A Life Less Ordinary

I Love You

2009-04-21T17:16:00.001+08:00

那人不是你所想般愛你，但不代表那人不是全心全意地愛你。

Just because someone doesn't express their love for you the way you expect them to, doesn't mean that they don't love you.

I believe this applies not only to our partner but to our friends and family as well. For some, a hug or a kiss says it all. Others might prefer a more verbal approach. And for some others, neither is necessary.

Personally I like a little bit of display of affection and occasionally some verbal confirmation. Sadly, I am surrounded by people who are not so inclined to either. It's probably because of the environment we grew up in where hugging and saying "I love you" is not the norm.

I know I know. I can be the one to initiate it. Let's just say that I find it a bit difficult being the only one expressing my feelings without any desired response. And worse, making the other party feel uneasy and awkward.

Everyday I tell Caitlin I love her, give her many hugs and kisses. I hope she grows up being able to express her feelings to her loved ones without any embarrassment or inhibition.

Freedom 自由

2009-04-10T21:40:00.000+08:00

所谓的自由就是：

你想要拒绝一个人的约会，
已经不需要任何理由，
你有权力过自己要过的生活，
有权力去自己要去的地方

Freedom is:

If you want to decline an invitation,
You don't need a reason to say no,
You have the choice to live the life you choose,
The freedom to go wherever you want to.

Do I still have my freedom? Hmmm...

享受生活

2009-04-10T21:19:00.001+08:00

如果你一个人的时候不会自得其乐，
即使嫁了人，娶了老婆，
别人跟你一起一样不快乐。

如果现在不懂得享受生活，
未来也不会享受生活。

我们常常会觉得婚结了，
所有问题就没了，
那如果结了婚还有问题，
就赶快把小孩生一生，
其实你的问题在这个阶段没解决，
在下个阶段只会变大。

2 Movies & a Book Review

2009-04-06T22:01:00.001+08:00

I watched Slumdog Millionaire and Revolutionary Road recently. Both movies were sad in their own ways but they were pretty good movies. For me, any movie that makes me think after it has ended is considered good.

The most memorable and disturbing scene in Slumdog Millionaire was the part where the boy who could sing was blinded so that he could beg for more money. How horrible! It really scares me that there is such inhumanity in this world and that there are many more similar or worse atrocities that occur. I wish I could keep Caitlin at home with me so that I can protect her from all the evil, pain and ugliness in this world.

As for Revolutionary Road, it touched on many issues that made me think. How 2 people can fall in love, build a family together and then realise they have compromised too much of themselves and is actually unhappy with their life. How unhappiness can drive a person to desperate measures. How convention can be so stifling yet feels so safe. How anything that is not considered the norm is perceived as a threat and strange to some people.

I also read The Kite Runner (by Khaled Hosseini) recently. The book was written beautifully but it was quite sad. To read about war and how it ravaged a country, children losing their childhood because of war, migrants losing their identity when they leave their homeland. To read about how bullies get away with their cruel acts, how the weak suffer in their hands, children being sexually abused. It was a real eye-opener.

Well, if you have a chance, do check the above titles out.

Quotable Quotes 1

2009-04-06T21:12:00.001+08:00

Why are we trying to be strong?
At the end of the day, what does strong get you?

- from "Army Wives"

Motherhood

2009-03-31T22:45:00.001+08:00

Motherhood is a series of Trials & Errors. For me it is anyway. If one way doesn't work, I try another until I find a way that works for my baby. The frustrating thing is that something that works today, may not work again tomorrow! So each day is a new adventure really.

Motherhood also requires a lot of Patience. Patience is something I definitely have to work on because I tend to get really agitated and angry with baby when she cries hysterically and I don't know why. Poor girl. It's even harder to be patient at 5 am and she doesn't want to go back to sleep and I'm too tired to walk her around the room!

Common Sense is something else I feel is essential to bring up a baby. When all else fails, at least I can fall back on that. :)

Since becoming a mummy, I've found myself in a lot of funny (only in hindsight) situations! A lot of it is because of breastfeeding. You wouldn't believe the places I've had to go to breastfeed! If breast milk is really best for baby, I wish there were better facilities for breastfeeding mums. As it is, I find myself only going to places where there are baby care areas otherwise I wouldn't be able to go out at all!

Caitlin is 3.5 months now! Everyday she is growing and changing, it's quite wonderful to see. I find pleasure in the small things. When she bestows me with her sweet smile, coo at me when I talk to her or the way she grips my shirt whenever I'm feeding her.

Lots more to look forward to and to learn in the future. Motherhood is a never ending learning process and I'm happy to go with the flow.

NEWSFLASH: Caitlin rolled onto her tummy today!! :) *excited & proud mummy*

Black & White

2009-03-29T00:33:00.001+08:00

Divorce used to be such a taboo subject. Something we talked about in closed circles, usually with a hint of disdain or worse, sympathy. I grew up in this type of environment because no one I knew had gotten a divorce and all our family friends have been married for as long as I can remember!

I always thought divorce was such a sad thing. I mean, how do 2 people who love each other, make a vow to love each other through all manners of adversity and strife... just stop loving each other? Do people fall OUT of love? Why do they just give up instead of trying to make things work?

How naive and condescending I was.

There are so many reasons why things don't work out. The most obvious reason to me is when one party is infidel (and even then it might not be a deal breaker) but that is by no means the only reason. Life is just not that black and white.

Feelings change, people change. It's inevitable. Whether the changes can be accepted by either party is the important thing. When 2 people get married they are usually starting on the same page and moving towards the same direction. But for that to go on indefinitely is just not possible because eventually one person will be changing directions and the other will have to make compromises to accommodate. When no one wants to give way, that's when problems start to occur.

Forever Love is a beautiful concept but it really doesn't make a marriage work.

Anyway, short of sounding like a marriage counselor, I have one advice for those who are thinking of entering into holy matrimony. Talk to each other before you make that big step into the unknown. Make sure you really are on the same page, moving towards the same direction, committed to making things work come hell or high water before saying your "I DO's". Otherwise, you will find yourself in a very unhappy situation.

As for me, lets just say I no longer see in black and white only.

夢一場 by 那英

2009-03-27T00:17:00.000+08:00

作詞：袁惟仁作曲：袁惟仁、許華強

我們都曾經寂寞而給對方承諾
我們都因為折磨而厭倦了生活
只是這樣的日子同樣的方式，
還要多久

我們改變了態度而接納了對方
我們委屈了自己成全誰的夢想
只是這樣的日子，
還剩下多少，已不重要

Chorus:

時常想起過去的溫存，
它讓我在夜裡不會冷
你說一個人的美麗是認真，
兩個人能在一起是緣分

早知道是這樣，像夢一場
我才不會把愛都放在同一個地方
我能原諒你的荒唐，
荒唐的是我有沒辦法遺忘

早知道是這樣，如夢一場
我又何必把淚都鎖在自己的眼眶
讓你去瘋，讓你去狂
讓你在沒有我的地方堅強

Repeat Chorus

讓我在沒有你的地方療傷

Listen to song here

My Life as a Mum

2009-02-26T21:55:00.000+08:00

It's amazing how time flies. Caitlin is already 2.5 months old! Since I'm not working anymore, taking care of her has been my 'job' since Cindy left. And if anyone thinks that it's easy, try doing it yourself before telling me how lucky I am to be a stay home mum!

To be honest, it's nice not to have to stress about work especially after having to get up every 2 hours in the night to feed baby. But sometimes it feels like my world has shrunk and I am cut off from the outside world. Most of my conversations with friends and family now revolve around Caitlin!

Don't get me wrong. I DO feel lucky that I get to see my baby everyday. See her smile and coo at me when she's happy. See her anticipation when bath time rolls around. Even to see her pout and start crying! She is just so cute!

Sometimes it feels like my life is an endless cycle of feeding, bottle sterilising, washing and constantly trying to calm a crying baby. I realise how fast I have to eat and shower nowadays. Even an hour of yoga is fraught with worry about baby suddenly waking up from her nap!

Thank goodness for mum and dad. They have, as usual, been fabulous. They dote on Caitlin and help me watch her so that I can have some time of my own. It's a great feeling to see how happy Caitlin makes them too.

Not sure when I will return to the rat race but I'm in no hurry. After all, these moments with my baby are precious and cannot be replaced, so I will treasure every minute of it.

Caitlin

2009-01-08T17:23:00.000+08:00

Happy 2009 everyone! I'm sure you can guess by now that I have delivered which explains the lack of blog posts lately.

Welcome baby Caitlin!

Yep! My darling baby Caitlin is here!

I can't believe it! The feeling is indescribable! Whenever I look at her - sleeping, crying, breastfeeding, holding her in my arms - I can't help but marvel that she grew and lived in me for 9 months! It's such a miracle, my beautiful little miracle.

My cute and beautiful Caitlin

I am now home doing the traditional Chinese 1 month confinement. I have a great confinement lady (Cindy) who cooks yummy food and is a pro taking care of baby. Mum and dad are running around buying food stuff and supplies for Cindy, baby and me. Really don't know what I would do without them! Thanks mummy, daddy... you guys are the best!

Happy Caitlin

It's been quite a tough few weeks - recovering from labor, breastfeeding challenges and constantly in a lot of pain and discomfort. I still have Cindy now to help especially for the night feedings, I can't imagine when she leaves! It's a bit overwhelming and sometimes difficult not to succumb to tears of frustration and depression.

Cindy is leaving in a week and I have yet to learn to change, bath and care for baby. Panic!! For my baby's sake, I will definitely have to get the hang of it soon! By hook or by crook!

Signs of Labour

2008-12-13T17:12:00.003+08:00

If...

You feel regular and frequent stomach (lower abdominal) cramps similar to those you get during your monthly period, you could be in labour.

If...

You run to the toilet frequently, your amniotic fluid might be leaking (membrane rupture) and this could also be a sign of labour. Difficult to tell since toilet visits are already more frequent during pregnancy!

If...

You feel consistent pain in your lower back, you might be in labour!

If...

You are having diarrhea, it could be that you ate something that doesn't agree with your tummy OR you could be in labour!

If...

There is a show of mucus or blood or a mixture of both, you guessed it... it could be the start of labour!

Ohmigod! Is it any wonder I am paranoid?! I am checking my bed sheet every time I get up to run to the loo at night just in case my water has broken. I get worried at every little ache or pain. If I have tummy ache, I wonder if I will go into labour at any minute! When baby moves around and causes some sharp pangs in my pelvic area, I wonder if it's normal.

Are the above labour signs supposed to be felt singly or in combination for it to mean true labour?! Well, I'll just have to wait and see I guess since every pregnancy is different! Haha...

Can't wait to meet my baby! :)

Ramblings

2008-12-09T10:58:00.005+08:00

Being pregnant is definitely an interesting life experience. Growing a baby in one's belly and seeing the gradual changes is a miraculous and unbelievable thing. Of course as with all experiences, there are things I will and won't miss about being pregnant.

What I Will Miss

1. Having baby all to myself and feeling baby do kung fu, bounce around and hiccup in my belly everyday!
2. Having lots of time to do the things I like (e.g. jigsaw, x-stitch, get online, read, watch TV) at leisure!
3. Being fussed over by loved ones. Hehe... :)
4. Eating whatever I want without feeling guilty about putting on weight!

What I Won't Miss

1. Waddling like a penguin. A VERY SLOW one at that!
2. Being extremely clumsy and dropping things on the floor more often than usual! Ironic, since having to pick things up from the floor is not exactly easy at the advanced stage of pregnancy!
3. Being a tad more dense than before! :(
4. Back aches, pelvic pain and frequent toilet visits!

Soon there will be other things to worry about, so I will take things in my stride and learn as I go along. Wish me luck!

The Countdown Begins!

2008-11-30T21:43:00.003+08:00

I am now in my final month and finding it increasingly hard to sleep and also to walk around. The midnight toilet visits are also becoming more frequent (I'm told this is nature's way of preparing us for the sleepless nights to come) and as baby grows bigger, more aches and pains are making themselves known! :(

I attended 4 sessions of antenatal classes in the past few weeks which were quite interesting. I found some of the topics informative especially when they demonstrated how to bath baby, told us the hospital admission procedures, breastfeeding and also immunization for baby. Things I really needed to know since it's 3 weeks and counting before baby's arrival. Although I think it would take more than one demo for me to grasp the baby bathing technique! Haha!

I am so thankful that my wonderful dad and my sister, Sum have arranged it so that I did not have to be alone at home the past few weeks! Thank you dad! Apart from the fact that I do enjoy his company, it is great to have someone to talk to about baby stuff and have someone to share my meals with! Also thank you jie for taking time off to be home with me! I hope you had a nice time at home.

Family really is the most important thing and that is one thing I am definitely going to instill in and teach my precious baby. I have been the recipient of much kindness since I got pregnant, receiving advise whenever it was asked for and also my neighbour has been very kind and invited me over for yummy home-cooked meals once a week! Thanks to all my friends and family for their help, gifts and friendship so far.

I am getting nervous about the actual delivery of baby but I am hopeful all will turn out well. The next time I blog, you might just see a picture of our darling baby! :)

Baby Shower

2008-11-19T18:58:00.000+08:00

Before I left NZ, a few of my friends organised a surprise baby shower for me! It was the first time I had ever been to a baby shower so I was pleasantly surprised when it was done for me!

The girls taking turns to guess the size of my belly using ribbon!

There were a couple of games to start off the baby shower. The first one, we had to taste baby food and guess what it was, and the second one, everyone had to guess the size of my belly using ribbon! It was hilarious, especially when the guys won both games! (PS guys are usually not invited to baby showers! Haha!)

The boys with their prizes!

Then I was given presents!! Actually most of it was for baby but Bernice got me a book to chronicle the first 5 years of baby's life! Thanks B! :) It was followed by yummy steam boat where we all stuffed ourselves but still couldn't finish the food!

Thank you once again to Bernice, Richard, Amanda, Colin, Kate and Sam for organising the baby shower for me! I had a fab time and it was great to chat and gossip till the wee hours of the night! Hehe... :)

My elder sister actually wanted to throw me a baby shower in KL as well but I chose not to have one. Thanks jie, sorry again and just want to let you know I appreciate the thought. Love you lots! Muaks!

The Awakening

2008-11-10T10:35:00.001+08:00

Dad bought tickets to watch a charity performance by the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe at the KL Convention Center last night. The above 千手观音 was the highlight of the show but it was by no means the only performance that impressed, especially since the performers were all disabled in some way.

In yesterday's performance, there was a singer with a beautiful voice who was blind, a man who had lost both arms and used only his feet to do all manners of chores, and a group of dancers who were deaf but yet were so co-ordinated in their dance movements that you would never know they couldn't hear a sound. It was truly amazing!

These performers have travelled the world performing and even performed at the opening and closing ceremonies of the recently held Beijing Paralympics! It was definitely a show worth watching! If the kicks and movements were anything to go by, I believe baby was impressed as well! Haha... :)

お誕生日！Birthday! 生日快乐！

2008-10-28T22:08:00.000+08:00

The lead up to my birthday was a really good one with the homecoming of my sister from Singapore! I miss her so much and it was nice to see how excited she was about baby! Hehe... :) We had a fabulous weekend catching up, watching movies and eating yummy food. It would've been great to have mum, May and Ee-Coln here as well of course.

My fab new Panasonic HS100 (SD/HDD Hybrid) video camera!

Then I was given an early birthday surprise when dad and Sum presented me with my very own video camera! My first camera/video cam ever!! Ohmigod! I was so excited (still am) and am now trying to figure out this totally new gadget. So fun! Thank you mum for suggesting this gift! I love it so much!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you guys.

Yummy birthday cake from Elisa!

I went to bed early last night as the late nights during the weekend were catching up on me but was surprised by a midnight call from none other than my beloved hubby, who called to wish me a 'Happy Birthday'! What a guy! :) It was then followed closely by sms's from my sisters, cousin and mum!

Flowers from my wonderful hubby (with a very sweet message, hehe!)

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes throughout the day! Thank you all for remembering! I feel so blessed and thankful. A special mention to Elisa for sending over a wonderfully delicious cake and to Ee-Coln who surprised me with a bouquet of beautiful flowers! Both unexpected and pleasant surprises!

It's been a great birthday and I'm looking forward to the next one. I'll be celebrating with my little one then. Can't wait! :)

Babymoon

2008-10-09T12:27:00.002+08:00

Cherry blossoms found at the Auckland Domain

What's a "Babymoon" you ask? Well, it's basically a holiday you take with your partner before your little bundle of joy arrives and wrecks havoc on your couple life. Haha... :)

After marriage - honeymoon; Before baby - babymoon.
Makes sense?

I found out what a babymoon was when I read some parenting magazines here and then a friend mentioned it. It made me aware that after baby arrives, there would no longer be time to take holidays on our own. So when Ee-Coln told me he was coming to visit me in Auckland, I decided that it could be considered OUR babymoon!

At Mission Bay, with Rangitoto Island in the background

10 days in NZ wasn't quite enough time for us to go down to the South Island but we still managed to pack in quite a few things. We drove to Waitomo so that Ee-Coln could try an adventure at the Waitomo Caves, then went straight to Rotorua where we visited a farm to watch sheep shearing and did a farm tour. Then Ee-Coln tried out the Zorb, went on the Agrojet and even tried white water rafting!

Rolling down the hill in a zigzag, in a Zorb filled with water!

I was so envious! I haven't even tried some of the things he has done! Instead I was delegated the official photographer job and believe you me, it's nowhere near as fun just watching! Hmmph! The next chance I get, I will definitely go back and do white water rafting at least!

Ee-Coln going down a 7m waterfall on the Kaituna river... how fun!

We finished off our trip to Rotorua by visiting Te Puia, where we got to see a Maori cultural performance, geysers and had a Maori hangi meal. Then we drove back to Auckland to continue our holiday.

Lunch at Soljans, Kumeu with Bernice, Richard, mum & dad

Within the 10 days we managed to visit some of the tourist spots in Auckland - namely the Sky Tower and the Auckland Museum. And it was nice for Ee-Coln to meet up with our friends from Auckland and to finally meet some friends of mine he hadn't met before. Bernice & Richard brought us to Soljans in Kumeu to have lunch and then to De Fontein's in Mission Bay for mussels and Belgian beer (both of which I can't have! Arrgh!). Michelle and Kit brought us to Muriwai to see the Gannet Colony and then we visited a Macadamia Nut Farm! We had yummy macadamia ice cream there! :)

At Muriwai where the gannet colony was

Before he left, we also squeezed in a rugby game! :) All in all, it was a nice holiday and it was really good to see Ee-Coln after an almost 12 week absence. Now I have to get used to not having him around again! :'(

Auckland vs Northland game at Eden Park

I confess, though I miss him a lot, the more pressing matter on my mind now is the impending arrival of our little baby. Anticipation, nerves, worry and excitement all at once! :)

4D Scan

2008-10-09T07:31:00.000+08:00

While Ee-Coln was here, I finally went to do a 4D scan and took some nice pictures of our little darling. Because I don't have a midwife here in NZ and no referral, it was not a diagnostic scan.

To be honest, I have no idea what the difference is between 2D, 3D or 4D scan. All I know is that it is recommended that a 4D scan be done between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy.

Baby looked a bit grumpy and initially covered the face with both hands but after a bit of nudging, removed one hand to show us half a face. How cheeky! :)

And another one showing a perfect little hand!
How cute eh?

I shall keep baby's gender a secret. You will just have to find out when baby arrives! :)

三从四得

2008-09-26T11:43:00.000+08:00

新男人三从四得:
Courtesy of a Chinese comic book - 爱上小女贼

太太出门要跟从，
太太命令要服从，
太太错了要盲从；

太太化妆要等得，
太太生日要记得，
太太花钱要舍得，
太太打骂要忍得！

What a classic! :)

Ultrasound Scan

2008-09-08T10:48:00.000+08:00

Apart from the obvious difference in culture between NZ and Malaysia, as a pregnant woman I have come to realise how different things work here as compared to in Malaysia.

First of all, when you are in Malaysia the first thing you do when you find out you are pregnant is to look for a gynaecologist. Whereas in NZ, you look for a midwife who will assist in your birth and unless there are medical complications, gynae's do not play a major role (as far as I know) at all.

Secondly, a midwife is also responsible to do regular checkups for an expectant mum whereas a gynae plays a similar role in Malaysia. Now comes the major difference. As far as I knew, ultrasound scans were the norm at each monthly visit to the gynae so imagine my surprise when I found out that it is not so here in NZ!

Needless to say, I was a bit surprised when the GP here in NZ was not very encouraging when I suggested that I wanted to do a scan here. After all, I hadn't done one since I got here and I was used to how things were done in KL. To be honest, I thought his response to my request at the time was a bit callous. The reason I wanted to do a scan, I told him was because I wanted to "make sure baby is ok" and he said to me, "what can you do about it now if it's not?".

Thank goodness I have a friend here in NZ who is a doctor and he very kindly explained to me the reason ultrasound scans were done. In fact, it is the norm to do a scan only about 3 times throughout the whole pregnancy in NZ:

1st time: 6th to 12th week - to confirm the presence of baby
2nd time: 17th to 18th week - to find out if there are any abnormalities. I was told that this is related to the law as abortion is not allowed after the 20th week.
3rd time: 30th week - to make sure that baby is in the correct position for delivery

I wish we were more well-informed in Malaysia and made aware that scanning is not compulsory. I know the reality is that gynae's can charge more if we do the scan but if it's not necessary and doesn't add value then why do it? At least let us know we have a choice!

A preview of our beloved baby. :)

Of course in saying this, I am still tempted to go do a scan. After all, being a first time mum I am naturally prone to being anxious and when I see my baby on the scan, well no words can describe really. :)

Yet More Cross Stitch!

2008-08-29T23:43:00.001+08:00

I finally finished the big piece of cross stitch I mentioned in my previous blog! It took a few months but it's finally done! :) I bought the pattern like 3 years ago and only started doing it at the beginning of the year. Now it's done! Can't say that the pattern looks as nice as I expected it to but I'm glad to see the end-product anyway!

Here's another one I did within a week! It's a small one that can be made into a little cushion. I bought this pattern when I was in China in April and hopefully I can find someone to make it into a pillow case. If you have any contacts, please do let me know thank you!

Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-13T15:53:00.001+08:00

One of the perks of not working is... that I get to watch the Beijing Olympics the whole day! *gleeful*

The only problem is that the coverage in NZ is slightly limited and they tend to show most of the events that the Kiwi athletes are in only. Understandable I guess and it may also explain why the Kiwis are so patriotic. They really get behind their athletes!

Well, hope everyone is getting into the Olympic spirit!

Lady of Leisure

2008-08-12T13:33:00.000+08:00

At Albert Park, near Auckland University

For those in the know, I am no longer working and am now bumming in Auckland for a couple of months. Lest I sound ungrateful, I have to admit that it feels a bit strange not to be working. I must say that Auckland has been doing me good though. Like I said before, Auckland has a special place in my heart.

Apart from the cold and rainy weather (there was a storm the first 2 days I was here!), it has been great to be with my family. It also means that I am eating better these days! The crisp, clean air can only be good for baby and I. The stress free environment has also been refreshing after the hustle and bustle of KL life. I even have time to finish up my cross stitch, read up on pregnancy books, go for walks and borrow books from the library!

Catching up with friends! :)

It's been good to catch up with my good buddies here as well. I didn't realise how much I missed hanging out with them. I guess when one has to live without, one adapts accordingly.

Baby has started kicking and I get excited every time it happens! It is unlike how the books describe it though. Instead of butterfly's in my tummy, it feels like baby is practising kungfu in me! Ee-Coln suggested that it could be because we watched too many action movies... haha! :)

My Darling Baby...

2008-07-28T21:35:00.000+08:00

It's amazing how much you can love a baby even before he/she is born. Either consciously or subconsciously, many decisions are made around the fact that a baby will bless our lives soon. Lives are rearranged, plans are made and changed accordingly.

Daddy is working hard to provide for baby and mummy. Grandma is already goo-ing and gaa-ing over cute baby clothes while grandpa is being his cool self. Although he does reveal himself a bit when he asks how baby is feeling. Hehe... :) Baby already has new toys and clothes - gifts from mummy's friends!

My darling baby, you are one lucky child. :)
We are all looking forward to seeing you soon!

Oh Happy Day!

2008-07-13T07:50:00.003+08:00

I'm in disbelief right now!! Ee-Coln just surprised me at 6 am this morning by turning up at my door. Literally!

I am sooooooooooo happy to see him! :) Not only happy. Exhilarated! Ecstatic! Just couldn't get back to bed after that (which explains why I'm up at 7.50 am on a Sunday morning). Hehe...

He is back in KL for work and I don't know for how long yet. But honestly, I don't care why he's back. I'm just really, really glad to see him! :)

*BIG smile on my face!*

I Expected...

2008-07-09T00:35:00.003+08:00

I expected it to be different.

I expected life to change for the better after marriage.

I expected to have someone to share the good and bad times with.

I expected my husband to call me at least once a day.

I expected remedial actions to take place and things to change when problems were identified.

I expected to be loved more instead of taken for granted for being understanding and compromising.

I expected praise and acknowledgment for a job well done.

I expected to have a rewarding career by now.

I expected friends to be more understanding instead of insincere and snobbish.

I expected good things to happen to good people.

I guess things don't always turn out the way we expect them to.
The worst thing is when expectations turn to disappointments.
How does one's heart and spirit handle that?

Japanese songs

2008-06-22T15:05:00.003+08:00

Remember the songs 'I Don't Want You Back' and 'F* You Right Back' by Eamon and Frankie respectively? The former is a song about a man who dumps his girlfriend after he finds out that she had sex with someone else. The latter was released a year later using the same tune, this time from the girl's perspective.

I can't put the full, actual title of their songs in this blog cos I would rather not but if you typed the artist names into Google search you will definitely know what I'm talking about. After a quick search myself it seems that Eamon and Frankie actually don't know each other! All this while, I thought they were playing out their dislike for each other in public! Ah well...

Anyway, interestingly enough I found something similar in Japanese! There are some obvious differences of course - 1) The singers know each other; and 2) they are singing about 2 people who love and miss each other (although they are just friends).

If you have the time, do check it out - SoulJa's ここにいるよ and the response by Aoyama Thelma そばにいるね. I especially like Aoyama Thelma's version! :)

Wedding in Langkawi

2008-06-18T23:49:00.001+08:00

Sometimes it's nice to get out of our daily routine and live in a dream. :)

Ee-Coln & I in our glad rags at the wedding ceremony

Ee-Coln and I attended a friend's wedding in Langkawi last weekend. We left KL early Friday morning, boarded the plane and flew to Langkawi (known for its tax free goods!). There were 12 of us traveling together and we decided to rent a van to get around for the day. It was nice to hang out with friends and to get to know them better! The best part of the trip in fact. :)

Just arrived at Langkawi airport, happy to be on holiday! :)

Friday was spent driving around Langkawi, taking the cable car, exploring the cool suspension bridge and buying tax free chocolates! It was my first time in Langkawi and I have to say that the food there is nothing to shout about. :(

That night, we had our first taste of the Four Seasons. The wedding was to be held there so even though we were staying at Holiday Villa (25 mins away), all of us made it over to the Four Seasons for a "Welcome Party". The moment we arrived you could feel the difference!

The decor and layout created a wonderful ambience that was honestly awe inspiring. Since our group was the first to get there, we had the whole place to ourselves for about an hour before the crowd piled in.

Enjoying drinks at Rhu Bar, Four Seasons

My only complaint: I couldn't drink the alcohol! They were serving Hawkes Bay (NZ) sauvignon blanc and I would have so loved to drink it! Ah well... the juices were pretty nice too.

The wedding was on Saturday and we left our resort (Holiday Villa) early for some of our group to check into Four Seasons. I didn't do much in the morning but managed to take a swim in a very nice infinity pool at Four Seasons after Ee-Coln was done with the poker game organised by the groom. :)

Friends enjoying the wedding!

The garden/beach ceremony was very beautiful and the guests were all so glamorous and beautifully dressed. The whole event was well planned and I think everyone had fun (if the amount of alcohol consumed is anything to go by).

Andrew & Angela, the happy couple

But it doesn't stop there! On Sunday, we were all treated to a brunch excursion on Asean Lady, a luxury boat owned by Robin Tan himself! It was equipped with 2 speed boats, 4 jet skis and a helipad. Need I say more? :)

Like I said - it was nice to live in a dream for a few days. Now it's back to life, back to reality!

Congratulations once again to Andrew and Angela!
May your love grow deeper with each day of the year! :)

Miracle

2008-06-16T21:51:00.000+08:00

Here's some BIG news from Ee-Coln and I. :)
Visual clues first? Hehe....

I have been keeping this news to myself for the past few months because it is considered 'unsafe' to announce a pregnancy before the first trimester is over. I don't think this is a Chinese thing only.... is it?

This, like the marriage proposal came as a surprise to me! Yes, we have been trying but logistically and in terms of timing it's been a bit difficult since Ee-Coln is in China and I live in KL. So I do feel that it's a small miracle for us both.

I was visiting Ee-Coln in China when we found out that I was pregnant and I don't know if it's because of my condition at the time but I wasn't very keen on the overly oily and salty food there.

People are funny that way. If you think you are pregnant, you start seeing symptoms and signs of it everywhere - nausea, lethargy, fatigue, a missed period. These symptoms could easily be interpreted as stress symptoms as well!

In any case, everything is going well and I am looking forward to leaving KL to be with my loved ones soon! :)

Irony

2008-06-05T17:17:00.000+08:00

Do you believe that if you make a statement about something, the opposite will inadvertently happen? For example, if you say, "I never get sick!", a week later you will.

Does that happen to you? Or is it something that I find very true to my life only.

Take for example, I was quite adamant on my stand regarding long distance relationships and even told my friends very clearly that I don't believe in it. Look where that got me! Haha... Now I'm in a long distance marriage! Sigh...

More recently, I told my colleagues proudly that 'I haven't taken MC for half a year!' and before you know it, I'm at home - sick! For 3 days! Arrgh! When it rains, it pours eh?

Ironically, these things only happen for things that you don't want to happen!

You can try saying this everyday: 'I never win the lottery!' but I doubt you'll be winning the lottery anytime soon! Haha! :)

If irony plays a role in your life, better be careful what you say in the future! :)

Blah

2008-06-02T22:06:00.000+08:00

Lately, the interest to write my blog has waned considerably. How candid can one really be when writing on a blog?

I just heard about a girl at work who has a blog and she wrote a lot of things about the workplace in it. This in itself is not a crime by any means but she made the mistake of complaining about her colleagues and boss. Worse, her workmates found out about it and it started circulating in the office. The real problem started when her boss realised that she was writing about him and suffice to say he was not happy about it at all.

Who knows what consequences she might face.

As for me, I write mostly about myself and I realise I can come across as being a tad pessimistic and depressing. I don't want to seem that way, so I think I should get out of this mindset before I continue writing.

Anyway, that's how I feel these days. A bit disappointed about life and not motivated by much of anything. Blah.

Indiana Jones

2008-05-28T21:53:00.001+08:00

Had a chance to go watch the newest Indiana Jones movie last Friday, compliments of the company... so I went! The best part? We were in Gold Class!

I had never been in Gold Class and still can't fathom why people would pay RM40 (GSC 1 Utama) for a movie! It might be because of the comfy waiting area, where you can also buy your popcorn and drinks without having to queue. Or maybe it's the fact that there are only 30 seats in Gold Class and each seat is as big as a massage chair! You can even pull out the foot rest and virtually lie back while you watch the movie. Very cool indeed.

The other thing I saw someone do is order food and it will be brought right to you! Too bad for RM40, you don't get any free food. :) My only grouse is that the air-conditioning was a bit cold and they didn't hand out the blankets unless you asked them for it!

As for the movie? I still like the one with Sean Connery in it. The young guy in this movie did a pretty good job and even though Harrison's pretty old now, he was still convincing as Indy. :) If you're interested, definitely a movie to be seen at the cinema!

Day Out

2008-04-28T17:15:00.000+08:00

So I ventured out on my own today after hiding in the apartment for a week. Took a taxi and before I knew it I was in 天一广场.

I was feeling pretty happy with myself for finally getting out of the house when I encountered my first unpleasant experience of the day. I was standing in line to buy something in Watsons and got stuck behind a couple of people who bought loads. Not unusual I know but while I was in the line, a woman tried to blatantly cut in front of me. Hah! No way was she getting away with that! Hmmph!

Shortly after that I walked around a bit more and decided to have some lunch. Even though I can speak Mandarin, I still find it a bit difficult to understand the Chinese spoken here and sometimes I also find it hard to make myself understood. I was making an order for my food and the girl at the counter couldn't understand me so she gave me a 'you are so stupid' look. Arrgh!

After lunch I looked around for some souvenirs then went to Tesco for a browse. Nothing extraordinary happened until I had paid and was outside Tesco. I was suddenly stopped by a Chinese guy who asked for my Tesco receipt. I was totally taken off guard and bemused because it seemed like he was doubting that I had paid. So I took out my receipt and he told me that I was entitled to a lucky draw. Huh?

I started to get a bit worried as he led me to a small shop to do the lucky draw. Being naturally suspicious I was a bit wary as the lucky draw didn't seem very legitimate, I mean there wasn't even any flyers around that said we were entitled to win anything with a Tesco receipt! He made conversation with me and I think he was a bit surprised to find that I wasn't 16 as he thought.

He wanted me to give him RMB1 for a free gift and to try out some new products but I was a bit reluctant and asked him to return my receipt to me as I wasn't interested. He was very persistent even though I told him a few times that I didn't want to get the 'free gift' but he was relentless and my Chinese just isn't good enough to argue with anyone. Finally I just told the guy to keep the receipt and quickly took off. Luckily he didn't come after me. Phew!

To top it all off, on the way back the taxi driver dropped me off at the wrong place and I had to find my way back to the apartment by foot! So frustrating!!! :(

At least it wasn't a boring day! Haha.... :)

The Forbidden Kingdom 功夫之王

2008-04-27T22:10:00.000+08:00

Watched my first movie at the cinema in Ningbo today!
To sum up the experience, here are a few things I noticed:

1) COST: It's so expensive to watch movies here. RMB55 per person (about RM25) if you are a member and about RMB70 for non-members! That's just crazy! How they attract cinema-goers is a mystery to me since pirated DVDs are easily available here for a much affordable price!

2) SIZE: The theater we were in could only hold a maximum of 50 people! That's like 5 rows of 10 seats!

3) CROWD: Even with 50 seats only, there wasn't that many people present. In fact I should be thankful because I was warned that Chinese people liked to chat while watching movies but they were surprisingly 'well-behaved' yesterday! :)

All in all an interesting experience but I'm not sure we will be repeating it anytime soon! If you like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, don't forget to catch their new movie - The Forbidden Kingdom at the theaters. Entertaining stuff as can be expected from any classic Jackie Chan movie. :)

Ningbo, China

2008-04-21T16:35:00.001+08:00

I'm finally in Ningbo (宁波), China visiting Ee-Coln! The weather has been slightly unpredictable, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees and when the wind blows the temperature drops even further. Since I got here I have experienced rain, fog, sunny days and howling winds and I've been here less than a week!

I didn't expect Ningbo to be as developed as it is, from what Ee-Coln has been telling me. He made it sound like he was living in the wops! In fact there are lots of high rise buildings, developing areas and a nice 'city center'. It's much more developed than my place in Japan previously. I used to live in the suburbs (Tsujido 辻堂) and it took 20 mins by train to get to the nearest city, Yokohama (横浜)!

One thing that shocked me a little were the drivers who use their honks very liberally and frequently. They seem to be in a big hurry to get to their destinations. I find it really dangerous to cross the roads with the bikes, electric scooters, pedestrians and cars going in their own direction at the same time disregarding the traffic lights! Something I definitely have to get used to.

I like to see people riding their electric scooters with pedals (in case they run out of battery!) and people on bicycles carrying impossible loads. How they manage to stay balanced and upright baffles me.

Even though it's been nice to see Ee-Coln in this place he has called home for a few months sometimes feel a bit sad when I see him so comfortable. He has made a life here without me and because I don't know the people here, I feel out of place and awkward at times like an outsider intruding into an existing community/family.

Anyway, another few days and I'm going back to my life in KL. Lots of decisions to be made in the coming months. Will keep you guys updated. :)

A Poem

2008-04-13T23:44:00.000+08:00

When night falls and all is quiet,

The silence penetrates deep into the soul.

The mind wanders and imagines,
Unease and doubts linger.

The sadness that creeps in slowly,

Is impossible to stop.

Sometimes the only outlet is tears,

But when that subsides there is only emptiness.

And the loneliness remains.

Strong and silent.

More Cross-Stitch

2008-04-08T20:25:00.000+08:00

Something I made for Ee-Coln.

After making several of these smaller pieces of x-stitch, I'm now working on a big piece. Will post if I ever finish it! Haha... :)

What to do?

2008-04-03T22:40:00.001+08:00

Ee-Coln has moved to China to work for the long term so we are doing the long distance thing again. How ironic that this is happening again (!!) as I can tell you very honestly, I never believed in or liked long distance relationships.

Yes, I know a lot of people can do it and some for years too but I'm definitely not one of them. Not because I can't live without my other half but because I believe if you are supposed to be in a relationship (especially if you are married), you shouldn't live apart. If you are going to live apart why get married in the first place?!

Quite a few people have asked me when I'll be moving to China and some even insist that I relocate ASAP! I don't know how to answer them. No, I am not happy with this arrangement and living apart is not my idea of marriage. Yes, I would like to have a 'real' marriage where a couple ideally lives together in their own home, have dinner together every night and get to share the interesting bits of their day with each other everyday.

At the moment, I am experiencing none of the things above. In fact, I feel that Ee-Coln is very happy on his own in China and doesn't really need me. There is no feeling of being loved and cared for (hmm... am I being a tad unrealistic?) and it doesn't feel good at all.

It really scares me when I hear stories about Chinese girls 'preying' on foreign men. Maybe I'm insecure or lack trust but I believe people are unpredictable and sometimes they can do things that they wouldn't normally do. Especially if you're lonely, vulnerable, a pretty girl is hanging around you a lot - can you really resist?

Some days I have this impulse to just quit my job and go over to Ningbo and stay with Ee-Coln, even if I don't find a job first. But then at other times I feel so frustrated because I have to start over again in a country that I don't particularly like. As far as I know (from Ee-Coln) Ningbo is an industrial city and there aren't many jobs suitable for a person with my experience there. So if I go there I might have to teach English (which I'm not keen on), settle for any job or sit at home all day (can't see myself doing this).

I have toyed with the idea of working in Beijing, Shanghai or Hangzhou. The latter 2 of which are closer to where Ee-Coln is but we would still be apart! What's the point then?

Sigh, until we resolve this I'm not going to rest easy.

F for Female

2008-03-29T14:28:00.000+08:00

A colleague of mine is involved in a play at the moment so we went to support her last night! It was fun to have a night out with my colleagues. :)

F for Female presents 2 plays in 1 - Anything for Love and Infant. My colleague was in the first play and to be quite honest, I was very impressed by her performance! She was so expressive and entertaining! Wonder if she would consider a career in acting.

The 2nd play - Infant, was a bit too intense and serious for me but the performances were brilliant!

Find out what F for Female is about at the kakiseni website and if you can, go watch it! It's on only until Sunday (30th March).

Typing Test

2008-03-18T16:32:00.002+08:00

Hey guys, check out this Speedtest! I've always wanted to test how fast I could type, so thank you to Julian for sending this link over.

81 words

You type 430 characters per minute

You have 81 correct words and

you have 0 wrong words

Pretty pleased with myself considering that when I first attended university I didn't even know how to switch on a computer! Not that I'm super duper tech savvy now but at least I can type! Hehe... :)

Ok, ok. Back to work!

What a Joke!

2008-03-05T23:40:00.002+08:00

So there we were, in front of my office building, stopped at a traffic light. There is a sign that indicates clearly that we cannot U-turn there. So I warn the driver that it is illegal to make a U-turn but so far many people have done so without any repercussions.

Anyway, the U-turn is made against my advise and before we know it, the cops are flagging us down. ARRGH! They come over and make conversation, chat a bit (I am told this is an indication that money will soon change hands) and sure enough, the driver was soon RM40 poorer. And this is after I advised her to throw all her big notes on the ground so that the cops don't see it in her wallet and ask for more 'kopi $$'.

I know it's ridiculous to get upset about it but it's so frustrating! What a mockery of our system, wearing the "Anti Rasuah" (anti-corruption) badge and doing the exact thing that they are supposedly fighting against.

What a joke!

When You're Gone

2008-02-20T00:19:00.000+08:00

The lyrics of this song by Avril Lavigne always reminds me about how I feel when Ee-Coln and I are apart. I wish he was here...

When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne

I always needed time on my own
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry
And the days feel like years when I'm alone
And the bed where you lie
Is made up on your side

When you walk away
I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now?

[Chorus]

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day
And make it OK
I miss you

I've never felt this way before
Everything that I do
Reminds me of you
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor
And they smell just like you,
I love the things that you do

When you walk away
I count the steps that you take

Do you see how much I need you right now?

[Chorus]

We were made for each other
Out here forever
I know we were, yeah

All I ever wanted was for you to know
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah

[Chorus]

You're The One That I Want!

2008-02-14T16:20:00.001+08:00

The day started of pretty dull but it definitely perked up when one of my colleagues, Farina received a teddy bear with a singing balloon! It belts out "You're the One that I Want" from Grease when you tap it!

This created much excitement among us and gave us another photo op! Much laughter ensued as well of course. See the happy faces below? (photo courtesy of Julian)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hope you are spending it with someone you love.

Cross-Stitch

2008-02-10T00:56:00.000+08:00

When we were in Singapore, I saw this cross-stitch design for sale for SGD1 only! The skeptic in me was doubtful that it included the colour threads, a needle and the evenweave fabric. But when it was confirmed that everything was included, of course I bought it immediately! 2 different designs in fact!

I started on one last week and managed to complete it within a week! I admit I stayed up late a few nights to do it, but I really can't stop once I get started!! Addictive stuff because I just want to see the finished product!

Anyhow, here's the finished product.

Nice? Not sure I'll use it but it feels nice to be able to make something with my own hands. Maybe I'll start on the other one soon. It sure makes time pass faster. :)

Year of the Rat... 恭喜发财!

2008-02-09T10:40:00.000+08:00

Dear friends and family,

恭喜发财，万事如意，心想事成！

May the year of the Rat (or Ratatouille as Sy Lyng puts it! Hehe...) be a happy and prosperous one!

So far it's been quite quiet as my family is not around. It's the first Chinese New Year since Ee-Coln and I got married so giving out ang pows (红包) for the first time has been pretty fun!

Typically there has been lots of food and yummy titbits to be consumed so of course I've been enjoying it all! Will just have to work it all off later! :)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Love, Kea

Weekend in Singapore

2008-01-28T23:47:00.000+08:00

Now that Sum works there, there's more reason to go down to Singapore for a break. It was a really nice weekend with no specific plan or agenda or purpose.

Taking the night bus down to Singapore on Thursday, I arrived in Singapore at midnight on Friday and Ee-Coln picked me up by taxi since he arrived a day earlier.

During the weekend, we went to the Mandai zoo Night Safari and thanks to Jason, the visit to the zoo was free because he got free passes from work! Thanks Jason! :) And then on Saturday morning, it was a visit to the Science Centre with Sum's corporate pass. Going there felt just like when we were in school! Although the exhibits looked a bit more worn out than I remember, it was still an interesting visit.

In general, it was nice to just hang out with Sum and do what we used to do. Borrow books at the library, jalan-jalan in Takashimaya, eat durian pancake and be happy catching up. Really great.

Life just seems a bit gray without my family around. :(

Stylo Milo?

2008-01-20T22:40:00.000+08:00

I cut my hair today! Even though it's only been 2 months since I cut it, it has just grown so fast that I decided to visit the hairdresser again.

I've never been a hair saloon type of person, opting for the much cheaper and faster option of RM12 haircuts because hair saloons usually equate to 2 words: expensive and waiting! If you rebond or perm your hair it takes at least 3 hours and costs nothing less than RM200!

So I go into a hair saloon today and when the hairdresser comes up to me, the first thing he tries to convince me to do is to straighten my hair slightly. Surprise surprise! I tell him no because Ee-Coln doesn't like it and he prefers my curly hair because it gives me character. Ha! :)

I just don't understand why the idea of beauty is long, straight hair (rebonding) or artificially created curly/wavy hair (perm). Otherwise, it's some sort of funky hair cut you can find in a magazine and would most probably not be caught dead in. Why can't natural hair be considered beautiful?

Anyway, I told him to make me look nice without having to perm or straighten my hair. Something I don't have to spend too much time taking care of! I mean, he agreed of course since I was pretty adamant and was a bit worked up by his initial suggestion!

The result: a much shorter, funkier hairstyle which still needs to be styled. Photos attached but the initial effect created by the stylist has worn off, so I don't look as glamour as I should. Haha...

New Beginnings

2008-01-19T18:51:00.000+08:00

I'm watching Federer (Sui) play Tipsarevic (Srb) at the moment. A very exciting match indeed! The 2 players have 2 sets apiece and are now tied at 5 games each in the final set. Will Federer triumph? I hope so!!!

On another note, I can't believe it will be Chinese New Year in less than a month! The nice thing about Chinese New Year is that they have started selling lots of cookies and goodies! I love it!

Ee-Coln and I started taking scuba diving lessons in Cheras. Only attended 2 lessons so far but it's been pretty interesting. The first time I went, after the class I felt quite dizzy and nauseous, and when I got home I slept about 2 hours before feeling human again. Thank goodness the 2nd class today was much better! No side effects and feel perfectly fine. Ee-Coln's turn to be tired though and he's sleeping it off now.

I started teaching English again but only for a few weeks. My student is a Japanese teacher moving to JB for work and she wanted to do some intensive classes. 3 hours a week split into 2 sessions. I quite enjoy the teaching but the preparation takes ages (as all teachers will tell you)! Hopefully my next student will do a language exchange with me so I can improve my Japanese. It's deteriorated so much I don't even dare to tell people that I understand Japanese! :(

Work is becoming more stressful and challenging but I'm finding it difficult to muster any interest or motivation for it these days, can't explain why. Colleagues are still great and the job scope hasn't changed much but... I just don't know what it is. Meanwhile, I'm trying out new things to keep life interesting. :)

YAY!! FEDERER WON!!!! He was really pushed to the limit! 5 sets and he finally won the last set by winning 10 compared to Tipsarevic's 8 games. Awesome!

Men & Football

2008-01-01T17:25:00.000+08:00

What is it with Men & Football?

Ask them if they know what happened to you during your day at work and they won't have a clue. Ask them what has been going on in the world of football and they can tell you without any problems.

Here's a case in point:

Me: Did you hear what happened to Benazir Bhutto?
My husband: Did you hear Tottenham and Blackburn drew 2-2?
Me: So sad that she was killed, right?
My husband: Ya, very sad... ... that they drew.
Me: *rolling eyes*

Apparently, according to research (origin unknown) males do not multi-task well. I sincerely beg to differ. Here's a very common scene at home:

TV screening a football game.
Husband playing Championship Manager on his laptop.
At occasional intervals checking scores and news on ESPNsoccernet!

Obviously men have no problems multi-tasking! :)

Moreover, Ee-Coln can stay up till all hours of the morning playing Championship Manager. Addicted I tell you! But I guess what Chun Leng and Kenneth said is true: "At least he's home with me and not outside doing something naughty!"

When put that way... Believe you me, I am thankful! :)

Happy New Year 2008!

2008-01-01T15:58:00.001+08:00

2008 is here!

To all my friends and family, a very Happy New Year!
Wishing year 2008 will bring you many nice surprises and much happiness! :)

Marriage & Children

2007-12-30T02:31:00.000+08:00

"So how's married life?"

This is a question I've been getting a lot since the nuptials. To be honest, nothing much has changed since our dating days. I am still working (you won't believe how many people think I have stopped working just because I'm married!), I still go to gym and we still watch movies like we did before we got married. Although... Championship Manager and football has been featuring a lot more in our lives now. Hmph!

I was chatting online with a university mate yesterday and he asked me why get married if there's no difference anyway. After all, if you love someone and are in a monogamous relationship and are already living with him/her, does it really matter if you are married or not? Is it just to justify to others that you love this person and if so, why should you need to? Bear in mind that this is a very Western type of view as even though my friend is Asian, he was brought up in NZ.

I was totally stumped by his question because if not for culture and tradition that requires us to be married before living with your partner and having children, why do we need to get married? And who's to say that you are not committed to a person without the legalities and the ring?

It has been observed in many cases that marriage makes both parties lazy, complacent and take one another for granted? Isn't it better not to get married then?

Comments and opinions are welcomed.

The issue of having a baby has also been on my mind a lot lately. I am so conflicted about whether to have one immediately or not. On the one hand, I would like to enjoy some couple time first before considering the huge responsibility of a baby. Selfish maybe but I like having Ee-Coln to myself.

On the other hand, I personally believe that it is safer to conceive before 30, so that leaves me little time. And we were advised not to have an Ox baby (2009) so it's either have one next year or wait 2 years. Superstitious you say?

Of course well meaning advise pouring in are equally conflicting. Some friends are very encouraging of having a baby immediately whereas others are cautioning me to wait as a baby will change our lives drastically.

I have no idea what to do. Right now I feel very conflicted, confused and uncertain.

Shoe Mishap!

2007-12-27T23:40:00.000+08:00

Something really funny happened today. On the way back from lunch, my sandals broke!

Liyshen was with me at the time luckily. It was such a funny situation because the office was not so far that we couldn't walk but because the sandals were broken I had to hobble all the way back!

Liyshen suggested that she walk back to the office to get another pair of shoes for me, but I really didn't want to trouble her so we found an alternative solution. See picture below:

Believe me, it was a hilarious sight, me hobbling back to the office and Liyshen and I trying to control our laughter the whole time!

Ok, so it wasn't really a laughing matter but I guess it's all a matter of perspective eh? :)

My Random 7

2007-12-26T23:57:00.000+08:00

I was tagged by Shang Lee a while ago to write 7 random things about myself. So here goes!

1. I love Nutella! When I lived in Auckland and was too lazy to go out I would eat Nutella and toasted bread for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Yum yum!

2. I have a strangely keen sense of smell and can often identify things and places by it. That's why I detest smelly toilets and damp yoga mats but love any fragrant shampoo/perfume and freshly laundered clothes!

3. When I lived in Japan, I met a lady on an the Narita Express (airport bound train) who couldn't speak much English. She subsequently introduced me to her husband who happened to work for IBM Japan. They were so lovely that during my stay there, they invited me to their house for dinner and brought me to onsen (温泉)at the IBM retreat! Lucky me. :)

4. I love soft toys! I name most of my toys and each of them have a special meaning to me.

5. The first time I got drunk was when I worked at camp in the US. I was 21 that year and when a South African fellow camp counselor found out it was my first ever drunken outing he was pretty appalled. He couldn't believe I had never been drunk before. I remember his comment quite vividly, "That must be some kind of record or something"!

6. I did a A.J. Hackett bungy jump at the Kawarau Bridge, Queenstown when I was 15. What many people don't know is that I actually lost one side of my sports shoe to the river during the jump because it was not tied on tight enough!

7. When I was younger, I wanted to be a professional athlete. Too bad I was never good enough in any sport to go pro.

That's my Random 7! Any comments?

Annual Dinner

2007-12-22T02:46:00.000+08:00

Event: Annual Dinner

Venue: One World Hotel

Date: 14th December 2007

Theme: The Oscars

With the Annual Dinner just past, I thought I should put up some photos. I don't look very good in them though, sad to say.

The food was not very good, alcohol was not served and the entertainment was so-so. In fact, there was a comedy act which touched on very sensitive Malaysian political issues which I thought was not very amusing at all. I was telling Rilvana that to appreciate the show, we need to have: 1) a sense of humour about politics; and/or 2) a good understanding of politics. I have the former but not the latter so I was utterly bored out of my brains. Call me uninformed if you must.

The only redeeming factor came at the end of the night when we managed to take photos with some colleagues and friends. And a good chat with Firman and Khairul outside the ballroom was also a highlight.

The best dressed guy and girl voted to win were not really the best dressed present but it's all a popularity contest anyway, so as long as everyone had a good time I guess it was ok. Oh, we did get a Sony mp3 player as a door gift so that was pretty cool.

All in all, an 'OK' night but I still had more fun at my wedding!
Haha! :)

Honeymoon in The Maldives

2007-12-02T00:28:00.000+08:00

If I had the time to write to everyone during our honeymoon, this is what I would’ve written:

Hi everyone!

Maldives is so beautiful! We are having such a great time. The sand is sparkling, the sun and the sea is shining…. Absolutely divine! I still can’t believe I’m married and on my honeymoon. It’s like being in one of those romance novels I used to read in secondary school! :)

I hope you guys had fun at the wedding! We certainly did! :) Hope nobody was too traumatized about the fruit downing incident though! Haha…

The Maldives is like honeymooner’s paradise. Everywhere we turn we see couples, couples and more couples! We are staying in a water bungalow so when we open the back door, we can just walk down the stairs and into the sea!

The best part about this trip is seeing Ee-Coln so carefree and worry-free. I’m so happy to see him relaxed and enjoying himself, taking loads of photos of the scenery. There is without a doubt more photos of fish/sharks/sun than of us!

Ee-Coln has been really proactive and signed us up for a few excursions. We got up at 5.30 am to Follow the Dolphins, then we joined a Sunset Fishing excursion on another day. We also went on a Reef Exploring excursion and snorkeled! Fun fun fun!

Both of us are now very tanned and sun-kissed so I’m sure everyone will be very surprised when they see us. We are taking a seaplane back to the island where the airport is, which will take about 30 minutes. That should be interesting! When we came, we took the boat and it took us 2 and a half hours!

Well, that's it from me for now. Back to enjoying the honeymoon. I’ll show you guys photos of the trip when I get back. See you soon!

Love, Kea

But I didn’t have the time to write, so you'll just have to settle for this delayed narrative! :)

Marital Status: Married

2007-11-29T09:51:00.000+08:00

Marriage registration on the 16th November 2007

The wedding was a resounding success! Everything went according to schedule and many friends were surprised that we even had time to relax between events! The schedule seemed a bit tight on paper but In fact to be quite honest, we didn’t even rehearse beforehand!

Of course, as with all best laid plans, I still forgot some minor details like throwing the bouquet and bringing the guest book! Darn!

Bernice did such a great job as Emcee and it really took a big burden off our shoulders! Thanks to Richard as well for taking on the AV Manager role. :) Michelle, Kum Yuen, Huey and Chun Leng gave such lovely speeches as well. Thanks everyone! And of course I couldn't have done it without dad, mum, Sum and May!

We took loads and loads of photos and my Aunty Lucy even arranged the photos she took into a collage. All very beautifully arranged! We are still waiting for the video and photos taken by the photographer and videographer we hired for the day.

It was great to have so many of our friends around because that’s what made it fun! Again, a special thank you to everyone who came from overseas to celebrate the occasion with Ee-Coln and I. Hope you guys had fun catching up with one another. :)

To top it all off, Ee-Coln sang a song by Jacky Cheung (你的名字我的姓氏 ) and dedicated it to me! Aww… how sweet! Of course he claims that he was drunk and can’t remember a thing, hah!

All in all, a very memorable occasion. It was great to play princess for a day! Haha...

Chicago The Musical

2007-11-06T23:51:00.000+08:00

Chicago The Musical is in KL!

Since I have watched the movie, it was difficult not to compare the 2. Although overall I still feel that the movie is better, the musical was not bad either. Credit to the actresses who played Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly respectively.

If you have a CIMB account then you can even get a discount. The musical will be here from the 6th - 10th November at the Plenary Hall, KLCC so do check it out if you are interested and have the time!

Hmm... I feel like watching the movie now!

The Countdown Begins!

2007-11-06T00:52:00.000+08:00

2 weeks from now, my marital status will no longer be "single".

On Sunday, 4th November, we had the 过大礼 ceremony where our families exchanged gifts. It was the first time my parents met Ee-Coln's aunts and as with all unfamiliar situations, it turned out to be a little awkward and funny. I think it went pretty well though.

Gifts to be exchanged among our families (过大礼)

With all the preparations for the marriage, I honestly don't think the reality of marriage has set in! It is both exciting and scary at the same time. I mean, it is impossible to expect or predict what will happen in the future but sometimes when I see couples with grown children, it scares me a little. How do they get from being young lovebirds to couples who hardly talk to one another?

I hope I never find out.

On another note, I am starting to worry about the wedding. So many details I haven't thought about!

One thing's for sure, I'm really looking forward to seeing all my friends here soon! :) As for the worries, I'll deal with it when the time comes!

Happy Birthday to ME! :)

2007-10-29T13:59:00.000+08:00

I had such a good birthday… for so many reasons!

1) Surprises!
My whole family & Ee-Coln conspired to surprise me! Sum came back to KL for my birthday and I didn’t know until I saw her in Popular bookstore! :) What a fantastic and wonderful surprise. Honestly I was so speechless and stunned when I saw her that I thought for a moment I was having an out-of-body experience (May can testify to that! Hehehe…).

2) Food Fest
I spent the whole weekend eating! On Saturday, May bought me lunch at Paddingtons (yummy pancakes) in The Curve and when Sum came back we followed it up with tea in Little Penang. It was then off to porridge steamboat for dinner! Oink oink!

Then on Sunday, we started off by having fish head noodles in the morning, dimsum for lunch at Ritz-Carlton and then Ee-Coln bought me Korean BBQ for dinner! Yummy. :)

Dad bought lunch at Ritz Carlton!

3) Karaoke
My sisters booked a karaoke room in Red Box on Saturday night at 10 pm and we sang for 3 hours straight! Even mum and dad were sporting enough to join in a few songs! We were exhausted and happy by the time Sunday morning rolled around. :)

Karaoke-ing with my family at Red Box on Saturday night!

4) Cakes & Presents
Thank you to my wonderful colleagues who organized a cake for me & Adrienne and also for the very cute present that I absolutely adore! I have named him Houdini by the way (nicknamed Hoody) for obvious reasons. :)

Adrienne & I cutting our cake (left) and me with my new toy, Hoody!

5) Love
It’s a nice feeling to know that I am loved. By my parents and May who took the effort to create a surprise for me. By Sum who came home just for my birthday even though it must have been really tiring for her. By Ee-Coln who didn’t insist I go to Ipoh with him even though I had promised him much earlier, and for paying attention when I mentioned in passing that I wanted to eat Korean BBQ.

Thank you to all my friends who remembered my birthday. The emails, messages and sms’s really meant a lot to me! :) Big hugs for you all.

FIVEs the number

2007-10-15T01:20:00.000+08:00

Tagged by Yen on 8th Sept, and I'm finally picking up the tag. Better late than never eh? So, here goes...

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so:
1. Rinnah

2. Giddy Tiger

3. Leah

4. Kiasumum

5. LemonJude

6. Amidrin

7. Stubborn daydreamer

8. Waikeakea

Choose 5 people to tag:

1. Ms Match

2. Iriny

3. Why_Sum

4. Elisa

5. Ymusti

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was in my 2nd year in the University of Auckland, getting used to life in NZ and making lots of friends. Enjoying the experience!!

What were you doing 1 year ago?

Working in JAC, enjoying my non-single life and thinking about changing jobs.

Five snacks you enjoy:

Cadbury Bytes

Meiji Pucca - chocolate filled

Meiji Hello Panda - chocolate filled

Twisties - BBQ Flavour only

Chicken wings

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:

Happy Birthday song

Three Blind Mice

Auld Lang Syne

Flying Without Wings - Westlife

爱是永恒 (Love is Eternal) - Jacky Cheung

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

Invest wisely

Travel whenever I want to wherever I want to

Work because I want to not because I have to

Live comfortably

Buy property around the world to live in

Five bad habits

Sleep late and feel tired at work

Don't clean my room often enough

Wash my hair late at night

Criticize other people's English ability

Interrupt people when they are talking

Five favourite toys

Spotty

Sheepster

Patches

Ducky

Fei toot toot

Five things you like doing

Spending time with my family

Spending time with Ee-Coln

Exercise - running, gym, yoga & Bodystep

Watching TV

Blogging

Five things you would never wear again

School uniforms

Denim mini skirts

Ballet shoes

A tie

Platform shoes

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

2007-10-14T02:48:00.000+08:00

By Kim Edwards, this novel is very beautifully written.

It tells of a man whose wife gives birth to twins. A healthy baby boy and a daughter who is born with Down's Syndrome. The man decides to give his infant daughter up to an institution without telling his wife. His actions sets in motion a series of events that unfolds over a span of 30 years and shows how his decision affected him and the people he cared about.

The story is quite a tragic one, illustrating the impact losing a child can have on a family and how secrets can tear a family apart. The issue of Down's Syndrome is also very tactfully dealt with and the struggle faced by parents for their children with Down's Syndrome is briefly explained.

More than ever, I am aware that we really have to consider our decisions and actions carefully because it might adversely affect us and our loved ones, possibly causing them unnecessary harm.

Cranium

2007-10-14T02:01:00.000+08:00

We went to Victor's place last night for a little get together that he organised. Happy Birthday Vic!

After the eating and some drinking, we were introduced to the game - Cranium!

Sum had told me about Cranium before but I had never played it. It turned out to be really fun and entertaining with lots of laughter and hilarity. The game is a combination of Pictionary, Taboo and Charades but with slightly different rules and variations.

It tests your general knowledge, drawing skills, acting skills, humming ability and sometimes spelling ability as well! :) There were times we had to spell a word backwards or even draw with our eyes closed! Extremely interesting and fun! Definitely a good game for any parties or gatherings. :)

For a more comprehensive understanding of the game, check out Wikipedia's take on it here. Definitely recommended!

Selamat Hari Raya

2007-10-14T01:26:00.000+08:00

It has been a really busy week at work but most people have been gearing up for Hari Raya and the general mood has been a festive one! The office was really quiet by Thursday and of course on Friday it was practically empty. :)

The Corp HR team received some hampers from our vendors during the week they were all so beautifully presented! I've always been happy to receive hampers because when I was young, we would get hampers at home and opening it to find the goodies inside was always fun!

I was never that interested in the goodies in the hampers. It was just fun to open them. Kinda like presents you know? :)

I am now enjoying the 3 day weekend due to the festivities. Going to the gym, catching up on some reading and relaxing. So nice to be on holiday!! :)

To all my Muslim friends, here's wishing you Selamat Hari Raya!

Christine's Wedding

2007-10-13T16:15:00.000+08:00

Photo with the bride (seated 2nd from right) and my ex-colleagues.

I attended Christine's wedding last weekend (11th October) at Marco Polo Restaurant. The invite said dinner to start at 5.30 pm but typically it started 2 hours later.

I really hope it doesn't happen at my wedding because I have every intention of starting it on time.

Best laid plans and all eh... :)

Wedding Preparations III

2007-09-30T22:45:00.000+08:00

The wedding is now drawing ever closer. 6 more weeks before the big day. The list of things to do is starting to get longer! Oh no!!

There are so many traditions and rituals to follow that it's absolutely mind-boggling! As part of the Chinese tradition, the groom has to buy some things and present to the bride's family as gift, sort of like a dowry. There are also some rituals we both have to follow and to practice these rituals, we had to buy some things.

Not surprisingly there are specialty stores that sell these things and through friend's referrals we managed to find one in Puchong. And we finally made our way there yesterday to make the necessary purchases.

It was really interesting to visit the shop. They really thought of everything! From tea sets for the tea ceremony, to the little 'Double Happiness' (喜喜) stickers - everything was available. Certain things such as scissors and mirrors were a bit overpriced I thought, but for the sake of convenience I believe a lot of people will (and do) pay the price.

I am really glad that my parents, my sisters and Ee-Coln are playing an active role in the wedding planning and preparations. It really makes the process more meaningful and fun! :)

More things to prepare and organise in the following weeks.

Wish me luck!

Fasting

2007-09-28T22:00:00.000+08:00

When I got back from Singapore after a long weekend, I found this email from my boss:

Fasting is primarily a spiritual act of willingly abstaining from food and drink for a period of time. Almost all religions practice fasting in one way or the other. This includes Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism, amongst others. Fasting is also used in a medical context for a number of reasons.

The advantages of fasting includes the removal of accumulated waste from inside our body; it saturates our body with live enzymes; and it gives our internal organs a long overdue holiday (in the form of rest).

"We hold our bodily compulsions and instincts under strict control, together with our thoughts and our mental states, our moods and desires. We submit ourselves and our accustomed patterns of life to a higher template, one that fosters a regimen of self-restraint within the body and mind and correspondingly seeks an intensification of the life of the spirit. The body is ordered to fast from what it needs, from what is normally allowed to it, from what it desires, from what it craves, from what it may seek on a whim, and from what it habitually seeks."

In order to better understand fasting and to support our Muslim colleagues in good faith, I'd like to suggest that we fast for approximately 12 hours next Wednesday (26th Sep), from 7am onwards. All it takes is for us to make some adjustments to our lifestyle, eating habits and mental habits. We can all then "buka puasa" together with our Muslim colleagues at the Zuho restaurant.

So on Wednesday, for the first time in my life, I tried fasting.

It's so true that if you have never tried something, you don't know how it feels. Fasting is not easy and it takes a lot of will and determination, as well as self-restraint. It is hard enough that we couldn't eat but the hardest part for me was not being able to drink water.

Now I know how hard it is to fast, I have more respect and understanding for those who observe this ritual. Don't think I'll be fasting again anytime soon though... :)

My Wonderful Teacher

2007-09-28T00:38:00.000+08:00

When I lived in Japan, I had a lovely Japanese teacher, Fujino-sensei (藤野先生). Because she knew I was alone in Japan she would sometimes invite me to her house and cook yummy Japanese food for me!

Although she has never lived overseas, she could speak English really well! What an amazing lady! Her generosity and warmth never ceased to amaze me.

Before I left Japan, I asked Fujino-sensei to come visit me in Malaysia in the future and she said she would when I invited her to my wedding. So I did! :)

Unfortunately, she could not make it. But being the kind and generous soul that she is, she bought me a gift and sent it by mail!

Thank you so much 先生. Really wish you could be here for my wedding.

Shrouded in Darkness

2007-09-20T01:05:00.000+08:00

I was in the shower last night and suddenly the lights just went off! Even though I knew it wasn't anything sinister, I couldn't help but think the worst. Horror movies and a vivid imagination is not a good combination at times like these.

Within the 10 minutes of blackout, I was trying to imagine life without electricity.

No air-condition or fan to keep the room cool.

Not able to dry your hair when it's wet.

Can't get online to check e-mail or blog.

No TV to watch while online e-mailing or blogging.

Won't be able to read.

Can't see yourself in the mirror while combing hair or brushing teeth.

Security alarm doesn't work so safety is compromised.

No radio or music from the stereo.

Can you imagine life without electricity?
I'm not sure I can.

Jacky Cheung Concert!!

2007-09-15T02:04:00.000+08:00

Jacky Cheung ROCKS!!! I have been a fan of his for so long I can't even remember when it started! We were there when he first performed his musical, "Snow, Wolf, Lake" (雪，狼，湖) in Singapore 10 years ago!

This time, his concert didn't disappoint either! The concert started at about 8.45 pm and he didn't stop until 12 midnight! We should've guessed that it was going to be a great evening when we were upgraded to the RM198 seats! Hehe... :)

Jacky sang his heart out and chose a good mix of songs to keep his fans happy. He alternated between Mandarin and Cantonese songs, fast then slow numbers. He danced and sang his heart out. His voice is just remarkable and his performance was stellar.

We had such a great night singing along to the songs that we knew. He finally ended the night with the song "Blessing" (祝福) and the lyrics were so meaningful and apt.

If you like Jacky Cheung and missed his KL Tour, check out his Jacky Cheung World Tour website to find out where he will be next. Go and see him! You won't regret it! :)

MATTA Fair

2007-09-10T01:34:00.000+08:00

I had such a busy and hectic weekend! On top of that, I went to the MATTA Fair in PWTC on Sunday. Initially it was to get our air tickets to Maldives, but a quick check with the travel agents a few days before the fair started already informed us that there would be no cheap fares during the time we wanted to go. Cheh!

People mountain, people sea... 人山人海！

But I had promised El-Mane I would go, so off we went! Traffic was bad and of course the parking areas took full advantage of the crowd and charged cut-throat prices!

Anyhow, I have attached some photos for you to fully appreciate the madness of MATTA Fair. It seems like Malaysians really have a lot of time and money on their hands!

Beautiful exhibits (left) and happy 'shoppers'!

The next MATTA Fair is on the 14th - 16th March 2008, so anyone interested in joining the crowd, please note down the dates! :)

Beautiful Malay Wedding

2007-09-02T11:05:00.000+08:00

Hafiz & Dila, the happy couple

I attended my colleague, Hafiz's wedding on Saturday. This is only the 2nd time that I have ever attended a Malay wedding so I was quite worried about the protocol. Luckily it was very casual and I didn't commit any faux pas! I also met a few of my colleagues there, so I had a nice time chatting with them.

The wedding was held in a community hall in Sri Petaling from 12 noon till 4 pm and 2000 guests were invited! Because not everyone arrived at the same time and guests were coming and going at random times, it accommodated the crowd quite well.

May was wearing purple, which just happened to blend in with the colour theme! :) All in all, a fun experience.

Merdeka Long Weekend

2007-09-02T10:33:00.000+08:00

I LOVE LONG WEEKENDS!

Malaysia is celebrating its 50th year of independence so we got Friday off as well. Yay! I didn't have much planned for the weekend but it turned out to be quite eventful.

I got to spend time with my whole family, so I'm happy! As everyone is busy with their own lives, it gets more and more difficult to do things together.

My sisters and I went shopping together on Friday and we also watched Ratatouille on Saturday! :) I must say that the animation was extremely well drawn and Remy the "Little Chef" is very cute!

Today we are going to eat dim sum at Ritz Carlton! I'm definitely looking forward to it! Hungry ~~

Wedding Invites

2007-08-26T22:15:00.000+08:00

Before we know it, it's time to send out invites! I love the whole process! :)

Yes, it is a tiring and long process, but it's so fun to write to my friends to ask them for their address so that I can send them the invite. Or better yet, to meet up and pass it to them personally. It gives us a reason to meet up!

The cards turned out quite nice and I'm pleased to report that there are no grammar mistakes in them. Haha... I know myself. Any minor grammar error and back it goes to the printers. Fortunately, I double and triple checked it before I approved the final copy so that such an occurrence could be avoided! :)

I have yet to send out all the invites but I think I better get on with it. Time is running out! Hopefully everyone RSVPs on time and are able to attend the wedding! :)

Wedding Photos

2007-08-26T22:01:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday we went to check out the result of the "torturous" photo taking session! I was a teeny-weeny bit nervous about it but it turned out ok. A friend had warned us that the bridal company would 'encourage' us to add more photos because this will add to our cost (their profit!). So Ee-Coln and I had already made up our minds not to be sucked into their money making scheme!

So with this resolution, we went in and chose our photos. They had taken 183 photos and our package only allowed us to choose 50. The outdoor photos didn't turn out as nice as I expected and instead the indoor ones were surprisingly nice.

I think the lady was a bit surprised that we didn't exceed the 50 photos but I was happy that she didn't push us to choose more. She did casually ask us if we wanted more since all the photos were so beautiful though! Hmm...

Anyhow, she had other points to sell to us as we soon found out:

1) PVC quality paper – Apparently, the paper that will be used in our album is not as good as PVC. With PVC, our photos will be protected by water and it will last longer!

2) Album cover – The one in our package is only the normal, standard leather type (or maybe it wasn't leather). Anyway, it was recommended that we upgrade our album cover to make it the transparent, hardcover fancy looking one.

Of course to upgrade all that, we had to pay more money!
And yet... we remained resolute.

Then came our next upgrade option. As part of our package, we had to choose a photo that will be enlarged, framed and hung in our room. So we did. Then we were told that to enjoy the beauty and the full effect of the picture we chose, it would be better if we upgraded to a larger frame.

WHAT?!

Why does the size of the frame provided in the package not match the size of the photo?! That's just downright devious.

Finally after much consideration and no small amount of annoyance, we yielded and decided to upgrade the frame. Sigh...

So much for resolution!
Ah well, now all we have to do is to wait and see how it all turns out!

Potluck Party

2007-08-09T21:46:00.000+08:00

The eating party! :)

We went to Adrienne's house for a potluck party last Sunday. To avoid cooking, I volunteered to bring the fruits! Hahaha... But there was so much yummy food that by the time the fruits were served, everybody was too full! Ah well...

Food! Food! Food!

Nice to hang out in a relaxed environment with colleagues I can call friends. :) Looking forward to the next gathering!

Wedding Rings

2007-08-09T00:33:00.000+08:00

We bought our wedding rings on Thursday last week!
As Ee-Coln put it, "Another milestone achieved!"

Things are starting to get exciting! :)

Nike Watch Gone Missing

2007-08-09T00:21:00.000+08:00

I have something very sad to report:

Due to my own carelessness, I have lost my Nike watch. I have to apologise to all my friends who gave it to me.

I had dropped the watch at gym by accident but a yoga instructor had found it. My mistake was that I didn't pick it up immediately and by the time I went to collect it a few days later, someone from reception had already taken it. :'(

I am so gutted because the watch has sentimental value. It was with me through my first triathlon, my first (and only) half marathon and so many other memorable events! It's not valuable to anyone else but me! Why would anyone want it?! Why? Why? Why?

If the person who took it just returned it anonymously, I really don't mind. Just GIVE IT BACK please!

Kristal Training

2007-08-09T00:11:00.000+08:00

I attended an internal training session last month. It was surprisingly fun and interactive. Nice to get out of the office once in a while.

Getting to meet colleagues from other business units and having a good laugh with them are definitely added bonuses! :)

Beautiful Art

2007-08-03T00:45:00.000+08:00

My colleague, Rilvana is so artistic! She does henna art at weddings sometimes and after we found out about it she actually brought her 'tool' to work and did it for us!

Liy Shen and I were not the only lucky ones. Even the boys had a go!

Beautiful isn't it?

Thanks Ril! :)

Rocking Girl Blogger

2007-07-29T12:51:00.000+08:00

I was awarded this by Violet in mid-July!

Thank you thank you. Hehehe... :)

Bridal Photos

2007-07-22T23:55:00.000+08:00

BEFORE (11 am)

Ee-Coln and I took our wedding photos yesterday! It was so exhausting that I spent today just lazing around! Haha…

The week before the photo taking, my colleagues had already advised me to rest early because it was going to be a very tiring day. I guess I was just too stubborn to take their advice! On Friday night, I went to get a French manicure and pedicure so that my nails would look nice for the photo shoot. I can’t believe that alone took 2 hours!

On Saturday morning, we got to the bridal shop at about 11 am and the "ordeal" started. We had t0 do the outdoor photo shoot first so once the makeup was done, we departed for Putrajaya Marriott. I was a tad worried that we would not be able to take the outdoor photos because it started raining when we were there but thankfully, it stopped!

It was so difficult to pose because so many instructions were thrown at us. "Don’t hunch!", "Chin down!", "Tilt your head to the right!", "Relax your neck!", "Smile!" were among the few. I can follow instructions if they are given 1 or 2 at a time but when put together, disaster! Hahaha…

I now have new found respect for all models! It is really not as easy as it looks!

Anyhow, by the time we got back to the bridal shop, it was already 4.30 pm and there were 6 more dresses to change into! I was shocked to find out that for each dress, my hairstyle had to be changed and makeup had to be touched up!

Suffice to say that it was a very looooooooooong day and by the time we were done, it was 12 midnight! I’m NOT joking! By that time, Ee-Coln and I were extremely hungry and exhausted. The tons of makeup, the constant smiling and posing really took a toll on us as both of us don’t really enjoy taking photos in the first place!

A special tribute to my fantastic sister, Sum for being there the whole day to share in our ordeal! What a trooper! Thanks jie!

AFTER (11.45 pm)

I'm happy we had this once-in-a-lifetime experience but I'm glad it's over! Now, we can only wait and see how the photos turn out! :)

PS Sorry guys, no preview of wedding photos. I want to keep it a surprise! :)

Wedding Preparations II

2007-07-15T23:54:00.000+08:00

After a few months reprieve and procrastination, I am finally starting to make preparations for the wedding!

The only thing I’ve been working on from the beginning has been the invitation list and after months, we are finally finalizing the attendance! Hopefully everyone who has confirmed their attendance won’t change their minds at the last minute.

Yesterday, we had to furnish the wordings for our invitation cards so that it can be printed within the next 2 weeks. I know most people won’t bother reading the wordings that carefully but I wanted it to sound nice so I had to do some research. Thank goodness for all the weddings I’ve been invited to and also to the Internet! Very useful and informative indeed!

We also met with a ‘dai kam jie’ (大妗姐) who will be around to say nice things during the wedding! Goodness me, there are so many Chinese traditions and protocols to follow that it’s mind-boggling! Luckily, I had my parents and my sis there to listen and take notes because I was totally befuddled!

There are going to be so many things to plan and do before the wedding. It’s now exactly 4 months till the wedding! Panic time! I will probably need to ask for assistance from many of you during the wedding, so… THANK YOU in advance! Hehe… I’ll let you guys know soon!

Meanwhile, let the planning begin!
Have a great week everyone! Catch up soon! :)

Teaching English

2007-07-15T18:11:00.000+08:00

I started teaching English again after a 3 year hiatus.
Only once a week for 2 hours.

Funny story really, as the opportunity just literally fell onto my lap.

A couple of months ago, I went to a language school to find out about taking private classes to improve my Japanese. While I was introducing myself, I mentioned that I had taught English in Japan for a year.

Suddenly, the lady I was speaking to, who happens to be the owner of the school asked me if I wanted to teach English there! It was so bizarre because I was planning to be a student there and suddenly I was being offered a job! It’s really true that life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

I thought about it for a few weeks and decided to give it a go. After all, it will not only keep me busy but my teaching skills won’t get too rusty either.

Who knows, I might end up teaching for a living in the future!

Work & Friends

2007-07-15T15:53:00.000+08:00

Work has been so busy and hectic and after almost 6 months, I can finally say that I am settled into my job. It helps that I have a nice bunch of colleagues that I can laugh and joke with of course.

I am really very lucky to have so many friends in my life. Friends who help me in my times of need, to give me advise and support me when I am down. So many times in the past months I have had doubts and insecurities, and I have always, ALWAYS had someone to turn to.

It’s difficult to convey through this blog how blessed I feel to have colleagues that I can also call friends. We spend so much time at work, more than we do at home so it’s really very important to enjoy our work. The workload aside, I almost always have a good laugh at work.

It was the same when I was working in JAC. And I’m very glad to say that I still keep in contact with my friends there.

After all, the road is long.

We might as well enjoy ourselves and make connections that matter, right? :)

Michael Learns To Rock

2007-07-15T15:15:00.000+08:00

We went up to Genting to watch Michael Learns to Rock last night! It was a very last minute decision to go but it turned out to be really fun!

For those who have never heard of this band, Michael Learns To Rock is from Denmark and has been around since 1991. Check out their website here.

The concert started off a bit boring because they sang songs from their newer albums and since I hadn’t heard them before, it was not very interesting. Ee-Coln and I were just waiting for the oldies to be played.

After a 30 minute wait, we finally got our wish! They started with the classic The Actor, followed by their big hits including Sleeping Child, 25 Minutes, Strange Foreign Beauty, That’s Why You Go Away and Paint My Love. The concert was only 2 hours long but because we knew the lyrics to their old songs, it was fun to sing along!

I must say that the lead singer, Jascha can really sing live! It was really impressive as he didn’t take any breaks in between and just wow-ed the crowd with his performance!

Next concert – Jacky Cheung in September. Bring it on! :)

Sagrada Familia

2007-06-28T00:23:00.000+08:00

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

This is my favourite place in Barcelona. Granted I was only there for a few hours! This is the 1000 piece souvenir I got for myself and just finished putting together!

Beautiful isn't it?

for one more day

2007-06-16T00:38:00.000+08:00

"... I also believe that parents, if they love you, will hold you up safely, above their swirling waters, and sometimes that means you'll never know what they endured, and you may treat them unkindly, in a way you otherwise wouldn't."

An excerpt from Mitch Albom's 'for one more day'.

Do check out 'Tuesdays with Morrie' and 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' as well. Both books made into movies worth watching.

Mediterranean Fun!

2007-06-13T01:04:00.000+08:00

The 12 hour flight to Amsterdam was delayed for 2 hours and we missed our connecting flight to Barcelona. It was very exciting for Sum & I as we had to convince the lady at the Transfer desk to get us on an earlier flight into Barcelona lest we miss our cruise. It felt a bit like we were on the Amazing Race. Haha... I wish! :)

After the flight drama, we got to Barcelona without any more incidents. Before we got on the cruise, we had lunch at the 2nd oldest restaurant in Barcelona, somewhere close to the famous La Rambla.

I kept a diary of my thoughts while I was on my holiday and have summarized and edited it for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Day 1 (26th May) - Voyager of the Seas
We boarded the Voyage of the Seas at about 3 pm and checked into our rooms. Actually it was more like cabins. Small ones. There was an emergency drill before we set sail where we had to put on our life jackets and evacuate to a certain area of the ship. Felt a bit ridiculous and like school children gathered for Monday morning assembly.

Day 2 – Villefranche, France

Only a day on the ship and already we've been eating non-stop! Buffet breakfast, 3 course dinner and free flowing food throughout the day. And it's only Day 2! Suffering a bit from jet lag and sea sickness but thank goodness appetite is still good. Visited the port city of Villafranche, which is near Monte Carlo where the F1 was taking place but we didn't go. Spent the afternoon taking in the sights and then had a very nice lunch at a café by the sea. Had escargot of course!

Day 3 – Florence, Italy
Massive and immense disappointment as we couldn't get off the ship today due to choppy seas (or as the captain put it – "Motion in the Ocean"!). Had to put on a patch to cure seasickness and also ate a ginger pill. Side effect = dry eyes and throat. The sea made the boat sway quite badly.

Day 4 – Civitavecchia, Italy

Off to Rome! It’s an hour by train from the port so we had to watch our time as we didn’t want to miss getting on the ship during boarding time. We managed to visit the famous Trevi Fountain, Vatican City and the Coliseum. I am a happy girl! Although I must say that tourist spots are all the same – massive groups of people, expensive food and lots of photo taking! It was raining in the morning and was a bit cold but our photos still turned out beautifully.

To top off the fantastic day, the show of the night was Ice Odyssey. YES, there was an ice-skating rink on the ship!

Day 5 – Napoli (Naples), Italy
Visited Pompeii in the morning and then back to Naples to shop in the afternoon. Pompeii is famous because it is a ruined Roman city, which was ruined and buried during the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Had original Italian pizza at a really cool place that sells only 2 types of pizza – marinara & marinara with cheese. The pizza place has been in existence for more than 100 years! Most people ate 1 pizza each, I kid you not. Amazing! I managed 3/4 of a pizza myself!

Highlight of the day: Bought a pair of shoes I'm going to wear at my wedding!

Day 6 – Palermo, Sicily
Beautiful, sunny weather and a relaxing day in Palermo. I couldn’t believe that some shops actually close between 1 and 4 pm for siesta! There are so many luxury motorbikes in Palermo and the drivers are so aggressive and crazy!!

Day 7 (1st June) - Ship Day
Full day at sea and we played mini golf on the deck of the ship! Sunny and windy but still fun. No swimming or sun bathing for us coz honestly, it was way too windy and cold.

After leaving the ship, Sum & I had the morning to explore Barcelona before we had to catch our flight home. Visited Gaudi's famous Sagrada Familia and wanted to visit La Predrera but the queue was too long and we couldn't wait. It's just amazing how unique Gaudi's architectural designs and concepts are!

Anyhow, that basically concluded our 9 day holiday.
Hmmm... where should we go next? :)

Cruise Preview

2007-06-07T00:28:00.000+08:00

Here's a sneak preview of the cruise I went on.

Photo courtesy of my Auntie Lucy. Looks professional doesn't it?! :)

CC or BCC

2007-06-06T21:35:00.000+08:00

Ever wondered what CC or BCC on your email stands for?

According to the Singaporean movie 'Just Follow Law' starring Gurmit Singh and Fann Wong, it stands for "Cover Ca Cheng" and "Better Cover Ca Cheng" (Ca Cheng = backside in Hokkien) respectively! Haha! So funny!

When I saw that part of the movie I couldn't stop laughing because that's exactly how it is at my work place! When I first joined the company, I was told that whatever I did, to make sure I write an email to cover my back(side)! It can be a redundant and time-consuming practice but worth it if it keeps me out of trouble. Or so I thought.

Before I left for my holiday last week, I had emailed some instructions to my colleague to follow up on when I was away, so I thought that I was not leaving any strings untied. The mistake I made was that I did not CC or BCC it to anyone. So I got into trouble yesterday.

In my opinion, the matter did not warrant such a big reaction and did not justify the profanity used at us. So I'm feeling a bit put upon at the moment as I think it was extremely unreasonable and unprofessional behaviour. I'm so annoyed!

Anyway, for those who don't know – CC and BCC stands for Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon Copy respectively!

Before I Go...

2007-05-25T20:10:00.000+08:00

In 10 minutes I have to be out of the house as Ee-Coln is driving us to the airport to catch our flight to Barcelona. So busy at work the past few days because of this trip! I just realised how difficult it is for a HR person to go on leave.

Anyway, 9 days of holiday coming up. Yippee!

Mixed feelings. Sad to leave Ee-Coln behind but excited about the trip since it's my first time to Spain and Italy.

Hope I can update my blog along the way. If not have a great week everyone!

I'll be back. :)

Reflection

2007-05-16T21:12:00.000+08:00

I constantly reflect about things. A lot of times I think back on how I met Ee-Coln and I still feel very blessed that we are together.

I do this because I feel that we tend to become complacent and lazy after a while. It's human nature. If you see someone everyday, you start to expect them to understand your moods and put up with your every whim and fancy. This then leads to you taking for granted the person you should really love and treasure the most.

My dad was not feeling very well last week and he spent a whole day in bed. This gave me a bit of a jolt because he has always been so active and exercises regularly. It made me realize that I don't spend enough time with my parents and reminded me that my dad has always been my pillar of support. I guess I am still unrealistically expecting my parents to live forever.

I worry about the future when Ee-Coln and I get married because I can foresee that we will become lazy and not put much effort into our relationship, which will then lead to unhappiness and discontent. I know I might be over-thinking and some may accuse me of having too vivid an imagination but hey, we all know it could happen. Why else would divorce occur?

It doesn't hurt to reflect on things once in a while. It keeps us on our toes and makes us count our blessings, don't you think?

Wedding Gowns & Dresses

2007-05-07T23:53:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I went to try wedding dresses and evening gowns at the bridal house. After accompanying Eunice to try her dresses a few months ago, I knew it was going to be a time-consuming and tiring process and was mentally prepared for it.

Along came my mum, sis and Ee-Coln (of course) to help choose dresses for the photo shoot as well as the wedding dinner.

The lady handling our account at the bridal shop had an air of cynicism and lack of interest about her. Although she did her job sufficiently enough, she was not the most friendly or helpful person. I suppose every job gets boring once routine sets in.

I was a bit upset that they didn't allow us take photos of the dresses so I could show my dad and May the choices we had or the ones we made. For the price we are paying, they should give us the stars and the moon!

But I'm happy to report that after trying countless number of dresses, I managed to find 4 dresses (2 wedding gowns & 2 evening gowns) that everyone agreed looked good. Yippee!

Sorry... no preview here as photo taking was not allowed.
You guys will just have to wait till the wedding in November. :)

Corporate Life & Me

2007-04-27T14:33:00.000+08:00

I like to believe that what I do everyday makes a difference. When a job is well done, it is nice for it to be acknowledged even though I know it shouldn’t be expected. I’m actually ok with this because I am usually motivated by myself and strive to do things to the best of my ability anyway.

It demotivates me when I realize that the hard work I have put in, the extra mile I go to ensure a job is well done not only goes unappreciated but is criticized. How discouraging.

My team is made up of people who are outspoken and unafraid to announce their achievements to one and all. Thus, their chances of advancement and ‘visibility’ in the corporate world are greatly enhanced. Although my abilities might not pale in comparison to theirs, I do not stand out because it is not in my nature to boast or to show off. Unfortunately this also means that my efforts often go unnoticed.

There are 2 smokers and 2 non-smokers (including me) in my team. My boss is a smoker so he very often has ‘sessions’ with the 2 smokers in my team and during these informal ‘sessions’, a lot of information the team is not normally privy to is exchanged. This puts the 2 non-smokers (including me) in a very disadvantageous position and this really irritates and frustrates me. I mean, how unprofessional! To make things worse, sometimes important information that everyone on the team should know is not passed to us, only to the smokers!

Even so, I have learnt quite a fair bit in the past 2.5 months. In fact, I am usually exhausted at the end of each day, which is great! There always seems to be an issue to resolve at a particular time, which means that I am required to learn and think on my feet constantly. So I think I’ll stick at it for now and see where it takes me.

Corporate life is not for everyone. I’m still trying to figure out if it is for me.

Wedding Preparations I

2007-04-25T23:19:00.000+08:00

The reality that I am getting married is finally setting in and I am finally starting to plan what I have to do to make sure that everything goes well on our wedding day. I think I've been procrastinating because a part of me was half expecting Ee-Coln to turn to me and say, "Haha! Just kidding!". But it hasn't happened after almost 2 months so I think it will go ahead as planned! Haha...

There are so many things to plan and organize it is mind-boggling! Invitation lists to organize, invitation cards to send out, seating arrangements to arrange, bridal photos to be taken (maybe), hotel room bookings for people who want to stay overnight, honeymoon plans to make and the marriage registration are only a few things to be organized! Decisions, decisions and more decisions to be made!

For a person who doesn't even like to decide what to eat for dinner, there are way too many decisions to be made! The good thing is that Ee-Coln makes decisions pretty quickly so I leave the big decisions to him. So far it's working out well. :)

I am beginning to enjoy the process because I realize this is going to be a once in a lifetime experience! Exciting and scary at the same time.

I think I've finally found contentment. In knowing that someone loves and accepts me (well, I hope so anyway) for who I am, and actually wants to marry me. Goodness, I hope he knows what he's getting into. Hehehe...

6.5 months before the wedding. I'll start panicking in another couple of months. :)

Mediterranean Cruise

2007-04-25T00:43:00.001+08:00

I have decided to go on the 7-day Mediterranean cruise with my family at the end of May. I'm being very selfish because I am making myself happy by making this decision. I have broken my promise to Eunice to attend her wedding and I can't visit Huey in Australia as planned.

What a bad friend I am... :(

Bernie's Visit!

2007-04-11T23:23:00.000+08:00

Bernie stopped over in Malaysia (from the UK) to visit on her way to New Zealand. I hadn't seen her in almost 3 years, since I left Japan! So it was really awesome to see her in Malaysia! Although it was only for a few days. :(

She stayed over at my place for a couple of days and it was sooo cool having her around coz we managed to catch up and talk about old times. And as usual, we had a roaring good laugh!

I even managed to bring her to Thean Hou Temple, Batu Caves and to the SS2 pasar malam for some sightseeing!

I hope she had a good time here! Thanks for the laughter Bernie! :)

Tough Choice

2007-04-03T23:47:00.000+08:00

I've given up a chance to take a Mediterranean cruise with my family at the end of May. The main reason is because the trip clashes with a wedding that I promised my friend that I would attend.

Nobody will understand my decision. I don't think I do either. I mean, who in their right mind would give up a chance to go on holiday just to attend a wedding? Don't get me wrong though, I really wish I could clone myself and go on holiday AND the wedding at the same time but the reality is that I can't! So I have to make a choice and live with it.

I made a promise to my friend and it just doesn't seem right to break it. I mean, a person only gets married once in their lifetime and I hope that my presence will make a difference to her. Anyway, hopefully there will be another chance to take a cruise in the near future.

On another note, I am now organising the wedding list for my wedding and it has brought something to my attention. In the past I have sometimes made an extra effort, went out of my way and did things just to make others happy.

It just hurts when the same friends don't extend me the same consideration/courtesy when the tables are turned. Sad.

Hon Lim's Wedding

2007-03-30T01:03:00.000+08:00

Hon Lim & Cheryl at our table.

Photo with our dinner partners.

Attended Hon Lim's wedding dinner on the 17th March at Putrajaya Marriott.

JobsDB Career Fair

2007-03-30T00:56:00.000+08:00

Another year at JobsDB Career Fair! Last year I was in Penang with JAC and this year I was at PWTC (KL) with VADS.

Here are a few things I noticed at the job fair:

- The sheer number of fresh graduates and people looking for jobs. Is there a lack of jobs? Are the graduates not very qualified? Or are they becoming more fussy?

- The number of people filling in application forms without finding out what job they are actually applying for is appalling! I guess there is a sense of purpose when one is filling up endless forms but it’s not really that effective in job seeking.

- Some people just don’t have any communication skills or basic courtesy! How do they expect to find their ideal job?!

- A lot of people are just looking to score freebies. I mean, I had someone coming up to me to ask for a freebie on the table without bothering to ask about our company or the vacancies we had! What is this urge of ours to get freebies that we ultimately do not even use?! Maybe it’s a Malaysian thing.

I wonder if career fairs are really effective in helping people look for jobs. From the organizers (JobsDB) point of view it would have been a very successful outing. After all, they managed to advertise their name and recruit a big pool of candidates.

As for the job seeker, is it really possible to find a job at a career fair? To be fair, I have short listed some applicants for some of my vacancies but most, if not all of them are fresh graduates.

Here’s how my boss broke it down for me.

We can categorise job seekers into 5 levels:

1 – Excellent

2 – Above average

3 – Average

4 – Below average

5 – Below par

Jobseekers at Level 1 usually have jobs before they even start searching; Level 2 jobseekers will not encounter much problems looking for a job either. It is the Level 3’s and 4’s who find it a bit of a challenge to look for a job and end up at career fairs.

This may be an unfair and inaccurate assessment and it may be a generalization. Who knows? As long as career fairs continue to be organized, jobseekers will continue to turn up looking for ‘better prospects’. If freebies can be scored… even better!