黃小琥-伴

Would like you to take time to listen to this song with your heart ...




作詞：姚若龍
作曲：于曉光、李偉菘
編曲：Terence Teo

如果 命運可以訂做
如果 有另一次選擇
我想我 還是會 把手讓你緊握
快樂地陪你去坎坷

就算 你有天變落魄
就算 你老得不能動
我想我 還是會 挽著你看日落
你的心疼在淚光中

嘴巴上 彼此嫌麻煩
眼神中 關懷那麼滿
沒說愛 卻早已認定一輩子的伴

在人前 從來不浪漫
在心中 卻總為對方打算
最懂的人最暖的伴

就算 我以後變囉嗦
就算 我老了有病痛
我想你 還是會 照顧我到最後
隱藏脆弱不眠不休

沒有辛酸 沒有遺憾
什麼是陪伴 什麼是心安 你是答案

really love this song .... 经典 (classic) especially the lyrics and simple melody presentation

with my limited translation ability, I couldn't help not translating such beautiful lyrics to share with friends who does not read chinese.

如果 命運可以訂做
If fate can be customised
如果 有另一次選擇
If have another time to choose
我想我 還是會 把手讓你緊握
I think I still will let you hold my hands tight
快樂地陪你去坎坷
Happily accompany you through rough

就算 你有天變落魄
even though one day you'll be down & out
就算 你老得不能動
even though you are immobile due to old age
我想我 還是會 挽著你看日落
I think I still will hold you watch sunset
你的心疼在淚光中
Your heartache / love in tears


嘴巴上 彼此嫌麻煩
Mouth say each other troublesome
眼神中 關懷那麼滿
But in eyes, so full of care
沒說愛 卻早已認定一輩子的伴
Never say love but already identified as life partner / soulmate

在人前 從來不浪漫
In front of others, was never romantic
在心中 卻總為對方打算
In heart, always consider for each other
最懂的人最暖的伴
the most understanding person, the most warm partner

就算 我以後變囉嗦
even though I'll be naggy in future
就算 我老了有病痛
even though I become old and sick
我想你 還是會 照顧我到最後
I think you will still take care of me till the end
隱藏脆弱不眠不休
Hide your vulnerabilities, don't sleep & don't rest (endlessly)

沒有辛酸 沒有遺憾
No bitterness, no regret
什麼是陪伴 什麼是心安 你是答案
what is accompany / companion, what is peace of mind, you are the answer

The lyrics beautifully & meaningful written, isn't it? but my translation sucks.

We are prepaid with 2500 weekends or more

Received an email with article originating from Chetan Bhagat (Symbiosis).
Just thought of sharing since some of us are a little under weather these days.
I especially like paragraph 2.

Don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a card if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up?

It's ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, enjoy your friends, fall in love, little fights with your loved ones. We are people, not programmed devices.

Don't be serious, be sincere.

enrich yourself

I always tell my colleague (maybe they are tired of hearing this also)

to enrich yourself ...take time off from work to enrich yourself ... the funds are allocated for training ... work can always wait ... cannot finish one ... but if you missed some opportunities, it may never come back or take a long time to come back.

moreover, what you've gained is yours forever...nobody can take that away from you.

training I've enrolled for this year
1. AMLA (was made compulsory)
2. EQ@work
3. Edward Debono 6 Thinking Hat
4. Thinking out of box
5. Tony Buzan mind mapping

some highly recommended which I've attended previously :
1. The 7 habits of highly effective people

One of the training facilitator Morgan has shared this : there are 3 types of attendees namely :

1. Explorers - those who are very eager to find out & explore about topic of interest.

2. Hostages - those who are there by instructions / directions by management.

3. Vacationers - those who are there to escape from hectic work

ps. I think I'm a VACAPLORER ... I escape from work to enrich and value add myself =)

What do we do without MILK?

Today is World Milk Day
At last, it's good to have a day specifically to celebrate the 'humble' milk.
I say we need milk to survive ...
If we think back, milk is the 1st food that all of us take in this world
What do we do without milk?
Milk is a near perfect food source loaded with nine essential nutrients needed daily.

Let us all toast for the 'humble' milk .... cheers

Although I do not know how big a scope does the World Milk Day covers,
here is my sincere appreciation for all milks and their sources.
be it cow's milk, breastmilk, goat's milk, soya milk, oat milk or .....

if only I can

here I'm sitting at the dining table of a balinese style home in Malacca, enjoying the night after ah bi and ah dear sleep. It's raining outside which makes it more 'in the mood'.

This is a retirement home dream come true ... and it makes me ponder whether can I have a comfortable retirement to start with...what more a retirement home.

I do not know when and I do not know how but I do know that as times goes by, my dreams seem to be getting smaller and smaller. My request towards life seem to be simpler and simpler and based on what matter most instead.
Is it just me or does any of you share the same sentiment?

meanwhile, I better grab some of life's luxury ... sleeping (oh, I consider sleeping a luxury these days

I'm disoriented now...20 straight hours of no sleep

I'm disoriented now .... feel like in another dimension.
20 straight hours of no sleep, although not as terrific as last time during schooling times .... the body is so much older now.
Plus the toll of producing 'food' for my little boss ... the body is deteoriating very fast ... prematurely ageing.

I just need to get some good night rest (which currently not so possible due to night feeds) ... but why do I keep on not wanting to sleep and wanting to do as much as I can? when I'm already so disorientated? This is very bad...detrimental to my body and health. I just sometimes wonder whether my body has mind on its own instead of following what my brain says....or my brain has multiple personalities disorder?

all done except testing 123

up this morning since 4am++ but till now has only managed to test 30% ... still waiting for instruction to proceed further.
meanwhile I've :
1. confirm some online purchase (not related to testing)
2. make payment via fund transfer (not related to testing)
3. go to 'loo' to settle big business
4. watched almost 3/4 of a korean drama series (Full House) ... yes, I'm watching it only NOW.
5. paid my water & electric bills
6. read a couple pages of magazine
7. folded a few pieces of clothes
8. boiled a kettle of water
9. updated my blog
10. ate a few biscuits.
11. been wondering why I've done so much except doing what I woke up for.

and if they don't let me fast fast continue :
1. my little boss is going to ask for food already
2. I'm due to prepare myself to attend EQ@work training for 2 days before Wesak Day ...alamak, I forgot to put out of office msg ah...sure ppl will be cursing me for not replying their emails...

put to good use

remember I had a story about how much I love colouring even at this age ... and how it sort of relaxes me.

well, other than the post, I didn't dare to tell anyone until .....

a colleague of mine who's organising a party at work for birthday boys n girls for Jan - June lamented that it is boring to have birthday cards in black n white.... and it's too expensive to print them with her own colour ink.


without thinking, I said 'why not personalised them, no need printer, just need hand (and time). She trusted my words and passed me a whole stack of A4 papers folded into half (size of a birthday card). I've counted 13 altogether.


To cut long story short, this is what happened :


design chosen (by my colleague) for birthday boys

design for birthday girls




all together




I passed up my homework and she said "You make a good kindergarten teacher. You really have the patience to colour 13 cards"
What I didn't tell her was 'Once upon a time, I dreamt of becoming a kindergarten teacher but I doubt I could survive with my kind of patience & my high maintenance lifestyle.
Of course, venturing into children education sector and franchising can be very profitable, but what's the main objective after all? Is it managing a business or teaching the children?


nevertheless, although not as beatiful as colour printed and I came out with my own colour scheme, I hope my colleagues will like these cards.

if it ain't cheap, it wouldn't be mine

btw, the above line is applicable to material things only ok.
and I'm putting money back into the economy again.

I spent RM130 on these 9 clothes - RM23 being the most expensive one. Time to update my wardrobe after 3 of my office clothes were torn (I've must have outgrown them =p). It's EUPHORIC to be able to buy the clothes that I like at a good price.


RM40 - that's all I spent on this 12 books consist of fictions, parenting and self help...all of which books that I'll be interested in even if the price were a little pricier.

Bilingual English - Chinese fully illustrated dictionaries at RM3 each ... good for me to learn 1st before I teach ah bi.

RM20 bucks for all these colourful collections of stories in chinese. This time I ventured into those without hanyu pinyin =)

All these little pants & shirt (cannot find shirt at the time photo was taken) for RM1 each.

I'm very happy cause I feel every penny spent was very WORTHWHILE.

is it true?

Is it true that personal appearance is important ... as in the way you dress and the way you style your hair....etc?

A friend gave me her honest opinion and that it's in fact important ... actually I felt I am really lacking in 'this' department. These friends even offer to help me have a modest makeover (note the word modest).

Honestly I think I really need a appearance makeover ... I've been feeling sluggish all these while. I'll have to say that most of my office attire are 'auntish' ... I just don't know how to explain why I didn't take the effort to appear nicer (aka more presentable). To tell the truth, only 10-20% of my working attire are puchased by me...the rest are given by people who cannot stand my non-existent fashion sense I think.

Blame it on my wrong mentality that "it's what inside that counts" and that "I'm not willing to spend much on clothes" and that "I don't care about how others think of me...I'm me"
The above mentalities - I found out is very very outdated in today's context.
Only God knows how many times I may have missed opportunities because of my 'not-so-presentable' appearance.

I really have to buck up and improve on my appearance ... let's take May 2010 to begin this long overdue mission.
something came to my mind as I write
"Even people going to the next world would want to appear nice & presentable so why this person who's still living in this world would want to appear otherwise"
I must be crazy ... really really crazy

my little 'I dunno'

my little 'I dunno' ...
who don't know how much he meant to me
who don't know how much I love him
who don't know how much I've sacrifice just for him
yet who still make me smile from my heart often =)

NST new perspectives campaign

If you buy during a sale, are you saving or spending?

Is today yesterday's tomorrow or tomorrow's yesterday?

Is a zebra black with white stripes? Or white with black stripes?

I like this series of advertising ... something very creative and aptly used to highlight NST as newspapers which reports from different perspectives.

even the walls cannot escape now

of late, perhaps due to nesting instinct ... I've a project going on in my mind all the time...transforming my home a little by little (week by week) to a 'home sweet home'.
Don't get me wrong, my home is sweet but i believe there are more that can be done to make it sweeter.

Yup, I know it's not all about material things ... no?

But sometimes it's little little things (in other words cheap cheap things) that add the 'touch' and that 'sense of belonging'.

Ever since I'm a little girl, I have a 'dream home' ... oh, yes I'm a very very homely person (blame it on horroscope) although at times I don't seem to be one.

Now, I'm trying each day to get a little closer to my 'dream home' ... it's not a grand one with superb interior design. I just need a cozy, warm sanctuary and a place to call home....a place I'm most comfortable in, a place I can be with my loved ones most carefree'ly, a place where I belong to and a place where I can nurture & grow =)

yes, that's me =D

what about you? What's your home sweet home like? How do you want it to be? =)

and now, even the strongest walls cannot escape .... dunno whether I'll get scolding or not for sticking the wall? =p

I'm very happy ... I got all these 5 for RM10 (where to find?)

if a child ....

Something to share =)

If a child lives with critism, he learns to condemn
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself
If a child lives with acceptance & friendship, he learns to find love in the world

~~ Dororthy Nolte ~~

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger-paint more, and poin the finger less.
I would do less corrrecting and make more connecting.
I'd take my eyes of my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more
I'd take more hikes &fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more huggung and less tugging
I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more
I'd teach less about the love of power,
and more about the power of love.

~~ Diane Loomans~~

one frenzy shopper at KL International Book Fair 2010 PWTC

Visitors at the KL International Book Fair 2010 at PWTC must have caught a glimpse of a crazy shopper these 2 days (yesterday & today).

She has been walking around lugging bags & bags of books with her ... with her dishelved hair. She's walking around scanning for best deals.

I managed to get hold of her and got a 1st hand info on her purchases ...

imagine she managed to grab these amount of books over a span of 2 days ... 2nd day with the help of a colleague (thanks Yong!)

plastic bag 1 : 24 x RM1 each storybook (including Lady Bird series and other hardcover series)

Total bag 1: RM24

plastic bag 2 : 1 pack of 'colour me with science' & 'I love science' series books - RM10 per pack of 10 books.

total bag 2 : RM10 x 2 = RM20

Plastic bag 3 : from left, the 4 chemistry, bio, physic & science illustrated = RM6.

What to expect series = RM24.90 x 2 =RM49.80. (actual price about RM50 per book)

Element of Education Success, Picking cherries from stock market, The burning desire in life & Chinese Festivals cost RM2 each = RM2 x 4 = RM8

the english & science preschool workbook cost RM0.50 each = RM0.50 x 5 = RM2.50

the remaining 3 books next to what to expect = RM10 + RM8 + free = RM18

plastic bag 4 : flash cards. mostly is RM20 for 3 boxes. So altogether about RM90

plastic bag 5 : past issues of 'Pa & Ma' .... a magazine I grow to like & has been waiting for chance to buy past issues. RM4.50 x 10 = RM45

So her total spending = RM24 + RM20 + RM49.80 + RM8 + RM2.50 + RM18 + RM90 + RM45 = RM257.30

But she seem to be beaming with happy smile ... she says she has no regret.

In fact she has got herself very great deals ... value for money ... imagine RM1 for a hardcover story book?

at the same time can use for income tax deduction too! she added

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ps. oh! remember those 'Siri tiga penyiasat' / ' Lima sekawan' / 'Siri Hadi Boys' / 'Nancy Drew' which we used to like during primary school .... they are selling these at RM0.50 per book.

I've thought of buying some for the children at orphanage but I can't carry anymore weight than I'm able to so I forego the idea .... unless any of you can offer to come along to help carry?

**********************************************************************************************

doesn't mean ...

there's something I see today that I think I need to write about because I 'boh song'.

I was at the KL International Book Fair at PWTC this evening after work. Can get some very good deals (but that's beside the point).
At one of the booth, I saw a Malay lady (a mother I suppose) browsing through collection of Peter & Jane (hardcover story books like Ladybird series) ---> you know those collection with different level from level 1 - level 10.
It was written very clearly on the rack that there will be 30% discount on all Peter & Jane series and the price shown is before discount. The price tag shows RM9.90. A simple calculation will show that the book cost about RM7 each after discount.

This lady took a book, walk up to an Indian man (not sure a temporary worker/permanent worker who's neatly dressed) and tidying up books and asked him "how much is this?" in a very rude manner.
The worker didn't reply (as in speak) but point to the discount tag on the rack instead.
The lady got angry and raise her voice "you don't know is it? no use".
She then took the book and stormed to the counter & I presume to check the price with a manager (perhaps).

Seeing that I was dumbfounded by the whole episode, the worker looked at me & signalled to me that he couldn't speak.
At that point of time, I feel bad.
I just smile and nodded my head to acknowledge him.

All I want to say with this incident is :

1. I applaud this company who is not biased towards less privileged people - at least this company give them a chance to earn a living.

2. I do not agree with the lady's attitude.
Firstly, it was very clear on the discount given & that the prices shown are before discount. Secondly, even if the worker doesn't tell you verbally the price, he did attempt to show you. Thirdly, even if the worker doesn't reply to you, you have no rights to raise your voice and call another person no use (what more a less privilege person).
Forthly, you maybe a more educated person whose children read 'Peter & Jane' series but that doesn't mean you have rights to be rude, to judge people or do whatever you like to whoever you want.

Really makes me wonder what's the use of the so good 'Peter & Jane' series (no offense to Peter & Jane series) when you doesn't even able to potray a good example of basic courtesy & morale for your children.

I'm supposed to go sleep but I just have to let go of this 'boh song'ness. Now I think I can sleep better.

in support of earth hour 2010

in support of CY's earth 2010 effort, I've created a little lantern too =)
come show your support too!

doing things I've not done for quite a while

so here I am ...

listening to songs while fine tuning my resume
actually it's more like sing-along session ... having a one-(wo)man show concert eh =p
and I've got a list of my fav songs lining up (some back to 70s, 80s, 90s) ... and yes I'm that old =p

ps. finding for today : songs lyrics & melodies - once learnt very hard to forget. You will automatically know how to sing even after a few years lapse of not singing the song at all.
Music is amazing, isn't it?

and music can make us want to sleep, isn't it?
cause I'm very sleepy now....Zzzzzzz

those were the days

Today on the train (lrt) home, in a state between sleepiness & awakeness, something came to my mind.

I remember during my primary school & secondary school, how I 'ngak sek ngak sek' also can managed through.
It was still manageable during primary school ... at least if I don't know how to do homework, can still ask parents, they still able to guide on primary school stuffs.
Come secondary school ... my parents favourite line 'try asking your teacher / friends'
Come upper secondary ... my parents added another line to their favourite line 'try asking your teacher / friend. why never pay attention in class & why your friend know how to do but not you.'

So I did what I was told ----> I asked friends (a few that are top in their subjects of expertise) but when time is limited, I remembered doing 'manual photostat' of the entire answer. In fact I've been doing it most of the time =p
There were times when I did try to understand but some things were just way beyond my understanding at that point of time. Experts are human too ... they too may be irritated when I still don't get it despite their very patient and detailed explaination.
Of course I told my parents I asked my friends and got the answer (which I really did...haha)

Then I remembered last time for projek ERT (Ekonomi Rumah Tangga), we have only got like 1 hour each week to use the limited no. of sewing machine (which also has to be shared, i think ratio is 1:3). Usually, when it's time to use, it's the end of lesson time.
The thing is, not everyone has a sewing machine at home and I happened to be one of them. In order to complete the project on a tight timeline, I had to go around friends & neighbours house to use their sewing machines.
I almost spoilt a neighbour sewing machine due to my inefficiency. Only god knows how may I've been unwelcome and troublesome.
but I guess that's how i learnt to be so 'thick faced' .... haha

actually, there's a point that I want to deliver when I begin, but when I reach here i suddenly forgot why I started writing about this in 1st place...

maybe I'm wondering how I 'ngak sek ngak sek' also can pull through secondary school till today?
maybe I'm wondering whether has our schooling system done us any good?
maybe I'm wondering about what influence our family & friends can have on us?
maybe I'm wondering whether it's the destination that matters or the journey that matters?'
there are just too many possibilities...

Do you have something during your school years that you would like to share? please do so =) and let us immerse ourselves in the joy of yesteryears =)

alot done

over the past few days, I feel accomplished ... I've done alot

1. I can multitask better at work.

2. At last I make the effort to join colleagues for lunch... after the absence for the past few months.

3. organise a small gathering of some close colleagues .... watch a very entertaining movie and had a great dinner at 'food court'.

4. found the courage to voice my opinion & concern to management.

5. bought a high chair & mattress for ah bi at warehouse sales.

6. getting advice on feeding solids from friends & colleagues.

7. drove after being a passenger for so long.

8. make a little more improvement to my portfolio

9. remove 60% of the weeds from my home garden

10. clear the stack of newspapers that have been on my dining table since beginning of this year.

11. manage to read a chinese book to ah bi and go through 4 box of flash cards with him.

12. grabbed the best deal from tesco
(a) flash cards (buy 1 box free 1 box at RM3.95 each) - we bought 8 box for RM15.80 (effectively about RM2.00 per box)
(b) Playskool stacking cups - square and round (at RM3.22 each box) - each box contain 8 cups in varying descending sizes.
(c) 10-piece rubber mat - those where you combine the square to form a mat for baby tummy time (at RM7.90 for a set of 10) - bought 2 sets.

- don't ask me how I remember all the prices in detail .... I always can remember the prices I see on promotion leaflets and in hypermarkets very well (the prices can not escape from my eyes and my mind) ... must be occupational hazards =p keke

have a good week ahead everyone!!!

our new hair stylist =)

chinese new year + valentine day is coming

but since we were a little tight on budget, we decided to go for the most affordable hair stylist in town =p

ps. never mind you have hair all over your face =p

ps. never mind you have hair dye all over your forehead =p

2 years & more to come

2/2/10
We have been in this 'partnership' for 2 years
Towards the second half of last year, we have a new 'small little boss' joining us.
I couldn't have ask for more ... I'm very thankful.

2/2/10
It was a working day and we didn't take time off to celebrate.
But I was touched by the little small gesture that requires alot of effort and 'heart'
Maybe simple but it was one of the tastiest dinner I had.
and the thing is 'I've not got anything for him' <---- this I feel very bad. Our little boss was very cooperative as he fell asleep as soon as we reached home <---- something that is rare. and NOW, my 'small little boss' is calling me again.. PS. I love you both

break up

Today, I felt gloomy & down from the moment I step into the office till the moment I leave.
This kind of feeling is like you have something invisible pulling you down, weighing down on your heart.
From today, the 2 desk next to me (my left & right) will be empty. Gone are those days when I can just turn either way & start babbling away.
They broke us up and they chuck us all in different territories ... left to fend for ourselves in unchattered water.
Who knows how battered will we be by the end of the day?
Who knows what will become of us in the future?

somethings are meant to be put together before they can flourish ... put them apart, either they don't mean anything or they will fade ... take jigsaw for example.

until this stage, there's nothing much left that can be done ...
like any time in our lives ... we just have to carry on ... move forward ... accept that this are realities in life.

To the two of you (sitting to me left & right previously in the office) ... I love you.
You both have brought special meaning to my life ... I cherish those moments we spent together. Wishing you both the best of everything in life.

heart breaking

It's heart wrenching ... heart breaking to see news on the dragon boat incident.
When I looked at the headline of The Sun newspaper today ... with it a photo of a mother (& family members) crying for her son ... I feel very very sad.
My prayers to the dearly departed & their loved ones.

hear it straight from a 'near' encounter

what's wrong with me?

I feel so darn sleepy and yet I refuse to sleep ...
what have become of me?

The past 3 weeks or so ... I've been very busy
both at work n at home.
As though 24 hours is not enough for me
So many things to do ... so little time to rest n relax.
I'm overwhelmed.

Every day after work without fail I'll be nodding my head all the way home in the LRT.
Tired ... exhausted ... both the body & mind.
too many things occupying my hours ...
I think my mind/body is working 'terrificly' even when I'm asleep.
I'm coping with new additions both in my personal & working life ...
why do we have to conform to others' expectations?
why do we have so much things we want to achieve in life?
sometimes I think I live for everyone except myself ... pathetic isn't it?
I'll remain standing ... this I know
For how long ... this I'm not sure

meanwhile, I think I better grab some sleep 1st ... whatever happen tomorrow ... tomorrow only worry ... sleep is more important now.
haha...I know I'm grumbling
cause this is what I do when I'm darn sleepy n refuse to sleep

I sit like this, U sit like that

ah dear drew this a moment ago in his attempt to show how I sit ...
this was after I denied being hunchback & insisted that he also sit the same way like me

According to the sit-fu, the picture on the left is how he sit and the right is how I sit.
such a great sit-fu !! =D muahaha...
Now I've a clear pic of how I sit with my back bent .... this explain the back ache I sometimes experience.

2009 or 2010?

Suddenly I'm at a lost ...
I've not review my 2009
I've not set my reso for 2010
everything is happening too fast ... it seem like I'm still continuing from 2009 ...
wake up ...eat ... sleep ... wake up ... eat ... sleep
i think I'm experiencing hangover effect of 2009.

Perhaps, I really need to spend a little time to myself
Sit down (or maybe stand up) and think ... think really hard
be more specific with what I want
be more understanding to myself

Nevertheless, thanks to all of you for being with me all along...the ups and the downs.

On another unrelated matter
ps. I've just witnessed non-stop lightning on the night sky - more than 5 minutes and still on-going (something I've never seen before) ... ah dear told me 2012 is coming.
Suddenly I'm afraid. I'm worried. Is it true? what if it all really end?
I've not live enough ... I've not love enough ...
I'm a 'KIASI' after all.
There are people (and animal) whom I need to love, protect and care. I can't abandon them.

i just love the colours

I ended spending RM20 buying these 6 towels (3 for RM10) .... just because I love the colours.
Yes, I'm crazy =p

'Reduced to clear"

RM15 with change ... that's all forAh Bi's christmas present =D <----- thanks to 'Tesco - Reduced to Clear". Really lucky for us to stumble upon these great deals. Thank you Santa Claus!

(1) Fisher Price Learning phone (actual price RM49.90) Got it for RM5.49. Condition good without packaging and screen a little scratched but does it matter? =D

(2) Magnetic drawing board (remember those we can keep on drawing & erasing with a swipe) (don't know actual price, estimated RM15). Packaging a little torn, functionality is still there.

(3) Learn 123 - Flash Card (actual price : RM3.99) Got it for RM1.62. Again, everything intact except a packaging torn. Hehe, I know it's not time for ah bi to learn 123 yet, but ah bi just like to see mama holding the cards to him =D

(4) Bowling set + bonus rugby ball sharpener - come in loose packaging. Got it for RM2.76.
Papa & mama can play 1st ... hehe, plus those pins can make good sounds and colourful enough to attract ah bi =D









(5) combination of 2 squeky rubber ducky soap trays, 1 froggie, 1 trampoline, 1 water PSP(where you push button-->pump air to put little rings into 2 sticks). Actual price : rubber ducky each cost RM2.90, trampoline - RM4.90, water PSP - don't know. We got it for RM2.07.











With this experience, I learnt that sometimes good things in life need not be all new or very expensive. We just need to appreciate what we've got and make do with what we can afford =D cheers!!!

Happy 'Dong Jie' everyone =D

one of the most natural & tasty 'tong yuen' .... not to mention 'colourful'

made by ku po's friend .... the aunty that stays near our home.

wondering how the colour blue, purple & orange comes about (no artificial colouring)?

blue - from 'lam fa' blue flower -well known for making kuih that eat with kaya

orange & purple - from sweet potatoes.

Happy Dong Jie everyone .... hope everyone enjoy tong yuen with your family & loved ones.

December .... the month we'll always remember =)

I had a great week....
...... started with ah dear going shopping with me at SOGO for ah bi's stuff & even brought me to Pudu for some nice chicken, char siew, siew yuk rice. Sometimes I really enjoy travelling around with dear using public transport and walking around.

...... On another day, gone to cancel my credit card, went praying at the temple - had vegetarian lunch & got to know a new friend (Mag) and shopped for half a day at KLCC (ended up spending some money). My 1st time buying toys for ah bi =D ah bi's toys are mostly handed over / given by people / made out of household items.

...... Ah bi 1st outing with us .... where else if not Tesco (did I hear someone say Tesco baby?) =p

...... my buddies are going for HK trip ... how I wished I could join them but I've greater responsibilities at home ... I'm needed now

..... had my 1st time 'kuat sa' and 'tui guat' .... painful till tears come out but feel great after. I've battered arms and back like kena abused =p

December is always one of my favourite month
time for clearing leave
time when most couple ties the knot & have a new beginning - weddings & marriage registration
time when everything seem to be in a relaxing holiday mood
time when everyone is looking forward .... with the festive atmosphere & the glimpse to a fresh new year
(this year I've many friends who are delivering December babies this month ... 5 of them ... such a happy time of the year)

and also because we always have great holidays & activities such as gathering for a group of close friends in December. This December 'tidak dikecualikan' also ... OF COURSE
We are closing this year with 'yat wok suk' steamboat =D yahoo!!!
and thanks to our understanding friends .... knowing that I may be immobile for the time being, they even offer to come to our home =D

sorry for the very disorganised post ... just feel like typing whatever I want to say ... lazy to compose ah =p

help needed

If you are :

1. shopping at Guardian (the retail pharmacy chain) &

2. is not collecting stamps to redeem 'Big Headz' soft toy

I need your help, please help me to keep the stickers and do not throw them away. (It's very precious ah)

I'm currently on a mission to redeem a free Lion 'Big Headz' for ah bi.

Total they need 40 stamps .... I have 23 so far, another 17 to go.

(1 stamp given for every RM15 spent)

Thank you very very much ah =D

BF

A few months back, BF would still mean BoyFriend to me.
Now, BF has totally got a new meaning ... Breast Feeding that is
& together with bring a new string of abbreviation

try BMI?
don't worry, it still stands for Body Mass Index
well, now Breast Milk Index seemed to mean more to me =p

Before I proceed, allow me to say thank you very much to all who have supported me throughout my breastfeeding experience especially my love ones & my group of close friends who not only supported me emotionally(by borrowing me their ears and shoulder) but also financially. I'm able to invest in a good breast pump with their help (sponsoring). Also friends & colleagues who share their knowledge, books & magazines with me in their quest to help me conquer my problems.

there are a few personal experience which I would like to share (although everyone's experience is unique to mother & baby) ... hopefully these may give you a little idea what to expect when it comes (not like me...blur blur)

1. there will be well meaning & experienced senior members of family / relatives / friends who advises you to supplement with formula milk. Their reasons range from 'afraid baby not full enough','breast milk is not thick enough to make baby full','you got no enough milk', 'your milk is too dilute'. Although they all mean well, perhaps they may not realise that every ounz of formula milk is the 'killer' of breast milk supply.

2. then there will be 'doctor' who instead of giving encouragement to breastfeed, advise a mother to supplement / give formula milk to her baby. Doctor gave a more 'doctorish' reason ... you've have no idea how much your baby has drank, he's not having enough...not full enough... which is why he's not sleeping well / colicky. (did I mentioned I try very hard to listen to this 'doctor' but failed miserably). Not all doctors are pro-breastfeed... some never even advised / mentioned about breastfeeding even after the baby is bornt. Instead the doctor's clinic are distributing free formula milk powder. It's good to know that lactation consultant is a better person to go to than doctors in general.

3. then there will also be the 'confinement lady' who naturally prefer 'formula milk' as they are able to adjust the feeding time as compared to 'breast milk' feeding time as and when demanded. This is crucial to them as they need to cook for the mother & help with household works...which is best done while baby is asleep (after feeding time is adjusted) every 2-3 hours. Pacifier is a 'must' for them which may cause nipple confusion ... creating more problems to mother who is trying to establish milk supply. Most confinement lady may not have fully breastfeed their baby thus they may think it's a norm that every baby drink formula milk ... it's really up to us to insist of breastfeeding. What I did was sharing with her all the chinese pregnancy and parenting magazines to give her understanding. I've also got to know that there's another group of confinement lady who are very pro-breastfeeding all for the wrong reason... they feed the mother with lots n lots of alcohol ... the baby will be very 'easy to care' ... sleeping most of the time even when the loud noises are unbearable.

4. then there are milk powder companies who on the surface seemed very supportive of your breastfeeding effort but turn around offering you their products (which is so good & sooo good). I've been getting phone calls from major baby formula milk brands ... they are providing very good follow ups (hopefully until you start your baby on formula milk).

5. then there are companies / employers who indirectly thwart our breastfeeding effort ... due to lack of support in term of facilities. I've known many who gave up breastfeeding upon the end of maternity leave (2 mths) due to reasons as such. It's short sighted of the organisation not to 'see' the long term benefit of breastfeeding .... children with better immune system translate into lesser leave taken by employees. Perhaps there's another reason employers are not providing ... when you need to feed formula milk, you need more money, you'll work harder to earn more money (this one I made up myself)

6. then there's myself to blame ... of course, there were things that I wished I may have done differently such as not being 'so eager to please' everyone who offered advices, not being confident enough with myself & my ability, not being insistent enough when I should be .... and the list goes on. I'm not still not good enough now but I learnt through my experience. I really do hope that my persistence 'a.k.a stubborness' was not a worthless effort.

the journey is really not easy and may not be getting easier ... I had a rocky start ... had my fair share of problems ... and now as we got 'steadier', I've new emerging problems ... my baby refuses to take anything from bottle but I need to go back to work. (i'm working on it now...anyone with any solutions? )

ps. going back to office, I'm going to 'advocate' for a breastfeeding / breast pumping room at each building via suggestion to HR. Well, of course I'll rope in the support of mums and mums-to-be (that included singles who have intention of having babies). I'll need all the support I can get. At least I hope many many more will get to benefit from this.

children & parents

Virgo child

Common sense & attention to detail are two of your Virgo child strongest characteristics, even from a young age. You might find your little one organising her toys or saving her pocket money to buy some longed-for item, while other children spend their cash on whim.

Your little virgo isn't likely to be impulsive. Instead, she'll measure the pros & cons of a situation & then make a decision on what to do. Virgo children have high standards & are naturally cautious, so they can seem picky & shy. This is simply because they prefer to stand back & think about a situation rather than throwing themselves into it.

Your virgo child is a natural helper. She likes order & genuinely wants to help out & do good things for your family & later the world. This is a quality that you should try to encourage & praise her for.

As parents of a virgo, you'll need to calm your child's expectation of perfection with the message that sometimes, good enough is just that. Build up her confidence as much as you can, as your child is likely to be self-critical and overly modest.

Help your little virgo relax & enjoy the simple pleasures in life by getting outside and enjoying nature together. A long walk or a family bike ride is an easy way to do this.
Bedtime routines, balanced meals & regular fun days will be important for your virgo child, who tend to be a bit of a worrier. Anything that encourages relaxation will help your child stay calm & centred.


Gemini & Cancer parents

You two are quite differentin your approaches to parenting. One of you comes from the head and the other from the heart, so between you all areas are covered! The Gemini parentis the more logical and talkative. You prefer intellectual to emotion, and you'll be the one to help your children with their homework as well as many of the fun project they want to try. You like new things & a variety of activities, & will provide these for your children to their delight.

The cancer parent is a nurturing force to be reckoned with! You will introduce your children to the traditions and rituals of your youth, & will incorporate them into your family life. You're sensitive and emotional, so your chidren will be able to pour their hearts out to your sympathetic ear.

gemini parent,virgo child
running on nervous energy

You & your virgo child share an intellectual outlook, & you both run on nervous energy, but beyond that you're really pretty different. You've always been curious, spontaneous & sociable, but your little virgo is much more reserved. She's quiet & observant, especially when there are lots of people around. In fact, your naturally high energy could cause your child to hold back even more, as commotion & impulsive behaviour make her nervous.

Your little one thrives on orfer & routine, neither of which is your strong point. Your sytle is to make a plan & then change it halfway through, which is likely to drive your little virgo mad! For her sake, try to stick to a set of routine for school & meals, & establish a regular bedtime. You can still encourage her to relax & be flexible in other ways.

Cancer parent, virgo child

A solid emotional bond

A born worrier, your virgo child can be a bit reserved or highly strung from an early age. It's a good thing she has such a warmly nurturing, supportive parent as you! You're sensitive to her feelings & concerns, & you go out of your wat to provide her with plenty of emotional support.

Under your tender guidance, your little virgo can learn to feel more secure in the world, but take care not to compund her fear with your own. As the parent, your job includes putting on a show of confidence, even when that's the last thing you're feeling inside. In fact, you can learn a lot from your child in that area. She's somewhat more grounded & practical by nature than you are, so she can teach you by example about setting your emotions aside when it's time to get something accomplished.

I stumbled upon this at http://www.babycentre.co.uk/horoscopes when I was searching for baby care stuff. Suprisingly, these above paragraph seems to be ringing truth especially the part on parents...it's good to know what to expect although I don't believe in everything they say =)

ps. click above link if you're curious to find out about what parent / child you'll be like or have been like =) ENJOY!

1st online purchase

I've not really brought anything online (yes,despite living in this age)
this would be my 1st purchase online ... paiseh ^^!

Never expect myself to spend this much purchasing stuffs online ... stuffs that I don't get to touch / feel/ try before buying. (for a fussy buyer like me!)
spent almost RM1000 in total (a big sum for a 1st timer imho & I DO NOT EVEN DARE TO SPEND THAT AMOUNT OFFLINE ... I've must have been CRAZY)
It has cross my mind that what happened if I've transfered the money to the specific account and don't receive my goods / receive my goods not in acceptable condition, but I guess there's too much thing to worry about if I were to start worrying.
(Oh, did I mentioned I kept looking out of the door every minute waiting for some delivery guy to appear =p )

It was a very pleasant online shopping & buying experience though =D
thanks to the very efficient & prompt service as well as good customer service rendered.

this experience has sparked 2 things in me :

1st : it has tempted me to spend more money online ... purchasing stuff that are so easily available (at fingertips) without the hassle of going to the mall physically. I can do research and search for the best deals online.
After that 1st experience, I've been very tempted to purchase clothes & handbags online (& have them delivered to my doorstep ... since now I'm less mobile)
really a bad case of 'belum cuba belum tau, sudah cuba tiap tiap hari mau' .... LOL
.... I'm obsessed to the point where I need to keep myself sane by reminding myself that those 'cash' are better off used somewhere else.

2nd : it has opened my eyes towards a new avenue ... another stream of income. I was telling myself ... if I were to be a full time mother / housewife, this could be 'IT' ... establishing & managing an online store presence. Wait... I don't really need to be a full time mother / housewife to do 'THAT'.

RM1000 for such a lesson (an experience) ... worth it?

love makes it all worthwhile

my life (yes, 24 hour of my everyday) revolve around him now ...

there were many things we've been through and many things coming ...

but LOVE MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE