Category: Yelly Writes

My life is extraordinarily ordinary and this is celebrating and writing about my beautifully ordinary moments.

Yelly Writes

Train fares rise again

Yelly

A public transport system that you can depend on can certainly make or break a country.  The public transport system in the Philippines is, sadly, almost non-existent because there doesn’t seem to be a system.  So when I moved to the UK, I was so glad that there was a public transport system you could depend on.  There were train schedules and you knew exactly how long your train journey was.  There were bus schedules on bus stops, and you had to know which stop to wait for a bus so that you would get on the right bus.  You could travel quickly around London by using the Tube and you knew, roughly, how long your journey from point A to point B would be.  The staff at the train stations and on the trains were very professional and were often very pleasant and very helpful.

But as with all things, there is a price to pay.  Since I moved to the UK, there’s been a fare hike for trains.  And for me, it’s gone up a minimum of 4% every year for the past nearly 5 years that I’ve been in this country.  In the beginning, I didn’t mind paying the fare but then I started noticing the cracks.  Trains servicing our line were old, smelly and sometimes filthy (there would often be coffee and an assortment of food stains on the upholstery and the carpeting and if you were really lucky, there would be signs of vomit on the windows!  Yuck, I know!  And you’re only reading this, I have to travel on these trains!).  The trains were delayed or there would be last minute cancellations.  The excuses were hilarious sometimes, depending on the season:  in winter, the usual excuse was that it was the wrong kind of snow to lay on the tracks; during the summer, I’ve heard them say that it was the wrong kind of heat!  Last year, there would always be some kind of delay, some sort of signalling problem somewhere delaying my train to or from work.  I didn’t mind so much the train ride home being late because it was the end of my day, but it would be such a hassle for the train service to be delayed in the mornings.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I have it better now that I have had in the Philippines.  The public transport system in the UK is far more organised.  I would love it if my countrymen would be blessed with a public transport system even half as good as what people in the UK are now experiencing.  Buses and bus companies that aren’t concerned with how many passengers they have on their buses, and focus more with following the speed rules and getting people from point A to point B safely but efficiently, traffic signs followed and not just put up for street decoration, proper bus stops and an MRT and LRT system that is even more efficient (although mind you, I have always enjoyed MRT rides, even when it was packed and I and my fellow commuters resembled sardines!  Truth!).

I am not exactly ranting about the fare hike.  I get it.  For the improvements tha we want, we have to pay for it, even if the government subsidises a huge chunk of the developments that have been proposed.  I get that developments cost and unfortunately, the government can’t foot the bill completely.  But there is a part of me that wishes that the developments were more tangible, starting with a cleaner carriage, maybe?  One that is less smelly?  One that is less packed?

I renewed my season ticket today, mindful of the fare hike that was announced.  January’s season ticket was £12.00 more expensive than last December’s season ticket, and I was pleasantly suprised that it wasn’t what I expected to be.  I don’t mind so much because I understand the realities.  But some part of me still wants to see a little bit more value for the money that I fork over to Greater Anglia each month.

As I get on the train each day to go to work, I’m hoping that I will notice the improvements.  Because I want to see my money making some sort of difference to the quality of my daily commute.

Fare hike

Yelly Writes

And on the third day…

Yelly

…I stayed in bed!  I thought yesterday was the worst with the D&V but today is even worse.  I really felt ill today.

I know you’re probably sick of my whining about my illness but it helps me feel better when I write about how I feel.  So unfortunately, I am going to witter on about my adventures in Norovirus land.

I mostly spent today in bed because I thought that if I stayed horizontal, I wouldn’t throw up.  Mind you, I did wake up feeling horribly sick and I had to run to the loo to avoid being sick in bed (SORRY!  Disgusting, I know!).  While the dash to the loo was necessary, it was a big mistake.  My head was pounding and the run to the loo made the pounding headache worse!

I had chicken soup for breakfast (I love this particulary chicken soup recipe.  It’s meant to fortify ill people, or so the Chinese say.  It’s got lots of ginger, chicken, chicken stock, goji berries and rice wine.  You cook it until the chicken falls off the bone.) and then I went back to bed.  I stayed there until about 2 in the afternoon and then I thought I might do myself some good by sitting up.  I felt horrible the whole time and told myself that a shower would do me wonders.  The whole showering process tired me out!  Just the whole process of moisturising post-shower made my head swim and I had to pause in between stages.  It’s helped me feel a lot less grotty and a hot shower always soothes.

But the fact still remains, I am still ill and the fact that I’m still throwing up means that the bug hasn’t passed yet!  I wanted to go back to work on Monday but if I’m responsible, I’m not going to because I am most probably still contagious.

Mind you, I should probably just go to work and to heck with the people who are on the train with me.  I probably got this bug from an irresponsible person who did not cover their mouth when the sneezed or coughed (This is a pet peeve so I’m getting off my soapbox before I start grandstanding about the need for people to think about infection control!).  BUT I am better than that.  I’m not going to infect the people at work.

I’m really tired of being ill though and at the rate of sounding redundant, I’m sick of being sick!

Yelly Writes

And the verdict is…

Yelly

I have something viral (they didn’t want to say that I have the dreaded Noro virus aka the winter vomiting bug) and I have to wait 48 hours after the symptoms clear (also known as fever-diarrhea-vomiting) before I’m allowed to be let out amongst the humans.  I am currently in the midst of trying to stop rushing to the loo (the D&V is horrible and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy!).  What makes it worse is that because of the D&V, I’m not keeping in the meds I’m taking for Stay In Bed Daydiabetes and my blood sugar is sky-rocketing!  The nurse tested my blood sugar levels (I couldn’t test it because my meter’s battery has drained and it happened during the worse moment!) and it was 17.9!  The funny thing about my meds is one of the tablets does make you feel worse when you are ill!  So for the meantime, I’m not to take metformin and just take the gliclazide.

Can I also say that I’m absolutely famished but can’t really eat anything because I can’t keep anything down at the moment except saltine crackers and water?  So I’m ill, hungry and have a massive headache because I’m ill AND hungry.  Such a vicious circle to be in.  I’m thinking that I have to rethink my approach at taking care of myself and monitoring my diabetes better.  I really need to have a food diary set up.  I need to keep better track of my food and my blood sugar levels.  First thing to do is order batteries for my meter!  And that’s done so that’s a good start.

You’re probably wondering why I’m talking about this.  I just wanted to vent and well, the adage that misery loves company is so true!  I’m desperate for attention and sympathy!

The next few days are going to be really interesting.

But I’ll see you all on the other side!

Yelly Writes

Here we go again…

Yelly

Three days into the new year, I am ill again!

I woke up at some point in the wee hours of the morning shivering.  Literally.  I woke myself up because I was shaking from the cold so badly!  I did try to go to work this morning.  I dragged myself from bed, albeit feeling a bit light-headed because of the awful pounding in my head, placed myself under a hot-ish shower and washed myself clean.  I performed the necessary morning ablutions, dried and styled my hair (as is necessary!) and attempted make up (mind you, I don’t put much on because I just moisturise, put on liquid foundation, finishing powder, put on eyeliner and a bit of lipgloss–my make up routine was much more complicated when I lived in the Philippines!).  I got dressed and put on shoes, scarf and coat and was out the door on time (7:02AM on the dot!).   I was about 100 yards from my flat when I realised that my head was pounding too much for me to function and that I genuinely felt horrible.

I made the decision to go back and dive back into bed.  Thankfully, a ministering angel made me breakfast and a lovely bolstering cup of coffee and made me drink meds.  I called in at 8:26AM and told myself not to feel guilty about being ill.  If you’re ill, you’re ill and you’re better off at home and not infecting anyone else—whatever this is!

I’m hoping I can shake this bug and that all I need is one day in bed.  There are too many things that need to get done!

Yelly Writes

Nearly over the threshold

Yelly

The year is nearly over…my laptop clock reads 23:16.   I’m not really feeling super but I’m so staying up and watching the fireworks from London.  If I lived near Southbank…heck, if I lived in London, I’d be soooooo there, braving the crush of the crowds (and I have a slight phobia of crowds, so me braving any sort of crowd is a huge thing!), the cold and quite possibly the rain!

Most people spend the day contemplating the events of the year, what they’ve done, what they haven’t, what the wanted to do.  I’ve spent most of the year wanting to shout out “Stop the world, I want to get off!”  My year has been excessively busy with a shedload of events and lots of traveling from one end of the UK to the other.  A lot of people will be looking back at their year with regret because there are things they would have wanted to not do and I did sit and think about my 2012.  I looked at everything that’s happened and I asked myself whether if I regretted anything.  I’m glad that I am able to say that  I do not have any regrets.  Not a one.  Well, maybe just the one:  not being able to go home.  That’s the biggest regret really of the past 3 years.  I haven’t been able to go home.  Apart from that, I really wouldn’t want to change anything.  Because I think I came into my own in 2012.  I’ve learned a lot about who I am, what I can do, what I can take, how far I’ll go to achieve things, what I’m willing to sacrifice.

I can look at the mirror and smile at myself again.  Really smile at myself.  Because I know who I am now, I know exactly what I’m worth and I know I won’t settle and I won’t allow myself to be underappreciated.

2012 has flown by, with its share of joys and heartaches, with its bouts of being too busy to think and days when homesickness was heart-rending.  But I’m glad for the quick passage of time.  I often found myself marvelling at how quickly the year was passing by.  But in a way, I was also grateful for it.  Not being able to think for being busy can be quite the blessing.

So at 23:50, I will end this entry with a poem by Joanna Fuchs.  The next entry will be tomorrow, in 2013!

I’m writing this in a state of shock,
Watching the clock—tick tock, tick tock,
Advancing, approaching, relentlessly,
A brand new year; Oh, can it be?The calendar says the same thing, too;
Time races, vanishes for me; Boo hoo!
No, wait! If time flies, I’m having fun!
A year of fun! It’s gone! It’s done!I now embrace the blur of time,
Because it simply means that I’m
Too busy with pleasure, joy, delight
To mourn the passing days’ swift flight.So I’m wishing you fast, happy days,
Pleasuring you in myriad ways,
Filled with happiness and cheer,
Oh Happy, Happy Bright New Year! 

Yelly Writes

The Reading List for 2013

Yelly

I finally have my reading list for 2013 (HURRAH!).  The goal is to read these books, and add a few more.  Although, the first book in my list is fairly ambitious, even when you factor in the fact that I do read parts of it everyday as part of my daily devotion!

This is my reading list for 2013:Stack of Library Books

  1. The Bible — yes ALL of it!
  2. The Jane Austen Miscellany by Harry Berry
  3. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
  4. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
  5. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
  6. The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth
  7. I Remember Nothing and other reflections by Nora Ephron
  8. The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
  9. Room by Emma Donoghue
  10. Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace
  11. How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
  12. French Lessons by Ellen Sussman

I wanted to make sure that I read books by authors that I’d never read before but I couldn’t resist adding a Philippa Gregory book because I love her books so much!  I’ve discovered that I love historical fiction and this was all because I started reading PG’s books.  I started with The Other Boleyn Girl and was hooked!

Some of the books on the list are already on my Kindle and have been languishing there for ages.  I haven’t had the opportunity (and if I’m honest, most of the time, the inclination to read!  Bad, I know!) to read them yet, so to encourage (read: prod me with a red-hot fireplace poker!) me to read them, I’m adding them to my list.

One book a month, except the Bible because I plan to read that everyday, although the Bible is still on my list of 12 books.  There are 1189 chapters in the Bible and 365 days in a year.  If I read 4 chapters a day, I’ll finish reading the Bible from cover to cover.  Big ask, yes, very definitely.  But I am determined to achieve this particular goal because, as a Christian, I am determined to be able to say that I’ve read the bible.  Properly!

As they say, each approaching new year prompts people into a frenzied goal-setting mindset.  My goal is simply to read more.  I’ve always loved to read.  It’s just giving my reading a little direction!

Yelly Writes

Tis the season!

Yelly

Christmas will always require celebration for me.  I grew up with my mum drumming into me how important Christmas is, how important it is to celebrate the occasion of Christ’s birth.  Growing up in church has made Christmas a more spiritual occasion.  It was all about the birth of the Saviour, the Word being made flesh.  It has always been the day of the year that reminds me most of God’s love, grace and mercy.  That’s why, no matter how small, Christmas had to be celebrated, there had to be a tree, there had to be decorations to celebrate it, there had to be presents to share and there had to be a Noche Buena at midnight!  There should always be an effort to be made for Christmas because all the gift giving and all the food preparation is part of the celebration.  It is one of , if not the most important days in the Christian calendar.

Whatever you do today, however you celebrate the season, whatever your faith, have a wonderfully happy and very blesssed Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Yelly Writes

21-12-2012

Yelly

I spent quality time with the document scanner in the office today.  I had what seemed to be a shedload of documents to put into the system!  I spent the better part of 2 hours sitting in front of the document scanner feeding document after document.  How exciting is my life!

There was a lot of discussion about what the Mayans predicted to be the end of the world.  Some people interpreted the end of the Mayan calendar to be a prediction that the Mayans made–that the world would end at 11:11AM on 21 December 2012.  Someone at work was genuinely worrying about it being the end of the world.  I don’t know the details of the prediction but there was talk that a black comet would come and strike the earth, but that no one would be able to track this particular comet because it couldn’t be seen because it was black.  There was were several news bits about this town in southern France that was supposedly safe from destruction because of the presence of aliens underneath!

I had a good giggle about it because, well, it all seemed a bit silly to me.  People were worried about the world ending, and instead of living their life as it was their last day on earth, making every second count, some people were petrified and not doing anything at all.  Now, if today was your last day on Earth and you did nothing because you were afraid, wouldn’t you want your last day to count?

I wrote to my mom tonight and told her about the Mayan prediction and was slightly surprised that she didn’t know about it.  I guess it wasn’t as featured on the news in Manila as it was here in the UK.  I said that I went on with my day, knowing that we wouldn’t know when end of times is coming.  Only God does and when that happens, I know where I’m going.  But that until then, we needed to live a life pleasing to our God.  That was what matters.

I admit, it would be good to know when the end of days is so that you are able to tie loose ends, do what you want to do, tick off things from your bucket list, tell loved ones how much they matter and all the other things you do to “prepare for the end.”  I think what we need to remember is that these are things we should be doing this everyday.  But we don’t know when the world will end or how it’ll end.  It’ll come “life a thief in the night.”  Everything is just conjecture.  All you just do is live each day to the fullest, making sure that everything you do counts.

11:11AM

Yelly Writes

Musings on the train

Yelly

On Friday, I was reading an email from Emerald Street about the Twitter folk that they follow.  One of the people they follow and they recommend their readers follow, apparently, tweets “witty and oh-so-true observations”.  So I followed the person and then read through the tweets that they had posted previously.

While reading the tweets, I sat there thinking, “Awww, I say these things too!  Why don’t I have two thousand odd followers?  I make witty-slash-pithy comments too.  Why don’t people find my comments funny and oh-so-true?”  A little voice replied to my mental whining and said, “Maybe it’s because you whine and don’t really say things matter-of-factly?”

I think I’m fairly normal and I have a fairly normal amount of self-confidence.  I like to think I have a realistic idea of how capable I am.  I think when I was younger, I used to think I was the bees’ knees.  I used to think I could do everything: sing, dance, write, speak properly publicly, perform on stage and be, generally, amazing.  I was raised to believe in myself and my abilities.  I was raised to know how to carry myself in public.  I think I was blessed to have parents who raised me in an environment that encouraged realistic self-confidence.  But there are days when I think back to when I was younger and wondered whether I thought I was better than I was?

I mean, if I was truly witty and funny (I was about two or three years old when I had a funny conversation with my grandfather.  I said to him “I love you Lolo!”–Lolo is grandfather in Filipino–to which he replied “I love you too!”  Apparently, to my grandfather’s delight, I replied “I love you three!”  He apparently thought that was very smart!), why don’t more people follow me on Twitter or follow my blog?  I made the same observations as that woman Emerald Street recommended their readers follow (albeit in a whiny and maybe annoying tone).  How come they didn’t notice me?

After this realisation, I’ve just realised that I do want attention, despite the protestations otherwise!  I love the attention I get on Twitter when people reply to or retweet my tweets.  My heart does a little dance when people follow me (and you cannot believe the crash when I realise that the person following me is a spam bot!).  I love it when people read my blog.  I smile when I see how many people follow my blog or like my blog post or even visit my blog.

I am still disappointed that not a lot of people post comments on my blog.  I sometimes still wonder why my blog doesn’t get more comments or visits?  Mind you, as soon as I start going down this narcissistic road, I tell myself, quite sternly that there are over 7 billion people in the world and there are tens of millions of bloggers out there.  I am only one drop in an ocean of bloggers and I write about the most common of blog topics: food, books and family.  I like to think I have an amazing writing style because I write like I talk and in my head I sound interesting.  But then again, that’s me, and I have a healthy sense of self appreciation (I think we should all have a healthy dose of self-respect and self-confidence, otherwise we’d all be wringing our hands pathetically all the time!).  The truth is, I may not really sound amazing or my writing style might really, really suck (oh dear!).

I think sometimes when a person is highly adaptable and seems to thrive in different environments, one forgets that adaptability doesn’t necessarily mean that when one adapts, one is amazing.  I sometimes forget that I’ve moved to England and while I speak English better than most people, I don’t necessarily converse in English in quite the same way!  I forget that my expressions aren’t necessarily British.  I may speak English but not necessarily British English, with the same nuances and the same colloquialisms.

I think I crave the attention because, like everyone else, I want validation.  Validation that my thoughts, my ideas and my values matter.  We all want that.  Validation that we matter.  I think that’s why social media has the effect that it does.  Humans want validation, however they get it.  People want to know that someone, somewhere in the world thinks the same way.

I think we forget that the people who give us the most validation are the people who love us, who care about us.  Because they listen to us, give us the time of day and even if they don’t agree with every single word that comes out of our mouths, they still respect us because what we say comes from who we are.  And they respect who we are.

I am thankful for the 229 followers that I have because somehow they provide validation (even if they might be bots or spammers anyway!) that I crave.  But the end of the day, what I appreciate the most are the people in my life who love me for me, my faults and my frailties.  They provide the validation that I need.  They make me feel that I matter.  A lot.

Yelly Writes

Happy birthday Abbadabbadoo!

Yelly

 

 

It’s my Abba’s birthday today.  He’s in the Philippines and miss him terribly.  I miss our chats and the jokes that we share (our weekly Skype sessions help though!).  And everytime I think back to my childhood, I think, my goodness, I have the coolest dad!  Not only is he Jewish, he’s a geneticist too!  This was the man who helped me make a science project about electical circuits without going to the hardware store.  We made everything from recycled materials!  This happened even before recycling was the fashionable thing to do!  And, while I always laugh at him when he does his version of the Bill Cosby father dance, I think it’s very cute!

As I grow older I appreciate more and more everything that he has done for us, given up for us and taught us so that we could be the best that we can be.  I did follow most of the advice almost blindly at the time but only now do I understand why he would tell me to do certain things a certain way.  He’s been through a lot of things and he has always wanted his children to not make the same mistakes he’s made, that’s why he insists that we do things his way.  When I think about the times when I thought I was being smart and independent by doing things MY way, I just shake my head.  I should’ve listened and did things my way.  I would’ve saved myself a lot of heartache!

Thank you for everything Abba.  Without you, quite literally, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  Happy birthday!  I love you!