pumping @ federal

I attended a training @ Federal Hotel the other day. 

instead of the usual me who find out about the availability of lactation / baby room, 

I overlooked on this part until the night before.

So I braved myself to ask on the training day itself, and prepared myself on plan B / C in case they don't have any lactation room.

Our training coordinator and hotel staff was fast thinking.

Although they do not specifically have a lactation, the arrangement for another room as temporary lactation room was swift.

I really wish to thank these hotel people who went the extra mile to help me instead of just giving a standard reply "I'm sorry, but we don't have a lactation room. You can try next door / at the shopping mall." 

So I wrote them a compliment letter on the following day. It's one of those time to pay it forward, to thank people for what they have done.

the access to a comfortable pumping room

pumping comfortably with natural light.

lightings for photo taking and memories.

good programme 《我是演说家》

Yesterday I stumbled upon a personally feel 'good programme'
It's reality contest / programme

《我是演说家》where people give talk on certain topic and audience vote. 
The winner is selected via elimination process. 

why I feel this program is good?
1. it helps me to learn mandarin fast ... new vocab, way to use it, helpful with chinese character recognition as well as it has chinese subtitles.
2. it helps me to learn how people talk influentially and different approach used for same topic.
3. it helps me to understand and learn to look at things from different perspectives.

This is something new to me.
Very refreshing way to learn a language, 学会说话, 学做人

very worth to watch

grounded coffee bean

Thank you to a CETDEM booklet about home composting, 
I discovered a whole array of use for grounded coffee bean.
Would like to know too? Here you go...

Since our household doesn't consume much coffee,
So I with the 'thick skin face'' again think of ways to get for my garden especially.
So this was my execution.

1. check with coffee enthusiast / regular colleague, the nearest coffee shop / joint / franchise
2. check with coffee enthusiast / regular colleague, find out more about people working @ the coffee shop / joint / franchise
3. find out about their busy hours and not-so-busy hour (more appropriate to ask for something).
4. So I found the nearest is Starbuck and Gloria Jean Coffee. 
5. Starbuck is bigger franchise, may have protocol to follow. The Gloria Jean is a family owned franchise - easier to make decision.
6. So lunch time I braved (forced) myself to go, waited till all customers are served.
7. I told them I would like to buy grounded coffee bean from them. I honestly told them I am using it as fertilizer.
8. The pakcik asked if I am using for 'pokok bunga ros'? He knew & heard it was very good fertiliser. I told him I'm using more for fruit trees & vegetable compost.
9. The makcik asked if I am using it to make mask & body scrub. I say more for fertiliser, may tried that next time. 
10. I guess I could not be the 1st to ask them.
11. As it is mid-day, and some busy hour, I told them can I come back after work? Uncle told me yes, so he can collect more and stuff the plastic bag full full. 
12. So I went back after work. It was the pakcik's anak saudara on duty.
13. No customer at the moment, so they helped me to pack the grounded coffee bean (compacted into something like a big biscuit) into plastic bags.
14. He asked how frequent do I want the grounded coffee bean? So they can pre-pack for me instead of dispose. 
15. I told them my 1st time do compost use this, so I try out 1st.
16. He volunteer give me contact no. and ask to just call if needed so he can pack.
17. I paid them some money as token of appreciation but he refused to accept saying 'kita pun buang ini, baik kalau ada orang guna daripada bazir'
18. Since it was chinese new year, so I gave both the 'anak saudara' angpows. 

I couldn't thank them enough.
For their good deeds, I'll pay it forward since I doesn't really drink coffee much.
The grounded coffee bean is doing their 'magic' in my compost bin now (hopefully).
Maybe,  next round I will try with the body scrub / mask ...imagine basking in the aroma of coffee .... lol

I found that really if I didn't ask, I wouldn't have gotten the grounded coffee bean
and recycle it.
Sometimes it's this little things in life makes me feel great, makes me feel thankful. 
It could be some thing as disposable as GROUNDED COFFEE BEAN =)