I am looking forward to pay day.  I went on a mini shopping spree recently and spent my first pay cheque (from my new job) before I even got paid!!  What did I buy?  You can read all about it on my beauty blog.

I am looking forward to getting better.  Saw my doctor yesterday and apparently, I’m running a fever with an infection so she prescribed me a double dose of two types of antibiotics.  Like I said yesterday, I hate being ill and so run-down!!!

I am looking forward to next weekend because I am going to do absolutely nothing but chill out!

Enough random rambling from me, what about you?  What are you most looking forward to?

It has also been crazy hectic with work (did I tell you I got a new job?), moving house, family drama, falling sick, birthdays and busier social life.

Anyway, I have scheduled in a mini breakdown for not this weekend (it’s the Husband’s 30th birthday party so gotta hold it together and put on my fake smile for that); but hopefully, I can have my mini breakdown next weekend because I feel like I am dying a slow and painful death right now.

*cue tears*

Sigh.

The Gambler’s Help Significant Others series highlights how speaking with a gambler about their problem isn’t easy, so before you talk to them, start by talking to Gambler’s Help. 1 in 4 people who contact Gambler’s Help aren’t problem gamblers at all. They’re just friends and family who want to help someone with a gambling problem.  Visit GamblingHelpOnline.org.au or call Gambler’s Help on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In the third and final series of the gambling posts (part 1, part2), I want to tell you that I spoke to my Mum yesterday on the phone.

We talked about gambling.

She told me to gamble.  ”Just do it, Ling!“

But before you panic, it’s a different kind of gambling which doesn’t involve going to the casino or the bookies.

About 5 months ago, I asked the question “To gamble or not to gamble?” and many of you told me to gamble.

Well, look at my new daily supplement…(no, not the nail polishes!  Those are for my beauty blog!)

The experts say you should take folic acid before getting pregnant!

Yes, dear friends, we have decided to gamble!  Please send us all your positive thoughts, prayers and messages!  And I will let you know how we get on…

The Gambler’s Help Significant Others series highlights how speaking with a gambler about their problem isn’t easy, so before you talk to them, start by talking to Gambler’s Help. 1 in 4 people who contact Gambler’s Help aren’t problem gamblers at all. They’re just friends and family who want to help someone with a gambling problem.  Visit GamblingHelpOnline.org.auor call Gambler’s Help on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

So the story is…  I’m on a 1-hour bus ride to Chadstone…so I start tweeting throughout the journey…

5.00pm :  Sitting on a bus…and then Bus jolted so I accidentally elbowed a guy’s peen! FML! And bahahahahaha!

5.11pm :  Some dude with really bad BO just sat behind me. Gross! *silently plotting to elbow his peen too*

5.12pm : Guide dog got on bus. It’s amazing what they can do!!!

5.18pm : China girl on my left is speaking to china girl on my right! STFU! My ears hurt! Stop screeching!! Why do Chinese ppl talk so loud??

5.20pm : I hate taking buses! Must learn to drive to Chaddy!

5.21pm : China ladies have got off bus. Now got china dude sitting next to me. He has halitosis and BO! FML!!!

5.30pm : Call me a snob or whatever but public transport sucks balls! Buses are peasant wagons!!!

5.43pm : Destination. Arrived. I. Have. #yodatweets 

And before you dismiss me as a crazy twat for talking to myself, my tweeps ( = Twitter friends) joined in the conversation too.

Here are some of their tweets :

@ShinyGlitterBug :  OMG you’re hilair Ling! LOLOL!!

@xxshinrai : omg worst!! Once a lady in front of me kept doing those silent yet highly toxic farts. My friend I almost died lol

@miss_investress : lol ur tweets on the bus are making me laugh especially when u elbowed that guys peen. Made my Wednesday better

@AGLovesShoes : laugh out loud. Made Me. This tweet. #yodatweets

@Aysh_tmb : Btw thanks for the entertaining bus commentary this morn…fab! x

@shelld1979 : Peen???? Hehe…..

And yes…it was probably funnier at the time…!  As you can see, spelling and grammar are not of major importance in Twitter and we use a lot of acronyms.  But if you want to join me for some live action on Twitter, just add me @xyling and don’t forget to say hello.

The Gambler’s Help Significant Others series highlights how speaking with a gambler about their problem isn’t easy, so before you talk to them, start by talking to Gambler’s Help. 1 in 4 people who contact Gambler’s Help aren’t problem gamblers at all. They’re just friends and family who want to help someone with a gambling problem.  Visit GamblingHelpOnline.org.au or call Gambler’s Help on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Remember I told you about my Mum and her previous gambling problem?  Surprisingly, this post resonated with quite a few of my readers and some of them have gone through or are currently experiencing a similar situation.  Gambling addictions are definitely more common than you think!

One of the toughest challenges you will face as a gambler is admitting that you need help.

I asked my Mum what it was that got her addicted.  She said it was because it was that adrenaline rush, that anticipation, that short moment of satisfaction when you win money…but it was never enough.  She said she was looking for something to make her happy and she looked in the wrong place.

For her, one of the toughest challenges was admitting that she had a problem; that she needed help.  Nobody said it was easy.  But she turned her life around.  And she became our Mum once again.

I am happy to hear your stories if you want to share anything so you can leave me a comment or email me using the Contact Form.

Sponsored Series by Nuffnang

The Gambler’s Help Significant Others series highlights how speaking with a gambler about their problem isn’t easy, so before you talk to them, start by talking to Gambler’s Help. 1 in 4 people who contact Gambler’s Help aren’t problem gamblers at all. They’re just friends and family who want to help someone with a gambling problem.  Visit GamblingHelpOnline.org.auor call Gambler’s Help on 1800 858 858, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you stalk me on Twitter, you will know that I am currently sick.  Today is the 3rd day I have had diarrhoea accompanied with tummy ache.  It is NOT nice.  My toilet (yes, the same toilet in that vlog) has never had so much action!

Here are 11 things I learnt about having diarrhoea :-

1.  It confirmed my suspicions that my iPhone is indeed my BFF.

Whilst sitting on the porcelain throne, my iPhone provided great entertainment to distract myself from the pain and smell (oh the smell!).  I Facebook stalked, tweeted, read some blogs, played some games, Whatsapp’ed, read e-mails, watched Youtube videos…  Steve Jobs, I know you’re dead ‘n’ all, but I salute you!

2.  Everyone will ask you, “What did you eat?“

Like that really helps?!!  ”Oh wait, let me just get into my Time Machine so I can rewind time and not eat the Poisonous Food!“

3.  The nicest softest toilet paper turns into sandpaper after 4 rounds of diarrhoea.

Bear in mind, I had about 30 rounds of it on Day 1!!!  And well, I have lost count now.  Wait!  Is there an app for this?  Maybe I should develop this and call it “The Diarrhoea Log” App.  Pun very much intended!

5.  It hurts.

What hurts?  Anatomically speaking, my anal sphincter.

6.  ”A$$ hole” is funnier than “anal sphincter”.

For some bizarre reason, anal people got rather uncomfortable when I used the words “anal sphincter”.  But when I said my “a$$ hole hurts”, there were fits of giggles.

7.  The “I need to fart” urge can have an identity crisis.

You think you’re going to fart, but instead…  I’ll leave the rest into your imagination.  Sorry if you’re about to eat dinner.  Actually, no, I am not sorry!  I haven’t had dinner for the last few days and I am ravenously hungry!

8.  I’m impressed with my bodily functions.

So I think I’m peeing and then suddenly, it turns into diarrhoea.  Oh wait!  It’s both at the same time.  Wow, great multi-tasking, right there!

9.  Instead of losing weight, I have gained weight!

At first, I was secretly glad to have diarrhoea, “Yay, the lazy girl’s guide to losing weight!  I’ll be a skinny mini in no time!”  It’s Day 3 and I have barely ate anything but I am bloating all over.

10.  People are not that impressed with over-sharing of the diarrhoea kind.

What?  You want to know if I’m pregnant?  Which means you want to know about my sex life…which involves a lot of body contact and fluid exchange… and secretions of the sexual kind… But if I mention other types of body excretions, it’s like, “Eww!  STFU TMI Ling!  Too.  Much.  Info.“

11.  Chopsticks are better than knife, fork and spoon anyday!

I learnt that chopsticks is the best thing to use to fish out toilet roll which has dropped into the toilet!  Oh yeahhhh!!!

If you managed to read all the way, congratulations.  For all those who didn’t make it, I hope they get the diarrhoea bug!  Muhahahahaha!

My Mum had all the classic signs of a gambling problem.

I still remember those days :-

• She would sneak out at night when my three sisters and I were tucked into bed.  Sometimes, she didn’t even sneak out; she would just say “I’m going to the casino” just as we were about to eat dinner and before we even finished eating she would have been long gone.  (And if you’re wondering where my Dad is at night – he’s at work because he worked crazy hours from 1pm – 1am – so he was never at home too.)

• Her mood swings were terrible.  She was easily agitated and irritated…and more so, if she came back from the casino with no winnings.

• My Mum and Dad would argue constantly.  Dad would ask where the money for the bills had gone and my Mum would be highly defensive.  Later on the night, she would tell me that she had to go out and “win back the money for the bills” She never kept her promises.  “I promise I’ll take you to the cinema” but it never happened because she would get sucked in by the temptations of another round at the roulette table…and another round…and another round…

• When she lost money, she would blame us.  She would blame us for scolding her beforehand for abandoning our family night together.

• On numerous occasions, I was forced to lie to my Dad about my Mum’s whereabouts on the phone.  “No, she’s not at the casino.  She’s taking a long bath.  I’ll get her to call you back.”

• She went gambling throughout the entire pregnancy of my oldest little brother (I have 3 brothers now) and even after she gave birth, she’d leave the 5 of us in the car while she went for a 2-3 hour trip to the casino.  Yes, I had to look after my newborn baby brother in a cramped car with 3 other noisy sisters.

My younger siblings were too young to understand what was going on during these tough years with my Mum’s gambling problem.  But I felt I was forced to grow up way before my time because I was the one who helped them with their homework; I put them to bed; I bathed them; I became their mother figure.

I got tired of her excuses.

I got tired of being the mother.  So I devised ways in my silly teenage years to help curb my Mum’s gambling addiction which didn’t work :-

1.  I would get really mad with my Mum and sulk…but then she would try and bribe me with the money she won…and I would hate it even more!  I didn’t want her stinking money!

2.  I got hold of the casino’s phone number (God bless Yellow Pages!) and called them on many occasions.  The operator would then pass the message on via a tannoy announcement.  “Would Mrs Tung please go home immediately!  Your daughter just called!”  (Hey, these were the days before mobile phones, alright?  LOL)  After 6-7 times of doing that, she forgot about the embarrassment and just ignored these announcements.

3.  I got down on my knees and begged her to stay at home with us.  I handed her my piggy bank with my lifelong savings and begged her to take all my money and stop gambling.  I think it kinda moved her because she still tells this story to this day…but it wasn’t enough to stop her completely.  (That’s probably because my piggy bank only consisted of pennies!  LOL)

And then, one day, she finally stopped gambling completely.  

What happened?  She got the help she needed.  She started going to Church again and with much love, advice and support from family and friends and of course, God, she no longer felt the need to gamble.  It was amazing and the start of a new life for our entire family.

Are you going through a similar situation?

Back then, I did have a difficult childhood and addictions were a taboo subject.  I didn’t have anyone to turn to…but you don’t have to suffer in silence.  It is not your responsibility for someone else’s gambling problem.

Nowadays, it is much easier to get help and advice for a gambling problem of a loved one.

You can call Gambler’s Help on 1800 858 858 for free and confidential advice or chat online at www.gamblinghelponline.org.au

I would love to hear any feedback regarding gambling and any of your stories.

P.S.  Why do these crazy things happen to me??!!!  Bahahahahahaha!!!  Gotta laugh about these things, right?

Happy New Year! Why are you obsessed with posting about this defect. I know people who have it and had a healthy baby but just got on with things. Harping on about the fact you could have a dead baby is really insensitive as that has happened to some people. - BloggerOz1986 from the previous post

Dear BloggerOz1986,

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Thank you for taking your time to leave me a comment.

Why are you obsessed with posting about this defect.

I have a few things to nit-pick about this sentence :

1.  The punctation princess inside of me is highly tempted to change the . to a ?

2.  Yay!  It seems that you are a regular reader of my blog since you claim that I am “obsessed with posting about this defect”.

3.  The medical nut inside me wants to say that I don’t consider alpha thalassaemia minor as a defect per se.  It’s just my genetics…like the colour of my skin is different from my sister, for example.

4.  Okay, so if you read the title of the post, “2011 is The Year That Was…” and it’s a recap of 2011 and obviously, one of the major things that happened in 2011 was the discovery of this blood condition.  It wouldn’t have been a recap if I didn’t mention it.

5.  If you scroll through recent posts, there is no mention of this anywhere at all…so that’s hardly obsessive, in my humble opinion.

6.  So this is where I get ultra-defensive and say, “I don’t need to justify me and my blog, but I will.  It’s MY blog so I can blog about whatever I want.  If you have a problem with MY personal blog, stop reading!  I am NOT forcing you to read my shizz!!  And I can be obsessed with whatever I want.  I read a blog about a woman who deals with everyday life as a single mum.  Her husband committed suicide over a year ago and she writes about it a lot.  Would you leave her a comment like this too??”

I know people who have it and had a healthy baby but just got on with things.

That’s great!  Do you think they would like to share their experience?  I would be really interested in talking to people who have undergone a similar situation.  And that’s crazy!  It’s so rare to have couples who both have the same genetic blood conditions!  Are you sure it’s both of them who have the exact same problem as us ?  We have “alpha thalassemia minor trait” which affects the same genes.  There are a few types of thalassaemia and a few sets of genes involved.

So far, I have heard from a couple with the same problems who chose not to take the risk of conceiving.  I have also heard about a couple who had a “dead baby”.  I haven’t heard a success story as yet.  But it’s great to know that there are some out there who have had a “healthy baby and got on with things”.  Obviously, if I had a healthy baby, I would get on with things too…but I don’t see a healthy baby right here, right now – so I will not get on with things till I do.

Harping on about the fact you could have a dead baby is really insensitive as that has happened to some people.

Wow!  That’s pretty harsh!  And how do you know for sure that I haven’t had a dead baby already?  How do you know what is going on inside my body right now?  What if I am pregnant but I don’t know whether I am going to have a healthy baby or dead baby?  Oh, I’m really insensitive????  Am I???  Hmm….pot kettle black!

Have a nice day BloggerOz1986 because I am having my first sh*t day in 2012 thanks to you and your comment.

Note :  Comments have been disabled for this post because I really cannot deal with any more sh*t from anyone today!  However, if you still want to say something, use the Contact Me form and I may or may not reply.  Peace out!