Still the same

She sees something she thought of getting but was indecisive so she did not get it. At the end of the day when everyone's done (basically herself coz we really have nothing left that we are dying to buy. Moreover, we already have 4 luggages and 2 crates. We're trying to keep everything within our limit.), she suddenly asks to go back again the next day to get that something she did not get earlier.

Before that, Mr Liow had already suggested bringing the girls to the outlet after checking in to the next hotel the next day (if time allows). She was kind and said graciously: "We are a family, irregardless of how far, we should bring them here to have a look." To me, as long as the driver is not too tired, I'm ok.

Then towards the end of the day, she decided that since it's 2 hours drive, too far away, she should just go back to the outlet to get her own stuff and forget about the girls. Whatever happened to "we are a family?"

Some kind of selfishness is in-born...

Mr Liow sprained his neck and all she cared about was her own shopping. BUY BUY BUY AND BUY! She even wanted to get another luggage when Mr Liow kept saying that we have NO MORE SPACE in the car left for another luggage to the airport. But no, she wants to get one more to bring to Malaysia.

She dropped Mr Liow's favourite sunglasses but insisted she couldn't have lost it, til I suggested she probably dropped it accidentally (no it will never be her fault, unless maybe it was accidental) while searching for something in the bag. The sunglasses was from 2 yrs ago and he bought new lens for it recently. Now those lens are redundant (plus he's feeling the loss, you know, the loss one feels when u lose something u love or have been using for a long time?)

At the outlet today, Mr Liow went searching for the sunglasses but it was no longer being sold, at least not in that outlet store. The mum wasn't the least bit concerned. She was more concerned that she has no aircondition at home and busy sending smses to his sister to arrange for aircon man to fix the aircon on 21st June. We will arrive Singapore on 15th June. Is it too late to arrange for the repair then? No mention of his sprained neck, nor any guilt towards his loss and not being able to find the same one. All she said was: "I'll give you a treat lor." So sincere.

Once back, she got busy packing her stuff. Only after she's done with her own stuff did she remember Mr Liow had a sprained neck!! All of a sudden, she's a concerned mum again, asking him to rest, stop searching the Internet for places to bring the girls, offered to massage his neck (which she's not done till now). While asking Mr Liow to go offline as Mr Liow searched the web for the next nearest outlet, she started busy asking: "Is there Polo Ralph? How about Burberry?" I thought she was concerned that he rest? Not if it concerns her. If it doesn't, then Mr Liow better rest. Since he was trying to see if there's another outlet near our next hotel, she wants to know if there are any of her favourite stores. Who cares about ah girl being my family and all (like she so graciously suggested in the first place). No, IT'S ALL ABOUT HERSELF!

All because she wants to return to the outlet, she was gracious towards my family with kind words like: "If we can bring them here, bring them here lor." She sure is not feeling the same way now because she is a concerned mum (but only after we drive 1/2hr down for her to get her Burberry t-shirt and the extra distance to the nex hotel tomorrow). After that, she will be a concerned mum again. Why haven't she suggested that she will give Burberry a skip because Mr Liow is tired and in pain? BEcause she will not give it a miss!

Mr Liow has planned. I'll leave it to him. Seriously, she keeps yakking about herself being generous and self-giving and wonders why some people she knows cannot do as she does. Firstly, she just doesn't see that she's really much less noble than she thinks of herself. Secondly, she has a maid and plenty of time and money. She's wondering why people will not commit to community work and condemns them as being selfish. I wonder how many of those she's referring to, has a maid and plenty of time and money like she does. Just how many in her community is having as good a life as she is having?

We've passed tons of half-used household items to the new guy and wife. I thought there should be a limit because if we push too many things to them and none of them are useful, these things will only appear as junk to them.

She begged to differ. She says they ought to be grateful!

When I was asked what to do with the last pot left in our house on the last day, I suggested dumping it. It was oily and she said she was tired. Mr Liow was obviously tired out from all the driving around to pass things to people, packing and cleaning. AN wasn't ready to let me do anything out of her sight. I casually suggested dumping it BECAUSE NO ONE WANTED TO DECIDE and because it was dirty and everyone was too tired to wash it up.

Then she raised her voice and accused me of being wastful and dumping so much things, that the pot can still be used after a wash and that it's selfish to dump when we can pass it on etc etc. You know, I learnt my lesson from her that good doesn't always beget good. Now I'm being told off for being wasteful and selfish, after already given them lots of things.

Can anyone imagine how frustrating it is to have someone ask a question, no one dares decide, someone speaks up and then gets negative response wrt that suggestion? HEY, IF U HAVE AN IDEA, SPEAK UP! DON'T AMBUSH ME!

2 years ago, when we brought 2 bags of stuff to her home (only things she specifically wanted. NONE of anything she did not ask to have), she flared up at us and told us off for "chocking her place with garbage"! I learnt my lesson and was bewildered at how she did not know I was referring to her when I commented that there ARE ungrateful people like that. She said people like that do exist and they ought to be ashame. I don't think she is.

So I am the selfish one now.

Mr Liow, you really have to remember the reason why I rather act deaf and dumb in front of her. Why must I put myself in danger?

Can there be one who's this selfish, self-centred and yet so unaware of her own self? And one can unbashfully proclaim of herself as being generous, kind and magnanimous!

I made it a point to be blunt should I see her contradicting herself or if I do not agree. No more giving face. But I've not practiced well enough to do it yet. I probably won't be very nasty afterall.

I will not call her mum. Not because it slips my mind, not because I am too used to calling her something else, but because I have my own mother to call "mum" who's way less of a hypocrite.