2007

One hour to go before we usher in 2007! Taking this opportunity to wish all who drop by a wonderful year ahead. May you achieve fulfillment at work and in your personal life.
Let's try to live out our roles well this coming year. To quote Oprah Winfrey, she says a new year means another year to try to make it right.
Endeavour to spend time with your loved ones. Build lasting relationships . Leave you with this; old wood, best to burn; old authors, best to read;old wine, best to drink and old friends , best to keep!
Thanks for helping to make my blogging an enjoyable experience!

boggle

Reached home after dropping my niece to collect her car at the toyota servicing centre ( by the way, a hefty bill is in store she says ...oh well, if one wants to drive in style, he must be prepared to pay in style also, I guess) and what did I hear? The sweet laughter coming from my 2 kids...they are happily playing the " Boggle " game.
Daughter says that is the fun of having siblings, someone to play with her.I wished I could have given her more siblings but circumstances were not in my favour. A family of 2 daughters and 2 sons would be perfect, what do you say?

dad

The death of Gerald Ford, former US president,triggered memories of my ad who also died in his 90's.
One memory is of him taking the kids to watch a James Bond movie. Dad fetched me as his pillion rider on his bicycle and my second brother would fetch my youngest brother. The bicycles were parked at a bus stop where the next leg of the journey to town continued by bus.
Watching a movie is just a simple pleasure of life that dad enjoyed.
Do you have any sweet memory of your dad?

chicken pies

The baking bug has been attacking me. Since the spate of baking I did for Christmas, my hands have been itching to bake some more. Yesterday, with the help of my little helper, I baked chicken pies, first time.

Managed to give some away. One funny thing about me is that I enjoy the baking more than the eating. Spending time with daughter indulging in an activity we both like is a good bonding time for us too.
Realising that daughter will be in the afternoon session which means we won't see each other so much during the day makes the time spent together extra sweet.
PMR results will be released today. I will be dropping by school to see how the students fared.
Happy new year, everyone! May your heart's desire be fulfilled next year without any tragedy. ( refer to previous post)

Chicken pies, anyone?

tragedy

George Bernard Shaw once said " It is a tragedy if you do not attain your heart's desire and a tragedy if you do."

The second part is a tragedy only when in the attainment of your dream or success, you forgo the important things that life has to offer you. You may have material wealth and fame but you many have lost friendship and family along the way.
Do you agree?

assignment

I have an assignment to do and the deadline is looming. I have not written lengthy essays for a very long time. Just mulling over the question gives me a headache. A panadol seems to be my life saver these days.
I wil also be away from home to attend a course. The course lasts for a week .I tell myself not to get too stressed up over this course and the assignment. Take it positevely. I am looking forward to being with friends and making new ones.
Happy boxing day, everyone.

preference

My late dad's preference for the glutionous rice balls ( tung yuen) is the savoury type. I developed a craving for them this year. I have been making the sweet version last time.
Besides a sign of being older when one eats the tung yuen, the chinese also use it to test whether the married couple will get a son or a daughter. I am not sure how it is done but this takes place on the eve of the wedding. Probably see which colour balls rise to the surface first in the boiling water?
Which kind of balls do you prefer? sweet or savoury?

blunder

Due to the trouble in commenting on some bloggers' post, I get confused when I type in my own user name. Not sure whether they want my email address or my blogger name. I just made a blunder just now. My whole email address was published folowing my comment. I feel so exposed. Hope there will be no negative repercussions following that blunder.

egg dish

Additional guests have confirmed their attendance for this year's christmas gathering. I shall have to add to the menu. I am thinking of a simple dish and would like your suggestions. I shall serve boiled eggs, cut into half after shelling them . I will scoop out the egg yolks from all the eggs.Then the while halves of the boiled eggs act as little plates but I am not sure what I shall put in them. Does spicy tuna sound appetising? Or crispy chopped bacon? Will value your suggestions . Thanks.

car polish

Without a car, I feel as if I am without legs. I have wondered how I survived those days when I didn't own a car. I remembered taking cabs a lot to go from one place to another.
I have always treated my car as just a vehicle to ferry me to places but the other day, I decided to pamper it a little. After sending it for a wash, I gave it a polish. I mean I paid for my car to be polished. It costs me Rm110 for a wash and polish. What do you think, is this a reasonable price? Since when have you pampered your car?

greeting a teacher

After my daughter had her photo taken, she told me that she thought she saw one of her primary school teachers at the counter of the photo studio. We were already on our way out of the studio. I suggested that we turned around to check if it was true.It turned out that the lady was indeed a school teacher in her school. She hasn't taught my girl before but she was happy to be greeted.She continued" Most pupils hide when they see me."
Would you have greeted your teacher if you see him? Or run and hide?

greetings

I want to wish each one a blessed christmas. May your wish list be fulfilled.Don't get trapped into all the frills and busy-ness of christmas preparations. They are mere trappings . Don't let them deivert you from the real reason behind Christmas.
If you are travelling, drive carefully. If you are feasting , eat moderately. Make time for the ones you love.
May you continue to touch lives with your smile, words and thoughts.A happy 2007 to all of you.

clutter

I looked through my clothes and found that I have been keeping quite a few which do not fit me now.Needed the cupboard space so I packed the clothes into a few bags. Anyway, daughter consoled me by saying that I am already lucky that my body has carried 2 babies and I have not gained that much weight, she said ha ha
Am also going to dispose 2 double bed mattresses and one old wooden double bed. Kids' old toys also add to the clutter.
Next on the list is shoes. My brother who visited me one day remarked whether I have octopus legs to own so many pairs of shoes. I justify buying them as part of my going-to-work wardrobe.
Baked some butter cookies this afternoon. I added ground almonds to the dough to give it the "sandy" taste. Want any?

down south

My niece is back for a 2- week holiday. She is residing in Australia. Down south has done her good, she looks well and fresh. Hmm, maybe no boyfriend stress as she is still happily single.
What she likes most about western culture is the non-judgemental attitude of the people there. You do your own thing,dress as you like , and nobody judges you.
So this sets me thinking, are we asians so ready to judge another? Before we bother to find out the real story behind a person's action, we would already be gossiping about him at the nearby coffeshop or starbucks, whatever.

relationships

I spoke to this person over the phone one month ago. I reminded her that life is short and that she should make an effort to visit her grandmother who stays a few hours away from her.Her grandmother is already in her 80's. I doubt she paid heed to my advice.
Last night,I received a call from this person. She said that her grandmother has passed away. She had a fall in the bathroom and went into a coma, succumbing to death two days later. I felt sad when I heard that. I don't know when was the last time this gal saw her grannny. Anyway, I did not detect any sign of regret from her tone over the phone.
In my last telephone conversation with this person, I told her that relationships are what matters in life, not the mere pursuit of money. What do you all say? Ultimately, what really matters in life?

tarts

I baked pineapple tarts today. This is only the first round of baking. Last year, I bought individual presents for each of my guests who attended my christmas feast. This year, I made bracelets and ear-rings ( made from beads and crystals)for my lady guests. I hope to give each family who turns up a container of pineapple tarts to take home.Of course, the kids will receive something different.
My little helper ( my daughter) was a great help in the kitchen during the baking. Do you like pineapple tarts?

punctuality

I am a punctual person. This is why I find it difficult to understand why some people do not practise this trait. I find it extremely rude of people to assume that people should wait for them . This is especially true if it happens once too often .
I read somewhere that these people, when they were young, could have had a neglected childhood and now they like to arrive late so that they could have the attention they lacked during childhood.
Do you have friends who possess this unpopular trait? Did you try to get them to change their behaviour?Shall we excuse their behaviour if it is really due to their neglected childhood?

happiness

While watching a VCD movie with my son, I remarked " The family ( in the movie ) is poor but happy. Son agreed with me. Then I asked him ,
1) Is our family happy?
2) Are we happy?
His answers to 1) Not really( Ha ha)
2) Not really ( Huh?)

So I asked what we could do to rectify question 2. He cited 3 things he could do to make me and his sister happier. I was impressed. He didn't say how the other family members could make him happy but what he could do instead to make others happy.
Now what can you do to make someone you care happier this season?

typo error

I made a blunder today. Wanted to say someone is an workaholic but I typed the word "alcoholic" . It was real embarassing.

Ever made a such a typo error?

My apologies again to the person.

millionaire

This morning, I watched Oprah Winfrey and the topic was how to be a milionaire. For those interested, the principle is to pay yourself first. (another word for savings) Then to cut down by half the total amount spent on luxurious expenses. Of course, there must be investment too. So if I follow this advice, I am on my way to be a millionaire.
Trying to think what my luxurious expenses are. What is yours?

party

This year, I ordered 2 roast turkeys and am going to co-ordinate 2 parties going on at the same time.One will be at my sis-in-law's house and the other at my sister's place. Last year, I invited them over to my place and I felt it was so crowded.I will supply some food to both places also. I have asked my niece to help co-ordinate the feast at her mum's place. She hopes to invite her friends too as she is back for 2 weeks from Australia.
How are you feasting this Christmas? Are you hosting any party? Or merely feast-hopping?

weekend

I have been away for the weekend. Attended hubby's reunion dinner with kids in tow. Son felt bored half-way through and we made a hasty exit. Someone who was present at the last dinner ( a few years ago) commented that that year's dinner was more interesting and fun.
I spotted my Form 1 geography teacher whose husband was also a teacher. He taught at this boys' school and they were so cool to attend this dinner together.Chatted with her.
We visited the Taiping zoo on the next day.One could walk or take a train ride, costing RM3 for adults and RM1.50 for kids. The entrance fee to the zoo is RM5 for adults and RM3 for kids.
Also managed to visit dad's grave. He died in 2004 at age of 91.
What did you do during the weekend?

slippers

My son has only one favourite pair of slippers. He finds it so comfortable that he wears it for every occasion. I have bought him a nice pair of sandals which he has only worn for one occasion .He then complains that it is not as comfortable as his old pair of slippers.
There is an occasion coming up this weekend and I reminded him to wear his sandals there this time. His response " Must I wear a tuxedo too?" He is kidding, I know.
Well, I still don't know whether he will wear his sandals .He has outworn his slippers a little now.
Do you have any favourite apparel which you still hang on to and I don't mean your "bantal busuk"?

change

This husband says he has a bad deal and feels he is cheated. Why? According to the radio , his wife has put on a lot of weight now. So she is not the same gal he married anymore, so he says. He has given her an ultimatum...lose weight or else...
One husband called up the radio station and said" My wife has given me 2 beatiful daughters and in the process , if she has gained weight, so what? She has gone through thick and thin with me".
My opinion? The wife may have changed physically but the husband has changed emotionally. So, which is worse?
What do you say?

my past

Being the youngest of 5 girls ( I have 3 brothers) I am on the receiving end of many hand-me -downs, clothes mostly. However, my reading material is different from those of my sisters, reason being that my late father sent me to an English school whereas all my sisters studied in the Chinese medium.I still do not know why he did that. By the way, my brothers also studied in the English medium.
So as I look back, I am wondering whether my pre-occupation to always buy my daughter new stuff and abundantly at that is due to my being deprieved or having to share my stuff with my many siblings last time?
Has any event in your past influenced your present habit/action?

Morning

I am a morning person. I sleep early and wake up early. Sleep early can mean hitting the sack by 10 pm and waking up at 5am. This has been going on since I was a student. I am wondering which habit is the better one, sleep later and wake up later or what I am doing now.
Right now, I can hear the birds chirping outside my window as they welcome a new day. I doubt the birds ever wake up feeling "grumpy". A good lesson for us.
Are you a morning or a night person?

Aquara

Son was so excited that he could hardly sleep.He will be going to the Aquara....the actual visit did bring out a lot of "oohs" and "Ahhs" from him. Son is a natural lover of all animals, marine life included.

Indeed it was a marvellous sight to experience what underwater marine life is like, to see the fishes swimming above you as you leisurely walk under them. They call this part the "tunnel" experience.

Lunch was at KLCC, where else? Wanted to get daughter a Swass watch but she said that it was not necessary. A cheap watch will do.