And as I splured my hokkien mee on the 2nd leg back to sg, I can't contain my happiness.. I'm finally heading home.. hahahaha.. 5.5hrs more.. yes I can do this.. shall listen to Mariah Carey and Celine Dion for the rest of the flight coz I can't decide what movies to watch.. Hahaha..

The mini moon was great..but probably too long..  I missed my comfort food, my kids, my bed and everything abt sg..

We didn't buy a lot of stuff..  some food to give, mainly clothes for the man and the kids. I gotten 2 blouses for myself and 2 pairs of earrings and that was it.. Hahaha..

The colleagues bought branded goods coz it was cheaper than sg.. some more than others..  I had wanted to get a pair of pink jelly shoes fr a big brand but stopped myself coz it was $200. Expensive considering that it was jelly shoes.. lol.. but cheap (according to the branded friends) bcoz of the brand it was from. In the end I decided not to bcoz I had enough shoes and I wanted to b out of the brand race.

I am contented with all that God has given to me and didn't feel that I needed anything. This post isn't meant to put anyone to shame but simply to remind myself that God has blessed me with so much so much that I'm contented. There wasn't a need to buy a piece of Italy to make myself happy. I am full of joy.

Of coz I wasn't always like that. When I was younger, owning a piece of Prada or Gucci or xxx was like the much needed accomplishment. I didn't know if it was to satisfy my own trophy list or was it to show the world that I'm able to afford it. But I believed then that if I could just make it mine, I would b happy. And every trip to Europe meant bringing a piece home.  It was always chasing a bigger brand or a more expensive bag and it was never ending. It was overwhelming. And over time, the obsession meant needing to work even harder to support the lifestyle. It was stressful. And it was silly. I told William 2 days ago, while we were eating ice cream that, I used to believe that if I earned $10k/mth , I should b entitled/allowed to spend $3k on things that make me happy. 辛辛苦苦赚钱就是要享受的啊. The me now believes that as long as I'm happy, it doesn't matter how much i earn. I am Okie with earning $7k if that meant I was happy with the work I do and time for my family.

I'm not sure what or when was the change. But indeed God has changed me over time.

It might sound cliche but no amt of buying can bring happiness. Only contentment gives joy. And joy comes from within. Joy comes from God.

In fact, I didn't even realize it if I hadn't thought so long over the jelly shoes..lol.. it was something I could easily afford. But do i need it ? Probably not.

Thankful for the many blessings in my life and the many lessons God has taught me over the yrs.

May I always remember to be contented.