Bah Humbug - It's December again! 16 days to go!

Friday 9th December. An early morning respite in my tutoring and studying schedule. I took advantage of the strange weather - it is uncommonly hot for this time of year - and set off on my regular, morning walk. As usual, there was the dog poo to dodge, the hole under the kerb drains, and cars.

I was excited this morning. After five months of frustration with a malfunctioning oven, the technician was finally coming to replace the PCB. Why oven's need PCBs, beats me, but I suppose, we live in the internet of everything.

Five months?

Yes, five months. This is Singapore. Distributors pride themselves in taking a brand, but forget that the brand also needs to be maintained. No spare parts. They had to be shipped in. Shipped in from Turkey - not the big bird, but the country. Although according to Google Translate, Turkey in French, is Les Pays de Dinde. Really?.

Whatever, it was being shipping, but only, only when the container was full.

For five months, I was unable to roast anything, although sitting outside, I often found myself roasting. For five months, I was unable to bake a cake, and if I did venture down the route of trying it out - just in case - it would take 2 hours to cook and the cake was raw in the middle. Not pleasant.

What do you make of that, Jamie Oliver??

The appointment was scheduled for between 10am-11.30am. Just enough time for me to make sure that the oven was in working order before heading out to tutor.

I was excited, I would have a working oven, ready for Christmas. I never thought I would find myself over the moon about an oven, but the moon was waiting there, and there was a way over it. Only a few more hours of waiting.



10am passed. 10.30am came and went. 11am sneaked around the corner.  11.30am loomed. I had to leave. So much for my oven repair.

The oven did finally get repaired - after 12 noon. I am not sure what time zone they were on, but definitely not in mine. And what happened to politeness when someone is busy in a meeting or teaching?

Six missed calls.

They remained missed, I was feeling Scrooge-like tendencies creeping.


My incredulity was topped off, when rather than leaving me an invoice to pay, they asked the lady who helps out, to take a photograph of the works order.

Now I was feeling extra Bah flipping Humbug, and I ignored it. A photograph is not an invoice.

I decided that oven cooking would take place on Saturday. Then I would have more time to savour the delight.

The Sixteenth Day Before Christmas - Bah Humbug

Bah Humbug, it's 9th December. Monday, again, really? Ooh, that's the title of one of the chapters in Mitchell Muffin and the Rotten Eggs - reminds me I must buy some more eggs.

One son too tired to go to school today, Monday-itis or just not getting enough sleep?

Today seemed to be spent not really doing anything I should have done. Is this what is called winding down for Christmas? Maybe I need one of those wind up thingies like a wind up toy, so that I start my brain?

Wind up toys were originally only for royalty! Leonardo da Vinci created a wind up lion for King Louis XII. 

By the end of 19th Century, tin wind up toys were being produced, they all but disappeared when the battery powered toy was introduced in 1960s. However, nostalgia reigns and now you can find many tin and plastic wind up toys that are a perennial favourite. Who needs computer games?

BAH HUMBUG

Wonder if I can find 9 wind up ladies dancing, or even wind up 9 ladies who might be dancing?