Leah’s Cafe

The Queen tagged me on SAHM or FTWM?

I am not a mom and do not know I am ever going to be a mom, so this is a hypothetical question. And we often hear those glamorous stars say “I am not going to answer any hypothetical questions”. So, end of this tag? :-)

I am no glamorous star, I guess I have to come out with some imaginary reasons for an imaginary answer.

Actually it reminded me of an ex who asked me the same questions when I was in my mid 20s. I didn’t know whether he asked this question to find out whether I am a marry-able material, but I think my answer did turn off our plan to get hitched. What was my answer? ” Yeah, I don’t mind not working, but then you probably won’t find me at home (if I am not working)” I said that jokingly as tongue in cheek coz I was really having a ball of my life at that time going places and doing things. But he took it rather seriously and as they said the rest is history.

Like hubby said, working hard is in my Hakka blood (after he saw how women in my family work like horses). So, I am pretty sure I will not stop working even if I have to stay at home.:-) Actually, after learning about child development and sensitive periods and understand the important of those critical years of development, most probably would work out a way to stay at home and work, or stay with the child at a work if I am ever so blessed to be a mom.

I do see it’s possible to do it (stay with a child) while running a Montessori preschool, though I think I will need my mom or a helper to assist me. Currently, I have a 20 months baby that I occasionally babysit since he was 16 months, he fits in fairly well with the children in the preschool and it’s amazing that older children are so eager to take care of him or teach him.

~~~Instructions~~~
Here’s how it works:
1. So easy peasy, if you were given a choice, would you be a SAHM or FTWM? Just provide 3 good reasons.
2. Include your post link to the list below and Finally,
3. Tag other mommies

List:

1. Immomsdaughter prefers to be a SAHM

2. Miche prefers to be a SAHM too.

3. SweetPea is happy being a PTWM

4. AllThingsPurple choose to be a WAHM

5. Dr. Bernard Chan is both Mom and Dad

6. HijackQueen is a FTWM

7. Lilian Chan, the 5xmom wants the best of both worlds.

8. Leah wants to be a MAW (Mom at Work)

Have not been able to get online too much in the last few weeks, though I managed to visit a few blogs off and on when StreamASS was up briefly. But, most of the time when I was up, streamASS was down. Last week, streamASS finally went back up. But, I had to clear all the paid posts, there are days I stayed up till 2-3 a.m to finish up the backlogs.

ChinNee had long wanted to know how seriously I am infested with Blogivitis, but the procrastinator me and the StreamASS had me kept delaying the MeMe.

I certainly have all the symptoms that everyone talked about:

(1) I woke up in the middle of the night, turned on the computer, went blog hopping, so if you saw me left comments on your blog at 3.00 a.m, I did it in my sleep.:-)

(2) my mum for one thinks my dad and I are nuts “fighting” over computer use over the weekend, dad with his BTComet, me with my blog hopping and she cannot relate to our insane-ness. But hor, how could I win my dad especially when it’s his computer at his house? So it has been no blog hopping for me during weekends.

3) if I happen to have a few minutes be anywhere near a pc or notebook that I can go online, I hop online to check out blogs, …..

4) I started to have withdrawal symptoms when StreamASS was down for two weeks, I missed my blogs, I missed visiting my blog friends and wonder if they would be offended if I don’t go visit them often.

5) I started a few more blogs.

6) I have been doing lots of paid posts at the other money spinning machine coz my shopping list is getting very long, I love this disease coz it helps me to keep my overgrown hobby a.k.a Montessori Preschool running!!

Not going to tag anyone on this, coz almost every blog I visited have done this liao.

Though Malacca has been officially upgraded to be a “city” few years ago, it’s still very much a small town. In fact, living in Malacca is very much like living in a big village, the people in the neighborhood still talk to each other and know each other.

I was born and bred here, except for the 10 years I spent in KL/PJ/US, I came back to live here in 2001. I still like the small town atmosphere and the big village community. I never get used to the big city life! Though I did meet people that I was good friends with in KL/PJ, I find it hard to maintain friendships with all the commuting, work stress and traffic woos that one has to battle on a daily basis.

Malacca is small geographically, it takes less than 30 minutes to travel from one end to another end. Traffics are usually quite alright, so long we could avoid the downtown tourist hubs during the weekends. Malaccans think our house is in the middle of nowhere when we tell people where we live. Actually it’s less than 10 minutes drive from Jusco and 2 minutes from the toll plaza.:-)

In Malacca, people call me “teacher” or “teacher Chong” wherever I go, though I am not their teacher and never taught anybody related to them. I like this close knit community atmosphere, but also dislike this because privacy is not something people respect very much i.e. the strangers I met in the market told me I should quickly get pregnant since age is catching up, the “chap fun” stall auntie wanted to know how much I make, …:-)

Though snatch thieves are rampant especially in downtown tourist areas and crime rate has been rising in recent years, there are still many neighborhoods where people live without layers of locks. But of course if you have valuable jewelry and rare gold coins it’s better to keep them in the rented safe deposit at the bank. We live in the gated community, we seldom lock the gate and the grill, just the wooden door will suffice. There was a break-in in our neighborhood last year, but the police was able to track down and arrest the thief on the same day the crime took place, because the dumb thief left his IC at the checkpoint, and the security guard deligently took down particulars of every visitor.

Cost of living is still relatively lower in Malacca, RM2 can still get you a plate of “wan tan ” noodles for lunch if you know where to find it, sumptuous dim sum buffet at a 5 star hotel ONLY RM30++ per person niah. Houses are still relatively inexpensive. I know I could never afford to live in a gated community in Klang Valley. Our house is in the price range of a medium cost flat in certain area in KL/PJ. In fact, for the price of a double storey link in PJ/KL, one can get a pretty impressive bungalow liao. Though people may not get paid as good as in Klang Valley in certain professions, but I still think it’s a nice trade off for a better quality of life. :-)

* No, I don’t work for a housing developer . :-)

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement (you know who you are, though you are too shy to leave comments ) After a restful weekend and a long talk with hubby, I felt much better now. I went back to my parents’ place for the weekend, the internet service AGAIN was down, just laze around vegetated in front of the idiot box was good.

It’s really that time of the month again, when sugar level plunge, feelings and emotions are chaotic. Sometimes I forget that I am a woman till that day of the month arrives, when I get annoyed super easily, feel frustrated for nothing, get all cranky, disturbed, and worried over a non-intentional word, that the unanswered questions, unseen future could cause much worries and insecurities, that the perceived inattentiveness could bring a massive thunderstorm storm.

It’s also that time of the month when I need all the love, caring and empathy and understanding, solidarity and emotional support, not sweet nothings, buttering or compliments. :-)