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Witnessing my father's final days
The need for a morning alarm clock was once again obviated by my nervous energy in anticipation of a long day of traveling. Still, planning a breakfast no more substantial than a mug of chamomile tea, I had little reason to rouse myself from bed before the alarm clock went off as scheduled, so I just lay around listening to the recent albums ripped to my portable music player. When the alarm clock finally did activate, I eased myself out of bed and into the kitchen for some tea. Then I spent some time tidying up, putting dishes away and mopping down the sink, so as to leave the place a little cleaner for Mark's stay.
I left the house around 5:30 and took Bayfield St. to University Blvd., where I would catch a C4 bus going to PG Plaza. I actually missed the first C4 bus that passed by, because I was standing at a RideOn stop rather than a Metro bus stop. This delay made little difference to my overall travel plans, and in fact it gave me the chance to walk a couple hundred more yards before getting strapped down to endure the forced inactivity of a long plane ride.
The three-legged outbound journey featured two connections, neither of which would require taking a shuttle between terminals. Despite this convenience, the connection at the Detroit airport had precious little down time between landing and takeoff, so I started to worry upon hearing that the first leg of my journey would suffer a half-hour delay. Would this vacation be over before it even began, and would the trip insurance I purchased prove worthwhile after all?
Thankfully the first delayed takeoff didn't affect my ability to meet the next flight. Like the missed C4 bus, in fact, it put a spring in my step as I marched the length of the Detroit airport to reach gate A30. This burst of exercise would be followed immediately by at least twelve hours sitting passive and sedentary on the plane to Tokyo.
Sandwiched between a Filipina on my right and a Japanese lady on my left, I flew to Tokyo and ended up watching only three feature-length films. The Tagalog-language film The Love Affair was subtitled in English, so when it appeared at a comfortable viewing distance on the screen diagonally ahead on my right, I got sucked in and could easily follow along. Later I selected The Revenant from the touchscreen just a mere eight inches from my face, and later still, All the President's Men in the last couple hours before landing. Due to licensing issues across the different regions, the movie selection would be slightly different on the last leg of my trip, but by then I might have found myself more in the mood for a nap or for reading.
A long layover in the Tokyo airport allowed me to brush teeth, stretch out for a nap on a lounge chair, and make some progress in my reading of Angela's Ashes. I followed the advice of some other young-ish travelers and attached myself to the boarding queue only toward the end of the boarding process, thereby shaving about 3% off the total remaining time spent in cramped quarters.
On the seven-hour flight to Singapore I finally got around to watching Mockingjay Part 2, although I missed about twenty minutes in the middle when tiredness forced me to shut my eyes. The rest of the time on this leg of the trip was spend napping or exploring new music on the in-flight entertainment system. I didn't even bother to accept the in-flight meal, figuring that some fasting would be beneficial after all the feeding that occurred on the 12-hour Detroit-to-Tokyo flight.
To my surprise it was Mom who greeted me at the airport just after I cleared customs and immigration, when I had expected Uncle John instead. In fact both of them had come to meet me, but Uncle John was still finishing his meal at Burger King when I exited the secure area. He led us back to the Terminal 2 carpark and drove us to NUS Residential College 4.
Saving for daylight my first proper tour of the whole apartment, I limited my activities to the rooms farthest from Papa's hospital bed so as not to disturb his sleep. I brushed teeth, took a cold shower, and then lay down in the first comfortable sleeping position since the Tokyo airport.
Visit from clinical psychologist Dr. Gabriel Tan
Visit from Papa's former schoolmate Cheong Loong
Still suffering from jet lag, I awoke this morning with plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast without disturbing my sleeping parents, who slept soundly up until the 7 o'clock hour. I didn't pay close enough attention to Mom's directions and ended up taking a roundabout route to church, although I still arrived in time to catch all the readings. Upon returning to the apartment at 8:48, I was invited to partake in a second breakfast.
Mom left me in charge of the domestic duties while she attended the 9:30 mass, so I tried to make the place presentable for the guests we'd soon be hosting. First to arrive was Papa's colleague John, followed shortly after by his old Penang classmates Pengkhuan and Arlene. Papa's brother John also dropped by for a while, lending his views on computer upgrade cycles and the origin of "cookies" in web browsing terminology.
Katherine Chinn joined the lunch party as well, making the valuable contributions of picking up pizza to go and helping Arlene set up an account on GoodReads (a social media site for bibliophiles). Katherine's expertise in mobile devices also allowed Mom to finally update the software on her iPad.
To treat the rashes that have broken out on Papa's skin in response to the Sunitinab medication, Mom and I have been using the meat of an aloe vera plant, cut open as indicated by Pengkhuan. Now there's another therapy that Papa can call for in the middle of the night.
Today Mom didn't schedule any visitors, so she and I took turns going out. Mom made an early morning trip to the grocery store, during which I got out the mop and cleaned the floor. Then it was my turn to leave the apartment, and I followed Mom's suggestion of swimming in the Kent Vale pool. I took a longer route back home, going down the hill of Clementi Woods and exploring the area around West Coast Plaza.
The next two outings both went to Mom: a George Clooney movie just after lunch, and a watercolor class in the evening. I stayed home all afternoon and helped with domestic duties, including a load of laundry, cleanup of the lunch dishes, and backing up computer files from a malware-infested laptop.
Notes on the Dr. Toh consultation
Getting to the hospital required a taxi; Uncle John doesn't like driving during the morning rush hour. In the hospital lobby we borrowed a wheelchair for helping Papa move around during our visit. On the second storey we waited for our number to be called for Papa's turn in the care of a phlebotomist. Then there followed an even longer wait while the blood tests were performed, so we had a couple hours free to catch up on reading and to grab a snack from the outdoor cafe.
With the arrival of Uncle John around 10:30, there wouldn't be enough chairs for all of us in Dr. Toh's office. Dr. Toh explained that the sunitinab would have to be discontinued for a week, because its more dangerous side effects had started presenting after these first two weeks of use. The rashes and yellow skin could definitely be attributed to sunitinab, but the vomiting and constipation of recent days are less clearly linked to the medication. Without this medication in the upcoming days, the only defense Papa has against the reencroachment of cancer is a healthy body, to which end we are advised to monitor his diet with extra vigilance this week.
Mom left me alone with Papa twice this afternoon: first to file a medical insurance claim based on today's bill, and later to clean out the two desk drawers in Papa's UHall office. When Mom got back, I went out on some errands of my own, first to run around West Coast Park, and then to pick up some groceries on the way back. I returned home to the smell of a chicken curry that Mom had cooked while I was out.
Although we polished off the whole batch of chicken curry, Papa played only a small part in this effort. His tastebuds mistakenly reported a high level of spiciness, while both Mom and I found it mild. Papa resorted to bland liquids as his nutrient delivery vehicle, making Mom feel unappreciated for all her work in the kitchen. I sensed rising tension in the subsequent deliberation over what he should eat, as the two of them second-guessed each other's patience in the face of slow progress, and commitment to the recovery program.
This morning Mom baked some apple crisp, which came out of the oven just in time for the arrival of fellow NUS faculty Poh Seng and a former colleague of Papa's from ESI. Papa woke up to engage in lively conversation on the latest developments in his field.
Lunchtime guests would include Arlene, Delph, and Katherine, but I managed to squeeze in a quick swim at the Kent Vale pool between the first and the second wave of visitors. Katherine brought Subway sandwiches, while Arlene brought okono miyaki (Japanese pancakes).
After the guests all left, Mom and I logged on to Netflix and watched the pilot episode of Orphan Black. Despite the cliffhanger ending, I could sense my energy level waning when the episode wrapped up. Since Mom didn't want to continue with the second episode right away, I decided to fight the urge for a nap by cooking a coconut cashew curry in the kitchen.
Mom went out this evening for yoga class, without even sampling the curry before she left. Papa only managed a few bites, so the bulk of what I cooked would end up in the refrigerator.
Mom's social engagements today included a book group meeting in the morning and a birthday party in the evening. During her morning outing, Papa and I received three waves of visitors, starting with Cheong Loong and his wife Jane. Then Papa's NUS colleague Martin showed up, expressing approval at the choice of background opera music, which I had put on at Jane's suggestion. Finally we heard from Papa's office mate Mui Koon, who brought an entourage of her colleagues and gifts of herbal tea and Japanese snacks. These offerings of finger food added to a cache already replete with such donations, and with Papa's abysmal appetite these acts of charity will primarily benefit me and Mom.
Inspired by Mom's attempt this morning to print her tickets from an awkward position sitting on the spare bed, I moved the printer from my room to the living room, where it could be networked more easily with a short patch cord to the dlink router.
This morning I finally set out on a solo hike to the Southern Ridges tourist attractions, starting with the Kent Ridge Park. I followed the road signs but ended up cutting through a dense tropical forest before finding the paved trail. Then I stuck to the more well-trodden paths for the rest of my adventure, which included a canopy trail, HortPark, the Alexandra Arches and the Henderson Waves. I caught the 166 bus on Telok Blangah Road and walked the rest of the way from the Dover Road, Buona Vista intersection.
The apartment was already filled with visitors by the time I arrived at 12:30. Papa's colleagues and former mentees Ryan, Richard, and Seng were there, as were Katherine and Uncle John. We had more than enough food to go around, thanks to Ryan who ordered pizza and Katherine who picked up Thai Express and Uncle John who brought carry-out noodles. John Richardson, the resident fellow on another floor, poked his head in briefly but declined to lend us his appetite to help move all this food along.
Papa napped in the afternoon shortly after taking his pain medication, giving Mom and me the chance to continue our TV series on Netflix. Then I moved to the chair by the living room windows to read the last couple chapters of The Golden Compass.
I went for a swim in the evening to work off some of the excess energy from lunch. This time I used the pool above the Kent Vale fitness center rather than the pool by Clementi Woods. On the way home I picked up some sunblock, disposable razors, and soy milk.
Early-morning thunderstorms brought a brief dose of cooling rain, which made Katherine and Brian's trip to RC4 more pleasant. When they arrived in the 8 o'clock hour, the first thing I noticed was Brian's shorter haircut, which he later explained as an attempt to dissipate body heat more efficiently. Papa remained in the deck chair throughout Katherine and Brian's visit, mostly napping but joining in for brief contributions to the discussion. Brian recommended that we try ordering groceries online, and Katherine mentioned the name of a startup that could connect us with home health aides.
Lunch was a quieter affair than yesterday, with no new dishes and a dutiful effort by me and Mom to go through some leftovers. After lunch Mom and I tuned into Netflix for the next episode of Orphan Black, getting through all but the final three minutes before Papa's call for help forced us to put the show on pause.
I took a long nap this afternoon to compensate for the interrupted sleep that mosquito bites had caused starting at 2 a.m. I woke up just in time to greet another batch of guests, who stayed until 7 p.m. and continually reiterated a generous offer of fetching anything we might need, since their daily commutes take them right past UTown.
My cousin Christian got admitted to the hospital upon his return from Hong Kong, in order to deal with an abscess that had grown dangerously large during his vacation. As a result, our guest list today included only Katherine, who arrived after lunch and stayed a few hours keeping Papa company.
While Katherine was there to help Mom with the caregiving, I went out to explore Clementi Woods and the NUS/NUH campus. In keeping with a habit I developed in the Washington area to get rid of accumulated loose change, I tried to lighten my wallet by putting small bills on my MRT card. Because the Singapore mass transit system (unlike its counterpart in Washington D.C.) imposes a minimum top-up value, all I got was a receipt with instructions to see the station staff.
Papa suffered yet another sleepless night, this time due to aches throughout his body rather than the itchiness of mosquito bites. Staying awake to attend on him, Mom only managed to catch some sleep starting at 3 a.m. I woke up in the 4 o'clock hour to take over the caregiving responsibilities, except that I was at a loss to locate Papa's diabetes pill, which I had not yet administered in all my days here so far. After giving him a dose of the morphine mist, I rested in bed for another hour until called upon to help wheel him downstairs and fill out the NUS conflict of interest form in his resident fellow office.
When we got back to the apartment from this excursion, Mom was brewing a pot of tea and offering me the chance to eat a second breakfast. Little did I know when declining this offer that the first breakfast I ate at 5 a.m. would have to last almost 14 hours, as an emergency visit to the National Cancer Centre would have us sitting vigil by his bedside until space opened up in the hospital ward.
I went out for a run in West Coast Park and Clementi Woods at 8:30. When I came back at 10:15, Mom was making arrangements to have Papa transported to NCC for a walk-in consultation with Dr. Toh. The precipitating event this time, Papa's vomiting of all the solid food we prepared for him this morning, continued a trend of insufficient food intake that had been getting worse all week (at least since our last appointment with Dr. Toh). Luckily the vomiting occurred in an area easily mopped up, and not on the sofa where leakage from the rim of the urinal happened yesterday.
Arlene and Sister Geraldine teamed up to secure transportation of Papa in his wheelchair straight to the National Cancer Centre. Mom and Sister Geraldine rode with Papa in the back of a wheelchair-accessible van courtesy of St. Joseph's Home (the same eldercare facility that had donated the hospital bed for Papa's use). From the NCC lobby we wheeled Papa to the lift and then to Clinic C, where Dr. Toh had informed the staff to expect us.
We met with Dr. Toh shortly after our arrival. He quickly agreed with our assessment that Papa's condition had become too precarious to manage at home, and Papa would have to be admitted for inpatient treatment. To address Papa's shortness of breath, they hooked him up to an oxygen tank. An x-ray was taken in order to determine whether his lungs had filled up with fluid as a result of the advancing tumor. This condition might be remedied by an operation to drain the lungs.
Between the taking of x-rays and the placement of Papa in a ward of the hospital, Uncle John stopped by to offer his support. He encouraged us to keep pestering the clinic nurses about transfer to the ward, lest we be forgotten and ignored for the rest of the day.
In the 18:00 hour, we finally got word that a bed in the hospital had been allocated for Papa, and we only needed to wait for an ambulance to become available. This mode of transportation seemed overly cautious, since just yesterday Papa had enjoyed a leisurely ride in his wheelchair almost the same distance as that between NCC and SGH Block 7.
Papa got settled in Ward 74, Room 9, Bed 1, around 19:00. By then we had run out of tissue paper, and our request to the nurses for another box needed to be repeated several times before one was forthcoming. The nurses seemed to be more focused on completing the admission paperwork.
The on-call MD, Dr. Sumit, came by to introduce himself and assure us that Papa would be cared for most competently. Sumit's familiarity with the patient records and all the medications Papa was taking helped to reinforce this impression.
Mom and I left the hospital shortly before 20:00, saying goodbye to Papa one last time. We caught the 33 bus back to Dover Road and then raided the fridge to assemble for ourselves a long-awaited meal.
Only three more weeks before I fly back to the US! Now that her dependent's pass will soon be revoked, here's a list of closing tasks needed for Mom's transition out of Singapore.
1. contact US embassy, IRS, SSA to report Papa's death.
2. cancel cable TV subscription and cell phone.
3. find new homes for cookware, dishes, books and clothes.
4. repair the DVD player or at least eject the stuck disc.
5. file for long-term visitor status with Katherine or Brian as hosts.
6. settle outstanding hospital bills.
7. write thank-you notes.
8. clear out NUS office and return equipment (phone, laptop, ID, keys).
9. decide whether to keep or to sell the loom and the fiber.
10. buy 1-way ticket back to US.
11. return bikes to Hoon Eng and Paul.
12. donate diabetic supplies to St. Joseph's Home, and return borrowed equipment:
13. notify financial accounts of death.
14. look for will.
15. return Kent Vale card to Gabriel.
16. select books for donation to Paul Kratoska's charity.
After carrying around a bag of old pens for donation to the bin outside PC Commons and not finding the chance to drop them off for several days, I finally went out this morning and emptied the bag, which lightened my load ahead of a long walk through NUS and back along Dover Road. A couple hours later, Mom and I started out on the same route but then went through Kent Vale to catch the 143 bus on West Coast Road. We rode on the upper deck of a double-decker bus and only climbed downstairs once the bus had made its first stop on Kampong Bahru Road.
At the chapel of repose Katherine was already there ready to greet the expected visitors. Arlene had baked some chocolate rum cake and sliced it up for wide distribution among friends and family. Mom's contribution of a fruit bowl from our refrigerator surplus meant that we were well supplied in the sweets department, but somewhat lacking in the savory department. Aunt Jo and Uncle John would try to plug this gap by picking up some food on their way to St. Teresa's.
Among the guests who arrived shortly after lunch was Lily Wong from the Environmental Management and Sustainability program. Lily happened to have a spare ticket to the indoor exhibits of Gardens By The Bay that she wanted to give away before it expired this evening. I volunteered to take advantage of the ticket, so I left the wake shortly after the mid-day prayers and walked to the Harbourfront MRT.
The shorter route to the Bayfront MRT would have involved a transfer from the Northeast Line to the Circle Line, but I set out instead on the Circle Line at the very beginning. By the time the train pulled up to the Kent Ridge station, I had lost the necessary patience to endure the rest of the roundabout trip, so I exited and went back to the RC4 apartment to unload my bag and brush teeth.
At 16:24 I set out again, this time taking Dover Road to the Buona Vista station. I rode the train along the greater part of the Circle Line until reaching the Bayfront MRT. The signage guided me easily to the appropriate exit, and soon I was wandering along the paths through heritage gardens (Malay, Chinese, and Indian) on my way to the ticketed indoor exhibits. Today I only had time for Cloud Forest, but I didn't mind missing out on the Flower Dome because I had seen it 18 months ago, and at the time I had promised myself not to come back without a proper camera. In the three weeks I have left, surely there will be time to make another trip with the necessary picture-taking equipment.
Mom, Peggy and I take public transportation to Hougang, where we meet Katherine and Uncle John. In Uncle John's car we drive to the Mandai crematorium and pick up Papa's ashes, storing them in the heavy urn that David Lim got for us. We drive back to West Coast and go out to eat at the Indian restaurant just a few doors down from Island Penang Kitchen. We host a crowd of friends and relatives in the evening, followed by a prayer session to commemorate the seventh day since Papa's passing. Leftovers for the evening meal include two tubs of chicken soup, one tub of pork lo mein, and one deep pan of frozen lasagna.
Aunt Peggy continues to help us clear through Papa's old files and to obliterate the engraving of Mom's SSN from her table loom. Aunt Peggy and Mom go out with Arlene for lunch, while I stay behind to finish up some leftovers and continue skimming through Papa's files.
Mom leaves the apartment around 9:00 and walks to NUH for her mammogram appointment. I dig through one of the closets in my room and find two plastic boxes filled with pens. Heavy rain hits our locality, but I still go outside for a bit to deposit the contents of these boxes in the pen recycling bin outside PC Commons. After the rain clears, I go swimming in the Kent Vale pool.
Another rainy morning, but this time both Mom and I stayed indoors, awaiting a visit from the NUS human resources people who would discuss with us the death benefits and the timing of the employment pass cancelation. Later Uncle John showed up, followed by two representatives of a company that turns ashes into diamond. I showed the latter two up to the apartment and left them with Mom and Uncle John, then turned around and went running in West Coast Park. On the way back I stopped at the big Sheng Siong to buy some supplies for a dinner of sweet and sour pork. In the evening I finally got the MacBook Pro to mirror its screen on the Sharp TV using an HDMI cable, so I was able to watch the first half of The Terminal, recommended to me by Mark before I left the US.
Mom and I took two buses to visit the US embassy on Napier Road. There we received 20 copies of a consular report on the death of an American citizen abroad, which we'll use to close out Papa's accounts back in the US. After a lunch of reheated chicken soup, we finished packing up Papa's clothes into bags and returned the stuffed bags to his closet. Then Mom and I went swimming in the Clementi Woods pool. I came back ahead of Mom in order to make a few grocery purchases, and after a shower I took a 45-minute nap. Then we watched another episode of Orphan Black. For dinner we reheated the not-yet-completely-thawed lasagna. In the evening Mom booked her return ticket to the US (July 21), and I started posting ads on Gumtree of the stuff we're trying to sell.
1. Meet Arlene and Bibiana at the Clementi bus interchange.
2. Ride to MacRitchie Reservoir to meet the rest of the Motley Crew.
3. Follow Vilma as she conducts a walking tour through primary forest.
4. Take part in a fascinating linguistic discussion of the phonetic changes that turned kaufen into shopping.
5. Eat lunch at the Mushroom Cafe with monkeys hovering close by.
1. Ride MRT to Kovan for an eye exam at Pearl's Vision Care.
2. Pick up Christian from his Spanish lesson and eat laksa for lunch on the East Coast.
3. Part ways at Outram Park and take the East-West Line back to Dover.
Mom and Arlene go out to the National Gallery for a guided tour by docent Jenny and a happy hour afterwards. I stay home for a nap and an early supper.
Spectacle Prescription:
RIGHT LEFT
SPH CYL AXIS VA SPH CYL AXIS VA
-1.25 -1.25 20 6/6 -1.75 -1.75 160 6/6
p.d. = 62 mm
Mom and I ride the bus from Dover Road to Bras Basah and submit a life insurance claim at NTUC Income. We then wander along Stamford Street and visit the National Museum. Treasures of the World, from the British Museum's collection, fills up the basement storey, and we go through the rooms at a leisurely pace.
The return trip starts at the Bras Basah station. We take the Circle Line to Dhoby Ghaut, then the North-South Line to Raffles Place, then the East-West Line back to Dover Road. Mom stays on the train until Clementi, where she alights in order to pick up some packing paper at the art supply store. I arrive home early and eat leftovers for lunch.
Torrential rain hits the island all afternoon. I transplant the laptop hard drive out of the Dell (whose monitor is on the fritz) and into the Acer, then reseal the box of recyclable electronics with the Dell taking the place of the Acer.
In the evening we go out to Jane's house where people from the couples book group have gathered for dinner. Roy works on a wireless network printer configuration problem for the hosts, while the rest of us merely contribute to the lively conversation. A platter of sushi and salted nuts ends up providing the bulk of my dinner, because the main course of vegetarian lasagna looks too cheesy for my tastes. After dinner I play a game of pool with James, the son of the host couple.
A couple more trips between RC4 and Kent Vale complete the yard sale inventory. Mom and I made the first trip by foot through UTown, then I stayed at Kent Vale to assemble the stand and watch over Martin's expensive camera. Mom, Martin, and Arlene made the second round of deliveries in two parties: Mom and Martin on bikes, and Arlene in a taxi. Uncle John and Katherine arrived separately, one to join the Motley Crew walk and the other to help run the yard sale. I went home around 10:00 for an early lunch and to drop off some of the transportation equipment. While at the apartment I tried calling Katherine to get a sense of how big a crowd our yard sale was drawing, just in case it might prove worthwhile to bring over some of Papa's old laptop bags for sale. That Katherine didn't answer her phone was not a result of her having to deal with a throng of customers, but rather a result of her phone being muffled by the fabric of her bag.
I walked back to the yard sale empty-handed, not wanting to add more in case the junk that was already there hadn't moved as quickly as we hoped. This intuition turned out to be correct, and by 12:30 Arlene was already pressing us to call Salvation Army to schedule a pickup this afternoon.
Disappointed by how little we managed to get rid of, I went for a run around West Coast Park to work off some nervous energy. On the way back I passed two grocery stores, knowing how empty our refrigerator and pantry shelves are, but still I walked straight home without stopping to buy anything.
Mom went out for a dinner party with Rahul, Reshma, Frances, etc., but I stayed home, feeling too partied out after last night's couples book group and today's yard sale.
Mom and I attended 7:30 mass even though we both could have used more sleep. When we got back to the apartment, there were several hours to kill before we had to leave for our lunch date with Katherine and Brian.
At 10:45 we went downstairs and caught the 196 bus to Buona Vista. Then we rode the MRT to City Hall. Arriving at the Esplanade twenty minutes before our scheduled meeting time, Mom and I went for a walk across the Jubilee Bridge. At noon we met Katherine and Brian and Harry's restaurant, where a round of soccer games was being shown on two large screens.
Brian drank three pints of beer in order to get a free football, which prompted Mom to predict a yard sale for their household comprising mostly junky freebies. Brian countered that he continually depletes his stockpile of freebies by making them into gifts for the neighborhood kids.
We ate our Western lunches with much less sharing than would occur for Asian cuisine, but still some trades among the plates. Dessert would have to wait until after the play.
Les Miserables ran from 13:30 to 16:30. "A real tearjerker" is how Brian characterized it.
Mom and I took bus 196 all the way back to Dover Road. Even though it was still light enough to go grocery shopping at the Dover Road Fair Price, I opted to make do with instant noodles for the second night in a row. Mom went out for her couples book group to discuss Three Came Home.
Mom goes out for a lunch party while I stay at home to receive the apartment maintenance staff, who need only one visit to clean the AC filters but two visits to fix the slowly draining toilet in the master bedroom. In between the two visits I go out myself to meet Martin downstairs and hand over his books and the two paintings he bought at Saturday's yard sale.
When the toilet is finally fixed, I load up a shoulder bag with glass bottles and take them to Kent Vale for recycling. On the way back I stop at Cold Storage for some bread, honey, and kiwi fruit.
In the evening Mom and I take a cab to Eric Lim's house, where we enjoy a large meal with him, his cousin Colin, and Katherine. Eric's delightful piano renditions of John Denver and Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes establish a cheerful atmosphere at the outset of the dinner party.
This morning Mom and I delivered the Uzbekistan coats to Digna (of the Textile Enthusiasts Group), followed by window shopping on Orchard Road. We then took in the 11:45 showing of Now You See Me 2, whose plot line is even more twisted and preposterous than its prequel. As we did the last time we saw a movie at the Cathay Cineleisure as a family, Mom and I ate a late lunch at the Japanese coffee house just downstairs from the theatres. Confused by the picture on the menu into thinking that I was ordering okono miyaki, I ended up getting the Japanese interpretation of hash browns rather than pancakes. On the side I had a couple of deep fried octopus balls, which Mom tried first (as she hadn't ordered anything for herself other than coffee).
We rode the MRT back to Dover station and then walked home through the campus of Singapore Polytechnic. On the SP campus we stopped to buy two scoops of salted caramel ice cream.
After taking a shower, brushing teeth, and starting a load of laundry, I tried to lie down for a nap but couldn't manage to fall asleep. Nervous energy kept me awake until dinner with John, Jo, Christian, Katherine and Brian starting at 19:30.