On my way to work in a poorly ventilated train now feeling out of breath.

The train was crowded when I boarded but I managed to find a railing to hold on to while standing diagonally in front of a reserved seat, which was occupied by a woman looking at her phone.

She alighted at the next stop.

I moved closer to take the seat, but this young man suddenly came from the other side and took the seat, with me standing right in front of him.

He looked well, not like he was sick or anything.

So I did something I normally wouldn't do.

I said to him, "Sorry but can I take this seat?"

He stared back at me, somewhat bewildered, looked at my tummy and looked at my face again.

He didn't say a word, but his expressions said it all.

It went from "Why should I give you this seat?" to "Are you pregnant or handicapped?" to "I still don't understand but I'll stand up anyway".

I said thank you to him and sat down.

It's ridiculous that he found me ridiculous, because it wasn't as if he was standing right in front of the seat and hence naturally sat down on it.

Which, I guess, is an unspoken rule that yes, that seat would have been rightfully yours to take.

He bypassed a few people to get to it, and it was a reserved seat. The least he could do is look around first before taking it.

And how could he not see a whale, ok maybe a penguin, standing right in front of it?

I'm not saying that I'm entitled to the reserved seating. In fact I'm perfectly fine if it was occupied and the occupant remained seated on it.

But not when you slide into the seat while I'm trying to sit down!
And still look like I've done you an injustice.

Yeah lah very #auntie to ask for a seat, but at least my tone was calm.
Better to be #auntie than to faint in a train.

For a minute I thought maybe he was not feeling well today and needed the seat, but we alighted at the same stop and he zoomed out so quickly I doubt he is sick.

And he didn't get to stand at all because another seat in the middle of the row (from where he was originally standing) became available.

So yep, I'm not going to feel bad about asking.

#conversationsinthecar

This morning.

👦: I think xbb is going to be very pretty.

👧: Huh, why?

👦: Because she's sucking up all your female hormones. You look haggard.

👧: (Gives my best glare) Wahlao. Say I haggard!

👦: Don't need to lie about this kind of thing mah.

Zzz.

On my way home now looking worse than how I did in the morning. 😂

And I'm thinking it's not exactly a bad comment.
There's a small, hidden compliment in it.
Takes after me = Pretty? 😂😂
#delusional

(Continuing from where I left off now that the little boss is asleep)

I could go into a tirade about how difficult it is to be a woman.

We are expected to bear children, nurture children, and bring home the money while we are at it.

We lose ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the many different roles we need to play, and we are expected to do all of while still being "us", i.e a woman, i.e who looks like one.

Not too fat, not too unkempt, basically not looking like we've "given up".

But it's going to be an endless, and pointless, debate.

Because there is a limit to how much a society can progress, which is a paradox and an oxymoron, this idea of gender equality and progress.

Gender equality means the woman gets equal rights and opportunities.
Whether it is truly equal is debatable, because biologically, emotionally and socially, it is not "equal".

Because "progress" also implies a disproportionate amount of responsibility placed on the women, at least as compared to 30 or 40 years ago, as the expectation from a better education is that we need to support the family or as homemakers we need to do a much better job educating the kids while taking care of the household.

Ok end of my random long rant.

What about having some chocolate? 😂

This is her "chocolate happy face".

It's her classmate's birthday today and she brought home some goodies from the birthday girl.

Since she finished all the dinner, I allowed her to eat one stick of [edited] Pocky.

She ended up smearing chocolate all over her face and finding it amusing.

She even wanted to take a selfie.

She also had jelly for the first time!

She was hesitant to try it at first but once she started she couldn't stop. 😂

She got very psyched about birthdays today and kept asking me when everyone's birthday is.

And then she ran out of people to ask about, and asked me, "When is vegetable's birthday?"
Referring the vegetables in her noodles. 😂🤣

I told her vegetable's birthday is today. 🙈