Thank you Frankie, for KFC...

A former colleague, Frankie, dropped by at the office during lunch today. Knowing that I am usually in during those hour, he had brought along a pack of KFC Hot and Spicy Xtra for me and my EA. Between the two of us, we shared the chicken (there was two pieces in the pack) whipped potato and the coleslaw.

Kind-hearted that we are ;-), we gave Frankie the (one and only) toasted bun.





Personally, the xtra spice tastes more like xtra cili padi to me. But after a while, the xtra spiciness wore out and it tastes like the normal spicy version. Or maybe my tongue got used to the spiciness.



We also had the fries that goes with the whole serving. As usual, fries from KFC lack the 'ummmm' that fries from McD have. It was stringy and limp and cold as well as no ketchup/chilli packs to go with it.




Ehhh Frankie...where is our cola?


And next time, don't forget our chicken nuggets and cheesy wedges....



Thanks for lunch!

p/s
Frankie finished all the limp and cold fries though, so he didn't leave hungry.

Words that Sees Me Through the Day

1/. “…when it comes to thinking and writing, you are the best there is….” – the GM

2/. “…put on headphones…” – the GM (read: ignore those rumor mongering)

3/. “… (only you have ) the ability to put the organisation’s creative wants onto paper.” – the GM

4/. What goes around comes around.

5/. Things happen for a reason.

6/. © My baby is cuter than yours!

My Calendar for October 2006

Here's what my Organiser looks like for the month of October, and this is just the official stuff:

3rd: Fundraising Briefing at 9.30am; Pick Emma from School

4th: Briefing on ASLi by ASK Centre at 9.00am

6th: Comm. for Development Workshop 8.00am to 5.00pm

10th: Summarisation and Sharing on SD/ESD at 10.00am; Pick Emma from School

11th: ASFa Meeting at 2.30pm

14th: SACS AGM at 2.30pm

17th: Ash's birthday!; Pick Emma from School; Majlis Berbuka Puasa with PERYATIM organised by ASFa at 5.30pm

21st: Happy Deepavalli, all you Indians all over!

24th & 25th: Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya

31st: WCS' Conservation Education Workshop 8.30am to 5.00pm; Pick Emma from School

Kuching vs Serian

I must state here that I really dislike people asking me about dialects and homwtowns. The conversation normally goes like this:

Q: Where is your home town?
Me: Kuching.
Q: Kuching? You Bidayuh right?
Me: Yes. Why?
Q: You from Serian kah? Bau? Penrissen?
Me (seething with annoyance): Nope. I was born at Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching, so that makes my hometown Kuching.

Another conservation that really irks me would go like this:
Q: You Bidayuh?
Me: Yes...
Q: So you can speak (so-and so- Bidayuh dialect)
Me: Yes... (and the conversation ends there.
Me: No... (and the conversation continues)
Q: No? How come? Why don't you learn?
Me (annoye): Because when I was born, I forgotten to give my parents a reminder letter to make sure that they speak/teach Bukar-Sadong and Singghei with me....

Please note:
The failure of a child to speak hismother-tongue is not the child's but the parents.

I am proud to say that I speak Bukar-Sadong Bidayuh thanks to my mother. Some Bidayuh kids were raised not speaking their mother tongue at all! And the worst thing is that both parents are from the same Bidayuh sub-group!

Mind you, my Bidayuh-Indian-Chinese children are all being raised and taught to understand, speak and learn Bidayuh.

FOR SALE: Wooden Burmese Pill Box

Description:
The pill box is from Myanmar (Burma) and handmade wholly from good quality wood. The lid is embellished with a copper-plate bearing an elephant. Though made a pillbox, this item has never served its actual purpose but instead have been left sitting on my display case for all to admire. The item is not heavy although made from whole piece of wood.

Dimension:
Diameter: 1 1/5inche
Height: 1 inche
Shape: Round

Reason for sale:Bought originally as a souvenir from my trip to Thailand. But now, feel that it should be of service to someone who can/will use it as a pill box or take care of it better.

Selling price:
RM25.00
(i) RM12.00 for postage/handling charges (on Pos Laju, within Malaysia only).
(ii) USD10.00 for postage/handling to other destinations on FedEx

Payment Method:
- Direct payment to my BCB a/c
- Money Order made up to my name

* Confirmed buyer will be notified through e-mail to arrange for payment and shipping.


Interested?

Email me. lynn(underscore)michaels(at)hotmail(dot)com

FOR SALE: Bronze Indian Pill Box

I have this pill box for sale and I hope to have a buyer.









Description:
The pill box is made of bronze with jeweled lid. The box is handmade and from India (the continent). It has never been used for its original purpose - that is as a pill box - but rather, it has been sitting on my display case since I got it almost 6 years ago. It looks rather rusty because it is made of bronze and never been polished (I do not know how and I don't dare, for fear of spoiling it).

Dimension:
Diameter: 1 1/5inches
Height: 1 inch
Shape: slightly oblong

It is slightly heavy because it is made of bronze.




Reason for sale:
Bought originally as a souvenir from my trip to India. But now, feel that it should be of service to someone who can/will use it as a pill box or take care of it better i.e. polish it.

Selling price:
RM25.00
(i) RM12.00 for postage/handling charges (on Pos Laju, within Malaysia only).
(ii) USD10.00 for postage/handling to other destinations on FedEx

Payment Method:
- Direct payment to my BCB a/c
- Money Order made up to my name
* Confirmed buyer will be notified through e-mail and/or SMS to arrange for payment and shipping.













Interested? E-mail me at lynn(underscore)michaels(at)hotmail(dot)com

Malaysian, Japanese or Korean?

Some time back, my good old Tiara 1.1cc gave us loads of problem - the hand brake got jammed, the airconditioning was non functioning and the radiator went bust.

So after much thought and discussion, I took a deep breath and got myself some new wheels. The question then was: local or foreign?

The old car was local. At 8 years of age, it has brought us to Kota Bahru, Kuala Kedah and Malacca. It has gone over Gng Semanggol and reached the rural areas of Perak. It has done our RM36k justice.

And now, it is old and giving us old-age problems. So we had to do something. But we do not want another local. At best, we want a japanese. But Japanese are expensive. So our next choice was Korean.

And thus, we decided on a Korean.

After much thought on colors, repayment amount, repayment methods, down payment etc etc, my Kia Spectra LS 1.6cc diamond-silver colored QAG 782 was delivered on 5 September 2006.

No, I do not have actual pictures of the car but here's a taste of it.







The Kia Spectra is just 85mm shorter than the Proton Perdana (4525mm vs 4610mm of a Proton Perdana). In terms of width, it is 5mm shorter at 1725mm.










My diamond silver QAG782 looks almost like this...











This is the interior - the other way round. Colleagues often ask me how a small person like me can drive such a long/huge car. My reply - practise.

Bee(ing) Creative

My sister Babe is one creative person. And I say so because she put this creativity into full use.

Creativity, I must say, runs in the family. Mom is creative; when she was younger, I remember she use to weave baskets using thin strips of rattan . These are painted in colors of blue, red, yellow and white (the common colors used by Bidayuhs in their handiwork) and woven into baskets.

These are some of the baskets which Mom made but never used; why not? They are too pretty to be used on a daily basis.

I still remember than once upon a time, she taught me to weave these also and I was very good at it. But I lost touch when I left home for school. Maybe, just maybe, I still have the touch – albeit a bit rusty.

Babe, she can weave too. But now, she is more into jewelry making; she buys swarovski crystal beads and makes them into bracelets and rosaries. She has already quite a number and these are for sell. Rather cheaply too! But in her own words “ it is not the money but the thought of every Catholics owning a rosary…”

This is the picture of Babe's hand-made rosary; this she made for herself but there are others - also as beautiful - which she is selling. She can even make to order.

On top of that, every Saturday, she would go back to mom’s village with a bunch of flowers, ferns and flower stand. These, she would arrange into beautiful floral creations and ‘donate’ these to the village church for the alter décor. I do not remember how it all began but she has been doing this – for free – the last one-year or so.

Words of her creativity spread far and fast. One time, her nephew (bro-in-law’s side of the family), was getting married and it was Babe who decorated the hall where the reception was held. I remembered her working with balloons, streamers and lots of ribbons. She also got some very beautiful flowers such as orchids and carnations to make the corsage.

After several attempt, we finally managed to make this corsage out of ferns and orchids, for the groom. Orchids were used because it does nto wither fast in the humidity.

She even did the main floral arrangement for the head table. She was so busy the day of the reception, she asked me to help her wrap her wedding gifts for the couple. Which I did. And very creatively too.

I once remarked that with all the demands on her creativity, she should seriously think about charging for her services – especially when it comes to jobs that come from families. I mean, it costs money to purchase the items to create those beautiful stuffs. The very least is to get your money back.

So I took the opportunity to create a logo for her business...

I have not shown it to her yet but once she is ready to make some serious money, the logo is there, and waiting.

Any takers?

A Tribute to The Croc Hunter

When celebrities or well-known people died in this world, I am one who is not trully bothered.

To me, death is part and parcel of life - it can come anytime, and when least expected.

However, last night, the announcement in television about the death of Steve Irwin a.k.a Crocodile Hunter http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/9/5/apworld/15335877&sec=apworld was a real shocker to me.

I do not know why but somehow, I guess, I do not expect Steve Irwin to die from such an incident. Or maybe, somewhere in the deep recess of my mind, I know he would die. But not now!....

Anyway, that was the thing - that I am saddened by his death because Emma and Aidan may not know Crocodile Hunter as Ash would; at least not by watching his 'just shot last month' television shows.

Also, he was a naturalist and who don't like naturalist?


This is Steve with his American wife Terri and son Robert. His daughter Bindi Sue (eldest) is not in the picture.

A Moment in History: We are 49!

Today is the eve of Malaysia's 49th year of independance from the British Empire.

But to be politically correct, here's the factual facts...

Malaya (the Peninsular only-Malaysia before independance) gained independance from the British Empire on 31st August 1957.

In 1963, Singapore joined the 'nation' and Singaporeans were actually part of Malaysia. Even now though most Singaporeans do not like to own up that they have relatives in present day Malaysia. Yeah right...like, its a beam me up Scottie, right Singaporeans?

1963 was also the year when Sarawak and Sabah off the Borneo Island joined Malaya. And Malaysia, The Nation was born. Sarawak and Sabah were also former British colonies, and for Sarawak, its history dates back to the Brunei sultanate.

Three years into the union, Singapore calls it quits and left Malaysia. Yeah...what do you expect from the island nation? typical isn't it?

So from 1965 to the present day, Malaysia remains as just the Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak.

So, as a Malaysian, I would say that ...yeah, we are going to be 49 years old tomorrow. But as a Sarawak, we are just 42... 43 come September 16.

September 16?

Yeah, that's actually the exact date when Sarawak was released from the hands of the Bristish Empire. And mind you, September 16 is still a BIG HOOHAA in the state. Naturally.

So, Happy 49th Year of Independance Malaysia!

A None-Auto Crash

I came to work early today.

As I set down my handbag and got myself a cup of coffee, I switched on my computer to start the day.

The monitor showed the customary greetings, the blue screen, the log-on screen.

I typed down my password and press enter.

It goes into live mode.

The desktop icons appeared and the monitor screen was filled with the MSM Messenger logging pop-up.

As usual, I turned my MSM pop-up off. Later on, I will let the rest of the world know that I am already at work. Now, it's time to check emails.

I double clicked the IE icon and the monitor burst into a few unknown pop-ups.

Some in chinese, so in unknown languages.

It goes for a few pop-ups until it finally showed one that says one of my .DLL thingy is not available. And that Windows will auto shut-down.

I sigh with exasperation and let it do what it said it will do: shut down.

When the monitor when blank, I press the 'on' button and it goes into the mode again.

But this time, i know something is very wrong when the pop-ups appeared.

"Call the technician. my pc has been infected," I said to my assistant and she quickly goes into action.

As I wait for the techie to check my pc out, I am doing this using the laptop. My computer has been silent the whole morning.

Lesson learnt?

FIrst: The efficiency of my assistant in doing what needs to be done because she knows I dislike waiting to know the outcome of something.

Second: That being a computer on loan i.e. belonging to the company, office equipment are never really yours and others have the right to use it as and when they like.

Third: Which is why passwords are important because that help protect your work although someone else is using your pc.

So, happy crashing day!

In Case of Emergency, Do Not Point Fingers…

It has been a while.

It has been a while since Emma needs to be examined by a doctor for being critically ill.

I thought I have seen the last of Emma and emergency cases since last she was hospitalized early 2005. But I was wrong. Very wrong.

On Sunday evening, 6 August 2006 at about 7.00pm, while I was with Ash, hubby preparing our Sunday evening meal, and Emma with her cousin outside, I heard a loud thud! The next thing I knew, I was on my feet and going out to see what happened. All I remember was Lane shouting about going to the hospital as she handed me Emma – Emma was crying and bleeding from the mouth and nose. Hearing the commotion, Hubby came from the kitchen and shouted at me, “What did you do?!”

And I remember saying quietly, “It’s not time to point fingers; let’s just go.”

We – Hubby, Lane, Ash and me with a bleeding and screaming Emma in my arms, hundled into the Kancil and headed to Kuching Specialist Hospital.

I remember praying that despite all the blood, nothing worst happened; I remember the smell of blood as it seeped onto my t-shirt; I remember that being at home, I did not have my bra on; I remember Lane sobbing while repetitively apologizing to Emma (and us?); I remember telling myself not to go into panic-mode and not to cry.

At the hospital, the MO on duty examined her and gave Emma some paracetamol to ease the pain. By then, my little Christmas Gift was screaming her hearts out and thrashing around as we tried to get her to take the medication – medication which, on normal circumstances she would gladly take.

Then the MO advised us two things:
Either they keep Emma in the hospital for a 24-hour observation Or have a CT Scan then and now to find out immediately if there are any internal injuries.

Hubby opted for the CT scan.

There were further screams and thrashing as the nurse administered an oral sedative for Emma to calm her down enough for the scan. A further wait of 30 minutes as Hubby when into the radiography room with Emma and the technician.

We had to wait a further 30min before the MO examined the result where she finally announced that she is calling the surgeon in for second opinion.

That was when my heart really sank and I thought maybe, just maybe I should let myself cry.

I guess in times like this prayers are men’s best friend because I must have said, asked, negotiate with God a whole lot while waiting at that emergency room. There were further pleadings and negotiation with God when Dr Wong (the surgeon) examined the scan.

It was nearly 10pm when I finally can smile when Dr Wong declared that there is nothing serious aside from the bruises. Just then, my sister and her hubby (lane’s parents) walked into the emergency room.

A week into the incident today, Emma’s left eye – which was swollen shut for two days, has turned black and is slowly turning yellowish. Her bad bump on the left side of her head has healed aside from the scratch from falling on the gravel. The left side of her nostril is cut and still red because it is not enough that she had to hurt herself, she has also caught the flu.

When I look at her now, I thank the Lord for keeping her from harm – serious harm. And I always ask of the Lord to keep her – and all my children, from harm.

And I also ask that no matter what, no matter when, God will always be with me so that I will not do anything that offends him.

Back in the Big City

I spent the whole of last week, or at least Monday to part of Friday, in Kuala Lumpur. Though I was actually sent to attend a conference on Development at University Putra Malaysia in Serdang, Selangor, I put up at the Coronade Hotel at Bukit Bintang area in the city.

The Accommodation
This hotel was formerly known as Fairlane and we have to stay there cos it was much more convenient for the people in Accounts Dept to handle billings. Though I would very much prefer to stay at Cititel at Midvalley, my request were rejected because the org. where I worked with do not have any account with the hotel and I was not prepared to fork out the hotel bill beforehand. Maybe the next time I am in the city for business, I will stay at Cititel – mainly because it is cheaper – just about RM110.00 or something


Mode of Transportation
From the hotel, I decided to take the Airport Coach to the city center. I had the alternative to use the KLIA Express train but I was in no hurry… also, the Express would have cost me RM35.00!!! per way.

The coach was ok…and it costs me only RM10.00 per way. Arriving at KLIA at 4.00pm, I conveniently reached KL Sentral by 5.00pm so that was in time to beat the after-hour rush.

Other modes of transportation available and which I took whenever I need to go some place were the monorail, commuter train and PUTRA LRT.

The monorail was convenient because from KL Sentral it stops directly at Bukit Bintang Monorail station which is just a hop, skip and jump away from Coronade. The monorail was my main mode of transportation whenever I need to go someplace within the city – and that means shopping centers like Sogo and such.

The commuter train I took once to get to Midvalley from KL Sentral. I remembered that I used to use this mode a whole lot when I was living in Sentul because my (then) apartment was just adjacent to its last stop. Furtehrmore the rail leads all the way to Port Klang, bypassing Subang Jaya which was my main hunt for stuffs Carrefour.

I took the PUTRA LRT once when I was there because I ended up at Sogo and wanted to make my way to Sentral to get to Midvalley. So I walked from Sogo at one end of Jln TAR to PUTRA LRT the other end.

Places I Wish I Had More Time to Visit... And Money

Some place I wish I had the time and money to go to are IKEA at Damansara Utama (?). Why not? This place is quite far off and only mode of transportation is private vehicle or taxi. As much as possible, I avoid taking taxies in KL and private vehicles are just not available to me nowadays in KL.

So How was the Visit After Nearly 3 Years?

Good... to see familiar buildings and places;

Bad... to be alone in such a wonderful, vibrant, exciting city;

Ugly... to see soo many people spending so much money on trivial materialistic things.

Early Morning's Lesson in Integrity...

This morning I attended an Open Forum organized by the National Special Committee on Integrity at Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) / State Legislative Building. I was not keen to go because had intended to do stuffs requiring my attention prior to my being away next week, but colleagues persuaded me to go. I agreed after one of them said he will be the driver-designate for this ‘trip’.

The forum was held at the DUN Building at Petra Jaya. Frankly, this is the first time that I stepped into the building. Now I know why the state government is building another State Legislative Building; the condition of the building is such an eyesore and a real shame. Anyway, that’s another story…

The function of the forum, to use the words of the circular we receive, were… “to discuss issues on enhancing values, ethics and integrity amongst the Malaysian community as cited in the National Integrity Plan….”

The full text of the committees functions as well as the Malaysian National Integrity Plan are as below

http://www.parlimen.gov.my/transfer/Pemberitahu_JK_Pilihan_Khas_Integriti.pdf

http://www.parlimen.gov.my/transfer/Ringkasan_Mengenai_Pelan_Integriti_Nasional.pdf

Please be warned, the text are in Bahasa Malaysia.

What did I think of the session?
Interesting.

What needs to be improved about the session?
1/. Ample notice to the public about the proposed forum so that more will attend, be prepared with issues etc.
2/. Organised it in a more public place and with easy(ier) access in terms of transport etc.


All in all, it is a good effort by the government of Malaysia. Having said that, I am certain that as in all things concerning the government, it will go on its full cycle before coming back to the main source, unresolved.

‘Nuff said….

What Shall We Have For Breakfast Today...?

I don't mind sharing that I try to maintain a good eating habit; that is to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in moderation and at the same time every day. I also try not to snack between those time; if the hunger pangs comes, I would drink lots of water (or coffee) and nibble on some 'biskut kering' / crackers.

What I have for breakfast normally?

If I have my way (read: time, money and motivation), I will eat these....
This is Sarawak laksa; I can have this every morning if possible but that is also mengundang sakit because this meal, albeit deliciously spicy and sweet, also contain too much coconut milk and other 'unhealthy' stuff. I like the laksa made by the one and only laksa hawker a Thompson Corner, Jalan Nanas.






This is kolo mee - the chinese version. No one but the Hokkiens of Kuching city can produce an authentic kolo mee. The Malay version is not as delicious because the whole secret to a good kolo mee - the smell, the sight and the taste - is dependant on one thing - the lard that is use to season and garnish the dish. This is my 2nd breakfast choice. Kolo mee is obtainable almost every where so no preference for me.






This is Tomato Mee/Kuey Tiaw. It is actually pre-fried keuy tiaw/ mee served with tomato-based gravy. I like this dish but more for dinner rather than breakfast. The best I have ever tried is from the hawker stall at Tmn Hui Sing.







I am not much into dim sum but if there are no choice, I would just order these. But personally, dim sum are too costly for breakfast. Some people i.e. my sister, thinks it is healthier than others but ... hmmm, is it?








But given a choice, and I will when I am in KL next week, I would like to have these for breakfast, or any time, if I may:


This is THE Char Kuey Tiaw. Since moving back to Kuching, I have not eaten an authentic Char Kuey Tiaw and this is something I am really looking forward to when I get to KL. It seems that only Cantonese can make a good char kuey tiaw -cockles, bean sprouts the whol works.


The nasi lemak and a good one - should have fried ikan bilis, sambal which is masam manis pedas, sliced cucmbers and bits of chicken or beef rendang. Now that's what I call nasi lemak. On a moderate end, I do not mind replacing the meat item with hard boiled egg. And please, leave the egg whole instead of cut into half.


Roti canai and teh tarik is Hubby's typical breakfast. I do not mind it occassionally but I prefer roti telur (beaten eggs spread on top of the roti while being cooked). That adds some protein to the dish rather than just carbo. And oh yeah... my teh tarik is always without sugar.

So what shall we have for breakfast today?


Jacob's Sunlife biscuits... this is in preparation for the 4 mornings that i will not have time to eat proper breakfast while in KL. This is because I need to get myself to UPM Serdang by 8.00am every morning, to be in time for the conference.

Well... I did say that I try to eat in moderation and healthily.

My Heart Was Broken by Development

Some times back, my heart was broken by development. :-(

You see, I live in a nice quaint city where green abound. The neighbourhood where I live have lots of trees and shrubs even though it is one of the fastest growing neighbourhood in the city.

Recently, the government gave the nod for a well-known and overly rich old geezer to 'up grade' the road works along the neighbourhood. In the name of improved traffic flow and efficient transportation, trees of old were cut down. What used to be a nice stretch of road for a cool Sunday evening drive became a hell-hole because of this.

Well, a picture says a thousand words....





This is what the road looks like now (taken from the Shell Station near Pelita Heights)










The road is now bare of trees. On the right, you can see the sapling of the kind of trees that used to give shade to the road users along the stretch.









The roundabout used to be a small hillock; now it has been flattened to the ground. This is where the cross-section of the road will be.










Nothing is more shameful than to have this beautiful symbol of the state brought to the ground and literally put to one side. From where it use to perch atop the hill/roundabout, it now stands at the road side, watching its former home being 'improved' in the name of developmnet. Where will it be once the intersection is done?














Well, if you ask me, I would say that we are just building ourselves a fully functional hell-hole.

We Are So Busy, It's A Laugh (03)

Sorry. I have neglected this part of my life. But really, let’s blame it on work, shall we?

Since mid-May, I have been busy organizing a so-called international workshop on Education for Sustainable Development. This has taken over virtually every aspect of my life! And to think that I can breath easy come July but nooo…. I have the organizational newsletter to work so. So there I go again, trying to beat deadline and ‘beating’ the hell out of my colleagues to contribute articles.

So to keep things updated…

My Inner Circle: (a.k.a Families)

Hubby did not get to go back to hometown in June. But instead, he managed to maneuver his way around Immigration. Hee hee….!

Aidan is ten months old. She has cut two teeth – one each on the upper and lower gum. She is already standing while holding on to the furniture. Her favourite things? Her elder sisters, whom she loves to play ‘shouting’ with. They would shout for as long as they can to see who lasts the longest. On good days, I find the game cute. On bad days, it is absolutely annoying!



Emma is attending her social group every week now. Thanks to Melanie who recently got her driver’s license. Emma is getting used to being with other people aside from family members and I am happy to hear Melanie’s update on Emma’s activities at school.




Ashleigh…hmmmm…. Let’s just say she is part angel, part devil. Enough said.











My 2nd Circle (a.k.a Close Friends)

I will be making my way to KL next week for a 3 day conference. After that, I will be meeting up with old buds at MAC. Yahooo…!!! Am really looking forward to that.


My 3rd Circle (a.k.a Associates)

I wish someone would donate me a mid-range digital camera.


My Prof Circle (a.k.a The Work Scene)

Nothing to say except that an Exec Assistant left the organization and I managed to persuade the Chairman of my office’s social club to make a Video Message for him. Though we end up using much of the office’s equipment but I always believe that to make a good, lasting impression, you have to put in your personal touch. And Abd Rahman’s Coffee Shop (that’s the title of the video cd we made), I consider, the best farewell gift anyone can have.

And speak of work… the money I get for the kind of work I do just don’t match. And it is not because I am overpaid…quite the opposite really.

But who am I to complain right? Better cents than none at all….
Till the next boredom comes….

We're So Busy, it's a Laugh (02)...

I have not been able to add blogs since the last time because of work (well yeah, its easy to blame work for everything).
But I promise this shall not happy again.

So to keep thing updated, I will write about my Inner Circle - that's what I call my family now.

Hubby is fine. He is thinking of making the trip back to his father in June. But still unsure because of limited financial resources.

Ash is happy in the new kinddy. And she always looks forward to going to her grandparents because they have built a swing for her.

Emma is happy as a bee, and she loves chasing Ash around the house. She is so good at running/walking, it amazes me that just last year, her granny was worried she would never walk. But she is a little backward on her therapy, because Mom the Driver is too busy to drive her to the centre.

Aidan has started to belly-crawl since March and now, would get on all fours. But she is yet to learn how to move herself forward while on her hands and knees. Aidan is also rather agressive, smacking people on the face whenever she is near enough.

I look forward to further enlightening readers on my Inner Circle's antics.

Welcome to My Year!

Come January 29, Chinese all over the world will usher in the year of the Dog. That's my year!!!

A lot of people asked me 'how can that be? Aren't you suppoed to be a Boar?"

Here's how...

I was born on a saturday in January 1971. I am considered a Metal Dog because the Metal Dog YEar was from Feb 6, 1970 to Jan 26, 1971.

So see? I am no Boar.

Happy Chinese New Year!

New Year Resolutions 2006

1/ Be nice to people.

2/ Be nice to other people.

3/ Be nice to every other people.

But really....

I really have to be nice to my hubby, my children, my siblings, my relatives, my colleagues, my acquaintances, my pets, my bosses.

So Happy New Year everyone!