Drama Weekend Anyone?

Drama drama drama. This weekend itself, I get to meet up my old Convernt school friend whom I haven't seen in a couple of years, AND her little babe who turned one this month. At the same time, my mom-in-law's health has taken a turn for the worse.

Pictures first. Know the Murphy's Law? I'm a great follower. God knows how come my camera's setting changed. All the pictures I took were dark. Usually even in poor lighting, my pictures turn out ok, but this time, of ALL time, I couldn't fix it... UNTIL this morning when I realize the exposure is set to the lowest *banging-head-on-the-wall-until-concussion*

Anyway, here are the pictures I tried to rescue by adjusting the brightness and contrast.
Little Darren

Da-Niu and Da-Ren playing masak masak.


Beauties and Beasts

It is always fun to see how your child interacts with another baby. Fortunately, Daniel has learnt to control his forceful pat. When he was younger, his harmless intentions to 'sayang' other kids always end up as a big slap, including me, who took countless of his 'sayang' pats, especially in the morning when I'm still sleeping and unprepared for the Good-Morning-Mummy-Give-You-Big-Slap-On-The-Nose. I always wake up crying...

Kids have no ice to break, unlike adults.
Strangers for 2 seconds.
Playmates for the rest of the evening.

Great family party!
But not so great with my mom-in-law. Initially Paul cancelled his trip back to Seremban this weekend but rushed back when his mom was admitted to Seremban General Hospital. She has been controlling her lupus by taking steroid medication to somewhat make her immune system sluggish so it won't attack her own body. But this also make her prone to infections. A couple of days back, she complained of difficulties in breathing and was becoming weaker.

On Saturday, she was admitted for lung infection which later caused one side to collapse and required the ventilator to help her breath. There was a possibility of kidney failure, hypertension and diabetes. What a shock for everyone! How could she become so ill all of a sudden? You know it is very critical when the doctors tell you to inform any relatives to come visit her and be prepared.

She was at a fork. She could either get better with the antibiotics medication or her organs could fail and be hooked up on a life support system.

It felt terrible not being there with her. I was forbidden from driving up with Daniel. I have to wait till this Friday to take the trip with Paul, and hopefully she will be discharged by then. I could be taking a few days off to help watch over her.

A Gift for My In-Laws

Got these for me in-law folks to match their Chinese antique furniture at home. Carved jade stones or something, with prosperous wishes. Nice?
I bought them at JUSCO Permas Jaya just last week, at the atrium bazaar. This dude from China brought in truckloads of Chinese traditional and antique furnitures and home decorations for sale here. I reckon it's the same bazaar I saw at Carrefour Hypermarket in February. I guess it relocates here and there throughout the cities in Malaysia. I spotted these wall decorations the last time but never had the 'kick' to take cash out of my wallet. So when I saw them last week, I didn't want to miss the chance again. I would like to have them as my own, but they'll kinda look out of place in my home.

Long Weekend Break

I did it again. I tire myself mad during the 4-days Deepa-Raya holidays for the sake of spending more time with my mummy and daddy... oh-so dearest.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I tried pulling this stunt the last time and gotten so exhausted and angry that I made a vow not to do stupid things like this again. But yet again, I refuse to accept the mental defeat. I want to try... again. I want to exhaust myself again. So the opportunity came in the form of a delicious 4-continuous-day break for Deepavali and Hari Raya Puasa.

For the first time, I said no to the much-expected trip back to the in-laws. I think it is not fair that they get the long holidays everytime and my folks only get mealtimes a weekend. I don't really get to have an entire day or two with my parents. So this was the chance. I spent a night my mom's place.

My shoulder ached and I did not sleep well. My throat was sore and I was cold because she sleeps in a blasting air-conditioned room. She didn't sleep much too, because she kept checking on little Daniel. Though my mom was delighted to have us for the night, I could see in her eyes, that perhaps it wasn't really a good idea.

The next day, sleep-deprived, I joined my dad for a day. The usual itinery? Pooltime! As usual I had to literally drag him and his pruned-up fingers out from the pool while he kicked, screamed and rebelled.



I joined my mom for a day-shopping at JUSCO Tebrau City the next day, well, window-shopping for me. I am broke. Mummy dearest seem to have an affinity for expensive dining and lunching of late. We ate lunch at Fish Manhattan, and there was where I discovered how thoughtful Daniel is. Next to our table was a family of four, including a baby less than a year old who was fussing a lot while the mom was trying to distract him. Daniel sat and watched him for quite some time, he looked like he was thinking hard and analyzing the baby's situation. Then he straightened himself up as if he suddenly found a solution for a long and difficult problem. He took his pacifier off, and reached it out to him. The things your child do just amazes us sometimes.

Pink Princess

It's fun being a girlie girl. And it's more fun putting together a birthday present for a 7-ish yr old girl, niece of a good friend.
No matter how old you are/feel, admit it, you want them too. I wish I had duplicated one set for myself. Just to keep them, you know, and look at it once in a while. It's literally like eye-candy, in pink!

It is a FACT

One-third of Johor crimes committed by Indians

We all know that mothers knows best. A month ago, my mom, who was a snatch-theft victim for 7 times, said this,

Mom: Girl, you know, ALL the snatch-thieves and robbers are Indians!

Me: Where got! No lah! Don't judge and be prejudiced.

Mom: I'm telling you. All those victims are mostly Chinese, and some Malays. Have you seen any Indian snatch-theft victim? No right?

Me: (ponder) I don't know.

Mom: So ah, better wear SARI when you go out. Then they won't rob you.

Me : !!!!!!!!!

Hmmm... perhaps I should visit the Deepavali bazaar and find myself a nice shining bell-ridden sari.

Hajimemashita! An-Yong!

Man, I look suave.


Typical Japanese dramatic expression when they see chicken/cat roaming around in the streets of Malaysia. I kid you NOT. My mom, the tour guide finds this amusing too. It seems that the streets in Japan is so clean and 'disciplined' that you don't see animals of any kind roaming about. So sad right, we here can see cows crossing the streets if we're lucky that is. We live in harmony with the animals... including the politicians ( we try ).




Notice he's been holding my new phone throughout the photo shoot. It was the only way to get him to stay still for a few seconds to get sharp images. I had to sacrifice my phone! And he dropped it TWICE!! For your viewing pleasure.. *sob sob*

No Chinese Samfoo pictures yet, by the time I changed him, he was sweating already. Hehehe.

My Wasted Day

On Tuesday, I drove in for work, and used up my 10th and last day of free VEP ( Vehicle Entry Permit for foreign-registered vehicles) charge, which would cost SGD20. Imagine driving in everyday, that would cost you a handsome SGD424, including tol.
That's equivalent to a monthly car loan installment.

I used up my VEP-free day to pick mummy dearest from Changi Airport, and boy was she pleasantly surprised, while I was dreadfully sleepy because she arrived at midnight, which was way past my bedtime.

If you're looking for a single place where you'll find the entire spectrum of emotions, the arrival hall in a busy airport is probably it. If you've watched Love Actually, you'll find the opening of the movie very meaningful and true.

Love actually, is all around.

I spotted this young attractive girl who was obviously very excited to be reunited with her lover. There was this alluring charm about her that was hard to miss, but she wasn't super-beautiful or glammed-up.

She was a bit tanned, like a Japanese, and she had this pixie-like face with side-parted short brown healthy hair. Clad in a simple white tee and asymetrical slinky black skirt, she paced to and fro, tiptoe-ing among the crowd to catch a glimpse of her lover, and waving excitedly. And though I also noticed that people around, especially the men, did steal a few glances at her,she was totally oblivious and unconscious of the attention she was getting. She just had this sex appeal.

When her guy came out, they hugged really tightly, right smack in the middle of the crowd, for a whole 5 minutes or more. Not moving, just holding each other tightly. I know this is nothing in America/Canada/England/Europe/other whitepeople land, but in Asia, this is quite fun to see. This shows that we are not that open-minded yet. If she wasn't wearing bra, I tell you, big hoo ha, the men will be wiiiiidddeee-eyed.

I reached home at 2am, and alone because hubbie is in KL until Saturday. I had the best sleep ever. I read somewhere that you sleep better alone. The QUALITY of your sleep is better. I'd say, the quality of your sleep is the best, without a baby!

The next day, I felt so refreshed! What a difference a few more hours of sleep makes! The best thing is, it was totally undisturbed.

And I had a great day because of a good deal I got for a pair of shoes for only RM26!

And 50% off for men's contemporary stripe shirts. God bless the Deepa Raya sales. Notice that women's good day is not necessarily determined by good hairday, good sex or good coffee. It's good sales, and finding something we really like!

I didn't get any for Daniel because from now onwards until he is 5 years old, he won't need new clothes. Back from Japan, my mom and aunt bought him a 9-inch thick stack of clothes and 5 pairs of shoes. My mom got him a really cute pair of kimono pajamas set. Now, he has two kimono set, a Korean set and a pair of bright red Chinese samfoo. I will torture him to wear all those and take pictures. Bua hahahha.

My First Mid-Autumm Festival

Firstly, night photography and toddler do NOT go well together. Even panning doesn't work.
This is my best shot.


He swings his traditional paper lantern, those with a REAL little burning candle inside, of course held very securely by metal guards, and inspected 12 times by mummy. He bangs the lanterns into the gate, the ground and almost everything he walks pass, but miraculously, the lantern was still in one piece. But in the end, he tore it to pieces.


Now this is the modern, battery-operated lantern in the form of a drumming butterfly, and there's music too! DO NOT buy those with continuous high-decibel admission because you will go deaf, but amazingly your kid won't, and will insist on switching it on the whole day. Thank goodness, the drumming butterfly was just fine. And yes, they ALL come in that loud pink colour.


By the way, I found out the bedangdangs movie that was shown in a family foodcourt some time ago.

It's Komodo vs Cobra. Go watch it and have a good laugh, though it's supposed to be frightening.

I am THE SuperWoman

Let's see what mummy did during the weekend...

Cooked lunch and dinners. That includes washing up, WITHOUT a dishwasher. For the benefit of the western readers, Asians are not into dishwashers. We'd die without a washing machine instead.
Perhaps, I should share my recipes next time, those I learnt from my mom, grandmothers and colleagues. Simple dishes, really.

Laundry. Ironed Paul's shirt and pants for work.

Washed the toilet.

Vacuum-ed and mopped the floor.

Visited my dad. (Mom's away holidaying at some mountains in Japan)

Made a couple of new greetings cards, and a bead keychain.

Managed a short good nap while Daniel's nap.

Went cycling with Daniel. And of course lots of playtime with him too. Speaking of which, I joined him in the kiddie plastic pool one evening and one of my neighbour's kid said to his mom in absolute amazement "Ma, ni kan! Baby de mama i chi wan sui eh!" ( Look mom! The baby's mom is playing together in the water!) Well, what can I say while sitting in the pool in my shorts and tee, and having loads of fun with Daniel. Poor kid. To be a fun parent, you gotta be a kid yourself!

I think I am a capable woman. Of course, Paul could help out, but I was just in the mood for house work. And don't ask me where the energy and zest came from, I too have no idea.

And all the little guy did was...