Audrey along, as it wouldn’t be safe for me wandering along the streets of HK alone. And I’m honestly glad I did! 🙂 Along the way with regards to the planning, Audrey’s bf Bi Neng joined us, and also her brother Tommy. To be perfectly honest, I had only met Bi Neng once before he agreed to join us in this trip, and I had never really talked to Tommy before. It was all exciting. 🙂 And if the turning point didn’t happen, I would have been the closed minded angry me, who because I was trapped in such unhappiness then, would be unable to open my life up to be happy to have more people around me.
I was pretty much in a direction of self-destruction before the turning point happened. Okay anyway, enough about it.
These 12 days I felt were the best 12 days I ever had in a really long time. It was only Audrey and I staying over at Tricia’s for the first 8 days (2 days in Macau too) and Tommy and Bi Neng joined us on the last 4 days of the trip.
I probably did a lot the most DMK for this trip (much more than the Chengdu trip) and even on the trip itself. Of course, having good company definitely helped and I really want to thank Audrey for accompanying me these 12 days, Tricia, for allowing us to stay at her place foc, Tommy for taking care of whatever that I didn’t notice and Bi Neng for joining us. 🙂
Even though we’ve been back for more than 1 month, I still can’t stop telling everyone how awesome this trip was and I am pretty glad that I am still really good friends with Audrey and Tommy!!
Going to put random pictures here and a few sentences here and there.
This post was supposed to be a complaint, but I wrote in to the blogshop that I wanted to complain about and they replied me. But I realised that they don’t really know how to handle customer complaints.
So much has happened, and I guess I’ll slowly blog about the events then. 🙂
Hwa Swee introduced me to this song. LOVE THE SONG. By Jason Mraz :
Geek In The Pink
well let the geek in the pink take a stab at it
if you like the way I’m thinkin’ baby wink at it
i may be skinny at times but I’m fat full ‘a rhymes
pass me the mic and I’m a grab at it a
well isn’t it delicious crazy way that i’m kissin’
this baby listen to this don’t wanna miss it while it’s hittin’
sometimes you gotta fit in to get in
but don’t ever quit cuz soon i’m gonna let you in but see
i don’t care what you might think about me
you’ll get by without me if you want
well i could be the one to take you home
baby we could rock the night alone
if we never get down it wouldn’t be a let down
but sugar don’t forget what you already know
that i could be the one to turn you out
we could be the talk across the town
don’t judge it by the color, confuse it for another
you might regret what you let slip away
Like the geek in the pink
Well like the geek in the pink, yeah
The geek in the pink
well this relationship fodder don’t mean to bother nobody
but cupid’s automatic musta fired multiple shots at her
because she fall in love too often that’s what the matter
at least I’m talkin about her keep my pattern of flattery and a
she was staring through the doorframe and
eyeing me down like already a bad boyfriend
well she can get her toys outta the drawer then
cause i ain’t comin’ home, i don’t need that attention, see
i don’t care what she might think about me
she’ll get by without me if she want
well i could be the one to take her home
baby we could rock the night alone
if we never get down it wouldn’t be the let down
but sugar don’t forget what you already know
that i could be the one to turn you out
We could be the talk across the town
don’t judge it by the color, confuse it for another
you might regret what you let slip away
hey baby look at me go
from zero to hero
you better take it from a geek like me
well i can save you from unoriginal dum-dums
who wouldn’t care if you com…plete them or not
so what I’ve got a short attention span
a coke in my hand
because i’d rather have the afternoon, relax and understand
My hip hop and flip flops well it don’t stop with the light rock
my shot to mock you kinda puts me in the tight spot
the hype is nothing more than hoo-hah so
i’m developing a language and i’m calling it my own
so take a peek into the speaker and you’ll see what i mean
that on the other side the grass is greener
i don’t care what you might think about me
you’ll get by without me if you want
i could be the one to take you home
baby we could rock the night alone
if we never get down it wouldn’t be a let down
but sugar don’t forget what you already know
that i could be the one to turn you out
we could be the talk across the town
don’t judge it by the color, confuse it for another
you might regret what you let slip away
like the geek in the pink
well i’m the geek in the pink, yo
Geek is the color for fall
i’m the geek in the pink
So i’m the geek ya’ll..In the pink ya’ll..
Geek is the color for fall I’m the geek in the pink
