my little bean project

For the past 2 weeks, I've been going through some rough patches and I've also been very occupied not only with work but also 'work outside work'. I've been doing alot of thinking as well.

Each time when I'm going through rough patches in life, I'll always do things that will help to 'heal' me.

This time round, I embark on a little beanie project ... trying to kill 3 birds with a stone.
1st - to 'heal' myself
2nd - to show my little one how little beans grow just like him
3rd - to symbolise the growing of something my family is working on.


Day 1 - just beans - 2 black, 2 soya, few red ones. Just like all of us ... being in the same place but each occupy a different soil.

Day 2 - some cracks in the beanies' skin. Just like us, some things we need to break the shell and try before we know whether we can do it or not.


Day 3 - little roots emerging, but also realised that some beans are not meant to be grown ... the soyas ... they basically rot.
Like us, some know we must work hard to build a good foundation. Somethings are not meant to be, we had no choice but to accept that it won't work.

Day 4 - little sprouts coming out with fresh new leaves. Like us, as long as we never give up, there's always new beginning, new hope. If we work hard everyday, someday our effort will pay off.




Day 4 - side view








Day 5 - sprouts growing longer, leave bigger and roots deeper.


















Day 6 - beanie sprouts have grown taller, roots grown deeper into the cotton bed.
















Day 7 - bigger & stronger








Here, my little one admiring my little beans ... every morning when my little one wakes up... he'll look for bean bean.









Little beans came just in time to celebrate Chinese New Year..
Here, bean papa, bean mama & bean babies wishing everyone a new great beginning for this rabbit year =)

FT day

Today is 'Fix Territory' day.
This is the day I'm going to fix the territories for all the things in my house...a.k.a 'put things back at where they belong' day.

I've a very bad habit of procrastinating ... like cleaning our house on the 29th and 30th before Chinese New Year.
Am I being too ambitious to be able to 'fix territory' in ONE day?

desperate measures

In my attempt to save, I've resorted to trying to win some 'whatever' using investment of 60 cents. Wish me luck.

This year, I'll be on a near deficit budget, so if I'm very 'kedekut' with my money, please bear with me.

Hari ini dalam sejarah

Remember my post sometime back about 90 is the new 60?

Well, today is when history changes.
90 is indeed the new 60 now (or rather when the clock struck 12 yesterday night)

Life is indeed full of suprises ...
Life can indeed be very good to us ...
As long as we never give up hope on life ...

I'm writing these post with very much gratitude and gratefulness to anyone (just anyone) that has made this happened.

perpetually '乱'

It's time of the year again to indulge in some 'cleaning' exercise..
How come I've a feeling that my home is a perpetually '乱' place.
It really doesn't help that I keep accumulating things.
the worse, I can't decide where to put those things that I just leave them wherever easy to be found.

perhaps I seriously need to look at my this bad habit and make some changes.
like someone told me :
"last time your room is already so '乱' mana tau after married the home lagi '乱' ..."
hahaha ... somethings just don't change overnight, do they? perticularly bad habits

B.A.B.E trip - Baby's Adventure Baby's Exploration trip

Adventure begins as soon as he's being 'released' from baby chair @ McD. Ah bi started pushing the chair around.

there...ah bi trying to climb the slide the other way round.

Off course he tried and fell / slide down numerous times before he figured a way to climb up by holding on the side railing.

This bad mama didn't even give a helping hand, just stand & watch & take photos =p

The other parents were even more worried than I am.

I prefer it this way ... let the baby figure out what he wants to do & how he do it.

Next stop...MPH bookstore

Besides exploring the books, he also studied the different type of flooring MPH has.

He loves cookery books .... he keep taking out each book and say 'mam mam' before sliding it back to place.

pic 3 : looking @ flowers and ask mama to carry when he's not tall enough to reach the bear in pic 4. He gave the bear a hug and took him for a 50 metres tour together before putting it back.

I had to stopped him only when he kept squatting and touch the testure of the floor and risking other kids stepping / stumbling on him. Otherwise I let him roam freely (with supervision la).

pic 1 : hugging winnie the pooh that was on the floor

pic 2 : attracted by colourful balls and kept saying 'ball ball' ... whatever that we give him to distract him doesn't work. Even when papa use the hand to beat his buttock also he don't care ...lol

pic 3 : trying to help another winnie the pooh that was trapped.

pic 4 : he's obsessed with balls I think, no matter where we brought him, he kept bringing us back to the balls section.

pic 1 & 2 : before entering TOYS R'US, there was a play castle outside which he didn't get to enter because there's a princess in there who 'halau' him. So when papa saw this house in here, lead ah bi. He went in, open & close all the door & window and adjusted the time.

pic 3 : Saw a white dog (which looked like wishbone to him) and start saying 'app'. This is what he always say when wishbone try to lick his little toes.

pic 1 : figuring how to move the little car ... those cars are chained together, so basically need to pull 3 cars move together.

pic 2 : finally he figured out he can use his legs to pull the cars forward.

pic 3 : finally got tired of dragging so many cars along that he switched to a single 'mini cooper' in pic 4.

Am not sure whether he's amazed by the fishes or the writing on the aquarium or both...

after walking & exploring for a few hour, ah bi finally asked for 'nen nen' and fall asleep snoring.

Mama's hand also 'kebas' already and in attempt to kill boredom start taking pictures of the ceiling. BTW, Ikano really have good baby care facilities.

This is after he woke up and we having lunch, he's looking @ Doraemon on his clothes.

I spent my new year with '3 idiots'

One of the best thing I did this 2011 new year was spending my time with '3 idiots'.
They made me laugh and they made me cry but I still loves them.
A very meaningful way to start my new year ... also thanks to ah dear for on'ing else I wouldn't choose '3 idiots' to spend my new year with.
Also thanks to a friend who introduced me to '3 idiots'.

new folder 2011

I created a new folder in my PC - to store more happy photos and memories for 2011.

and while I was housekeeping 2010 folders, I found some of these (mostly from the last Quarter of 2010)....some material things that made me happy even until now... haha (I've always been this materialistic, couldn't get rid of old habits)



free backpack for cod liver oil (400ML bottle) ... although only managed to get one design, penguin & tiger out of stock due to I got to know about this promotion too late. Nevertheless very worth it, RM9.80 for cod liver oil (considered very cheap) and children back pack good quality.







free planner that comes with Marie Claire magazine ... must admit I bought the RM7 magazine because of the free gift... stupid ho.










Suprise gift from PIDM - leather lookalike diary, calendar & pen. Darn lucky because I was asked to go because the person supposed to go was on MC. Not sure if I'm supposed to give it to the person but I just kept it. Moreover, I'm taking over this function so ....







A whole year free supply of baby shampoo, baby bath, baby cologne .... thank you CY!












Stumbled upon this 130 pieces puzzle @ Daiso (RM5 shop). Love the picture. Very lucky of me to always 'meet' the things that I like.








Stumbled upon this event while surfing and since I was on holiday, decided to pay a visit. Never regret doing so because I found the greatest deal ever ... children books @ 90% discount from MPH booth.





Children big puzzle - RM1.50 each set after discount. Original price RM15.00 - I bought all different sets. They come with slightly kemek boxes but in my attempt to lug everything home, I've discarded the boxes upon making payment...another sign of kiasu'ness.




All books here less than RM2.00 each (even for thick cover books) except 3 top left books with magnetic pages @ RM3.00 each. Some were just a 50 cents (original price RM5.00)





Again, all less than RM2.00 except for 1 adult book which is RM5.00. Most books are in acceptable conditions but some are as good as new. Didn't mind the 'digging' as books were not categorised. Total bill was less than RM50. Very happy because children book are not cheap especially those hardcover ones and here I've got many many books for the price of maybe 2 to 3 books.


special because papa tried many many ways and at last successfully got this bunch of balloons from the ceiling of a restaurant where we attended dinner.






RM2.00 for each pair.
3 colours of the same design ... can't get rid of old habits though.






One of the best book sales I've ever attended. Looking forward to this year's. Go together, anyone?










Some very comfortable 1 piece suite all the way from Europe for ah bi ... thanks to 'ku jie'.
The same pack I saw from Marks & Spencer here in Malaysia is so much more expensive. RM99 vs. RM40 (8 pounds). Crazy eh?






Hope more is coming for 2011 ...
I figured a way to be happier in 2011 ... to lower my expectations.

the day I'm afraid of has come

Like it or not ...
the day that I'm afraid of had come.

The temporary breastfeeding room - or so I called it, had been scheduled to be dismantled last weekend to allow more space for expanding team.

My 1st initial reaction was 'Why now?' and 'Why so short notice?'
but when I sit down to think further ... I'm actually consider lucky to earn 13 months extra ...
Imagine my other colleague who has just shared the room for 5 days only to receive this kind of shocking news.

Seeing this obstacle right in front of me, I emailed another 2 colleague - a new mother who has just started work after maternity & breastfeeding and another soon-to-be-mother of 2nd child next year.
I couldn't believe I was actually forming an alliance to 'fight' for our causes and rights.
I've wanted to include all other female colleagues as well but reserved them as back up plan if initial negotiation does not go as plan.

So early the next morning, we sort of 'march' into our immediate boss 'cubicle' to voice our concern. She is smart to see a common 'denomitor' among these mothers and immediately knew she can't escape this time. Or maybe I've been openly voicing my concern ever since yesterday evening when I've got the news.
I didn't even seem to mind being labeled as 'mastermind' ...
All I wanted was just for our rights to be recognised and we to be given basic access to our rights.

Moreover I think this is the best time to negotiate for a small little room for breastfeeding mothers since they are doing renovation.
It's time to ask now or never .... not so easy after people have renovated.
I strongly feel it's ok if we plant the 'tree' now so that many more mothers are able to sit in the 'shade' for many years to come (considering the demographic of my division).

To cut the long story short, our immediate boss (a lady) who initially suggested a meeting room has brought up our concerns to big boss who later suggested the pantry.
They refuse to cater for our need to have a little room ( I do not know for whatever reason).
Personally I prefer the meeting room than the pantry. I feel that it is unfair that the pantry is being locked at certain times of the day because 'someone is obviously doing something at somepoint of the day' ....
I do not know and do not care what are their intentions ... to slowly and gradually kill off our breastfeeding intention by making it more inconvenience and difficult for us.
Sorry for being selfish but to me, if you are unable to use the pantry especially during lunch time because I'm 'IN' there ... I'm sorry but a much better way, tell boss.
May be after much feedback, we mothers will be treated better ...
We just hope that bosses and management understand that besides our formal duties, we also have other equally important 'motherly duties'.












Anyhow, I'm still very thankful for the 13 months that they had given to me.
And for the months to come ... for at least they have still given us the 'green light' to use the pantry.

Sorry for the rather feminist ranting ...
But I'm proud myself and my other 2 mothers colleagues ... we fought for our rights although the outcome may not as we wanted.
This journey is just starting, I'll be back ... fighting for our rights.

One thing I discovered .... how courageous mothers can be for their children ... my respect to all mothers.

90 is the new 60

I'm looking forward for the 'may' to change to 'to' in the above headlines

take bath time

I love take bath time ... it's a time I always do a reflection of what happen throughout the day, the week, the month, the year and the my life.
My take bath time also used to be the time I take to ponder important decisions in life, the time I cried my heart out when I'm sad, the time I take to heal my heart, the time I take to refresh my memories...

Just now, as I was taking bath...It just hit me that I'm having a good life after all so far

Once, I told someone that I consider myself very lucky ... each time when I face difficulties in life, somehow something will turn good, somehow someone will appear as my angel, somehow the difficulties will take a 180 degree turn.
And I was told by that someone that it was because I'm easily pleased even by the simplest thing.
I do not know ...

a bouquet of flower from ah dear

Last last week, ah dear told me he brought a bouquet of flower home for me all the way from Ipoh ... I said 'What? Got too much money ah?'
Ended up I love the bouquet of 'flowers'
Appreciate it very much =)