Incy Wincy Spider...

Welcome 2012

2012-01-05T12:45:00.006+08:00

Hello 2012...where has 2011 gone to?

of the many decisions, experiences & misadventures i've had for the past year, i have been at my lowest-low (career-wise), many-a-times i feel like giving-up, countless unnecessary tears flow freely, at the end of it all, im still here standing. with continual support of husband & family. the only reason i know why i make myslef go through this again & again...

so a new husband have emerged,all new 10kg less of the old him. now he's almost a freak. read:push-ups,sit-ups, reading calorie counts/intakes,numerous shopping trips...i think he looks damn good now...see...Both kids are in the morning session now.which means i have absolutely no excuse to sleep-in :( amirul will be taking his PSLE this year, OMG is he already 12?? felt like just yesterday that i experienced my 1st c-section, cradling him after 30min of ops with tears rolling down my eyes.up til, now, in between there were of course more tears, 1st stpes, 1st camp, 1st over-nighter,1st solo-trip with friends - yes i'm drama mama like that.oh my, how fast this boy have grown...

As for that lil diva girl who's turning 8, she's getting smarter by the day, way smarter than i expected - vainer by the day too. guess where she inherits the trait from. we know that she'll be more than a handful, more than the brother we reckon but she surprised us in her own ways, more often unexpectedly. I wonder & look forward to the lil surprises she has in store for us- all good i hope.

just the other day, i realised that with each passing year that we, the kids have grown our parents have grown too - much more than we last remembered.

im determined to make my appreciation for both parents more inherent this year.we dont know how long we'll have with them - everyday i am so grateful & feel blessed, though i dont show it all the time. they are touching 70 & their energy & abundance of love for us,the kids, have never ever waned-not one bit. I know at times i am too absorbed in my job, my family & just my ownself,so i know what i wanna do this year :)
shall not have mere new resolutions - i have a list of wanting to do for the year, Insyaallah, by end year ill see if i surprise my self again.

The Apple Legacy

2011-10-06T15:24:00.003+08:00

Steve Jobs died today.

He's been suffering from pancreatic cancer since 2004. I somehow see it coming but didnt expect to be affected this much.How apt that he passed away a day after Apple unveils iPhone 4gs. Today I poured over articles of him, his speeches, his quotes, his mantra in life...

RIP Mr Jobs..you've left a great legacy, truly...

Alhmadulillah, I'm still alive & blessed

2011-05-19T16:36:00.006+08:00

Shall I first do the honours of brushing off the cobwebs & dust? :)
I shall not start ranting about how time flies yada yada yada, as I have absolutely no excuse why I have been missing from this blog of mine.

Yes, its already been almost 2 years since I have worked full time. During this course of 2 years, Amira officially started her 'school-life', which means in no time, I will have that talk about birds & bees & probably will have frustrating conversations about her hanging on the phone for too long. How fast she's grown these diva beauty of mine. She has grown so much it scares me too much. But in the good side, she now makes a good shopping buddy & someone I can seek opinion from about shoes clothes & bags. I remembered how depressed 1 was about returning to work full-time & then another time after that about her starting school in the afternoon session without me having to see her off everyday. I am still not used to that idea though.Of course I still wish time is on our hands. But this girl, she has good shoulders over her head(yes, I'm a proud mama)her independence streak I know is a chip of the old block. While im pretty excited to see her all grown up, I know her daddy will miss her as his lil girl....

My son is now all of 11. He is more independent, his personality shining through, a very responsible chap I am so very proud to call my own.Next year he'll be taking his PSLE. Then the next big leap to being a teen. OMG I am going to be a teen-mom!

The husband & I are getting by, not as much luxury holidays as we'd love to have but we still have our little breaks made more fun with road-trips together with Malik & Shireen. Yes, we have grown quite close over the past years. I think sealed more by the fact that we have seen each other through good & bad times.Hope the good times are here to stay :)

I am still taking day by day working full time, filled full with ups & downs in my stride(well, more downs nowadays for me).I never remembered having to work with head-full of burden, constantly worrying & being emotional affected that it could even drive me to tears. Maybe its way beyond my comfort zone I have known before, maybe it is something i have to go through if only to make me stronger.And throughout the tumultous time, my pillar of strength in the form of my husband have been my constant form of comfort, at times a bit extreme, just so I could make it right. But as the wonderful man he is, he'll be there for me, without fail, in my tears & tantrums to see that I get it through unscathed.

Career horizon have been somewhat challenging lately. I am faced with a cross-road that i dread having to grapple with. I've blown a couple of chances & opportunities mainly due to my inherent 'Ms too-nice' personality.But I always believe that when one door closes another one will open.We have been very much blessed. Even with the husband not working full time, never a day goes by that we went hungry & we still have a good roof over our head & the loving support of family members in the form of siblings,parents,uncles & auntie, Alhamdulillah....

One thing I know, everyday is a surprise, there is always something new, expect or unexpected, good or bad depending on how I choose to take it.But at the end of the day, there's always the lovely faces I get to see-be them sleeping or awake- before I close my eyes everynight. And as my husband say, no matter how tough & ridiculous my day is, just remember that you always come back to the lovely arms of your family leaving everything behind for the night....

new year

2010-01-03T19:06:00.003+08:00

To say how time flies again is such a cliche, I know but - HOW TIME FLIES. its already the 3rd day of the new year 2010. Soooo much has happened in the span of 2 months. Yes. I am still working full-time, yes, somewhere inside me i still sorely miss the SAHM leisure time in the lazy afternoon filled with K-drama & dreamy Hallyus. But the extra moolah helps. & out there doing what I know I can do best is quite worthwhile. Of course there are still ups & downs, dealing with internal & external clients - hey, nothing is THAT smooth sailing I know. But within these months, lucky I should say or foreseen circumstances presented themselves in such a way that I got promoted to that of a Senior PM, which means extra-moolah which also means extra responsibility. This coming January alone, I know there will be challenges ahead with a few concurrent big projects running. But I know always with the support of my other half, it would be ok in the end, as always.

Amirul will be in P4 while Amira will be in K2. They have become more independent sooner than I thought they would be. I still want them to be that clingy little kids who yearns for my company all the time once in a while. But I'm glad that they've grown in such a way. Which means I could work in peace, which means I could work that extra hard to give them that little bit extra perk that all of us would enjoy.

2009 is not so much of a roller caster ride for me. Its lifestyle changing with the demise of my grandfather & my MIL's medical condition. But the dust is settling. Alhamdulillah...

I am still very much obsessed with Twilight - STILL. But the new year at the stroke of midnight, I found myself a new obsession - now I cant wait for 'Clash of the Titans' & i have to say this - 'AVATAR' is the best movie in 2009 ever. we watched it in 3D and awesomeness is still an understatement. Initially when the movie started i was already stumped by the amazing graphics & effects but as the story progresses, i felt deeply for the Na'vi, with Neytiri AND with Jake Sully. I love him more in character as a Na'vi than he was as an ex-Marine. It is such a simple story but it does tug my heartstrings in ways I cannot fathom.

Its been a while too since I committed myself fully to a series of K-Drama & I miss that part of my life. I cant seem to find the time nowadays - I hope a nice time adjustment in this new year could quench my thirst for my K-drama addiction.

So tomorrow I'll retuen back to work after our company's annual week break. Back to routine, back to dealing with clients, just back to life, Of course amidst all that, there are always things to look forward to - like lunch dates with my chummies, dinner dates with my sweet saints & get togethers with the kakis just to chill & lepak. Its quite bliss really - & here's to a great year a ahead - Insyaallah...

Here's to a new phase...

2009-10-06T15:50:00.002+08:00

a new phase, a new beginning...a new phase for me, a new phase for the Bakar Lamin family...My beloved grandfather passed away peacefully on 2nd Syawal this year, 21st September. Even though it was a long-time coming, it was still a shock nevertherless, & he is still sorely missed by us all. It was heartbreaking to see my grandmother, his wife of 72 years mourning for him. The love & life they shared - I would feel so lucky if I get to experience even half of the great love they share.A truly inspiring love story I must say. It started me thinking how I would deal if my other half were to leave first...I shudder at the mere thought of it...

So that makes our Hari Raya celebrations shorter than we already imagine it would be. We knew somehow the celebration will not be as festive as the past years, what with the mother-in-law's condition & all. With my grandpa's passing, it makes the Hari Raya period shorter & more modest than ever, only visiting those important & closest to us. But I am more than glad to do the modest do, saving the us the leg cramps & spare my lithesome tiresome body :)

As of today, its been a little over a month since I started my full-time vocation as a PM. & I am starting to like it day by day- although I still do not enjoy dealing with production team with attitude problem, its is something I look forward to work everyday, looking forward to see the progress of my pet projects.But I am enjoying the company of my fellow colleagues some as young as 21 & 22 - oh gawd, how old I must feel now :0

I guess its good that I am liking my job, which makes it hard to miss the comfortable lifestyle that I have led for the past 5 yrs. At least I do not dread at the mere thought of going to work or keep flipping my watch everyhour to see when the day will end. At least I've gotten the phase of missing my kids terribly & missing the precious time that we spend during the quiet afternoons. It also helps that I get to date my chummums during lunch once in a while to 'cure' the 'missingness'...

I guess its all good for now. Makes me feel that I can still contribute. Moreover my former bosses have told the office people about my 'vast' working experience & somehow, I already got that respect by mere association which makes the working experience more than bearable to get by day by day...

The only thing I sorely miss is my K-Drama & empty malls in quiet afternoons, which the husband assure I can get back to 5 years later :) so definitely something to look forward to...

a new beginning

2009-09-02T16:36:00.000+08:00

it feels like yonks ago since I wrote anything in this dusty blog of mine - wait, it IS yonks ago!
What a difference 2 mths have made. Now we are almost into the 2nd week of Ramadhan. Things have been going smoothly, Amirul have been diligently performing his full-day fasting ibadah & Mira is still at her trial stage where she fast from morning til noon, get a dose of her milk, then resume her fasting from noon til Maghrib. ALhamdulillah both of them has done well without much complaints.
The first week of Ramadhan was certainly a challenge or -dugaan, as we coined it. The MIL was hospitalised, & dear Viper was involved in a minor 8-car pile-up accident & the other half had an almost nervous breakdown, having been hit with one problem after another. Thankfully all is almost stable now. We decided to take up a drink stall at the DS mosque, a truly impromptu task that we decided. Even if profits will not be made, we assure ourselves that we could always treat it as a our donation contribution.

It's been 2 days since I took that major step in taking up a full-time job back again after a 5-yr hiatus. It was tough, I will not lie, tougher than I expected. My concern was mainly the separation anxiety from my kids that I will encounter having been with them day-in & day out for a good 5 yrs. Especially Amira. My days have been spent with her leaving only a mere few hours for part-time work before. Truthfully it was heartwrenching but it is a decision that we both know will benefit us in the future. Yes, I will miss my semi tai-tai lifestyle with my school chum-mums at the gym & browsing malls in the early morning but I am certainly looking forward to more moolah in the horizon. My main & only worry now is that my working hours would prevent good spending time with the kids. But then there's always the weekends & holidays to look forward to.

Even though the I am in a way going back to my roots, I feel somewhat different & out of place in this new place of work - maybe its still new, maybe its a different job description altogether, maybe, I hope it'll change soon, I hope I get busy soon so I wont waste my time pondering over what could or should have been. Its only been 2 days...

I have to say that even though the line of work is the same the atmosphere is certainly different then how it was 10 yrs ago when I was part of this working family. Maybe its the age, maybe the 10 yrs have changed my outlook of life & career, definitely my focus would differ than what it was before. I recalled looking forward to going to work to meet my fun colleagues back then but now, even though the people are nice & everything, I cant help but keep looking at my watch every hour in anticipation for the time when I can finally leave. Its been just 2 days, it could be different a week from now, I dont know, but I hope I feel differently towards this 'work' thing. My focus would be the same of course but why I do it would present a different story altogether. I guess its just time, and I have to adapt to that - for now at least...

time to move on..

2009-07-18T12:48:00.003+08:00

After almost 5 years of doing things that I like & enjoying myself while at it, they say good things do not really quite last. And now, I think & positively sure that I am about ready to move on to the next chapter in my life. Of course all these is hypothetical, how true it will become remains to be seen until a few weeks time. Life have a way of smacking us with surprises when u least expected it. Like I told the other half, HE would not have tested us if HE knew we were not strong enough to go through it. This year have been truly a test for us, to say the least, I am proud to say that each one he have tackled with, although not always easy. in a way how things should fall into place. There were a lot of plans that did not fall through. It could be the timing, it could be the opportunity or it was just not meant to be.

The Wanjor brood welcome a new addition, a 2nd girl for Shah & Habib. And in keeping with the HM initials of the firstborn, the 2nd cutie was named Hani Maisarah, born 13 July at Eastshore Hospital. The mom-in-law is doing remarkably well under treatment. Still full of zest, still full of life, although occasionally emotions took the better of her & she would just express her frustrations in tears. But all is well. I believe it will be.

In between tribulations, I will always find time to find myself, hanging out with old & new friends alike, just to chill & relax & let my hair down if only for awhile. It really does wonders, that few hours you spend with great company.In & about town, dinner, luncheons, long-snack time, with or without kids, I am really cherishing every moment of it.

I do not exactly know what state of mind I am in now. I do feel a little worried after having not feeling a sense of uncertainty for a long time. But more so than ever, I like to look forward how we once again ride out the waves & enjoy the surf-ride while we are at it, Insyaallah...

2 legends bite the dust...

2009-06-29T16:00:00.002+08:00

I am still reeling from the fact that 2 legendary icons that I grew up with just passed away.

I recalled vaguely given my first taste of Michael Jackson's golden feet choreography from the living room of my then-grandmother's house over at Marine Parade with my siblings, uncles & aunties. Thriller was the 'in' music video & Michael was THE man to be. I was not really a huge ardent fan of his but giving credit when credit is due, he IS a legend. and his lost is felt. greatly I might add. 2 days after his passing, Malaysia's TV8 was showing his Dangerous concert & Bucharest - ignoring my cynical fascination with his plastic surgery obsession & what he does behind closed doors or even the lifestyle he had chosen to thread, he is a force to be reckoned with. A born entertainer.He will be missed.

Farah Fawcett on the other hand, was somewhat an idol that I grew up trying to emulate-other than Wonder Woman that is. That hair, the then-in-fashion, that blonde locks, she was gorgeous back in her hey days. A mark & testimony that she could proudly leave behind.

Now that the holidays are officially over, I hope I can embark on something new. With the lessons yet to begin & my freelance design moving on a really slow pace, I might want to use this lull period to learn new things. Of course it would need a whole lot of discipline given my 'busy' days with FB & the games that comes along with it :p But I am determined. I would see if in 2 weeks time, anything will come out of my 'home-based learning. or if I have anything to show for that matter. 2 weeks come soon please...

new moon arising...

2009-06-15T09:28:00.004+08:00

Since my last post, its unbelievable how my loyalty could be thwarted just by a good read. I am now officially a TwilightMOM, Yes. There is such a term coined by woman who are gaga by the Stephanie Myers Saga Trilogy. It was not a love at first read for me, nor is it a love at first sight when my eyes first caught the movie which was in my possession since December. I have to constantly convince myself to at least give a fair chance & watch the movie in its entirety before going ahead with my cynism. Hard to believe, I actually resisted watching the movie for the longest time, scared of falling into a baseless fan-trap, which I know myself well, would take some time before I could get out of again. So by suggestions of my fellow Chum-mums who are ardent fans by now, they suggested reading the book first. After the 1st chapter, I was hooked. I read the book, all 400 odd pages of it in 2 days. Then I watched the movie, the ORIGINAL one mind you, the one with extra scenes & additional videos. Then I watched it AGAIN. Now I think Robert Pattinson is a fine young british lad after Hugh Grant, now that Hugh Grant is almost never in the spotlight nowadays...in between time where I wont be able to watch the movie, I busied myself with the trilogy - the last 3. I am left with a few more pages of Breaking Dawn & is reading it word for word (so unlike me) for fear that this thrill could end soon. Always a positive note of course is the mere idea of New moon premiering in the best month of the year, November, of course. ALthough I would have no idea how much screen time can Rob flood the screens considering in most parts of the novel,he's just a figment of Bella's imagination & conscience. I'm just glad that there are good things to look forward too.

Having this new interest only spell a lull moment for my K-Drama addiction. The last one I saw was 'The Story of a Man' which I have yet to continue watching after Episode 8 & also Which Star are you From whereby the DVD is resting peacefully on my shelves waiting to be devoured.

I am actually at Coffee Bean in Forum as I am typing this entry while waiting for Amirul to finish his Creative Writing class at Julia Gabriel. His exams results, although very good by normal standards fell behind what we had expected of him. Thus comes the need to take this extra step of seeking external help to get his creative juices running. Apparently writing is one of his weaknesses in school even though I find it rather bizarre since he loves reading so much. I guess its just one of those things that we have to accept - we CANT have & do it all. So for 1 whole week, my mornings would be filled with breakfast coffee & surfing time & hopefully a little time left to drop by the malls for a GSS whiff - which I have yet to sink into considering how busy I was for the past weeks. I was fortunate enough to get a ME time now, as we left before Amira woke up from her slumbers. I suppose after today, that little me will be my constant companion for the rest of the week. Amira is doing very well in school. During the last meet-the-teacher session at her school, her teacher has nothing but praises for her. Yes, I am one proud mama.

The next few weeks I expect to be a tough one for the husband & I hope I could be a strong pillar for him.its hard to believe this June holidays doesnt even feel like a vacation, what with the almost daily visits to the in-laws, squeezing the little time to entertain the kids with outing & of course the great pleasure of reading the Twilight Saga in its entirety. Now I am so tempted, as suggested by a cousin of mine to just start reading the whole saga again, well at least until I find another 'addictive pastime' :0

of pets & restaurants

2009-05-26T11:23:00.002+08:00

My life of late have revolved around sorority life, the glamourous fashion world (the flossy,flossy!), the mafia world, & rearing of pets. On a normal day, I would have include this 'duties' of overseeing my many businesses & activities to see that my employees are fed well, that my companies are paid regularly & that I am constantly moving up the social ladder, throwing my glam weight & influence around. Alas this rarity I allow myself only to be indulged in the virtual world. All thanks to FB, apart from daily games to challenge your fellow friends, I;m also addicted to games that challenge myself - as in how well can I run a business or an agency for that matter. If only can do the same in the real world...

On the real world, we are almost halfway thru the year. Amirul just got his mid-year results & even though he did not fare as well as we had expected(the same old carelessness at play here), we are still satisfied all the same, having looked at the effort he put in & more so seeing his disappointed face after knowing that he haven't done as god as he knew he could.As I speak, he would presenting a multimedia show that I helped him researched & put together in front of his cohort. How much he's grown. I can imagine him standing up with flash cards in hand, trying his might not to show how nervous he is while looking confident presenting about Killer Whales. Amira is reading fluently now. Faster than Amirul was back them if I were to make a comparison.More inquisitive, but very alert & bright when her mood calls for it. Yes, it doesnt matter how much she knows or how mush she can regurgitate its what her mood is at the moment that matters most.

My aerobics session of a month has just ended, & we decide to commence only after school reopens since the other 3 buddies will only be around after the school holidays. In the meantime I hope I can maintain the fitness. (Ihope!) I just completed the whole series 30 episodes of 'On Air' in a mere 4 days. A very captivating show,ignoring the over-acting at times by the leads, the script is good & the story content is mesmerising enough for me to be addicted for 4 days straight.

The coming month will be a testing time as we rally around close family members hoping for their speedy recovery.Once in a while its nice to have some form of distraction to clear my mind & what I term myself as my therapy :)

a mth in a blink

2009-05-07T11:54:00.005+08:00

So much has happened in a month. In the headlines currently is the swine flu, which Alhamdulillah, as we speak is taking a turn for the better. As of today, mandatory temperature taking before entering classes have ceased as the alert have been lowered from orange to yellow. Which also means I do not have to wait 30 min - just in case Amira's temperature suddenly reached to a level where she would be made to go home. Earlier today, Amirul called from his school office as his temperature was 38.1, therefore warranted a mummy-pick-me-up time. Luckily I was not dancing & jumping away in one of my aerobics session - as if He knows whats in store for me today.

Over the weekend, I was drawn like a fly to the AWARE saga. Not enough with just CNA running headlines on screen, I even tuned in online TweeterSG to keep abreast of the very latest development. As traditional media were banned from the meeting, members who attended got the masses updated by twittering the minute by minute account on what was going on in the EOGM. It was exciting as I waited in anticipation wandering if the new guard will get the majority vote of no-confidence which means their likelihood of stepping down making way for a new batch of elected EXCO. As some of you might have read, sweet justice was served after a 2 nerve-wrecking hours of vote counting. And the new AWARE is now led by a former president Dana Lam.

Days before that, on April 25th I was shaken by the news of my Goong prince, Joo Ji Hoon getting busted for drug use. I do not know if he was a season-drug user as he confessed he only used drugs on 2 occasions when partying in a club, but as his status as a major hearthrob celebrity is above anything else, much damage was already done. I guess we can now say goodbye to ever seeing any sight of him anytime soon in the new future - perhaps a papparazzi snap here & there - there goes one Hallyu Dongseng biting the dust. And to think that I don't even had the chance yet to watch his 2 movies this year. Fortunate for me nowadays, our boy-wonder MinHo is everywhere. From ads to travelling overseas, there's never a stretch of days where no news about him is reported. And with 'Boys Over Flowers' airing on Channel U soon, I'm glad to say the fever is not going to die down anytime soon. I am also happy to say that a brigade of aunties, cousins & friends were 'coverted' and are now big MinHo fans too. Amira is a tad too young, although she did say she much prefers Ji Hoo to Joon Pyo, she is now more smitten to the likes of Super Junior. And yes, her favourite tune of the moment is 'Sorry Sorry' which she never fails to say how 'stylo & hemsem' the boys are...tsk tsk tsk

Of late, I was busy with school mums in our 3 day-week aerobic session that saw me sweat buckets which I didnt know I could. It also brought back old injuries like my wrist gangalion & sore back. Hopefully it'll get better as more session progresses. In the afternoon, there were a whole lot of lunch meetings from old friends, colleagues to besties & favourite chummums. After all is said & done, I am glad - for now - I still do not have a full time job.

The coming weeks would be a challenging one as Amirul will be seating for his SA1 & as we rally around a close family member who will undergo surgery. My prayers are with her & I hope she knows that she's not fighting the battle alone...

another day another test...

2009-04-23T15:02:00.003+08:00

It was barely 2 mths ago when I was faced with a scare. I felt I faced it alone as I knew what was coming & I knew what my decision would be whatever the results maybe. This time round its different. So many people are involved. The control & power is not in my hands & I feel helpless. I feel helpless as I sincerely do not know what reaction to face with. I feel useless as I cannot do much to help other than be a pillar of strength. But what words can I say to make it better. What can I do to make it less burdensome. I am not good in such things. Especially not when the people around make it less than possible for me to be comforting. I do not know what to do. Should I give the space needed without making it look like I've 'abandoned in times of need' or do I be steadfast & just bear the cold looks and be what they may call a wordless pillar of support...

In times like these I feel a little comfort when I drown myself in the world of Hallyu. Boys over Flowers is officially over - well in Korea at least. I wasted no time once I get wind that Poh Kim is selling the limited edition Eng-subbed version to quickly get my piece. Credit must be given to my husband who had the patient to bear with me while I go BOF-DVD-search for almost 3 hours, going round 4 different Poh Kim outlets just to get the object of desire. I read in some forum that it was rumoured that Lee Min Ho might stop by our sunny shores for a promotional tour, after Thailand, Sydney & Australia. Even if it was not true, I would like to revel in the fact that he WOULD be in our sunny shores albeit thru the gogglebox when Boys Over Flowers will be shown on Channel U starting May the 16. Just when I thought the fever had somewhat subsided...Tto manna boepge doeeo bangapseumnida...

mentally prepared....

2009-03-25T19:00:00.004+08:00

With just a mere 2 more episodes of "Boys Over Flowers" to go, I am left with a big impending question of 'Oteke'??? What do I do next - or rather how will I be then. I can assure you that this is the exact sentiments that my fellow beloved ahjummas are feeling right now. Its been a while since a drama had that deep an impact on me. The last was Coffee Prince & the following ones have somewhat failed to compare or even come close to that standard. Although I do have accumulated a number of dongseng Halyu stars along the way. I am waiting excitedly for an item ordered based on the drama - yes, its THAT jia-lat.

In the course of the drama, I've managed to rope in a few friends & aunties -making a BOF convert out of them & then some MinHo fanatics- along the way & they fell in love with the drama almost immediately - who wouldnt right, I mean have you seen Lee Minho? I think by now his posters of the many products endorsements is gracing right about every corner of the streets of Korea. From phone, fashion house, cosmetic, donut & even a car. And he's garnered it all in the span of 3 months. Lucky chap I must say - a well deserved breakthrough for him. Now everyone cant wait for the release of the DVD come April.

I'm halfway through my Digital art lesson & its been getting easier by the week now that the students are familiar with my style & ways as I am of theirs.

The March holidays whizzed by as quickly as I can say 'Kkotboda' - with flurry of activities which ended with the kids having a tan of 5 times shade darker. But of course none is without any hitches. My husband & I are keeping an open mind. We are after all in a relatively new territory especially him. But if all goes well, this weekend should be another swell time :)

Pulai Madness

2009-03-19T19:38:00.003+08:00

It was a much anticipated break - for me at least. A first for us, a vacation with kakis & the kids. It was pure enjoyment. Fun is an understatement. It was a hoot. Even the hubby sacrificed his afternoon nap to fully enjoy the days there, which is a rarity in his books. I think it doesnt even matter where we were staying although the resort is a good comfortable one. From the long dip in the pool, to the beach soccer, the late night ice-cream binging, yummy cheap food to the night game madness. The drive was to & fro was amusing. With the trusted walkie talkies, the daddies turned small boys with the playthings. The ladies of the house even manage to squeeze in a few hours of much-needed spa. That 2 hours was pure bliss. And we wanted more. The days flew by quickly.And yes we are certainly looking forward for more fun vacations, like the husband & the kids too of course.:)

when 'politics' sets in...

2009-03-13T13:12:00.005+08:00

I think I am enjoying myself too much. I was having breakfast with my usual school-mummy kakis at J-co, sitting on plush sofas, sipping lattes, munching on soft-glazed donuts,reminiscing how it was when we were working while waiting for the time to pick our kids up. And I thought to myself, yes I feel blessed. While waiting for my work to kick-in semi-full time, I was entrusted to complete a few more design-based projects while still having the freedom & luxury to go on living my life like how it has been for the past 4 years.

But things are not so rosy of course - I heard today that we were not the very favourable ones around our kids' school. Not because we were mean or nasty, but presumably bacause we were a little bit more well-off than the others. I was a little more than surprised, not shell-shocked as when we go about doing our stuff everyday, you cannot help but notice sinister eyes following you as you walk or little whispers that trail behind after I make all my salam-greetings to the other mums. We felt like we were thrown back in our school days. Only this time round, we were not so affected as the reaction all of us had was a grin and a smile. As we know we have done nothing wrong. Envy breeds contempt. But it is sad to know that some who are on friendly terms with us were labelled as 'riding on our coattails' as we sometimes would give rides to those we felt needed our help. They were labelled as opportunitist for apparently taking advantage of the fact that we can afford to drive as they themselves cannot afford to do so. I felt more for those women affected. They were made victims by the same people they see as friends or those that stood on the same circle. It was funnier when I heard that they labelled as like 'the datins' based on our what looked like semi-tai-tai lifestyle.me? Datin? but then not bad eh? at least we must have some kind of 'aura' to have earned such title :p But honestly, I find all these amusing & rather unnecessary. But then, people will talk, and will always find topic to talk about to make their somewhat mundane life more colourful. So it is unfortunate that we were the 'chosen' ones :)

I try as much as possible never ever to bring up personal grouses on my blog, but this time round, I felt it more funny than anything else and therefore justifies the reason being written. You can only do so much to please others & yourself. If it doesnt harm you, your family or livelihood, just let it rest & let it be just water under the bridge. Water that will run for the next 1 odd more years that is....

Merry March

2009-03-02T18:14:00.003+08:00

Oh my, is it March already....how fast can the days past by. Fast enough especially if you are having a good time I would say. So I will not start full-time work as yet. Not until I get the nod. Not until I know what I am getting myself into. So the semi-tai-tai lifstyle shall resume as per normal until decision calls for it :) For now, it shall be gym, walking,shop,chat, teach & design not in random order.

Over the weekend Amira celebrated her 5th birthday, yes, FIVE. A big girl already she is. Too smart for her own good & too witty for even her daddy's wisdom to retaliate. The plan was a pool party cum BBQ with close friensd & family. But just when the party was about to start, lil 'cats & dogs' paid us a stormy visit. So the party was held indoors. It was nice surrounded by people who mean a lot to you. And for Amira, surrounded by people who love & adore her, who have seen her blossom for a cute tiny tot to the 'sweet-mak-nenek' she is today. The rain stopped for awhile, enough time for some kids to take a dip in the pool, never mind that it was already dark. Food was good, we were very thankful for friends & realativess who have contributed to the sumptous buffet. Feedback were more than newsworthy. They had a good time & the food was yummy. Of course all this would not have happened without help from family & relatives who made a huge effort to make sure that Mira had a memorable day. A big THANK YOU to all who came & made it worth our while. & Amira did have a splashing good time, basking in glorious limelight in her blue Cinderella dress.

when flower boys rule...

2009-02-18T14:15:00.003+08:00

I'm almost certain. Last week I was not sure, almost negative even. My head & husband have been the voice of reason, my heart always tries to dispute whatever reason. I always say, if aint broken why fix it. why try & make adjustments to a comfortable situation. But then, how long am I going to rest on my laurels. I think 4 years is more than enough. The offer does not come to just anybody. They even try to concede to my requests & willing to make compromises just so I can accept the offer, They are still giving me a few more days as the 1st round of offer I have rejected. They will come back to me again, hopeful I will have a change of heart. As the days go by, I start to think with reason & think in terms of reality. With the economic showing no sign of certainty, it would be silly to just let an opportunity like this slip by. I am facing the fact that I am not in my prime of youth, but with me comes a wealth of experience that they must have known will come in handy. My husband said just give my all in the next 5 years. I mean 4 years did go by so quickly without me realizing it. I had more than my fair share of fun & now its high time to put what I have to good use. The husband say if I can give my all in the next 5 yrs, I can definitely retire in peace before I hit 40.(so looking forward to that - tai-tai-dom still sounds good u know). I think its almost certain now. I'll see if there a few more conditions that they can fulfil to fully convince me to come aboard.Back in my K-lala-Land, for the past few days, I rediscovered the joys of teeny-bopper high school romance. You HAVE to watch 'Boys Over Flowers'. Its the korean version of the Taiwanese F4 Meteor Gardens & of the original Japanese Manga adaptation of Hana Yori Dango. Biased as I am, yes, I much preferred the Korean version of it. I was first attracted to watch it knowing that Kim Bum would be in it, having made a fan after watching him as the young Song Seung Hoon in 'East of Eden'. But to my horror, I was even more addicted watching the likes of Lee Min Ho inspite of my utmost aversion to any kind of man-perm (think Jae Hee in Yu Hee the Witch) . I think he is definitely one of those rare breed that makes a man-perm look so acceptable. Its currently into it's 13th episode in Korea but KBS world just started airing its 1st episode every Monday & Tuesday nights over the cable. I even managed to rope in my mum to watch Jan-di in Shinhwa School & surprise even myself that she would enjoy watching it with me. I have completed(finally) watching 'Air City' and even though it was not too bland, I wouldnt say I was raving about it although I think Lee Jung Jae looking like James Lye is a plus point. Meanwhile, I will look forward to Tuesdays & Wednesdays once someone uploads the latest episode of Kkotboda Namja :)

its raining Ji-hoon

2009-02-12T08:52:00.008+08:00

The past weekend felt like a daze - daze as in a good one as it passed by me so quickly. Friday night, I met up with my primary school mates for another fun dinner at Vivo. ALthough only 8 of the expected 15 attended, it was still a fun & a memorable night - more like noisy-bunch especially hearing all 8 30-something yapping & giggling like teenagers.

On Saturday, 2 of the Shiralique offsprings celebrated their 6th & 8th birthday over at East Coast Chalet, now named-albeit more action-classily to Goldkist Resorts. There were bouncy castles, little fairies & pixies playing dress-ups, clowns, face-painters, pop-corn & cotton candy wheel carts & it certainly felt like a carnival. The kids had fun. They never seem to get tired of the bouncy castle jumping non-stop for 4 hours straight. At the end of the night, the kid,s were like me, tired but very happy.

Back in Hallyu-land, its been raining Ji-Hoon in town, well in this Ahjumma's town at least. Our boy-wonder have been keeping himself busy with one movie after another and even managed to star in a musical in between movie preview screenings. I have been fed with just trailers of his 'Antique Bakery' which opened on my birthday last year, and due to its mature theme, I doubt it would be screening in Singapore anytime soon. I of course will not be able to catch him in the musical 'Don Juan' as it would only be staged in Korea, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that ' Kitchen' in which he is starring with Shin Min-ah will be screened here without any problems. I do hope he'll do another drama soon as its been quite a while now since he acted in any drama series. Apparently the much anticipated drama serial that everyone thought would reunite him again with Yoon Eun Hye have been canned. I am still halfway through 'Air-City'. It seems that I could never seem to have that short marathon stint to watch it fully to completion - strange isnt it coming from a non-full-time,not-so-SAHM who seems to have time in her hands. So meanwhile, in between checking my e-mails I would just have to be contented with trailers of Ji-hoon movies - and oh a 'Kitchen' trailer where he serenades Min-Ah in french...how sweet is that?? I think this Ahjumma has lost it again...tsk tsk tsk...

of little humps here & there

2009-02-06T12:14:00.003+08:00

With just the 2nd mth greeting us in 2009, little humps here & there have brushed by me. Paying me little visit, waking me up from my la-la land that things are not always as rosy as we want or wish to be. With the temporary health scare put behind me last month, I was haunted once again by the nightmare of the accident that I got myself into while on assignment at Fuhua.

Apparently the uncle who drive the truck now twisted the facts on his insurance report & insisted that I was the one coming out from the school compund & did not do a proper check when I hit him on the main road. I guess he would save no expense on defending himself as he would rather I foot the bill even though its no fault of mind, even though I was NOT coming out from the school, even though he came from the side to brush his big truck against my rear. On hindsight, I should have been tougher on him, I should have looked pass his pitiful face, begging me to let him go as he is just a mere truck driver. So we were offered a 50% cost payment compensation which means in other words I accepted responsibility as one at fault. But the report also said that its his word against mine as there were no witnesses so it was a no-win situation as far as I can see. So the husband asked me to email the picture of the care just after the accident. I thought I saved it in my Macbook but my Macbook was in the 'workshop' for a week due to some problems with my logic board. AFter it was repaired the guy said that the parts were corroded & it looks like it was poured with some liquid which eventually caused my Macbook to play punk on me. Yes I was certainly not in a party-mood with the cost of the repair of both car & Macbook settled by the dear husband. He was not very amused when told the picture of the car was in fact not in my Mac but already accidentally deleted from my phone. So now he said, we have no evidence at least to have a fighting chance to see if we can appeal for a full compensation. At that moment I felt like I was in a dumpster - not a nice feeling I must say.

So I shall let the 'wound' slowly heal...after all its just the 2nd month..but I do hope there wont be any major drama in the near future, Insyaallah, but then again we can only hope & wish, for now... and for now, there's always my good old Korean drama to give me my much needed hype - now I'm halfway through 'Air City', always good to keep your mind off things to wallow yourself in Hallyu Land....always good...

you're still the one...

2009-01-29T16:59:00.002+08:00

Back to the Daily Grind

2009-01-20T20:05:00.004+08:00

With 2009 coming to its 3rd week, my life is slowly returning back to its daily routine. As like the year before, with the kids safely tucked away in school in the morning, I've got a few hours to burn, hanging out with fellow school mums, hitting the gym about once a week, climbing up Bt Timah Hill & a dip in the pool to keep my endorphins released. Once in a while, I get to have breakfast with the husband, our morning date, if his eyes permits & sleepiness doesnt get in his way.

I'll be starting my digital art lessons again in school tomorrow. It will be in CCK for abt 1.5 hrs just once a week. Just like the economic downturn, I got to know from Angela, that the school computer training business have been kind of slow too. Unlike the year before. I am so ever grateful that I still have my freelance design work to keep me going & get me some spending money of my own and a little some to stash away for rainy days. Hopefully the freelance work will keep coming & looking at how things are going, it looks like I will be kept busy for the next six months.

I have been in quite a hiatus as far as my K-Drama obsession is concerned. I finally finished watching 'Worlds Within' & I have to say its nowhere near the league of 'My Lovely Samsoon' or even 'Snow Queen' for that matter where Hyun Bin is concerned. It is still a watchable series though. Maybe hugely saved by its clever scriptwriting. I have yet to resume watching 'The East of Eden' already in its 38th of 50 odd episodes - no thanks to the slow server connection everytime I try to login to watch it online. I heard they are extending the episode probably affected by the sudden exit of one of its lead actress Lee Da Hae. I am quarter way through watching 'Billy Jean' starring Lee Ji Hoon & have yet to decide if its a hoot or otherwise. Our Sunday mornings are made sweeter now, especially for the husband as 8TV is showing reruns of' Snow Queen' followed by the sappy 'Tree of Heaven'. My only grouse, as always is that it is dubbed over in mandarin ;p

Alhamdulillah...

2009-01-12T17:44:00.002+08:00

I got a missed call this morning. Of all calls to miss it has to be one from the clinic. I was more excited than anxious. But surprisingly calm when I made the return call. All was well. Nothing to worry about. Just have ultrasound done yearly, monitor & make sure that nothing increases in size or develop any pain and all will be well, Insyaallah.

Alhamdulillah. My husband was happy beyond words. I didnt realize the extent of his worry until I saw his reaction. I have yet to make any breaking news to any family members(except those who happen to read my blog that is) as I do not think it is anything that warrant making them worry over. If there is, I would want to make sure what my choices & options are before I drop the bombshell. Thankfully I do not have go through that phase. I guess my bad cough & flu that's been plaguing me for a few days is just a speck compared to this. But as of right now, I do wish I am all well & in the pink of health so I can start my gym routine with my fellow buddy-mummies once again. Now that its almost worry free, I can finally move on to my next worry-whatever that may come next that is. As of right now, I'm elated, calm & at peace....

what matters most

2009-01-10T09:07:00.004+08:00

What better way to calm the anxiety on a lazy Friday afternoon than having a giggly time with your girlfriends. A last-minute plan that see just part of my Saint girls enjoying ourselves with a hearty late lunch. Even though its a mere 2 hours, I think its the whole idea of knowing your friends rallying around you just make me feel more sure that all will be well. Manage to have an early celebration for the young 26++++ old Rima whom as I speak is spotting a new look which I cant wait to see. Happy Birthday Girlfriend! May u have a wonderful day ahead with your loved ones :)

Que sera sera

2009-01-09T09:00:00.006+08:00

I finally went for the ultrasound as advised by my Dr - just to be sure & safe, she said. The radiologist was nice & efficient, straight-talking & in the freezing u/s room, I was met by another surprise. she not only confirmed one but found another 3. I was surprised at myself for feeling unbelievably relaxed. Maybe I have been through this before, maybe I know its not so serious as I have the tendency to get all these weird bumps and lumps all around my body. She's almost certain that the 2 were water-based(or known as Cysts which are fluid-filled sacs), so its pretty harmless, they might even burst by itself she claimed. But the other one she found was deeper therefore she cant ascertain for sure that it is just benign. She also told me looking at my ultrasound, that I may be one of the unlucky few who would have to have yearly ultrasounds as she saw many more small developing ones. She asked if I was stressed at work as it was one of the main factors of the hormonal imbalances which causes such occurences. And I was like, that's so weird, how stressful can I be? So she deduced that it could just be my hormones then running rampage in my body. So the biopsy results will be out next week, then we'll be more sure what step to take next. I know it is going to be all right, as my gut says, but at the back of my mind, I cannot simply expel the 0.0001% chance of the inevitable 'what-if'....but whatever it is I know I going to ride this tidal wave bravely & stronger yet again....

bohemian rhapsody

2009-01-05T11:34:00.003+08:00

I am so glad that the Bohemian look is here to stay.I am drawn to the Bohemian look like a bee to the flower. I cannot resist Hippie chic ensemble, & forever feel that the already very much loaded jewelry stand is in dire need of more new additions. I suppose my family & friends can attest to that as my wardrobe & accessories are usually in the warm earthy tones of browns, oranges, reds & sometimes green. I saw this combi on the web but I start thinking twice about parting with over US$6000 for the whole combo...but wait I may have (if I dig deep enough) some of those mixes. And I think mixing & matching what I already have is the way to go - recycle, reuse, reassemble, the new mantra....

a New Year begins

2009-01-04T10:29:00.004+08:00

I suppose its kinda late for year-end reflections as we are already coming to the 4th day of 2009. But I have to add 2008 was indeed a memorable one. It was a year glittered with family weddings, a year where old friendships were rekindled & good ones maintained, a year where the family did a few adjustments in the financial front, where the husband entered new territory as he added yet another 'consultant' title to his resume. But I suppose all does end well. I was mostly doing digital art-training in schools apart from some freelance design works. Financially, I am not where I want to be-yet, comfortable but not at a point where I can kick back my shoes & lay back - for now at least.

The year opened up with a welcomed opportunity where freelance work is concerned. The outlook looks positive but as we have been there & done that before, we will never put our hopes high until we know for sure where we are heading. I also got news of good friends adding little ones in this coming year which automatically put us in an awkward position of finding the right answers to when we will be heading there next by friends & family alike.

Last Year we spent our new year eve with my glam-momsy friends over in the North, This year, although unplanned, we ended up spending a cosy time in a neatly tucked corner of MC at T3 where the kids run around & the mums play catch-up for a good(at least) 6 hours. Even though there were plans to go somewhere or even walk around, we eventually just sat around & chat & eat, & eat again for the whole time. Too good that we didn't even realised 5 hours have passed & our butts are still stuck comfortable on the Mc Cafe Sofa.I think if not for the husbands calls or the kids hunger pangs hitting them again, I wouldn't be surprised if we would have stayed til midnight to at least hear the fanfare of the fireworks (if ever we can hear it over in the east!). Certainly a good end to the year & a good welcome to the 2009 :)

Its all about the family

2008-12-30T22:58:00.003+08:00

For the past few weeks I have been spending precious time with the family. The last minute trip to Malacca with the sis & Hyung-Bu was a good relaxing getaway. Simple, by coach, not much shopping, tons of eating Korean & Japanese, lots of walking around old town, old places, old buildings. Christmas day, we were celebrating the birthday of the family bachelor, yummy dinner, all 14 of us at Sedap Corner. My first visit to Marina Barrage was with the whole entourage too. Strolling by the bay,chilling wind, daddy with the 'tongkat', mum shouting at the cucus who's running rampage in the dark night. Earlier today, we send off the little Xiao-mei to Jakarta - almost the whole clan,brother, sister,mum,dad, 4 kids. Then a nice lunch at T3. After weeks of non-retail therapy, the siblings & the mum(sans the Xiaomei that is) headed to Singapore Expo to check out the Warehouse sales. I am very proud to say I carried myself well, parting with less than $100, most of which were for the husband,mum & kids.

Looking back at the past few weeks, I would say its a good end to the year...

pay-back time

2008-12-18T19:03:00.003+08:00

Its pay-back time. Right after we got the all-clear from our family doctor I brought the kids out practically every other day. First was swimming at the brother's pad, then countless trips to Toys R Us from Vivo to Paragon to Suntec, outing at Jacob Ballas with my primary school chums & finally earlier today, roaming about town with my 'other' Kak Long with her brood. & I wonder every night why my ankles hurt & my knees feels like it has a mind of their own. But I'm a happy mummy. I even manage to finally meet up with Abbey & her son & did a good round of afternoon shopping sans our kids that is. The meeting was made even better when she told me that her sister is a bigger K-drama freak than I am and practically has tonnes of DVD dramas that I can borrow. How sweet is that. For a start, this week, I got 5 DVDs from her & in addition to that, she even gave me a complimentary home-made kimchi to go along the Korean fever I suppose.

Speaking of Korea, I read Awin's blog & had a good laugh reading her funny entry(as always). She, Ley & Ratna are about halfway through their vacation in Korea & they've been to places like Jeju Island(reminds me of 'My Girl' &'Goong") & also Mt Halla(wonder if there's any left-over signs of Hyun Bin & his Samsoon at the peak). aaaah...so lucky those singletons....

I'm left with about 1 more episode of "Foxy Lady" recommended by Ley & it is quite a an enjoyable watch. In the tradition of series like My Lovely Sam-Soon and Snow White, new drama Foxy Lady presents a lighthearted, yet touching "older sister/younger brother" relationship, only in a more realistic context. Ko Hyun Jung and Chun Jeong Myung show great on-screen chemistry, and the fabulous supporting cast, including newcomer Kim Eun Joo, drama regular Kwon Hae Hyo, and veteran Yoon Jeo Yung, bring both comedy and gravity to the story. Chaotic, colorful, and laugh-out-loud funny, Foxy Lady shows that love is possible at any age.

Single 33-year-old columnist Go Byung Hee (Ko Hyun Jung) works for a racy men's magazine. As her alter ego "Miss Go", she writes candidly about sexual liaisons; in real life, she is woefully inexperienced in matters of sex and love, and still awkwardly waiting for the perfect guy. Then one drunken night, she ends up sleeping with her best friend's little brother, 24-year-old Park Chul Soo (Chun Jeong Myung). The two agree to pretend the night never happened, but seem to keep growing closer over time. Soon Byung Hee meets a handsome doctor, and just as things seem to be falling into fairy tale place, Chul Soo declares his love to her.

Now with barely 2 weeks to go before the new year, I finally realised there is quite a bit to do before school finally reopens. Why is it that when just when you thought that time is crawling with you, right when you are about to have fun, it sprints ahead & almost tug you to spur forward in time leaving you breathless...

it aint over til its OVER...

2008-12-09T20:12:00.004+08:00

Just when we thought it was safe to step out . Just when we were about to finally start the school holiday plans again, we were greeted yet again by another hump. The lil red pox decided to make an appearance on Amirul's almost skeletal bony body. Thankfully, as we had predicted & as the dr had preempted, it was a mild case. Just a few sparse red dots, all over his body & a few tiny pimple-like spots on his chin & nose. But with Amirul the feeling of being quarantined indoors is not too bad as he does enjoy staying at home rather than going window shopping with his ummi-unlike Amira, neither does he like to walk & stroll around aimlessly shops after shops til the feet gets sore- unlike Amira. So I guess life is quite back as per normal minus the outdoor venues that we have planned for him. Also I am ever so grateful for Okto :)

Aidiladha took a slightly humble tone this year. The day began like the other years, a visit to the in-laws in the morning, back to Clementi in the afternoon. This year in the afternoon, I went to do my little bit to help out in the Qurban ceremony. I came in the thick of action and by that time 136 sheeps have already been sacrificed. There were about 30 odd sheeps left to go. So I assisted my sis, who was there since morning, to manage the guests who took part in the Qurban ceremony. Its a fairly simple task, guiding them to the proper designated area to witness the ceremony and then assisted them back to the waiting area while waiting for their share of meat to be given out.

For the first time ever, I witnessed, up-close, the slaughtering ceremony. I was humbled. My heart stirred, initially for the sheep, and then, most importantly remembering Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail. And for the first time too, I witnessed my very own Qurban sheep, sacrificed in the name of the husband's late Auntie who passed away less than a mth back. Everything was over by 5. With whatever energy was left, we next headed to Bt Timah, where my cousin hosted this years' family Raya reunion.

It was a very,very simple but memorable day for me. Unlike other occasions, I did not even fuss about what we were going to wear for the family, instead opted for our already-in-closet punjabi garbs for all 4 of us. So simple that the pictures I took was of the Qurban sheeps ;p

I think we have a few days to go before Amirul gets the all-clear. And luckily I still have some more 'Quaratined-Activities' items that I have when Amira was down, so I suppose I'm more prepared to be cooped-up for a few more days...& it helps, of course, to look forward to the end of the day, almost everyday, to be entertained by Ellen at 5 & Gong Yoo & gang at 6 :)

Our Little Shop of Charity

2008-11-30T10:51:00.003+08:00

Last Saturday we finally see our long-planned idea came to live. We had our first Garage Sale for the mosque. It was also the Haflah & Orientation day for the pre schoolers so we had our crowd of mosque goers that we can woo. Our makeshift 'store' was set up by 9 & stayed open til ard 4 after the Haflah was over. It was a day made sweeter when Amirul was rewarded for being placed 2nd in his Madrasah Class. After the day was over, tired as I was, I had a really good time at mending our little store while yakking & laughing away with my fellow Muslimah sisters and managed to raise quite a substantial amount for our Mosque fund.

I have to thank the husband of course who was tending little poxed girl Mira for the whole day while the ummi did what she had to do. Mira is recovering swiftly & the marks are slowly drying up as I reckon hers is just a mild case. So the spots are quite little & sparse. Thankfully it has also spared her dainty face, save for a little pimple-like mark just below her lips & tiny ones around her forehead - & yes, that was what the father was most worried about. He also have been extra vigilant, making sure that Mira did not scratch her body or face even if it means having to stay up all night applying Calamine lotion whenever he sees Mira just stirring to even touch her face. I hope it would be only a few more days of indoor quarantine for Mira as I am already excited to resume holiday 'activities' for them especially Amirul too who have been made to stay indoors to keep the sister company.

On a good front, Coffee Prince is showing on Channel U on weekdays again but I highly recommend watching it on cable or any dual-sound device as mandarin-speaking Han Keol & Eun Chan is just so salah....

rhyme & reason for everything...

2008-11-25T21:39:00.003+08:00

I guess He has reasons for everything that's planned out for us. Somehow it falls into place.

We are officially hibernating for the next 2 weeks.

Amira had a slight fever yesterday. After a good 3 hr shopping stroll at Mustafa & a hearty lunch with the in-laws at Sedap Corner, she appeared very lethargic & we thought she's still not over her flu & cough virus that's been bugging her for the past weeks. I noticed a little blister near her lips. I thought it was just made worse because of her scratching due to an insect bite. At night, she was slightly warm. In the morning then I noticed red little spots all over her body & arms. My worst fear was confirmed by our family doctor. Yes, its the dreaded pox. Our next worry was Amirul. But Dr said that we could try, but he could not guarantee he wont be infected. So we went ahead & got him vaccinated. At least, he assured us, if he contracts it, it would be a mild one. Thank God for the school holidays & Alhamdulillah for our unplanned trip to nowhere.

My next worry is WHAT TO DO for the next 2 weeks - INDOORS.
I first digged up all the paper crafts that I could find, any fancy paper that I could use & make something arty-farty for them to cut, paste, fold, roll & create anything & whatever. They were excited that they finally get to paint after requesting it for the past weeks & one of these days, I promise them a baking session.

The first day so far was not too bad. The kids busied themselves with the mountain of toys & I just have to get ready the choice of DVDs that they could keep themselves glued to for a few hours. Perhaps tomorrow I could teach them monopoly or stick to the basic card games like 'Old Maid' or 'Snap' which have been sitting pretty for the longest time & will finally see their presence made full use of.And the sick girl is not even remotely looking like an infected kid. Yakking & running around the house suddenly excited with the number of things to do & the ummi suddenly gleefully acceding all her requests. Not even the drowsy medicine could calm her down ;p

The best part of it all is that I can once again have my K-drama marathon,once again..:) after I get them kids occupied that is.
Welcome back Gong Yoo & Joo Ji Hoon....

the mummy closet

2008-11-23T20:15:00.002+08:00

we were watching The Mummy earlier today.

Amirul asked what is a mummy. So I got all scientific & explained the chemical processes involved, the mummification process & how without embalming, the dead body will rot in the deep earth. The daddy wanted to scare him. So he told him of the old wives tale about how if a black cat were to jump over a dead body, the dead body would come to life again. Amirul then said,"If that is the case, why dont we bring the whole lot of black cats & make them jump over the cemetary ? (!!??)

a good week...

2008-11-21T19:42:00.008+08:00

The past week have been good to me. Although the kids have been a tad under the weather, we managed to do some 'holiday' time-fillers & me some good quality K-drama time.

Last night, I met my KSPS mates again for dinner. Between the 14 of us spread on the Swenson's dinner table, I'm surprised to think that we even managed to get a decent conversation between the laughter & the hallabaloo noise. In other words, yes, it was as simply put - fun. We even started to plan for our next appointment, talk about making up for lost time.

My dear son did us proud by earning himself a spot in the top class of his cohort. Even though his final results were not as satisfying when compared to the mid-year, he was lucky indeed to be placed among the best of his peers. Alhamdulillah. The dad had even gotten ready the assessment books for primary 3 & more reference books for him now that he has an extra science subject under his belt. My tummy is already tightening thinking & anticipating the rigorous practise & revision he would have to go through next year.The first week of the school holidays went by relatively quickly. The things planned out for them were somewhat limited as Amira is still recovering from her flu cum very bad cough. Amirul met his favourite toy character of the moment when we brought him for the Bakugan meet & greet session at Takashimaya, while Amira had her Princess-moment when I brought her for the highly anticipated Princess show - although I think I expected far too much out of the show & cant help comparing it to the ones we saw in Disneyland, which I felt was far more enjoyable.

My 'East of Eden' drama watch finally took on a good turn (after 25 episodes) now that the baddies (the Shins)are slowly getting what they deserve (go Lee Dong Chul!). I cant say I feel too much excitement about 'Worlds Within'. Although Hyun Bin & Song Hye Gyo are a joy to watch, I still feel the storyline is not as mesmerising & captivating as I thought it would be. Well, it is already halfway through the series at Episode 8,hopefully something exciting could happen & perhaps help escalate the lower than expected viewer ratings & also help boost up my waning interest.

We are taking one day at a time, not planning nor deciding what to do or where to go for the next few weeks. But knowing how our plans always work better in last minute decisions, I'm not too worried about it...:)

a yr older & a wee bit wiser...

2008-11-14T09:14:00.007+08:00

My birthday came & went...a very quiet, cool, grey day, countered with the noisy,warm & cuddly company of the family. Had a nice cosy breakfast date with the hubby while waiting for the kids to finish off their last day of school. Of course the husband had a series of plans (I assumed) but it was quickly made to be adjusted as we were requested to attend a tahlil arwah of his late aunt which passed away a week ago. At least I get to eat my Spicy Miso while the kids get to enjoy their waffle with ice-cream before all of us went to perform our obligatory duties as good children & grandchildren to the in-laws. But I have to say I am not in a position to complain or whine as I am always reminded how blessed I already am looking around the people I love around me & little tokens of love glittering in the palms of my hands & fingers.

My LomoArt class also finally ended on Tuesday. While fun, it was always physically & emotionally draining after entertaining 80 10 yr olds for 5 hours each day. But the end results is always so satisfying. Looking at all their pictures laid out & composed to form their sea creatures did gave me a smile on my face.At least I know my work is accomplished.

On Wednesday I did a little parent volunteer work for Amira's school as they had their K2 graduation & concert followed by our monthly Muslimah meeting at night to go through & preparing our committee plans for the rest of the year. Pretty excited to get some of those plans on track considering how low-profile we have been for the past few months.

Now that the holidays have officially started I feel like I so need a vacation. But I doubt its remotely possible as I foresee the husband would be very busy working, taking advantage of the opportunities that he was given which Alhamdulillah I must say is working quite well for him. Somehow he always seem to always figure things out & make it work for him in whatever situation placed before him. I am not too proud to say that the same can be said about me. I suppose thats why God placed him in my life:) Of course it was not always easy for him, there were numerous challenges that he was confronted with & I saw him a little less than composed during those occasions. But give him a few days to figure things out & all was well again.

So its time again to get the list of things to do for the holidays to keep them kids occupied...& me less stressed...

a new chapter begins...

2008-11-02T11:48:00.003+08:00

So the Hari Raya Aidilfitri month is officially over & its so scary to even realize that in less than 2 months we will be greeting the new year soon. This Hari Raya we covered our obligatory visits but we did miss a lot of first Aunties & Uncles (esp on my mum's side) too. I guess the exams period played a part too in our 'inability' to visit many houses this time round.

Amirul will be sitting for his last & final paper tomorrow - so slow I know - & he is diligently practising his papers in between revising for his weekend Madrasah paper too. I hope tomorrow will be over soon as I almost cannot stand looking his strained face day in & day out, with his dad, polishing up his studies at the same time having to face with happy cousins & friends who have already done their deed for the exams. It didn't help definitely with the strong Ministry of Defense at home who kept on harping how we are stressing him too much with practise papers & studies hour after hour everyday. Of course most of the time they get to see him pondering over practise papers but conveniently miss to witness the in between playtime & even outdoor outings that we always allocated time for him too. But as I said before I cant wait for tomorrow to be over.

Also tomorrow will be the second day I'll be teaching in Amirul's school :) I know, how convenient is that? My company informed me last week that we will be conducting a LomoArt course for P4 students in his school for 8 days, & courteously asked if I was interested in conducting the course - I mean I know they were pulling my leg, are you kidding me?? Of course I would be more than interested. The lessons would be from 8 to 12.30, conveniently timed so that I can send & fetch him from school too. The only bummer is that I cant park in his school compound, so it'll be another 2 weeks of morning walk exercise for me.

And its been a week since the I had this jarring pain on my feet. Initially I thought I had sprained my ankles due to the overwhelming use of high heels over the Raya month, but soon realise that the pain stems from the arch of my feet. I set up my Usqueeze to use after a month in hiding for the Raya festivities & next thing u know the pain had travelled all the way to my calves - I dont even know how that is remotely possible. I'm at lost, I try & bear the pain during lessons as I have to be on my feet for up to 4 hours each time, but once home, the pain can sometimes be quite unbearable. For now I guess I just keep elevating my feet at night & have it rubbed down with the good old muscle cream.

Something to distract me from my pain comes in the form of an early birthday present from the husband. We will definitely not be going overseas this holiday so I guess he made up for it by buying me something which I thought in hindsight cost more than the holiday itself. For that I thank him & forever feel grateful for that super kind gesture. Just when I thought I had enough bling-bling to last my lifetime :)

To further seal my love-affair with all things Korean, I added to my stash(courtesy of the husband as part of birthday gift package) a nice little touch screen device (like Gong Yoo's in CP although a different brand) and for myself another drama DVD now that TS video is going on a rampage by selling titles like 'The Devil' & 'Time Between Dog & Wolf' at half the original price.

"Worlds Within' starring Song Hye Kyo & Hyun Bin began airing in Korea on 27th October & I am very pleased to say I have caught the first 2 episodes and can't wait to see more of it. Its not so much of a romantic comedy although its directed by the same people behind 'Full House'. Its more intense,a drama to watch for the acting, the relationships, the interplay, and the writing. And it’s a drama that lives in its quiet moments as much as it does in the quick dialogue. So far I'm loving it just as much as I love 'East of Eden'now into its 20th episode. As of now I cant wait to see how the revenge will finally be played out between the Lee & Tae family - intriguing stuff, highly recommended.:)

I just realize that I've written quite a long entry here, I guess to make up for my almost 2 weeks hiatus. With all this going on in a mere 2 weeks I cant wait to see whats in store for me in the following 2 what with the school holidays & important(!!) birthdays just around the corner & I hope by then this pain on my feet would be banished soon too...

Raya Fever hits town again...

2008-10-22T12:41:00.004+08:00

At this very moment I'm feeling pretty drained out. My not so young nubile body is feeling the after-effects of the past 2 weeks Raya visiting & the strain of facing hyperactive 13 yr olds at a 6-hr stretch. Its been a pretty busy Raya visiting fiasco, meeting up with former schoolmates, friends & relatives and what do you know there's more of that this coming weekend. The good news is its the last Raya weekend & the better news is its almost the school holidays.

My K-drama routine is having a 1st gear moment. Moving slowly but steadily. Tired as I am,in all honesty, its been a fun & fulfilling past week. Meeting up with former schoolmates, reminising our 'golden moments' back then gave me a good sense of well-being. It is indeed very nice to know that all of us have 'blossomed' pretty well into adulthood.Sometimes its still hard to believe that when I meet all of them that its already been 20 - 15 yrs since we shared the same food from the same canteen, running around the school field with free-spirited innocence...

Part-time housewife mode goes overdrive

2008-10-14T17:32:00.002+08:00

After almost 2 weeks hiatus, I returned to school today to complete the 12 week Claymation course. Well its not complete today, I still have until next Wednesday before everything is finally over.

The Hari Raya fever is still lingering in the air, except for the weekends, we have yet to do anymore visiting. I will be physically & emotionally prepping myself up for this coming weekend as I foresee more Raya visits in store & meet-ups with old friends & invitations to open houses to be fulfilled.

Today however I have my part-time housewife mode went to an overdrive. My day started in the morning, where I send the kids 2 school, followed by a trip to the market (not wet market my dear, the 24 hr NTUC :) for some grocery shopping. By 9 I was back home, propped in front of TV with Ellen & Oprah, preparing the dough for more of my Makmur Kueh (yes, I'm making more as the bottle is already 3/4 empty & its not even served on the main kueh platter). After fetching Mira at 11, I hurried back home to get ready for school. I was back by 3 and continue with my Makmur-making session. In between I have to do some daughter-entertaining by applying Henna to her hands(after numerous request by Mira to 'decorate' her hands as the previous design is already washed-out - yes, very vain this girl of mine) & boil some green soya beans that she enjoy tremendously while watching repeats of Mr Bean Holiday. By 5, I started my Mac & Cheese recipe for the husband after my 1st attempt making it was met by my husband's cringing face. This time round, I think it will be a success as it was pre-approved by my asst chef-tasting Amirul. & Since he's fasting today, I will do the 'isteri-mithali' deed by granting his request which was made weeks ago. I was in full swing today, and I did not even have my cup of coffee yet. How I wish I can get this kind of energy & drive every single day, wishful thinking I know - but a woman can dream, yes?

And then there's more Raya visits...

2008-10-08T10:04:00.007+08:00

I am now almost fully recovered from my bouts of stomach flu & high fever. At my worst, which was on Monday night, my temperature soared to 39.7, but thanks to the relentless cold-towel dipping & patting of my husband all through the night, it dipped to a more reasonable 36.8. For that I cannot thank him enough, as always.

The past week was a whirlwind & flurry of activities, our Raya visits went on for 4 days straight, yes, we even went out on the 2nd & 3rd day after Amirul's school. I think that contributed to my deteriorating health-being. That, and the sudden shoving of spicy rendang & sambal, day in & day out for the first few days.

But all is well now and today my favourite son turns 8! As there won't be any big budget birthday celebration, we succumbed to his wishes to give out goody bags to his classmates & friends from school & perhaps a little family celebration with an ice-cream cake with balloons later at home.

My K-drama love is taking a quiet hiatus, I do not know if u can call it hiatus as I am now watching Heaven's Coins with Yutaka. At the same time I am looking forward to East of Eden which is currently being aired concurrently in Korea every week. For once, I feel I'm on par & get to watch a drama that is current as I also have to wait patiently for it to be aired once a week & not get to watch a few episodes back to back like I always do. So far its been quite engaging. Song Seung Heon is looking mighty fine, even the lead playing the younger Lee Dong Chul, King Bum, is not too bad an eye candy. Its a 50 ep drama & will end its run only in February & being my first drama that has more than 24 episodes, I hope my interest in it would not wan anytime soon.

I'm almost done with Heaven's Coins, although its not too bad, I cant help but found it grossly annoying that I don't get to know what Aya is scribbling most of the time when the subtitles do not support whatever she's writing, unless the character reiterates what she is writing & she writes a whole lot ok. But luckily it does not affect my whole understanding of the plot. Even though I watched the drama mainly for Yutaka, I find myself more enthralled by Osawa Takao this time round. Maybe because its the whiny character portrayed by Yutaka which kind of turns me off. Other than that, in between my 2 weeks free time, I've been keeping busy with Gossip Girl(addictive!) & Lipstick Jungle(love it!) & also one of the rare local shows that got me in stitches , The Noose. I think its a hoot. The characters played by Michelle, from geeky reporter to bimbo weathergirl, even Shuhaimi's Jojo Joget really cracked me up every Tuesday night. With them poking fun at serious & very current issues & turn it into a big laugh,I think Mediacorp really scored with this one...

BTW Ley, anymore good recommendations for a good K-drama rom-com? my hubby is asking what else is good to watch, so let me know....:)

Salam Aidilfitri

2008-10-02T08:05:00.001+08:00

A night of Sweet Reunion...

2008-09-20T12:31:00.004+08:00

It must be the blessed month of Ramadhan.

It was a long overdue reunion.Almost 24 yrs overdue to be exact. Over the pass few weeks, I was 'connected' back to my old primary school mates through Facebook. A slew of emails & chat sessions soon followed, accompanied by physical phone calls to get in touch with more of our primary buddies. Memories were shared, stories about teachers, crushes in our now defunct primary school were exchanged fast & furiously. All of us shared the same sentiments, how we missed those innocent days. We forgot how at one time we were in the period of 'Geng dia, tak kawan dia...;p' , how naive we were back then, & now laughing earnestly about it. How different we looked now & if we were to pass by each other on the streets I doubt anyone of us could recognise each other.

We set up a meeting, a last minute one.To meet up for Iftar. Unfortunately it fell on the 19th. I have already made plans with my secondary school sisters for our inaugural annual Iftar session but I would not miss this reunion, not if I can help it.

So Last night after a familiar noisy & giggly session with my sorority sisters at Jl Pinang, I zoomed all the way to CCK to meet with the buddies whom I shared my innocent & fun childhood with. I was late. But better late than never. I didn't expect to be so emotional when I met all of them after 24 long years that I actually shed a tear as I hugged each one of them...its been too long...memories of my childhood flashed before my eyes. It was a happy one I remembered. They commented how tall I am now & I cant help but feel like the petite little girl that I was in my primary school days :)

Even though I only shared less than 2 hours with them, its enough for now to 'quench the missing thirst'. We'll definitely meet up again...a blast from my past to add more colours to my present :)

I feel like a giggly girl....

2008-09-18T16:00:00.005+08:00

I'm feeling giggly & lightheaded. I felt like it was our courting days...

For the past 2 days, the car have found itself stashed in the workshop of AStar at Portsdown Road - perhaps on a bright side it is a good time to get polished up & do a wee bit of touching up before Hari Raya - not only humans must be brand new you know...but again its just another reason to make myself feel better after the grazing incident;p

So for the past 2 days I have been having a 30min morning exercise routine of sending Amirul to school via the cool breeze morning walk. Bus no 185 have been a blessing as it takes me from home to Fuhua in less than 20 minutes in all its air-con comforts. Since I'm taking a 'longer' walking distance (to the bustop, to the school, fom the school bus-stop, u get the drift) I feel like a student with heavy eastpak on my shoulders accommodating my not-so-light Macbook snuggly in it.

Today, on my way back from school I had a pleasant surprise. There, waiting patiently at the void-deck near the bus-stop is the dear husband grinning widely with a little tinge of slight irritation. I later discovered that the slight irritation was caused by my not answering his sms which in turn made him wait for 45 minutes all the time hoping that I would not be taking any other route other than the one I was taking today. I apologised for not answering - as my HP was neatly tucked in the pocket of my eastpack which never left my shoulders wall the way from school to the bus stop, hence the inability to pick up (or hear) any ringtone or sms for that matter. But we didn't ponder over the unanswered calls instead I was reduced to giggles hearing how he was thinking about whether I have reached home first while he was still waiting earnestly like a Mat under the void deck, or if I was already at home lying on bed catching up on my newspaper reading for the day. The little things that he does never fail to surprise me. In the end all was well....

I found out today Joo Ji Hoon's 'Antique Bakery' will have its movie opening on my birthday. (yay!) So this year, apart from celebrating it with Takuya, I have another gift in the form of Ji Hoon's movie :) at least these are the things I know for sure I can look forward to.

I also decided to clean 'the cobwebs' from my recipe book to warm myself up for the great 'Raya Kuih Baking Marathon'.Yes, I've decided to put on the oven mittens & play the dutiful housewife, daughter & daughter-in-law bit by whipping up some Raya cookies.

Come tomorrow, I'll be meeting up my Saint sorority sisters for Iftar. (always look forward to it). On the same night, my primary school chums are having a reunion after 20 yrs....I hope I can make it for both events, dont ask me how, I'm just hoping, we'll just wait & see how it goes, play by ear.....gosh, I cant wait...I am already STILL grinning from ear to ear...

morning test

2008-09-15T10:09:00.003+08:00

I had a bad start to my morning.

A big truck grazed the side of the car this morning. I was on the right of way, the right lane, it came out of nowhere & shoved our car aside. The damage is minimal. I have yet to tell the husband. I can imagine what his reaction would be. I wonder if he'll blame me. I hope not as it was not my fault. I stopped the car & the big truck stopped too. It was an apek & auntie. She insisted I turned out of nowhere. So I said it was a straight road, where could I possible turn from?? So they gave me a sad face & story about how they are making a hard-earned living earning less than 1000 per month. Mind you it was raining. I was going to school & the traffic was merciless. This was the last thing I need. So I asked for his particulars. They pleaded & refused to provide me. So I told them I'll take down the license plate number & since its a company truck, the other details too. Then they drove away. Leaving me, almost drenched. So till I reach home later, I am going around teaching with a heavy heart. Test of Ramadhan I believe. Then I read this, it made me feel slightly better. For now. at least...

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% .......... reboot.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken!

LEE KUAN YEW: We have installed crossing lights at all traffic junctions. All chickens should be able to cross safely to the other side.

LEE HSIEN LOONG: Gantry points have been set up. All chickens wanting to cross the road are advised to top up their cash cards first.

ABDULLAH BADAWI: We have to be fair to all chickens. Some want to cross over the road, some do not. ........ Zzzzzz ........zzzzzz ....... Now what were we talking about? Ah yes, chickens. We will form a Royal Commission to decide whether it is right for them to cross the road.

MAHATHIR: Now even the non-bumi chickens want to cross the road? How can they disrespect and disregard the bumi chickens? We must be allowed to cross over first. It is our right!

ANWAR: We have enough chickens waiting to cross over in September.

SHAHRIR: All foreign chickens are welcome in Malaysia but they must not cross over the road within 50km of the border.

Wong Kan Seng: I am sorry that the chicken was allowed to cross the road. It was an HONEST MISTAKE. Let’s move on.

Funny I thought...

All of 2 weeks

2008-09-14T17:28:00.004+08:00

Today is the 14th of Ramadhan, we will have about slightly more than 2 weeks before we celebrate Hari Raya. I have been to Eunos every weekend in Ramadhan but have yet to 'step' into the Raya Bazaar in Geylang. I dont know why but somehow I am not really keen to walk around in the humidity inducing tents to browse things that I don't need but eventually end up buying anyway. The preparations for this year are somehow a bit more subdued. I have yet to feel the sense of urgency or impending excitement as yet. I remembered last year, I worry about matching shoes & bags, but not this year. Maybe I've come to my senses that spending money on accessories that I only wear twice a year & perhaps the occasional wedding does not justify me investing my hard-earned money on. Perhaps also the fact that I have ready apparels & accessories that I strongly feel I can still parade around which can last me for another good year or 2 more.

I dont know if I will be making as much raya cookies as I did last year. Last year, my Martha Stewart mode went to an overdrive & I baked cookies that I realised lay rested peacefully on the kitchen shelves til the Aidilfitri month was way over & spilled into Aidiladha. So this year I am resolute to bake only the necessities, & at that, in moderation too. My RM600 worth of baju kurung is still waiting to be collected at Larkin - just waiting for the husband to give the 'green light' along with the mum & dad in tow of course.
Back to my routine, we(as in me & the husband) completed 24 episodes of Goong in 3 days! It can be done, helped tremendously with your remote control fast-forward skills(especially in long facial poses & scenes)in which your skills at speed reading (of the subtitles) will be made full use of. I was surprised that he relented to watching Goong knowing his preference for more serious & mature story-lines. The fact that he's warmed up to Yoon Eun Hye convinced me that he will definitely enjoy Coffee Prince or even Mawang at that. I dont know why but I can never(& hope I never ever) get tired of watching Shin & Chaekyung. & I there are word out that these 2 will be paired up in another drama again next year :) So there is definitely loads to look forward to in the K-Drama world. One thing we do not have to wait til next year would be the release of Ji Hoon's movie 'Antique Bakery' next mth (yay!) & the much-anticipated drama with Hye Kyo & Hyun Bin airing in November.

Currently Amirul & Amira's favourite karaoke song in the car is Goong's 'Dang Shin Eun' & the all-time favourite 'Ah reum da oon sa ram' from My Lovely Samsoon...never mind its in Korean, they actually do mouth the lyrics word for word. Its amazing how fast they catch on to these things...

A blast from the past...

2008-09-08T20:19:00.002+08:00

For the past few days, I was hooked to Facebook. Although I have been on it for a few months, only recently have I been immensely interested in my updates & notifications. I suddenly find myself, getting 'acquainted' again with my good friends from primary school - thats like a blast from my almost 30 yrs past! My former colleagues have been added to my contact faster than I can say 'FACEBOOK'. Old friends that you almost forgot their existence suddenly is smiling back at me through my screen. Its a nice warm feeling I must say. To see the familiar faces that reminds you of where you were & what you did back then rekindles all the fond memories that I almost forgot. I saw a video of me at my former workplace, joking & having fun with colleagues.I can hardly recall it was recorded at all. I saw the faces I remembered I spent time with during recess in my primary school which no longer exist now. I saw the faces of the guys I used to have a crush on when I was 10 & thinking to my self now, 'What was I thinking then???'

Nowadays I walk around with a mild smile on my face after getting in touch with my past. Like my former colleague Chang Kang put in words - 'Sometimes we have to visit our past to live in the present' - how apt I thought. aaah, the wonders of technology, thank you Mark Zuckerberg :)

Speaking of present, I have yet to catch a glimpse of Song Hye Kyo & Hyun Bin around town :( I read they are leaving on Thursday night.(yes,yes, I shamelessly read the forums of fan groupies) & Hye Kyo will make an appearance at Laneige Wisma Atria at 5pm this Thursday, but without Hyun Bin & since its Ramadhan, I think I can scrap the whole idea of meeting them there. Maybe at the airport then....must pester the husband to say hi & bye to 'Tae Woong'....;p

A Tale of Spring...

2008-09-04T09:24:00.005+08:00

What do we know, now its already the 4th day of Ramadhan. And the unevitable did happen - too soon I should say - at least once in every Ramadhan, missing out on Sahur. We did have 2 alarm clocks, one in my parents room & one in mine. I do not know what time the alarm went off in their room, but mine was set at 4.45. But as the norm - a mistake now I know - was to put the alarm at snooze & doze off for an extra 5 min or so & that morning, I dozed off all the way to 5.20! So I woke everyone up, all i a daze, & all of us, including Amirul survived on one piece of Nutella bread for the day. Its not too bad for me as I've gone by the day eating very little but I think it was quite a challenge for Amirul. For the first time he whined about being thirsty. I think It was made worse as we were shopping for Hari Raya garbs at Geylang on that day too. Luckily I was sane enough no to walk & stroll around the bazaar in the sweltering afternoon heat, or else he just might 'break-down', my boy. But he survived, did very well indeed, even survived the temptation of having his sister gorging down chocolate rolls right in front of his eyes albeit a little wincing.

I've always regarded Ramadhan as 'Spring' time, as its a time of 'renewal', time where we reflect & contemplate our self-being. Its a good month.

Talking about Spring, I finished watching 'Spring Waltz' & 'Dalja's Spring'. Over the 2, I prefer Daljas Spring by a mile. I was also introduced to another 'eye-candy' in the form of Lee Min Ki. Although I have to mention that he only looked good in this series & not others that I have seen - maybe because he played a lawyer in it, all nicely-suited up.

Dalja’s Spring’ is the story of Dalja, a 33-year old single at a crossroad of whether to remain single or get married before she gets older. The drama aims to comically and candidly portray the reality and undying pursuit of romance of a thirty something single woman.

The love triangle of Dalja, Taebong and Gijoong brews conflicts over love versus marriage. Taebong, a hunk six years younger than Dalja, works as substitute dates and becomes Dalja’s fake boyfriend. Gijoong is the type who dreams of an ideal and rational courtship. The drama also highlights the life and work of women in their thirties through Dalja who is a talented managing director at a home shopping channel. One of the better dramas I've seen which portrays & acknowledges a woman's struggles & challenges in many forms, whether you are single, dating or married.

'Spring Waltz' is the fourth and final installment of Yoon Suk Ho's season drama series. The first drama was Autumn Tale, followed by Winter Sonata and Summer Scent.

The story begins with Eun-young’s plane ride to Austria, where she happens to sit next to Inna (Lee-Na), who is on her way to meet her childhood love, Jaeha. However, Jaeha(a.k.a: Chris Y), who has now grown up to be a young, accomplished pianist in Austria, seems not pleased with meeting Inna again after 15 years for some reason. Eun-young, on the other hand, excited about her first overseas trip, bumps into Phillip (Jaeha’s manager and best friend -Daniel Henney), who has mistaken her as Inna of whom he was suppose to pick up at the airport. The four meet, each in different turns of circumstances and incidents, and their story of love, fate and destiny begins.

I find that the storyline moves a wee bit slow & the lead actor,Seo Do Young' is a bit too 'soft-looking' to my liking. But Daniel Henney is a ife saver although he again plays the 2nd-choice love interest, which I feel is purely & utterly ridiculous as who would NOT choose him over Do Young?? But then again I digress, the storyline is such & if she did, I guess it would be a different story altogether.

With the one week holidays almost ending, I have been a 'good girl' staying home (mostly) & keeping sane with the 2 kids vying for my attention. Once in a while before bedtime, I'll try & squeeze in time for my drama-addiction for an hour or 2. Amirul & Amira are watching 'My Girl' as I am writing this & are enjoying every funny antiques of Joo Yoo Rin. Amirul was so affected that he pestered me to buy tangerines when he saw Yoo Rin picking up then in basket-loads in the first episode! Well, I'm not complaining of course, as I get to feed my drama-kraze & get to spend time with them. If only they could cut down the "What is she doing, ummi?" or "Why is it like that?" rantings for a lil bit as I enjoy 'My Girl' once again...:)

the mad search for a perfect one...

2008-08-28T19:57:00.003+08:00

I found my perfect laptop bag - for now. Since I got my macbook early last year, I have been searching high & low for the perfect laptop bag that could fulfill all my many needs in function & style. Since big tote bags were so the rage last year, I was very happy as I can just stash my lappie in one of my many huge bag including all my other basic everyday necessities, but I discovered that aching back, neck & shoulders are not a very good thing for me - it hurts a hell lot & the red marks were a proof of the price I have to pay. SO I thought a bag pack would be a good solution, & I got myself a nice samsonite black laptop bag. It looked cute & nice, simple too. And basic black would match perfectly with everything that I own. After putting my macbook in it, I found out that I could not put the rest of my things without having the bag look like the Hunchback of Notredame with ugly bulges protruding everywhere.

So I searched - again - for a separate tote bag. But since I always ended up stopping by somewhere, somehow after work, carrying 2 bags I realised is not very convenient. Moreover the tote bag I had were in brown & black so it kind of limit the clothes I can wear to match it with.

Over the net, I found a carry-all tote bag specially for laptops from a local designer,Charis Asher, which does not cost a bomb. As it was in dark brown, it was perfect I thought & I can put all my other stuff in it too without having to carry a separate small bag for my basic necessities. But you see, I was so taken in by the bag style & colour that I almost forgot that putting EVERYTHING in one bag in ONE shoulder is not something my body can endure for long. susah right this woman, how liddat. Up til this point I have about 4 laptop bags I can use & match with what I wear everyday :) But this ahjumma is still not settled - yet.

I thought I was happy & satisfied. Then I saw the Eastpak bag. I have always been a fan of Eastpak haversacks especially those that comes in print. And there is a new line of printed Eastpak meant for laptops. I did my own little research & read that it does not feel heavy at all when carried on your shoulders. But I have to get one with a nice print, also the colours of the print must somehow be able to match with most of the stuff that my wardrobe already has. SO one fine evening, the dear husband wanted to end the wife's 'misery' & finally 'end' her search after hearing her whining about the lack of the perfect laptop bag like an old broken recorder.

We headed to Queensway, the trove of bagpack haven. Without looking too enthusiastic, I did also considered Nike Laptop bags (too huge & the colours not very appealing I thought) just so I don't regret purchasing yet another not-so-right carrier. But in the end, I settled for a nice colourful printed Eastpak haversack that I thought would go perfectly well with my casual combo that I wear to school everyday (its blue, red, green purple printed). It doesn't hurt my shoulders or back, it doesn't feel heavy & it had more than enough space & pockets to feel my many basic necessary everyday things. I am happy bunny. Perfect. For now...

my elder twin...

2008-08-27T19:16:00.005+08:00

Thanks to Wikipedia, I discovered that Takuya Kimura & I share the same birthday & blood type. & whadayya know, he got 2 kids too! but both girls. This one I can call my oppa as he was born a year before me :) oh, & his actress wife,Kudo Shizuka, is 2 years older than him.

I am so gonna finish watching 'Love Generation' in 2 days tops! Gosh, I feel like a freaking addicted teenager once again, right until I hear my kids calling out my name & wake me up to reality ;p

Hits & Misses...

2008-08-26T21:52:00.006+08:00

Over the weekend, my husband did the unthinkable, a feat that not even I have yet to achieve so far-he completed the whole series of 'Yu-Hee The witch' in TWO days!! which means he watched 8 episodes per night. We rented it last Friday, the original plan as we usually did was to watch 3 to 4 eps per night therefore needing only about 4 days to complete a drama series(if its a 16 episode drama, or else 6 days tops if its a 24 episode drama). I started watching 2 eps on Friday night and after I fell asleep, my oppa couldn't wait & decided to watch the other episodes while I was asleep! which cetainly wasnt in our original deal at all...

So the next morning, I have to do the 'catching-up' time just so we can watch the rest of the episodes together. I completed up to ep 8 on Saturday, in between other plans like birthday parties to attend & hosting a soccer dinner for his soccer boys-again, don't ask how I managed. After a long & tiring day on Saturday, I woke up Sunday morning with the news that my newly-minted K-drama fan already completed watching the whole series :p So I ended up completing watching Yu Hee & Mu-ryong find their destined love by myself.

I would not say its a highly recommended drama - its watchable to say the least. The fashion & style of Yu Hee (after the make-over) is one of the high points of the drama. Another drama that I give cookie points for its fashion & style is 'Snow Queen' :).

The lead actor, Jae Hee is not too bad(cannot beat Ji Hoon, Gong Yoo or Jun Ki of course), but I cannot get pass his permed hair, no matter how charming he is - guys & permed hair-a definite no-no. Only towards the end, when the perm kind of eased a bit & he got a shorter cut, can I really feel for his character. The ending is also too abrupt for me. Dennis Oh, did not do much for me in this drama, although his Korean is plausible, I still think Daniel Henney wins this round in the battle of the Korean-ang-moh-mix actor debacle.

Right after 'Yu Hee', I decided to give J-Drama a go & started watching 'Long Vacation' loaned by my cousin, which have been sitting on the shelves, 'waiting in line' to be watched after I completed one of the many Korean Drama series. Its hard not to compare to Korean dramas, but I think its a good choice as the leads & supporting casts are a boon to watch. I prefer the supporting actor,Takenouchi Yutaka, whom I feel has a strong resemblance to Takeshi Kanishiro & in some strange way in that drama, he looked a bit like Farid Kamil, the Malaysian actor. Apparently this drama was so good that it swiped almost all awards from Best Drama to best actor,actress,supporting roles even best screenwriter in the 9th Television Drama Academy Awards in Japan. But of course since it was a 1996 drama, I can safely say that the standards of Japanese drama series of recent years is much much better in comparison. So I do look forward to watching more J-dramas now rather than limiting myself to just Korean ones.

On the social note, I attended yet another birthday party of a girlfriend's son over at National Service Resort at Changi Coast Walk - I know its my first time ever knowing of the resort too. Apart from the familiar faces, I was also reunited with a former colleague who coincidentally is her cousin -talk about 6 degrees of separation. Although we worked together for a mere 2 years,about 6 years ago, we did share many funny & special memories especially our not so pleasant experience with that former employer. So it was really good to see her, still funny as ever & knowing that there will be more opportunities for us to meet again in the near future. To talk & laugh again with her, its hard to believe that it has already been 6 years since we met & I felt so natural talking to her again, its like we picked up right where we left us with no sense of awkwardness whatsoever.

On a much better note, Jo Ji Hoon is set to act in another movie "Kitchen" which is an adaptation from a Japanese novel by the same name. After 2 years,he will be re-united with his lead actress in The Devil, Shin Min Ah. The movie is in production right now & is slated to be released in 2009. I am still waiting for the release of "Antique Bakery" which was supposed to be out in the summer of 2008-seeing that its almost autumn & winter, I guess the release date have been delayed. Oh well, I suppose good things will come for those who wait....

Passing of a prince....

2008-08-21T10:44:00.007+08:00

One of the Prince in "Coffee Prince", model turned actor, Lee Eon, died on a motorcycle accident early today.

Lee Eon, 27, who was born by the name of Park Sang-Min was on his way home following the wrap party for KBS’s 'Strongest Chil Woo' early on the morning of August 21. The 27 year old crashed into the guard rail of the elevated roadway in Hanam-dong. He is said to have died on impact.

The news shocked a lot of people: Friends, Family, Fans, Netizens, including me. Just the night before, he was just seen onscreen in Chil Woo’s finale episode, and the sudden news is, to say the least, startling. Lee Eon’s parents rushed down to Seoul from Busan after knowing the unfateful news. Lee Eon was the only child in the family. I can only imagine & empathize how devastated they must feel on losing their one & only precious son.

Lee Eon had got his start in modeling but then got a part on the very famous hit “Coffee Prince” playing the goofy but likeable Min Yeob, the one who liked Go Eun Chan’s (Yoon Eun Hye) sister. He had also acted “When spring comes” (2007), “Who are You?” (2008), and his last one, “Strongest Chil Woo”(2008) with Eric Mun.

Watching re-runs of Coffee Prince from now on will definitely take a different turn & emotion now...

of friends, family,weddings & birthdays...

2008-08-19T17:30:00.005+08:00

it was a busy weekend for me again. a weekend filled with meet-ups with friends & family. my weekend started with an early morning meet-up with my saint homy girls as I paid another visit to see Faz & Dani, this time round together with Rima, Salawati & Haliza who couldnt't quite make it the first time I went over. an unplanned outing saw us doing a little window shopping & having lunch at vivo together with the weekend crowd.

After a quick rest, I then headed to the East with the kids where dear Yan celebrated her Prince Darwish's first birthday. with saturday leaving me happy & tired-out, an early saturday night prepared me for yet another event the next day.it was the wedding of the husband's cousin. once again I was reunited with aunties & cousin's in-law in the form of mamis & mamus. this time round it was much more relaxing as we did not do much of a helping-rewang bit. we get to enjoy live hindi music all afternoon & the day ended perfectly with a little bhangra do enjoyed by all.

it was the first time I've seen my husband's family having fun & literally 'letting their hair down'. I can also feel a sense of camaraderie & family closeness & felt ties that were 'loosen' were definitely 'sealed' & mended. & since there was not much 'working' to do I get to prance rather comfortably in my heels & lace baju all day long. I think I echoed everybody's sentiments when Auntie Faridah said that 'it was really nice seeing you again & I had so much fun today, I hope u did too' when I bid her farewell. yes, fun. I really did. the husband too, even though it was followed by an achy body after all the little banghra prancing that he did...

more Kimchi please...

2008-08-14T21:23:00.005+08:00

I am not a big fan of Kimchi, I am still not used to the acquired taste of the spice & sourness of it. I am a big fan of sweet, sour & spicy food, but somehow I think I need a little more time to make kimchi one of my favoured dish. BUT I've found a great taste of Kimchi in Myojo. Highly recommended by my girlfriend,Shir - who unfortunately do not share my over-the-top affection of K-drama, just K-food. The Kimchi flavoured noodle taste like a cross between Tom Yam & curry, just the right amount of spice & not too bland too. Its good. jal-mug-ut-sum-ni-da 잘먹었습니다.

Continuing my obsession with K-drama, I have successfully made the husband watch his second k-drama. Initially he wanted to watch one with Sung Yu Ri after becoming a fan of her in "Snow Queen" but I told him that the other drama she was in, "One Fine Day" was not a big fav of mine. I mean I bought the DVD just because of Gong Yoo, but the drama is not one of those watchable ones & I do not recommend it to others unless you are a big fan of Gong Yoo. Even if you are, GY's character & image in that drama is not too much to my liking either,(salah hairstyle & fashion for Gong Yoo I feel)- only the second half of the series when he cut his hair short & look more presentable do I find it more bearable to watch ;p So I recommended "My Lovely Samsoon" as the lead actor is one he is familiar with, Hyun Bin, naturally 'acquainted' after liking him playing a maths genius & boxer in the "Snow Queen". With about a quarter of the series left to go, I once again find myself looking for the next drama to watch with him. Perhaps I can convince him to watch 'Coffee Prince', and this would be for the umpteenth time for me & I certainly dont mind another 17 episodes of Gong Yoo-shi..

In between the drama series, school, kids & my freelance design work, I manage to squeeze in time to catch a few K-movies too.(Dont ask me how I manage to, but I somehow did with some sleep-sacrifices along the way of course). I find watching K-movies a breeze compared to drama series as they do not go beyond 2 hours and they sure don't make you lose sleep making you want to watch one episode after another just so you can know the ending quickly. After watching him in Samsoon I caught Daniel Henney in "Seducing Mr Perfect". The movie is not one I would rave too much about as its just about Daniel, the eye-candy. The heroine,Uhm Jung-hwa, is just ok too, the same girl in "Get Karl" - don't really do it for me. This is my second time watching Mr Henney & I noticed that most of his character dialogues have been in English although in his part he is supposed to understand & speak some Korean. But I would love to watch him in a drama or movie where he would speak fluent Korean. "A Millionaire's First Love" with Hyun Bin is not that great either. He played one of those characters that he does so well in, a rich & arrogant guy made good.

Speaking of influences, Amirul have been 'sprinkled' with some Korean fever too. Usually when I drive him to school every morning, he would watch Spongebob or one of the Disney movies, but since the last few weeks he heard & fell in love with music from Goong soundtrack that I continually play so often whenever I am behind the wheels. He particularly love one song, 'Stay', having caught the drama while I was watching it. He even know the translated english version of it based on the subtitles! At first he would tell me to turn on the 'E-yo' song as all the verses had that rhyming in the end, but now he only know them by numbers which is disc 6 song number 33, so I am not complaining just as long as I get my k-music fix :)Now all I need to do is get Amira 'converted' too - maybe I should get a nice Han-bok for her for a start, just need to convince her that its a costume of a Korean Princess...

And when it TICKS again...

2008-08-12T17:56:00.002+08:00

Eversince we made the appointment we have been haggling back & forth, to wait or not to wait; to do or not to do. The final decision was only made after my gynae asked the question again right in front of our faces. So we decided. To wait. For a few more years. But if we changed our mind, as she said, we can come back to her anytime. At least for now, we'll wait. Although in my weaker moments I would just say - what the heck - just go for it. I mean it has always been one of the most enjoyable & glowy moments of my life.I want to have that feeling again. I want to have that familiar dewy scent close to me again. But we'll wait. For now. And when we are ready again, I hope ALLAH will grant us our wishes,again...Insyaallah...

Sugar & Spice & Everything nice...

2008-08-11T16:24:00.004+08:00

It was sweet night literally & metaphorically.... sweet palate, sweet pals with dashes of giggly galore. We had a table spread of sinful desserts ranging from tarts, tiramisu,pudding,oreo cheesecake,even the traditional putri salat & modern chocolate fondue. The savoury popiah gave us that much-needed spicy sweet-sensor's break just so that we can continue indulging more in the sweet spread. With all the loaded calories intake, the k-razy mummies wii-ed the night away in a bid to break down the fats that we just gorged down & indulged in a great cuppa to end the sweet evening.

As always, it was a hoot as expected. Thank you Shir, the hostess with the mostess:). We almost forgot its National Day although we did all came in patriotic garb of reds & whites.

Time felt too short especially as the saying goes when u are having too good of a time. But the better news is much laughter & fun shall await us in 7 days time...

Amira Celebrates!

2008-08-10T11:36:00.001+08:00

She came all decked in red & white for her first ever National Day Celebration at school. Excited & enthusiastic, she danced,sang & recited her pledge like a true Singapore girl...

A night of reminiscence with the Walkers

2008-08-08T17:42:00.004+08:00

Earlier this week I met up with former colleagues from WalkerAsia. Just a couple of nights ago,during SingFest, I was recalling the fun time working together during our major webcast events at Fort Canning, then on Monday the guys decided to meet up for dinner & just to 'touch-base' with everyone. Almost all our Singapore based team members & crew turned up & all of us shared the exact sentiment of how it felt surreal when we were working under one roof over at the cosy shophouse at Emerald Hill.

We remembered our time there as enriching, relaxing environment, except when it comes to major events, & also a very much 'growing-up' time for each of us. We worked together for a mere 3 or 4 years but one thing we knew we had was the fun time & the friendship we made during those years. And reflecting back, all of us had 'developed' very much over the years.

One of them Lee, was a junior programmer under me & now 4 years on, he's the head of Interactive Design in one event management company. Eric, a fresh film & media grad when he joined us then,is now an expert in field video work. Koh, another programmer decided to veer course completely & decided to go back to school 2 yrs ago where he is now studying to be a trainee teacher at NTU. One of my closest colleague, CK, who was already a good video editor & producer back then is now an award-winning TVC & film director - remember the M1 Mumbai-India ad? he directed & earned accolades from that, it even won the 'Viewer's Choice Award'. But he is still the humble funny guy that I used to know back then. Wakae, my fav Japanese colleague who was just an administrator is now a senior Associate at a recruitment firm. Well me? still enjoying my time in between meet-ups with friends,family & squeezing in time to still do what I love most - designing, & teach kids what I love most, for the extra moolah. I have to say, we did come a long way & wondered if our Jap boss had not passed on or if the company did not relocate to Japan & HK, would we still be working under one roof..like they say Every Cloud has Its silver lining....we wouldn't be where we are now if not for the experiences we earned during those years. And looking back, its great knowing that all of us had nothing but fond memories of our time together then, no regrets whatsoever...:)

Live & Loud Weekend...

2008-08-05T06:44:00.006+08:00

Over the weekend this ahjumma & oppa mingled with the hot, sweaty,young & restless amidst loud blaring music at Fort Canning Park. The husband won himself complimentary tickets for the Singfest so in order to fully maximise the $300 + price tag attached to it, we braved ourselves to squeeze between the 10 000 crowd of mostly young crowd of teenagers to mid-thirties (oh we also chance upon a 40-something tudung-clad makcik ;P) & enjoyed live music from the likes of
* Jason Mraz-insanely talented - he did an accoustic of "I'm Yours - awesome!!,
* Rick Astley -he still sound the same & those songs! he sang favourites like ‘Together Forever’ and of course ‘Never Gonna Give You Up' & actually did an acoustic version of it - a really trip down memory lane. Other songs performed include ‘She Wants To Dance With Me’, ‘Take Me To Your Heart’, ‘When I Fall In Love’, ‘Hold Me In Your Arms’.
* Pussycat Dolls - a fav of oppa, I mean which guy isn't?? They belted out almost all their hits like 'Don't Cha', 'Buttons', 'I Dont Need a Man' & 'StickWitU'..
& super Ms Alicia Keys herself. who did sang her much anticipated 'No One' & "Superwoman'

We got the weekend pass but gave away the Saturday tickets to my niece whom we feel would appreciate more the live music from Travis, Lost Prophets, New Found Glory & Simple Plan.

So on Sunday after our mandatory weekend visit to the in-laws, made special as it was MIL's birthday, we trooped to Fort Canning. We missed the live performances of earlier acts like Stacie Orrico,One Republic & Panic at the Disco as we came only after Maghrib & only after putting our little pair to get ready for bed & leaving them is the safe hands of my mum & dad - after we all we ARE parents first...

As expected it was crowded & it certainly brought back fun memories when I was part of the crew during the Ublues Fest 5 yrs ago. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd was great although I wish more of them could hold back their alcohol intake a wee bit, I mean it would be nice to actually let others enjoy the concert peacefully without having to worry when they will stumble & suddenly do a 'merlion barf' near you. But it was a good end to a good day, although this not-so-young body wish she had half of the energy that those young uns possess ;p

It feels so short...

2008-08-01T09:55:00.004+08:00

I've just completed my 6 lessons, 3 weeks teaching stint at SQSS. I am still lamenting how I am going to miss this bunch of kids coz they are among the best in the many cohorts of classes that I've conducted so far. Although they are from the NT stream, their attitudes & determination far surpasses my expectations. And this is among the few exceptions that I can say that I will miss those darn kids.

I still have about 5 more weeks at FHSS. I am starting to feel a wee bit impatient & cant wait for the course to be over as unlike SQSS the classes & students are not one that I look forward to. Apart from disciplinary problems & obvious lack of good attitude & respect, they are a constant disruption in my classes - like going around switching off the comps of their fellow classmates while I'm conducting my lessons. I'm not saying that all of them are like that but in all 3 classes, there are bound to be a bunch of 'gang of 5 or so' that never fail to bring my mood down & make me look forward to the end of the lessons. Thankfully the Claymation classes are better. I am enjoying myself now that the kids are capturing the characters & props made by their own toys.

Cant believe that its already August, soon Amirul will start hitting some serious books, drowning in assessments & worksheets prepared by his dad. On a good note, he did say that he has an aim - to beat the best student, also his best friend, Donovan in all his subjects. I wish I had half of the determination that this boy of mine possess.

Now that we've completed our "Snow Queen" drama marathon, I am still looking for a good drama to share with the other half, at least while his interest is still at a mighty high. I wonder if he would be remotely interested in watching pretty-boy-turned-hawt oppa Jun Ki in action....

and its either something is wrong with my Mac or Blogger coz I cant seem to upload any pictures..:PPPP

Of Girls & Queens

2008-07-30T13:51:00.002+08:00

Last night, dear husband & I completed our 16 episode love story of Tae Woong & Bora in "Snow Queen". We did it in a span of 4 days - not bad for my husband whom this would be his virgin-maiden drama hook-up. He could not stop gushing about how great the Korean scriptwiters were & wondered how long would it be til our local drama could even reach to the standard remotely close to theirs. The ending of this drama to us, was unsatisfactory as we love the 'happy-ever-after' kind of story. But it was a good drama that's not too over-the-top although I wished it was less weepy. Truthfully, this is only my 3rd tear-jerker Korean drama that I have watched. I have always been a big fan of romantic comedies as I feel that those genres are able to make u feel good which I think should be what a good drama is all about. Nevertheless, I think I got the dear husband hooked & the onus is on me to find what to watch next that could even be close to comparable to that of "Snow Queen" - & I think the winter fashion that Bo-ra wears in the show is totally cool - love,love her knee high boots - if only it would snow in SG ;p

And thanks to Ley, I will next watch & actually enjoy the likes of Lee Jun Ki in "Time Between Dog & Wolf". My opinion of him took a turn watching just the first 2 episodes of the drama, I think this particular sepet-boy can sure rock-it lah aka certified approved watchable .... & I almost forgot how 'girly' he looked in 'My Girl'.

My body have been aching the past few days thanks to the onset of flurry of activities on Sunday. Given this not so young nubile body of mine, the body is merely reacting to the sudden return of competitive playing against the younger, more active players. Me & my posse of netball mummies participated in the Captain's Ball competition organised by Merak at Assyakirin Mosque & whaddaya know these ahjummas triumphed & emerged champion for the game. Not bad considering we were back from 7 mth hiatus of competitive match playing. And we were surprisingly not out of breath after each match - I think the sessions at the gym does wonders for your stamina & we can certainly attest to that.

After a quick change, by noon we scooted off to the east to celebrate my niece, lil 'Boo' Hana's 1st birthday celebration. She was one happy kid basking in all the attention & successfully went through the traditional rite of passage also gone through by Amira - having changed into not less than 4 costumes/gowns for the event courtesy of her Nani.

The next few days after, I was on a high, always looking forward to our nightly k-drama Marathon with Tae woong & Bo-ra. Its amazing how into the show my husband was that I was even chided for questioning Tae woong's knowledge of Mathematics formula in the show - I mean he IS after all just playing acting the genius - thats how defensive he got of his 'friend' :p

Lets see if I can get him to get hooked on my next drama conquest....

Weekend with my Oppa....

2008-07-26T19:41:00.004+08:00

Last night we finally paid a visit to Dani, the new little addition to our STSS conglomerate of offsprings. Mummy Fazilah & little Dani is doing well & it is wonderful warm feeling to finally see all my fellow saint sisters settling down in our various roles as mummies & wives after going through an amazing 24 years of friendship with them. Amirul & Amira was as usual excited being with the lil one - which I cant help but feel like they are perhaps sending somewhat kind of 'signal' to me ;p Perhaps much consideration shall be in the 'pipeworks' ahead...

Earlier today, I spend a good 6 hours with my Oppa - nope, not the telly version but my real-life Oppa as we sat and spent the whole afternoon following the life of Tae Woong & Bo-ra in "Snow Queen". I was surprised that he actually sat & really showed genuine interest in my love of K-Drama - perhaps wanting to see what is it that gets his lady hooked day & night, and also perhaps the drama incorporated his topics of interests like boxing & maths geniuses. At least I don't feel too bad while I indulged hours after hours of my attention to them. Of late he have been a fan of local TCS8 dramas, catching the re-runs of old dramas aired at 11pm, even following faithfully the "La Femme" & now "Beach,Ball, Babes" series, which I think he is not too proud to brag about. But nevertheless, it was a great day as I get to kill 2 birds with one stone - enjoy my K-drama & spending precious time with my all-time favourite oppa sans the sepet eyes that is...:)

Princely Devil...

2008-07-21T19:38:00.008+08:00

*smiles* I just completed 16 hours of "Mawang". It was wonderful to see Joo Ji Hoon, playing 'out-of-character' clearly entering into the foray of serious acting,a far-cry from the blue-blood Prince he was in "Goong".Despite this being just his 2nd acting stint, he did pretty well I must say. His character in this drama was a pretty intense one and he really shined through, especially in the final few episodes.

Mawang aka The Devil is a revenge drama that delves into darker crimes, with a bit more shades of gray in terms of “evil” and “good”. There’s a devil inside every one of us, but the difference is the levels of control that we maintain over that devil. The main characters of The Devil are tormented by their demons, and together they play a dangerous cat and mouse game, one in which many lives are at stake, and just might eventually bring down judgment upon the sinners.

“the tragic event of their childhood entwined the fates between two men and a woman who has an ability in psychometry into a love triangle. psychometry is a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a psychic holds an object in his or her hands in order to obtain information about the object or its owner. joo ji hoon 주지훈 is lawyer oh seung ho 오승호 who is destined to meet police detective, kang oh soo (played by uhm tae woong 엄태웅). shin min ah 신민아 is seo hae in 서해인, a 25-year old mysterious librarian with an ability in psychometry. she is at the level of being diagnosed with amnesia/sleeping disorder and she tends to be in full concentration when she becomes too absorbed/focus into something. kang oh soo who is from a rich family, had accidentally caused oh seung ho to lose his older brother and mom when they were young. oh seung ho later grows up to be a lawyer who seeks revenge on kang oh soo who is now a police detective. oh seung ho and seo hae in will have feelings for each other while kang oh soo has a one sided love for seo hae in.”

And the soundtrack is a killer - no sappy, sacharine-sweet, gushy sweet love songs but more on the lines of Galasso with some like the feel of Sting - The moody, classical overtones and even brooding ballads are intriguing. Worth listening in loops. love it, love it....

A Mediteranean Feast & such...

2008-07-16T15:54:00.006+08:00

Over the weekend, I met up with my lovely ladies once again to feast & chat. The theme chosen was mediteranean & each of us brought over food with middle eastern flavour. I was in one of my 'rajin' mood & ended up bringing 3 types of food, the all-time fav Chix & Cheese toast for the kids, Meditaranean salad - which I think was quite a success given my first attempt & herbed Pita. The rest brought Nasi Turkey, kebabs & Taboulleh to fill the table. Tiramisu was the dessert for the day. Along with Arabic music in the background it was once again a fun-filled night for me with them. Padiss was a great hostess with the mostest, together with Shir, Ann & Siti we sure did bring the house down together of course with the 12 kids or so constantly running amok at the background...
We are already throwing ideas for our next meet-up & if all goes well, it would be Annyeong Haseyo with all of them :))

Its good to note that its 3rd time lucky for me when I drove all the way to Punggol in 30 min!! the husband's sticky notes on the street directory is a gigantic help of course.

On a better note(or not) I just completed watching & mulling over 24 episodes of "Goong". I must say that Joo Ji Hoon has found himself a big fan in this 'ahjumma'. I know, I know, I am a bit late in this K-drama bandwagon, given that I just watched the series now even though it was aired in 2006. And I know, I know its getting a bit lame & old to be swooning of young Korean actors & actresses but they are great I'm telling you. It also starred the wonderful Yoon Eun Hye who I have to say made me a big fan of her since I saw her in 'Coffee Prince'. I first saw her playing the role of a tomboy in CP,& it was great to see her in all her beautiful natural feminine glory. "Princess Hours" as it is also known is a rom-com just like Coffee Prince but it was set around a palace and introduced me to the whole world of Korean royalty & monarchy - a very enriching & fascinating experience I should say. I'm trying to steer myself away from the too-romantic dramas for now - after awhile the storyline do become predictable although it still is ever-so-addictive. Next in line for my on-going K-Drama obsession is a psycho-drama. I just started watching the first few episodes of "The Devil" & I immediately fell in love with the drama as the cinematography & mood setting is totally different from the normal k-dramas that I've seen so far. The opening credits itself is wonderful & Joo Ji Hoon as the lead role is of course a big bonus too :)

On the school front, everything is slowly becoming a regular routine & for the next 3 weeks, I will take up another class at Shuqun on top of the 2 current ones at Fuhua. Timewise would be perfect as it is slotted in between my lessons at Fuhua & extra moolah is always a good idea.

And I'm gritting my teeth as The Ellen Show has stopped airing since last week - there goes my daily evening funny fix - thankfully there's always my K-Dramas to save the day :)

(Another) Confession of a Blur Driver

2008-07-07T08:34:00.010+08:00

Yesterday I hit the Singapore expressways alone, again. I was headed to Haliza's sister's wedding at Woodlands & since the husband & son just got back from their Sunday morning soccer, I decided to spare them from further 'tire-some misery' of having to attend the wedding & brought just Mira instead.

So there we were, mother & daughter, decked out in peach lace finery with matching shoes & handbags when we started our journey. All was well right until I was supposed to exit the KJE. I missed the Woodlands exit - darn these exits (why can't I just get it right!!) - & ended up all the way to Lim Chu Kang. I have been to the farms at the far end so therefore the road looked very familiar & I know this is definitely NOT the way to Woodlands. Also bugged by the fact that Rima was waiting for me & I am already 15 minutes late, I made an exit at Jurong & hit the PIE again, but now instead of hitting the same route again to attempt to make it right & end up making the mistake twice(knowing me!), I chose the all-familiar Teck Whye - Bt Panjang route & go through the old Woodlands Road instead. Yes, we did reach our destination safe & sound, nevermind the countless irritated & annoyed lorry drivers whom their lanes I have to cut through. & I also missed the chance to meet-up with Rima ;(

I suppose there is a mild progression this time round & on the way back home, I did finally hit the PIE but of course with just just a mini-slip-up, by making an early exit at Bt Panjang instead of the Dairy Farm Road. But hey, we did come back in one piece & the car is unscathed & the most important thing is that my 30 min journey is now only 'extended' by an hour instead of the dreaded 2 :)) PLUS we got ourselves a cheery 'welcome back home brigade' in the form of cousins Wawan & Shireen all the way from the 6th floor kitchen window....;p

A Taste of Disney & more...

2008-07-05T14:28:00.002+08:00

We brought the kids to Disney Naturally,the first ever Disney-themed eatery outside of Disneyland at Anchorpoint. Naturally, everything here is decked out in the full flavors of Disney. life-sized statues of Mickey, Donald and Goofy greeted us at the entrance of this 1,400 square foot restaurant. The kids were also enticed to wash your their at the giant mickey’s hand wash basin before dining.

All the chairs here are baby blue and shaped like Mickey’s head and the mickey-shaped things here are not limited to just the chairs…

…the pizzas & buns are mickey-shaped too! There are 6 different kinds of pizza and they are cutely-named like Mickey’s Classic, Daisy’s Garden & Donald’s Legend just to name a few.

The Minnie’s Secret pizza was just about right for two not-so-hungry people. It comes with toppings of cajun chicken, tomato and mushroom. while the taste isn’t exactly that memorable, what is unique about it (other than its distinctive shape) is that spinach bits have been sneakily hidden in its crust.it’s a healthy treat especially suitable for kids that dislike vegetables. in fact, we didn’t even realise there was spinach until we read the menu more carefully ;p

Despite the small menu, it is certainly packed with healthy goodness with colorful little square booklets at every table serve to inform diners about the nutritional value of all menu items.

For drinks, they serve the usual juices, as well as icy fruit blends. I think most people would go for the fruit blends which, again, sport very colorful names like 'Goofy’s Favorite', 'Winnie’s Rainforest' & 'Prince Charming’s kiss'. Its good to note that these fruit blends have no sugar added, and stands true to Disney Naturally’s philosophy of promoting healthy eating.

While enjoying our cute disney-themed meal, the kids get to watch movies at the same time featuring popular titles including 'Finding Nemo' and even the more recent 'Ratatouille.' They show different movies each day of the week so do the check out the movie schedule displayed at the storefront.

Amirul & Amira were kept busy while waiting for their food with game sheets that are available at every table allowing them to engage in some fun activities such as crossword puzzles and quizzes. There are also mickey-shaped computer terminals for children to surf the Disney website and play Disney games.

I bet my last Disney dollar that this certainly wont be our last visit here - anyone care to join us for yummy Disney's Mac & Cheese ??

PS: The eatery is situated at Anchorpoint which also happen to be an outlet mall or 'store-outlet haven' if u ask me .Some of the outlet stores which offer heavily discounted goods are Charles & Keith, G2000, Pedro, Giordano ,Billabong & Club Marc - how convenient is that ?? ;p

Of Cyber Arts & K-dramas...

2008-07-02T21:35:00.006+08:00

Its been 3 days since the start of the 2nd term. Its been 3 days since I started yet another cycle of CyberArt lessons. This term I play 'digital art-teacher' to students of Fuhua SS & Shuqun SS. Unlike last term I not only just take up 1 but 3 different courses to teach 3 different groups of students: Digital Art - Poster, Cyber Art-T-shirt Design & Claymation. I am more excited as it would be my first time training the kids Claymation using Stop Motion. Even though on paper the schdeule looks really tight & taxing, the company have been nice enough to fit all lessons in the mornings & all 3 courses interweave each other - as such I would always be back home by 2 & the longest teaching hour I would have to do is just 3 hours. This term is also more relaxing as I have the assistance of another trainer, Stephanie, instead of yelling & conducting the lessons with 40 students alone. On a lil wee bit negative side, the lessons are conducted in the art room, therefore no air-con, being the brat that I am it does get hot & sweaty at times. Some of the classes were reduced to 20 students only, so much better for us, on top of that, I have the help of 2 more school teachers who are around to render any help which we may need - and so far it has been smooth sailing. I love the atmosphere conducting the lessons in the art room as it constantly reminds me of my days where I would spend many school hours in the art room - times which I remembered I loved a lot. And being around acrylic & easels does bring back fond memories of school days :)

It was fun to teach with Stephanie again as it was more than 2 years since we conducted lessons together & its not so lonely in between lessons too.

Other than the teaching bit, I've been keeping my Macbook warm & busy with freelance design work too. Over the last 2 mths I've done several company logos & currently working on a website for a spa - Alhamdulillah...the wheel is turning slowly but surely.

Now that its already the 2nd half of the year, I wont be surprised that time will just whiz pass by in a jiffy. There are still so much things that I have yet to do but at the same time, there are unexpected twists & events that take precedence but in turn does affect me in a positive way.

The kids are doing well & ok. Amirul will back hitting the books preparing yet another 'study-battle' with daddy dearest. Amira is learning way too fast than I can catch on but I am grateful that I am around & able to oversee & witness these changes in her.

I havent been hitting the gym as often as I would love too & I can just feel those 'jiggly-bits' crying for dire attention. With teaching schedule falling into routine I hope I can squeeze in regular weekly time with my other school-mummies on the threadmill.

Over the last 2 months or so, I can safely say I have watched a good deal number of K-drama series more than anyone could over watched in a year. Among those that I strongly have affection for & left an impact on me ie I watched some of the episodes MORE than ONCE, are '9 Ends 2 Outs','Que Sera Sera'- love Eric Mun in it & 'Goong S'- love Se7en in it. I've certainly known more Korean words than I could ever imagine & can recognise the Hallyu heroes & heroines of K-Drama - how sad & quirky is that?? As of today, I have yet to decide which K-Drama to hit next.

All in all, the 2nd half of the year so far have been kind to me & I have no complaints whatsoever. Lets hope it'll continue travelling this path for me - Insyaallah :)

Misms-read (?!)

2008-06-27T09:01:00.002+08:00

SMS - Dave: "Hi Aida,will u be able to come down tomm at 8.30am for a project briefing at Fuhua, Steph will go thru with u."

I received this message the day before, so this morning I quickly drop Amira off to school & make my way to Jurong West for the said briefing. All seems normal. At 8.30 while still at the school carpark I gave Steph, my co-asst a call to see if she'd already arrived.

Aida :"Hi Steph, are u at Fuhua already? Coz I'm here"
Steph:"Uhmmm...huh? Fuhua lessons will only start next week u know.."
Aida :"Ya, I know Dave send me an SMS abt the briefing today at 8.30?"
Steph:"huh? I dunno u know....maybe u should check with Dave..I'm at the office (thats all the way at Bali Lane for your info) but I have to leave at 9.30..."
Aida :"ok, I call Dave.."
Aida :"Dave, Its me.I thought we are supposed to have a briefing at Fuhua at 8.30?"
Dave :"oh ya...I'm waiting for you here at the office! where are u??"
Aida : (!!&*%$#)

So is it me or SMS getting way too complicated to comprehend nowadays??

Its All About Him & Me

2008-06-18T15:37:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I made another exclusive date with the(other) man in my life. I first brought him to the library & for lunch we headed over to ZingDo where he had his first taste of great Korean food.(yes, yes I am turning him into a convert-forgive my biasness ). Since most of the menu items are hot & spicy, he opted for Seafood Noodle while I had yummy BiBim Bap Beef Bulgogi Meal set that comes with a bowl of piping-hot Kimchi soup. Its all not in vain as he is now a fan of Korean food after Japanese cuisine - Sushi & Handroll sans Wasabi :) So while dear hubby is fan of traditional Beriyani & Kway Teow, I can now drag my son for a Korean or Japanese meal when my craving calls for it. After our filling lunch, we went to sit & watch people skating at Fuji Ice Palace & left with a promise that hopefully we could skate together the next time we have our date.

Its All About the Sun & Clear Blue Sea

2008-06-15T11:22:00.002+08:00

The time spent in Tioman felt slow but it amazingly passed by us faster than we thought. Our days there were literally all about the sun & the sea - no TV, no newspapers, no malls, no ice-blended coffee & no computers. Purely laid-back, relaxing. The kids, suffice to say, had fun to the max - who wouldnt be when all u do when u wake up is hit the clear blue sea, have lunch then hit the sea again to swim with the fishes.

Snorkling around the islands was amazing - Masyaallah, to witness His creation sprouting right before your eyes, looking up close at corals in hues of greens, blues & reds, swimming alongside ultramarine blue fishes the size of your arm,& the likes of Dories & Nemos literally beside you.

When nightfalls, we witness the amazing sunset as we digged in our fresh grilled dinner by the beach with our feet in the sand.

Oh, not forgetting its still the Euro2008 season, being the ardent soccer fanatic, the husband have graciously,without mighty complaining, head to the outdoor cafe every night to watch the televised games - as the rooms were not even equipped with TV - for that, I could not thank him enough :)

A truely tranquil atmosphere where for just a few days we forgot how busy & chaotic our pace of lives were back home...

my Sah-rahng

2008-06-14T16:59:00.004+08:00

Early this week, I met up with my lovely sorority sisters from sec sch for a mad fun lunch - just us, no kids, no husbands. They caved-in to my cravings for everything korean & settled for lunch at Seoul Garden. Of course I'm still not hopping crazy for Kimchi as yet so Korean restaurants will have to just stay at 3rd spot after my top affection for all things Korean - my K-drama & Gong Yoo that is. Thanks guys :) I managed to do a little window shopping & I even surprised myself as I constantly did not see anything that I desire to buy, be it shoes or bags. Its been almost 2 weeks since the GSS started & I have yet to do any serious damage to my pockets.

Chatters & gossips flew in fast & furious over bulgogi beef & shezuan chicken over Kimchi soup broth. Salawati have to constantly remind me to stop cracking jokes as her stomach is aching & she would like to take a breather just so that she could hold a interrupted-free conversation with me. Haliza came a little later where she joined us for desserts at Swensens. It was a lovely time, just like old days, just like we were, 20 yrs ago....

A Blooming Time

2008-06-01T19:57:00.002+08:00

It was a very anxious day for me (& I bet for the other ladies too). Our plan was to have a nice little picnic in the garden amidst lush landscape & blooming flowers while the kids run & scream around the gardens. Alas it was not to be. Like they say,we can only PLAN & ALLAH will do the rest.

So with the weather not on our side, we brought our picnic indoors instead in the 'blooming' atmosphere of our hostess yet again, Annie's, our soon-to-be-mummy-again, abode. Of course it was not without a little drama before I reached Annie's place with a 2hr delay.

All thanks to a traffic jam & my 'lost-in-traffic' moment while I had my first attempt to drive from Clementi to Sengkang, only to drive by PIE Toa Payoh TWICE, CTE twice, took a wrong turn, went thru Woodlands and ended up all the way to the end to Jln Bahar instead. So after 2 hours of my 'exploring' the major expressways of Singapore, I made a dire-straits call to dear husband who willingly took the wheels from me & drive us to our destination - I could not thank him enough :)

All is well when I reached Annie's house & soon forgot my ordeal as we 'stuffed' ourselves silly with food & drinks with merry-chat. We also did manage to watch 'Ayat-ayat Cinta' although not fully-concentrated - I mean with about 15 or so kids running & screaming around the house, its a major achievement that we even get the gist of the story. Ain's side commentary is a big help of course :)

So ladies, till we meet again soon, I had a blast & thanks again to my 'Kak Long' - once again, the hostess with the mostest....

(One More) Game at the Stadium...

2008-05-29T11:11:00.002+08:00

Just when we thought the previous time was the last football game held at our National Stadium, the national team hosted another international friendly at the all formidable Grand Ol'Dame. Being just a friendly game, the crowd turnout wasn't so good, but we did get good seats - thanks to another generous help from my cousin :)

Amirul decided to give the game a miss since its not Manchester United playing - yes, he's now a Man U Ronaldo fan thanks to the great influences around him in the form of my father, uncles & numerous cousins. I suppose his father is not exactly jumping for joy at his new found interest but thankful just as well for he at least has taken a fancy towards soccer in whatever form he knows how.

Amira was just happy that she once again get to see the dancing lion on the stands. Although she got bored halfway & whipped out a magazine & pretended to flip through & read it for a good 30 minutes. I think we were just happy that she occupied herself rather than distract us with enormous why's & how's.

Let The Holidays Begin...

2008-05-24T18:55:00.003+08:00

So the school holidays have officially started. To kick off the mid-year vacation, the kids were brought to a kids play called 'Monster Hits' at the Black Box in conjunction with KidsFest 2008. This was Amirul's second play & Amira's first. Being an interactive play, Amirul had a little more fun than the sister did & I think she was more terrified of the 2 monsters actually coming & cosying up to her. After it was all over she did say that she liked it & couldn't stopped talking about it to her dad...well I know I did enjoy myself & glad that I get to share one of my passion with both of them & hope I could stir & slowly cultivate their interest & appreciation for art in them :)

On the same day, it was the official start to the GSS 2008. On our way back, we passed Raffles City & I have to say it truely was 'challenge' to not go into all the shops with banners emblazing those magical four-letter words & made worse emphasized with 50% to 70% off. But being the first day, everywhere was crowded & I pacify myself by making a vow to 'visit' & 'say my hi' to the stores during the quieter weekdays. But then, being a school holiday how quite can it go right? We shall see soon enough I hope.

So another wedding is on the pipeline this weekend, another weekend of painful blissful feet in the name of beauty. I envision more dressing up to weddings with consecutive events week after week, it IS the holiday season after all...

My Made-of-Honor

2008-05-22T13:49:00.004+08:00

Yesterday I got myself a treat. A chick-flick treat in the form of a rom-com (ie Romantic Comedy) from my better half. I was setting my eye on this movie a few months back since I heard McDreamy would be in it. I thought since its not an action-packed nor animated nor some super-hero flick, I would never get my husband to watch it with me. But lo & behold, out of the blue, he decided that why don't we just have the kids placed in safe hands for a few hours & we just go out for a movie & a good meal- just the 2 of us. Its been a while since we went out on a date - outings many, with kids included. After considering our choices ( I said its just 'formality' lah...) between 'What Happens in Vegas' & some others, I was very glad we decided on this one. It's a really feel-good chick movie that have u worry & stress free while watching it, & eye-candy in the form of Patrick Dempsey didnt hurt either :) Although I must say he does look a wee bit older for a character of 30 odd years.

We have been avid fan of romantic comedy for as long as we can remember & among our favourites were those that starred Hugh Grant & Julia Roberts. I guess its just the charm in the characters portrayed that make u feel good about them & makes u feel good just by watching them.Yesterday we caught the trailer of Hancock, & big fan of Wil Smith that he is, I'm sure it would be one of the movies we will be catching when it opens. But I think Wil Smith seems to always play the 'saviour' that saved the day much to often of late. But his movies are still goos nevertheless. My brother has a copy of 'ayat-ayat cinta' courtesy of his work & we still can't seem to finish watching it over the days. There is always something that would disrupt to make the viewing postponed to a later time. It looks good for the first 15 minutes though.

So our date went well, save for the bad traffic jam that we cant help but encounter when going home at 6. good movie, good meal, best company...more of these please...:)

The Spirit of Ultra

2008-05-17T14:02:00.003+08:00

In line with my newly found love & passion for everything Korean, I got myself the 'Spirit of Ultra' - well, actually, the husband got me...kamsa hamnida...

My Busy Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-12T07:58:00.005+08:00

My weekend went by me quicker than I imagined. It started mid-week when I had to prepare for a Mother's Day event organised by our muslimah unit. In between meetings & everyday routine & my freelance design work, we manage to bring the kids to watch Ironman (darn good & hot movie..)

I wasn't such a big Robert Downey Jr fan before. I love to see him in movies & the way he carry himself, his charisma, but my opinion of him was always swayed by his personal afflictions & the fact that he left Sarah Jessica Parker (duh!), but seeing him turn his life around, getting married, being a dad & practically putting his life back on the high-life is a big thumbs-up for me. And seeing him in Ironman, I think he rekindled the closet RDJr fan in me once again(but right now he stands after Gong Yoo lah kan, kan Xiaomei?)

After our okay-okay lunch at My Chicken Rice Shop, we drove the kids a stone's throw away from Vivocity, Keppel Bay. Previously my husband had spotted interesting water creatures while he was there, so he thought it would be interesting if the kids could see it for themselves. Our visit was rewarded when we spotted a water-caterpillar wiggling away & saw not 1 but 3 jellyfishes near the water surface.

The quite afternoon was then interrupted by the laughing & shrieking of the kids as their feet took flight & they ran around playfully by the bay. Simple & nice fun, the way we always like it....

We paid a short visit to the in-laws on Friday as we would not be able to see them over the weekend. Come Saturday, my busy weekend officially started. We had our family's inagural dinner at Sakura. The place was packed to the brim & I think I get full & tired just by walking up & down, to & fro to get my food replenished.

Sunday morning started after Subuh for me when we prep ourselves up for the next 5 hour event. I'm very proud to say it went pretty well. The atmosphere was warm & friendly & everyone had a good time. We gave all ladies a stalk of rose & those who attended the 2 talks we organised were given gifts & a hearty healthy breakfast. We were even featured on the news in Suria & CNA later that night:)

Still reeling in glee that the event went well, we then headed to Pasir Ris to visit a cousin who just gave birth to a baby boy. It was nice to see Aunties,uncles & cousins on my mom's side that we only get to see on such occasions & I would always look forward to those loud conversations, jokes & hearty laughter...

I think in my mind, it was an almost perfect weekend...
Happy Mother's Day to me & All Mothers...

With friends like these....

2008-05-03T13:29:00.004+08:00

About a year ago, I made 3 new friends over the virtual world. We met up & realised that we have tons in common. From that day onward, plus a few more addition to our posse, we meet regularly, our kids know each other by their first names & our hubbies are somewhat acquainted. Over quick meals or just watching over kids at the playground, we shared stories, anecdotes, advise or simply updating each other about where to get the best bargains in clothes & shoes. It is simple & straightforward this thing called friendship that I share with these mummies. No need to try too hard like it was in our struggling teenage years, nor do we see the need to impress. We appreciate each other for who we are & what we are. With the different personalities & characters, one thing that we definitely share is the strong bond & how we always place our utmost importance to our kids & family.

Alhamdulillah, I've enjoyed their company eversince, be it over the internet chat or when we have any chance to meet - as much as we try to squeeze in between the children's schoolhours, husband's free time-out & our own commitments. Here's to many more mummy-girls moments to come....

Long Time coming....

2008-05-02T07:44:00.002+08:00

Its been a long time. SHOPPING at ORCHARD during a PUBLIC HOLIDAY...

It started with a 'much-left-to-be-desired' lunch at Garuda's (I'll let you fill in between the blanks), then together with the not-so-newly married cousins & the brother with Mira, we started our unplanned browsing of Orchard Rd from Paragon, to Takashimaya to Wheelock Place. All this hours in stacked-heel wedges mind you - thank god it was super-comfy Clarks which I think now is my husband's best gift to date. Manage to satisfy retail-therapy pangs with little purchases (literally little as in innerwear & chocolates from M&S & scarfs from Miss Selfridges) It seems most of the shops are having a 20% Labour Day storewide discount.

Even with the overwhelming crowd & the sweltering heat,I did have fun. I guess the company helps too :)

Later I'll be meeting my MP muses, after the damage yesterday, I hope I can maintain my purse's integrity & keep my pockets smiling - I hope, & knowing myself very well,I better not make any promises :)

of Cousins-in-laws & good news...

2008-04-29T19:19:00.006+08:00

I hope I will not get too comfortable staying at home for the next 2 mths. Although I am so relieved that classes are over, knowing myself, I'll be itching to see if there are anymore teaching assignments for me to take up soon. Just 2-3 hours will do, I'm not asking for much.

Last night we met up with a friend of mine with her husband. We had a pleasant business cum pleasantry talk. It was my husband's first time meeting with them & Alhamdulillah we seem to have a lot in common, business-wise & life-wise. I hope something good will come out of it, Insyaallah. There seems to be so much more things that I can possibly do that its only a matter of me getting into the right 'gear'. Sometimes I forgot that with the skills that I acquire & already possess, I can actually do a wide-variety of money-making projects given the right opportunity & meeting with the right contacts. I did make a positive start by updating my portfolio & collating all work done over the past 2 yrs.

On the homefront today, my Auntie got the all-clear from her Dr which definitely calls for a celebration & the one place I know she wont reject is Fish & Chip's from Swensens with potato salad :))

Last weekend, I attended the engagement of a cousin of my husband. It was a fairly simple affair but I have to admit, I had fun catching up with the rest of the relatives & cousins. I only get to meet them during events such as these so it took me quite a while to warm-up to them initially in my early years of marriage. But slowly over the years & through time, I begin to look forward to meeting up & hope I could attend more of such events just so that we could see each other.Now, Alhamdulillah, I know almost all by their first name, I am still trying to figure out which Mamu is sons/daughters of which Mami & slowly getting the kid's names & parents right...give me time I think I will eventually know which is their favourite programs on Zee TV :)

ps: I am still trying to get over my K-drama withdrawal symptom...what shall we get next.....

Hopelessly Addicted...

2008-04-25T20:07:00.006+08:00

I've watched all 16hrs-16 Episodes 'Coffee Prince' TWICE. I feel like a freaking addicted teenager now...must be the stress & hormonal imbalance - yes blame it on the hormones why dont I...

On a good note, school teaching just ended for me today. No more screaming on top of my voice vying for their 2-minute attention, no more stopping 13 yr olds from running in my lab - yes you heard me right, RUNNING in computer labs, no more hearing them moan about finishing my digital assignments. No more. But frankly I do miss them a wee bit, all 280 of them, although at times I wish time could go by real quickly, now that its over, I feel a bit of an emptiness. They did say they enjoyed my lessons & always look forward to their Digital Art lessons every week. After all its almost 5 mths of seeing them every other day. But one thing I know, I dont think I can be the patient teacher for a long time - a big salute to the teachers out there coz I can never do even a quarter of what they go through.

So I intend to rest on my laurels for the next 2 mth - enjoying the coming school holidays to the fullest with my kids, hopefully with a bit of design freelancing here & there to add extra moolah & just take it easy...after all there is always Coffee Prince to fill my day :)

St Chummy Time

2008-04-22T17:26:00.004+08:00

Over the weekend, our dear Rima, once again played hostess with the mostest for our ST-girls meet-up. We missed out a couple of chummy-sisters, but between the 5 of us & the kids, its enough to almost 'tear' the Rima's house down. It was supposed to be potluck, but the hostess had the menu right up to the T with Mee Bakso, Ayam Masak Merah & Sotong sumbat for us to savor. Lilis brought cocktail dessert & I just brought sweet treats & snacks for the kids which of course end-up being savoured by the 'mak-budaks' too. Naila made her SG debut with some of the girls & I had my first-look at the expecting mummy Faz who's 6 mths along - another stork on the way, yay!!

Thank you once again to Rima & Azlan for the venue & to my girls, can't wait to see u again soon :)

an ode to an aunt

2008-04-17T09:51:00.003+08:00

When I was growing up as pimply teenager going through my fair share of teenage angst & problems, she would be the one I run & turn too. She would know what to do & what to say without making me feel stupid or silly. Sometimes I do not even need to say in so many words but she understood me just fine. The love & care she showered to my family, my kids & I, I could never repay in this lifetime. I am comfortable going through the phases of my life knowing that I can always have her at the back of my mind should I need a listening ear or just as a pillar of strength. Always putting others before herself & always with good intentions, I hope she would have the strength & tenacity to go through this ordeal & emerge stronger than ever just like the courage & support that she had given me through these years...Insyaallah...my prayers are with u.....

my K-drama Obsession

2008-04-15T16:57:00.006+08:00

Here I go again - for the past month my mind & time have been flooded with the likes of Gong Yoo & Lee Dong Wook. Never mind that I've wasted about 30 odd hours of my free time devoted to them, I'm hooked. Thanks to my Xiao-mei, I think I can put my Hindi film addiction for a quick break as I 'drown' myself in these ever so romantic Korean Dramas with hunky & pretty leads to keep my eyes glued to my portable DVD day in & day out.

I do not know what is it about these dramas that affects me so much - I mean I literally drop a tear when a Eun-Chan & Han Gyeol have to split up & then cried buckets when they were finally reunited!!(I guess I can always blame it on the monthly raging hormones ;p) The script is simple & direct and very heartwarming set in reality even though I have to rely on the English subtitles to fully 'immerse' myself in their world. But its a good & I got warm-chummy feeling & thankfully my husband is not complaining about my dire addiction - so far.

So if any of you would like to start the K-Drama Odyssey, "Coffee Prince" is one drama u should kick-start with - no regrets I guarantee.

Now Its time to take a deep breath & embrace myself for yet another K-drama journey with "One Fine Day" staring who else, but Gong Yoo :))

My (Other) Cousin's Wedding

2008-04-13T11:47:00.002+08:00

Barely a month after my cousin Nora's Wedding, we welcome yet another make-merry event in the form of another cousin's wedding, the youngest son of my Pak Long, Zaydi. The 'festivities' started from Thursday night right up to Sunday evening - so it was indeed a busy weekend for us.

The Akad Nikah was held on Saturday at Fort Canning Park followed by the reception hosted by the bride's family in the afternoon.

On Sunday, they had their usual persandingan at the groom's place where we once again did our part in the 'rewang-combo'. It was a simple wedding where close family & relatives meet-up again for yet another get together with never a lack of topic to yap & talk about. Even the sudden downpour in the afternoon ,I believe, did not dampen the festive atmosphere.I'm sure gonna miss events like this, tiring it maybe we sure had fun & I believe it will be quite sometime till another cousin(or sibling) gets hitched again..

me & the French Chick

2008-04-13T10:35:00.003+08:00

Last Friday I finally get my eyes AND hands on a cute French chick. No worries coz I don't 'lean that way' - I'm talking about Julie's cutie of a daughter Naila whom I met for the very first time since she was born. After seeing her developments thru her mummie's blogs, its nice to finally cuddle her & hear her gurgles & laughter. In between my lessons in school, I manage to squeeze in time to meet mum & daughter since their arrival from France as I was not able to go to their place the next day due to my cousin's wedding. Oh & I got a lovely & yummy breakfast with great company too, of course - Thanks Jules & mum :)

Ok Naila, so I guess this is one of those non-blood, non-relative faces that u will see very often from this day onward. Its a really good sign that you are taking to me quite well - I suppose being a happy & friendly baby you are, u do take almost everyone quite well. We are very happy -I'm sure ure mummy does too - that you will be here to stay for good, that means I get to pinch those cheeks & thighs whenever we meet without just gawking at your pictures thru my comp. In days to come, u will be duly introduced to 2 more non-related, non-blood siblings in the form of Amirul & Amira. I now you will like Amirul as he is very brotherly & responsible, as for Mira, you just have to tolerate her fiddling you every now & then, otherwise, she can be rally, really nice & could potentially be your nanny-in-waiting, really. So this Auntie is really elated & can't wait to see more of you, oh, & your mummy too of course...

Young Love knows no boundaries...

2008-04-08T14:19:00.003+08:00

aaaah...the innocence of young love.
Never fail to put a smile on my face everytime I watch this.
"Tan Hong Ming In Love" receives the highest award for public service commercials at the Asia-Pacific Advertising Festival.It was given two Gold awards at the annual Malaysian advertising award show.One for Best Television Commercial, and the other for Best Film Direction.

Kudos to the director Yasmin Ahmad.

Meeting of the 'Desperados'

2008-04-08T10:11:00.001+08:00

Desperate :) Thats exactly how I felt after 4 long months of not meeting up,chatting & laughing our hearts away. The meeting of the 'not-So Desperate-Housewives' or semi SAHM for some of us.

In between the months, we did meet for a short while but of course its always never the same coz u know we women would need at least 2 hours to really 'keep ourselves up-to-date' of the whats-going-ons - minimum:)

Over lunch, balloons, infants, toddlers & kids we manage to have a good meal - I think the service people at Swensens PS did a wonderfu job at keeping the kids at 'peace' too. Even manage to squeeze in time for a lil shopping therapy for us after that :)

Great food, great company, great time, til next time my lovelies....

my lack of update...sniff

2008-03-31T15:34:00.003+08:00

Do pardon me on my lack of updates. Over the past 2 weeks, I've been under the weather battling the flu & cold viruses. In Malay, there is a saying of how the disease is always "Datang macam Ribut, pergi macam Semut" or loosely translating it, how the virus comes so quickly like the wind & goes away slowly like ant. How true it is. My sniffles have been 'accompanying me' refusing to set-me-free for almost 2 weeks now. Which also means our Swensens meals have to be put on a hiatus for now. My Digital Art classes are into their 10th week now & this week there have been some rescuffling of time-table, therefore also some time changing & some adjustments in my exercise & 'outing' activities with my mummy-buddies.

My cousin honeymooners are back from their holiday in the sun & sea of Hawaii bringing back some gifts that included something that could soothe my longing soul. (remember the dreaded Dec 16 2007 incident????)

My girlfriend Julie & family are back in SG from France for good and I sure can't wait for our afternoon tete-a-tetes with Naila & mum :))

Something to look forward to is another cousin's wedding come this weekend. Although the scale of 'sengseng-lengan' will not be as severe than the one we just had last month, it gives another excuse to make merry & noise with family, cousins & aunties once again. & this time we do not have to worry about staining our lace & songket bajus with the Ayam Masak Merah & Chicken Curry as we could officially be pretty 'wallpapers' for the day :))

We heard a WHO!

2008-03-13T15:40:00.001+08:00

Brought Amirul & Amira to catch the sneak of "Horton Hears a Who".

A very entertaining movie although I must say not the same league as our all-time favourite 'Toy-Story' & 'Ratatouille', But still an enjoyable watch...

We tried a new halal eatery called 'Griller' on the 3rd Level of Tiong Bahru Plaza just opposite the cineplex. The western spread was not too bad. We tried the Portuguese Beef Stew, Countryside Chicken with the special BBQ sauce & Spaghetti for the kids. I love the pop-art deco & ambience, will definitely make it one of our alternative 'makan' joint whenever we are tired of our good-ol Swensens.

Here's a little info about the movie, go watch it, the kids will enjoy....

"It a story of Horton the Elephant who, on the fifteenth of May in the Jungle of Nool, hears a small speck of dust talking to him. It turns out the speck of dust is actually a tiny planet, home to a city called "Who-ville", inhabited by microscopic-sized inhabitants known as Whos.

The Whos ask Horton (who, though he cannot see them, is able to hear them quite well) to protect them from harm, to which Horton happily obliges, proclaiming throughout the movie that "a person's a person, no matter how small". In doing so he is ridiculed and forced into a cage by the other animals in the jungle for believing in something that they are unable to see or hear. His chief tormentors are Vlad Vladikoff, the Wickersham Brothers and the Sour Kangaroo, and the small kangaroo in her pouch. Horton tells the Whos that they needed to make themselves heard to the other animals, lest they end up as part of "beezlenut stew", which they finally accomplish. The Whos finally make themselves heard by ensuring that all members of their society play their part. In the end it is the smallest Who of all, Jo-Jo, who provides the last volume lift to be heard, thus reinforcing the moral of "a person's a person no matter how small".

My 'Cinnabon' Day Trip

2008-03-12T10:18:00.001+08:00

Every year, my mosque would organise trips & outings to reward volunteers & activists for their work & time rendered. I usually do not make the trip as I'd rather give my place up to those more deserving & would enjoy the trip more. Especially Malaysia day-trips are among the favourites with the veterans & more senior activists.

This year however it was a day-trip to Malacca. The trip would include visting places like a bee farm, a Kerepek Factory, Hi-Tea at a hotel & finally to Mahkota Parade.

*TING* Mahkota Parade! Cinnabon!!
So I MUST make this trip just so I can get my hands on those luscious sinfully round things. So me & my sis together with my parents lugged our kids, sans the dads of course, & faithfully followed the troupe to the farms, factories even markets before finally getting what we craved for.

We were still fresh & reeling from the activities of the previous 4 days of wedding-rewang but manage to get all the kids up by 6 to reach the mosque by 7 before we board the ultra comfortable coach. Fortunately they had a mini lounge area at the lower-deck so the kids were fully occupied throughout the trip entertained by the likes of Alvin & Shrek, nevermind that it was repeated more than twice.

But the most important thing is that we reached the all-important destination & get our CINNABON cravings fulfilled :))

My Cousin's Wedding

2008-03-11T21:44:00.003+08:00

It finally came & went - my cousin's wedding that was planned & so looked forward to by the 60 odd Abu Bakar Clan. It was worth the wait I should say coz the last time we had the wedding-rewang hullaballoo was like more that 9 yrs ago for MY wedding :)
It started off on Thursday evening where we had a tahlil night and a berinai session for the bride adorned by humble me, followed by the Friday rewang & preparations, Saturday's Nikah & Reception Dinner & finally the Sunday Nikah & bersanding.

My cousin Nora, or Kikin as she is affcetionately known by close family members, looked resplendant in her shimmery outfits. Amidst some hitches along the way - as always there will always be unavoidable stuff, I think it went well without any major hitches.

My hubby was entrusted to be the man to assist the father of the bride making sure things run smoothly like clockwork. It was wonderful seeing the whole clan & friends 'singsing' lengan, chipping in whatever they can in one way or another to make the event a memorable one...kecoh-ness was definitely an understatement.

And yes, we were tired beyond words after the 4 days were over, but very happy & satisfied at the end of the day, but most importantly, the bride & the groom did have a wonderful 'Raja-Sehari' day :)

Amira turns 4!

2008-03-03T18:14:00.003+08:00

Mira turned 4 on Feb 28th Last week. She had her mini celebration at school (sorry no pics there ;( ) and another 2 mini celebrations held at my grandma's house & at the in-laws on Sunday. On both occasions, we were fortunate enough to have cakes from Canele by Kakak Kikin on Thursday & Princess Cakes made lovingly by my sis-in-law.

Alhamdulillah, Amira have turned into a a cheerful, happy go lucky child. She is much more outgoing than Amirul but also ultra-sensitive too. She gets affected by little things that she see & feel but also have quite a big ego to boot for such a little girl. Her favourite game & pastime now is the Sesame St website where she learned all the alphabets & numbers, even learn new things every day.Her presence is much 'sought-after', with everyone missing her 'keletah' if she's not around for more than a few days. Hopefully she'll continue to warm everybody's heart & be the best lil girl that she can be & one that we would be proud of, Insyaallah...

my whirlwind week...

2008-02-25T19:30:00.003+08:00

Last week have been a whirlwind one to say the least. During the first part of the week, I thought I was going to be down with the flu,having been around those who are infected with the dreaded bug, I was more than prepared to be put on bed-rest although at the back of my mind, I will worry about my kids, my class & just the thought of being immobile with bodyaches all-over is enough to make me try & put a stop to it. So I diligently gulp down Cod liver oil,drank my needed cups of liquid & stayed away from cold & fried food. & it worked. I guess HE always knows whats best & plans well. What do you know, come mid-week til today, my husband & kids have been caught with the dreaded fever & flu & I become the nurse-at-hand.

It started midweek, my husband had his asthma attack & the norm would be followed up with the flu, but this time round it was followed by high-fever, so high that our family doctor prepared us a referal letter if his temperature did not cool down in the next 12 hours. With nebulisers, medication & a $69 bill, Alhamdulillah it did. The fever slowly went away with just traces of flu left.

Then on Friday, after school, Amira's body got warmer. We know the drill, so of she goes to the dr & yes, it was confirmed she's down with fever too. So I thought ok, at least Amirul is still up & running, but no, come Saturday night, he too succumbed to the fever bug. So by Sunday, all 3 of them were practically in bed with me watching the clock, making sure that they take the medication, replenished with nourishment & food. I reckon it'll probably take a few more days before everything blows over & I can relinquish my 'nurse' role.

& hey, on a brighter note, there's a family wedding to look forward to in less than 2 weeks,how exciting is THAT ?? :)

Me & my valentine...

2008-02-15T16:52:00.006+08:00

And so we met again, our inaugural 2nd date over fish & pasta at IMM. Although the time was a wee bit shorter - due to family & work commitments, it went just as swell as we expected it to be. So short the time we felt that we did not even manage to snap a picture together :( It almost slipped our minds that it was Valentines Day, & Fish & Co had a special Valentine's dinner set thingy going on. So we had dinner, we chatted & had a good laugh - but wait, the best part is always the last. After payment were made, the staff asked us if we wanted to declare our love for each other (???!!!!)..and we were like duh, do we look like we are so in love (THAT way) ?? maybe its the atmosphere, maybe we look happy together, whatever it was, I would call it the cherry on top of the pie, to top the night off, with a very good laughable end...
And we agreed, next time it will be pamper-us time, strictly mani-pedi for us, all right babe? :)

& Rina, many-many thanks again for dinner..:)

Coochies CNY Home-stay Weekend

2008-02-11T17:23:00.000+08:00

With both sets of parents (mine & in-laws) away on holidays, we were left to spend 4 days at home(as in 'home' in Singapura). We made sure that our days are properly planned & that the kids would have their fill of fun in the sun.

1st Day of CNY
We brought the kids to the East Coast beach for a frolicking fun time in the sun. Together with my sister with her kids & brother, we set out early , but of course we were beaten by the many other Malay families who came in well-prepared with mighty big-tents, karaoke machines, portable cookers, generators & 3 generations of blood-line. The kids had a great time while I stood by the shore, fighting little crabs that bit me non-stop :p

2nd Day of CNY
I started the day early with my sis to begin our hike up Bt Timah Hill again. Dear husband played babysitter at home to the kids and being a public holiday, we were already expecting the place to be a bit crowded than usual. There were more families with kids although I cannot fathom how the parents would push their lil tots in prams up the steep hill. It was a good hike & we worked up quite a sweat.

At noon, I made my way to the East to finally pay my dear Shir & Ivi a cheerful CNY visit. Together with Yan, we managed to do a bit of catching up & the kids got caught up with their respective gender games & toys (courtesy of Aedil, Iva & Ili :) Then its off to West Coast Park to go fly some kite. And yes, the park was filled with what looked like gazillion visitors, we even manage to witness a mini cricket match courtesy of the foreign Banglas there.

3rd Day of CNY
It was a home-bound day where we just cooked & ate & played board games all the way...very fun indeed...

4th Day of CNY
We headed to the airposrt to fetch my dear mum-in-law then had lunch there, before chilling out at my in-laws at Eunos.

So, thats our 4-days homestay CNY Weekend...we sure felt that the days flew by so quickly & we were worried before that we'll be bored to our wits :p

ZOLO - Coochies latest Craze

2008-02-11T16:40:00.000+08:00

Here's my kids latest addictive favourite pastime nowadays. Zolo time!!

With this new creative, construction toy, your child can produce unlimited possibilities. You can also join in the fun creating innovative art. Started as a handcraft from the Museum of Modern Art now made in high quality, durable plastic the pieces are available in three sizes. Each set is totally distinct.

Zolo Cozmo includes everything needed to create amazing characters. A most innovative, creative construction for open-ended play, this collection will please your young artist for hours. Limited only by their imagination.

The Zolo Cozmo is a 38-piece set, the largest in the Zolo universe, has an amazing array of shapes: large and small, curved and angular pieces. One purple piece has a shock of hair-like yellow tubing emerging from its end. Another piece has long black bristles growing out of seven holes. Vibrantly colored plastic shapes are decorated with stripes, spots, and spirals. Builders will enjoy exploring the many variations allowed by the peg-and-hole method of construction. Most valuable pieces might be the six eyes. With the addition of eyeballs, a black-spotted tan blob is transformed into a strangely appealing creature. You'd wonder what planet did that come from?!

Amirul & Amira could spend hours just creating alien-looking animals & creatures with special powers & extra powerful limbs. The mummy is just thankful that she could have her quite undisturbed time, nevermind just for a few hours :)

Exploring Labrador Park...

2008-02-04T20:42:00.000+08:00

it was along time coming. The last time we went to Labrador Park was before it was upgraded. It as far more facilities than just playground & BBQ pits. Here's some info about the park:

The 300 metre Labrador beach is extremely rich in marine flora and fauna. Plants such as the sea-grapes, sea-fan and red algae provide food for the fauna at the beach. The animals exploit the environment created by an exposed rocky shore, with some sheltered muddy zones, and show many adaptations to feeding on mud, burrowing, swimming, self-defence and display. Besides its rich biodiversity, this headland played a significant role in the history of Singapore during World War II. Remnants of the past like the war relics, tunnels and a fort enable visitors to have an interactive learning experience of the military history of the British rule during that era. Students, especially, will benefit from the educational value of these war relics that are now surrounded by natural forest. The military installations were built on the highest points, now inside the Nature Reserve, overlooking the Park below.

The Park

Labrador Park is an oasis of tranquility and natural wonder. The park offers a picturesque view of the sea. A Staircase built on the edge of the secondary forest will offer a prime view of the cliff side vegetation coupled with a panoramic view of the sea. It is not uncommon to hear songs sung by a variety of bird species, including the Oriental Magpie-robin and Black-naped Oriole. While you are taking a leisurely stroll along one of the nature trails, you can spot squirrels scurrying up trees. Raptors like the Brahminy Kite, Oriental Honey-Buzzard and Black Baza soar in the sky above while Monitor lizards sun along the footpath. Even the Southern Pied Hornbill has been sighted occasionally. Walk along the Promenade to the soothing sound of the waves and watch cruise ships sail past Sentosa Island. A recently refurnished jetty will take the visitor into the sea to enjoy a breathtaking view of the sunset. If fishing is your cup of tea, join the regular group of anglers at the sea walk along the promenade. .

The park is lit from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am.

Facilities : Beach (short stretch), 7 BBQ pits, 400m jogging track, 9 shelters, restrooms, nature trails, aerial staircase, cycle paths, children's playground, fitness corner

Activities : Barbecuing, bird-watching, Cycling/Biking, Dining, fishing, fitness corners, trekking/nature walks, history trails.

Tours : Guided tours of the war tunnels are now conducted daily from 10am - 7pm. (Last guided tour is at 6pm. Call 6339 6833 for more information.)

So here's another place to explore during the long CNY weekend :)

Double Celebration

2008-02-04T20:04:00.000+08:00

Over the weekend, my husband turned a ripe age of 37. There's no big-affair party nor were there crowds of merriment to celebrate his special day. He got what he wanted - a birthday, being surrounded by people that matters & mean the most to him. He got not 1 but 2 birthday cakes, one each 'celebrated' at our place & the next day at his parent's place. My dear mother-in-law cooked up a storm in the kitchen on Sunday by whipping impromptu dishes of Nasi Briyani & satay with Creme Brulee Pudding for special guests who turned up for the mini-surprise celebration for him. It was unexpected alright, but it was a warm & cosy affair amidst the cold rainy weather. Surrounded by those dear to him, I think its one of the more memorable birthdays he ever had...

I'm still NORMAL.... yes?

2008-02-02T16:26:00.000+08:00

So I have just finished my second tub of Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk in less than 2 weeks. Can't help it as I needed that dose of creamy chocolaty Chocolate Ice Cream with White & Dark Fudge Chunks, Pecans, Walnuts & Fudge Covered Almonds. I suppose that is still normal for those who know me well. You see, sometimes I like to indulge myself, sometimes too over-the-top I might add, but it is STILL pretty normal for me. Other interesting craving 'seasons' I had before was my daily bar of Cadbury's Almond chocolate, and after that Cadbury's fruit & nut's biscuits. So the past 2 weeks was the ice-cream.

What is NOT normal I recently realised was this - its now already the 2nd month of 2008 & I HAVE NOT been too Orchard Road at all! Not once! No drive by, no window shopping, no drop by & grab & go buy, none at all. Could this be my not-so-conscious new year resolution for me ? (gasp!) and since the new year, I also have NOT seen my shoes & bags collection grow by any amount.(waaaaah...) I must say, I am pretty proud of myself :) Athough the urge is always there once in a while, I have managed to resist all attempts & urges to buy or purchase anything at all. As a result of that my driving skills have somewhat improved by the day (coz now I drive to & fro to work, therefore no room or time spared at all for the little drop-by here & there) & my health & general well being is up by a notch too (instead of shopping malls, now I head to the gym or the park or the pool). So I'm liking this new 'thing' going on with my life. I feel some what liberated & I get to save more than I ever did too. Okay now for some online retail therapy...

Its the 2nd Feb today & birthday wishes abound to my pillar of strength, my dearest husband, and to my grandpa who turned ripe age of 93 today :)

Every Sky's a Brand New Sky

2008-01-29T19:22:00.000+08:00

Every sky's a brand new sky,
Uncanny once again;
And every kiss, a brand new kiss,
New won, no matter when.

And every love, a brand new love,
New cherished every day;
Though lips and heart may slowly age,
The awe-struck boy will stay.

And I will vow again to love
You each day of my life,
As though each morning were the first
We rose as man and wife.

Just as a meadow washed by rain
Is relit by the dawn,
Just so our love, as we grow old,
Will each day be reborn.

Here's to 9 Wonderful Years & many more to come...

fit sisters...& mum Unite

2008-01-28T15:52:00.000+08:00

Last week, my sis & I managed to convince our mum to work out in the gym with us. So 3 of the Jailani ladies (sans the youngest one) head down to the nearby for a good 1 - 2 hours of great work out session. For a 66 yr old lady, my mum is quite fit I should say. She's game enough to try out almost all the machines & exercise gadgets that even my sister & I are quite wary of. I suppose her weekly dose of jalan cum exercise with her senior citizen friends does pay off after all. Looking at her, I do wish that I could take after her. Fit & always on the go (but I think my husband will appreciate minus the 'nagging' bit). She is still does major housework like the laundry & ironing & cooking and still manage time in between to cook as our sometimes cooking requests like her famous pudding or even a particular dish that we have been craving of for quite sometime. But of course after the request is made, you have to bear with her while she makes 'noise' about your 'troublesome-ness' requesting this & that, give her a few days and she would always heed your request no matter how busy or how tired she is. Thats my mum.

Since the school reopened, my communication with my mum have taken on a more positive note as I get to see more of her & get to talk to her more while the kids are at school - so its a good thing.

So I still get my workouts in the morning, teach in between some mornings & have slowly fit myself into some sort of routine nowadays which I am more than comfortable with. Amira is now happy & cheery to go to school although some mornings you'll get her occasional, "Why I must wake up early & go to school" whine on days where she stayed up late the night before...and I have yet to get my hair trimmed & I swear the longet it grows, the more I'm shedding hairs..tsk.. tsk...

driving me daisy...

2008-01-21T18:48:00.000+08:00

So the first day of 'school' wasn't so bad after all. I slept abt 2 in the morning the night before, preparing for the lesson & making sure that all the materials & references are in order. It felt like my 'first' day of school, I was anxious the whole night, keep waking up every hour as if its my first-time ever to teach. I think the anxiety was heightened by the fact that I get to drive to school after dropping Amirul off - my maiden journey as I call it after the neighbourhood schools & market trips. And after all the butterflies in the stomach, it turned out more than ok. Thank god for the preparations I made the night before as it proved more than helpful with 40 students & me with no asst trainer by my side.

Everything was over in 2 hours & before I knew it, I was already driving back, getting ready to make another trip to fetch Amira from school. By 2 in the afternoon, the kids are back home, with lunch in the tummy, even time to spare with rounds of badminton game with Dandi's mum & the kids.

So now I'm looking forward to the days ahead, just imparting my knowledge to eager 13 yr-olds in the morning then back home by noon to spend time with my chummies, bliss I would say...and oh, I've got to get myself a hair-trim,its been waaaaay too long...